TEN MARTYRS OF CRETE - 23 DECEMBER

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN DECEMBER

Saints celebrated on the 23rd of December

Prayer to the Angels and the Saints

Heavenly Father, in praising Your Angels and Saints we praise Your glory, for by honouring them we honour You, their Creator. Their splendour shows us Your greatness, which infinitely surpasses that of all creation.

In Your loving providence, You saw fit to send Your Angels to watch over us. Grant that we may always be under their protection and one day enjoy their company in heaven.

Heavenly Father, You are glorified in Your Saints, for their glory is the crowning of Your gifts. You provide an example for us by their lives on earth, You give us their friendship by our communion with them, You grant us strength and protection through their prayer for the Church, and You spur us on to victory over evil and the prize of eternal glory by this great company of witnesses.

Grant that we who aspire to take part in their joy may be filled with the Spirit that blessed their lives, so that, after sharing their faith on earth, we may also experience their peace in heaven. Amen.

TEN MARTYRS OF CRETE

Upon the publication of the edict for persecuting the Christians under Decius, by the activity of a barbarous governor in seeing it rigourously executed, the isle of Crete, now called Candia, soon became one large field of blood. 

THE EDICT FOR PERSECUTING THE CHRISTIANS UNDER DECIUS

Among the martyrs who there triumphed over the world, the devil and sin, none were more conspicuous than Theodulus, Saturninus, Euporus, Gelasius, Eunicianus, Zoticus, Cleomenes, Agathopus, Basilides, and Evarestus, commonly called the Ten Martyrs of Crete. 

The three first were citizens of Gortyna, the metropolis, where they had probably been grounded in the faith by St Cyril, bishop of that city, who was beheaded for the faith in the same persecution, and is honoured in the Roman Martyrology on July 9. 

The rest were brought from other towns of the island Zoticus from Gnossus, Pontius from Epinium, Agathopus from Panormus, Basilides from Cydonia, and Evarestus from Heracleum. 

THEY WERE ORDERED TO SACRIFICE TO JUPITER

Their zeal had united them in their confession of Christ; they were apprehended, insulted, dragged on the ground, beaten, stoned, covered with phlegm and spittle, and at length presented to the governor of the island at Gortyna, and December 23 was appointed for their trial. 

As soon as they appeared in court, they were ordered to sacrifice to Jupiter, who was particularly worshipped in Crete, and on that very day their countrymen celebrated a festival in his honour with all manner of pleasures, diversions, and sacrifices. 

THE MARTYRS STATED THAT THEY COULD NEVER OFFER SACRIFICE TO IDOLS

The martyrs answered, they could never offer sacrifice to idols. The president said: "You shall know the power of the great gods. Neither do you show respect to this illustrious assembly, which adores the great Jupiter, Juno, Rhea, and the rest." The martyrs replied, "Mention not Jupiter, O president: nor his mother Rhea. We are no strangers to his pedigree, or to the history of his life and actions. We can show you his grave: he was a native of this island, the tyrant of his country, and a man abandoned to every kind of lust, even with his own sex: with these crimes he defiled himself every hour, and made use of spells and enchantments to debauch others. Those who look upon him as a god, must look upon it as a divine thing to imitate his lust and intemperance."   

THE PROCONSUL SWELLED WITH RAGE

The proconsul not being able to deny or confute what they alleged, swelled with rage, and the people were ready to tear them to pieces upon the spot, if he had not restrained them, and commanded the martyrs to be inhumanly tormented several ways. The martyrs endured all with joy, and often repeated to the outcries of the judge and mob, who pressed them to spare themselves by obeying the prince and sacrificing to their gods: "We are Christians: were a thousand deaths prepared for us, we would receive them with joy." 

THE SAINTS STOOD LIKE MEEK LAMBS AMID TIGERS

The whole city thronged about them, and many cried out to the judge against them; nor did he cease stirring up the executioners to exert their whole strength in tormenting them. The saints stood like meek lambs in the midst of so many raging tigers, and only raised their voices to praise God, and declare their constant adherence to his law. 

The proconsul at length seeing himself vanquished, condemned them to die by the sword. The soldiers of Christ went forth triumphant to the place of execution without the city, praying to their last breath that God would have mercy on them, and on all mankind, and would deliver their countrymen from the blindness of spiritual ignorance, and bring them to see him in his true light. 

THEIR BODIES WERE CONVEYED TO ROME

They were ambitious who should first receive his crown. When their heads were struck off, and the crowds retired, certain Christians interred their bodies, which were afterwards conveyed to Rome. 

(From Fr Butler's Lives of the Saints)