#newmartyr

[thesynaxarium]

Today we celebrate the Holy New Martyr Triantafyllos. Saint Triantafyllos was only 15 years old when he was taken captive by Ottoman Muslims. Confused, he asked them why they had taken him captive without a cause. They did not answer but rather dragged him before the authorities, urging him to denounce Christ. When he heard this, he reprimanded them and said that by no means would he change his faith. He then realised his only "crime" was being a Christian. He told them that they could torture him until he could no longer stand, even kill him, but that he would never renounce Jesus. The Turks did so, granting the young Triantafyllos the crown of martyrdom. His relics soon began to exude a heavenly fragrance and were the source of many miraculous healings. May he intercede for us always + #saint #triantafillus #Triantafyllos #newmartyr #martyr #ottoman #ottomanempire #turk #muslim #islam #christian #faith #love #jesus #christ #jesuschrist #martyrdom #crown #orthodox #saintoftheday (at Zagorá, Magnisia, Greece) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg-Nuy8Pi8s/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thesynaxarium]

Today we celebrate the Holy New Martyr Aquilina of Zagliberi. Saint Aquilina's father denounced his faith and became a muslim out of fear when his daughter was still young. Her mother raised her a Christian, and taught her never to abandon her faith. When Aquilina came of age, the Muslim authorities pressured Aquilina's father to convert his daughter to Islam. When she heard this, she utterly refused, wishing to die rather than deny her faith. She was subject to torture, but this did not shake her faith. They then attempted to win her over with flattery, riches and even a prince to marry, however she remained steadfast in her faith. Eventually, they tortured her so harshly, they left her for dead in the court. Her mother collected her body, and noticing she was still alive, asked her daughter, "what have you done, my child?" To which she replied, "behold, I have preserved the confession of my Faith, just as we agreed.” With these words, she gave up her spirit. On the way to the cemetery, a divine light shine upon her holy relics which also emitted a heavenly fragrance. May the holy New Martyr intercede for us always + #saint #aquilina #akylina #akilina #newmartyr #martyr #turk #turkishoccupation #christian #islam #muslim #convert #faith #orthodox #saintoftheday (at Zaglivérion, Thessaloniki, Greece) https://www.instagram.com/p/Ci_vfNCDd_-/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thesynaxarium]

Today we also celebrate the Holy New Martyrs and Passion Bearers of the Romanov Family, the last Royal Family of Russia - Tsar Nicholas II, his wife Tsarina Alexandra, and their five children Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, and Alexei. These Saint were martyred by the Bolsheviks in 1918. May the Holy Passion Bearers intercede for us all + #saint #saints #martyr #martyrs #newmartyr #newmartyrs #tsar #tsarnicholasii #tsarina #romanov #romanovs #romanovfamily #royalfamily #russia #bolshevik #bolsheviks #nicholas #saintnicholas #alexandra #alice #olga #tatiana #maria #anastasia #alexei #alexi #orthodox #saintoftheday (at Yekaterinburg, Sverdlovskaya Oblast', Russia) https://www.instagram.com/p/CgFjWwFvdt4/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thesynaxarium]

Today we celebrate the memory of the Holy Royal New Martyr, Elizabeth the Grand Duchess of Russia, the Nun Barbara and those with them. Saint Elizabeth was the grand daughter of Queen Victoria. She was also the older sister of Tsarina Alexandra (Alice) of Russia. Marrying the Grand Duke Sergius of Russia, the then Elizabeth converted to Orthodoxy, not because of her marriage, but rather of her profound interest in the faith. When her husband was assassinated in 1905, Saint Elizabeth went to the prison of her husband's murderer and preached repentance to him. Such was the gentleness and humility of her soul. She sold her mansion and bought a small property to live in. Here the Saint looked after the poor and infirm with all her heart. She then founded the Martha and Mary convent where many nuns came to live with her. The Communist rule forced Saint Elizabeth to leave her monastery with one of her her nuns, Barbara, with whom she went to Ekaterinburg. At the end of May 1918, Saint Elizabeth was taken house arrest and moved to nearby Alopaevsk with the Grand Dukes Sergius, John, and Constantine, and the young Count Vladimir Paley. They were all housed in a schoolhouse on the edge of town. St Elizabeth was under guard, but was permitted to go to church and work in the garden. On the night of July 5 1918, they were all taken to a place twelve miles from Alopaevsk, and executed. The Grand Duke Sergius was shot, but the others were thrown down a mineshaft, then grenades were tossed after them. St Elizabeth lived for several hours, and could be heard singing hymns. It is said that the last act of Elizabeth while alive in the mineshaft was tearing part of her nun's habit and wrapping her fellow martyr's wounds with the material. The bodies of Saints Elizabeth and Barbara (which were found incorrupt) were taken to Jerusalem in 1920, and buried in the church of St Mary Magdalene which the Grand Duchess herself revered greatly. May the new martyrs intercede for us always + #saint #saints #martyr #martyrs #newmartyr #newmartyrs #elizabeth #barbara #grandduchess #grandduchesselizabethfeodorovna #communist #grandduke #russia #moscow #nun #love #orthodox #saintoftheday (at Alapayevsk) https://www.instagram.com/p/CgIMP0svVgZ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thesynaxarium]

Today we celebrate the New Martyr Constantine the Hagarene, the ex-Muslim. Saint Constantine was born a Muslim but when he travelled with his family to Smyrna, he heard the Christian teachings and followed the true faith. He was then condemned by the Turks as an apostate for which he gave his life for. May he intercede for us all + #saint #constantine #hagarenes #muslim #exmuslim #martyr #newmartyr #smyrna #orthodox #saintoftheda (at Mytilene) https://www.instagram.com/p/CeRq2T2PVed/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thesynaxarium]

Today we celebrate the New Virgin Martyr Chryse (Zlata) of Bulgaria. Saint Chryse grew up a Christian and possessed a strong character and deep virtue. One day, a Turk was captured by her beauty and kidnapped her and took her to his house. He compelled her to convert to Islam so that he might make her his wife, but she adamantly refused. He threatened her with torture but this did not phase the holy one. The Turk then compelled her parents to convince her to convert, otherwise he would torture them all. Chryse's family begged the martyr to deny Christ and accept Islam for appearance's sake, however she rebuked them saying, “you who incite me to deny Christ are no longer my parents and sisters. Instead, I have the Lord Jesus Christ as my father, the Theotokos as my mother, and the saints as my brothers and sisters!” Seeing how steadfast the faith of the young martyr was, the Muslim authorities tortured her for three months, beating her with clubs, peeling strips of skin off her body, and passing a red hot skewer through her ears. Through the grace of God, Chryse remained steadfast in her faith. Enraged that they had been defeated by a woman, the Muslims tied her to a tree and cut her to pieces. In this way, she gave up her soul to the Lord in 1795. The Holy New Virgin Martyr Chryse received the double crown of virginity and martyrdom. May she intercede for us always + #saint #chryse #chrise #chrissy #newmartyr #virginmartyr #martyr #bulgaria #turk #turks #turkish #muslim #islam #orthodox #christian #christianity #orthodoxy #confess #confession #faith #convert #family #mother #father #parents #sister #sisters #orthodox #saintoftheday (at Slatina, Sofiya, Bulgaria) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cjn-ohLL86W/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thesynaxarium]

Today we also celebrate a particularly unusual saint, the Holy New Martyr Ahmed the Calligrapher. Saint Ahmed was born and raised a Muslim in Constantinople during the Ottoman Empire. As a profession, he worked as a copyist or calligrapher in the Great Archives. Because he was unmarried, according to Ottoman law, he lived together with a young Russian slave girl as well as an older slave woman, both of whom were very pious Orthodox Christians. Being a generous master, Ahmed allowed his older slave woman to go to Church on Sundays and Feast Days. She would bring back the antidoron (holy bread given after the service) and she would give it to the younger slave girl. After she ate the antidoron, a beautiful and heavenly fragrance came from her mouth. Ahmed would ask her what she had eaten that was making her breath so fragrant, and she would reply that she wasn’t eating anything, not considering the antidoron a type of food. Eventually she realised that it was the antidoron which she explained that it was holy bread that was blessed by the priests. Having heard this, Ahmed was filled with yearning to learn about the Orthodox Faith. He asked to attend a Divine Liturgy attended by the Patriarch of Constantinople. When he was in the liturgy, he noticed the Patriarch shining in light and elevated off the floor. Also, as he came out of the altar to bless the people, rays of light beamed from his fingers and fell on each of the people’s heads. All except Ahmed’s head. In this way, Ahmed accepted Christ and without delay, sought out baptism. One day, when Ahmed was conversing with certain noble Ottomans, the began to discuss the greatest thing in the world. Each gave their opinion, and when it came to Ahmed’s turn, he exclaimed boldly that the greatest thing in the world was the Faith of the Orthodox Christians. Confessing himself a Christian, the noblemen were aghast, but then fell on him and dragged him to the judge who sentenced him to death. Thus, the New Martyr Ahmed received the imperishable crown of martyrdom. May he intercede for us all + #saint #ahmed #calligrapher #newmartyr #martyrdom #ottoman #muslim #christian #christianity #orthodox #saintoftheday (at Constantinople - Κωνσταντινούπολη) https://www.instagram.com/p/CX18ZTjPuqL/?utm_medium=tumblr

[thesynaxarium]

Today we celebrate the martyrdom of the New-martyr Evgeny Rodionov (+1996). Although not officially canonised, at eighteen years of age, New Martyr Evgeny was drafted into the Russian armed forces as was required for all Russian men. Shortly before being drafted, he was baptised into the Orthodox Church on his own accord, as his parents were atheist. About a year into his military service, Evgeny was captured by Muslim Chechnyan soldiers and was forced to remove the cross he was wearing around his neck - the cross which his grandmother gave him as an eleven year old child which he never took off, despite his atheist parents' pleas as it was frowned upon in schools. The martyr Evgeny was tortured for three months by the soldiers. While his friends who were also captured denied their faith and accepted Islam, Evgeny remained firm in his faith. Eventually they decided to behead him with a rusty saw which took over an hour to complete. His body was later identified by his mother only because of the cross he was still wearing. Evgeny was martyred on this day in 1996 on his 19th birthday. Proof of his sanctity is that his icon in Russia began weeping myrrh which has become a source of healing for many. May he intercede for us all + #saint #evgeny #rodionov #evgenyrodinov #martyr #newmartyr #russia #chechnya #cross #islam #crucifix #faith #orthodox #saintoftheday (at Sernovodskoye, Chechen Republic) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd39fxCPoTN/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=