[Readingsandsaints] Readings and Saints

[Daily Orthodox Readings and Saints]

Scripture Readings and Saints for Thu Apr 10 2008

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------ READINGS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
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Isaiah 42:5-16  (6th Hour)
5 Thus says God the Lord, Who created the heavens and stretched them
out, Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, Who
gives breath to the people on it, And spirit to those who walk on it:
6 I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your
hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a
light to the Gentiles,
7 To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the prison, Those
who sit in darkness from the prison house.
8 I am the Lord, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to
another, Nor My praise to carved images.
9 Behold, the former things have come to pass, And new things I
declare; Before they spring forth I tell you of them.
10 Sing to the Lord a new song, And His praise from the ends of the
earth, You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, You
coastlands and you inhabitants of them!
11 Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voice, The villages
that Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of Sela sing, Let them shout
from the top of the mountains.
12 Let them give glory to the Lord, And declare His praise in the
coastlands.
13 The Lord shall go forth like a mighty man; He shall stir up His
zeal like a man of war. He shall cry out, yes, shout aloud; He shall
prevail against His enemies.
14 I have held My peace a long time, I have been still and restrained
Myself. Now I will cry like a woman in labor, I will pant and gasp at
once.
15 I will lay waste the mountains and hills, And dry up all their
vegetation; I will make the rivers coastlands, And I will dry up the
pools.
16 I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them
in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them,
And crooked places straight. These things I will do for them, And not
forsake them.
Scripture Reading 1 of 3


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Genesis 18:20-33  (Vespers, 1st Reading)
20 And the Lord said, Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is
great, and because their sin is very grave,
21 I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether
according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I
will know.
22 Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but
Abraham still stood before the Lord.
23 And Abraham came near and said, Would You also destroy the
righteous with the wicked?
24 Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also
destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were
in it?
25 Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the
righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the
wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do
right?
26 So the Lord said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the
city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.
27 Then Abraham answered and said, Indeed now, I who am but dust and
ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord:
28 Suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous; would You
destroy all of the city for lack of five? So He said, If I find there
forty-five, I will not destroy it.
29 And he spoke to Him yet again and said, Suppose there should be
forty found there? So He said, I will not do it for the sake of forty.
30 Then he said, Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Suppose
thirty should be found there? So He said, I will not do it if I find
thirty there.
31 And he said, Indeed now, I have taken it upon myself to speak to
the Lord: Suppose twenty should be found there? So He said, I will not
destroy it for the sake of twenty.
32 Then he said, Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but once
more: Suppose ten should be found there? And He said, I will not
destroy it for the sake of ten.
33 So the Lord went His way as soon as He had finished speaking with
Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.
Scripture Reading 2 of 3


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Proverbs 16:17-17:17  (Vespers, 2nd Reading)
17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; He who keeps his
way preserves his soul.
18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.
19 Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, Than to divide the
spoil with the proud.
20 He who heeds the word wisely will find good, And whoever trusts in
the Lord, happy is he.
21 The wise in heart will be called prudent, And sweetness of the lips
increases learning.
22 Understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it. But the
correction of fools is folly.
23 The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, And adds learning to his
lips.
24 Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and
health to the bones.
25 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of
death.
26 The person who labors, labors for himself, For his hungry mouth
drives him on.
27 An ungodly man digs up evil, And it is on his lips like a burning
fire.
28 A perverse man sows strife, And a whisperer separates the best of
friends.
29 A violent man entices his neighbor, And leads him in a way that is
not good.
30 He winks his eye to devise perverse things; He purses his lips and
brings about evil.
31 The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, If it is found in the
way of righteousness.
32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules
his spirit than he who takes a city.
33 The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the
Lord.
1 Better is a dry morsel with quietness, Than a house full of feasting
with strife.
2 A wise servant will rule over a son who causes shame, And will share
an inheritance among the brothers.
3 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the
Lord tests the hearts.
4 An evildoer gives heed to false lips; A liar listens eagerly to a
spiteful tongue.
5 He who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker; He who is glad at
calamity will not go unpunished.
6 Childrens children are the crown of old men, And the glory of
children is their father.
