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| Holy Martyr Mertios (Feast Day - January 12) |
Verses
Longing for God on high alone was your strength,
While being flogged very excessively Mertios.
Mertios was a soldier in the Mauritanian battalion during the reign of Diocletian (284-305). In the year 298, it was reported that he was a Christian, for which he was arrested and brought before the emperor, who urged Mertios to offer sacrifice to the idols. Being unpersuaded, they stripped him of his belt which was a symbol of his military rank. Afterwards he was beaten with wooden rods and they tore up his flesh. The Saint endured the cruel tortures with a brave heart, so that not even the slightest noise escaped from his mouth. This amazed the tyrant, and left him astounded.
Since he was made to undergo such a beating for a long time, the body of the Martyr was left completely wounded. For this reason the tyrant ordered that he be thrown into prison. After the passage of eight days, a heavy discharge of pus exuded from the wounds of the Saint, which also emitted a foul odor. Overcome by the pain, the athlete of Christ delivered his honorable soul into the hands of God, thus receiving the incorruptible crown of martyrdom.