Today, Wednesday, September 23, the Orthodox Church celebrates the wondrous event of the conception of the Honorable Forerunner by the barren Elizabeth. It honors the memory of the venerable sisters Xanthippe and Polyxene, and the martyrs Peter and Anthony.
Besides the Nativity, we also celebrate the conception of our Savior Jesus Christ, at the Annunciation of the Theotokos; likewise, we celebrate the birth and conception of two more figures: the Theotokos Mary, born to Saint Anna, and Saint John the Forerunner, born to Saint Elizabeth — whom Christ described as the greatest man ever born of woman.
The two brothers, Peter and Anthony, came from Syracuse. After the city fell, they were captured and raised in an environment of a different religion. This, however, did not prevent them from remaining steadfast in the Christian faith and teaching. When the moment came, and it was revealed that they were Christians, they did not hesitate to confess their faith in the God-man Jesus Christ.
Then the ruler, in a savage rage, ordered horrific tortures against them, which they endured with a courage and endurance worthy of the imitation of the Savior Christ.
The brave Christian soldiers surrendered their spirits to the Lord and received the unfading crowns of the Kingdom of Heaven.
The solidarity, unity of spirit, mutual support, and shared martyrdom for the Orthodox faith of the two brothers, Peter and Anthony, as well as of the venerable Xanthippe and Polyxene, express the unity and harmony among the members of a family — father, mother, and children — elements that should also govern the family today as a blessing from the Triune God.
Source: Church of Cyprus