7 Excellent speech is not becoming to a fool, Much less lying lips to
a prince.
8 A present is a precious stone in the eyes of its possessor; Wherever
he turns, he prospers.
9 He who covers a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a
matter separates friends.
10 Rebuke is more effective for a wise man Than a hundred blows on a
fool.
11 An evil man seeks only rebellion; Therefore a cruel messenger will
be sent against him.
12 Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs, Rather than a fool in his
folly.
13 Whoever rewards evil for good, Evil will not depart from his house.
14 The beginning of strife is like releasing water; Therefore stop
contention before a quarrel starts.
15 He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just, Both of
them alike are an abomination to the Lord.
16 Why is there in the hand of a fool the purchase price of wisdom,
Since he has no heart for it?
17 A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.
Scripture Reading 3 of 3



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------ SAINTS/FEASTS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
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Martyr Terence and 40 others beheaded at Carthage
The Holy Martyr Terence and his companions suffered under the emperor
Decius (249-251). The emperor issued an edict commanding all subjects
to offer sacrifice to the pagan idols.
When the governor of Africa Fortunianus received this edict, he
gathered the people into the city square, set out cruel instruments of
torture and declared that everyone without exception had to offer the
sacrifice to the idols.
Many, afraid of torture, complied. However, St Terence and forty other
Christians bravely affirmed their faith in the Savior and ridiculed
the idols. Fortunianus was amazed at their boldness and he asked how
they as rational people, could confess as God, One Whom the Jews
crucified as a malefactor.
St Terence answered that their belief was in the Savior, Who
voluntarily endured death on the Cross and rose on the third day.
Fortunianus saw that Terence inspired the others by his example, and
so he ordered him to be isolated in prison with his three closest
companions: Africanus, Maximus, and Pompeius. Fortunianus was
determined to force the rest of the martyrs, including Zeno, Alexander
and Theodore, to renounce Christ.
Neither threats nor terrible tortures could sway the holy martyrs.
They burned them with red-hot iron, they poured vinegar on the wounds,
they sprinkled on salt, and they raked them with iron claws. In spite
of their sufferings, the saints did not weaken in their confession of
Christ, and the Lord gave them strength.
Forunatian gave orders to lead the martyrs into the pagan temple, and
once again he urged them to offer sacrifice to the idols. The valiant
warriors of Christ cried out, "O Almighty God, Who once sent down fire
on Sodom for its iniquity, destroy this impious temple of idolatry."
The idols fell down with a crash, and then the temple lay in ruins.
The enraged governor gave orders to execute them, and the martyrs,
glorifying God, bowed their necks beneath the executioner's sword.
After the execution of the thirty-six martyrs, Fortunianus summoned
Terence, Maximus, Africanus and Pompeius before him. He showed them
the martyrs' bodies and again urged them to offer sacrifice to the
idols. The martyrs refused. The governor put heavy chains on them, and
gave orders to starve them to death. By night, an angel of the Lord
removed the martyrs' chains and fed them.
In the morning, the guards found the saints cheerful and strong. Then
Fortunianus ordered sorcerers and conjurers to carry snakes and all
kinds of poisonous creatures into the prison. The guards looked into
the cell through an opening in the ceiling and saw the martyrs
unharmed, praying, and the snakes crawling at their feet. When the
sorcerers opened the door of the prison cell, the snakes bit them. The
furious Fortunianus gave orders to behead the holy martyrs. Christians
took up their holy bodies and buried them with reverence outside the
city.
_________________________________________________________________
Martyr Pompeius and 40 others, beheaded at Carthage
The Holy Martyr Terence and his companions suffered under the emperor
Decius (249-251). The emperor issued an edict commanding all subjects
to offer sacrifice to the pagan idols. Many, afraid of torture,
complied. However, St Terence and forty other Christians bravely
affirmed their faith in the Savior and ridiculed the idols.
Fortunianus saw that Terence inspired the others by his example, and
so he ordered him to be isolated in prison with his three closest
companions: Africanus, Maximus, and Pompeius. Fortunianus was
determined to force the rest of the martyrs, including Zeno, Alexander
and Theodore, to renounce Christ.
Neither threats nor terrible tortures could sway the holy martyrs.
They burned them with red-hot iron, they poured vinegar on the wounds,
they sprinkled on salt, and they raked them with iron claws. In spite
of their sufferings, the saints did not weaken in their confession of
Christ, and the Lord gave them strength.
After the execution of the thirty-six martyrs, Fortunianus summoned
Terence, Maximus, Africanus and Pompeius before him. He showed them
the martyrs' bodies and again urged them to offer sacrifice to the
idols. The martyrs refused. The governor put heavy chains on them, and
gave orders to starve them to death. By night, an angel of the Lord
removed the martyrs' chains and fed them.
In the morning, the guards found the saints cheerful and strong. Then
Fortunianus ordered sorcerers and conjurers to carry snakes and all
kinds of poisonous creatures into the prison. The guards looked into
the cell through an opening in the ceiling and saw the martyrs
unharmed, praying, and the snakes crawling at their feet. When the
sorcerers opened the door of the prison cell, the snakes bit them. The
furious Fortunianus gave orders to behead the holy martyrs. Christians
took up their holy bodies and buried them with reverence outside the
city.
_________________________________________________________________
Martyr Africanus and 40 others, beheaded at Carthage
The Holy Martyr Terence and his companions suffered under the emperor
Decius (249-251). The emperor issued an edict commanding all subjects
to offer sacrifice to the pagan idols. Many, afraid of torture,
complied. However, St Terence and forty other Christians bravely
affirmed their faith in the Savior and ridiculed the idols.
Fortunianus saw that Terence inspired the others by his example, and
so he ordered him to be isolated in prison with his three closest
companions: Africanus, Maximus, and Pompeius. Fortunianus was
determined to force the rest of the martyrs, including Zeno, Alexander
and Theodore, to renounce Christ.
Neither threats nor terrible tortures could sway the holy martyrs.
They burned them with red-hot iron, they poured vinegar on the wounds,
they sprinkled on salt, and they raked them with iron claws. In spite
of their sufferings, the saints did not weaken in their confession of
Christ, and the Lord gave them strength.
After the execution of the thirty-six martyrs, Fortunianus summoned
Terence, Maximus, Africanus and Pompeius before him. He showed them
the martyrs' bodies and again urged them to offer sacrifice to the
idols. The martyrs refused. The governor put heavy chains on them, and
gave orders to starve them to death. By night, an angel of the Lord
removed the martyrs' chains and fed them.
In the morning, the guards found the saints cheerful and strong. Then
Fortunianus ordered sorcerers and conjurers to carry snakes and all
kinds of poisonous creatures into the prison. The guards looked into
the cell through an opening in the ceiling and saw the martyrs
unharmed, praying, and the snakes crawling at their feet. When the
sorcerers opened the door of the prison cell, the snakes bit them. The
furious Fortunianus gave orders to behead the holy martyrs. Christians
took up their holy bodies and buried them with reverence outside the
city.
_________________________________________________________________
Martyr Maximus and 40 others beheaded at Carthage
The Holy Martyr Terence and his companions suffered under the emperor
Decius (249-251). The emperor issued an edict commanding all subjects
to offer sacrifice to the pagan idols. Many, afraid of torture,
complied. However, St Terence and forty other Christians bravely
affirmed their faith in the Savior and ridiculed the idols.
After the execution of the thirty-six martyrs, Fortunianus summoned
Terence, Maximus, Africanus and Pompeius before him. He showed them
the martyrs' bodies and again urged them to offer sacrifice to the
idols. The martyrs refused. The governor put heavy chains on them, and
gave orders to starve them to death. By night, an angel of the Lord
removed the martyrs' chains and fed them.
In the morning, the guards found the saints cheerful and strong. Then
Fortunianus ordered sorcerers and conjurers to carry snakes and all
kinds of poisonous creatures into the prison. The guards looked into
the cell through an opening in the ceiling and saw the martyrs
unharmed, praying, and the snakes crawling at their feet. When the
sorcerers opened the door of the prison cell, the snakes bit them. The
furious Fortunianus gave orders to behead the holy martyrs. Christians
took up their holy bodies and buried them with reverence outside the
city.
