Introduction
Martyrs are remembered in the Orthodox Church. They were real living people. They felt real pain, the same as you and I, and the actual process of death was no different for them. Martyrs lived for their faith unto the end, ultimately giving up their lives for their faith in God. This is the ultimate thing that one can do for his/her salvation unto God and real people do this in the Orthodox Church.
Entering an Orthodox Church, icons of saints line the walls and many of these icons depict martyrs. Any informed person can easily spot the martyrs as they usually carry a cross in iconography. Spending more time in the church, one notices that there are many prayers remembering the martyrs and celebrating their victory. Looking deeper, one sees that many important aspects of life as an Orthodox Christian are supposed to be modeled after the martyrs. Self-sacrifice is very important in Orthodox Christianity and, while this sacrifice takes many forms, every sacrifice of self denial seems to find its inspiration in the martyrs.
In the Orthodox Church although all saints are not martyrs, all martyrs are saints. All who die for the faith are considered martyrs, but there is a bit of complication in distinguishing a martyr. Passion bearers are similar to martyrs insofar as they die as Christians, but do not die solely because of their faith. Those who die as Christians, but die primarily for reasons other than their faith, are considered passion bearers instead of martyrs. Searching for material in Orthodox texts about the criteria for martyrdom and sainthood in general proves to be unfruitful because the material is not there. There is no set procedure in identifying a martyred saint. Unlike the Catholic Church, there are no specific criteria that one must meet to be considered a saint. There are many things that could occur in the process of identifying a saint. These could include miracles, incorruptibility of the person’s physical body after death, or a lingering memory of the saint within people still living. A bishop officially canonizes a saint after an exploration and recognition of any or some of the above-mentioned occurrences. The whole process is a bit unclear and undefined, but saints continue to be recognized by this method unto the present day.
Saints and martyred saints are very significant in the church. Saints are venerated with reverence and asked to intercede on behalf of prayerful Orthodox Christians. This practice of veneration and prayer for intercession may seem a bit strange to those outside of the faith, but one must understand saints and death in the context of the church. “Earthly death, the separation of the soul from the body, does not sever the tie between those who have faith, does not part and does not separate co-members in Christ, does not exclude the deceased from the composition of the Church.” [1] It is also important to understand the following,
And it is not only to get help and intercession that the Holy Spirit teaches every believer to pray to the glorified saints but also calling on them, through communion in prayer, deepens the consciousness of the catholic unity of the Church. In our invocation of the saints our measure of Christian love is exhibited, a living feeling of unanimity and the power of Church unity is expressed; and conversely, doubt or inability to feel the intercession of grace and the intervention of saints on our behalf before God witnesses not only to a weakening of love and of the brotherly church ties and relationships but also to a decrease in the fullness of faith in the Ecumenical value and power of the Incarnation and Resurrection. [2]
These views are central to realizing the significance of saints in the Orthodox Church and martyrs as saints.
In baptism, it is common for one to take the name of a saint as his/her baptismal name. The person often has a special fondness for this saint and identifies with him/her more than the other saints. Often, an Orthodox Christian strives to model his/her life after the life of this saint and remembers the saint in their daily prayers. When one prays for intercession it is often in a prayer to this saint.
Orthodox martyrs are essentially no different from those of any other tradition and fit into most models of a martyr. Cormack reiterates Droge and Tabor’s valuable model identifying five marks of a martyr.
1. They reflect situations of opposition and persecution.
2. The choice to die, which these individuals make, is viewed by the authors as necessary, noble and heroic.
3. These individuals are often eager to die; indeed in several cases they end up directly killing themselves.
4. There is often the idea of vicarious benefit resulting from their suffering and death.
5. The expectation of vindication and reward beyond death, more often than not, is a prime motivation for the choice of death. (A Noble Death, p. 75) [3]
A text written by a scholar within the Orthodox tradition [4] stresses the voluntary acceptance and solidarity necessary for martyrdom, elements both found in Droge and Tabor’s model. This paper will examine the lives of four martyrs and in recreating accounts of St. Polycarp, St. Catherine of Alexandria, St. Irene of Lesvos, and St. Peter, I believe that all of these marks are very apparent. All suffered persecution, were willing and eager to die, believed that their death would benefit others, and believed that they were entering into the Kingdom of God by sacrificing themselves.
