As well as celebrating the feast of St John of Kronstadt, we also commemorate the feast of the Holy Martyr Varus (Uar), to whom the Lord has given the grace to supplicate for the departed who have died without Holy Baptism.
From our friends at the Convent of St Elizabeth, in Minsk…
“On 1 November, the Church commemorates Saint Martyr Varus of Egypt. His life teaches us the power of unwavering faith. With it, we can withstand the gravest sorrows. He shows that our life in this world is only a fleeting moment of transition to eternity and that worldly honours and comforts are worthless compared to our everlasting salvation.
On icons, Saint Varus appears as a brave warrior in lustrous armour. He is a victorious commander, popular among the rank and file soldiers for his valour, bravery and talent. He is deeply respected among the rulers of Rome. The Emperor himself takes it as a great honour to welcome him in his palace.
With his deserts and spectacular feats, he could have earned himself an honourable place among the heroes of Rome. Yet he was a believer in Christ, and he knew well that worldly fame and glory are worthless in eternity, and the only way to have eternal salvation is by accumulating riches in heaven. In the years of bitter persecution of Christians, he did not hide his beliefs. Voluntarily, he suffered unimaginable torments. He withstood them to the end and gratefully accepted the fate of a Christian martyr, preferring it to a place of honour in the pantheon of Roman heroes.
Yet even after his departure, Saint Varus continued to reassure the tormented and the desperate, reminding them about the eternal joy and comfort waiting for them in their life to come. The pious widow Cleopatra who had assumed the care of Saint Varus’ remains, had a terrible loss. Her son died from an illness at a young age. With great love and dedication, she had been raising him for a brilliant career in the army. Her worldly life lost all meaning, her hopes received a crushing blow. She brought her son’s lifeless body to Saint Varus’ grave in the desperate hope that he would revive him.
Saint Varus came to her in a dream. He told the grieving mother that he would resurrect the boy if she held the glory that he would win in the empire’s wars to be more valuable than his eternal life in heaven. For his part, the boy assured his mother that nothing would make him go back to the world of sorrow. Cleopatra found closure. Praying for her son all the time, she gave away her estate to the poor and served at a church. Seven years later, she reunited with her son in haven.
In this part of the world, the faithful remember Saint Varus for his prayerful intercession for the unbaptised. They invoke his name in prayers for small children, unbaptised kin and stillborn infants. As we read the Canon of Saint Varus at Saint Elisabeth Convent, our sisters pray privately for people of other faiths and unbelievers. In every person, there is an image of God, and we all have a shared purpose – to grow in His likeness.
As we read the Creed at every liturgy, we express our hope for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. It gives us the strength to overcome our worst losses and pains, and to live through our most bitter sorrows. Yet so many people in our age of reason and enlightenment find it hard to embrace this hope with their hearts and souls. Habitually, we look to science for some confirmation but hear only silence. No one person who has departed to eternity can return to tell us about it. Even people who have had encountered eternity but returned to life cannot find the words to talk about it.
And so, like the righteous Cleopatra, we turn to Saint Varus for his assistance. We ask him to help us grow in our faith, build our confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
O Martyr Varus, you received the crown of martyrdom and now rejoice with the angels. Pray for our souls unceasingly!”
Canon of the martyr, the acrostic whereof is: ”I praise the sufferings of Varus and his great glory”, the composition of Joseph, in Tone VI:
Ode 1, Irmos: When Israel crossed the deep on foot as though it were dry land, beholding the tyrant Pharaoh drowned, he cried aloud: Let us sing to God a hymn of victory!
Holy Great Martyr Varus, pray to God for us.
Thou hast appeared in the heights of the Church of Christ as a radiant sun, illumining the fullness of the earth with the brilliance of thy battles, O blessed Varus.
Holy Great Martyr Varus, pray to God for us.
Embraced by the sweet ardour of divine love, O most blessed one, thou didst deny thyself and didst hasten wisely to all the tortures of the flesh, struggling mightily.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Having sensibly bound thyself with the bonds of godly strugglers, O athlete, thou didst break asunder the bonds of falsehood by thy mighty endurance of many torments.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The transcendent Word made His abode within thy womb in manner past recounting, O pure one, and, having been born in godly manner, He hath led to Him the choirs of martyrs. With them we praise thee in hymnody.
