Was there really martyrdom?
Was there really martyrdom?
Many times, I
ask myself, are the stories of the saints we read really true? I mean, when we
take the Synaxarium and read the stories written in it, were the saints in the
Synaxarium really so steadfast, or is the Synaxarium just trying to exaggerate
a bit? It's for sure a bit exaggerated! It's not possible that every two pages
you find a saint's story going like this, ‘he went and confessed before the
king. He tried to soften him. And when he couldn't convince him, the king got
angry, threatened him, then tortured him severely. And when he gave up on him,
he cut off his head, and he achieved the crown of martyrdom! Blah blah blah’.
And of course, don't forget the occasional miracle here and there
Maybe the
saints' movies that spread in the late nineties - despite the very humble
efforts made with limited resources - helped shape this idea. I felt like they
all had the same shape in one way or another (the saint goes to the governor,
tells him straight up that he's a Christian, the governor tries to tempt him to
worship idols, the saint remains resolute, the governor tortures him, the
governor gets frustrated, and the governor kills the saint)." What? Did
all the martyrs have one big meeting and decided the exact way all of them are
going to die??
Today, by
chance, I came across two original manuscripts from Duke University in the
United States about martyrdom in the early church. One of them is a trial
record of a Christian man from the fourth century named Stephenus from a city
called Lyinou, and the governor who is judging him is named Arianus. The trial
text exactly aligns with the scenario we discussed above (you can find the
manuscript image under the link)
The governor
brought the priest Stephenus from prison to judge him and offer incense to the
idols:
- Governor (Arianus): Your name?
- = Stephenus: I am Stephenus, a
priest from the city of Lyinou.
- Governor: I want to pardon you.
- = Stephenus: I am a Christian.
- Governor: Offer a sacrifice to
the gods.
- = (Stephenus refuses again.)
- Governor: I'll give you some
time to think.
- = Stephenus: That won't change
anything. Christians don't offer sacrifices to idols.
- Governor: Don't you know I have
the authority to let you live (reminds of Pilate when he said to Christ,
"Do you refuse to speak to me? Don't you realize I have power either
to free you or to crucify you?" (John 19:10)).
- = Stephenus: I am a Christian
(very stubbornly...)
- Governor (after getting
frustrated): I tried with you a lot and promised to pardon you, but you
insist on defying the king and act like wild animals. That's why I have
sentenced you to be burned alive...
In the
colloquial way we put it, it's like the same "brain dryness" we read
in the Synaxarium. The same firmness we read about in the case of Stephenus in
the Acts of the Apostles when he faced the assembly of the Jews. When you add
the incident of the 21 martyrs from Libya to the scene, you truly feel that
time is passing, but the image of the martyrs remains constant, as if they are
a reflection of each other. The same steadfastness of faith, the same clarity
of purpose, the same strength in boldly confessing. It's like the Holy Spirit
within each soul, giving them at that moment what they should say, because the
credit is first and foremost from God, not from us. "And we all, with
unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the
same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord
who is the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:18).
The Eastern Churches, in general, have understood this concept well and
reflected this understanding in the portrayal of saints' icons. For example, in
Byzantine art, facial features are often depicted very closely. The features of
saints in the majority of Byzantine icons are as follows:
- Face: Tends to be olive-toned.
- Eyes: Widely open, signifying
witnessing the works of the Creator and through them, the knowledge of the
spiritual law is attained.
- Ears: Large, symbolizing a keen
hearing of the teachings of the Lord.
- Nose: Larger than normal, long
and slender, symbolizing that it no longer performs its function but
inhales the spiritual fragrance.
- Height: Virginity of the soul,
symbolizing the elevation of the soul and spirit toward its Creator.
- Halo: Symbolizing the divine
glory enveloping the saint and the light emanating from the saints,
surrounding the head as the center of spirit, thought, and understanding.
- Floating Mantle: Symbolizing
pain.
They don't
focus much on depicting the actual appearance of the saint but try to
approximate their personal features and emphasize their eternal image. Their
concern is with the eternal, not the earthly.
If God revealed
Himself through the Incarnation of the Son, then the Church is a continuation
of this evangelistic role by the work of the Holy Spirit within it. Our Lord,
who doesn't leave Himself without a witness, prays that we realize the power,
effectiveness, and greatness of our union with Him, represented by the faith of
this cloud of witnesses and martyrs, so that we may carry out our evangelistic
work for the people of this time, that they may glorify our God in heaven.
Glory be to God Forevermore Amen.
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