April 18 according to the Church Calendar
1. VENERABLE JOHN, THE DISCIPLE OF SAINT GREGORY DECAPOLIS
At the time of the Iconoclastic heresy, Emperor Leo the Armenian subjected John to torture along with his teacher Gregory and St. Joseph the Hymnographer. When Gregory departed this life, John became the abbot of the Decapolis Monastery in Constantinople. Having become abbot, he intensified his ascetical efforts for the sake of the kingdom of God. He died peacefully about the year 820 A.D. Following his death, St. Joseph buried him with honors next to the grave of St. Gregory.
2. HOLY MARTYR JOHN THE NEW OF IOANNINA
John was born in Ioannina, once the capitol city of the Emperor Pyrrhus. When his impoverished parents died, the young John moved to Constantinople and there continued his occupation, for he was a craftsman. Not long before that, the Turks surrounded Constantinople and many Christians, out of fear, denied Christ and embraced the Islamic faith. St. John had his workshop in the midst of these converts to Islam. The more the young John burned with love for Christ the Lord, the more openly he exposed himself as a Christian before these traitors of Christ. He began to argue with them about faith and, finally, rebuked them for their betrayal of Christ. They dragged him before the judge and falsely accused John, alleging that he had earlier embraced Islam, and that he again reverted to Christianity. After he was tortured and beaten with rods and iron ramrods, they cast him into prison. The next day was the Feast of the Resurrection of Christ and, again, they brought him out for further torture and John emerged singing: "Christ is risen from the dead!" To his torturers, he bravely said: " Do what you want in order to send me as soon as possible from this transient life to eternal life. I am Christ's slave, I follow Christ, for Christ I die that I may live with Him!" After that, John was bound in chains and brought to the place of burning. Upon seeing a large fire prepared for him, John ran and leaped into the flames. His torturers seeing how he loved death in the fire removed him from the fire and sentenced him to be beheaded. After they beheaded him, they threw his head and body into the fire. Later on, Christians leafed through the ashes and gathered some of the remains of his honorable and wonder-working relics and interred them in the Great Church [Agia Sophia - Church of the Holy Wisdom] in Constantinople. Thus, St. John of Ioannina died a martyr's death and received the glorious martyr's wreath on April 18, 1526 A. D.
3. THE HOLY MARTYRS VICTOR, ZOTICUS, ZENO, ACYNDIUS AND SEVERIAN
All five were martyred during the reign of Emperor Diocletian. They were pagans until they witnessed the sufferings of St. George the Great Martyr. While witnessing the sufferings and bravery of this glorious martyr and the many miracles, which were manifested, they embraced the Christian Faith for which, in a short while, they too suffered and were crowned with glory.
THE HOLY MARTYR JOHN THE NEW
John the Artisan, of honest craft,
His soul was as bright as a lump of gold,
By the teaching of Christ, wonderfully illumined,
And he prays to God: to wed him with suffering,
Oh Victorious Christ, Who for me was crucified,
From sinful darkness, cleanse me by suffering!
The shameful glory of a traitor, Oh do not give me,
But wed me with the sufferings of Your sufferers.
Prepare me for sufferings with Your Holy Spirit,
And allow sufferings and, to me direct them,
And You, Mother of God, of infinite mercy
Who, under the Honorable Cross of Your Son stood,
Pray for me at the time of my sufferings,
That, as an impregnable wall, I be firm.
Even you, O holy apostles, have mercy,
That the devil of the human race not prevail against me
Martyrs holy, my rejoicing,
Into your ranks, receive me also!
And now, torturers; traitors of God -
Yours is the sword and fire - here is my body!
In one of the writings of the martyrdom of Christians during the reign of the Persian Emperor Sapor, it is said: "The swords became dull, the sword-bearers fell and the sword-makers fatigued, but the Cross is uplifted even higher and glistened from the blood of Christ's martyrs." How many and how many times did the persecutors of Christians complacently think that they were through with Christianity forever? In essence, their lives have ended while Christianity has always regenerated itself and blossomed anew. Nevertheless, even in addition to that experience, some of our contemporaries think, that the Christian Faith can be uprooted by force. But, they do not say by what means. They forget that all those means have been tried and all without success. With reason Tertullian cried out to the pagans: "In vain do you spill our blood. For the blood of the martyrs is the seed of Christianity."
To contemplate the resurrected Lord Jesus:
1. How His resurrection brought unspeakable joy to those who loved Him;
2. How His resurrection brought unspeakable bitterness to those who hated Him;
3. How His last coming [Second Advent] into the world in glory and power will provoke among various people, various feelings; either joy or bitterness.
About the testimony of reliable witnesses
"But we have been eyewitnesses of His mighty glory" (2 Peter 1:16).
When the apostles speak about the glorious resurrection of the Lord, they speak in plurality. For each one of them gives his testimony and the testimony of other companions. Thus, the Apostle Peter writes: "We do not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty" (2 Peter 1:16).
Nathaniel did not want to believe only by hearing. That is why the Apostle Philip invited Nathaniel to "Come and see!" (St. John 1:46). Nathaniel came, saw and believed. So it was with the other apostles, until they approached Christ, until they heard, and until they saw, they did not want to believe. Cleverly devised myths did not attract the apostles. Their healthy natural thoughts sought visual facts and not myths.
O my brethren, our Faith is well established and proved. The trail of God is well blazoned in the world. No one has need to doubt. Christ's resurrection is well witnessed. No one need to despair. Doubt and despair are two worms that are born of fly larva of sin. He who does not sin, clearly sees the blazoned trail of God in the world and clearly recognizes the resurrection of Christ.
O resurrected Lord, strengthen us by the power of Your Holy Spirit so that we sin no more and that we do not become blinded to Your trail in the world and to Your glorious resurrection.