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  Parthenios
  Mastridia
  Luke of Mount Stirion of Greece
  The Departure of St. Eksani (Xene)
  St. Seriakos (Syriacus) the Fighter
  7 February

      
   

Parthenios (Parthenius)

Hierarch Parthenios, bishop of Lampsacus, was a native of the town of Melitopolis (Asia Minor), where his father, Christodulus, served as a deacon. Parthenius was not taught letters, but he assimilated Divine Scripture well, being present in church at the divine services. He had a good heart, and, engaging in fishing, he distributed the money he earned to the poor.

Filled with God's grace, from the age of eighteen, Parthenios healed illnesses, expelled demons and worked other miracles through Christ's name.

Having learned of the Parthenios' virtuous life, the bishop of Melitopolis, Philip, gave him an education and ordained him a presbyter. In 325, during the reign of Constantine the Great, the archbishop of Cyzicus, Ascholios (Achilles), installed Parthenios as bishop of the town of Lampsacus (Asia Minor). He converted his episcopal town to the Christian faith.

Parthenios went to the Emperor Constantine asking to be given authority to demolish the temples of the idols and build Christian churches in their place. The Emperor received Parthenios with honor, gave him a document for the destruction of the temples, and provided him with means for the construction of a church. Upon returning to Lampsacus, Parthenios ordered that the temples of the idols be demolished and that a beautiful church of God be raised up in the middle of the town.

Finding at one of the destroyed temples a large stone suitable for constructing the holy altar in the church, Parthenios ordered that the stone be dressed and brought to the church's building site. Through the malice of the devil, who had become enraged over the taking of the stone from the temple, the conveyance overturned and the stone killed the driver, Eutychian; but, Parthenios resurrected him through prayer and put the devil to shame.

Parthenios' mercy was so great that he did not refuse healing to any of the multitude of people suffering from bodily ailments and possessed by unclean spirits that came to him or were encountered by him on the roads. The people stopped turning to physicians, since Parthenios healed all illnesses in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ without remuneration. By the great power of Christ's name, Parthenios expelled a multitude of demons from people, houses, and the waters of the sea. When Parthenios expelled a demon from a man who had been possessed by it from childhood, the unclean spirit began to ask Parthenios to give him another place of habitation. Parthenios promised to indicate such a place and, having opened his mouth, said to the demon: "Enter and inhabit me." The devil, as if singed by fire, cried out: "How shall I enter into God's house?" and hid himself in deserted and impassable places. An unclean spirit, expelled by Parthenios from a home where royal purples were manufactured, shouted in the hearing of everyone that the divine fire was driving him into the fiery Gehenna.

Thus, manifesting to men the great power of faith in Christ, Parthenios converted a multitude of idolators to the true God.

Parthenius departed peacefully and was triumphantly buried next to the cathedral church of Lampsacus, in a chapel built by him himself.

   

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O God, our heavenly Father, who didst raise up thy faithful servant Parthenios., to be a bishop and pastor in thy Church and to feed thy flock: Give abundantly to all pastors the gifts of thy Holy Spirit, that they may minister in thy household as true servants of Christ and stewards of thy divine mysteries; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

   
   

Mastridia

Mastridia lived in sixth century Jerusalem as a nun.

When a young man amorously pursued her, she escaped to the desert to save both his and her soul. She took with her only a basket of soaked beans. During her seventeen years there, neither did the beans ever diminish nor her one garment wear out. She died peacefully.

    

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O God, whose blessed Son became poor that we through his poverty might be rich: Deliver us from an inordinate love of this world, that we, inspired by the devotion of your servant Mastridia., may serve you with singleness of heart, and attain to the riches of the age to come; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

   
   

Luke of Mount Stirion of Greece.

Venerable Luke's ancestors came from the island of Aegina. Since they could not bear the raids of the Agarenes (Hagarenes), they departed from their home and moved to the Greek region of Phokis, to a village called Kastorio, in which blessed Luke was born in 920.

From childhood Luke abstained not only from meat but also from eggs and cheese. He ate on ly barley bread, pulses, and water.

He also considered feeding the hungry and dressing the naked to be his comfort and satisfaction. Many times he gave his own clothes to the poor, while he returned home naked.

When he was praying to God, his feet were raised as high as thirty inches above the ground and he stood in mid-air.

He travelled along the coastline, and became the cause of many people's salvation through the miracles which he performed. Then he stopped moving from place to place and went to Mount Stiris. When he had been there for seven years, he foretold his death to his disciples. Thus, he ended his life in peace commending his soul to God.

    

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O God, by whose grace your servant Luke, kindled with the flame of your love, became a burning and a shining light in your Church: Grant that we also may be aflame with the spirit of love and discipline, and walk before you as children of light; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
   
   

The Departure of St. Eksani (Xene)

Eksani (Xene) was the daughter of one of the noble and rich families of Rome. She was the only daughter to her parents who brought her up at an early age in fasting and prayers, visiting the prisoners, and helping the needy. She used to visit the convents in Rome to spend time in worship and to distribute what she brought with her among the poor, and was satisfied with what the nuns ate. She read the biographies of the saints and prayed to God to grant her to be one of them.

It happened that one of the important people in Rome asked for her hand in marriage for his son. Her father brought Eksani the best of clothing and the most precious gems and furniture. However, shortly before her wedding, Eksani asked her mother to allow her to go to the convents to visit her friends there before getting married, in order to bid them farewell, and her mother gave her permission.

Eksani took her precious ornaments and two of her maiden servants, and went quickly to the seashore where she found a ship going to Cyprus. She went aboard the ship and on her arrival; she went to St. Epiphanies and told him her story. He advised her to go to the City of Alexandria. She embarked and went there, where she met Anba Theophilus, the Pope of Alexandria. She informed him of her desire to live the monastic life. He agreed and he cut her hair and clothed her in the monastic garb. She sold all the jewels and clothes that she brought with her, and built a church after the name of St. Stephen the Archdeacon. She resided with a group of virgins who the Pope chose for her.

She practised the ascetic life. She lived only on bread and some soaked vegetables, and never ate any cooked food; she slept on the ground. She struggled for more than twenty years.

When she departed, God revealed a sign in to indicate the heavenly blessings granted to her: at midday, a cross of light, whose light exceeded that of the sun, appeared in sky and around it a circle of stars that shined like crowns. The cross remained shining until her body was buried with the bodies of other virgin saints, then the cross disappeared.

Later, the two maiden servants told the Pope her story and how she had a covenant with them to conceal her story and to call her sister. The Pope marvelled at her glorifying God and wrote her story.

    

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Almighty God, you have surrounded us with a great cloud of witnesses: Grant that we, encouraged by the good example of your servant Eksani, may persevere in running the race that is set before us, until at last we may with her attain to your eternal joy; through Jesus Christ, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

   
   

Commemoration of St. Seriakos (Syriacus) the Fighter

Today also we commemorate St. Syriacus the fighter.

    

 
   

Glory be to God forever. Amen.