Feb. 7 – Ven. Parthenius

Venerable Parthenius was bishop of the city of Lampsacus. He lived in the 4th century. The son of a deacon, in his boyhood he occupied himself with fishing, and by selling the fish he caught, he distributed the money to the poor. Though he was not taught letters, he loved to listen to the reading of the divine Scriptures and knew much of them by heart. The bishop of Melitopolis, learning of the boy’s piety, ordered him to be taught to read and write; and when he reached mature age, he ordained him presbyter, and later he became bishop. For his godly life he was granted the gifts of clairvoyance and wonderworking. While bishop, with the permission of Emperor Constantine, he destroyed idolatrous temples, built churches of God, and converted many pagans to Christ. Saint Parthenius reposed in great old age.

Venerable Luke was born in Hellas (Greece), to poor farmers. He tended sheep and worked the land. Even in his youth he was distinguished by extraordinary piety: he was modest, quiet, ate little food, was exceedingly obedient to his parents, and loved to help the poor—often giving them the food taken from home for himself, and remaining hungry himself. After his father’s death, he secretly left his mother and entered a monastery. His mother grieved deeply for her son and prayed to God for his return. And what happened? To the abbot of the monastery where Luke was laboring, a woman appeared more than once in a dream-vision and reproachfully said: “Why do you wrong me, a poor widow? Return to me my only son, the comfort of my old age, whom you have taken; otherwise I will not cease crying out to God.” Then the abbot, realizing that this concerned Luke, commanded him to return to his mother. Luke returned sorrowfully, comforted his mother, lived with her for a time, and after receiving her blessing, again withdrew to the desert. He was granted the gifts of clairvoyance and wonderworking. Once a certain man came to Luke. Upon seeing the visitor, he exclaimed: “When will you confess your sin before a priest? Fear God for your sin!” It turned out that this was a murderer. Then the sinner, weeping, told of his crime and asked the venerable one to pray for him. Foreseeing his approaching end, Luke shut himself in and prepared for death for three months. He reposed around the year 950. His relics rest concealed in Hellas; the marble slab over them from time to time exudes myrrh.

The 1003 Martyrs were all servants of four royal Christian nobles in Nicomedia: Saints Vassa, Eusebius, Eutychius, and Basilides (commemorated January 20). After the martyric death of their masters, they agreed to follow their example so as to rejoice together with them in heaven. Appearing before Diocletian, they declared themselves Christians. The emperor, seeing such a great multitude of Christians come before him, was at first dismayed; then he tried with flattery to persuade them to renounce Christ, and afterward began to threaten them. “We desire none of your gifts, nor do we fear your threats. For us there is nothing better or more precious than Christ,” the martyrs answered. Then Diocletian ordered his soldiers to behead them all with the sword. This took place in 303.