Martyrs

The word martyr comes from the Greek word , which means witness (e.g. a witness in court). In our Church the martyrs are the saints who gave up their lives for Christ. By doing so, they were witnesses of Christ, giving a testimony of His saving presence in their lives. Martyrdoms have happened when authority figures have persecuted, tortured and killed followers of Christ. This started from the very beginning of Christianity, when the children of Bethlehem were murdered by the order of King Herod (Matthew 2:16-18). The classic period of martyrdom was the first three centuries after Christ. Roman emperors such as Decius and Diocletian pronounced persecutions against the Christians. The Christians were seen to be a threat to the State as they appeared to be insubordinate, refusing to worship the idols. The Christians, however, were only too happy to be loyal to the State as long as they could above all worship Christ; following Jesus words to render to Caesar the things that are Caesars, and to God the things that are Gods. (Matthew 22:21). This was not good enough for the persecutors. It is believed that 11 million people died for Christ in the first

Icon of the Holy Infant-Martyrs of Bethlehem. Source: http://02varvara.wordpress.com/2010/01/13/orthodoxrally-in-st-petersburg-in-defence-of-the-unborn/

three centuries AD, until St Constantine the Great proclaimed religious toleration with the Edict of Milan in 313 AD. This, however, was not the end of the persecutions. Over the centuries, many disputes, controversies and political circumstances have led to persecutions of different proportions. More recently, many Christians in the Balkans and Asia Minor were martyred under the subjugation to the Ottoman Empire (1453-1821). And in the 20th Century, it is believed that over 40 million Orthodox Christians were martyred by the atheistic Communist regime in the former Soviet Union. Many of the these martyrdoms were extremely hideous. The martyrs through the centuries have been extremely brave, but many of the trials could only be survived with the grace and strength of the Holy Spirit.

St George of Ioannina the New Martyr, who was martyred by the Ottomans in 1838.

You may ask why the martyrs were prepared to give up their lives for Christ. They did so because they loved God much more than any earthly treasure. They believed that they would be rewarded for their sufferings with the crown of eternal life. Christ in His teachings had stated plainly that whoever wants to follow Him needs to "deny Himself" (Matthew 16:24) and show true commitment. His followers need to be prepared to stand up for Him; to be witnesses of Him in our lives (Matthew 10:32). So how does that relate to us today? Many people today live contrary to Christ's teaching. They put themselves first instead of the true God. Followers of Christ are asked to stand up for Him; to be witnesses of His grace, to do what is right and God-pleasing, regardless of the reactions they may receive. Below is an example of a martyr's life from the early Church, that of St Febronia. Febronia was a 20-year-old woman of very beautiful appearance. With 50 other women, she lived in a convent a life of strict fasting and prayer. In those days the emperor Diocletian, a Christian-hating man, was ruling the empire and killing all the Christians. He had sent one of his supporters Selinus to demolish all the Christians in the area where Saint Febronia lived. One of Selinus first tasks was to arrange the arrest of the nuns of the convent. When the soldiers arrived they found only Saint Febronia and the abbess. They were arrested and taken for trial. Selinus, seeing that Saint Febronia was young and pretty tried to persuade her to refuse the Lord. In response to these empty persuasions Saint Febronia replied , I possess in the heavens a bridal hall not made by hands, a bridal chamber that is eternal, a dowry that is the kingdom of heaven, and a bridegroom who shall never die. Do not deceive yourself. Do not labour to test me with flatteries and threats, for you shall never conquer me! When Selinus heard this he was filled with rage. He ordered that Saint Febronia be stripped and put over a fire and beaten mercilessly. However, despite the pain of the torches, Saint Febronia did not give in. Selinus, seeing that this did not work, ordered that Saint Febronia be hung from a beam, her sides be torn with iron claws, and her torn body to be burned down to the bones. Then Selinus said, What do you say now, Febronia? Do you worship the gods? She replied, Anathema to you, you thrice-cursed old man. Why do you not kill me sooner so that I can depart to my beloved Christ, instead of hindering my path? The tyrant said to her, I am going to destroy your body by fire and the sword, you impudent girl, and I will humble your arrogance.

Than he ordered that they cut off the saint's body and burn her chest. Throughout this, Saint Febronia prayed to the Lord to help her endure the unbearable pain. The God-hating Selinus was so bent on making Saint Febronia turn to paganism that he ordered that her hands and one of her feet be cut off. The pain was terrible and Saint Febronia was near death, so the wretched Selinus ordered that the martyrs head be cut of. Thus, Saint Febronia gave her pure and holy soul up to the Lord on the 25th of July. This was the life of a humble and God-loving woman that disregarded all earthly treasures in order to be with the Lord. Reference: Lives of Saints: Volume 23. The holy righteous martyr Febronia: the beautiful nun who suffered the most horrible tortures for Christ. Sydney: Orthodox Monastery of the Archangel Michael; 1999.