_________________________________________________________________
Martyr Zeno and 40 others, beheaded at Carthage
The Holy Martyr Terence and his companions suffered under the emperor
Decius (249-251). The emperor issued an edict commanding all subjects
to offer sacrifice to the pagan idols.
When the governor Fortunianus of Africa received this edict, he
gathered the people into the city square, set out cruel instruments of
torture and declared that everyone without exception had to offer the
sacrifice to the idols.
Neither threats nor terrible tortures could sway the holy martyrs.
They burned them with red-hot iron, they poured vinegar on the wounds,
they sprinkled on salt, and they raked them with iron claws. In spite
of their sufferings, the saints did not weaken in their confession of
Christ, and the Lord gave them strength.
Failing to sway the martyrs, the enraged governor ordered them to be
put to death. The martyrs, glorifying God, bowed their necks beneath
the executioner's sword.
_________________________________________________________________
Martyr Alexander and 40 others beheaded at Carthage
The Holy Martyr Terence and his companions suffered under the emperor
Decius (249-251). The emperor issued an edict commanding all subjects
to offer sacrifice to the pagan idols.
When the governor of Africa Fortunianus received this edict, he
gathered the people into the city square, set out cruel instruments of
torture and declared that everyone without exception had to offer the
sacrifice to the idols.
Many, afraid of torture, complied. However, St Terence and forty other
Christians bravely affirmed their faith in the Savior and ridiculed
the idols. Fortunianus was amazed at their boldness and he asked how
they as rational people, could confess as God, One Whom the Jews
crucified as a malefactor.
St Terence answered that their belief was in the Savior, Who
voluntarily endured death on the Cross and rose on the third day.
Fortunianus saw that Terence inspired the others by his example, and
so he ordered him to be isolated in prison with his three closest
companions: Africanus, Maximus, and Pompeius. Fortunianus was
determined to force the rest of the martyrs, including Zeno, Alexander
and Theodore, to renounce Christ.
Neither threats nor terrible tortures could sway the holy martyrs.
They burned them with red-hot iron, they poured vinegar on the wounds,
they sprinkled on salt, and they raked them with iron claws. In spite
of their sufferings, the saints did not weaken in their confession of
Christ, and the Lord gave them strength.
Forunatian gave orders to lead the martyrs into the pagan temple, and
once again he urged them to offer sacrifice to the idols. The valiant
warriors of Christ cried out, "O Almighty God, Who once sent down fire
on Sodom for its iniquity, destroy this impious temple of idolatry."
The idols fell down with a crash, and then the temple lay in ruins.
The enraged governor gave orders to execute them, and the martyrs,
glorifying God, bowed their necks beneath the executioner's sword.
After the execution of the thirty-six martyrs, Fortunianus summoned
Terence, Maximus, Africanus and Pompeius before him. He showed them
the martyrs' bodies and again urged them to offer sacrifice to the
idols. The martyrs refused. The governor put heavy chains on them, and
gave orders to starve them to death. By night, an angel of the Lord
removed the martyrs' chains and fed them.
In the morning, the guards found the saints cheerful and strong. Then
Fortunianus ordered sorcerers and conjurers to carry snakes and all
kinds of poisonous creatures into the prison. The guards looked into
the cell through an opening in the ceiling and saw the martyrs
unharmed, praying, and the snakes crawling at their feet. When the
sorcerers opened the door of the prison cell, the snakes bit them. The
furious Fortunianus gave orders to behead the holy martyrs. Christians
took up their holy bodies and buried them with reverence outside the
city.
_________________________________________________________________
Martyr Theodore and 40 others beheaded at Carthage
The Holy Martyr Terence and his companions suffered under the emperor
Decius (249-251). The emperor issued an edict commanding all subjects
to offer sacrifice to the pagan idols.
When the governor of Africa Fortunianus received this edict, he
gathered the people into the city square, set out cruel instruments of
torture and declared that everyone without exception had to offer the
sacrifice to the idols.
Many, afraid of torture, complied. However, St Terence and forty other
Christians bravely affirmed their faith in the Savior and ridiculed
the idols. Fortunianus was amazed at their boldness and he asked how
they as rational people, could confess as God, One Whom the Jews
crucified as a malefactor.
