By Fr. George Dorbarakis
On the feast of the Holy Great Martyrs Sergius and Bacchus, three days ago (October 7), we emphasized, based on the hymns of their service, that their common faith in Christ was what united them and not some physical bond. Today, with the commemoration of Saints Eulampios and Eulampia, our Church comes to emphasize that the unity of these Saints is certainly due to their common faith – this is the essential element – but it is also “strengthened” by two other elements: their autadelphia (siblinghood or brotherhood), which functioned in them as philadelphia (a love between siblings or brotherly love), and their homonymy (bearing the same name). In other words, these Saints were beloved siblings and had the same name. “Philadelphia held together by homonymy,” according to the hymnographer, who, of course, immediately hurries to clarify that it was not this brotherly love, or their sameness, but their faith in Christ that gave them the strength to remain steadfast in martyrdom and become saints. For this faith made them live with purity of life and transcendence of passions, that is, it was a living faith, which is why they were so visibly strengthened by the grace of God. “Philadelphia held together by homonymy, and purity blended with dispassion, safely preserved the strength of mind; for wherever God is desired, the entire world is despised."
The ecclesiastical poet considers it important that the Saints reached levels of purity and dispassion, defeating the devil, already in their youth. Young Eulampios, as well as Eulampia, with physical vigor, fought with strength against the evil one and his minions, and defeated them. And the hymnographer expresses his admiration that young Eulampios, at an age when his whole life is before him and the devil “smiles” at him in various ways, because he knows his “strength” from his many years of victories against youth, defeated that “wicked elder” with the grace of God. “Youthful in body, O Martyr, you battled firmly with the ancient ruler of evil.” Where are all those who consider it a given for youth to fall into sins, and especially carnal ones? Certainly, youth is more susceptible to so-called carnal sins, but not that a young person will fall into them from the outset. There are young people, and many in fact, who, like Saints Eulampios and Eulampia, struggle with strength, maintaining their psychic and physical purity and reaching even today levels of dispassion. How? In the manner of today's celebrated Saints, as we mentioned above: "wherever God is desired, the entire world is despised." The question is therefore not age, but the desire for Christ. As soon as the love of Christ "wounds" the heart of man, regardless of age, there all the miracles and all the victories against the "ancient ruler of evil" appear.
We do not want to end before referring to what the Synaxarion tells us. Saint Eulampia, seeing her brother in martyrdom, was moved to bear witness as well. How powerful the example of another truly is. The action of another, what he does, is what creates the tendency to imitate. For man is a being who imitates. One leads, so to speak, the other. Usually we speak of imitation, charging it with only negative content. However, imitation is one of the most important means, which if utilized correctly, leads man, and especially the young, to great heights of holiness. The word of God also notes this. The Apostle Paul, for example, calls on the faithful to imitate him, just as he imitated Christ. “Be imitators of me, as I imitate Christ.” The Apostle John the Theologian calls for the same: “Do not imitate what is evil, but what is good.” The Apostle knows the power of imitation, which is why he says to imitate good and not evil. It is certainly understandable how much we elders, especially parents, teachers, and clergy, should pay attention, so that what we do as right is also offered for imitation by the younger ones. And on the other hand, we should pay attention to our friendships. How good it would be if each of us had friends who would constantly encourage us to do good. How good it would be for us to be the example, so that we encourage others to do good!
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