Another important thing to consider in the discussion of martyrs is Girard’s model of the scapegoat. In this model, he gives four stereotypes of persecution. The four stereotypes include loss of differentiation, crimes that contribute to differentiation, marks that distinguish the scapegoats from others, and violence against the victims. The first, second, and fourth stereotypes are also apparent in the lives of the martyrs highlighted in this paper. The third stereotype was not as apparent in the lives of those in this paper, as none of them seem to have distinguishing marks such as disability or sickness. Polycarp is a strong example of a martyr as scapegoat. He caused a loss of differentiation because he was a common and upstanding citizen of the society of Smyrna, but also challenged this society as a Christian. He taught his beliefs to others as his crime and experienced violence against himself as victim, dying because of his faith. Finally, his death was supposed to bring about a restoration of order, achieving purification through a scapegoat.
This paper attempts to discover the significance of the martyrs. These were people who lived and died at varying times throughout history; but their lives have been long remembered. The martyrs were significant to those around them at the time they lived and continue to be significant to Orthodox Christians today. This significance is important in many realms including those of Great Lent, catechism, monasticism, and in providing a general model and inspiration in the faith. This paper explores the significance of martyrs by looking at the significance of the martyrdoms of St. Polycarp, St. Catherine of Alexandria, St. Irene of Lesvos, and St. Peter the Aleut through the lens of a persecutor, defender, the martyr himself/herself, and a present day Orthodox Christian. The accounts are written in the form of letters and are accounts I have constructed based on historical fact using information about the time period, attitudes about Christianity at the time, recorded historical events, and the psychology of a martyr to write the letters. Through this exploration one realizes martyrs have earned a place in history by dying a dramatic death for their faith in the face of persecution and earned a place among the saints in the Orthodox Christian tradition, providing a model in many regards and inspiration for the faithful along their obstacle-ridden path toward salvation in the Orthodox Faith.
Saint Polycarp
Martyred circa 155 AD
Feast Day Celebrated in the Church February 23
Persecuting man of Smyrna
Cusebius greets Palpilus, wishing you strength in the Empire by the genius of Caesar and by the power of the gods.
I cannot comprehend these Atheists, the Christians. These people refuse to sacrifice to the gods and will not swear by the genius of Caesar. These are things that are commanded by sacred decree, but still the Christians remain obstinate and in contempt. Why do they defy the Empire and risk putting all people in great danger? The Christians offend the state and anger the gods by not sacrificing. Can these arrogant Christians not see that they welcome drought, earthquake, fire, famine, pestilence, and every form of unspeakable evil in their defiance? The gods are not tolerant with behavior of this nature.
Today there was one of these Christians brought into the arena before the proconsul. This Christian was an old man by the name of Polycarp who had been causing quite a disturbance in the Empire. He has been teaching the public absurdities and has become the father of the Christians and destroyer of our gods. He promotes lawlessness and disorder and these things can only lead to anarchy in the Empire. He is no citizen of Smyrna and his teachings are dangerous to us. This man is no longer one of our society and is a threat that must be dealt with.
I wish I could have seen him put to death and gazed upon the faces of his fellow atheists gathered around him as he burned in the flames. The fire burning in Smyrna today not only provided a spectacle to discourage the other zealous Christians, but also burned with a cleansing smoke that spread over the empire as this man and his lawless teachings were removed from the earth. If the plague of untruthful and outrageous teachings brought by the Christians continues, the Empire will deal with them, as well.
I bid you farewell and take strength in Caesar and the Empire.
Terentius greets his father, and writes with great excitement in bringing him joyous news.
Father, today I am a Christian. I know you may not understand and this may bring confusion to you, but a great event has happened in my life. I write you with the story of a Christian man named Polycarp who has swayed my mind and caused me to see the truth. There is error in the ways of the Emperor and his Empire. In witnessing the death of the Christian, Polycarp, I have come to find the truth.
In my service to the Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antonius I was responsible for the capture of Polycarp the atheist. The other guards and myself had been in pursuit of Polycarp when we came across two of Polycarp’s own slaves who revealed his location to us. We continued on to the farm where Polycarp was indeed hiding. Upon our arrival Polycarp could have still found a moment for escape, but he simply met us saying, “The will of God be done.”1 The other guards and I found ourselves in a state of confusion as this firm old man stood before us, fearless. Why was there such urgency to arrest such a man? Polycarp invited us into the household and showed us the greatest hospitality as he requested an hour for prayer before we took him back to the city. He prayed with such fervor and looked to his God with such ecstasy that we could not bring ourselves to terminate his prayer after an hour and he continued to pray for another. This is when many of us began to regret that we were arresting such a man.
