The Church commemorates Apostle Onesimus, Venerable Eusebius, and Venerable Anthimos of Chios.
Saint Onesimus was a servant of Philemon and lived in the city of Colossae, Asia Minor. Saint Paul had converted Philemon to Christianity and, therefore, he was treating his servants as they were his own children.
Nevertheless, Saint Onesimus misused money from his master’s house, escaped and went to Rome. There he found himself in a very difficult position due to the fact that he was not working. He was informed that Paul the Apostle was in Rome, whom he was admiring.
However, Paul the Apostle sent him back to Philemon along with a letter asking him to take good care of Onesimus. Philemon told Onesimus to go back to Rome to help Paul the Apostle, who was very old at the time and very much in need.
There, the Saint was arrested and was sent into exile, where He continued to preach the divine word. Eparch Tertillus paid him a visit and when he learned that the Saint would remain steadfast in his Christian faith, he ordered to torture him. Despite his vigorous resistance to all torture, he fell asleep in the Lord.
Saint Onesimus is the patron of the prisoners. The feast of Saint Onesimus calls the faithful to learn that every human being, no matter how many mistakes one made, no matter how many wrongdoings one committed, has the opportunity of salvation and must not lose the hope of forgiveness from God. As long as one repents and wants to change the course of one’s life.
Paul the Apostle confirms that everyone is harmoniously orientated to the goodness and honesty when we ask for the grace of God in our lives. He writes to the Galatians: “Therefore, in the kingdom of Christ, there are no differences of nationality, class and sex. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28).
Source: Church of Cyprus
