Therapont of Sardis

From OrthodoxWiki
Revision as of 10:42, May 27, 2006 by Silentchapel (talk | contribs)
Jump to: navigation, search

Our Father among Saints, the Hieromartyr Therapon, Bishop of Sardis suffered for Christ during the third century (the city of Sardis was in Lydia, Asia Minor). In fulfilling his priestly service, St. Therapon enlightened many of the pagan Greeks with the light of the Christian Faith and baptized them. For this, he was brought to trial before the governor Julian and fearlessly declared himself a Christian bishop.

They threw him into prison, where he languished with hunger and thirst, and then they gave him over to cruel tortures. These torments did not break the saint's valiant confession of faith. They led the saint off in chains to the city of Sinaion in Phrygia, and then to Ancyra.

In these cities they tortured him again. They took him to the River Astala, where they stretched him naked upon the ground, fastened to four stakes, and fiercely beat him. After this torture, they took the passion-bearer to the outskirts of the Satalia diocese, part of the Sardis metropolitanate, and here after long beatings St. Therapon ended his martyric contest.

The stakes to which the saint had been tied, and which were soaked with his blood, put forth green shoots and grew into large trees, whose leaves were found to have curative powers. Many people received healing through them. St. Therapont's feast day is on May 27.

Hymns

Troparion (Tone 4)

Having partaken of the apostolic way of life,
And becoming their successor to the throne,
You have discovered in the practice of the virtues
The way to divine contemplation.
Therefore dispensing the word of truth
You have also suffered to the shedding of blood for the sake of the faith,
O holy martyr Therapontes, entreat Christ our God to save our souls.

Kontakion (Tone 1)

In righteous suffering, O Therapontes saint of Christ,
You truly became a hierarch and martyr.
Therefore we entreat you to heal the ingrained passions of our souls,
Entreating Christ who loves mankind and grants mercy.

Sources