Praise to the Holy Martyr Andrew the New, who accomplished martyrdom in Jerusalem

Essay rights. Nicholas Kavasila's “Praise to the Holy Martyr Andrew the New, Who Committed Martyrdom in Jerusalem” is the only source of information about the life of the saint. Andrew the New, Jerusalem, who suffered martyrdom at the hands of Muslims, probably at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries. The text reveals in detail the image of the martyr. Andrew, starting with his noble origin and rejection of worldly goods for the sake of complete dedication to Christ. The author describes his ascetic life: hermitage, strict fasting, vigil, contempt for bodily needs, striving for chastity and humility. The perfection of his love for God and neighbor, which became the basis for all his virtues, is emphasized. The central place in the praise is occupied by the story of the martyrdom of the great saint. Andrey. The saint voluntarily denounces the wickedness of the barbarians in Jerusalem, preaching Christ as the true God, which leads to his cruel torture. Righteous Nicholas conveys the suffering of the venerable martyr, his courage and equanimity in the face of death. His reaction to the spilled entrails is especially vividly described - an act of contempt for the flesh and complete dedication to God. The author emphasizes that prmch. Andrew accepted martyrdom not out of coercion, but out of fiery love for Christ, thereby surpassing even the ancient martyrs who were forced to suffer. This voluntary choice of suffering is seen as the highest manifestation of faith and absolute trust in God. *Title of the work in Greek – ᾿Εγκώμιον εἰς τὸν ἅγιον ὁσιομάρτυρα ᾿Ανδρέαν τὸν Νέον ἐν ῾Ιεροσολύμοις τὸν τοῦ μαρτυρίου δρόμον διηνυκότα. I, loving you (as you would say?), the martyr of Christ Andrew, and most of all, always loving and honoring your exploits (what do you think?), decided to take up your praises and turn to speeches about you, on the one hand, repaying as much as I can, this love of mine for you, on the other hand, wanting to please those who belong to your ranks and strive for your praises and your miracles. Further, because it is very strange if you, having such glory among us, appearing to us in time in every need and extending a saving hand, do not receive from us, in return for these greatest benefits, what is within our power. Such is our speech and such are its reasons; You, divine and holy head, give us happiness and grace in other things and help us in this speech; for it is impossible, impossible, even if, in the words of the poet (Om. Il. II, 489), “I had ten tongues and ten throats,” to easily make speeches about you if you, the greatest of people, do not help in these speeches. For the point is not that one of your deeds serves for praise and another does not, or one more and the other less, so that as a result praise is less difficult; but you, as if by some necessity, began to have bliss that comes through all your deeds and is, as it were, allocated to all of yours, so that all your exploits surpass all belief, are exclusively befitting you and exceed any measure of praise. 2. This is how he wins in everything. For isn’t he the way we all know him, and the fact that he behaved beautifully before everyone... appeared with superiority? But maybe he stood lower than others in relation to his ancestors? Or did he have prosperity in relation to them, like perhaps no one else, but because of that his fatherland was insignificant and not befitting such men? Or was this also good and as befitted him, but the rest is inferior to him and does not deserve equal glory? No, in general, everything related to him was appropriate for him and for each other, as they say everything happens among equals and from the same gymnasium. And, in order to omit everything else that relates to the fatherland, ancestors and peoples (for if it were possible to briefly remember what is in some way before our eyes and relates to the present speech, I would like to remember those who brought it into life), who would not be amazed at the wealth, fame and nobility of origin, which arouses competition no less, if not more competition in this? And (the desire for) virtue and honest morals in the Lord... for for them, fame, and wealth, and a happy fate seemed worthy of some attention, not in order to rise above the lower ones and above the part inferior to them, but in order to stretch out a hand to the unfortunate and, as far as possible, to ease and console them in difficulties, to break bread for the hungry, to have pity on the poor according to the psalmist (Proverbs 22:9) and hence to make themselves a debtor to the God of all. Thus possessed of virtue and honest morals, he necessarily encountered the fact that God was always merciful to him, that he experienced all the best in life and was counted among the blessed in everything. So, they happened to be so happy in their descendants and have them corresponding to all the benefits that they had. It could be said about them that they became the parents of such a child as I had never seen before, so that they aroused in everyone amazement for their success in all blessings and no less astonishment because of the child. 3. However, what am I saying? For the sake of the child, they received so much praise that, being amazing from time immemorial and both appearing to everyone and being in fact the best, they came from here much more amazing and received great praise. For Andrew did not know empty glory, like others, did not love unfaithful and fugitive wealth and did not pay any attention to other things, which, as he knew, removes those who cling to God; Throughout his life, he turned his mind only to what, as he knew, made those who succeeded as partners in the Olympian affairs and encouraged them to stand before God and compete with the immaterial and the heavenly. But that’s not all: what he succeeded in immediately from the very first hair, so to speak, and from the very beginning, to which miracle should be attributed? He immediately conceded to others everything else with which it is fitting to console oneself in childhood; He considered worthy of attention only that which is especially characteristic of a person’s character and pleasing to God and that alone leads to virtue and decency of character; he, according to the poet (Om. Il. XIII, 431), appeared to everyone above all his peers and even above himself; he immediately surpassed some in everything, and with those who were already at the end of their lives and had worked hard in virtue, he competed for equality, in short, he stood as an example and image of everything beautiful, convinced those who looked at him as the prototype of virtue to organize their affairs well, brought everyone to amazement and surprise with the harmony of character and convinced them to consider virtue precious and, in the words of Plato (Cf. Plat. Zak. 5, p. 728 A), to place it above the gold found on the earth and under the earth. 4. So, having chosen virtue as his companion, and not considering anything more pleasant or more worthy of attention than living according to it, he preferred to do and endure everything rather than deviate even a little from it. Therefore, when his parents passed away from people, he immediately, without thinking at all about anything - neither about the greatness of glory and power, nor about the property of his parents, nor about anything else like that, but putting everything below the love of Christ sacrificed for us and choosing Him before everyone and instead of everyone and tying the ropes of salvation to His providence, immediately, as he was, he left his fatherland and arrived in Byzantium with that, so that, having become outside of all this, I can philosophize about what is happening. Here he cuts his hair, goes to the hermits and fully participates in their life. And first of all, having completely retreated from everything earthly, renouncing his fatherland, relatives and friends, he then renounces himself, takes up the cross and follows the Lord according to the divine and venerable commandments (Cf. Matthew 16:24), pacifying and enslaving the body, according to Paul (1 Cor. 9:27), and purifying the soul, refining and preparing it for contemplation and divine affairs. From here he reached such a degree of fasting, wakefulness and other feats associated with them and so surpassed everyone in them that he had almost no rival on earth and was equal in this only to the angels. The point is not that he had the greatest zeal and desire, but natural necessity prevented this wondrous desire for the great; but he acted in this and controlled these needs as if he either did not have a body at all, or he had one, but it became necessary to go not according to nature, but, once finding himself outside of physical needs, to adhere only to the needs of the spirit. 5. Therefore, most of the time he walked naked and barefoot, not having a home and not resting under a roof, so that here too he could imitate his beloved Christ; he resisted the air cold, solar fire and heavenly clouds in winter, as if possessing a stronger nature, or having oblivion of nature. First of all, he puts chastity, a precious quality that puts people together with angels, as if it were a kind of guide for himself, and governs the mind and passions, but gives preference to the mind; he does not allow his feelings to move away from reason and safety, but subordinates them to common sense. He transfers power and walking according to nature to the mind, so that it, having first destroyed the power of all passions, treats affairs in this way. Hence vision is chaste; the ear is chaste, all the senses are nurtured. Everyone is entitled to a law and measure - not to attack everything, not to feel everything, so that you don’t have to feel the worst and that which causes death; and from here he elevates the spiritual thought, and forces the carnal thought, like a slave, to submit to the spirit and, having emerged from the one who produced it, to follow the word that leads to heights. 6. With such a passage of all his exploits, he had such attention to humility, and it was so inherent in this husband that in everything else he surpassed all others, and in this part - even himself. It was as if he did nothing of what was proper to do, but he stood as far from the one who could elevate as he was involved. So he always remained, having a contrite and humble heart (according to the psalmist) (cf. Ps. 50:19), and walked sad and mourning, like those guilty of the greatest crimes, although he knew his duty and fulfilled it more than anyone else, so that he could become the guardian of salvation for thousands of other people. Then he considered himself unworthy to intercede even for his relatives, but decided to obey another and entrust the work of salvation to him alone. Such was his concern for moderation, and so in this he yielded to everyone; It seemed to him that he was always in need of leaders to virtue, as if being completely incomprehensible in what was happening, and in the works of virtue yielding either in everything or in most parts, and therefore he went first to Macedonia, then to Palestine, then bypassed Jerusalem and the desert. Was not all this a clear proof of his great humility? 