St Terence answered that their belief was in the Savior, Who
voluntarily endured death on the Cross and rose on the third day.
Fortunianus saw that Terence inspired the others by his example, and
so he ordered him to be isolated in prison with his three closest
companions: Africanus, Maximus, and Pompeius. Fortunianus was
determined to force the rest of the martyrs, including Zeno, Alexander
and Theodore, to renounce Christ.
Neither threats nor terrible tortures could sway the holy martyrs.
They burned them with red-hot iron, they poured vinegar on the wounds,
they sprinkled on salt, and they raked them with iron claws. In spite
of their sufferings, the saints did not weaken in their confession of
Christ, and the Lord gave them strength.
Forunatian gave orders to lead the martyrs into the pagan temple, and
once again he urged them to offer sacrifice to the idols. The valiant
warriors of Christ cried out, "O Almighty God, Who once sent down fire
on Sodom for its iniquity, destroy this impious temple of idolatry."
The idols fell down with a crash, and then the temple lay in ruins.
The enraged governor gave orders to execute them, and the martyrs,
glorifying God, bowed their necks beneath the executioner's sword.
After the execution of the thirty-six martyrs, Fortunianus summoned
Terence, Maximus, Africanus and Pompeius before him. He showed them
the martyrs' bodies and again urged them to offer sacrifice to the
idols. The martyrs refused. The governor put heavy chains on them, and
gave orders to starve them to death. By night, an angel of the Lord
removed the martyrs' chains and fed them.
In the morning, the guards found the saints cheerful and strong. Then
Fortunianus ordered sorcerers and conjurers to carry snakes and all
kinds of poisonous creatures into the prison. The guards looked into
the cell through an opening in the ceiling and saw the martyrs
unharmed, praying, and the snakes crawling at their feet. When the
sorcerers opened the door of the prison cell, the snakes bit them. The
furious Fortunianus gave orders to behead the holy martyrs. Christians
took up their holy bodies and buried them with reverence outside the
city.
_________________________________________________________________
Martyr Macarius and 40 others beheaded at Carthage
The Holy Martyr Terence and his companions suffered under the emperor
Decius (249-251). The emperor issued an edict commanding all subjects
to offer sacrifice to the pagan idols.
When the governor of Africa Fortunianus received this edict, he
gathered the people into the city square, set out cruel instruments of
torture and declared that everyone without exception had to offer the
sacrifice to the idols.
Many, afraid of torture, complied. However, St Terence and forty other
Christians bravely affirmed their faith in the Savior and ridiculed
the idols. Fortunianus was amazed at their boldness and he asked how
they as rational people, could confess as God, One Whom the Jews
crucified as a malefactor.
St Terence answered that their belief was in the Savior, Who
voluntarily endured death on the Cross and rose on the third day.
Fortunianus saw that Terence inspired the others by his example, and
so he ordered him to be isolated in prison with his three closest
companions: Africanus, Maximus, and Pompeius. Fortunianus was
determined to force the rest of the martyrs, including Zeno, Alexander
and Theodore, to renounce Christ.
Neither threats nor terrible tortures could sway the holy martyrs.
They burned them with red-hot iron, they poured vinegar on the wounds,
they sprinkled on salt, and they raked them with iron claws. In spite
of their sufferings, the saints did not weaken in their confession of
Christ, and the Lord gave them strength.
Forunatian gave orders to lead the martyrs into the pagan temple, and
once again he urged them to offer sacrifice to the idols. The valiant
warriors of Christ cried out, "O Almighty God, Who once sent down fire
on Sodom for its iniquity, destroy this impious temple of idolatry."
The idols fell down with a crash, and then the temple lay in ruins.
The enraged governor gave orders to execute them, and the martyrs,
glorifying God, bowed their necks beneath the executioner's sword.
After the execution of the thirty-six martyrs, Fortunianus summoned
Terence, Maximus, Africanus and Pompeius before him. He showed them
the martyrs' bodies and again urged them to offer sacrifice to the
idols. The martyrs refused. The governor put heavy chains on them, and
gave orders to starve them to death. By night, an angel of the Lord
removed the martyrs' chains and fed them.