As we escorted Polycarp into the city he was not shaken. As we reached our destination, he marched eagerly into the stadium. He was full of spirit and addressed the proconsul as well as those in the stadium with the utmost conviction; it was almost as if God was there with him. The Proconsul tried to convince Polycarp to revile his Christ and swear by the genus of Caesar, but Polycarp remained firm. “Eighty-six years have I served Him, and he has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who has saved me?”2 Even with further insistence from the Proconsul, Polycarp insisted with ever more firmness, I am a Christian!
It was then decided that Polycarp should be burned for his defiance and the crowd quickly assembled the necessary materials. He was not nailed to the stake as he insisted that God would give him the power to endure the fire. As the final preparations were made before lighting the pyre, Polycarp thanked his God for allowing him to die this day. “Lord God Almighty, Father of Thy beloved and blessed Son Jesus Christ, through whom we have received knowledge of thee, God of the angels and powers, of the whole creation and of the whole race of the righteous who live in Thy sight, I bless Thee, because I may have a part, along with the martyrs, in the chalice of Thy Christ, unto resurrection in eternal life, resurrection of both soul and body in the incorruptibility of the Holy Spirit.”3 He continued with his prayer, but the words of that portion above have burned their impression so deeply into my heart and mind they cannot be forgotten.
What happened next is nothing other than a miracle. As the pyre was lit, Polycarp stood amidst the flames as the fire arced round his body. The air was filled with a sweet smell, like bread baking or gold or silver being purified. Because the fire could not harm Polycarp, it was ordered that he be pierced with a dagger. When the executioner stabbed him so much blood flowed out of his body that the fire was extinguished. With these events Polycarp did give his life up.
I am a Christian because I have seen the Christian God in this great martyr Polycarp. There is only emptiness in the gods of the Emperor and there is life in the Christian God. We live in times of turmoil and as a Christian I face great danger, but I do not fear because I know that God is with me. I would march as speedily to my death as did the great Polycarp, for in Christianity there is truth and eternal life. There is no need to fear and in death comes a great victory for there is nothing greater than to be allowed to sacrifice oneself for the true God.
I have written this to you with great joy and bid you farewell in the Lord Jesus Christ in Grace.
Greetings, sons and daughters, in the name of the Lord.
Today I have the privilege of meeting death in the name of our Lord. The guards wait in the other room and before I begin my prayer I write to you with this news. “Like a ram, I will be marked for sacrifice out of a great flock, a holocaust prepared and acceptable to God.”4 As a seal, my martyrdom will put an end to the persecution. I feel blessed as the Lord has chosen me to be martyred for His glory.
As I leave you, I wish to strengthen you with these words; “For everyone who does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is an antichrist; and whoever does not confess the witness of the Cross is of the devil; and whoever perverts the sayings of the Lord to his own evil desires and says there is neither resurrection or judgment, that one is the first-born of Satan. Therefore let us abandon the vanities of the crowd and their false teachings; Let us return to the word which was delivered to us from the beginning.”5 Also, let us persevere in Christ and become imitators of his patient endurance, and, if we suffer in His name, let us praise Him. I have spoken these words to the Philippians before you and I hope you may find strength in them, as well. I also beseech you to not hold my persecutors in contempt for they will face justice on the Day of Judgment and we must also continue to pray for those who persecute us.
I leave you now, as I am anxious to pray. I hope you have found hope and encouragement in my triumph as a martyr. Continue to pray and stand firm in the Lord with peace and love.
Dear Francis,
Listening to the Vespers service this Wednesday night, I couldn’t help but notice all of the prayers said for the martyrs. This causes me to reflect on the martyrdom of Polycarp, as I was baptized Polycarp. When I chose to be baptized Polycarp, I was impressed and inspired by his martyrdom, but I don’t think that it was until tonight that I really realized the significance of the martyrs in the church.
Noticing the references to the martyrs in tonight’s service, I read further into some of the prayers of Great Lent. There are regular hymns to the martyrs on all the weekdays of Great Lent. During the first week at the Wednesday Matins service we read, “Invincible martyrs of Christ, ye triumphed over falsehood by the power of the Cross, and gained as your reward the grace of life eternal. Ye felt no terror at the threats of tyrants, and when ye suffered torment ye rejoiced; and now your blood has become the healing of our souls. Intercede for our salvation.”6 I shall have to pray that Polycarp intercede for me and pray for me in this time of struggle during Great Lent. I’m beginning to gain a new understanding of the great impact the martyrs have had in the history of the church and also the great significance they have for us, today, as we live the life of an Orthodox Christian. Father David has reminded us that Great Lent is a time of internal warfare and unseen martyrdom. When we as Orthodox Christians are practicing ascetic self-denial and dying to sin we are looking to model the self-offering of the martyrs.
