April: Day 28: Teaching 2: The Holy Nine Martyrs of Kyzikos

April: Day 28: Teaching 2:
The Holy Nine Martyrs of Kyzikos
 
(On the Benefit of Turning in Time of Illness with Prayer to the Holy Martyrs)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. On April 29* the holy Church celebrates the memory of the Holy Nine Martyrs who suffered in Kyzikos. The city of Kyzikos stood on the seashore. Because of persecutions there were few Christians in it. Many of them fled to the mountains and deserts, while others, living among the pagans, concealed their piety and faith in the Lord. But some, greatly loving Christ their God, themselves gave themselves into the hands of the tormentors and laid down their lives for Christ. Such were the nine martyrs: Theodosios, Rufus, Antipater, Theostichos, Artemas, Magnus, Theodotos, Thaumasios, and Philemon. Not fearing the terrible royal commands and the fear of tortures, they glorified Christ, boldly confessed Him as God and Almighty, reproached the impiety of idols, and exhorted the unbelievers to believe in the true God. The pagans bound them as criminals and brought them before the ruler governing the city. The Holy Martyrs endured various torments and punishments; they were thrown into prison, brought out again, and again tortured. But they firmly confessed the Lord, exposed the pagans, and put the ruler to shame. After various torments their heads were cut off.

Several years passed; Constantine the Great came to reign; the persecutions ended, and the light of the Christian faith began freely to spread everywhere. The pious Christians of the city of Kyzikos dug up from the earth the holy bodies of the Holy Nine Martyrs, found them incorrupt, placed them in a reliquary, built a church in their name, and transferred into it the holy relics. From these relics many miracles and healings were performed; especially many were healed of shaking illnesses—fevers. Seeing the miracles and healings, many pagans turned to Christ, and after some time almost the whole city was converted to the true faith; the temples of idols were destroyed, and in their place churches of God were built.

II. Thus the Holy Nine Martyrs especially help those suffering from fever. Therefore those do well who, in this illness, turn for help to the Nine Martyrs. It is good also in all illnesses to turn with prayer especially to the martyrs, whoever they may be.

a) Illness we feel either in the whole body or in some of its members. And the holy martyrs are called martyrs because they suffered in the body for Christ. They experienced these sufferings as no one else did — therefore who, if not they, can more greatly sympathize with us in our bodily sufferings? A man who once lived in need and poverty understands better what need and poverty are than one who has never experienced them. A man who has endured much slander and injustice can better sympathize with one unjustly persecuted than one who has never experienced this. So also the holy martyrs, having endured various kinds of bodily sufferings, deeply sympathize with everyone who suffers bodily.

Therefore let us turn in bodily illnesses especially to the holy martyrs, and this will be very beneficial for us. You see: a physician does not help you, the medicine he prescribes does not act, sometimes even the physicians themselves cannot devise a remedy against this or that illness; sometimes there is no physician to be found or no means to invite him. Then, suffering on your bed, turn in thought with your soul and heart to this or that sufferer for Christ — the holy martyr. Pray thus:

“O martyrs of Christ! You endured tearing with iron claws, burning on heated iron, the piercing of eyes, the cutting off of tongue, hands and feet, and finally your heads; there is no illness which you did not experience in your body for Christ; you know very well what bodily illness is and how difficult it sometimes is to endure it — have mercy on me, ask the Lord for my healing, for the cessation of my sufferings.”

There are incurable illnesses; yet how often an illness whose outcome seemed certain death passes quickly and easily through the faith of the sick and through the prayer of one or another servant of God! Does the illness not cease? Then there is not the will of God for that; then it is more saving for you to be ill. Submit to the holy will of God, but continue to pray; the holy martyrs will come to your help — they will not grant healing, but will send relief, will bring something more important: they will bring you vigor of spirit, courage, patience, submission to the will of God; they will help you avoid complaining; you will gradually be reconciled to your condition, become accustomed to your illness, learn to look upon it in a Christian way — as a cross sent from God, a cross though heavy, yet saving — and it will become easy for you; you will feel that you suffer not alone, but with Christ and for Christ, and with love for Him you will bear your cross.

This is what the holy martyrs can do if in time of illness we pray to them without ceasing. But even this is not all: they can pour joy into your heart. As they themselves praised and thanked God in the midst of sufferings, sang psalms of praise going to death, so they will grant the same to you. “Blessed be the name of the Lord from now and forever” — these words of the sufferer Job you also will repeat.

b) Far more terrible are spiritual illnesses — that is, sin living in us and ruling us, passions that possess us, such as self-love, idleness, intemperance, carelessness, lust, and others. But here also it is good to turn to the holy martyrs and ask their help for victory over sin. Yet here it is necessary not only to pray, but also to learn from them.

Indeed, how can we not be ashamed at the mere thought of the sufferings of the martyrs? The martyrs sacrificed everything for Christ, while we do not want to renounce anything for Him! The martyrs suffered, shed blood, while we think only of comfort, rest, pleasures! The martyrs despised the present life so as not to lose eternal life with Christ in heaven, while we forget eternal life altogether, as if there were no other life, and hasten to live pleasantly here! The holy martyrs rejoiced only in Christ; He was their joy, consolation, treasure of the heart. But for us there are almost no pure, holy joys. The church, the divine services do not console us; prayer is a heavy labor; the book of the words of eternal life, that is, the word of God, is for us in neglect and forgetfulness, and to live according to this word we have not even begun, nor do we think to begin.

III. Christian brethren! Let us cry out to the holy martyrs: "O holy martyrs, who loved Christ above all! Entreat Christ our God for us, that we may not perish in our sins, that we may awaken from the sleep of sin, that we may arise and walk in the way of righteousness, as all repentant sinners have arisen." Let us cry out thus, and the holy martyrs, who are helpers in bodily illnesses, will also be physicians for spiritual illnesses. Amen.

(Compiled according to “Soul-Profiting Reading,” April 1886.)

Source: A Complete Annual Cycle of Short Teachings, Composed for Each Day of the Year. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.  
 
Notes: 
 
* In the original book, this text is placed under April 29th (Teaching 1), due to this Saint being commemorated in the Slavic calendar on that date, but in this English translation it is placed under April 28th, since this is his feast day in the Greek calendar.