Martyrs:
Acelina (+ 293); Antonina (+ c. 284-305); Diodoros
of Emessa; Eustratios. Saint Triphyllios, Bishop of
Cypriot Leukyssa (+ c. 370).
Monks:
Andronik (+ 1395) and Savva (XV) of Moscow.
Saint
Antipater, Bishop of Arabian Bostra (V). Monastics: James; Anna
(+ 826) and her son Saint John.
The
Holy Martyress Acelina, a native of the Phoenician city of
Byblos, suffered under the emperor Diocletian (284-305). Her parents
raised her in Christian piety. When the girl was but 12 years
of age, she persuaded a pagan friend to convert to Christ. One
of the servants of the imperial governor Volusian made a denunciation,
that she was teaching her peers not to honour the religion of
their fathers. The girl firmly confessed her faith in Christ in
front of the governor and said, that she would not renounce Him.
Volusian tried by persuasion and by flattery to sway the young
confessor, but seeing her assuredness, he then gave orders to
hand her over for torture. They struck her upon the face, and
then, having been stripped they whipped her. The torturer mockingly
asked: "Where then is thy God? Let Him come and take thee
out of my hands". The saint answered: "The Lord is invisibly
here together with me, and the more I suffer, all the more shalt
He give me strength and endurance".
With
red-hot rods they drilled at the head of the martyress at the
ears. The holy martyress fell down as though dead. The torturer
decided that the girl had actually died, and he gave orders to
throw out her body outside the city for devouring by dogs. By
night an holy Angel appeared to Saint Acelina, roused her and
said: "Arise and be well. Go and denounce Volusian, that
he himself and his intent are thus come to naught before God".
The martyress, offering up praise to God, and having been restored
unharmed, went to the court of the governor and stood before Volusian.
Seeing Saint Acelina, Volusian in fright called for his servants
and ordered them to keep watch over her until morning. In the
morning he delivered a death sentence against Saint Acelina on
the grounds of being a sorceress and not obeying the imperial
decrees. When they led the saint to execution, she prayed and
gave thanks to God, for having granted her to suffer for His Holy
Name. A voice was heard in answer to her prayer, summoning her
to the Heavenly Kingdom, after which the martyress gave up her
spirit to God (+ 293). The executioner feared to disobey the orders
of the governor, and although already dead, he cut off her head.
Christians piously buried the body of the martyress. Later on,
her relics were taken to Constantinople and placed within a church
named for her.
The
Holy Martyress Antonina suffered during the III Century under
Diocletian (284-305) in the city of Nicea. They tortured her which
way -- they burnt at her with fire, they put her on a red-hot
plate, they bored with red-hot rods into her hands and feet and
they threw her in prison, where she languished for two days. The
torments did not break the spirit of Saint Antonina, and to her
very death she confessed her faith in Christ. The threw the holy
martyress into the sea.
Saint
Triphyllios, Bishop of Leukyssa, was born in Constantinople,
and he received his education at Berit (Beirut, in Lebanon). He
was very intelligent and eloquent. In spite of this, the saint
chose as his guide a man not bookish nor learned, but of profound
holiness -- Sainted Spyridon of Trimiphunteia (+ 348, Comm.
12 December). The emperor Constantine II (337-340) fell grievously
ill and, having received no help from the doctors, he turned with
fervent prayer to God. In a dream he saw an Angel, directing him
to a gathering of saintly hierarchs. Pointing out two of them,
the Angel said that only through them could he receive healing.
Constantine circulated an imperial edict throughout all the districts,
commanding the bishops to gather. Saint Spyridon also received
this order. Together with his disciple Saint Triphyllios, he set
out to the emperor. The sick one immediately recognised them as
the healers pointed out by the Angel. He bowed to them and asked
them to pray for his health. Saint Spyridon with a prayer touched
the head of the emperor, and he became well. Saint Triphyllios
was charmed by the beautiful palace, the majestic figure of the
emperor, and the pomp of palace life. Saint Spyridon said to this:
"Why art thou astonished? Doth then this lustre make the
emperor any more righteous? All of them -- emperors and dignitaries
-- will alike die and stand together with the very poorest before
the judgement-seat of God. One ought to seek after the eternal
blessings and Heavenly glories".
Soon
Saint Triphyllios was made bishop of the city of Leukyssa on Cyprus.
He often visited with Saint Spyridon. One time they passed together
through an area of vineyards and gardens of especial beauty and
abundance, named Parimnos. Saint Triphyllios, attracted by the
beauty of nature, began to consider how they might explore this
land. Saint Spyridon discerned the thoughts of Saint Triphyllios
and said: "Why dost thou incessantly think about earthly
and transitory blessings? Our habitation and riches art in Heaven,
to which we ought to strive". Thus did Saint Spyridon constantly
lead his student towards spiritual perfection, which Saint Triphyllios
attained through the prayers of his preceptor. Saint Triphyllios
had a charitable soul, an heart without malice, right faith and
love towards all, and many other virtues.
One
time a Council of bishops assembled on Cyprus. The father of the
Council requested that Saint Triphyllios, known for his erudition
and eloquence, give an edifying speech to the people. Speaking
about the healing of the paralytic by the Lord (Mk. 2 : 11). in
place of the word "cot" he used the word "bed".
Impatient with the imprecise rendering of the Gospel text, Saint
Spyridon roused himself and said to Saint Triphyllios: "Art
thou better than He that spake "cot", that thou be ashamed
of His wording?" -- and abruptly he left the church. Thus
did Saint Spyridon give Saint Triphyllios a lesson in humility,
so that he would not get puffed up with pride over the talent
of eloquence bestown on him. Saint Triphyllios wisely shepherded
his flock. From the means left him by his mother, he built a monastery
at Leukyssa. The saint died in old age in about the year 370.
At
the beginning of the XII Century the Russian pilgrim Hegumen Daniel
saw the relics of Saint Triphyllios on Cyprus.
The
Nun Anna and her son Saint John lived in Byzantium, and Saint
Anna was the daughter of a deacon of the Blakhernae church in
Constantinople. After the death of her husband, dressed in men's
clothing and using the name Euthymian, together with her son Saint
John she began to pursue asceticism in one of the Bythinian monasteries,
near Olympos. The Nun Anna died in Constantinople in 826.
Her
memory is celebrated a second time on 29
October.
On
this day is celebrated also the memory of 10,000 Martyrs,
beheaded by the sword for Christ. The year of their death is unknown.