August 12: The Holy Martyrs Photios and Aniketos are celebratedtranslated

Today our Church honors the memory of the Holy Martyrs Photios and Anikitos. These are two glorious martyrs who are deeply connected by the fraternal-spiritual kinship in Christ, but also by the fleshly kinship. Photius was the nephew of Anikitos. They lived during the time of the persecutions, under Diocletian. Nicomedia was dominated by the emperor's harsh behavior against the Christians.

Then Aniketos, despising the threats, dared and courageously confessed his faith in the true Triune God, as a result of which he was arrested, flogged and left upon him by an enraged lion, which instead of devouring him, wiped with its foot the competitive sweat that bathed the face of the Martyr Aniketos. Outraged, the emperor orders torture and the beheading of the brave Martyr.

A wonderful event immediately followed. His nephew finds the opportunity and with courage confesses his faith in Christ the Savior, as an act of support for his brave uncle and then he also testifies for the Orthodox faith.

Thus, the glorious Photius and the God-fearing Aniketus, the perfect pair, of the Holy Trinity "brilliantly, reproachfully and...