The holy martyrs Akindynos, Pegasius, Aphthonius, Elpidiphor, and Anempodistus, and very many companions in Persia were martyred under the emperor Licinius and suffered under King Shapur II. The first three were servants at the court of King Shapur II but secretly served Christ their Lord. When they were accused and brought to trial before the king, he asked them where they came from. To this they replied: “Our fatherland and our life is the Most-holy Trinity, One in Essence and undivided, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, One God.” Elpidiphor was one of the king’s nobles. When he revealed that he was a Christian and denounced the king for his slaughter of innocent Christians, the king condemned him to death and Elpidiphor was beheaded along with seven thousand other Christians in the year 335.
O passion-bearers of the Lord, blessed is the earth which has drunk your blood, and holy are the tombs which have received your bodies. In the furnace you conquered the foe and preached Christ. Intercede with the gracious Lord to save our souls.
The pious and God-bearing martyrs, who gave up all things on earth – Akindynos, Pegasius and Anempodistus, and with them Aphthonius and Elpidiphorus – you delightfully received good things of God and into rest, O You Who alone are all-good.
1 Thessalonians 2:20 – 3:8
Brothers and sisters: You are our boast and our delight. That is why, when we could endure it no longer, we decided to remain alone at Athens and send you Timothy. He is our brother and God’s fellow worker in preaching the gospel of Christ, and so we sent him to strengthen and encourage you in regard to your faith lest any of you be shaken by these trials. You know well enough that such trials are our common lot. When we were still with you, we used to warn you that we would undergo trial; now it has happened, and you know what we meant. That is why I sent to find out about your faith when I could stand the suspense no longer, fearing that the tempter had put you to the test and all our labor might have gone for nothing. But no, brethren, since Timothy has returned to us from you reporting the good news of your faith and love, and telling us that you constantly remember us and are as desirous to see us as we are you, we have been much consoled by your faith throughout our distress and trial–so much so that we shall continue to flourish only if you stand firm in the Lord!
Luke 11: 29-33
At that time while the crowds pressed around him, Jesus began to speak to them in these words: “This is an evil age. It seeks a sign. But no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah was a sign for the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be a sign for the present age. The queen of the South will rise at the judgment along with the men of this generation, and she will condemn them. She came from the farthest corner of the world to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, but you have a great Solomon here. At the judgment, the citizens of Nineveh will rise along with the present generation, and they will condemn it. For at the preaching of Jonah they reformed, but you have a greater than Jonah here. One who lights a lamp does not put it in the cellar or under a bushel basket, but rather on a lampstand, so that they who come in may see the light.”
Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com
Sunday, November 1 –
