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| St. Lykarion of Hermopolis (Feast Day - June 7) |
Verses
Without making a sound Lykarion approaches the sword,
Like a lamb before its shearing.
Like a lamb before its shearing.
He was from the city of Hermopolis which is in Egypt. Arrested for his Christian faith, he was brought for trial, and stood before the ruler there, who urged him to deny Christ. Unable to be persuaded, he was placed in a dark and very dirty prison. After a few days, they removed him from prison, and they lacerated him with iron, then crucified him on a cross, and they struck all the members of his body. After this they beat him and stretched him on the rack, and they also burned his sides, burning also his chest with red hot iron rods.
After this they placed him in a burning furnace, where they left the Saint for three days, being kept unharmed by the grace of God. They then forced him to consume a poisoned drink, which was inactive in its effect. By this miracle, he brought to the faith of Christ the one who made the deadly poison. For this he was beheaded and received from the Lord the crown of martyrdom. After this, they cut the tendons of the Martyr, and put him in a fiery cauldron. Then they scalped his head, and finally beheaded him, and in this way the blessed one received the unfading crown of martyrdom.*
Notes:
* This Saint is also celebrated on February 8th, where it says he suffered martyrdom with his sisters Martha and Mary.