SS. ONESIPHORUS AND PORPHYRIUS, MARTYRS

SS. ONESIPHORUS AND PORPHYRIUS, MARTYRS - 6 SEPTEMBER

SAINTS ONESIPHORUS AND PORPHYRIUS, MARTYRS

Saints Onesiphorus and Porphyrius, Martyrs (September 6; alternatively April 29).

Saint Onesiphorus, a disciple of the holy apostle Paul, likely resided in Ephesus when the latter brought the Gospel there. He rendered every possible assistance to the faithful. Some include him among the seventy-two disciples; however, since he was from Ephesus, this cannot be considered correct. Likewise, the proclamation of the Gospel in Samaria - also attributed to him - appears entirely unfounded. It is possible, however, that he accompanied Saint Paul to Spain, served as Bishop of Colophon, etc. When Saint Paul

was imprisoned in Rome, Onesiphorus visited and comforted him. Regarding this, the Apostle writes:

"May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus; for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. On the contrary, when he arrived in Rome, he diligently sought me out and found me. May the Lord grant that he finds mercy from the Lord on that Day. And you know best what services he rendered to me in Ephesus." (2 Timothy 1:16-18.)

From these words, some concluded that Onesiphorus had already died by that time. Since this assumption harmonizes perfectly with the text, the passage constitutes the earliest example of prayer for the deceased. Saint Onesiphorus, too, died as a martyr, like almost all the early converts. According to the Menaia* and the Roman Martyrology*, the Proconsul Hadrian had him and Saint Porphyrius severely beaten and then dragged to death by wild horses. We find no further information regarding the latter. Their end is said to have occurred at the Hellespont.

(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints, Volume 5, Augsburg, 1882)

*A hagiography source used by the authors

Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints - Sources and Abbreviations

PRAYER:

Grant, we beseech you, almighty God, that we who know how courageously your holy martyrs Onesiphorus and Porphyrius confessed the faith, may experience their goodness as they intercede for us with you. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Sources of these articles (in the original German): books.google.co.uk, de-academic.com, zeno.org, openlibrary.org

➡️ More information about these holy martyrs

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