Guri samon aviv in what cases they pray. Prayers to the Martyrs and Confessors Guri, Samon and Aviv. Prayer to Guria, Samon and Aviv from accidental death

[Sir. , , ; Greek Γουρίας, Σαμωνᾶς, ῎Αβ(β)ιβος] (III - early IV c.), martyrs, confessors (Commemorated Nov. 15), the most famous Sirs. saints, information about which was preserved by Eastern Christ. tradition. The time of their death is dated in various hagiographic sources from 293 to 322 (they are called 303, 304, 293-306, 306). Lit. tradition and church veneration united the martyrs who suffered at different times. Most likely, G. and S. suffered during the persecution of imp. Diocletian. G., nicknamed for the ascetic way of life "abstinence", and his friend S. with the beginning of persecution in Edessa (now Urfa, Turkey) left their hometown, but among other Christians were captured by Rome. the governor of Edessa Antoninus and imprisoned. Antoninus unsuccessfully tried to persuade the saints to sacrifice to Jupiter. Then G. and S. appeared before the court of Rome. ruler of the region Musonia built. By his order, G. and S., tied to each other by the hands, with a stone tied to their feet, were left hanging for several. hours, and after being tortured they were sent to a cramped dungeon, where the saints spent approx. 3 months (according to Aretha of Caesarea, the author of the commendable word G., S. and A., the martyrs spent many years in prison, for which they were called confessors). When they were again brought to Musonius, G. was exhausted by imprisonment, since he was much older than S., who looked still strong, so he was again subjected to torture, hanging upside down. The next day, by order of the ruler, the martyrs were beheaded outside the city. Their bodies were buried by Christians.

Many years later, a deacon named A. lived in Edessa. During the persecution of imp. Licinius (320-324), he received a denunciation with accusations of spreading Christianity, and by order of Emperor A. was arrested. The ruler of the city of Lysanias tried to persuade him to sacrifice to the pagan gods, but, having not achieved success, he sentenced him to be burned. After the execution, the Christians, among whom were A.'s mother and relatives, found his body intact and buried in the same tomb with the victims G. and S. The martyrdom of these saints fell on one day with a difference of several. years, they are also called confessors or, in the Minology of Basil II, priests.

The story about the miracle of G., S. and A. (395?) became famous. In connection with the invasion of Byzantium by the Huns, who threatened Edessa, a large army was assembled, part of which were Goths. mercenaries. One of them stayed in Edessa at the house of the pious widow Sophia, who had a beautiful daughter, Euphemia. The Goth began to demand to give the girl to him as his wife, but the widow did not agree, referring to the rumors that had reached her that there would be Bud in her homeland. The groom already has a family. But the Goth denied these rumors, continuing to insist on his own and acting either by persuasion or by threats. In the end, Sophia gave Euphemia as a wife to a Goth. Meanwhile, the enemies retreated, and the Goth, along with his pregnant wife, had to return to their homeland. Before parting with her daughter, Sophia brought the spouses to the church G., S. and A. and on their grave made the Goth swear fidelity to Euphemia and love for her, which he did. But as soon as he came to his homeland, he ordered her to change into the dress of a servant and brought her into the house, where his wife and children were waiting for him, as a prisoner. When Euphemia gave birth to a boy, the Goth's wife guessed that this was his son, and Euphemia was not a simple servant, and poisoned the baby out of jealousy. Seeing poison on the lips of a dead baby, Euphemia dipped a piece of wool into it and after several. days, she soaked a flap in a goblet, from which her mistress was supposed to drink at dinner. She, having tasted the drink, died. Her relatives blamed Euphemia for everything and sentenced her to be buried alive with her mistress. The coffin of the deceased was opened and Euphemia was placed there. The woman prayed to the martyrs G., S. and A., they appeared to her in the form of riders on white horses and transferred to their church in Edessa. There the priest found her and, having learned her wonderful story, handed her over to her mother. After some time, the Huns again began to threaten Edessa, and troops were again drawn into the city. The Goth came to Sophia's house as a son-in-law and said that her daughter was healthy, she had given birth to a boy and they lived happily. Sophia then brought Euphemia unharmed to him, and the Goth had to confess everything. His confession was recorded and handed over to the authorities, by order of the ruler he was beheaded.

Most researchers recognize the historical value of the acts of martyrdom of G. and S., the original version of which was created in Syr. language shortly after the event. It has not been preserved and is known only from ancient translations into Greek, ancient Armenian. and lat. languages. Sir who has come down to us. the text of the Martyrdom was found in a 15th-century manuscript. and published in con. 19th century Patriarch of Antioch Ignatius II Rahmani (BHO, N 363). The text contains the name of the author - Theophilus the Edessian, who reports about himself that he was a pagan by birth, but converted to Christianity and compiled the narrative 5 days after the martyrdom of G. and S. A separate Martyrdom of A also belongs to him. It is possible that Theophilus' work on 2 texts is connected with the construction in Edessa on the initiative of Bishop. Abraham of the temple dedicated to 3 martyrs, in which their relics were placed. According to the Edessa Chronicle of the 6th c. and anonymous sir. chronicles of the 13th century, this construction took place in 345. Saints were considered the patrons of Edessa. Later, another temple was erected in honor of the martyrs, which was located at the west. city ​​gate. Apparently, the joint veneration of 3 saints also arose very early. Researchers date both sir. Martyrdom until 360, since the exploits of 3 saints were sung in one of the homilies of St. Ephrem the Syrian (Ephraemi Syri Hymni et sermones / Ed. Th. Lamy. Mechliniae, 1889. T. 3. P. 855), and later in the laudatory word Sir. the theologian James of Sarug (451-521) (BHO, N 366).

In the ancient Sir. The calendar contains the memory of 3 martyrs - G. and S. on the 15th of the month of Teshri the second (November), A. - on the 2nd of the month of Ilul (Sept.). In the 1st floor. 6th century Martyrdom received lit. continuation in the hagiographic work "The story of Euphemia, daughter of Sophia, and the miracle that the confessors Samon, Gury and Aviv performed with them." Thanks to this miracle, sir. the martyrs began to be considered the patrons of the family and marriage, they are also turned to for help in family troubles. The original "History..." was written in Syriac by a Syrian author. But only in Greek. In the manuscript tradition, all 3 texts were combined and formed a single hagiographic complex. This cycle was repeatedly processed and expounded by various writers, starting with St. Simeon Metaphrastus (X century, BHG, N 736-738b) and ending with the Soviet writer K. A. Trenev (the story "Pleasers of Edessa" in the book: Trenev K. A. Tales and stories. M., 1977). The cult of saints became widespread in Byzantium. In addition to Lit. processing of Simeon Metaphrastus in Greek. language survived several. editions of the anonymous translation of the Martyrdom (BHG, N 731-735b), there was a separate story about the miracle of G., S. and A. (BHG, N 739-739k). The eulogy to the martyrs of Aretha of Caesarea (IX-X centuries) (BHG, N 740) contains a lot of additional information about the saints, sometimes at odds with the acts. In present time published 2 transferable arm. (VNO, N 364-365) and lat. (BHL, N 7477) The martyrdoms of G., S. and A. the language of the Martyrdom of G. and S. and A. and the "Stories of Euthymius" (Joseph, archim. Table of contents VMC. Stb. 185).

The existence of a church in the name of the martyrs in the K-field and the presence of the relics of saints in it is reported by Archbishop Anthony. Novgorodsky, in the description of his pilgrimage (1200). The church was located not far from the forum of Constantine (in Archbishop Anthony - "Plakota"), when and by whom it was built is unknown.

In 1613, a chapel was mentioned in the name of the martyrs in c. Savior on Senya in the Moscow Kremlin. In con. 17th century aisle dedicated to 3 Sir. martyrs, was erected at the temple of Prop. Elijah in Yaroslavl.

Source: BHO, N 363-366; BHG, N 731-740m; SynCP. Col. 225; P.G. 117 Col. 161 [Minology of Basil II]; Acta sanctorum confessorum Guriae et Shamonae exarata syriace lingua a Theophilo Edesseno anno Chr. 297/Ed. Ignatius Ephraem II Rahmani, patriarch of Antioch. R., 1899. P. 1-19; Cureton W. Ancient Syriac Documents. L.; Edinb., 1864. P. 72-85; bedjan. acta. T. 1. P. 144-160; Die Akten der edessenischen Bekenner Gurjas, Samonas und Abibos: Aus dem Nachlass von O. von Gebhardt / Hrsg. E. von Dobschutz. Lpz., 1911; Pilgrim book. pp. 31, 60, 89; ZhSv. Nov. pp. 412-433.

Lit .: Sergius (Spassky). Monthly. T. 3. S. 471; Duval R. La literature syriaque. P., 19073. P. 117-118; Baumstark. Geschichte. S. 29; Halkin F. L "éloge des trois confesseurs d" Edesse par Aréthas de Césarée // MFO. 1962 Vol. 38. P. 269-276; Devos P. La liste martyrologique des Actes de Guria et Shamona // AnBoll. 1972 Vol. 90. P. 15-26; Pigulevskaya N . IN . Syrian culture in the Middle Ages. M., 1979. S. 190; Janine. Églises et monasteres. P. 80; Sauget Y.-M. Gurias, Samonas et Habib // DHgE. Vol. 22.Col. 1193-1194; idem. Gurya, Šmu na e Habb // BiblSS. Vol. 7. P. 540-543; Paykova A . IN . Legends and tales in the monuments of Sir. hagiography // PPS. 1990. Issue. 30(93); Chiesa P. Il dossier agiografico latino dei santi Gurias, Samonas e Abibos // Aevum. Mil., 1991. Vol. 65. P. 221-258; Sagarda N . I ., Sagarda A . AND . A complete course of lectures on patrology. SPb., 2004. S. 1109.

E. N. Meshcherskaya

hymnography

The memory of G., S. and A. is celebrated in the Typicon of the Great c. IX-X centuries (Mateos. Typicon. T. 1. P. 102) without liturgical following. In the Studio-Aleksievsky Typikon of 1034 (Pentkovsky. Typikon. S. 296), the charter of the service is not painted, but in glory. Studio Menaions of the XI-XII centuries. the succession of saints includes 2 cycles of stichera-like (out of which one is printed in modern liturgical books) and the canon (Yagich. Service Menaia. S. 377-382), and in the Stichiraries of the XII-XIV centuries. saints are written out self-voiced. In the Evergetid Typicon, con. 11th century (Dmitrievsky. Description. S. 313-314) on the day of memory of G., S. and A., an everyday service was laid with the singing of "Alleluia" at Vespers and Matins. In the Messinian Typicon of 1131 (Arranz . Typicon. P. 55) the charter of the service is the same as in the Evergetid Typicon (but on the “Lord, I cried out” stichera are sung not only by G., S. and A., but also by the Mother of God , which in the later Typicons is a characteristic feature of the everyday worship of small fasts). In various editions of the Jerusalem Charter, the service of G., S. and A. is described either as an all-day service with the singing of a dismissal troparion (for example, in the first printed Greek Typicon of 1545), or as an everyday service of small fasts with the singing of "Alleluia"; such a fluctuation in the status of the service is due to the fact that, on the one hand, November 15 is the 1st day of the Nativity Fast (and, consequently, on this day it is highly desirable to perform the service according to the fast charter), on the other hand, martyrs G ., S. and A. were especially revered saints. For these reasons, early printed Russian. Typicon (M., 1610) contains contradictory indications - the service of G., S. and A. here simultaneously contains solemn (2 self-voiced, troparion at the end of Vespers, luminaries of the saints according to the 9th song of the canon of Matins) and guards ("Alleluia" instead of “God is the Lord”, the sentinel lamp according to the 9th song of the canon of Matins) elements; at the liturgy - readings of G., S. and A. (prokeimenon from Ps 15, Eph 6. 10-17, alleluia with a verse from Ps 33, Luke 12. 8-12, communion Ps 32. 1). In the first printed November Menaion (M., 1610), it is explained on this occasion that on November 15. on weekdays, a service should be performed with the “Alleluia” (and the abolition of self-voiced and troparion) “honor for the sake of holy fasting”, and on Saturday and Sunday, the festive elements of the following of the saints are not canceled. In subsequent Russian editions of the Typicon, the dual status of the memory of G., S. and A. is preserved, while the composition of the succession of G., S. and A. in Greek. The publications of the Menaion unequivocally indicate that the service was not performed according to the rank of guard.

Follow G., S. and A., placed in modern. liturgical books, includes a troparion of the 1st (i.e., 5th) plagal tone: Τὰ θαύματα τῶν ῾Αγίων σου Μαρτύρων̇ (); the kontakion of the 2nd voice is similar to “Seeking the Highest”: ᾿Εξ ὕψους, σοφοὶ, τὴν χάριν κομισάμενοι̇ (); canon 4th tone, acrostic: Τοὺς τρεῖς ὁμοῦ λέγοντας αἰνῶ προφρόνως. Θεοφάνους ( . ), irmos: Θαλάσσην τὸ ἐρυθραῖον πέλαγος̇ (), initial: Τριάδος τὴν μοναρχίαν, ῞Αγιοι, θεολογοῦντες σεπτῶς ( ); 2 is self-voiced, a cycle of 3 stichera-like, luminous. The chant also contains the stichera of the Mother of God (for singing them instead of the stichera of the Oktoechos during the service with the "Alleluia"; they are not found in Greek books).

In Greek In manuscripts, another canon of G., S. and A., 4th (i.e. 8th) plagal tone, an acrostic: ῾Υμνῶ Σαμωνᾶν, ῎Αββιβον καὶ Γουρίαν, has been preserved. ᾿Ιωσήφ (I sing Samon, Aviv and Guria. Joseph), irmos: ῾Αρματηλάτην Θαραὼ ἐβύθισε̇ ( ), beginning: ῾Υμνολογίαις ἱεραῖς τιμήσωμεν (Let us honor with sacred hymns) (Ταμεῖον. Σ. 95).

A. A. Lukashevich

Iconography

The images of G., S. and A. are common in Eastern Christ. art in monumental painting, on icons and in facial manuscripts. As a rule, the saints are depicted together: G. - a gray-haired old man with a long beard, S. - a medieval man with dark, less often with gray hair and a small beard, A. - young, beardless, sometimes with a Humenian on his head. G. and S. are dressed in chitons and himations, each has a cross in his right hand, A. in accordance with the rank of deacon in a surplice, with a censer in his hand or with a cross and a censer.

In Byzantium. and post-Byzantine. In art, images of saints are most often found in wall paintings. In the XI century. in the Cappadocian churches: Ala-kilis in the village. Belisyrma; St. Theodora (Tagar) in the village. Yeshiloz; St. George in Achiksaray. From the 12th century their images become especially numerous: in the katholikon of the monastery of Daphne, Greece (c. 1100), in the c. St. Doctors in Kastoria (end of the 12th century); in the parecclesion of Our Lady of Mon-rya ap. John the Evangelist on the island of Patmos (c. 1200); in the north-west. parts of c. Christ in Verria (XIII century); in c. Righteous Joachim and Anna (Kraleva Church) in the monastery of Studenica, Serbia (1314); in the catholicon of the monastery of Hora (Kahriye-jami) in the K-field (1316-1321); in c. vmch. George in Staro Nagorichino, Macedonia (1317-1318); in c. Annunciation of the Mon-rya Grachanitsa (c. 1320); in c. St. Taxiarchs in Kastoria (1359/60); in the refectory of the Lavra of St. Athanasius on Mount Athos (1512); to the sowing arch in the Cathedral of St. Nicholas Monastery of Anapavs in Meteora, master Theophanes of Crete (1527); in c. Philanthropinon on the lake. Janina (Pamvotida) (1531/32, 1542); in mon-re Moldovitsa, Romania, master Foma Suceavsky (1537); in the narthex of the cathedral of the Great Meteora monastery (1552); in the Metropolis in Kalambaka (XVI century); in the chapel of St. Archangels Cathedral of the Mon-rya St. John the Baptist in Seres, Greece (1634); in Mon-re Horesu, Romania (1654); in the monastery of the Holy Trinity in Meteora (1692), etc. The images of the saints are presented on miniatures of minologies: Vat. gr. 1156. Fol. 268r (3rd quarter of the 11th century); Pantel. 100. Fol. 11 (XI century) - miniature on fragments from the Life of G., S. and A.; Sinait. 500. Fol. 281v (XII century); Bodl. F. 1. Fol. 17r (1327-1340); 2 times in Greek cargo. 15th century manuscripts (RNB. O. I. 58) - shouldered in medallions among other martyrs (L. 54v.-55) and full-length (L. 87).

In the menaias (manuscripts, wall paintings, icons), the scene of the martyrdom of saints was often presented: in the miniature Minologiya of Basil II (Vat. gr. 1613. Fol. 183, 976-1025); on the icon-minea (on Sept., Oct. and Nov.), the so-called. Sinai hexaptych (XII century, monastery of the Great Martyr Catherine on Sinai), - beheading of the heads of G. and S.; in the painting of the narthex of the churches of the Ascension of the monastery of Decany, Serbia (1348-1350), and the Holy Trinity of the monastery of Cozia in Wallachia, Romania (c. 1386), - beheading with a sword G. and S., A. burned in a furnace, c. St. Apostles [St. Savior], Pech Patriarchate, Serbia (1561), - G., S. and A. truncated with a sword.

On Byzantium. icons they were mainly depicted as part of selected saints: on the icon “The Mother of God with the Child and selected saints” (Yanina or Meteora, between 1367 and 1384, the monastery of the Transfiguration in Meteora), only G. and S. are represented (there were reliquaries under the images) ; this icon became a model for a diptych fold (Meteors or K-pol, 1382-1384, Museum of the Diocese of Cuenca, Spain).

A special veneration for G., S. and A. in Rus' arose in Vel. Novgorod at the beginning 15th century Dec 21 1410 in St. Sophia Cathedral there was a “sign” “about the judgments of the Church” from the icon of the martyrs (NPL. S. 402-403; Novgorod. 4th chronicle // PSRL. 2000p. T. 4. Part 1. S. 410 -411, 605). The essence of this "sign" is not completely clear. The data of some chronicles that the miracle was associated with "church vessels" seem unreliable, since in the hagiographic tradition saints are usually associated with justice. In memory of the event, Archbishop John of Novgorod in 1411 built a stone church of G., S. and A. with a separate entrance, adjoining the southwest. corner of the cathedral. The church gave its name to the "Confessional" gate leading from the Kremlin to the bishop's residence. In later sources, it was considered as a marginal one. Preserved to the present. time in a modified form. The image of the martyrs was placed in the iconostasis to the right of the royal doors, after. moved. It is mentioned in cathedral inscriptions before the beginning. 20th century as "shabby" ( Macarius (Mirolyubov), archim. Archaeological description of church antiquities in Novgorod and its environs. M., 1860. Part 1. S. 47-48, 62; Part 2. S. 64-65, 156, 157; Inventory of the property of the Novgorod Sophia Cathedral XVIII - early. 19th century Novgorod, 1993. Issue. 3. S. 29; Inventory of the property of the St. Sophia Cathedral in 1833 / Public: E. A. Gordienko, G. K. Markina // NIS. SPb., 2003. Issue. 9(19). pp. 512, 538-539). The icon was lost during the Second World War. Preserved 2 instructive works of archbishop. John related to the miracle: “Blessing of Archbishop John of Novgorod to the Christians of St. Sophia” and “Decree on the Procuration of the Holy Three Confessors Gury, Samon and Aviva”, preserved in the collection of the Sophia Library No. 836 (Macariy. History of the RC. Vol. S. 457). Vladyka, having sent lists of the icon to the bishop's estates, banned the custom of cross-kissing oaths as a means of resolving civil disputes. Instead, he offered to pray to G., S. and A. and, after the Divine Liturgy, to perform the rite of “God’s judgment” using the service prosphora (see: PDRKP. Part 1. No. 36. Stb. 305-308; see also: Almazov A. I. Trial by consecrated bread: View of "God's judgment" for the denunciation of a thief. Od., 1904).