Ode 3, Irmos: There is none as holy as Thou, O Lord my God, Who hast exalted the horn of Thy faithful, O Good One, and hast established us upon the rock of Thy confession.
Holy Great Martyr Varus, pray to God for us.
Thou didst enter upon valiant struggles with mighty resolve, having made thyself steadfast by hope in the good things which are to come and by the most-wise teachings of the martyrs of Christ, O blessed one.
Holy Great Martyr Varus, pray to God for us.
Beholding the army of the holy athletes suffering lawfully, thou didst show forth their courageous strength, entering upon multifarious torments, O Varus.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As a valiant warrior, O Varus, thou didst find thyself in the sacred regiment, and didst cut down multitudes with the battle-sword of courage, O wise one, being glorified with victories.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Virgin Mother of God, I beseech thee: By the effulgence of grace which is in thee, drive away the most profound darkness of my despair and the clouds of the passions.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Sedalion, Tone I, “Thy tomb, O Saviour…”: Beholding the honoured sufferings of the martyrs, and venerating their fetters with love, thou didst hasten to ascend to the summit of witness, O most wondrous one; for, suspended upon a tree, thou didst endure wounds, until thou didst commit thy spirit into the hands of the Lord.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Theotokion: O all-pure Virgin, thou hope of Christians, unceasingly entreat God to Whom thou gavest birth in manner past understanding and recounting, on behalf of those who hymn thee, that He grant remission of all our sins and correction of life unto those who ever glorify thee with faith and love.
Stavrotheotokion (replaces the Theotokion on Wednesdays and Fridays): Beholding Thee stretched out, dead, upon the Cross, O Christ, Thy most immaculate Mother cried aloud: “O my Son Who art equally unoriginate with the Father and the Spirit, what is this, Thine ineffable dispensation, whereby Thou hast saved the creation of Thine own all-pure hands, O Compassionate One?”
Ode 4, Irmos: Christ is my power, my God and Lord, the honoured Church doth chant in godly manner, crying out with a pure mind, keeping festival in the Lord.
Holy Great Martyr Varus, pray to God for us.
Adorned with holy wounds, thou didst show thyself to be most comely and the beloved of God Who crowned thy head, O right wondrous Varus.
Holy Great Martyr Varus, pray to God for us.
Stretched out on a cross and again upon the ground; O glorious one, thou didst endure cruel pangs. Wherefore, in gladness thou hast inherited the life which is devoid of pain.
Holy Great Martyr Varus, pray to God for us.
The godly martyrs, seeing thee suffering lawfully, strengthened thee with words of patience, O blessed one; and having completed thy valiant sufferings with them, thou hast attained blessedness.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
With praises we crown the divine martyrs, for with divine wreaths the grace of God hath crowned them who cast down the overweening thoughts of the enemy.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Mistress, from the mire of the passions and the passionate thoughts which alienate me from the one pure God lead me up, that I may bless thee with faith.
Ode 5, Irmos: With Thy divine light, O Good One, illumine the souls of those who rise early unto Thee with love, that they may know Thee, O Word of God, to be the true God Who calleth them forth from the darkness of sin.
Holy Great Martyr Varus, pray to God for us.
Strengthened by divine inclinations, O Varus, with valiant mind thou didst endure unremitting laceration, rending apart the heart of the prideful one, the author of evil.
Holy Great Martyr Varus, pray to God for us.
The glorious martyr, seeing pieces of his flesh falling to the ground, rejoiced, looking toward eternal and divine rewards with splendour of mind.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
“I hymn, glorify and worship Thee, O Lord God, having been vouchsafed the good things prepared for those who love Thee!” the martyr cried out fervently amid his suffering.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
In that thou hast truly been shown to be more holy than the cherubim and seraphim, O most immaculate one, do thou now sanctify all who with faith call thee sacred, and save them by thy mediation.
Ode 6, Irmos: Beholding the sea of life surging with the storm of temptations, fleeing to Thy calm haven I cry unto Thee: Lead up my life from corruption, O greatly Merciful One!
Holy Great Martyr Varus, pray to God for us.
Thou didst disdain the words of the all-iniquitous enemy and didst patiently endure unbearable pain of the flames, O much suffering Varus, who prayest for those who praise thee with faith.
Holy Great Martyr Varus, pray to God for us.
