By Fr. George Dorbarakis
These Saints lived during the reign of Decius the emperor and the ruler Aquilinus. The reason for their faith in Christ and their end is the following: In Basra near the Tigris River, in an area specifically called Iero, there was a great and abundant spring of hot waters, which miraculously cured diseases. Here, therefore, the ruler of the East, Aquilinus, arrived for the healing of his body, having ordered that the prisoners from Nicomedia and the martyrs who had been arrested for their faith in Christ should follow him. When he went to the temple of Isis and offered his vile sacrifices, he commanded the Saints to also sacrifice to the idols and to worship them. Since, of course, they refused to do so, he gave orders for them all to be killed with swords. Thus, those who were brave became wondrous martyrs of Christ, the Almighty King, totaling three hundred seventy in number.
Seeing them, the Holy Paramonos cried out with a loud voice and said: “I see great impiety. For this unclean man is slaughtering so many righteous and foreigners in an unreasonable manner.” When the ruler heard this, he was seized with rage and immediately ordered him to be killed. The ruler's envoys, after arresting Paramonos, who did not know the order and continued to walk in the place where he was, did not want one to commit the murder, but all of them together. So they ran to shed innocent blood, in front of the eyes of the ruler, with their own hands and with their own weapons. Some then struck him with spears, others with pointed reeds, passing them through the tongue and the rest of the Saint's limbs, until in front of the tyrant they killed him in the place we have mentioned, and thus sent him to the heavenly tabernacles. In the same place as the holy three hundred and seventy martyrs and in the same coffins with them, the Saint was also numbered and his relics were deposited.
What one admires in Saint Paramonos from the very beginning is his reaction in the face of a blatant injustice. In the face of the terrible event of the martyrdom of so many people, his soul “drowns” and reacts. He does not hide, he does not act "ignorant," he does not follow the path of "imprudence," so that he too does not suffer anything. He saw armed soldiers and the local authorities, therefore anthropomorphic beasts that could do him harm. In other words, he does not follow the "trodden path" of the priest and the Levite of the Parable of the Good Samaritan. "You were not lying down in the time of the struggle, but rather you were standing up and strong for the divine contest." Instead he allows his indignation to be expressed, in a way that can be heard. And this reaction of his, which will ultimately cost him his own life, revealed the good disposition of the soul existing within him. Saint Paramonos had a good heart, which retained within it humanity, that is, love. The Apostle Paul reveals this to us when he says, among other things, that “love does not rejoice in injustice.” Thus, Saint Paramonos acted like the Good Samaritan, who although he could not help the martyrs being slaughtered, if he had the opportunity, he would have done so.
The Holy Hymnographer moves on this reasoning. He even considers that not only the reaction of the Saint was a matter of true humanity, but also of God's grace, of divine zeal. For only one whose heart is bathed in the zeal of God can be drawn by the martyrdom of the saints, much more so become a martyr himself. "As soon as you understood, Paramonos, that the numerous city of martyrs was being slaughtered for the faith of the God and King of all, you were completely drawn by the zeal of God and cried out loudly: I have always been a genuine servant of Christ; learn this, you lawless tyrants. And now, behold, I am present of my own accord, in order to be sacrificed like a blameless lamb."
What stirred Saint Paramonos, prompting his faith in Christ to awaken and grow, was undoubtedly the example of the numerous martyrs. He did not hear words about Christ – which were certainly necessary – nor did he read anything about Him. He saw faith incarnate and in action. And he envied it. And he was moved. And he reacted. And he, too, became a martyr. “Being amazed at the endurance of the martyrs and admiring their end, O glorious one, you became a partaker with them in the zeal of their faith and their most honorable struggle.” To once again demonstrate that there is no greater lesson of faith than personal example, through the practice of life itself. This means that if we wish to help our faltering world, which constantly swings between faith and unbelief, if we want the faith in Christ to flourish, beyond the grace of Him who abundantly provides it to us at every moment, our own cooperation is also necessary. And this primarily means: fewer words and leading by personal example. At the moment when each faithful individual remains steadfast in the faith of Christ, at that very moment heaven is offered to others, and the sun of faith shines.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
