By Bishop Gregorios of Mesaoria
The Holy Church today commemorates the Holy Martyrs Florus and Laurus, who were twin brothers, as well as the martyr Leo. In addition to their brotherly love, the twin brothers were more closely associated with the common Orthodox faith and the love of Christ, taught by their teachers Proculus and Maximus, who are also Christian Matryrs.
The two Saints, who were excellent stone sculptors by profession, were found for business in Illyricum, where the local ruler Licinius gave them a lot of money and employed them in the construction of a pagan temple. They, after distributing the money to the poor, prayed to Christ, with the help of Whom they completed the temple in a few days.
This made the idolatrous Mamertin and his son Athanasius to convert to Christianity, as did the poor, who had been benefited both spiritually and materially by the Holy Brothers.
All those who benefited from the saints Florus and Laurus tore down the idols and publicly confessed their Christian status, resulting in the death of martyrdom by the ruler Licinius.
The two brothers were thrown into a deep well, where they received wreaths of martyrdom, due to their steadfast devotion to the path of the Holy Gospel.
Source: Church of Cyprus