As we come upon the first Sunday in Great Lent we will celebrate the Feast of Orthodoxy. This is often seen as a remembrance of the triumph when icons were brought back into the church, but this celebration is really a feast to honor martyrs and confessors who suffered for the faith. The martyrs were triumphant over the heretics; martyrdom is the only victory the church can really achieve on earth. I think it will be quite moving to hear “Memory Eternal” sung on this Sunday for all those who have died defending the faith, just as one would hear this sung for his or her beloved departed at a funeral.
I have also been thinking about the Lord’s Passion as we near the glorious day of His resurrection. As Orthodox Christians we are called to be Christ-like. Christ voluntarily accepted his fate and turned his self-suffering into a sacrifice of redemption. Polycarp did very much the same thing and, recalling the story of Polycarp’s martyrdom, there are many similarities between it and Christ’s passion. He was betrayed by those of his own household, condemned by the public, and died for the sake of others. Polycarp approached his death with such composure to remind us that Christ is there with each and every person as he or she suffers. Christ was with Polycarp at his death and He is also with us as we make the journey through Great Lent. We must take up our cross and follow Him, dying to ourselves and our lives of sin.
I have found all of this to bring me a renewed strength as we enter the season of Great Lent and I hope you may also find strength in this understanding of the martyrs. Intercede for me, Polycarp. O God, at the prayers of Thy martyrs have mercy upon me according to the multitude of Thy tender mercies.
Your Friend in Christ,
Elroy Polycarp
Feast Day Celebrated in the Church November 25
Alexander greets his fellow official Clebius in service of the great Emperor Maximin.
Friend, as you have heard, there have been many deaths here. All have been brought about because of the commotion raised by a young woman named Catherine. This woman has completely infuriated the Emperor and caused a great disturbance. This woman is completely mad and marches gleefully to her death any day, now.
It saddens me that such a woman could find herself in such a state of madness. She is very wise, learned in a great many areas, and absolutely radiant. She welcomes death, even runs to embrace it, ending such a life before its time. She claims she is dying for her Christ, but I still do not understand why she prefers the bitterness of death to the sweetness of life, especially when she is only an eighteen-year-old youth.
She is marked to die because she told the Emperor that our gods are nothing. She says that the history recorded by the poets is nothing more than mere fantasy and claims that the gods are proven disputable in our own records of them. She entreats the Emperor to come to know “the true God” and claims that this God will destroy our gods. She is the one trapped in her own fanaticism.
This woman has driven the
Emperor’s greatest philosophers to madness because of her own insanity. Fifty
of those most skilled in debate and rhetoric were thrown into the fire, as they
could not dispute this woman and her lunacy. Upon hearing that they were to
die, these philosophers turned to the woman in a crazed fear and embraced her
faith. The woman was overjoyed by these events and seemed to take great pleasure
in watching these men walk toward their death, their “baptism of fire,” she
called it. She even claims that, through her, a great multitude of people will
come to believe in Christ. They will abandon the palace of the Emperor for
“the mansions of heaven,” she says. She takes joy in convincing more to embrace
Christ and imminent death and I find this to be very distressing and disgusting.
She was once a wise woman; I still cannot comprehend what has happened.
She says that her former study of rhetoric, philosophy, geometry, and other
sciences were vain and useless. Now, her betrothed, Christ, will destroy the
wisdom of the wise. It is all so ludicrous and the Emperor is doing a very
prudent thing by ending her life before she spreads her madness further and
causes more people to become entangled in her deadly web of madness.
Long live the Great Emperor and may the gods keep us.
Paul greets his brother in Christ, may the blessings of the Lord be upon you, through his grace and love.
I struggle with the events that have taken place here in Alexandria over the last few days. A fellow Christian, Catherine, was martyred and with her many others died. So much blood has flowed like a river out of the palace gates. I understand that the death of these people in and for Christ is a victory, but it is difficult to rejoice in so much sorrow, suffering, and gruesome death. I must remember God is here with us all and His will be done.
