20. Святые мученики

Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch Saint Ignatius was a disciple of Saint John the Evangelist and around 70 A.D. was ordained bishop of the Antiochian Church, which he ruled for more than thirty years. In 107, Emperor Trajan, going to war with the Persians, arrived in Antioch, and it was reported to him that Christians did not take part in the solemn meeting held from the city, and Bishop Ignatius was pointed out as the main culprit in this. An interrogation was made 44 and the emperor’s decision followed: “Ignatius should be chained to the soldiers 45 and sent to Rome to be devoured by wild beasts for the amusement of the people.” The journey of Saint Ignatius to Rome presented two opposites: on the one hand, ten rude soldiers cruelly treated him as a prisoner sentenced to death; on the other hand, Christians showed him the most touching attention and respect. Various Churches sent their representatives to meet Saint Ignatius to greet him and serve him. There are seven known letters to different Churches, written by Saint Ignatius from his path in response to these touching expressions of brotherly love. By the way, he wrote to the Roman Christians so that they would not try, in their zeal, for his release and would not prevent him from suffering for Christ. When the time of suffering finally came, Saint Ignatius joyfully entered the amphitheater, constantly repeating the name of Christ. “Why are you repeating the same word?” - the soldiers asked him. Saint Ignatius replied: “It is written on my heart, therefore my lips repeat it.” With a prayer to the Lord, he entered the arena. Wild animals were unleashed and furiously tore the holy confessor to pieces, leaving only a few bones of him. These bones were collected with reverence by the Antiochian Christians who accompanied their bishop to the place of torment, wrapped them like a precious treasure in clean linen and took them to their city. Saint Ignatius suffered on December 20, and his disciples informed other Churches about this in order to annually celebrate this day in memory of the holy martyr 46. Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna Saint Polycarp, together with Ignatius the God-Bearer, was a disciple of the Apostle John the Theologian. Having been ordained Bishop of Smyrna by the Apostle, he paternally shepherded the Church for more than forty years and survived several persecutions. At the beginning of the persecution of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, the pagan mob became agitated and demanded the execution of the holy bishop. Polycarp wanted to stay in the city, but then he bowed to the request of people close to him and retired to one village. Here, during prayer, he had a vision that the head on his bed was burning. He told his companions: “I will be burned alive.” Finally, his hiding place was discovered. With the words: “The will of the Lord be done!” “Polycarp himself went out to his pursuers and even ordered them to give them refreshments, asking himself only a little time for prayer, after which he cheerfully went to the place of torment. Near the city, the commanders of the Roman guard met him and began to convince him to renounce Christ, but Saint Polycarp was adamant. When he appeared in the city square, the mob raised a terrible cry. At these moments, the words were clearly heard by Saint Polycarp and the Christians around him: “Take courage, be steadfast!” The proconsul said to Saint Polycarp: “Spare your old age, come to your senses, swear by the genius of Caesar, blaspheme Christ, and I will let you go.” Saint Polycarp answered: “I have served Him for eighty-six years and have seen only good from Him: can I blaspheme my King, the Savior?” The proconsul began to threaten him with wild animals, fire, and so on. Polycarp stood firm in his confession, and his face shone with joy. Meanwhile, the crowd shouted furiously: “This is the teacher of wickedness, the father of Christians, the blasphemer of our gods; to his lions!” When the manager of the menagerie in the circus announced that the performance was already over, new cries were heard: “Burn Polycarp,” and the proconsul agreed to this demand. They immediately brought in logs and firewood; according to custom, they wanted to attach Saint Polycarp to the post with iron brackets, but he asked to be left free. “He who gives me the strength to endure burning,” he said, “will help me to be motionless at the stake even without iron bonds!” Therefore, they tied him to the post only with ropes. With his hands tied behind his back, eyewitnesses write, he looked like a lamb chosen as a sacrifice acceptable to the Lord. Just before the time of lighting the fire, Saint Polycarp said a prayer in which he thanked God for leading him to the host of martyrs. When the fire was lit, to everyone’s surprise, the flames swollen as if from a strong pressure of the wind and surrounded the martyr like a radiance: the aroma of incense and fragrant roots was in the air. Seeing that the flame had no effect, one of the executioners struck Saint Polycarp with a sword. Then the blood poured out of his body in such quantities that it extinguished the flame of the fire. The pagans, however, lit the fire again and kept it going until the body of the holy martyr was burned. Only a few bones remained from him. Christians reverently collected them and then annually celebrated his holy memory on the day of his death (February 23). Saint Justin, a Greek by origin, in his youth felt an attraction to philosophy, listened to all the then known philosophical schools (Stoics, Peripatetics, Pythagoreans) and did not find satisfaction in any of them. After this, one old man of majestic appearance met with him and pointed him to the writings of the prophets and apostles, but “first,” he said, “pray to God and the Lord Jesus Christ, that He may enlighten the eyes of your heart.” Justin began to study the sacred books and became more and more convinced of the divine origin of the Christian religion. The final influence on him was the courage and joy with which the Christian martyrs and martyrs went to suffer. Having become a Christian, Justin did not take off his philosophical mantle, which gave him the right to enter into scientific disputes. He traveled to different countries (he was in Palestine, Asia Minor, Egypt, Rome) and everywhere he tried to lead seekers of wisdom to the truth that filled his own heart with peace and joy. At the same time, he tried to protect Christians from the accusations that the pagans subjected them to. There are two known apologies that he wrote in defense of Christians, and several works in which he proves the superiority of Christianity over Judaism and paganism. One of his opponents (the cynic Criscent), unable to overcome him in disputes, denounced him to the Roman government, and he fearlessly and joyfully met his martyrdom (166, commemorated on June 1). Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage Saint Cyprian came from a famous family and received an excellent education, was a lawyer, and lived cheerfully and luxuriously. But social life with its entertainment and pleasures did not satisfy him. At this time of disappointment and boredom, Presbyter Caecilius showed him the path to the truth. Cyprian vividly depicts the great change that he felt both in his heart and in his life after holy baptism, and he retained the most lively gratitude to Caecilius, as a sign of which he added his name to his name. Immediately upon his conversion, he sold his gardens and villas and distributed the money to the poor and, for his strict ascetic life and high education, two years after his baptism he was installed as a bishop of the Carthage Church, against his own will, according to the unanimous, unyielding desire of the people. At the see of Saint Cyprian, he showed tireless activity and extraordinary energy to maintain discipline in the church clergy and good morals in society, which began to waver and change for the worse as a result of the long peace of the Church. He took a very lively and active part in resolving questions about the acceptance into the Church of the fallen (that is, those who betrayed the faith during persecution, of which there were especially many during the cruel reign of Decius), about baptism from heretics and schismatics, for which he entered into relationships with the Roman and Eastern Churches. Monuments of the energetic archpastoral activity of Saint Cyprian remain his works, which have a guiding significance, mainly in matters of church discipline. As soon as Decius’s decree against Christians became known in Carthage, the first thing heard was the cry of the pagan mob: “To the lions of Cyprian!” The believers approached the holy bishop and convinced him to leave Carthage for a while. From his refuge, he strictly monitored his flock, encouraged Christians in this difficult time for them, denounced the violators of the church orders he had established, fought against the disturbers of the Church (Novatus and Filicissimo), and overthrew the slander brought against him. His return was greeted by the joyful cries of the people, and with his appearance, discord ceased and peace was established in the Church. At the beginning of the persecution from Valerian in 257, he was imprisoned in one city, in the middle of a sultry desert; Saint Cyprian, however, found an opportunity to govern the Church from here too. Here he had a vision of the torment ahead of him and a deadline was set for preparing for his death. Saint Cyprian wanted one thing - to suffer in Carthagan. This wish came true. He was returned to Carthage and handed over to the pagans. He refused the proconsul’s demand to sacrifice to the idol, and when his death sentence was announced, he joyfully exclaimed: “Glory to God!” He calmly entered the place of torment; Kneeling down, he prayed, blessed the people, ordered that the executioner be given a gift, blindfolded himself and bowed his head for beheading. The Christians took his body and buried it with great honor, and his blood, carefully collected with handkerchiefs, was preserved as a precious treasure (258, commemoration of the Hieromartyr Cyprian on August 31). During the same persecution in which the holy martyr Cyprian was beheaded by the sword, Sixtus, Pope of Rome, suffered. When Sixtus was led to the place of execution, a huge crowd of people surrounded him. Suddenly one young man squeezes through this crowd, reaches the bishop, holds him by his clothes and exclaims with tears: “Where are you going, my father, without your son?” This was the Archdeacon of the Roman Church Lawrence. “I will not leave you, my son,” Sixtus answered him with love. “We, the elders, are fighting an easy battle, a more glorious feat awaits you; You will soon follow me." This prophecy came true. Soon after the blessed death of Saint Sixtus, the Roman prefect summoned Archdeacon Lawrence and demanded that he hand over the treasures of the Roman Church, about which there was an exaggerated rumor among the pagans. “Your teaching,” the prefect told him with mockery, “orders you to render what is Caesar’s to Caesar: give back the money on which the portrait of the emperor is carved.” Lavrentiy calmly answered: “Wait a little, let things get in order.” He was given three days' time. On the third day, Saint Lawrence gathered the poor who were receiving benefits from the Roman Church and brought them to the court of the prefect. “Come out,” he said to the prefect, “look at the treasures of our Church: your whole yard is full of golden vessels.” “You are laughing at me,” the prefect said with anger when he saw the poor, “I know: you are taught to despise death; but I will make you suffer for a long time.” He ordered Saint Lawrence to be stripped and tied to an iron grate. They placed brushwood under this grate and lit it. The holy martyr lay on one side for several minutes and did not utter a single groan. Then he calmly said: “It’s already baked; it’s time to turn it around,” and with a prayer for the tormentors he gave up his spirit to the Lord (261, his memory is August 10). – The following conversation between the holy martyr and the emperor is reported. “Who are you, evil demon,” exclaimed Trajan, “that you dare to resist our commands, teach others the same and lead others into destruction?” “No one has the right to call the God-bearer an evil demon,” answered Saint Ignatius. “But if you want to call me evil to the demons, because I fight with them, then I willingly accept the name you give.” “Who is a God-bearer?” - asks Trajan. “He who carries Christ in his heart,” answered Saint Ignatius. “Are you talking about the One,” Trajan interrupted Saint Ignatius, “Who was crucified under Pontius Pilate?” “Yes,” answered Saint Ignatius, “about the One who bore sin on the cross and crushed its culprit”... “So, do you carry the Crucified One in your heart?” – Trajan asked mockingly. “Yes,” the holy confessor answered with dignity and humility, “as described: I will dwell in them and resemble them.” - This expression meant: assign ten warriors to him; with one of the warriors, in turn, the prisoner was tied with a chain. – Here is an example of the veneration of holy relics and celebrations in honor of saints in the Ancient Church. The transfer of the relics of the holy martyr Ignatius is celebrated on December 20. You might be interested in: