Feasts of Tir 25
✞✞✞On this day we commemorate the annual feast of the Miracle performed by the Great Martyr St. Mercurius (Philopater)✞✞✞
✞✞✞In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen!✞✞✞
✞✞✞Saint Mercurius the Great✞✞✞
=>As the biggest price that can be paid for Christianity is martyrdom, the Church has a special honor for her witnesses, the martyrs. As a star is greater than a star, from martyrs those like St. George and St. Mercurius have higher honors.
✞The scholars describe St. Mercurius most of the time as “the Second Arch-Martyr”. If asked about his story, it is as follows.
✞At the end of the 2nd century, there was a man named Yares who lived with his wife and father in one of the provinces of the Roman Empire (in Aslet/Eskentos). Even though his wife was beautiful and he was a kind man, they worshipped idols.
✞One day, Yares left his wife at home and went to hunt with his father. And as usual they set a trap and hid. When they heard the bell, thinking that they caught an animal they run. But they were shocked by what they saw and froze. 2 creatures with dog like appearances, Cynocephali, were caught.
✞This creatures were people. But with an unfortunate incident it is believed that they became like this. But they were huge with a dog like appearance above their necks, midriffs like humans, knees were like a lion and their lower legs were like searing bronze.
✞This creatures can’t be handled by an earthly creature but a heavenly one. It is said that they even reaped apart lions and tigers like pieces of cloth. As their eyes seemed to be blazing (on fire) no one could see them directly. Only their God, Who created them, knows their mystery.
✞Coming back to what we have started, Yares and his father after seeing them fell down in shock. The Cynocephali immediately dismantled the iron trap like a tread and the father. But when they tried to eat Yares, a holy angel descended and stopped them with a fiery sword.
✞He said, “There is a holy fruit that will come from him. Don’t touch him.” Immediately, he stopped their aggressiveness. Then, both went before Yares and bowed before him. And Yares took them to his home, hid them and told his wife all what had happened.
✞A bit later, his wife conceived and bore a child. And they named their child Philopater which means “Lover of the Father”. Then, Yares took his wife, his son and the creatures to church and was baptized.
✞ Then the priests named him “Noah”, his wife “Ark” (Saphina) and their son “Mercurius”. Mercurius means “Christodoulos-servant of Christ”.
✞Then they raised their son Mercurius while they joyously worshipped Christ and while they gave to the needy. But because the governor heard about the creatures, he said to Noah “Bring them”. And because Noah prayed and they returned to their former might and appearance many gentiles died in shock.
✞And because the governor was scared, he made Noah an officer in the army. And during war because the might and appearance of the creatures showed, he never lost. But one day the governor deceived the 2 Cynocephali and took them. And when he tried to make them renounce their faith, because they said “No”, one was killed and the other escaped.
✞And during that time Noah was captured in battle. And because the governor said let me marry you to Ark, she fled with her 5 year old child St. Mercurius. And while in flight she saw her husband Noah.
✞Even though she knew him, he had forgotten her. But later because he was able to remember by the child Mercurius, they were joyous. And while they were there around Rome, the other Cynocephaly came and met them. And because of it, he was also appointed as an officer in the land of exile.
✞There, Noah built a church, made his home a hostel for the destitute and he lived for years. And when St. Mercurius was a young man, his parents Noah and Ark passed away. And while he lived in prayer and fasting with the Cynocephaly, they made him an officer in place of his father.
✞✞✞On this day we commemorate the annual feast of the Miracle performed by the Great Martyr St. Mercurius (Philopater)✞✞✞
✞✞✞In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen!✞✞✞
✞✞✞Saint Mercurius the Great✞✞✞
=>As the biggest price that can be paid for Christianity is martyrdom, the Church has a special honor for her witnesses, the martyrs. As a star is greater than a star, from martyrs those like St. George and St. Mercurius have higher honors.
✞The scholars describe St. Mercurius most of the time as “the Second Arch-Martyr”. If asked about his story, it is as follows.
✞At the end of the 2nd century, there was a man named Yares who lived with his wife and father in one of the provinces of the Roman Empire (in Aslet/Eskentos). Even though his wife was beautiful and he was a kind man, they worshipped idols.
✞One day, Yares left his wife at home and went to hunt with his father. And as usual they set a trap and hid. When they heard the bell, thinking that they caught an animal they run. But they were shocked by what they saw and froze. 2 creatures with dog like appearances, Cynocephali, were caught.
✞This creatures were people. But with an unfortunate incident it is believed that they became like this. But they were huge with a dog like appearance above their necks, midriffs like humans, knees were like a lion and their lower legs were like searing bronze.
✞This creatures can’t be handled by an earthly creature but a heavenly one. It is said that they even reaped apart lions and tigers like pieces of cloth. As their eyes seemed to be blazing (on fire) no one could see them directly. Only their God, Who created them, knows their mystery.
✞Coming back to what we have started, Yares and his father after seeing them fell down in shock. The Cynocephali immediately dismantled the iron trap like a tread and the father. But when they tried to eat Yares, a holy angel descended and stopped them with a fiery sword.
✞He said, “There is a holy fruit that will come from him. Don’t touch him.” Immediately, he stopped their aggressiveness. Then, both went before Yares and bowed before him. And Yares took them to his home, hid them and told his wife all what had happened.
✞A bit later, his wife conceived and bore a child. And they named their child Philopater which means “Lover of the Father”. Then, Yares took his wife, his son and the creatures to church and was baptized.
✞ Then the priests named him “Noah”, his wife “Ark” (Saphina) and their son “Mercurius”. Mercurius means “Christodoulos-servant of Christ”.
✞Then they raised their son Mercurius while they joyously worshipped Christ and while they gave to the needy. But because the governor heard about the creatures, he said to Noah “Bring them”. And because Noah prayed and they returned to their former might and appearance many gentiles died in shock.
✞And because the governor was scared, he made Noah an officer in the army. And during war because the might and appearance of the creatures showed, he never lost. But one day the governor deceived the 2 Cynocephali and took them. And when he tried to make them renounce their faith, because they said “No”, one was killed and the other escaped.
✞And during that time Noah was captured in battle. And because the governor said let me marry you to Ark, she fled with her 5 year old child St. Mercurius. And while in flight she saw her husband Noah.
✞Even though she knew him, he had forgotten her. But later because he was able to remember by the child Mercurius, they were joyous. And while they were there around Rome, the other Cynocephaly came and met them. And because of it, he was also appointed as an officer in the land of exile.
✞There, Noah built a church, made his home a hostel for the destitute and he lived for years. And when St. Mercurius was a young man, his parents Noah and Ark passed away. And while he lived in prayer and fasting with the Cynocephaly, they made him an officer in place of his father.