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THE SECOND
MONTH IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT, ONE GOD. AMEN. On
this day Saint Bacchus and his companion Saint Sergius became martyrs by
the hands of the wicked Antiochus, governor of Syria. Now this took place when the Emperor Maximianus seized these
saints, and tortured them with sever tortures after he had cast off their
belts, for they were soldiers. After
this he sent them to the country of Syria, to Antiochus the governor, who
shut Saint Bacchus and Saint Sergius up in prison.
And he commanded his soldiers to hang him up and to hack him with
knives, and to hang stones about his neck, and to cast him into the River
Euphrates; and they did to him according as the king commanded.
And God protected the body of Saint Bacchus, and brought it through
the sea to the coast. And
there were near him two anchorites and ascetics, the name of the one being
Mama, and that of the other Baba, and unto those brethren the angel of the
Lord appeared and commanded them to go and carry away the body of Saint
Bacchus. And they went
according as the angel of the Lord commanded them, and they found the body
of Saint Bacchus, and by the side of it were a lion and wolves protecting
it. And these animals which
were wont to eat only the flesh of men and animals had sat by it for one
day and one night, and they had been commanded by God Most High to protect
the body of Saint Bacchus. And
these holy men took up the body of the saint with great honor, and they
sang hymns before it until they came to their cave where they buried it. Salutation
to Bacchus, and Baba, and Mama. And
on this day Saint Ananias, the preacher, one of the two and seventy
disciples, became a martyr. This
holy man was Bishop of Damascus, and it was he who baptized the Apostle
Paul, our Lord having appeared to him on the road to Damascus, and it was
he whom the Apostles appointed bishop, and who was sent by them to the
city of Damascus. He had at
first dwelt and preached in the house of Gabriel.
And he healed very many sick people, and converted many to the
Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. After
he had baptized Paul the Apostle Lucianus the governor seized him and
flogged him with leather whips until his blood flowed down to the ground.
And they beat his temples with iron rods, and they burnt his breast
with torches of fire. After
this they took him outside the city, and the governor ordered his soldiers
to stone him, and they stoned him, and he delivered up his soul into the
hand of God. And
on this day also are commemorated the righteous saints Romanus, and Gabra
Krestos, and John the eunuch, and the consecration of the church of Senhar. Salutation
to Gabra Krestos. And
on this day also is commemorated the death of the kings ‘Abreha and
‘Asbeha who reigned together over ‘Aksum in Ethiopia. Glory
be to God Who is glorified in His Saints.
Amen.
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