by Bishop Gregory of Mesaoria
Today our Church commemorates the martyrs Asterios the Wonderworker and Dometius of Persia († 363).
Saint and Martyr Dometius was of Persian descent and lived in the years of Constantine the Great. He was taught the teaching of the Holy Gospel by a Christian named Uaros. When the people of his house heard of it, they revolted against him, and Dometius was forced to abandon them, desiring total devotion to Christ the Savior.
He fled to the city of Nisibis in Mesopotamia, at the Byzantine border, where he was housed in a monastery. From there, however, he departed to come to Theodosiopolis, to the monastery of Saints Sergius and Bacchus.
The monastery was under the guidance of Archimandrite Urbelos, who, seeing the morality, philanthropy, fellow feelings and the intrinsik spiritual superiority of Dometius, wished to introduce him to the priesthood, suggesting that he be ordained a Presbyter.
Dometius, moved by humility, fled to the mountains in Syria, living in a cave, instead of remaining in office.
One day, emperor Julian the Apostate passed by and ordered his soldiers to have St. Dometius stoned to death because they found him praying with his monk disciples.
Source: Church of Cyprus
