Holy Great Martyr Eustathios and His Family in the Hymnography of the Orthodox Church

By Fr. George Dorbarakis

1. Saint Eustathios the Great Martyr was a military commander in the city of Rome, during the reign of the Emperor Trajan. He was called Plakidas, and his wife was Tatiana. He was very wealthy and, although a pagan, he gave alms to the poor with great joy. Once, when he had gone out hunting, a deer appeared to him, which he began to pursue. Just as he was about to catch it, he saw the honorable Cross of Christ between its antlers, while from the antlers came a voice saying: ‘O Plakidas, why are you pursuing Me? I am Christ.’ After this astonishing event, he believed in Christ and was baptized, and then the warfare against him by the man-slaying devil began: he lost his wealth, saw his wife taken captive, his children were carried away by wild beasts, and he himself found himself in great poverty. God, however, permitted him to find his wife and children again, and also allowed the emperor to seek him out and restore him to his former office. After all these things, the time of his martyrdom came. For he was compelled to sacrifice to the idols, something he immediately refused to do; and for this reason he was thrown into a bronze bull heated by fire, by which martyrdom he also brought his life to an end.

Homilies from the Menaion for Every Day of the Year: September 20

The Month of September
 

Day 20

21. Why the Lord Permits the Godly to Suffer in This Age

(From the Life of the Holy Great Martyr Eustathios Plakidas)

Many people, when they see a person suffering whom they consider to be a sinner, ordinarily say, “He deserves it!” But when they see a godly person suffering, they are perplexed, troubled, and think: “He has done nothing to anyone except good; he lived righteously. Why, then, does God punish him? Does God really not see his sufferings? And why does He not deliver him from them?” What should we say to these many people concerning such thoughts of theirs? 

 

First of all, we should say that when they see even someone whom they consider a sinner suffering, they must never fall into the sin of judgment and say, “He deserves it!” The life of every person and the dispositions of his heart are known by God alone. And when they see a righteous person suffering, even then they should not be troubled and say, “Why is he suffering?” We say this to the many who judge the misfortunes of the righteous and sinners, so that they may know that with God everything is not arranged according to their reasoning, but everything is arranged wisely, and everything, including the sufferings sent to the righteous, serves for their salvation and blessedness.

Prologue in Sermons: September 20

In Times of Misfortune, One Should Not Become Despondent and Despair, But Should Place All Hope in God

September 20

(Commemoration of the Holy Great Martyr Eustathios)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

There are misfortunes in which we can still, it seems, find help or consolation from people; but there are also those in which people are completely powerless to help or console. In these latter misfortunes, instead of turning to God in prayer for help and placing all hope in Him as the Almighty, we often give in to complete cowardice and, as they say, completely throw up our hands. This is often why many of us, without faith and trust in God, in misfortunes, from cowardice pass to despair and perish. And yet, is there any sorrow in which the Lord cannot console us? Or does He have little love and compassion? Or does He not see our troubles and sorrows? Of His omnipotence and omniscience there is no need to speak, and that He has love and compassion for those in distress is evident from the fact that He Himself calls them to Himself and promises them His help. "Call upon Me," He says, "in the day of your trouble, and I will answer you." Therefore, righteous people do not act like us in adversity: they remain in trust in God, unshakable as a rock, and their trust does not put them to shame. The Lord unexpectedly turns their sorrow into joy and their grief into gladness.

September: Day 20: Teaching 3: Holy Great Martyr Eustathios Plakidas

September: Day 20: Teaching 3:
Holy Great Martyr Eustathios Plakidas
 
(In Misfortunes One Should Not Become Despondent and Despair, 

But Should Place All Hope in God)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Holy Great Martyr Eustathios, whose memory is today, was a Roman commander, had enormous wealth, many slaves, was happy and famous. But then, grief after grief, misfortune after misfortune began to pursue him. First of all, death visited his house; then unkind people came, robbed him, and he became a beggar and a helpless wanderer. A robber took away his good and pious wife; wild beasts carried off his two sons, and Eustathios was left alone with his grief. What could be more terrible than his situation? But he was not lost in it. “For I weep like a man, O Lord,” he said, “but I am strengthened in You, my Provider and the builder of my path, and I trust in You, and with Your love, like cool dew, and with Your desire, like sweetness, I sweeten the bitterness of my misfortunes.” Thus, having nothing on earth, he turned entirely to God, and God consoled him. The time came and he became even richer and more noble; he found his wife and children miraculously preserved by God, and later he found such grace and mercy from the Lord that he was worthy of the crown of martyrdom.