03
June
(17 June)
Martyrs
Lucillian, Claudius, Ipatius, Paul, Dionysius, and Paula the Virgin
(+c.270-275)
Transfer of Relics of Nobleborn Tsarevich Dimitrii
from Uglich to Moscow (1606)
Martyrs: Bishop Lucian, Presbyter Maxianus,
Deacon Julian, Marcellinus and Saturninus (+c.81-96)
Nun Hieria (+c.320)
Monk Pappus
Sainted Achilles, Patriarch of Alexandria (+312)
Monk Athanasias the Wonderworker (X)
Yugsk Icon of the Mother of God (1615)
The
Holy Martyrs Lucillian, the Lads Claudius, Ipatius, and Dionysius,
and Paula the Virgin: Lucillian was a pagan priest during the
time of the Roman emperor Aurelian (270-275). In his old age he
became persuaded of the falseness of the pagan religion, and with
all his heart he turned to the faith in Christ the Saviour, and
was baptised.
Under
the influence of his preaching many a pagan was converted to Christianity.
Then certain Jews, out of concern for his spreading faith in the
Christ crucified by them, reported against Lucillian to the Nicomedia
city-governor Sylvanus, who thereupon urged the elder to return
to idol-worship. For his refusal, they smashed the jawbone of Saint
Lucillian, beat him with canes and suspended him head downwards,
and then they locked him away in prison. Here he met up with four
lads that were confessors of Christianity -- Claudius, Ipatius,
Paul and Dionysius. Saint Lucillian urged them to stand firm in
the faith, and to fear neither tortures nor death. After a certain
while they brought them to trial and then thrown into a red-hot
furnace, but suddenly rain poured down extinguishing the flames,
and the martyrs remained unharmed. The governor sentenced them to
death by execution, sending them off to Byzantium for carrying out
the sentence. The holy lads were beheaded by the sword, and the
holy Martyr Lucillian was nailed to a cross with quite many nails.
Witness
to the deed of the holy martyrs was the holy Virgin Paula, who had
dedicated herself to the service of those suffering for the faith
in Christ. She provided food to Christian prisoners, washed their
wounds, brought medications and also buried the bodies of martyrs.
After the death of Saint Lucillian and the four lads, she returned
to Nicomedia and continued on with her holy service. The holy virgin
was arrested and cast into a furnace, but by the power of God she
remained unharmed. Then they sent her off to Byzantium, where the
holy martyress was beheaded by the sword.
The
PriestMartyr Lucian lived in Rome, and as a pagan he had
the name Lucius. He was enlightened by the light of faith in Christ
by the holy Apostle Peter, and accepted Baptism. After the death
of the Apostle Peter, Saint Lucian preached the Gospel in Italy.
During this period there arrived in Rome Saint Dionysius the Areopagite
(commemorated 3 October), a
disciple of the Apostle Paul. At the request of Saint Clement, Pope
of Rome (commemorated 25 November),
he consented to set off preaching the Gospel in the Western lands
and began to gather up companions and helpers for this. Saint Clement,
having consecrated Saint Lucian a bishop, sent him off with Saint
Dionysius, along with Saints Marcellinus and Saturninus, the Presbyter
Maxianus and the Deacon Julian.
The
holy preachers sailed from Italy to Gaul (France). Saint Marcellinus
with those accompanying him continued on to Spain, Saint Saturninus
-- to Gaul, and Saint Dionysius with the others -- to the region
of Paris. From there Saint Lucian with Maxianus and Julian set out
to Belgium.
The
preaching of Saint Lucian was very successful. By the power of grace
in word and the example of life, he converted to Christianity a
large number of pagans. Saint Lucian was a strict ascetic, and over
the course of an entire day he ate but a morsel of bread and some
water. Towards the converted he was kindly, always joyful and cheerful
of face. Soon almost all the settlements of Belgium were converted
to the faith in Christ.
During
this period, the Roman emperor Dometian (81-96) had started up a
second persecution against Christians (after that of Nero, 54-68),
and he issued an edict, demanding torture and execution for any
that refused to offer sacrifice to the pagan gods.