It was none other than an angel who broke the speared wheels that were to be used to torture the martyr Catherine. It was God who sent the angel to keep and protect her. It was also an angel that took her relics away from this place up toward Mount Sinai when she was finally beheaded. The milk that flowed out of her neck after she was beheaded could also have only been the work of God.
It is also through Catherine and her suffering that we have seen so many come to the faith. The Emperor’s philosophers, many who witnessed the miraculous events of Catherine’s death, the Emperor’s most trusted military leader, nearly 200 soldiers, and even the Emperor’s own wife Augusta, found the truth in Christ because of Catherine.
I still struggle with the fact that these things could only be achieved through such bloodshed and suffering, but I must accept that I am only a humble servant and the will of God be done. The martyrs are triumphant victors of God and they defeat their enemies through death.
Glory be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Catherine greets her sister in Christ, Augusta, with prayerful thoughts and words of strength.
I must once again tell you of the great joy that has been mine in knowing that you have come to know the true God. I know that you fear your husband and torture, but your body will only suffer pain for a short time and no torment is capable of touching the soul. Now that you have found the truth, we will both be united with Christ in the Heavenly Kingdom of God.
My persecution shortly followed my baptism and I wish to encourage you if you soon are persecuted. Very shortly after I was baptized I approached the Emperor and have found myself in prison since about that time. I have not feared death and actually wish to leave this earth promptly. I long to leave this earth and be united with Christ. There was no man equal to me on this earth and a suitable bridegroom could only be found in Christ. I must have patience, however, because I know that others must come to the faith through me. God has given me patience to see others, such as you, come to him and I must endure time here in order to help the will of God be done. This ring on my right hand given to me by the mother of God signifies my betrothal to her Son and my place in heaven. I remember that my place is there, but I must first fulfill my task here for the glory of God.
Continue to find strength in Christ and may you find comfort in knowing that you have found eternal life. Glory to God forever. Amen.
Dear Father Joseph,
Glory be to Christ!
As I make the decision to become a monastic, I now come with a new understanding of the depth in this. I truly think I am beginning to realize the significance of becoming a monastic. I am totally submitting myself, giving my life to God, making the ultimate sacrifice unto Him.
I have known for some time that I am called to be a nun, but I did not really understand the weight of this until I began to reflect on monasticism in the context of martyrdom. I found something that has made a great impression on my mind on page 122 of that book you gave to me, The Inner Kingdom, “monks are the martyrs within an established Christendom, no longer subject to outward persecution from the state.”1 This is something that now seems so obvious, but before I never really considered monasticism to be martyrdom.
One can suffer as a martyr in their conscience and heart on a daily basis. As that book also points out, being a monastic is an “inner and hidden martyrdom” and martyrdom itself is a “joyful sorrow.” The monastic suffers a kind of death. The black robes of a nun symbolize that she is dead to the world. With the internal death to worldly desires, a new life of prayerful dedication to God begins. A monastic dies to the world in order to be united with God, as a martyr departs this life in a physical way to be united with God.
All of this also reminded me of one of the very early Christians, Origen. He watched his father die for the faith and wished to also be martyred. This didn’t happen and Origen died in a different way, becoming a monk. We should have a heart like Origen, willing to die for the faith, but suffering death in a different sense if we are not called to physical martyrdom.
With this new perspective I am ever more ready to become a nun and will draw strength from St. Catherine in a deeper sense. She gave her life physically and I shall give mine internally. I pray that she will intercede for me and I know I will continually be inspired to endure my path of martyrdom by recalling the story of her life.
Thanks for sending that book my way. It has opened my mind and helped me to gain a better understanding of what I am about to commit my life to. I am ready to completely submit myself to God.
In Christ,
Catherine
Martyred 1463 AD
Feast Day Celebrated in the Church Bright Tuesday
(The Tuesday after Easter)
Muslim Soldier preparing to invade the Greek Island of Lesvos (also Mitylene)
Greetings, brother,
We are sailing toward the Island of Lesvos. I hope that this conquest is easy and rapid. We must expand the Empire and strive toward living in a society where all embrace Allah. Taking over the land and killing the foolish that stand in the way is the only way to achieve this. I know you do not approve of all the killing, but it is the only way.
I do not understand why the Christians do not embrace us. It is so easy to convert to our faith and save themselves, but they refuse. A Muslim member of the Empire lives such a good life. We just want them to also enjoy this pleasure. All they must do is utter a few simple words to save themselves, but they do not. They are stubborn and cling to their false teachings. What they die for is absolutely absurd. They think that their Jesus was God who came and walked the earth like a man. This makes no sense to me. It gets even more confusing when the Christians claim that this Jesus, their God, was born of a woman. How is that at all possible?
