Our Church celebrates today the miraculous event of the Uncovering of the Precious Cross and the Precious Nails by the Empress St Helena in Jerusalem. We also celebrate the memory of the holy 42 Martyrs of Amorium (in Phrygia). Passion-bearers Constantine, Aetius, Theophilus, Theodore were among those who were martyred.
We also celebrate the memory of Saint Arcadius, who is listed by Leontios Machairas as one of the saints of the Church of Cyprus. He served as Archbishop of Cyprus.
The holy 42 martyrs lived during the reign of the iconoclast Emperor Theophilus and were a group of Byzantine senior officials. When the city of Amorium in Phrygia was occupied by the Arabs in 838 AD, the 42 officers and notables of Amorium were taken as hostages. They were transferred to Samarra and imprisoned.
Even deprived of water, they prayed to God to deem them worthy to receive the wreath of martyrdom. Indeed, a few days later they were brought to the caliph, who in a friendly manner promised to restore them to their posts if they converted to Islam.
The saints with one mind and one mouth confessed their faith in God and refused to convert to Islam, who angrily ordered their beheading. Faith, patience and love are virtues that steel everyone before visible and invisible enemies, who seek to deride and insult the Christian in his daily struggle for salvation and holiness.
Source: Church of Cyprus
