The holy martyr Agapius and his companions: the holy martyrs Timolaus, Dionysius, Pausis, Romulus, Alexander, and another Alexander. They all suffered in Caesarea in Palestine at the hand of Prince Urban during the reign of the Emperor Diocletian. All seven were extremely young men, and none of them were Christians except Agapius. Neither were they baptized with water, but theirs was a baptism by blood. One day these seven young men were observing how Christians were being tortured: one in the fire, another on the gallows, and a third before wild beasts. Seeing with what great forbearance these Christians endures all their pain and suffering, these seven became inflamed with a zeal for Christ. They tied their hands behind their backs and came before Urban, saying: “We also are Christians.” The flattery and threats of Urban were in vain. These young men were joined by a distinguished citizen of this town, Agapius, who had previously suffered much for Christ. They became all the more inflamed in their faith and love for the Lord. All were beheaded in the year 303.
O Lord our God, your holy martyrs have deserved the crown of immortality on account of their good fight. Armed with your strength, they have vanquished their persecutors and crushed Satan’s dreadful might. Through their supplications, O Christ our God, save our souls.
These seven martyrs endured much for the Trinity, and by grace they destroyed many scheming devils. By their spirit they have been joined to the holy ones. By their prayers, O Lord, be generous to us.
Brothers and sisters: When God made his promise to Abraham, he swore by himself, having no one greater to swear by, and said, “I will indeed bless you, and multiply you.” And so, after patient waiting, Abraham obtained what God had promised. Men swear by someone greater than themselves; an oath gives firmness to a promise and puts an end to all argument. God, wishing to give the heirs of his promise even clearer evidence that his purpose would not change, guaranteed it by oath, so that, by two things that are unchangeable, in which he could not lie, we who have taken refuge in him might be strongly encouraged to seize the hope which is placed before us. Like a sure and firm anchor, that hope extends beyond the veil through which Jesus, our forerunner, has entered on our behalf, being made high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
At that time a man approached Jesus and said: “Teacher, I have brought my son to you because he is possessed by a mute spirit. Whenever it sees him it throws him down; he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. Just now I asked your disciples to expel the spirit, but they were unable to do so.” Jesus replied by saying to the crowd, “What an unbelieving lot you are! How long must I remain with you? How long can I endure you? Bring the boy to me.” When they did so the spirit caught sight of Jesus and immediately threw the boy into convulsions. As he fell to the ground he began to roll around and foam at the mouth. Then Jesus questioned the father: “How long has this been happening to him?” “From childhood,” the father replied. “Often it throws him into the fire and into water. You would think it would kill him. If out of the kindness of your heart you can do anything to help us, please do!” Jesus said, “‘If you can’? Everything is possible to a man who trusts.” The boy’s father immediately exclaimed, “I do believe! Help my lack of trust!” Jesus, on seeing a crowd rapidly gathering, reprimanded the unclean spirit by saying to him, “Mute and death spirit, I command you: get out of him and never enter him again!” Shouting, and throwing the boy into convulsions, it came out of him; the boy became like a corpse, which caused many to say, “He is dead.“ But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet. When Jesus arrived at the house his disciples began to ask him privately, “Why is it that we could not expel it?“ He told them, “This kind you can drive out only by prayer.“
They left that district and began a journey through Galilee, but Jesus did not want anyone to know about it. He was teaching his disciples in this vein: “the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men who will put him to death; three days after his death he will rise.
Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com
Saturday, March 14 –
