Zosimos the Monk and Athanasios the Commentarius
Martyrdom of St. Anastasia
St. Juliana the Martyr

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Zosimos the Monk and Athanasios the Commentarius

St. Zosimos came from Cilicia where he lived in the desert with the wild beasts. He was arrested by prefect Dometianus and tortured. Through his conduct, he attracted Athanasios the Commentarius to the faith of Christ. When Zosimos received his freedom from the tyrant, he went again to the desert and the mountains where he lived, and catechized and baptized the forementioned Athanasios. While they were there, a stone was miraculously torn open. They both entered it and commended their souls to the hands of God.


Martyrdom of St. Anastasia

On this day of the year 304 A.D. St. Anastasia was martyred. She was born in the City of Rome in the year 275 A.D. to a pagan father whose name was "Britastanos" and a Christian mother whose name was "Flafia." Her mother baptized her secretly without her father's knowledge and reared her in the Christian faith until she was steadfast in her faith.

When she was of marriageable age, her father gave her in marriage against her wishes to a pagan youth. St. Anastasia prayed to the Lord Jesus with fervent supplications, asking Him to spare her from this pagan youth.

When her husband went to work, she used to visit those who were imprisoned for their faith. She ministered to them, comforted them and offered them whatever they needed. When her husband knew this, he kept her in the house and placed guards over her. She continued to pray and ask God with tears and supplications to save her from her husband. God answered her prayer and speeded up his death.

In haste, she distributed her wealth among the poor, the confessors and those who were in prison for the sake of their faith. When her news reached "Florus," the Governor, he brought her before him to inquire about her religion. She confessed that she was a Christian. He tried to entice her to leave her faith by promising her many precious gifts. When she did not listen to his promises, he tortured her using many means of torture and at last, he ordered her to be drowned in the sea. She came up from the sea unharmed through God's great care.

When the Governor learned that she was still alive, he ordered that she be tied up to four pegs on the ground and beaten ferociously, then thrown into a pit of fire. She then gave up her pure soul and was granted a crown of martyrdom.

Glory be to God forever. Amen.


Commemoration of St. Juliana the Martyr

Also on this day, we commemorate St. Juliana the martyr.

Glory be to God forever. Amen.