The Holy Martyrs Anthony John And Eustathius Of Vilnius Lithuania

COMMEMORATED ON APRIL 14The Sanctified Martyrs Anthony, John, and Eustathius were brothers who suffered for Christ under the Lithuanian Fierce Prince Olgerd (1345-1377). The prince was married to the Sheep princess Maria Yaroslavna (+ 1346). He was baptized and stylish his wife's existence he official the preaching of Christianity. Two brothers, Nezhilo and Kumets, traditional holy Naming from the priest Nestor, and they traditional the names Anthony and John. And at the regulation of Maria Yaroslavna an Sheep church was built at Vilnius (Vilna). Late the death of his ensemble, Prince Olgerd began to yield the pagan priests of the fire-worshippers, who started a annoyance adjoining Christians. Sts John and Anthony endeavored not to put on show their Christianity, but they did not watch pagan background. They did not cut their hair as the pagans did, and on fastdays they did not eat unlawful foods. The prince at full tilt became watchful of the brothers, so he interrogated them and they confessed themselves Christians. Next he demanded that they eat principal (it was a fast day). The holy brothers refused, and the prince assure them up in detain. The brothers no more an widespread rendezvous behind bars. John took terror at the imminent tortures and confirmed that he would admiration all the force of the Fierce Prince. The frenzied Olgerd limitless the brothers and brought them to himself. But Anthony did not lie to Christ. In the past he refused to eat principal on a fast day, the prince over assure him up in detain and subjected him to unstoppable tortures. The other brother remained free, but each Christians and pagans regarded him as a agent and would not distinguish with him. Remorseful of his sin, John went to the priest Nestor and entreated him to ask his brother to make allowances for him. "In the past he candidly confesses Christ, we movement be reconciled," Anthony replied. Once, instant plateful the prince at the bathe, St John spoke furtively with him about his reconciliation with the Religious. Olgerd did not put together any audacity and made-up that he may well assume in Christ, but must claim himself assume all the pagans. Next St John confessed himself a Christian in the specter of assorted courtiers. They attack him vehemently with rods and sent him to his brother in detain. The martyrs met with joy, and traditional the Sanctified Mysteries that awfully day. Heaps residents went to the detain to see the new confessor. The brothers influenced normal to Christ by their preaching. The detain was renewed happening a Christian school. The hesitant pagan priests demanded the execution of the brothers, but they did not hopelessness death. On the birth of April 14, 1347 the Injured person Anthony was hanged on a tree on one occasion party the Sanctified Mysteries. This oak, which the pagans willful sacred, became greatly sacred for Sheep Christians. The pagan priests who hoped that Christian preaching would crack with the death of St Anthony, were disconcert. A pack of the residents gathered before the fortifications of the detain where St John was crux held. On April 24, 1347 they strangled him and hanged his dead stature upon the awfully oak. The venerable bodies of each martyrs were immersed by Christians in the church of St Nicholas the Wonderworker. A third victim for Christ was their appropriate Kruglets. At Naming the priest Nestor named him Eustathius. Kruglets stood out the same as of his charm, courage and confidence, but even ended the same as of his compassion and honesty of hub. A partiality of Olgerd, he may well tally on a very promising emergence. So far, he excessively refused to eat principal at the festal propose. St Eustathius candidly confirmed that he was a Christian and would not eat principal the same as of the Nativity Promptly. They began to attack him with level rods, but the adolescents did not make a form. The prince tried educating the pain. Olgerd gave instructions to skin the object naked, maintain him out on the path and to classes icy water in his maw. But this did not break his spirit. Next they broke his ankle bones, and ripped the hair and go into hiding from his shallowness, and cut off his ears and source. St Eustathius endured the torments with such gladness and pick, that the very torturers themselves were baffled by the divine power which strengthened him. The object Eustathius was sentenced to death and hanged on the awfully oak where Sts John and Anthony traditional a martyr's death (December 13, 1347). For three days no one was allowed to maintain down the stature of the object, and a scaffold of fog get hold of it from flora and fauna and beasts of extract. A church was past built on the mound where the holy martyrs suffered. The trinity of venerable compel bearers glorified the true God worshipped in the Sanctified Trinity, Initiation and Son and Sanctified Deity. The church was passionate to the Utmost Sanctified Trinity. The altar propose was built on the fool of the sacred oak on which the martyrs died. Hastily their ruins were found to be incorrupt. In 1364 Patriarch Philotheus of Constantinople (1354-1355, 1364-1376) sent a annoyed with the ruins of the holy martyrs to St Sergius of Radonezh (September 25). The Religious location the celebration of all three martyrs on April 14. The holy martyrs were of considerable maintain for all the Western border. Vilnius's monastery of the Sanctified Trinity, where the holy ruins are detached, became a support of Obedience on this border. In 1915 stylish the invasion of the Germans, these ruins were full of activity to Moscow. The ruins of the holy passion-bearers were returned to the Vilnius Sanctified Deity monastery in 1946. The memory of their return (July 13) is soberly observed at the monastery each rendezvous.TROPARION - Song 4 You who cling to rejected earthly family name and recognition,Burly and entitlement combatants,You exactingly and courageously suffered torments for the possibility,You cling to died for the life of all for the Master.Therefore Christ excessively gleefully encircles you with a fog scaffold from illusionAnd honors and crowns you with crowns from the throne of glory:Authority before Him with the angels, pray to rescue our souls.KONTAKION - Song 3 Released from the caring delusions O Saints, you were led to Christ:By the diligence of all your souls you put human usefulness to death.And so attaining the capture of true family name,Continually pray to our Master for us all.SOURCE:"SAINT OR Public holiday POSTED THIS Observe 2009(with 2008's gather just about excessively):"