7. So there was not a single valor that was not inherent in the husband. And we also know that love is the greatest of the virtues and the chief principle of the law and the prophets (cf. Matt. 22:37-40) and is so much better than others and is honored above all by God that everything else given to people by God, in its absence, is nothing, whether you talk about some tongues or about the gifts of healing according to the divine apostle (cf. 1 Cor. 12:9-10). Since it is divided into two - love for God and love for people, then you could not say in which of these aspects Andrei excels the others and in which he shines more. For he treated people this way and put other people’s affairs so much above his own and preferred everything to everyone that not only throughout his life did he never enter into enmity with anyone, but he also seemed to almost lift everyone above his head; That’s why everyone loved him so much, cared so much about his affairs, and put everyone below caring for him; that they would willingly give their very soul for it. 8. If he was like this towards people and had this kind of treatment with them, then how great should he be considered in his relationship to God? Who loved God so much that for His sake he neglected his homeland, relatives, friends, blood and everything else, and always directed his love not to anything else, but only to Him alone, to live and move and be by Him alone, leaving everything else behind? And to accept any labor for Him, to consider deeds more pleasant than any holiday, and to apply oneself to everything beyond any possibility, and then to consider that one does nothing, or does something less than one is willing, or is worthy of one’s readiness, but unworthy of one’s deeds—isn’t all this evidence of the greatest love for God, as I [think], at least a sign? But if obvious proof of the most perfect love and beyond which nothing can be found (according to the divine saying) (Cf. John 15:13) consists in not caring at all about the soul, where it must be exposed to danger for friends, but to be ready to lay it down for what is useful to them, then of course the man reached the very pinnacle of love, so throughout his entire life he mortified his earthly members for the love of Christ (cf. Col. 3:5), so he died and laid down his soul for Him after many torments and many ascetic deeds. This is how he treated God and people, and on both sides he truly affirms the limit of perfect love. However, if someone practices in it alone and cannot be adorned with anything else, it still costs a lot to reach the limit of both this and any other virtue, then how will he not naturally be awarded the greatest praise and will not have recognition from everywhere in the sense of beauty and righteousness? So, O divine and holy head, you have gone through all the best deeds and considered great by God and people with great superiority and received power over them all. 9 . But it’s time to set forth the greatest and supernatural feats of the man for piety and his death through torture and blood and show him here struggling with great success not only against blood and flesh, but also against principalities and authorities (cf. Eph. 6:12) victorious and crowned. For, having completely retreated from all earthly and material passions and having prepared a soul liberated and pure from this darkness by the fact that he did not leave anything leading to this outside of himself and his desires, he longed for both permission (from this life) and to present himself purely to the pure Christ, in order to become a partaker of both His passion and the resurrection and glory. To the thirsty one, it seemed inappropriate for him to look at the fate following nature in such a way as to experience death as some kind of accident, but just as throughout the entire time he did everything else according to Christ and for the sake of Christ, and ruled everything in His opinion, and mind, and life, and deeds, and language, and feeling even to posture and gait, so he believed that it was necessary to bring about death and for His sake to endure this too, in order to be the best in everything, saving present from head to toe. 10. The word will show that the barbarians in Palestine reached such madness that they abandoned the God who created and (stopped) thinking about what was appropriate to think and speak about Him, but clung to some pathetic man as to the greatest legislator, and after the glorious Moses they began to use “the one worthy of the worst destruction” (Aristoph. Peace, v. 2) as a second actor of the laws, and he completely rejected the divine and supernatural construction of human salvation and instead of divine laws he posited certain laws that were advisers and patrons of the most shameful passions. With such views, their great one, indignant at them, appeared one day when they