Brother, we do give them the chance to live by converting, but they cannot escape the evil in their mind. I hope that you will still embrace me upon my return. I will be returning home after this journey and long to be in the presence of my family and walk in the homeland once again.
May Allah keep you, my brother,
Abdulhamid
Father, mother, and brother,
I write you these words with the great possibility that they might be my last. The Turks have stormed the island and taken the monastery. They tell us we should convert to their religion and become a member of their Empire or be killed. How can these men who are nothing other than brute soldiers be messengers of any God? All I really know of them is that they speak of their Prophet Muhammad, and this is enough for me to know that there is absolutely no truth in any of their words. John the Baptist was the last prophet.
In all of this madness three have already been martyred, one only a girl. Irene, the daughter of Therme’s demogeron (community leader), was burned alive in a large cask after having her arm severed from her fragile little body. Her parents were forced to watch and I believe the soldiers were making such a spectacle of terror to try to scare those remaining alive, that we should submit to their will and save our lives. We submit only to God and He has given us the strength to endure any torture unto a glorious death in His name.
Irene was only twelve years of age. As they severed her limb one saw the innocence and purity of a virgin in her eyes, but also the firm clarity of mind and conviction that one would not be able to find in someone three times her age. In all the chaos and fright it would be so easy for a child to submit to the torturers, but the maiden Irene would not waver. She knew the truth and she knew what she believed.
Witnessing the death of the maiden Irene, I walk toward the sword of my persecutors with more strength. A young child had the faith to be martyred, as do I. What is this life on earth, anyway, compared to what is to come? Perhaps we should rejoice ever more in the martyrdom of Irene because she is blessed to find her place in the Heavenly Kingdom of God at such a young age.
I leave you, now, as the time draws near, but hope my words have brought you some comfort. I also hope that the story of what has happened here will bring you strength as we move toward everlasting life in the Lord.
In Christ,
Theodora
Michael,
I was pulling weeds in the garden when very mad looking men ran in the gate. They waved big swords and talked loudly. They told everyone at the monastery that they had to become like them or die. They are Muslims and not Christians. They don’t believe in Jesus.
They tell me I will die if I do not turn against my Lord Jesus. They will kill everyone here at the monastery if we do not change to Muslims. Everyone says that they will not change and will die and I will, too. Everyone at the monastery knows the truth and knows what is right. If it is right to die, then I will die. When I die I will go straight to heaven and all of my family and friends from the monastery will be there, too, because they are going to die, too. We all get to go to heaven together and do not have to spend any time apart.
If the men get to where you are too, I will see you in heaven.
Your friend in Christ,
Irene
Dear Ruth,
I hope this finds you well. I am very well as I have witnessed a miracle. I have heard the stories of Saint Irene on my name’s day since childhood and, as you know, it has been my greatest desire to visit the island of Lesvos since. I knew about all of the amazing stories and though I did not doubt them, they still lacked a sense of reality. Today, I find myself in the greatest reality as I have seen a manifestation of St. Irene in the chapel here. Many have heard all of the incredible stories about St. Raphael, St. Nicholas, and St. Irene performing miracles on the island and about the saints telling the story of their martyrdom to the unknowing villagers. These three saints died in the 1400s, but their story was not known until the saints themselves told it in the 1950s. The stories seemed so incredible and, even though I did not doubt, I still felt disconnected and did not give them any significant thought. Now, all the saints are so much more real to me and thoughts of the martyrs fill me with something I cannot describe. Irene lived on this island centuries ago and gave her life for her faith. Now, though she has died in the flesh, she lives in the presence of God, interceding for our sake, performing miracles, and telling her story to strengthen others in their struggle for the faith.
I am so humbled and have a new understanding of how to live my life as an Orthodox Christian in the Church. We are striving toward something real and it may have taken a literal miracle for me to truly realize that, but now the truth is clear.
In striving towards what is real, Orthodoxy is the right path. The saints of the island have provided proof for this. Their appearance is nothing other than a miracle of God, here to help the people. The manifestations prove that there is a soul apart from the body, a belief central to the Orthodox. These saints also affirm the importance of relics as they show the villagers the tombs holding their earthy bodies. The saints revealed the location of lost icons to the people so they could be venerated, showing us that it is right to venerate icons. St. Raphael also insisted that a monastery be built, affirming the importance of monasticism in the faith. Finally, the saints at Lesvos relay their stories to affirm the glory of martyrdom. Eternal life comes only through death and we must have the strength and conviction to die.
