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February 10: Feast of the Holy and Glorious Hieromartyr
Haralambos
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| Icon of Saint Haralambos provided by
Theologic and used with permission. |
Life of the Saint
The holy, glorious Martyr Haralambos lived at the time of the Emperor
Septimus Severus (194-211) in the city of Magnesia on the River
Meander near Ephesus. He was 107 years old and had ministered as
priest to the Christians of the city for many years, devotedly instructing
them in the way of truth and preaching Christ to all, regardless
of the threats of the pagans.
When he was denounced as a dangerous mischief-maker and brought
before the tribunal of the Governor Lucian, he responded to his
threats in these terms, “You little know what is for my good
and well-being. Nothing could be more pleasing to me than to suffer
for Christ. So don’t hesitate to put my old body to the tortures
you deem the worst, and you will learn that the power of my Christ
cannot be overcome.” He was then stripped of his priestly
robe by the tormentors, who tore his flesh with iron claws without
being able to elicit a single cry of pain from him. On the contrary,
he said, “Thank you, brothers. In flaying my old body, you
are renewing my soul and preparing it for everlasting blessedness.”
When the Governor saw the steadfastness of the old man, far from
repenting and giving glory to God, he hurled himself at him in uncontrollable
rage, tearing at his skin with his bare hands. Then, by an act of
God, his hands were suddenly severed and remained claw-like and
lifeless on the Martyr’s body. Moved to pity by the tyrant’s
cries and supplications, Saint Haralambos gave himself to prayer
and obtained his healing. This astonishing miracle and demonstration
of the love of Christians for their enemies brought Lucian, as well
as the tormentors Porphyrius and Baptus, to believe in Christ God
and to renounce the cult of idols. Three women onlookers also rushed
forward and fearlessly proclaimed their faith. The grateful Governor
was immediately baptized by the Saint and a great many inhabitants
of the province of Asia were won for Christ.
When the Emperor Severus learned that the inhabitants of Magnesia
and the surrounding country were abandoning idolatry and receiving
holy Baptism from the old priest who had been condemned to death;
that the blind were recovering their sight at his prayer and the
crippled were walking, he was very troubled indeed. He immediately
sent 300 soldiers to Magnesia with orders to bring the Saint, nailed
and chained, to Antioch in Pisidia where he was residing. The soldiers
treated the old man very badly on the road, until the horse on which
they had set him suddenly uttered a condemnation of the Emperor
as an enemy of God, and of his soldiers as slaves of the Devil—to
the great terror of the military, who for the remainder of the journey
did the Saint no harm.
As soon as the venerable old man was brought before him, the Emperor
had him thrown into a blazing furnace with a long skewer through
his chest. However, the fire went out as soon as it touched the
Saint who, to the Emperor’s astonishment, remained insensible
to what he suffered. What was the secret of his invulnerability,
the tyrant wanted to know. “The power of Christ!” replied
the Saint. Severus then put this to the test and presented him with
a man possessed by a demon for thirty-five years. The Saint drove
out the unclean spirit with a single word. Severus next produced
the corpse of a young man about to be buried. After addressing a
fervent prayer to God, Saint Haralambos gave the youth his hand
and, to the Emperor’s amazement, raised him from the bier
as though from sleep.
Then the Prefect Crispus shouted, “Your Majesty should put
this sorcerer to death straight way!” At this, the Emperor’s
hatred broke out again and he commanded Saint Haralambos to sacrifice
to the idols. On his refusal, he ordered them to break his jaw with
stones and to set his beard on fire. But God acted once again. The
flames turned on the tormentors and the place where they stood was
shaken by an earthquake.
Lifted up off his throne and suspended in the air, the Emperor
was whipped for a good while by unseen angels. On learning of his
predicament, his daughter Galinia confessed Christ as Almighty and
came to implore the holy Martyr to release her father from chastisement.
This he did; but the Emperor’s amazement at the power of God
was short-lived, and he soon returned to his idolatrous madness.
Despite the remonstrances of Galinia, who reminded him of the divine
blessings which had lighted on him, he kept Saint Haralambos in
custody and had him tortured anew. He also turned on Galinia and
threatened her with death unless she sacrificed. She made as if
to obey but, on entering the temple, she threw the statues to the
ground and broke them in pieces. Severus sent to the foundry to
have new statues cast, but she shattered these too, so that he became
a laughing-stock.
Severus then made a last attempt to break the instigator of his
daughter’s conversion. But Saint Haralambos withstood every
device of his tormentors with adamantine fortitude and all the onlookers
were dazzled by the brilliance of Grace. He welcomed the death sentence
with joy, and, on reaching the place of execution, he raised his
hands and eyes to heaven. He thanked God for having brought him
to the issue of his contest, and he asked Him to grant salvation
of soul, health of body and abundance of good things in the name
of His Martyr. A voice from heaven was then heard. “Come Haralambos,
valiant in fight, to share in the joy and splendor of the Martyrs
and holy priests!” His head fell beneath the sword on February
10 and his body was buried by the blessed Galinia.
The skull of Saint Haralambos is kept at the Monastery of St. Stephen
at Meteora. The fragments of his holy relics, which are to be found
in many places in Greece and elsewhere, accomplish frequent miracles
and have made Saint Haralambos, the most aged of all the holy Martyrs,
especially dear to the people of Greece.
Adapted from The Synaxarion: The
Lives of the Saints of
the Orthodox Church, Vol. 3, compiled by Hieromonk Makarios of Simonos
Petra and translated from the French by Christopher Hookway (Chalkidike,
Greece: Holy Convent of the Annunciation of Our Lady, 2001) pp.
463-466.
Orthodox Christian Celebration of the Feast of Saint Haralambos
The feast and commemoration of Saint Haralambos is celebrated
with the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom which is conducted
on the morning of the feast and preceded by a Matins (Orthros) service.
A Great Vespers is conducted on the evening before the day of the
Feast.
St. Haralambos is normally commemorated on February 10th, with
the exception when this date falls on the Saturday of the Souls
preceeding Lent or on Clean Monday (the first day of Lent), in which
case the feast is celebrated on February 9th.
Scripture readings for the feast are the following: At Vespers:
Isaiah 43; Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-9; Wisdom of Solomon 5:15-6:3.
At the Matins: Luke
21:12-19. At the Divine Liturgy: II
Timothy 2:1-10; John
15:17-16:2. (If the feast falls on a Sunday the Gospel readings
may vary.)
Hymns of the Saint
Apolytikion (Fourth Tone)
O wise Haralambos, you were proven an unshakable pillar of the Church
of Christ; an ever-shining lamp of the universe. You shone in the
world by your martyrdom. You delivered us from the moonless night
of idolatry O blessed one. Wherefore, boldly intercede to Christ
that we may be saved.
Kontakion (FOURTH Tone)
O Priest-martyr, athlete, champion Haralambos, your relics are a
priceless treasure of the Church. Wherefore she rejoices, glorifying
the Creator.
Apolytikion courtesy of Narthex
Press, Northridge, CA
Kontakion courtesy of Narthex Press, Northridge, CA
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