Τῶν Ἁγίων 40 Μαρτύρων. Μητροπολίτου Ἀντινόης Παντελεήμονος

Τῶν Ἁγίων 40 Μαρτύρων

Μητροπολίτου Ἀντινόης Παντελεήμονος

Στὶς 9 Μαρτίου, ἡ Ἁγία Ὀρθόδοξος μᾶς Ἐκκλησία γιορτάζει τὴν μνήμη τῶν ἁγίων 40 Μαρτύρων, ποὺ μαρτύρησαν στὴ πόλη της Σεβάστειας τῆς Μικρᾶς Ἀσίας (Ἄγκυρα-Τουρκία).

Ἐπειδή, σὲ λίγες μέρες θὰ εἰσέλθουμε στὴν περίοδο τῆς Ἁγίας καὶ Μεγάλης Τεσσαρακοστῆς καὶ θὰ ἀρχίσει ὁ δικός μας πνευματικὸς ἀγῶνας,  γι’ αὐτὸ καὶ πρέπον καὶ ὠφέλιμο εἶναι νὰ ἀνατρέξουμε στὴ ζωὴ τῶν ἁγίων 40 Μαρτύρων, ὥστε νὰ ἀποκομίσουμε δύναμη πνευματικὴ γιὰ νὰ εἰσέλθουμε στὸ στάδιο τῶν ἀρετῶν.
Οἱ ἅγιοι 40 Μάρτυρες καταγόντουσαν ἀπὸ διάφορες πατρίδες. Ὅλοι ἦσαν στρατιῶτες, κάτω ἀπὸ ἕνα στρατηγό, καὶ ἔδρασαν στὰ χρόνια τοῦ βασιλιᾶ Λικινίου κατὰ τὸ ἔτος 320 μ.Χ. Αὐτοὶ οἱ στρατιῶτες τοῦ Χριστοῦ συνελήφθηκαν, ἐπειδὴ ἦσαν Ὀρθόδοξοι Χριστιανοὶ καὶ ὁμολόγησαν δημόσια τὴν πίστη τους πρὸς τὸν Χριστό.
Ἀφοῦ ἐξετάσθηκαν στὸ στρατιωτικὸ δικαστήριο, τοὺς ἁλυσόδεσαν μὲ βαριὲς ἁλυσίδες καὶ τοὺς φυλάκισαν.
Κατόπιν καὶ ἐνῷ οἱ εἰδωλολάτρες ἔριχναν πέτρες στὰ πρόσωπα καὶ τὰ στόματα τῶν μαρτύρων, δὲν τοὺς κτυποῦσαν παρὰ μόνον γύριζαν καὶ κτυποῦσαν ἐκείνους ποὺ τὶς ἔριχναν. Στὴ συνέχεια, ἐπειδὴ ὁ χειμῶνας ἐκείνης τῆς χρονιᾶς ἦταν τρομερὸς καὶ κρύο καὶ πάγος πολὺς ἔπεσε στὴ πόλη της Σεβάστειας, οἱ ἅγιοι καταδικάσθηκαν νὰ ριχθοῦν ὁλόγυμνοι μέσα στὴ λίμνη τῆς πόλης.

Οἱ ἅγιοι ὁδηγήθηκαν στὴ λίμνη. Πλησίον τῆς λίμνης ὑπῆρχε ἕνα λουτρὸ στὸ ὁποῖο οἱ εἰδωλολάτρες ἄναψαν μεγάλη φωτιά, γιὰ νὰ δελεάσουν τοὺς μάρτυρας.
Ὅποιος, λοιπόν, ἤθελε νὰ ἀπαρνηθεῖ τὸν Χριστὸ θὰ μποροῦσε νὰ ζεσταθεῖ καὶ νὰ σώσει τὴν ζωή του.
Οἱ στρατιῶτες τοῦ βασιλιᾶ ἔριξαν τοὺς μάρτυρες μέσα στὰ παγωμένα νερὰ τῆς λίμνης. Τὸ κρύο ἦταν τόσο σκληρό, ποὺ τὰ πάντα πάγωναν.
Δυστυχῶς, μέσα ἀπ’ αὐτὸ τὸ μαρτύριο ἕνας ἀπὸ τοὺς 40 λιγοψύχησε καὶ ἀπαρνήθηκε τὸν Χριστό. Μπαίνοντας ὅμως μέσα στὸ λουτρὸ ἀπὸ τὸ πολὺ κρύο στὴ ἀπότομη ζέστη πέθανε ἀμέσως. Ὁ φύλακας, ποὺ παρακολουθοῦσε ὅσα συνέβαιναν, πήδηξε μέσα στὴ λίμνη ὁμολογῶντας πίστη στὸ Χριστό.
Αὐτὸ τὸ ἔκανε, διότι, καθ’ ὅλη τὴ διάρκεια τῆς νύκτας ἔβλεπε ἕνα οὐράνιο φῶς νὰ φωτίζει ὅλη τὴ λίμνη, ὅπου ἦσαν οἱ μάρτυρες καὶ 40 λαμπρὰ στεφάνια ἐπάνω στὰ κεφάλια τῶν μαρτύρων. Ὅταν ὁ ἕνας ἀποστάτησε, εἶδε νὰ ἀπομακρύνεται καὶ τὸ στεφάνι του. Βλέποντας, λοιπόν, ὅλο αὐτὸ μεγαλεῖο, πήδηξε μέσα στὴ λίμνη ὁμολογῶντας πίστη στὸ Χριστό.
Οἱ μάρτυρες ὑπέφεραν αὐτὸ τὸ σκληρὸ μαρτύριο ὅλη τὴ νύκτα. Ὅταν ξημέρωσε, ἐπειδὴ ἦσαν λιποθυμισμένοι, σύντριψαν τὰ σκέλη τους καὶ ὁ βασιλιᾶς διέταξε νὰ κάψουν τὰ σώματά τους. Ἔτσι, φόρτωσαν τὰ σώματα τῶν ἁγίων μαρτύρων ἐπάνω σὲ ἅμαξα.

Ἀνάμεσα στοὺς 40 Μάρτυρες ὑπῆρξε ἕνας, ὁ νεαρότερος ὅλων, ποὺ ὀνομαζόταν Μελίτων. Αὐτὸς ὁ νέος ὑπέστη μὲ καρτερία τὰ βάσανα ὑπὲρ τοῦ Χριστοῦ.
Δὲν λιγοψύχησε, δὲν ὑπέκυψε, δὲν ὑποχώρησε. Ἔμεινε πιστός, ἀλλά, λόγῳ τοῦ νεαροῦ τῆς ἡλικίας, ὁ βασιλιᾶς τον εὐσπλαγχνίσθηκε καὶ τὸν χάρισε στὴ μητέρα του μὲ τὴν ἐλπίδα, ὅτι θὰ ζήσει καὶ θὰ ἀπαρνηθεῖ ἀργότερα τὴν πίστη στὸ Χριστό.
Ὅμως, ἡ ἠρωϊκὴ καὶ πιστὴ στὸ Χριστὸ μητέρα, βλέπουσα τὸ παιδί της ἀκόμη ζωντανὸ καὶ φοβουμένη, μήπως δειλιάσει καὶ εὑρεθεῖ ἀνάξιος τῆς τιμῆς καὶ τῆς δόξας τῶν συστρατιωτῶν του, στάθηκε δίπλα του καὶ τοῦ ἔδιδε θάρρος.
Προέτρεπε τὸ παιδί της, νὰ φανεῖ ἀνδρεῖος καὶ τοῦ ἔλεγε: «Γλυκό μου παιδί, τοῦ ἔλεγε, παιδὶ ἤδη τοῦ οὐράνιου Πατέρα, ὑπέμεινε λίγο ἀκόμη, γιὰ νὰ γίνεις τέλειος μάρτυς τοῦ Χριστοῦ, μὴ φοβηθεῖς τὰ βάσανα. Νά, ὁ Χριστὸς παρίσταται ἀοράτως βοηθός σου, ἀκόμα λίγο, παιδί μου, καὶ δὲν θέλεις νὰ ὑποστεῖς ἄλλο θλιβερό.
Ὅλα τὰ βάσανα πέρασαν, νίκησες ὅλα τὰ φοβερὰ μὲ τὴν ἀνδρεία σου˙ χαρὰ πρόκειται νὰ ἔχεις μετὰ ἀπ’ αὐτὰ καὶ θὰ συμβασιλεύεις μὲ τὸν Χριστὸ καὶ θὰ γίνεις πρεσβευτὴς γιὰ τὴν μητέρα σου».
 
Βλέποντας, λοιπόν, ἡ φιλόστοργος μητέρα, ὅτι οἱ στρατιῶτες φόρτωσαν τὰ σώματα τῶν μαρτύρων σὲ ἅμαξα καὶ ἄφησαν τὸν γυιό της, μὲ τὴν ἐλπίδα ὅτι θὰ ζήσει, καταφρόνησε τὴν σωματική της ἀδυναμία καὶ σηκώνοντας τὸ παιδί της ἀκολουθοῦσε πίσω ἀπὸ τὴν ἅμαξα. Ὅταν διαπίστωσε, ὅτι ἀπέθανε ἐπάνω στοὺς ὤμους της, σκίρτησε ἀπὸ χαρὰ γιὰ τὸ χαροποιὸ τέλος τοῦ γυιοῦ της. Ἔφερε, λοιπόν, τὸ ἱερὸ λείψανό του καὶ τὸ τοποθέτησε ἐπάνω στὴ σωρὸ μαζὶ μὲ τὰ λείψανα τῶν ἄλλων συμμαρτύρων του.
Οἱ στρατιῶτες ἄναψαν μεγάλη φωτιὰ καὶ κατέκαυσαν τὰ σώματα τῶν ἁγίων˙ ἔπειτα, ἀπ’ ὅ,τι ἀπέμεινε τὰ ἔριξαν στὸν ποταμὸ ἀπὸ φθόνο γιὰ νὰ μὴν τὰ λάβουν οἱ χριστιανοί. Ἂλλ’ ὁ Θεὸς φρόντισε καὶ τὰ λείψανα συγκεντρώθηκαν σ’ ἕνα κρημνὸ τοῦ ποταμοῦ, τὰ ὁποῖα καὶ περισυνέλεξαν οἱ χριστιανοὶ καὶ ἀποτελοῦν γιὰ ὅλους τοὺς Ὀρθοδόξους πλοῦτο πνευματικό, εὐλογία, πηγὴ θείας Χάριτος καὶ ἰαμάτων.

