COMMEMORATION DAY OF
St. Andrew the General and His Army,
and of the Martyrs Callinicus and Domitius
St. Andrew the General and His Army
Saint Andrew (Andreas) was a native of Cilicia. During the reign of Emperor Diocletian, he served as a high-ranking officer in the imperial army stationed in Syria while secretly remaining a Christian.
During one of the battles against the Persians, Andrew's force of about 600 soldiers was on the verge of retreat. At that critical moment, he encouraged his men in the name of Jesus Christ, urging them to stand their ground. Inspired by his words, they turned back into battle and won a decisive victory.
As a result of this miracle, the entire army embraced Christianity.
When Andrew's commanding general learned of their conversion, he sent troops after them. As Andrew and his soldiers were passing through the Taurus Mountain pass, they were all put to death for their faith in AD 300, receiving the crown of martyrdom together.
Saint Callinicus the Martyr
Callinicus was a Christian from Galatia who earned his living by selling olive oil. Because his work required him to travel from place to place, he used every opportunity to spread the light of Christianity.
He was eventually arrested and ordered to renounce his faith. When he refused, he was subjected to severe tortures. Finally, his persecutors forced him to wear sandals studded with nails and made him run all the way to the city of Gangra. There he was thrown into a fire and was martyred.
The Armenian Church commemorates Saint Callinicus on the fifth Tuesday after the Feast of the Holy Cross of Varag, or on the tenth Monday after the Feast of the Holy Cross.
St. Domitius (Diometes) the Martyr
Domitius (Diometes) was a Christian from Tarsus who lived during the reign of Emperor Diocletian. Born into a noble family, he was a physician by profession.
He traveled widely, healing the sick among the poor—not only through his medical skill but, even more, through the power of his faith.
During his journeys he came to Nicaea, where he especially encouraged Christians who were suffering persecution.
He was arrested and taken to Nicomedia to stand trial. Although he ardently desired to suffer martyrdom, Divine Providence spared him from torture. Nevertheless, he received the glory and crown of a martyr in another way.
While being led away in chains to be tortured, he paused briefly to pray. As he stood there in prayer, he peacefully surrendered his pure and God-loving soul in AD 303.
SCRIPTURE READINGS
~ Proverbs 4:10-27 ~
Hear, my child, and accept my words, that the years of your life may be many. I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness. When you walk, your step will not be hampered; and if you run, you will not stumble. Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life. Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of evildoers. Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on. For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong; they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble. For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day. The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what they stumble over. My child, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you. Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Keep straight the path of your feet, and all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.
~ Isaiah 48:17-22 ~
Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord your God, who teaches you for your own good, who leads you in the way you should go. O that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your prosperity would have been like a river, and your success like the waves of the sea; your offspring would have been like the sand, and your descendants like its grains; their name would never be cut off or destroyed from before me. Go out from Babylon, flee from Chaldea, declare this with a shout of joy, proclaim it, send it forth to the end of the earth; say, "The Lord has redeemed his servant Jacob!" They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts; he made water flow for them from the rock; he split open the rock and the water gushed out. "There is no peace," says the Lord, "for the wicked."
~ 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 ~
Indeed, we live as human beings, but we do not wage war according to human standards; for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but they have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ. We are ready to punish every disobedience when your obedience is complete.
~ Holy Gospel of St. Matthew 12:37-42 ~
Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. "Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward."