Monday 14/27 December: The Holy Martyrs Thyrsus, Lucius, Philemon & those with them.
The Holy Martyrs Thyrsus, Leucius and Callinicus suffered for Christ under the emperor Decius (249-251) at Caesarea in Bithynia.
Saint Leucius, having reproached the prefect Cumbricius for his unjust persecution of Christians, was executed after being tortured. As soon as his head was cut off, his soul departed to heaven.
Saint Thyrsus, who was still a catechumen, was nonetheless eager for martyrdom. He was sentenced to cruel tortures and torments after refusing to offer sacrifice to the idols. Citing the words of the Prophet Jeremiah (Jer. 2:27), he ridiculed those who worshiped wood and stone.
The saint’s arms and legs were pulled out of their sockets, his eyes were plucked out, and his teeth were shattered with a hammer. He was taken to a heathen temple, where, by his prayers, he toppled a statue of Apollo. Cumbricius was enraged by this, and he ordered that greater torments be devised for the athlete of Christ. He endured them all and died peacefully after making the Sign of the Cross. The pagan priest Callinicus, seeing the bravery and the miracle involving Saint Thyrsus, believed in Christ and boldly confessed the true Faith, for which he was beheaded.
Source: Orthodox Church in America
Canon of the martyrs, the composition of Theophanes, in Tone VI.
Ode I, Irmos: When Israel walked on foot in the sea as on dry land, * on seeing their pursuer Pharaoh drowned, * they cried: * Let us sing to God * a song of victory.
Holy martyrs, pray to God for us.
Standing before the throne of God, arrayed in the beauties of martyrdom and resplendent with divine effulgence, O passion-bearers, illumine us who hymn your memory.
Holy martyrs, pray to God for us.
Desiring divine beauty, ye reckoned the beauties of life to be as naught, O spiritual athletes of Christ; and dying in body, ye have been deemed worthy to receive life without end.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Denouncing the delusion of idolatry in a godly manner, O passion-bearing martyrs, ye endured the burning of manifold pangs and have now attained the life which is devoid of pain.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O pure one, thou hast given birth to the uncircumscribable Word, Who became circumscribed in a human body. Him do thou beseech, that those who glorify thee be delivered from corruption and the assault of the passions.
Ode III, Irmos: There is none as holy as Thou, * O Lord my God, * who hast exalted the horn of the faithful O good One, * and strengthened us upon the rock * of Thy confession.
Holy martyrs, pray to God for us.
The minions of darkness, cruelly lacerating thy body, O Thyrsus mighty in love, were unable to weaken the strength of thy mind, which was fortified by divine love.
Holy martyrs, pray to God for us.
O wondrous martyr Philemon, thy faith in the Lord was truly constant, and thereby thou didst put the false religion of the enemy to shame, crying aloud: “I am a servant of Christ!”
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thou didst go forth boldly to do battle with the enemy, O martyr, armed not with shield and spear, but divinely defending thyself with steadfast faith; and thou didst manfully cast him down to the ground.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
One of the Holy Trinity, having become incarnate through thy pure blood in two natures, O all-pure one, hath issued forth divinely, saving the descendants of Adam in His goodness.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Sessional Hymn, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “Joseph marvelled …”: Protected well by the shield of piety, and arrayed in the armour of the Cross, the right wondrous martyrs of Christ humbled the legions of the tyrant; and, crowned by Him with the wreath of victory, they join chorus unceasingly with the hosts on high, and entreat the Saviour to save our souls.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Theotokion in Tone IV: Tempest-tossed by the threefold-waves of the passions, * I who lack conscience fervently call upon thee, O most pure one: * Disdain me not, lest I perish, wretch that I am, * O thou who hast given birth to the Abyss of mercy; * for I have no other hope than thee. * Let me not become a joy unto mine enemies, * nor a byword, for I trust in thee. * For whatsoever thou desirest thou canst do, ** in that thou art the Mother of the God of all.
Stavrotheotokion: The Virgin and ewe-lamb, beholding on the Cross the Lamb Who was born of her without seed, His side pierced by a spear, was wounded and with grief and cried aloud, exclaiming amid her pain: “What is this new mystery? How is it that Thou diest Who alone art Lord of life? Wherefore, arise, raising up our fallen forefather!”
Ode IV, Irmos: Christ is my power, * my God and my Lord, * the holy Church divinely singeth, * crying with a pure mind, * keeping festival in the Lord.
Holy martyrs, pray to God for us.
Desiring to confess the one Lord and God of all, Who alone is compassionate, through their sufferings the martyrs have received His kingdom.
Holy martyrs, pray to God for us.
Strengthened by the power of the Cross, O martyr Thyrsus who art most noetically rich, like a youth thou didst endure the laceration of thy body, the raging of the fire, and the onslaught of wild beasts and the sea.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Adorned with the wounds of thy struggles as a warrior of Christ, O martyred spiritual athlete Lucius, thou didst render thy soul more radiant than the brilliance of the sun.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O blessed Mary, thou art the setting aright of mortals, and we know thee, alone among women, to be the Mother who knew not a man, the immaculate Virgin, the undefiled Maiden.
Ode V, Irmos: Illumine with Thy divine light, I pray, O Good One, * the souls of those who with love rise early to pray to Thee, * that they may know Thee, O Word of God, * as the true God, * Who recalleth us from the darkness of sin.
Holy martyrs, pray to God for us.
Sanctified in godly splendour by most divine rays, O all-praised martyrs, ye sailed across the inconstant abyss of ungodliness and have passed over to divine tranquillity
Holy martyrs, pray to God for us.
Cruelly dragged across the ground and wounded by tortures, O all-praised martyrs, ye have received the honours of heaven, having now become fellow citizens with the angels.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Manifestly preferring to die for Christ Who loved thee, O divinely blessed martyr Philemon, thou didst treat the wounds inflicted on thy body as though they were made by the darts of children.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Mary, good Lady of the word, save those who with all their soul confess thee to be the Theotokos; for thee, who art the Theotokos, have we acquired as our invincible intercessor.
ODE VI, Irmos: Beholding the sea of life surging with the tempest of temptations, * I run to Thy calm haven, and cry to Thee: * Raise up my life from corruption, * O Most Merciful One.
Holy martyrs, pray to God for us.
Moved by the winds of the divine Spirit, O wise martyrs, ye most joyously saved the entry of your souls for the noetic havens, delighting together therein in deification.
Holy martyrs, pray to God for us.
Mounting the flaming chariot, O spiritual athletes, ye were caught up to the heavens by the blood ye shed, and having attained to the glory of God, ye have received crowns of victory from Him.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Philemon and Lucius, Apollonius and the ever-memorable Thyrsus, the four divine and radiant martyrs, have been enriched by partaking immaterially of the effulgence of the Trinity.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
He Who as God transcendeth all creation, noetic and visible, passed, incarnate, through thy womb, O Virgin Mother, preserving thee incorrupt, as thou wast before birthgiving.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Kontakion, in Tone II: Spec. Mel.: “The steadfast …”: Reviling the impious tyrant, * O champions of faith and piety, * ye denounced his bestial thirst for blood, * and, fortified by the help of Christ, * O Thyrsus and Lucius, * ye vanquished his wrathful opposition. ** With those who suffered with you, pray ye on our behalf.
Ode VII, Irmos: An Angel made the furnace bedew the holy Children. * But the command of God consumed the Chaldeans * and prevailed upon the tyrant to cry: * O God of our fathers, blessed art
Holy martyrs, pray to God for us.
Thou. With divine rains ye extinguished the furnace of polytheism, all-joyously aflame with divine love, O spiritual athletes; and ye now chant: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
Holy martyrs, pray to God for us.
Casting your divine net to ensnare the persecutor, O right wondrous ones, ye drew him forth from the depths of delusion and brought him to Christ, chanting with fervour: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Showing unshakable resolve and a courageous mind, ye shook the foundations of delusion, O spiritual athletes, and ye now piously chant: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Past description is thy conception, O Bride of God; for thou hast given birth to God the Word, Who hath delivered mankind from all irrationality, and thou givest us the words to cry aloud: O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
Ode VIII, Irmos: Thou didst make flame bedew the holy children, * and didst burn the sacrifice of a righteous man with water. * For Thou alone, O Christ, dost do all as Thou willest, * Thee do we supremely exalt throughout all ages.
Holy martyrs, pray to God for us.
Defending yourselves with the shield of piety, and taking up the Cross as a spear, O Thyrsus of valiant mind, thou didst cut down the hordes of the invisible foe, O divine glory of the martyrs.
Holy martyrs, pray to God for us.
Aflame with love for the Almighty, thou didst manfully enter the tribunal of the tyrant, and, having suffered patiently, thou didst break asunder the great serpent, O spiritual athlete Philemon.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Showing forth the power of the enemy to be drowned in the depths of thy courage and patience, O Adrian, thou wast deemed worthy of the kingdom which remaineth unshaken throughout all ages.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Confessing thee to be the true Theotokos, like the angel we cry out to thee: Rejoice! For thou alone on earth hast given birth to our Joy, O pure, blessed and joyous one.
ODE IX, Irmos: It is impossible for mankind to see God * upon Whom the orders of Angels dare not gaze; * but through thee, O all-pure one, * did the Word Incarnate become a man * and with the Heavenly Hosts * Him we magnify and thee we call blessed.
Holy martyrs, pray to God for us.
Emulating the suffering of Christ, ye endured the trial of many torments, O blessed ones; and when your heads were severed, ye were numbered among the ranks of heaven, resplendent with glory and adorned with divine radiance.
Holy martyrs, pray to God for us.
Thou didst dye thy robe purple in thy blood, O wise Thyrsus, and having gloriously arrayed thyself therein, and wielding the Cross as it were a sceptre, thou dost now reign with Christ, rejoicing with all the passion-bearers, O divinely blessed one.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
The angelic hosts marvelled at your struggles, wounds, opposition and violent death, O blessed ones; and dwelling with them, O all-praised ones, be ye mindful of those who celebrate your memory.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
In the guise of human flesh the Word appeared, born from thy womb, O pure and divinely joyous Virgin Mary, and, having endured suffering, He hath drawn to Himself a multitude of martyrs.