Ἡ ζωὴ καὶ τὸ μαρτύριο τῶν Ἁγίων 40 Μαρτύρων μας ἐνθαρρύνει νὰ εἰσέλθουμε μὲ πίστη μέσα στὸ πνευματικὸ στάδιο τῆς νηστείας.
Ἂς μὴ δειλιάσουμε, ἀλλὰ μὲ θάρρος καὶ πίστη στὸ Σωτῆρα Χριστό, ἂς Τὸν παρακαλέσουμε νὰ ἐνισχύσει τὴν πίστη μας.

ΟΝ ΤΗΕ ΗΟΛΥ 40 ΜΑΡΤΥΡΣ

9^th March

            On the 9^th March our Holy Orthodox Church celebrates the feast day of the holy 40 Martyrs, who suffered martyrdom at Sebastia of Asia Minor (today Ancyra-Turkey). It is proper and beneficial to examine the life of these holy 40 Martyrs, in order to receive spiritual strength and to enter in the spiritual stadium of virtues.

            The holy 40 Martyrs were from different countries. They were all soldiers under one general and struggled during the Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, Licinius, about the year 320 AD.

             These soldiers of Christ were arrested because they were Christians and had confessed in public their faith in Christ. They were judged and imprisoned. During their martyrdom, as the idolaters were stoning them, aiming to their faces and mouths, the rocks did not harmed the Saints, but returned back and harmed those who were throwing them. Afterwards, because the winter of that year was terrible harsh, the Saints were condemned to be thrown in the freezing lake of Sebastia.

            The Martyrs were led to the lake. Nearby was a bath-building in which the idolaters lit a great fire, in order to attract the Martyrs. So, whoever wished to deny Christ he could enter into the warm bath and save his life. The king’s soldiers threw the holy Martyrs in the freezing waters of the lake. The cold was so bad that everything was frozen. Unfortunately, one of the 40 Martyrs lost heart and renounced Christ. As he entered the bath from freezing cold to very warm, he immediately died. The guard who was watching everything, threw himself into the lake confessing faith in Christ. This he did, because, throughout all that night he was seeing a divine and heavenly light shining over the lake, where the Martyrs were and above their heads were 40 crowns. But, when the one who renounced Christ went out of the lake, his crown departed from the rest. Seeing all this glory, the guard jumped into the lake confessing faith in Christ.

            The 40 Martyrs suffered this cruel martyrdom all night long. At dawn, because they had fainted, their legs were crushed and the king ordered that their bodies to be burnt. Thus, their bodies were placed on a wagon.

            Amongst the 40 Martyrs was a very young man, by the name Meliton. He suffered patiently all the sufferings for Christ. He remained faithful, but, because of his young age, the king showed sympathy towards his mother and granted his freedom with the hope that, when he will recover, he will renounce Christ. But, the heroic and faithful mother, seeing her son alive and that he might lose heart and find to be unworthy of his fellow companions’ s honour and glory, she stood next to him and gave him courage. She urged him to be strong and said:

“My sweet child, child of the heavenly Father, suffer little more, in order to become a perfect martyr of Christ, do not be afraid of the martyrdom. Behold, Christ is invisible present assisting you. Furthermore, my child, you will not suffer any other martyrdom. All the martyrdom has passed, because of your bravery; you shall have joy and you will co-reign with Christ and you will intercede for your mother.”

The loving mother, seeing that the bodies of the Martyrs were carried away, and that her son was left back, she took up in her arms her son and followed. When she realized that her son died in her arms, she was overwhelmed and filled with joy because her child was victorious for Christ’s faith.  She then brought his holy relic and placed it with the rest of his fellow companions.

The soldiers lit a fire and burnt the bodies of the Saints; their remaining were thrown into the river, so no Christian could be able to receive and honour them. But, God provided and their relics were gathered at the river’s cliff. The Christians gathered them and considered them as a spiritual treasure, blessing and a fountain of Divine Grace and healing.

            The life and martyrdom of the holy 40 Martyrs encourages us          to enter with faith into the spiritual stadium of fasting. Let us not lose heart, but with courage and faith in Christ Jesus, let us beseech Him to strengthen our faith. Amen.

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