St.
Philopatere Mercurius
Martyred the
Twenty-fifth Day of Hatour
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On the
twenty-fifth day of the blessed month of Hatour, St. Philopatere Mercurius,
known as the saint with the two swords (Abu-Saifain), was martyred.
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St. Mercurius
was born to pagan parents in the year 225 A.D. in Rome. He was named Philopatere (a Greek name
meaning “lover of the Father”). His
father, Gordianus, was miraculously saved from death by an angel of the Lord,
and he and his wife soon converted to Christianity. They preached, gave alms, and raised
their son according to Christian teachings.
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By the age of
17, St. Mercurius had already joined the Roman army and gained a reputation as a
great swordsman and tactician. He
was promoted to the rank of commander and given the name “Mercurius,” after the
planet Mercury, which was supposed to signify good luck and glory.
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During that
time, the emperor Decius issued a decree that everyone in the empire must raise
incense and sacrifice to the pagan gods or else suffer severe torture. The emperor declared that if any
Christians were discovered, they would be subjected to this punishment.
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Soon after
this decree, Decius ordered his army to fight against the barbarians, and St.
Mercurius was sent to battle. One
day, at the peak of battle, the saint had a vision of man surrounded by light,
who said, “O Mercurius, servant of Jesus Christ, fear not, nor be downcast, for
I have been sent to help you and lead you to victory. Take this sword from my hand by which
you will achieve victory, and when you overcome your enemies, remember the Lord,
your God.” When St. Mercurius took
the sword from the angel, he felt the Holy Spirit overwhelm him, and he fought
with great bravery. He conquered
the barbarians and their king, and the rest fled in terror. For this reason, the great saint is
called “of the two swords” (Abu-Saifain); one sword is the military sword, and
the other is the sword of divine power.
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When Decius
heard of St. Mercurius’ bravery, he made him supreme commander over the entire
Roman army, at the young age of twenty-five. One night, the angel again appeared to
the saint and reminded him to remember the Lord, saying, “I am the angel of the
Lord who met you in the battlefield and gave you the victorious sword with which
you have conquered the enemy and asked you to remember the Lord your God after
victory. Now, I tell you, do not be
afraid or troubled by the emperor’s decree; God has sent me to tell you that you
shall suffer greatly for His name and you shall receive a crown of victory in
Heaven. I will strengthen you until
you fulfill your testimony. Your
patience and good fight of faith will be heard of in every quarter and God’s
name will be glorified in you.”
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After the
angel of the Lord left, the great saint was moved by God’s care and
encouragement. He remembered the
words and teachings of his father regarding the faith, and began to confess his
weaknesses to the Lord: “Woe to me, sinful as I am and like a fruitless
tree. I have nothing to count upon
except God’s mercy. Look upon me,
my God and my Lord. Strengthen me
and preserve me in Your holy name until the last breath of my life.” St. Mercurius longed with his whole
heart to be in God’s presence and be one of the heavenly King’s soldiers. He spent the entire night in prayer and
spiritual ecstasy.
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As he was
finishing his prayers, two messengers sent from the emperor summoned him, but
the great saint apologized and excused himself from the emperor. The next day, the emperor sent for St.
Mercurius again, and this time the saint appeared before him. The emperor told him, “Let us go
together to the great temple of Artemis and make an offering to her.” The hero Mercurius gave no answer,
but quietly withdrew from the crowd.
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However, the
devil, in his animosity toward all good, seized the opportunity to discredit St.
Mercurius in front of the emperor.
One of the soldiers of the saint’s regiment informed the emperor that St.
Mercurius refused to worship the pagan gods and persuaded others to cease
worshiping pagan gods. Decius
answered, “Perhaps you are jealous of the man against whom you have said such
things. I will not listen to you
unless I learn the truth by myself, face-to-face with Mercurius. Keep silent now and do not utter another
word against this great man. And if
you have said such things against him out of jealousy or hatred, you know that
you will receive severe punishment.
But if what you have said is true, then you shall receive many blessings
from our gods and will be greatly rewarded by me.”
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The emperor
ordered the hero Mercurius to appear before him. Decius said to him, “Mercurius, was it
not I who bestowed upon you great honor and promotion? Didn’t I make you supreme general over
all the governors because of your intelligence and the victory which the gods
bestowed upon us in war? Why should
you change this great affection into bitter hatred? Is it true that you refused to worship
the gods who gave you victory in the war?”
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St. Mercurius
said to Decius in a brave but gentle tone, “Let this honor that you speak of be
yours, for even though I did go to war and fight, it was not I who conquered,
but God Who has been gracious to me in Christ. Take away this honor that you have given
me, for ‘naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall return.’” (Job
1:21)
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And taking
off his military cloak and his golden belt, he threw them at the emperor’s feet,
and cried, “I am a Christian. Hear,
all of you, that I am a Christian.
Here are your titles and your dignities. Take them back, for they will perish
with every vanity in the world.”
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Decius was
stupefied. He marveled at the
saint’s handsomeness, greatness, and strength. Decius tried to persuade the great saint
to change his mind, for he loved the honorable youth. St. Mercurius refused to yield to the
emperor’s pleas: “I will never stop
worshiping my Master Jesus Christ for temporary honors, but by His grace, I will
remain faithful to Him until death.”
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Decius became
furious and ordered St. Mercurius to be thrown into prison, saying, “Let this
man who did not appreciate honor experience some disgrace.” While he was being led away to prison,
the martyr rejoiced in the spirit and glorified God that he had been “counted
worthy to suffer shame for His name.” (Acts 5:41)
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That night,
the angel of the Lord appeared to the great saint, saying, “Rejoice, Mercurius,
and do not fear the tortures of this tyrant. Trust in Christ, to Whom you have
testified openly, for He will save you from every tribulation.” The angel disappeared and St. Mercurius
was strengthened by these words.
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The following
day, Decius seated himself at the tribunal and called St. Mercurius before him,
trying to persuade and threaten the great saint to renounce Christ. The martyr remained unmoved and replied,
“I do not fear tortures, and I am not moved by death, because Jesus, our Lord,
taught us in the Scriptures, saying: ‘Do not be afraid of those who kill the
body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you who you should fear:
fear Him Who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell.’ (Luke
12:4-5) You have no power over me
except over my body; you can do with it whatever you please.”
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Despite the
saint’s straightforward answers, Decius still tried to persuade him to change
his mind by offering to make the saint second to the emperor in the
kingdom. St. Mercurius replied,
“Your majesty, your gods are the ones that our master King David sang about in
the psalms: ‘Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they do not
speak. Eyes they have, but they do
not see. They have ears, but they
do not hear; noses they have, but they do not smell… Those who make them are
like them, so is everyone who trusts in them.’” (Psalm 115:4-6,8)
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Even still,
Decius tried to appeal to the saint to raise incense to the gods by telling him
how much he loved him. St.
Mercurius daringly replied, “Being tortured for the name of Christ is a great
honor for me. I have voluntarily
taken off all of your perishable honors and dignities. As a Christian, all I want is to inherit
the Kingdom of Heaven. My master
and king, I have told you that I will never take your advice. Save yourself the trouble and do not ask
me again. I am ready not only to
suffer, but also to die for His holy name.
Therefore, whatever you want to do to me, do not hesitate.”
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The emperor
asked about the saint’s origin and background. St. Mercurius said, “If you want to know
about my race and my native land, I will tell you. My father’s name was Gordianus, a native
of Scythia. He served as a commander in the Martusian regiment. He is a follower of the true God Jesus
Christ, my heavenly Father. Thus,
my native city is the heavenly new Jerusalem, the city of the great King, the
King of kings.” The emperor asked
the saint about who gave him the name “Mercurius.” The martyr replied, “My father named me
Philopatere, but I was called Mercurius by my commander when I joined the
army.”
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The emperor
gave the great saint one last opportunity to raise incense to the pagan
gods. The great saint replied, “I
have come to this place to conquer you and your father, Satan, through whom all
evil exists. And when I conquer, a
crown will be placed upon my head by the true Master, my Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, whatever you wish to do to
me, do it quickly. For I am wearing
the armor of God, and the shield of faith, by which I will overcome all your
schemes and tricks set against me.”
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The emperor,
filled with fury, ordered soldiers to tie the saint’s body to four stakes, so
that he would be stretched and suspended above the ground. Then Decius ordered the soldiers to
strike St. Mercurius with nails instead of scourges. The great martyr endured these tortures
with patience. Decius mocked the
great saint, saying, “Where is your armor that you have spoken about? Where is
your courage and great military power?
Where is your God to save you from Decius?” The saint did not reply to the emperor,
but instead looked up to heaven and said, “My Lord Jesus Christ, help me.”
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Decius then
ordered the soldiers to tear off the saint’s flesh with sharp blades and light
red-hot coals beneath him in order to burn him alive. The flames were gradually extinguished
by the flowing blood of the righteous man.
The great saint endured all these sufferings calmly and bravely by the
power of the Lord Jesus Christ. To
prevent the great saint from dying quickly, Decius ordered St. Mercurius to be
sent to prison again and watched strictly.
The soldiers carried the saint’s half-dead body to the dark prison cell,
and there was little breath left in him.
Decius thought the saint would surely die in prison that night.
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An angel of
the Lord appeared to him that night, saying, “Grace and peace be yours, O
valiant fighter! Have courage, for
God has not forgotten you. He will
support you to overcome the emperor and reveal the truth about his idols. Do not fear torture, ‘for our light
affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding
and eternal weight of glory.’” (2 Cor. 4:17) The angel healed all of St. Mercurius’
wounds and restored him to health, so that he stood up and praised God, Who had
not abandoned him in his time of need.
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The next day,
Decius called St. Mercurius before him, and was astonished to find that the
great saint, who had previously been at death’s door, stood before him with no
wounds. Decius ordered his
spear-bearers to thoroughly examine the saint’s body, and questioned if any
physician had been allowed to see the saint during the night. But the guards told the emperor that no
one had been allowed to see St. Mercurius, because they all thought the saint
would die during the night. The
emperor said, “You see what the magic of the Christians is like! How is it that yesterday he was fit for
burial, and yet today he is standing up in perfect health?”
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Filled with
anger, Decius asked the great saint, “Who healed you?” St. Mercurius replied, “It was my Lord
Jesus Christ, the true Physician of our souls and bodies, Who was pleased to
heal me. The sorcerers, charmers,
and idolaters are strangers to Him.
He will bind them in chains which can never be broken, and will deliver
them to the eternal fire, because they did not acknowledge the true God who
created them.” The emperor,
enraged, said, “Now I am going to put an end to your life by severe torture; let
me see if Christ, in Whom you believe, will heal you.”
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St. Mercurius
replied, “I believe in my Lord Jesus Christ. It is true that you have power over my
body, but you have no power over my soul, and all your punishments will not make
me renounce my faith, for our Lord said: ‘Do not fear those who kill the body
but cannot kill the soul. But
rather fear Him Who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.’” (Matt.
10:28)
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The emperor
ordered burning irons to be applied to the saint’s limbs, cheeks and sides. When
this was done, instead of the expected smoke and stench of burned flesh, a
strong sweet smell of spices rose from St. Mercurius’ body, so that everyone
there could smell it. And, although
St. Mercurius was suffering from the tortures, he did not utter a groan or shed
a tear.
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Decius said
to the saint, “Where is your physician?
Let him come and heal you.
You even said that He has the power to raise you if you died.” St. Mercurius replied, “Do whatever
pleases you. You have power over my
body, but God is the Master of my soul.
Even if you destroy my body, my soul shall live, for it is
incorruptible.”
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The emperor
ordered the saint to be hung upside down from a tree with a very large stone
tied around his neck, so that the great martyr would suffocate and die. But by the power of the Lord, the great
saint was able to endure this torture for a long period of time. Decius, growing impatient, commanded
that St. Mercurius be thrown in prison for the night and bound by chains.
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Despite all
the deadly tortures, St. Mercurius spent the whole night in fervent prayer. While he was praying, a great light
filled the room, and immediately all of the chains fell off him. The angel of the Lord appeared to him,
saying, “O beloved of Christ, have courage and win. Do not worry about these temporary
tortures.” The angel wiped away all
of St. Mercurius’ wounds, and then disappeared. The great saint was filled with peace
and continued in fervent prayer, glorifying God Who had consoled him in his hour
of suffering.
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The next day,
Decius again became angered when his officers told him that St. Mercurius had
been healed of all his wounds.
Decius pleaded with the saint to raise incense to the pagan gods, but the
great saint remained firm in the faith.
The emperor ordered his soldiers to flog St. Mercurius with a leather
whip with four prongs, until the ground became saturated with the saint’s
blood. During this torture, St.
Mercurius prayed: “I give thanks to You, my Lord Jesus Christ, that You have
held me worthy to suffer for Your holy name.”
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Seeing that
the prince Mercurius would not yield or waiver, and that many of the soldiers
and people in the crowd became attached to the saint and publicly declared their
faith in his God, Decius ordered that St. Mercurius be executed by the
sword. The soldiers tied the
saint’s nearly lifeless body to a horse and took him to the city of Caesarea in
Cappadocia to execute him.
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Arriving at
the spot of his execution, the great saint and martyr asked for a little time to
pray. While he was praying, a great
light appeared; it was our Lord Jesus Christ, in great glory with His archangels
and angels. The Lord, with His
sweet gentleness, addressed St. Mercurius, saying: “Peace be to you, my
beloved Mercurius. Your prayers and
pleadings have ascended before me as good incense. Come and rest with Me in My Kingdom, for
you have struggled well and kept your faith, and finished your course. Come now to receive the crown of glory
which has been appointed to you.
You were sincere and testified to My name before kings and princes
regardless of sufferings. I will
let your name be known in every part of the world and great miracles will be
performed in churches that bear your name. Whoever writes down the story of your
testimony and suffering, I will write his name in the book of eternal life. He who prepares your body for burial on
earth, I will give him a celestial body on the day of judgment.
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“Whoever
builds a church dedicated to your name, I will make him abide in the heavenly
new Jerusalem. I will let Michael
the Archangel be a keeper forever over churches that bear your name, and keeper
over all who come to it on the day of your commemoration to listen to the story
of your suffering and take My blessings.
I tell you, Mercurius, I will endow on them mercy and forgiveness, and
accept your pleas for them. And he
who makes offerings (bread, wine, incense or candles) on the day of your
commemoration, I will reward him.
Whoever cares to make a feast for the poor on the day of your
commemoration, I will remember him at My heavenly feast. Whoever calls to Me in your name, I will
save him from all his suffering. If
any woman in labor asks Me for help in your name, I will relieve her
quickly. Whoever gives your name
for his child, I will bless him.” With these words, our Lord Jesus Christ
departed.
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And the
martyr, being strengthened in peace and joy by the vision of the Savior, said to
those who were appointed to execute him, “Do what you have been commanded to do
quickly, for the Lord Who invites everyone to repentance shall make you worthy
of His grace, for He is rich and shows grace to those who go to Him with a gift
and without envy.” After saying
these words, the great saint and martyr, St. Philopatere Mercurius Abu-Saifain,
offered his head to executors and was beheaded. After he was executed, his body became
as white as snow and emitted a sweet odor of the best incense and herbs. Witnessing these things, many people
became Christians.
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On the
twenty-fifth day of the blessed month of Hatour, St. Philopatere Mercurius
received the crown of martyrdom.
An Important
Historical Event that Echoed the Name of St. Mercurius throughout the Whole
Church: Death of Julian the Apostate
Julian the
Apostate
331-363
AD
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Julian, the
nephew of emperor Constantine the great, was born in Constantinople in 331 A.D.,
and was raised as a Christian. In
his youth, he fell under the influence of pagan philosophy, despite the fact
that he studied Scripture with St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory of
Nazianzus. Following the death of
his cousin, Julian ascended the throne in 361 A.D. He openly renounced the faith of Christ,
and offered sacrifices to the pagan gods.
He deprived Christians of the rights of citizenship, and stripped them of
many privileges, including membership in the army. He induced many Christians to offer
sacrifices to the pagan gods, and raised a tax against those who would not
sacrifice.
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After hearing
of Julian’s many evil deeds, St. Basil, St Libarius, and St. Gregory went to
Julian to confront him on his behavior.
Julian became angered and ordered that these saints be thrown in prison
until he return from the war in Persia.
He threatened that when he returned from Persia, he would treat
Christians with severity and boasted that the “Son of the carpenter” would be
unable to help them.
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While Julian
was in the midst of battle in Persia, a violent wind arose, and the sky and the
sun were concealed by the clouds.
During this darkness, a horseman, riding at full gallop, charged with his
lance and fatally wounded the emperor Julian. After throwing Julian from his horse,
the unknown assailant went away.
When Julian had been wounded, he filled his hand with blood and flung it
into the air, crying, “You have won, O Galilean.”
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According to
the Ethiopian manuscript of the church fathers, St. Gregory and St Basil
constantly fasted and prayed while in prison. One night while praying, an icon of St.
Mercurius appeared in front of them.
St. Basil requested the intercession of this great saint, and St.
Mercurius appeared to them saying, “Julian the Apostate was killed.”
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May the
prayers of this great saint, St. Philopatere Mercurius (Abu-Saifain), be with us
all, and glory be to God forever.
Amen.