This saint spent an angelic life on earth, and the hardships with which he struggled for the true faith, and the opposition he had from heretical teachers, and the frequent expulsions and the false calamities he suffered are written extensively in other histories as well, and show them and by God the orator Gregory. That is why we cannot tell what is said in many ways by many. And the usual order of his job is done on January 18.
Also on this day, the commemoration of the martyrdom of the holy martyrs Esper and Zoe, his wife, and their sons Chiriac and Theodul.
These saints, Esper and Zoe, lived in the time of the emperor Adrian (124), and although they were slaves with the body of a certain Catal and Tetradia his wife, Roman colonists, who had bought them as slaves from Pamphylia, they were free with their souls. That is why they did not suffer with their bodies to serve pagan masters, who honored and worshiped idols instead of the Maker and Builder of all. For Chiriac and Theodolus, their sons, said to their mother not to live any longer with the heathens, but to separate from them so that they would not perish with them; but she answered them that those were their masters. Then they showed him that they could make themselves free through the blood shed for Christ. Now also their mother, uniting with them, strengthened them and going to Catal, told him that our Lord Jesus Christ is Master of their souls; and if by any chance they have dominion over their bodies, they esteem the dominion of Christ over them of greater honor. For they said: we must obey God more than men. So Catal, being afraid of this, sent them with their mother to Tritonius, to their father Esper.
And later, Catal celebrating the birth of his son, thought to send them wine and meat from the things he had prepared, wanting to see how they would share the things sacrificed to the idols. And instead of sharing those, on their mother’s advice, they threw them to the dogs. Catal being informed of this and being enraged, first ordered the children to be hanged by the feet and to be pierced with iron nails; and their parents gave them courage not to obey, but to suffer until the end, looking towards the crown of martyrdom. Then he ordered them to be taken down and together with their mother to be terribly beaten. After that he ordered all four saints to be put into the furnace burned with fire, into which they gave their souls to God. And in the morning voices rang out in the oven as if they were singing, and when the oven was opened, they found no one, except the saints, in the form of those sleeping, with their faces towards the east.
Also on this day, the commemoration of our pious father Jordan, the miracle worker, who peacefully passed away.
With their holy prayers, Lord, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.
source: calendar-ortodox.ro
illustrative photo: Celic Dere Monastery
