By Fr. George Dorbarakis
Saint Glykeria belongs to the group of women martyrs who are characterized by an intense longing for Christ and by such courage that it astonishes every angelic and human mind. One of the many beautiful hymns of her feast gives us the spiritual depth of her martyrdom: how Christ accepted the sufferings she endured and what He granted her in return. “Offering the blood of your martyrdom to Christ like perfumes and myrrh, O victorious martyr, you were offered to Him as a sweet fragrance, overflowing healing upon all” (Ode 3).
The Holy Hymnographer considers the Saint to be a myrrhbearer — not because she offers Christ physical perfumes and myrrh, but because she offers her very self, which is what is most precious and honorable before Him. “Be faithful unto death” [Revelation 2:10], the Spirit of God asks of the faithful person, just as the Lord Himself lived in absolute faithfulness to the will of God the Father, giving His life out of love for mankind upon the Cross. “He became obedient unto death, even death on a Cross” [Philippians 2:8]. That is why the Saint is regarded as a sweet fragrance before God: because she was found to be perfectly attuned to the life of her Lord. In the same way, sadly, we become a foul odor and stench before Him whenever we walk in the path of disobedience toward Him. “Every lawless man is unclean before the Lord” [Proverbs 3:32]. For this reason the Lord granted her the gifts of healing for every person who comes to her in faith — and indeed to the point of an “overflow.” “Overflowing healing upon all.” Just like our God Himself, Who “does not give the Spirit by measure” [John 3:34].
It is clear that the Holy Hymnographer George carefully attempts through many hymns to explain the rocklike steadfastness of the martyr. The grace of the Spirit of God was helping her: “Toward torments, pains, and many kinds of scourges you advanced fearlessly, O Martyr, for you had the grace of the Spirit cooperating with and assisting you” (Ode 1); she had fortified her mind with hope in God, which made her look only toward spiritual realities and despise earthly and passing things: “Foreseeing the delight of spiritual realities and disregarding the fleeting nature of visible things, you fortified your mind with divine hopes” (Kathisma of Orthros); she kept her gaze firmly fixed only upon the Christ Whom she proclaimed: “Seeing before your eyes Him Whom you proclaimed as Lord, O victorious martyr, you disregarded all sensory things” (Ode 4); she had conquered her passions and the invisible demons through her ascetic struggles: “Having slain the invisible beasts of the passions, O Glykeria, you did not fear the visible beasts” (Ode 4). Yet one image from Ode 5 seems to surpass all the others in depth of conception: “Receiving the fear of God into the womb of your mind, you gave birth to the spirit of salvific confession and martyrdom, O noble-minded one, having struggled wondrously with steadfastness and triumphed over the opposing powers.”
That is, when a person receives the fear of God into his mind and understanding, it is as though he conceives the Spirit of God within himself. This means that the time will come for him to give birth — that is, to reveal his faith in Christ and even to reach the hour of martyrdom in his life. In other words, no one can become a martyr unless he has first been prepared for such a thing, unless the grace of God has already become perceptible within his being. “Unto us it has been granted for Christ’s sake,” as the Apostle Paul says, “not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake” [Philippians 1:29].
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