Aisles in the name of G., S. and A. existed in the c. St. John the Warrior in Moscow, where 2 icons of these saints of the 17th century have been preserved, and in the c. prophet Elijah in Yaroslavl. In the painting of the chapel of the last (last quarter of the 17th century), in the 2nd and 3rd tiers, scenes from the Lives of the Saints are presented, illustrating the Sir. hagiographic cycle in origin: preaching Christianity G. and S. (3 stamps), G. and S. before the ruler of Edessa Antonin, G. and S. are removed in the vicinity of Edessa, G. and S. before Antonin, G. and. S. in prison, G. and S. in front of the governor of the region Musonius, torture of G. and S. (hanging by the hands), G. and S. in prison, G. and S. in front of Musonius, torture of G. and S. ( hanging by the legs), S. is carried to the dungeon, G. is taken to the dungeon, S. is brought to Musonius, the trial of G. and S., the execution of G. and S., the burial of G. and S., the preaching of Christianity by A., A. in front of the ruler of Edessa Lisaniy, the torment of A., A. is brought to the place of execution, the execution of A. at the stake and the acquisition of his intact body, the position of G., S. and A. in the temple of Edessa. The story of the posthumous miracle of G., S. and A. - the salvation of Euphemia, set out in 6 hallmarks, is a separate theme of the hagiographic cycle. In the same temple, the images of G., S. and A. are presented in the gallery - to the left of the app. portal in the ktitor composition: the heavenly patrons of the temple, Prop. Elijah, Saints Varlaam Khutynsky, G., S. and. A. in the presence of Jesus Christ, depicted in the cloudy segment at the top center; in the Pokrovsky aisle to the north. wall in the 1st tier of painting - 2 scenes with posthumous miracles.

By the will of the customers, G., S. and A. were often depicted on inset and home icons, included in the list of selected saints: “Saints Gury, Samon and Aviv” (1st half - middle of the 16th century, TsMiAR); “Selected saints: Guriy, Samon and Aviv, Sergius of Radonezh and John in anticipation of the icon of the Assumption of the Mother of God” (Yekaterinburg, until 1815, EMII; the inscription on the contribution of the icon to the monastery in Yekaterinburg “by John Syreyshchikov after the death of his daughter Elizabeth” has been preserved); “Martyrs Guriy, Samon, Aviv and St. Alexander Svirsky in Prayer to the Savior Emmanuel” (late 17th century, Museum “Ipatiev Monastery”, Kostroma), “Saints Guriy, Samon and Aviv in front of the image of the Savior Not Made by Hands” (2nd quarter - middle of the 17th century, private collection M. B. Mindlin); “Selected Saints: Gury, Samon and Aviv” (end of the 18th - beginning of the 19th century, CHOKG).

In the Greek icon-painting original "Erminia" by Dionysius Fournoagrafiot (XVIII century), in sec. “Martyrs” (Ch. 3. § 10. No. 13-15), G. is presented as “an old man with a short beard”, S. “young, with a short beard”, A. - “a deacon, with a slightly round beard”.

In Russian front consolidated icon-painting original of the 18th century. the following description of the appearance of the saints is offered: “Guria is wearing a beard like John the Theologian or hem, and not bald, hair from the ears, a robe of sankir with white, the middle vokhra is cinnabar with white, the game is white, and the underside is green, in the hand is a cross, the right prayer service, fingers up, and Samon is Russian aka Kozma, the robe of vermilion with white azure is blank, the middle azure, like the apostle is girded with the same riza, under the hook with white and cinnabar, in his right hand is a cross, and with his left thigh he holds it stretched out, Aviv in the image like George the Martyr, likeness like Stefan the First Martyr, let go of your right hand to the side, from yourself holds a censer in it, and incense in the left.

Source: PSRL. 2000r. T. 4. Part 1. S. 370, 410.

