- Martyrdom of St. Bacchus the companion of St. Sergius
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Martyrdom of St. Bacchus the
companion of St. Sergius
On this day we commemorate the martyrdom of St. Bacchus the companion
of St. Sergius. When the Emperor Maximianus seized these saints,
he tortured them severely after stripping them from their army
ranks. Then he sent them to Antiochus, King of Syria, who imprisoned
St. Sergius, but ordered that St. Bacchus be slain and be weighed
with stones and cast into the River Euphrates. The Lord guarded
the body and the waves threw it up on the coast near two ascetic
holy anchorites who were brothers.
The angel of the Lord appeared and commanded the holy men to carry away the body of the Saint. When they went there they found an eagle and a lion guarding it without harm even though they were flesh eating.
The two holy men carried the body with great dignity, singing hymns until they came to their cave where they buried it.
May his prayers be with us. Glory be to God forever. Amen.