were holding a council and making sacrifices, and, seeing that they “loved their evil” (Isiod Works and Days, v. 58) and with pleasure strive for their destruction, on the one hand he pitied them, and on the other hand he had (what do you think?) a fiery desire to shed blood for the sake of Christ and therefore reveals Christ to them as the real Son of God, reviles the ministry of the barbarians and calls them deceived, since they left the straight path of God, chose the one leading to destruction and do not recognize Christ, the crucified God, Whom they should have recognized as God and Creator of this whole world. So he, unable to contain the fire of love for Christ, spoke and acted, on the one hand killing for Him, and on the other being indignant with him at the insult of the wicked; for for him, according to Paul (cf. Gal. 2:20), living in Christ and according to Him and for His sake, and also dying for Him, was a profit valued above all else. 11. The barbarians should have been amazed by these words and the wondrous boldness of their husband, marveled at him and obeyed him who advised them what they should; but they became angry (for there were asps, disciples of the evil serpent, stopping their ears and hating exposure at the gates, according to the psalmist) (cf. Ps. 57:5; Am. 5:10) and began to think about torment and how to punish the offender. So, immediately the chains and instruments of execution took possession of the martyr, who gave thanks to God, and his flesh disintegrated and, scattered, filled the air, inspiring great fear in the rulers of the air, and blood flowed from the source, coloring this divine body and, for lack of flesh, becoming instead of flesh; the executioners were tired and were clearly defeated by the martyr’s courage and his supernatural firmness. He looked as if he had not endured anything serious, showing by this that he would not in the least retreat from his love for Christ, but even if the most severe torments threatened him, even the bull of Phalaris, even everything that anyone could say, would not in the least convince him to ease this tension and the greatest insistence on piety. And he saw his flesh spreading, limbs being pulled apart, blood flowing down, nails being pulled out, and seeing this, a truly courageous man and the strongest of all irons, not complaining at all about these terrible torments, even expressed gratitude to those who caused them. And it was clearly visible how he raised his hands for them and begged for the best for them, following the example of the desired Jesus, whom he knew to be peace-loving and meek; Considering his villains to be benefactors, or, better to say, knowing them not even to be villains, but to give him the most pleasant things, he repaid them for their kindness and gave, as needed, what was due to those who were moving him in this way from those below him and from those from whom he most wanted to be freed (what do you think?) and sending him to the desired Jesus, for Whom he did everything and endured everything. 12. And thus the martyr considered the torment for Christ the most pleasant and most desirable of any holiday, and so treated the passions for Him, more than any prince, wise in the hardships and in the passions, preserving and clearly strengthening what was inherent, as the only Christ he was, lived and moved; The wicked, completely despairing, since they could not achieve anything with any words or deeds (for for him, who firmly held onto piety, everything was nothing - both promises of blessings and torment), sentence the husband to death. 13. The martyr remained in prison, rejoicing and welcoming himself for having suffered and soon to die for Christ, and giving many thanks to God for this wonderful and in all respects pleasant fate. And to those murderers, so that no one else would reach such daring and no one would be able to insult their faith, it seemed appropriate and very consistent with their deeds that first of all the husband should be put to death, when all the city residents would be gathered together and would watch and listen to what he had done and what punishment he was being subjected to for his daring. When they announced and everyone was already present, both ours and the visitors, the theater was full, “the assembly was agitated and the earth groaned under it” (Hom. Il. II, 95) and the swords and hands of the executioners were already ready, then the martyr, the foundation of the Church, was brought out of prison, like a bridegroom coming out of his palace, the divine David would say (Ps. 18:6), singing with a voice of joy: “Song is due to You, O God, in Zion, and prayer will be given to You in Jerusalem” (Ps. 64:2). He did not show any sign of fear, as if going to a holiday, and not to death; for he became fully involved in the heavenly things and saw Christ alone, rejoiced with Christ, enjoyed Him alone and His deeds before his departure. Так любовь ко Христу ставила его выше природы и побудила представлять себе только Его одного. 14. And so he stands in the middle of the theater, raises his venerable hands to heaven, calls on God for help and begs Him to be present and make his feat easier to accomplish. And He appears (for how could He not do this?), fills the ascetic with grace and anoints him for the feat. The martyr, having received what he asked for in his prayers, gives thanks to God for this speedy help. And first he receives a blow to the lower back, then to the stomach, so that his insides immediately flow out. But this courageous sufferer was so far from being able to incline his mind in any way that he even placed a fold of clothing under the leaked entrails and poured everything on his head, so that (I think) the ascetic would be sanctified from above and his contempt for everything carnal would be shown and that he, having received a dwelling in heaven, was indifferent to what everyone who has a stomach is God cares about. This sight immediately horrified and amazed all the spectators who belonged to our brotherhood; they rejoiced and greeted him with this feat, and he sang as befits the God of the wondrous, so that, according to David (Ps. 102:1), all his insides were blessed by the holy name of God. 15. Thus, perfect news regarding firmness appeared in his life. Then the second blow follows and the body falls, yielding to natural necessity, although it appeared to everyone greater than nature, having become superior to it in everything. Then the work of fire begins, and a living, holy, acceptable sacrifice is offered to God (cf. Rom. 12:1), the most holy of all lawful sacred services. His soul was received by the beloved hands of Jesus, who suffered much for Him and for His glory and love. And now staying with Him, directly enjoying His graces and being completely illuminated by the rays there, she stopped both her work and her aspirations, looking down on our deeds from above and praying for better ones. 16. But, O divine and thrice desired head, who most pleased the greatest and beloved Trinity, and who honored Her more than all others; o who has endured greater labor than is natural to nature, and who has received from God gifts of greater labor; O who appeared for all as the limit and image of the sweat of ascetics, O who glorified God with your suffering, who shed blood for Him and is now glorified by Him even more; O you, the best in everything and more than likely, loving of God, as if you offered God not anything else from everything and not a sacrifice from the fat, but yourself; the one who undertakes to praise your exploits not close to dignity, but in such a way as not to fall completely from what is proper, will he choose your greatest, supernatural and wondrous above nature feat of wisdom, which you chose from childhood and accomplished throughout your life, or the greatest and most wondrous steadfastness for piety and those supernatural feats, death through martyrdom and blood and what, having gone through everything, you carried away a wonderful and very fitting conclusion, or, better to say, much more, although the second, they say, is better (Cf. Plat. Zach. 4, r. 723 D). 17. But in this you could have, although few, some similar and striving for equal. But to go in this way, without any external violence, to death for piety and to treat the tortures applied so courageously as to appear to be seeing them rather than undergoing them, and thus to overcome the wicked, as well as natural needs, and to appear to be the best in everything - who of all has accomplished this in such a way and so supernaturally that for this reason he can be compared with you in at least something? I could praise those young men who were thrown into the oven and so courageously rebelled against those who possessed them, and quite rightly so, but still she is on a par with you, O martyr of Christ! Oh, they are far from that! Хотя они из любви к Божеству готовы были все претерпеть, но все-таки пришли к этому мужеству по необходимости; for it was impossible for them to otherwise observe piety without experiencing suffering. You, by your own will, go to exploits and, although it was possible for you, while maintaining piety, to become completely beyond passions, with love for Christ and high courage you expose the fire of torment, and if you want, temptations (which are greater than that fire and much more difficult to endure), and, having separated the material nature, you see God purely, not in an image, like those. This is the difference between you and them, and so you, as I said, with your deeds for piety, showed up more than the best men and known to everyone for piety. 18. Having thus gone through everything and having completed the course (cf. 2 Tim. 4:7) like no one else, O great miracle of the universe, you now live purely with the heroic God and, enjoying the heavenly radiance, you receive much greater rewards for your labors. Such is this speech to you and from us, instead of any other gift or crown that we have, a speech - I know well - far less than your deeds and zeal, but not less than our strength. And your work and the work of your disposition and mercy towards us is to grant us in this life to enjoy, according to the poet, everything that the soul desires, and that which is God-loving and pleasing to you, and in the future - the kingdom of heaven and those greatest, supernatural and new blessings that surpass every sense, which you yourself enjoy now, so that I, having become a spectator of the glory that you have been awarded from God, will not limit my songs only to this life, but have opportunity here too to increase your praises with much greater preparation in Christ Jesus our Lord, to Him belongs all glory, honor and worship, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.