Страдание святого священномученика Иринея, епископа Сирмийского

During the reign of the wicked Roman kings Diocletian and Maximian 2137, during the cruel persecution they instituted against Christians, believers, taking on various feats, zealously accepted the suffering imposed on them for Christ by the tormentors, looking at eternal reward. At this time in Sirmium 2138, a city of Pannonia 2139, the bishop was a man of young years, but perfect in the Orthodox faith and in the law of the Lord. His name was Irenaeus. For the sake of love for Christ, enduring many persecutions, he was honored to receive the well-deserved crown of victory for his confession of Christ. Captured in Sirmium by soldiers, Irenaeus was brought to Pannonia to the hegemon of 2140 Probus. Turning to him, Probus said: - Obeying the royal laws, make a sacrifice to our gods. Holy Bishop Irenaeus answered: - He who sacrifices to false gods, and not to the One true God, will be destroyed from among his people. - The most merciful kings commanded everyone: either make a sacrifice to the gods, or be subject to torture. “I am commanded,” answered the saint, “to accept the most severe torment rather than, having rejected the true God, to offer sacrifice to demons.” “Either make sacrifices to the gods, or I will immediately order you to be tortured.” “I will rejoice,” answered the saint, “if you do this with me, for then I too will be a partaker of the sufferings of my Lord.” Then the hegemon immediately ordered the soldiers to hand over the saint to torture. During severe torment, the hegemon asked him: “What do you say, Irenaeus, will you now make a sacrifice to the gods?” “I offer a sacrifice of good confession to my God, to whom I have always offered.” The saint's parents and all his household came and, seeing that he was being mercilessly tortured, hugging his legs, begged him to have pity on his youth and obey the king's commands. On the one hand, his father and mother were crying, on the other, all his neighbors, friends and relatives were crying loudly for him, and everyone exclaimed in one voice: - Have pity, Irenaeus, on the blooming beauty of your youth. But the saint, overwhelmed by the highest desire for God and having His commandment before his spiritual gaze, answered everyone: – The words of my Lord Jesus Christ are as follows: “Whoever denies Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:33). So, know, beloved, that neither with your prayers, nor with royal threats, or in any other way, you will be able to turn me away from God and from His law: with all my thoughts I strive for the hope of the heavenly 2141 calling. Probus, again calling blessed Irenaeus to him, convinced him, saying: - Be touched by the tears of those who grieve for you, and leave your madness, and, sparing your youth, make a sacrifice to the gods. “I will spare myself forever if I do not make such a sacrifice.” Then the hegemon ordered Irenaeus to be taken to prison while he decided what to do with him. Meanwhile, the saint, being in prison for many days, was overcome by various illnesses from the severity of imprisonment. But then one day at midnight the regional governor Probus ordered him to be brought to him again and said to him: “You’ve had enough of this torment that you’ve been subjected to for a long time.” Better go ahead and make a sacrifice to our gods. “If you have decided what to do with me,” answered Saint Irenaeus, “then do it quickly, without delay.” Know that I remain with the same confession of the name of Christ in which I have been until now; I am now and will remain firm and unchanging to the end. Then the hegemon, in anger, ordered to beat him with sticks for a long time. In the midst of his torment he cried out: – I have a God, whom I learned to honor from a very young age: I worship Him, I offer sacrifice to Him; but I cannot worship man-made gods. “Be content with those torments,” Probus told him, “which you have endured; don't wish for death. “I will not die, for life belongs to me, and I do not feel the torment that you inflict on me for the sake of the name of my Lord Jesus Christ.” I will tell you even much more: through them I hope to receive not death, but eternal life. - Do you have a wife? asked Probus. The saint answered that he had not. Then Probus asked: – Do you have parents? “I don’t have,” answered the saint. Probus asked again: – Do you have sons or daughters? The saint responded to this too that he had not. “Who,” asked Probus, “were those who sobbed and wept for you at the trial?” – I fulfill the commandments of my Lord Jesus Christ, who said: unless anyone denies his parents and renounces all his property, “he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26), “and whoever loves father or mother, son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me” (Matthew 10:37). So, he who truly loves God and trusts in Him alone despises earthly vanity and confesses no one as his father except God. “But I heard,” said Probus, “that you have sons: therefore, for the sake of love for them, make a sacrifice to the gods, so that they do not destroy your father.” “My sons have God for their father, whom I also have as a father and worship Him, for He is able to save them and me.” Therefore, we truly and completely trust in Him, and have entrusted our souls to Him so as not to perish. Do what your kings commanded you. “Spare yourself and your parents,” Probus urged, “make a sacrifice to the gods and obey the royal commands, otherwise I will put you to death through various torments.” “I have already told you,” said Irenaeus, “that you should do with me whatever you want, for you know well that I will never sacrifice to your vile gods.” And look how great patience my Lord Jesus Christ gave me against your and the devil’s wiles, through which he prepared torment for the saints of God. “Here, I will pronounce a death sentence on you if you do not make a sacrifice to the gods,” said Probus. “By doing this you will please me, for a death sentence will lead me to eternal bliss.” Then Probus pronounced the following death sentence to the saint: “I command that Irenaeus, who disobeys the royal decrees, be thrown into the river.” Saint Irenaeus said to this: “And I expected from you varied and severe torments, so that you would know how Christians, for the sake of faith in God, are accustomed to despise death.” But since you did not sentence me to them at all, I rejoice that although you pronounced this sentence on me. The hegemon, irritated by such daring of the blessed man, ordered his head to be beheaded with a sword, and then his body to be thrown into the river. The saint, as if receiving another victorious crown, having heard such an answer to this, thanked God, saying: “I thank You, Lord Jesus, for giving me such insurmountable patience in confessing Your holy name, so that I may be worthy to be a partaker of Your eternal glory. While he was still saying this, he was led to a bridge called “Artemis,” built in honor of their nasty goddess Artemis, 2142 from which he was to be thrown. There, taking off his clothes and raising his hands to heaven, Saint Irenaeus prayed with tenderness, saying: – Lord Jesus Christ, who deigned to suffer for the salvation of the world! May Thy heavens open to receive the soul of Thy faithful servant Irenaeus, who, for the sake of Thy holy name, was taken to suffer from the Orthodox Church of Sirmium. I do not renounce the acceptance of death. But I beg, Lord, Your ineffable mercy, that You preserve and protect the people of Your Church of Sirmium from all possible misfortunes and evils, and from enemies visible and invisible, and deign to confirm them in Your holy faith. After completing the prayer, the saint was beheaded with a sword and thrown into the river called Sava. Saint Irenaeus, Bishop of Sirmium, was martyred on March 26, during the administration of Pannonia by the regional governor Probus, during the reign of our Lord Jesus Christ over us, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. In 284, the Roman Empire was divided into eastern and western: the first was ruled by Diocletian, and the second by his friend Maximian; reigned from 284 to 305 Sirmium is an ancient city in Lower Pannonia, on the Sava. Today there are significant ruins of it near Mitrovica. Pannonia is one of the significant southern Danube regions of the Roman Empire. Hegemon – ἠγεμων regional ruler, chief. Upper – highest, heavenly (Ezek.41:7; Col.3:3). Artemis - otherwise Diana - is a goddess who personified the moon and was considered the patroness of forests and hunting. You might be interested in: