Saints Cyrus & John the Unmercenaries (31 January)
These Saints lived during the years of Diocletian. Saint Cyrus was from Alexandria, and Saint John was from Edessa of Mesopotamia. Because of the persecution of that time, Cyrus fled to the Gulf of Arabia, where there was a small community of monks. John, who was a soldier, heard of Cyrus’ fame and came to join him.
Henceforth, they passed their life working every virtue, and healing every illness and disease freely by the grace of Christ; hence their title of “Unmercenaries.” They heard that a certain woman, named Athanasia, had been apprehended together with her three daughters, Theodora, Theoctiste, and Eudoxia, and taken to the tribunal for their confession of the Faith. Fearing lest the tender young maidens be terrified by the torments and renounce Christ, they went to strengthen them in their contest in martyrdom; therefore they too were seized.
After Cyrus and John and those sacred women had been greatly tormented, all were beheaded in the year 292. Their tomb became a renowned shrine in Egypt, and a place of universal pilgrimage. It was found in the area of the modern day resort near Alexandria named Abu Kyr.
These charitable and glorious saints were not blood brothers, but were brothers in the spirit. Cyrus began in Alexandria, and as a physician he healed people by the power of Christ and by his knowledge of medicine. Learning that sickness mostly befalls man because of sin, Cyrus always directed the sick to purify their souls from sin through repentance and prayer, and thereby to restore health to their bodies.
When Diocletion’s persecution against Christians began, Cyrus withdrew to Arabia, where he received the monastic tonsure. He became as famous in Arabia as he had been in Alexandria, so that people there also resorted to him for assistance. Hearing about Cyrus, John–then a Roman officer in Edessa–came to Arabia to see him. Upon meeting, they loved one another as a brother loves a brother, and remained together to live a life of asceticism. At that time, a certain Christian woman named Anastasia and her three daughters were tortured by the persecutors in the town of Canopus. Hearing of this, Cyrus and John came to Canopus to encourage the mother and her daughters not to abandon the Faith.
Truly, thanks to the counsel of these saints, Anastasia endured all tortures, and with her daughters she was martyred for Christ. The daughters of Anastasia were: Saints Theoctista, age fifteen; Theodora, age thirteen; and Eudocia, age eleven. The tormentors then captured Cyrus and John, who were beheaded after imprisonment and torture in the year 311 A.D. Numerous miracles were wrought by these martyrs, both during their lives and after their deaths. Their relics were translated to Rome during the reign of Emperor Arcadius. These saints are invoked for assistance, especially during the Blessing of Water, in the Sacrament of Holy Unction, and by those suffering from insomnia.
Apolytikion of Unmercenaries Cyrus & John
Plagal of the First Tone
Since Thou hast given us the miracles of Thy holy Martyrs as an invincible battlement, by their entreaties scatter the counsels of the heathen, O Christ our God, and strenghten the faith of Orthodox Christians, since Thou alone art good and the Friend of man.
Kontakion of Unmercenaries Cyrus & John
Third Tone
From divine grace, ye received * the gift to work awesome marvels: * thus, O Saints, throughout the world * ye ever work signs and wonders; * and ye cut out all our passions * and all our suff’rings * with an invisible surgery, for ye truly * are divinely-wise physicians, * O godly Cyrus, * and John, beloved of God.
Source: goarch.org
