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St. torment. Hieron and his squad - St. thirty-two martyrs: Hesychius, Nicandra, Athanasius, Nikon, Longinus, Theodora, Valery, Theodula, Eugenius, Epiphanius, Theodotus, Anicetas, Hilarion, and so on. Hieron, the son of a Christian woman, a native of the city of Tiana in Cappadocia, having reached adulthood, was required to serve; he was to join the additional detachment of that army, which was intended, among other things, to act against Christians, who were significantly widespread in Armenia and Cappadocia during the reign of Diocletian, and who stubbornly resisted the emperor’s command to honor the gods and observe pagan decrees. The Christian did not want to serve with the pagans, he also could not decide to leave his blind and elderly mother, and therefore, resisting the soldiers sent for him, who wanted to take him by force, Hieron and his squad hid in a cave, where he continued to successfully resist when the soldiers again approached the cave in order to capture him. He, however, yielded to the insistence of his friend Kyriakos, who was sent to him by the local ruler with instructions to convince him to join the army. Having reached the city of Melitina with the soldiers, Hieron was imprisoned along with other thirty-two Christians. Calmly accepting his fate, he aroused and maintained vigor in others for the upcoming feat. - Therefore, when Hieron and his squad were called for interrogation, they confessed the name of Christ with unshakable firmness and no threats, no flattering promises could force them to renounce Christ. Then they were all sentenced to death. Before it was carried out on them, they were all subjected to torture; Hieron, as the one most guilty of resisting the soldiers, had his right hand cut off. After the torture, the martyrs languished in prison for several more days; then, again summoned to trial and again refusing to renounce Christ - they were all beheaded in 298. Their bodies were secretly taken and buried by Christians. They were found incorrupt (as Procopius testifies) when the church of St. Irene, by order of Justinian 126. “The martyr’s face is clear, the regiment is luminous, descending to us wisely, today the Church is illuminated with wonderful dawns. In the same way, as we celebrate their honorable memory, we ask from You, our Savior: deliver us from troubles with those prayers, so that we may sing to You: Alleluia!” - the Church appeals to God in the name of the holy martyrs, celebrating their memory. Rev. Lazarus, who labored on Mount Galicia Rev. Lazarus, who from childhood was distinguished by gentleness, meekness, compassion and love for the poor, marked himself with great asceticism throughout his life. In his young years, possessing an education, but shunning all worldly pleasures and following the pious mood of his soul, he went to worship the Jerusalem shrine, then spent ten years in the monastery of St. Savva in Palestine; For his high life, he was elevated to the rank of priesthood by the Patriarch of Jerusalem. By a special revelation, during his further asceticism, already in a completely deserted desert, Lazarus returned to his homeland - to a village in Magnesia; was recognized by his mother, but did not stay with her, but, having become attached to the desert life, again retired to an uninhabited Galician mountain - near the city of Ephesus, three days' journey from Smyrna to the south. Here one night, while praying, Lazarus was struck by a vision of a pillar of fire rising to heaven and surrounded by many angels singing: “May God rise again and be scattered against His enemies!” and taking this as an instruction from above, he built a church in this place in the name of the Resurrection of Christ - with the assistance of Emperor Constantine Monomakh (1041-1054), who had great respect for him. At the church, the ascetic built a pillar, on which he gave himself up to endure the heat and cold, since the pillar had no cover. Having trampled his flesh, growing more and more in spiritual strength, Lazarus achieved the gift of clairvoyance and the gift of miracles. Pious people began to gather to him, thirsting for his guidance and wanting to strengthen themselves in the contemplation of such a model. Thus the venerable ascetic labored. Lazarus remained in constant vigilance, patience and prayer until the end of his life; He died at the age of 72 and was buried in a pillar and glorified after death by many miraculous healings that took place from his relics. - The Holy Church sings to the one who conquered all earthly passions: - “You wetted the pillar with vigil prayers, flowing tears, and from the depths of sighs you brought forth fruit for a hundred labors, and you were a shepherd, giving forgiveness to everyone: Reverend Our Father Lazarus, pray to Christ God to save our souls.” “Monthly. East." archim. Sergius vol. II, part 2, p. 350.