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- Holy Martyr Plato (266)
- He lived in Ancyra in Galatia during the reign of the Emperor
Maximian. Arrested for openly confessing his faith in Christ, he was
subjected to many brutal tortures and, refusing after each torment to
bow to the idols, was finally beheaded.
- Holy Martyr Romanus and the holy child who declared for Christ (305)
- "Saint Romanus was a deacon and exorcist in the Church of Caesarea
in Palestine. He happened to be at Antioch in 303 when the Emperor
Diocletian's edicts for the general persecution of Christians were
published. He could not bear to see so many Christian men, women and
children denying their faith in the true God for fear of suffering. As
they went to sacrifice to the idols, he ran up, consumed with zeal for
righteousness, crying shame on them with a loud voice. He was
immediately arrested and brought before the city Prefect. He faced
interrogation boldly and to prove the stupidity of the pagan cult, he
asked for a child to be brought in, taken at random from the crowd in
the public square. Romanus enquired of the lad whether it was more
sensible to worship the one and only God and Creator of the world, or
the many gods of the pagans. Showing himself wiser than the pagans, the
child unhesitatingly decided for the God of the Christians. The Prefect
flew into a rage at being made to look ridiculous and ordered the young
confessor to be put to the torture straight away in the presence of his
mother. The child endured the torments without flinching but told his
mother he was thirsty and wanted a drink. '0 my dear son', the admirable
woman answered, 'do not drink corruptible and temporal water, but keep
up your courage so as to drink living and eternal water in the Kingdom
of God!' The child was beheaded, and Saint Romanus was condemned to be
burnt to death. He welcomed the sentence joyfully, and with a shining
face was led unresistingly to the stake. Since the Emperor was in the
city, the executioners awaited his decision before lighting the fire and
the valiant Martyr exclaimed at the delay, 'Where is the fire that is
prepared for me?' But the execution was stayed so that he could be
brought before the Emperor in person. Aware that Christians rejoice over
the death of a Martyr as the entrance to everlasting life, the tyrant
wanted to increase the suffering of Christ's athlete by delaying the
moment of deliverance. He ordered the executioners to tear out his
tongue, which Romanus freely offered, and he miraculously went on
praising God and encouraging the faithful after it was cut away. After
this torment, he was imprisoned for a long time in chains until the
Emperor's birthday. This was celebrated all over the Empire and a
general release of prisoners was customary. But Romanus was not freed;
with his feet crushed in the stocks, he was secretly strangled in his
dungeon and thus received the adornment of martyrdom, as he had
desired."(Synaxarion)
source: http://www.abbamoses.com |
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