November 15: Saints Gourias, Avivos and Samonas are celebratedtranslated

The Church today honors the three Holy Confessors Gouria, Avivo and Samona. Gourias the glorious and Samonas the wonderful, were martyred under Diocletian fighting the Holy struggle of the Christian faith. They were arrested by the ruler Antoninus and managed to convince many not to worship idols. They endured with admirable patience many tortures and at last they were beheaded. Avivus the pansophus lived during the reign of Licinius, a few years later, and came from a village in Edessa. He was ordained a Deacon and distinguished himself for his great piety and his warm love for the Holy preaching.

The ruler of Lysanias, when he saw Avivus attracting many pagans with his fervent preaching, arrested him and after hanging him on a pole tortured him mercilessly. Then he threw him into the fire and thus Avivus gave up his spirit to God. As the hymn writer mentions in the apolytypic of our Saints, "The miracles of your martyrs, Christ, you have given us like an impregnable wall". The faithful do not know, through their experience and church tradition, any other good and philanthropist than Jesus Christ, whom the Holy Confessing Martyrs represent and who...