Three
officials were sent to Belgium to carry out the edict. The Lord
revealed to Saint Lucian about the ordeal facing him. Having gathered
the flock, he urged them not to be afraid of threats, tortures or
death, and then he offered up thanksgiving to God, for having granted
him the possibility to join in together with the assembly of the
holy martyrs. After prayers, Saint Lucian together with Presbyter
Maxianus and Deacon Julian withdrew to the summit of an hill, where
he continued to teach the people accompanying him.
And
here it was that the soldiers of the emperor came upon the saints,
and led them away for trial. Saints Maxianus and Julian were urged
to repudiate Christ and offer sacrifice to idols, but they both
resolutely refused and were beheaded.
Then
the judge began to interrogate Saint Lucian, accusing him of sorcery
and disobedience to the emperor and senate. The saint answered,
that he was not a sorcerer, but rather a servant of the True God,
the Lord Jesus Christ, and he refused to offer sacrifice to mere
idols, wrought by human hand.
The
saint was subjected to fierce beatings, during the time of which
he repeated only: "Never wilt I cease in heart, faith and lips,
to praise Christ, the Son of God." The holy martyr was beheaded.
Over his body shone an heavenly light, and the Voice of the Saviour
was heard, summoning the valiant sufferer into the Heavenly Kingdom
to receive the martyr's crown. By the power of God the saint stood
up, took hold his cut-off head, crossed over the river, and reaching
the burial spot chosen by him, he lay down upon the ground and reposed
with peace. In view of this extremely great miracle about 500 pagans
were converted to Christ. Afterwards over the grave of the Martyr
Lucian there was erected a church, into which also were transferred
the remains of the Holy Martyrs Maxianus and Julian.
The
Nun Hieria was born into a pagan family, and became the wife
of a Roman senator, but after a mere 7 months was widowed. While
in the Assyrian city of Seuapolis, she learned that in the vicinity
of the city of Niziba there was a women's monastery, in which asceticised
the young Monastic Febronia, distinguished for her particularly
strict life. Under the guise of a wanderer, Hieria visited her and
conversed with her all night, being instructed in the Christian
faith, and then having returned home, she was baptised and persuaded
her parents to do likewise.
During
the time of the persecution by Diocletian (284-305), the majority
of the inhabitants of the Niziba monastery left and hid away from
the persecutors, but Saint Febronia was brought to trial before
the cruel official Selinus and for her confession of Christ she
was subjected to inhuman tortures. Saint Hieria intrepidly denounced
the cruelty of the torturers. The judge gave orders to arrest and
torture her also, but then he changed his mind, in learning that
Saint Hieria was the widow of a Roman senator.
Bitterly
bewailing the martyr's death of Saint Febronia (+c.304, commemorated
25 June), Hieria grieved, that she herself
had not been vouchsafed to suffer for the faith in Christ. With
tears she besought the hegumeness Brienna to accept her in place
of Febronia at the monastery. Having bestown all her substance upon
the monastery, the nun Hieria spent there the remaining days of
her life and peacefully reposed to God in about the year 320.
The
Transfer of the Holy Relics of Nobleborn Tsarevich Dimitrii,
murdered on 15 May 1591 (the account is located under 15
May), was made in the year 1606 with the transfer taking place
from Uglich to Moscow. The reason for this was the desire, in the
expression of tsar Vasilii Shuisky, "to stop lying lips and blind
unbelieving eyes from saying, that he (the tsarevich) had escaped
alive from the hands of the murderers" -- in view of the appearance
of the false-pretender, declaring himself to be the true tsarevich
Dimitrii. The holy relics were solemnly transferred and placed in
the Arkhangelsk cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, "in the side-altar
of John the Forerunner, wherein was his father and his brothers."
After numerous miracles of healing from the holy relics, in this
same year of 1606, "there were made feastdays to the tsarevich Dimitrii
thrice within the year -- his birthday (19
October), the murder (15 May),
and the transfer of relics to Moscow (3 June)".
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