In the morning, the guards found the saints cheerful and strong. Then
Fortunianus ordered sorcerers and conjurers to carry snakes and all
kinds of poisonous creatures into the prison. The guards looked into
the cell through an opening in the ceiling and saw the martyrs
unharmed, praying, and the snakes crawling at their feet. When the
sorcerers opened the door of the prison cell, the snakes bit them. The
furious Fortunianus gave orders to behead the holy martyrs. Christians
took up their holy bodies and buried them with reverence outside the
city.
_________________________________________________________________
Martyr James the Presbyter of Persia
The Holy Martyrs James the Presbyter and the deacons Azadanes and
Abdikius died in Persia under the emperor Sapor in about the year 380.
They were arrested together with Bishop Akepsimas (November 3). Weak
from hunger, the sufferers had mustard and vinegar inserted into their
nostrils. Then they were stripped and led out to stand all night in
the cold.
In the morning, after new torments, the martyrs were returned to
prison and beheaded.
_________________________________________________________________
Martyr Azadanes the Deacon of Persia
The Holy Martyrs James the Presbyter and the deacons Azadanes and
Abdikius died in Persia under the emperor Sapor in about the year 380.
They were arrested together with Bishop Akepsimas (November 3). Weak
from hunger, the sufferers had mustard and vinegar inserted into their
nostrils. Then they were stripped and led out to stand all night in
the cold.
In the morning, after new torments, the martyrs were returned to
prison and beheaded.
_________________________________________________________________
Martyr Abdicius the Deacon of Persia
The Holy Martyrs James the Presbyter and the deacons Azadanes and
Abdikius died in Persia under the emperor Sapor in about the year 380.
They were arrested together with Bishop Akepsimas (November 3). Weak
from hunger, the sufferers had mustard and vinegar inserted into their
nostrils. Then they were stripped and led out to stand all night in
the cold.
In the morning, after new torments, the martyrs were returned to
prison and beheaded.
_________________________________________________________________
Mothers of the Kvabtakhevi Monastery in Georgia
In the 14th century, during the reign of King Bagrat V (13601394),
Timur (Tamerlane) invaded Georgia seven times. His troops inflicted
irreparable damage on the country, seizing centuries-old treasures and
razing ancient churches and monasteries.
Timurs armies ravaged Kartli, then took the king, queen, and the
entire royal court captive and sent them to Karabakh (in present-day
Azerbaijan). Later Timur attempted to entice King Bagrat to renounce
the Christian Faith in exchange for permission to return to the throne
and for the release of the other Georgian prisoners.
For some time Timur was unable to subjugate King Bagrat, but in the
end, being powerless and isolated from his kinsmen, the king began to
falter. He devised a sly scheme: to confess Islam before the enemy,
but to remain a Christian at heart. Satisfied with King Bagrats
decision to convert to Islam, Timur permitted the king to return to
the throne of Kartli. At the request of King Bagrat, Timur sent twelve
thousand troops with him to complete Georgias forcible conversion to
Islam.
When they were approaching the village of Khunani in southeastern
Georgia, Bagrat secretly informed his son Giorgi of everything that
had happened and called upon him and his army to massacre the
invaders.
The news of Bagrats betrayal and the ruin of his army infuriated
Timur, and he called for immediate revenge. At their leaders command,
his followers destroyed everything in their path, set fire to cities
and villages, devastated churches, and thus forced their way through
to Kvabtakhevi Monastery.
Monastics and laymen alike were gathered in Kvabtakhevi when the enemy
came thundering in. Having forced open the gate, the attackers burst
into the monastery, then plundered and seized all its treasures. They
captured the young and strong, carrying them away.
The old and infirm were put to the sword. As the greatest humiliation,
they mocked the clergy and monastics by strapping them with sleigh
bells and jumping and dancing around them.
Already drunk on the blood they had shed, the barbarians posed an
ultimatum to those who remained: to renounce Christ and live or to be
driven into the church and burned alive.
