Saint Theodorit
Commemorated on March 8
Saint Theodorit
was a presbyter and maintainer of vessels at the cathedral church in Antioch.
This church was built and richly adorned by the emperor – holy
Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine the Great (306-337, Comm. 21 May) and his son
Constantius, and it was called among the people "the Golden church".
Having occupied the throne after the death of the emperor Constantius
(337-361), Julian the Apostate (361-363) decided to restore paganism throughout
all the Roman empire. The emperor appointed his uncle, also named Julian, as
governor of Antioch. He ordered him to close the Christian temples, and in
seizing the valuables within them to hand it over to the imperial treasury.
Wanting to please the emperor, the governor – also an apostate from the
Christian faith, set about his impious task with zeal. Arriving at Antioch with
the dignitary Felix, he gave orders to lock up the presbyter Theodorit under
guard, and he set about to his plundering, defiling the altar and the holy
altar-table. One of those present, Euzoios, tried to admonish the impiety, and
for this he was killed. Julian accused Theodorit of hiding the church
valuables, but the venerable maintainer of vessels denied the accusation and
openly denounced Julian for his apostasy.
Despite beastly
tortures, the holy martyr defended to the end his faith in Christ the Saviour,
and predicted a speedy death to Julian and the emperor for their sacrilege.
The soldiers,
torturing the faithful presbyter, struck by his firmness and endurance and the
strong power of the Word of God, were converted to faith in Christ, for which
they were drowned in the sea.
The holy confessor
was himself beheaded. The mockery and sacrilege over sacred things did not go
unpunished – the predictions of Saint Theodorit soon occurred: the governor
Julian died in agony from grievous illness, and the emperor Julian perished in
a campaign against the Persians.
© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos.