8-го числа

Holy Great Martyr Theodore Stratelates A native of Euchaitis, Theodore, a brave and wise military leader, received the dignity of a governor (stratilate in Greek) in the city of Iraklia Ponticus (now Penderaklia). While living here, Theodore preached about Christ and led many to the holy faith. Licinius, the emperor, wanting to support paganism, in defiance of Constantine, the co-emperor, who supported Christianity, especially persecuted Christian bishops and military men. In 319, he personally visited Heraclius in order to encourage with his presence the despondent champions of paganism and to reassure himself of the way of thinking of the governor of Heraclius, about whom unpleasant rumors had reached him. Having sat down on a high place prepared in the middle of the city, he delivered a speech of praise to the city and said “nowhere are the gods revered as here. This place is the most decent, this is the city most worthy for serving the gods. The great god Herakl loved this city and named it by his own name, and you, Theodore, are worthy to own this city and such a pious people. And now, prove your love for the gods before us and make sacrifices to them! Let the people see your zeal for the gods and know what a sincere friend you are to them and a good friend to the king!” "Tsar! answered St. Theodore, give me today into my house the great gods, gold and silver, which you brought with you! With sacrifices and censers, I will bow to them this night, and then solemnly, when you order, I will sacrifice to them in front of all the people.” “The king happily agreed and ordered the gods to be brought.” Having taken them, Theodore broke them into pieces at home that same night and distributed these valuable parts to the poor. Two days later, Licinius appointed a solemn sacrifice and, taking his place, said to Theodore: “Now make sacrifices to the gods, so that the people can see your zeal for them!” - But then the centurion approached the king and announced that yesterday he saw the golden head of the goddess Artemis in the hands of a beggar, and when asked: where did he buy it? received the answer that Theodore Stratelates gave him this thing. The king, out of amazement and anger, could not say anything for a long time; Finally, turning to Theodore, he said: “Is this how you thank the gods for the gifts you have received from them? Was this what I was expecting when I walked here from Nicomedia? But I won’t forgive you for this!” Theodore answered: “Sir, why are you angry? Judge for yourself the power of your gods, who are nothing more than soulless things. You mourn for your gods, but I rejoice over their destruction; You bow to dead idols, but I bow to the living God!” After a cruel scourging with ox sinews and tin rods, Theodore's body was scorched by fire and torn apart by sharp instruments. St. Theodore, in cruel torment, exclaimed: “Glory to Thee, my God!” After such torture, he was imprisoned. Five days later they crucified him on the cross, and drove a sharp and long nail into the inside of the saint. martyr, they cut his body with razors, and others shot arrows at his face. “I,” says Uar, the describer of the saint’s suffering, “seeing his severe torment and hearing painful groans, lowering the scroll on which I wrote, fell weeping at the feet of the sufferer and said: bless me, my lord, and tell me the last word!” “Uar,” the saint answered me in a quiet voice. Theodore, do not abandon your work, but describe all my sufferings to the end and write down the day of my death! – The latter meant that Theodore asked for an annual commemoration in the church on the day of his death. Then, having uttered a short cry of prayer to the Lord, the martyr fell silent and said nothing more. His whole body was torn to pieces. The executioners left the body hanging on the cross; but at night the Angel of the Lord took down the saint. Theodore from the cross and healed him of his wounds. Licinius, even before morning, sent two centurions with the order: “Bring here the body of the deceased Theodore; I will put it in a tin box and throw it into the sea, so that crazy Christians will not take it and worship it.” When the centurions approached the place of execution, seeing Theodore sitting on the ground and praising God, they themselves believed in Christ, and with them seventy soldiers. Having learned about this, Licinius sent his governor with three hundred soldiers to kill all those who believed in Christ. But they, seeing the miracles of the greatness of God, also believed, and exclamations were heard in the crowd: “There is one God, this is the Christian God; where is Likin’s tormentor? We will stone him!” At this time, a certain warrior with a drawn sword rushed at Theodore, but the royal governor snatched the sword from his hands and pierced him, and another warrior rushed at the governor and killed him. Theodore, taming the rebellion, said to the people: “Stop, beloved! The Lord Jesus Christ was crucified and restrained the Angels so that they would not take vengeance on the human race.” Having pacified the people and preaching Christ God, Theodore surrendered into the hands of those sent to kill him; only Uaru said: “Don’t be lazy to write down the day of my death, and lay my body in Euchaite; when you, too, end your life, bequeath to bury yourself with me to my left.” Having prayed and said “Amen,” he bowed his head under the sword and died on February 8, Saturday, at three o’clock in the afternoon. Subsequently, Emperor John Tzimiskes (969–976) erected a magnificent church to the saint in Euchait in gratitude for the victory over the Russians. Holy Prophet Zechariah the Sickle-Seer A contemporary of the prophet Haggai, together with him he encouraged Prince Zerubbabel and the High Priest Jesus to speed up the construction of the Temple of Jerusalem; prophesied about Christ, about His solemn entry into Jerusalem on the foal of a donkey, about the tradition for thirty pieces of silver, about the piercing of His side, about the ascension into heaven. He is called the Sickle-Seer from his vision of a sickle (Zechariah 5:1-4), that is, the curse of God on thieves and perjurers. Died around 520 before the birth. Chr. Repose of Saint Sava the Second, Archbishop of Serbia Savva the second, the youngest son of the first-crowned King Stephen and nephew of the great Savva of Serbia, in the world - Predslav, wished to follow in the footsteps of his uncle and in his young years accepted monasticism. After blessed Arseny, who blessed him as his successor, he was worthy of his rank as high priest. His remains rest in the Pekka monastery. The Serbian Church sings to him: “From the root of the good, a good branch has grown, you have won God’s mind with the waters, and thus the fragrant fruit has appeared in your life from youth, gladdening the hearts and souls of those who sing.” – Reposed on February 8, 1268. – I remember August 30th with other Serbian saints.