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| Sts. Lucia and Rexius and the 24 Martyrs with them (Feast Day - July 6) |
Verses
To Lucia and Rexius
Lucia saw the cutting of Rexius,
Having shattered the voice of timidity towards cutting.
To the 24 Martyrs
Twenty and four Martyrs was the work of the sword,
Perceiving it as on Your behalf, Christ the glory of Martyrs.
Lucia (Loukia),* the holy virgin, was a Christian from Campania in Italy who in the year 301 was seized by Rexius Vicarius.** He urged her to sacrifice to the idols and to disavow Christ. He not only failed to convince her, but she succeeded in winning him over to the Faith of Christ. For this, he greatly esteemed Lucia and established her in a quiet dwelling-place where she engaged in fasting and prayer.
There soon came a time when Lucia tried to persuade Rexius from abandoning his office as vicarius to become with her a martyr for Christ. Rexius was persuaded and departed with her, leaving behind his wife, children, wealth and every worldly and temporary glory.
After being apprehended by certain pagans, both called upon Christ and confessed Him as true God before the impious governor. He in turn sentenced them to be beheaded, and in this way they were crowned with an eternal wreath of victory for having endured the contest of martyrdom.
Also on this day, other holy martyrs were beheaded with them, including Sts. Anatolius, Antoninus, Lycias, Neas, Serinus, Diodorus, Dion, Apollonius, Apamus, Pappianus, Cottyius, Oronus, Papicus, Satyrus, Victor, and another nine; that is, twenty-four martyrs suffered with Sts. Lucia and Rexius.
Notes:
* This St. Lucia is not to be confused with the other St. Lucia of Sicily, commemorated by the Holy Church on the 13th of December.
** When Diocletian (284-305) divided the Roman Empire into dioceses, each was entrusted to a vicarius. They acted as judges of appeal from the courts of the provincial governors of their dioceses and had general supervision over their administration.