We live in a time very different from St. Irene’s and, though we don’t face persecution, we still struggle in this life. St. Irene fought in a struggle against Muslim persecutors and died a physical death; we struggle against worldliness and our own desire and die an ascetic death. This idea has been taught to me from infancy in the church, but only now do I truly understand. I find such strength in St. Irene the martyr. I struggle to die to sin as she freely died in the flesh. I have the strength to die to the vanities and falsities of this worldly life and seek to be born into the Kingdom of God. I have this strength because of my experiences here and will continue to look to St. Irene as I struggle toward victory in this battle.
I must go as it is time to sleep and I must prepare for tomorrow. My days here on the island are few and I must rest to have the strength to experience this place to the fullest of my ability. I just could not wait to tell you of my experience of enlightenment and will tell you more upon my return.
In Christ,
Irene
Martyred 1815
Feast Day Celebrated in the Church September 24
Dear Father John,
I am writing to report the capture of 14 natives and a handful of Russians caught disobeying the order to cease Russian trading and trapping in California. We have made the strength of our presence and authority over the land known and I believe that the threat posed by the encroaching Russians is decreasing. Fort Ross is no longer a threat and I believe that the Russians no longer have the means that would be necessary to take San Francisco.
With regards to the natives captured, we gave them the opportunity to accept the Catholic faith, but they refused. It is a shame that there are so many foreigners who do not know the truth and remain heretics and schismatics. The natives have such primitive, savage, and feeble minds. We try to take them in as our children and teach them, but they resist what is good for them. If only they could see that we are only acting in their best interest.
During the incident dealing with the prisoners, the natives were encouraged to accept Catholicism, but all refused. One prisoner was killed and we were ordered to transfer the others to Monterey.
Father Francisco
Someone should know about Peter, his strength and conviction are something ones does not often see. All of us are members of a hunting party looking for seals along the coast. We were all captured by the Spanish in the Hills of San Pedro after going ashore for fresh meat.
I had heard stories about these Spanish and the horrible things that they have done. They trick people into converting to their faith by offering them food and then force them to build the structures that will hold them captive. People are not allowed to visit their home tribes and the consequences for running away are horrible. Often it is the Padre who is inflicting punishments upon the people and that is no way for a man of God to behave.
Once we were taken captive, the Jesuits tried to get us to convert to their faith. The Jesuits are Christians and we are Christians so we saw no need to convert. They insisted that we were savages and needed to convert to their Christianity. We showed them the crosses we wore around our necks, proving that we had been baptized, but the Jesuits continued to insist that we were heretics and schismatics.
They singled one of the prisoners out, Peter, and began to inflict horrible tortures upon him. They cut each of his fingers off one by one at the joints and all the while, Peter just kept repeating, “I am a Christian and will not betray my faith.”1 They proceeded to cut off his hands and then his feet and still Peter insisted, “I am a Christian and will not betray my faith.” Enduring so much torture, finally, Peter had lost so much blood that he gave up this life. Peter is a man that I will never forget and who I think should be remembered by all. We can only hope to die as true to the faith as he did. He has certainly set an example for us all.
John
I am a Christian! That is all I have to say. I do not understand why these men insist that I must convert to their faith. They claim that they are Christian, yet they threaten to torture me and take my life. If they are Christian, why must they kill me, a fellow Christian? Murderous men are not men of Christ. I do not understand, but it doesn’t matter. I must tell them that they cannot take my life because I give it to them for the sake of Christ. I will die for my faith. In believing in Christ, being a Christian, death is better than life on this earth in sin and illusion. Death is glorious! I leave this world to find myself in the presence of God. I am a Christian and this, the day of my death, is a glorious day!
Dear Katy,
Well, I have finally decided that I am going to be baptized Peter, celebrating my name’s day with St. Peter the Aleut. I have been attending services for quite some time and making the decision to become a catechumen was easy. Now, the decision to be baptized has also come very naturally. I was a bit overwhelmed at the idea of picking a baptismal name, but in due time that decision became an easy one, as well. I always stand in the same spot during Liturgy and it is very near to an icon of St. Peter the Aleut. When I am truly focused in prayer I can feel a great love and connection to St. Peter. I knew the basic sketch of his story, but looking into it, I find it absolutely amazing and inspiring. He actually died for his faith. Persecutors cut off his fingers one by one and St. Peter still would not give up his faith. Knowing that a person like this actually lived, someone who would give up everything for his faith, I am confident that it is right for me to move toward God. If people are dying for the faith, there must be truth in it and I am confident that I am on the right path.
It is also reassuring that he did not simply die because he was a Christian, but St. Peter died because he was specifically an Orthodox Christian. Jesuits tried to force him to convert to Catholicism, but St. Peter stood fast in the Orthodox faith and insisted that he was already a Christian. He became a martyr and saint because he would not abandon Orthodoxy. Again, there must be real truth in this church I am about to become a part of.
I also think that it is appropriate that I be baptized with the name of a martyr because I can continually draw from his strength. I’ve been learning about how dying to self-desire and worldly pleasure is such a big part of the Orthodox faith and I think I am going to struggle with that. I mean, really, we spend nearly half of the year fasting and I love my steak. Remembering St. Peter and focusing on him, I think I will be strengthened and reminded of what is really important. Remembering that he gave up his life, I think I can give up my steak.
Well, I should probably run, but I just wanted to let you know the good news. I’m still not sure what day I will be baptized, but I’ll be sure to let you know.
Truly,
Mason
Martyrs are remembered historically and spiritually from the time of their deaths unto present day, making a statement at the hands of persecutors with their deaths and providing inspiration for fellow Orthodox Christians struggling through the difficulties in striving toward salvation. The martyred saints were real living people and provide real inspiration for the faithful in the Church.
Martyrs were important at the time of their death in many ways, their deaths being significant to both persecutors and supporters. They were often caught in a political conflict and took a stand against persecutors. St. Polycarp would not submit to the Emperor and the ways of the Empire. St. Catherine would not marry, was betrothed to Christ, and challenged the Empire by confronting the Emperor himself. St. Irene would not submit to the Muslims and become a part of their expanding Empire. St. Peter was seen as a threat and schismatic heathen, encroaching upon Spanish territory. All martyrs were significant to supporters in that they provided inspiration and strength to stand up in the face of persecution. Many think the early church would not have survived without the martyrs and their example of utmost faith unto death. If all died peaceful deaths at the end of life as Christians, people would not have been drawn to the faith because of the passion and certainty in the martyrs’ commitment to Christ, even unto death. The martyrs themselves received salvation and the people around them received the strength of encouragement and hope in salvation to come.
These people who died for the faith years ago are still remembered. Martyrs have great significance in the present day Orthodox Church and people who died nearly 2000 years ago are still celebrated. The martyrs provide hope, inspiration, and guidance in the stories of their lives. Orthodox Christians today use this inspiration and guidance to undertake Great Lent, live a life baptized in the church with the name of a saint, live the life of a monastic, and come to see truth in the path of Orthodoxy. The martyrs made the ultimate sacrifice by giving their life up unto Christ and the present day Christian must suffer a different kind of death, dying to self-desire and worldliness.
Orthodox Christians welcome death as they seek life everlasting. The martyrs were called to a physical death and every Orthodox Christian is called to die internally. The martyrs gave the ultimate sacrifice and serve as the inspiration and model. Orthodox Christians look the martyrs who lived and died in the faith, whose lives will long be remembered.
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[2] Florovsky, Georges. Creation and Redemption. Pg. 205.
[3] Cormack, Margaret. Sacrificing the Self. New York: Oxford University Press. Pg. 4
[4] Ware, Bishop Kallistos. The Seed of the Church: Martyrdom as a Universal Vocation.” The Inner Kingdom. Crestwood: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2001.
1 The Martyrdom of Saint Polycarp. 7:1
2 The Martyrdom of Saint Polycarp. 9:3.
3 The Martyrdom of Saint Polycarp. 14:1-2
4 The Martyrdom of saint Polycarp. 14: 1
5 Polycarp to the Philippians. 7:1-2
6 Mother Mary and Archimandrite Kallistos Ware, translators. The Lenten Triodion. Boston: Faber and Faber, 1978. Pg.234.
1 Ware, Bishop Kallistos. The Inner Kingdom. Crestwood: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2001. Pg. 122
1 Gray, George A. and Jan v. Bear eds. Portraits of American Saints. Los Angeles: Diocesan Council and
Department of Missions Diocese of the West Orthodox Church in America, 1994. Pg. 45