Faced with these terms, the faithful cried out: Go ahead and burn our
fleshin the Heavenly Kingdom our souls will burn with a divine flame
more radiant than the sun! And in their exceeding humility, the
martyrs requested that their martyrdom not be put on display: We ask
only that you not commit this sin before the eyes of men and angels.
The Lord alone knows the sincerity of our will and comforts us in our
righteous afflictions!
Having been driven like beasts into the church, the martyrs raised up
a final prayer to God: _In the multitude of Thy mercy shall I go into
Thy house; I shall worship toward Thy holy temple in fear of Thee. O
Lord, guide me in the way of Thy righteousness; because of mine
enemies, make straight my way before Thee_ (Ps. 5:67) that with a pure
mind I may glorify Thee forever.
The executioners hauled in more and more wood, until the flames
enveloping the church blazed as high as the heavens and the echo of
crackling timber resounded through the mountains. Ensnared in a ring
of fire, the blissful martyrs chanted psalms as they gave up their
spirits to the Lord.
The massacre at Kvabtakhevi took place in 1386. The imprints of the
martyrs charred bodies remain on the floor of the church to this day.
_________________________________________________________________
Martyrs of the Kvabtakhevi Monastery
In the 14th century, during the reign of King Bagrat V (13601394),
Timur (Tamerlane) invaded Georgia seven times. His troops inflicted
irreparable damage on the country, seizing centuries-old treasures and
razing ancient churches and monasteries.
Timurs armies ravaged Kartli, then took the king, queen, and the
entire royal court captive and sent them to Karabakh (in present-day
Azerbaijan). Later Timur attempted to entice King Bagrat to renounce
the Christian Faith in exchange for permission to return to the throne
and for the release of the other Georgian prisoners.
For some time Timur was unable to subjugate King Bagrat, but in the
end, being powerless and isolated from his kinsmen, the king began to
falter. He devised a sly scheme: to confess Islam before the enemy,
but to remain a Christian at heart. Satisfied with King Bagrats
decision to convert to Islam, Timur permitted the king to return to
the throne of Kartli. At the request of King Bagrat, Timur sent twelve
thousand troops with him to complete Georgias forcible conversion to
Islam.
When they were approaching the village of Khunani in southeastern
Georgia, Bagrat secretly informed his son Giorgi of everything that
had happened and called upon him and his army to massacre the
invaders.
The news of Bagrats betrayal and the ruin of his army infuriated
Timur, and he called for immediate revenge. At their leaders command,
his followers destroyed everything in their path, set fire to cities
and villages, devastated churches, and thus forced their way through
to Kvabtakhevi Monastery.
Monastics and laymen alike were gathered in Kvabtakhevi when the enemy
came thundering in. Having forced open the gate, the attackers burst
into the monastery, then plundered and seized all its treasures. They
captured the young and strong, carrying them away.
The old and infirm were put to the sword. As the greatest humiliation,
they mocked the clergy and monastics by strapping them with sleigh
bells and jumping and dancing around them.
Already drunk on the blood they had shed, the barbarians posed an
ultimatum to those who remained: to renounce Christ and live or to be
driven into the church and burned alive.
Faced with these terms, the faithful cried out: Go ahead and burn our
fleshin the Heavenly Kingdom our souls will burn with a divine flame
more radiant than the sun! And in their exceeding humility, the
martyrs requested that their martyrdom not be put on display: We ask
only that you not commit this sin before the eyes of men and angels.
The Lord alone knows the sincerity of our will and comforts us in our
righteous afflictions!
Having been driven like beasts into the church, the martyrs raised up
a final prayer to God: _In the multitude of Thy mercy shall I go into
Thy house; I shall worship toward Thy holy temple in fear of Thee. O
Lord, guide me in the way of Thy righteousness; because of mine
enemies, make straight my way before Thee_ (Ps. 5:67) that with a pure
mind I may glorify Thee forever.
The executioners hauled in more and more wood, until the flames
enveloping the church blazed as high as the heavens and the echo of
crackling timber resounded through the mountains. Ensnared in a ring
of fire, the blissful martyrs chanted psalms as they gave up their
spirits to the Lord.
The massacre at Kvabtakhevi took place in 1386. The imprints of the
martyrs charred bodies remain on the floor of the church to this day.
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