The most mindless tyrant did not cease inflicting wounds upon thee without pity, until thou didst commit thy sacred soul into the hands of God, made radiant with the beauties of thy struggles.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Emulating Christ, thou wast uplifted upon a tree, and hanging thereon, thou didst surrender thy soul to God, Who crowned thee, having suffered valiantly, O athlete.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Mistress, ever direct my lowly soul which is tempest-tossed on the deep of evils, and guide it to the calm haven, for with unfaltering understanding it calleth thee blessed.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone 4: Following Christ, O martyr Varus, and draining His cup, thou wast crowned with the wreath of martyrdom and joinest chorus with the angels. Pray thou without ceasing for our souls.
Ode 7, Irmos: The Angel caused the furnace to pour forth dew upon the venerable children, and the command of God which consumed the Chaldeans prevailed upon the tyrant to cry: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!
Holy Great Martyr Varus, pray to God for us.
O Varus, the all-good Cleopatra helped to bury thee, who wast illumined with gifts of thy struggles, finding through thee the glory of faith manifestly fitting, which thou didst fervently show forth in thine end.
Holy Great Martyr Varus, pray to God for us.
Shedding tears over thee and embalming thee with precious unguents, the most honoured woman buried in the earth thee who hast buried wicked falsehood and hast illumined us with rays of brilliance from thy grave.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
The ever-memorable one did not cease pleasing thee, the favourite of Christ, O wise and venerable one, until thou didst show thyself to be a mediator for her of the kingdom of heaven which she and her beloved son were vouchsafed through thee.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
By thy mediation, O Virgin, restore me, who am crushed by my countless offences, healing my soul and granting me the words to cry out: Blessed art thou who gavest birth to God in the flesh!
Ode 8, Irmos: Out of the flame didst Thou pour forth dew upon the venerable ones, and didst consume the sacrifice of the righteous man with water; for Thou, O Christ, doest all things whatsoever Thou desirest. Thee do we exalt supremely for all ages.
Holy Great Martyr Varus, pray to God for us.
Hearkening to a mother’s entreaties, O martyr, and splendidly enrolling her son in the army of heaven, with ineffable loving-kindness thou didst show that thy glory and that of the honoured youth cannot be taken away.
Holy Great Martyr Varus, pray to God for us.
Cleopatra bore thee out of Egypt like riches beyond price, O martyr, lavishing precious gifts of healings upon all of Palestine, which honoureth thee with love.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
In gladness thou didst complete thy struggles, O valiant warrior of the Almighty, and thou hast been crowned by Him as a victor, O most blessed Varus, thou great glory of the martyrs.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Sins upon sins do I add, yet I do not fear the coming dread judgment. O pure one, overcome the blindness of my soul, and converting me, save me by thine entreaty.
Ode 9, Irmos: It is not possible for men to see God, upon Whom the ranks of angels dare not gaze; for through thee, O most pure one, the Word appeared, incarnate, to men. And, magnifying Him, with the armies of heaven we call thee blessed.
Holy Great Martyr Varus, pray to God for us.
Manifestly girded about with divine power, O valiant athlete Varus, thou didst cast down the might of the adversary; wherefore, we, the faithful, praise thee, drawing forth abundant healing from thy relics.
Holy Great Martyr Varus, pray to God for us.
Thy memory hath spread forth upon the ends of the earth like light, like the dawn, like the great sun, O all-praised one, illumining all with the radiant effulgence of thine honoured struggles and driving darkness away from men’s hearts.
Holy Great Martyr Varus, pray to God for us.
The loving mother, beholding her son shining with thee in great glory, magnified the God of all, O martyr, and most earnestly glorified thee as an intercessor most great, having been manifestly enriched by thee.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
The land on which thy most patient body lieth, O wise one, hath been divinely sanctified. By thy supplications, O Varus, grant us remission of sins, amendment of life and deliverance from all difficulties.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The Lord, manifesting Himself through thee, the light cloud, O Virgin, wrought utter destruction upon the graven images of Egypt; and He hath vouchsafed the multitude of His athletes to endure, becoming emulators of His honoured sufferings.
Troparion of St Varus the Martyr, Tone 5: Thou didst follow in the steps of the martyrs/ and contend for the glory of Christ./ Thou wast tied to a beam and restored by the Tree of Life,/ and thine intercessions gladden our souls.