Страдание святого мученика Исидора

In the first year of the reign of Emperor Decius 3231, a royal decree was issued across all regions and countries of the Roman Empire, ordering that the soldiers be counted and assembled into regiments. On this occasion, the ships of the governor Numeria arrived at the island of Chios 3232 in order to gather here all the young men destined for military service. At this time, Saint Isidore, who came from the city of Alexandria, lived on the island of Chios, strong in body and courageous in spirit, and a Christian by faith. He led a life pleasing to God, always striving in fasting and good deeds; he was alien to the vain affairs and unclean pleasures of this world; in the same way, he shunned the unclean deeds of the Hellenists. This Isidore, for his bravery and courage, was enrolled among the warriors and assigned to the Numerian regiment. Soon a new order came from the emperor - to force all Christians to worship the Roman gods; those who did not worship were to be forced to do so through torture: it was especially ordered to watch the soldiers; if there was a Christian among them, it was ordered to force him to worship and sacrifice to idols, according to ancient Roman custom. At this time, one centurion named Julius, approaching the governor Numerius, informed him that blessed Isidore was a Christian. The governor immediately ordered the saint to be taken. When the saint was presented before the court of Numerian, he asked him: “I am called Isidore,” said the saint. “Is it you who disobey the order of our emperor Decius and do not want to make sacrifices to the gods?” Saint Isidore answered this: “Who are your gods, that I, a Christian, should sacrifice to them?” Are they not idols, deaf, blind and feeling nothing? - O evil and wicked blasphemer! Truly, you are worthy of great torment and execution! “Indeed, I am worthy to suffer for the name of my God; For the sake of His most holy name, I agree to accept all torment and death itself, so that my Master will vouchsafe me the same fate as the holy martyrs who suffered for His holy name before me. But I believe and firmly hope that all who believe in Him and trust in His holy name will never die, as our Lord Jesus Christ Himself said: “he who believes in Me” (John 6:47), “even if he dies, he will live” (John 11:25). “Will you, Isidore,” said Numerian, “sacrifice to the gods if you want to stay alive, or not?” “Even if you killed me, you have no power over my soul.” Therefore, torment me as you wish, for I have as my Helper the true and living God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who is with me now and after my death will be with me, and I will be with Him. I will not cease to confess the name of His Most Holy One as long as the spirit of life remains in my body. “You make a sacrifice at least once, obeying the king’s order, and then do as you want.” “Do not think, wicked one, that you will seduce me with your cunning.” Can someone who once rejected Christ and his God be called His faithful servant? “He who is unfaithful in a little is unfaithful in much” (Luke 16:10), but I will not allow myself even in my thoughts to think about anything displeasing to the Lord. “I advise you, Isidore, for your own good.” Listen to me. If you do not listen to me, then I will give you over to fierce torment, and I will torture you until you confess the greatness of our gods. Following this, the governor ordered his soldiers to stretch the saint and beat him with four soldiers without mercy. When the tormentors beat the saint, those around him from the people said to him: - Submit, Isidore, to the will of the emperor, if you do not want to end your life in torment. – I obey the will and command of my God, the King of heaven, who abides forever. This God I confess and worship; I will not deny Him, nor will I be rejected by Him on the day of judgment. After the beating, the tormentor for a long time seduced the saint into idolatry with both caresses and threats, but was completely unsuccessful and only heard abuse and reproaches from the martyr both to himself and to his gods. Finally, filled with anger, he said: “I will order your nasty tongue to be cut into pieces.” “Even if you cut my tongue, you will still not take away the confession of the name of Christ from my lips.” And the saint’s tongue was cut out, by order of the tormentor. However, even after cutting out his tongue, the saint spoke quite clearly, glorifying Christ, the true God: the commander fell to the ground out of fear and became mute. When he was lifted from the ground, he could not say a single word and expressed his thoughts only by waving his hand. Then, asking for paper, he wrote on it: “I order that Isidore, who disobeys the royal decree, be beheaded with a sword.” When these words were read to the martyr, he cried out with joy, saying: “I thank You, Lord Jesus Christ, for not depriving me of Your grace!” I praise You, my Lord, my life, my breath! I sing praises to You, O Lord, my strength, the enlightenment of my mind! I glorify You, who gave me a language with which I constantly glorify Your greatness! The executioner, taking the martyr, led him to the place of beheading. Saint Isidore walked with joy and haste, rushing like a lamb to the slaughter. Then, looking at the sky with a bright face and joyful eyes, the saint said: - Lord Saint! I praise You for the fact that You, in Your mercy, will now accept me into Your villages and resting places. Arriving at the place where the beheading of the martyr’s head was to take place, the saint asked the executioner for permission to pray. Then, having prayed for a sufficient time, he bowed his honorable head under the sword 3233 and was thus beheaded for confessing the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who bowed His most pure head on the cross for us sinners. After the beheading, the honorable body of the holy martyr was thrown by the torturers without burial, to be devoured by dogs and beasts. But one of the saint’s friends, named Ammonius, a secret Christian, took the body of the holy martyr, dug up a grave along with other faithful brothers and placed Isidore’s honest body in the ground, like some valuable treasure. This Christian himself showed himself to be an imitator of the valiant feat of Isidore; sailing along the Hellespont Strait, in Cyzicus 3234 he received the crown of martyrdom. The honorable relics of Saint Isidore were subsequently taken from the ground by a certain pious woman named Myropia, who came here from the city of Ephesus; Having anointed the honest relics with precious ointments and wrapped them in a clean shroud, she placed them in a place of honor. When the persecution of Christians ended, a church was erected in honor of the holy martyr Isidore, in which various healings were given to the sick from the holy relics of the martyr of Christ, to the glory of Christ our God, glorified forever along with the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. The great ruler of the universe, you have appeared, O holy one, through your prayers to God: in the same way we sing praises to you today, O martyr to the wise God, the most glorious Isidora. Decius reigned from 249 to 251. The island of Chios is located in the Mediterranean Sea (in its northern part). The death of the holy martyr Isidore followed in the year 250. Cyzicus was located on the Propontis (Sea of ​​Marmara) peninsula Arktonissa. You might be interested in: