Eastern Rite - Feasts of 13 April AM 7531

Today is Bright Thursday and the Feast of the Holy Hieromartyr Artémon of Laodίkeia and Those with Him.

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The Hieromartyr Artémon was born to Christian parents in Laodίkeia, Syria in the III century. From his youth, he devoted himself to the service of the Church and was a Reader for sixteen years. For his zeal, Bishop Sisίnnius ordained him as a Deacon. Saint Artémon also carried out this service with fervour and diligence for twenty-eight years, and then he was ordained to the priesthood. In that position, Saint Artémon served the Church of God for another thirty-three years, preaching Christianity among pagans. When Emperor Diocletian (reigned 284-305) began his fierce persecution of the Church, issuing an edict ordering Christians to offer sacrifice to the idols, Saint Artémon was already quite old.

Knowing of the impending arrival of the military commander Patricius at Laodίkeia, Saint Sisίnnius went with the priest Artémon and some other Christians into the temple of the "goddess" Artemis. There they smashed and burned the idols, reducing them all to dust.

Afterwards, Saint Sisίnnius and Saint Artémon gathered the flock into the church and fervently exhorted the Christians to remain firm in the Faith, and not to fear the threats of torturers.

When he arrived in Laodίkeia, Patricius celebrated a five-day festival in honour of the pagan "gods," and then entered the temple of Artemis to offer sacrifice. When he was told who had destroyed the temple, he went with a detachment of soldiers to the church where the Christians were praying.

As he approached the church, Patricius suddenly felt a chill and then developed a fever, which left him scarcely alive. He was carried home and put to bed. “The Christians have put a curse on me, and their God torments me,” he said to those around him. Although Patricius prayed to the idols, they did not relieve his suffering. He sent a messenger to Bishop Sisίnnius, asking for his help, and promised to set up a gold statue of that Hierarch in the middle of the city. The Saint replied, “Keep your gold, but if you believe in Christ, He will heal you.”

Patricius was afraid of death, so he declared that he believed in Christ, and the affliction left him. But even this miracle did not affect the obdurate pagan's soul. Although he did not raise a hand against Bishop Sisίnnius, he did enforce the imperial edict against other Christians in the city of Caesarea.

Along the way, he encountered Saint Artémon, who was followed by six wild donkeys and two deer. When Patricius asked how he was able to control these wild beasts, Saint Artémon replied that he held them with the Word of Christ. Patricius learned from the idolaters that it was Artémon who had destroyed the pagan temple of Artemis, so he ordered that Artémon be arrested and taken to the city of Caesarea. The Saint went with the soldiers without fear, but he told the animals to go to Saint Sisίnnius. Seeing the animals, Bishop Sisίnnius asked, “Why have these animals come here?”

A doe received the gift of speech from God and said, “The servant of God Artémon is being held by the impious Patricius, and is being brought to Caesarea in chains. He commanded us to come here to give you this news.”

Do not be astonished that the Lord, Who opened the mouth of Balaam’s ass (Numbers 22:28), also permitted the doe to speak. The Bishop sent Deacon Phileas to Caesarea to verify what he had been told.

At Caesarea, Patricius brought Saint Artémon to trial and tried to force him to offer sacrifice in the temple of Asclepius. In that pagan temple there were many poisonous vipers. The pagan priest never opened the doors, nor did he place the sacrifice before the idol. But Saint Artémon, calling on the Name of Jesus Christ, went into the temple and drove the snakes out. The pagans fled, but the Saint stopped them and killed the snakes by his breath. Vitalius, one of the pagan priests, believed in Christ and asked Saint Artémon to baptize him.

Patricius thought that Saint Artémon killed the snakes by sorcery, and again he interrogated and tortured him. Then the doe which had spoken arrived at Caesarea. She lay down at the Martyr's feet, licking his wounds. By God’s command, the doe spoke again, denouncing the impious pagans. Addressing Patricius, the doe predicted that he would be seized by two birds of prey, and dropped into a cauldron of burning pitch. Patricius was enraged because he had been censured by a wild beast. He commanded his soldiers to shoot the doe with arrows, but she escaped. Afraid that the miracles performed by Saint Artémon would attract more people to him, Patricius ordered his execution.

An enormous cauldron was filled with boiling pitch, and the soldiers intended to throw Saint Artémon into it. But when Patricius rode up to the cauldron on horseback to see if the pitch was indeed boiling, two Angels in the form of eagles seized him and dropped him into the cauldron. His body was consumed so that not a single bone remained, but Saint Artémon survived.

Seeing this miracle, everyone ran away except Saint Artémon, who blessed and glorified God. When the Saint finished his prayer, a spring of water gushed forth from the ground. Saint Artémon baptized the pagan priest Vitalius and many pagans, who had come to believe in Christ. On the following morning, Saint Artémon communed the newly baptised with the Holy Mysteries. Many of the baptized were ordained to the diaconate and the priesthood, and Vitalius was made Bishop of Palestine.

The Bishop of Caesarea came to visit Saint Artémon, noting the place where he had suffered. Subsequently, a church was built on that site.

Instructed by God's voice, Saint Artémon preached the Gospel in Asia Minor. Then an Angel appeared and transported him to the place which had been revealed to him, and there he converted many to Christ. The pagans arrested the Saint and beheaded him († 303).

In the Roman Martyrology, Saint Artémon is listed under October 8, while in Greek usage he is commemorated on April 12.

Saint Artémon the Presbyter of Laodίkeia should not be confused with Saint Artémon the Bishop of Seleukeia (March 24).

Troparion — Tone 4

By sharing in the ways of the Apostles, / you became a successor to their throne. / Through the practice of virtue, you found the way to divine contemplation, O inspired one of God; / by teaching the word of truth without error, you defended the Faith, / even to the shedding of your blood. / Hieromartyr Artemon, entreat Christ God to save our souls.

Kontakion — Tone 4

Made worthy of a sacred confession, / and completing your life as a martyr, / you were translated to heaven, / receiving from God an unfading crown. / Therefore we celebrate your holy memory, calling out: / Remember us, as you stand before Christ, / O wise Hieromartyr Artemon.