Lit .: Erminia DF. S. 164; Concordin A . Description of the Novgorod departments. Sofia Cathedral. Novgorod, 1901, pp. 32-33; Bolshakov. Iconic original. S. 48; Δρανδάκις Ν . B . Βυζαντιναί τοιχογραφίαι της Μέσα Μάνης. Αθηνα, 1964. Pl. 23a; Mujovuћ. Menologist. pp. 195, 202, 203, 326, 352, 366; Pelekanidis S ., Chatzidakis M . Kastoria. Athens, 1985. (Byzantine Art in Greece: Mosaics Wall painting; 1). P. 24-25, 94-95; Kollias I. Patmos. Athens, 1986. (Byzantine Art in Greece: Mosaics Wall painting; 2). P. 14-15; Jolivet-Lévy C. Les églises byzantines de Cappadoce: Le program iconographique de l "abside et de ses abords. P., 1991. P. 214, 225-226; Evseeva. Athos book. S. 215, 252; Ural icon. Yekaterinburg, 1998. Kat 46, 52, 70; Icons from private collections: Russian icon painting XIV - early XX century M., 2004. Cat. 114; Byzantium: Faith and Power (1261-1557) / Ed. H. C. Evans. N. Y. e. a., 2004. Cat.24B.p.51-52;Cat.24C.p.52-53.

E. P. I., N. V. Gerasimenko

There is a temple in honor of the holy martyrs Guriy, Samon and Aviv on the farmstead of St. Michael-Athos desert in the village of Khamyshki.

The Holy Martyrs Guriy, Samon and Aviv have long been revered by the Church as patrons of the pious married life of Christians. They are prayed to if the husband unjustly hates and persecutes his wife, for the establishment of peace and harmony between spouses.

Holy Martyrs Guriy and Samon (Edessa)

When cruel persecution was erected on the Church of God by the impious kings Diocletian (284-305) and Maximian (305-311), and she was overwhelmed with disasters, like a ship in a stormy sea, at that time near the city of Edessa, they lived in solitude, as if in a quiet refuge, two pious and virtuous men, Gury and Samon. Brought up in the city of Edessa itself, they did not want to live in it, because of the vanity and lawlessness that prevailed in the city, but, avoiding the world and worldly concerns, they left the city and, moving away from wicked people, strove for the One God, believing in Him and serving Him diligently day and night. And not only did they themselves steadily work for the Lord, but they instructed others as much as they could, and many pagans were turned away from godless idolatry and led to the true God. Upon learning of this, the representative of the Roman kings, the governor Antoninus, who was then in Edessa, ordered that they and all who followed their teaching be taken immediately. Taken by the pagans, the confessors of Christ Guriy and Samon and with them many Christians were kept in custody for a time. Then Antoninus, calling the captured Christians, ordered everyone to obey the royal command and sacrifice to idols; but not one of them wanted to be an apostate from his Lord. Then he ordered them to be beaten; but then he realized that if the teachers themselves were persuaded to idolatry, then others, looking at them, could easily be inclined to the same, and, in these forms, he left for torture only the leaders of Christ's flock, Guriy and Samon; the rest, subjected to a beating, he sent home, pretending to be merciful. And he called two holy confessors to his court and said to them:

- Our great kings command you to bow to the great god Diy and bring him incense in his temple.

Samon replied to this:

— It will not be that we deviate from the true faith, for which we expect to receive immortal life — we will not bow down to the work of human hands.

Then Anthony said:

In any case, you must fulfill the order of the kings.

“We will never renounce our holy and immaculate faith,” answered Guriy, “and we will not yield to the evil and pernicious will of man; but we do the will of our Lord, who said: "everyone who confesses me before men, him I will also confess before my Father in heaven; but whoever denies me before men, I will also deny him before my Father in heaven" (Matthew 10:32-33).

Then the judge began to threaten them with death if they did not obey the royal will. But Saint Samon boldly said to him:

- Torturer! we, fulfilling the will of our Creator, will not die, but we will live forever; but if we follow the king's command, then, even those who are not killed by you, we ourselves will perish.

Hearing this, Antoninus ordered the saints to be thrown into a gloomy dungeon.

At that time, the governor of the region, Musonios, arrived in Edessa, sent on purpose by the kings to put the Christians to death. Leading the holy martyrs Gurias and Samon out of prison, he set them before him and said to them:

- This is the command of the kings of all the earth that you bring wine and incense to the altar of Dia; if you do not bring it, then I will make you endure various torments: by means of blows I will crush your body, hanging you by your feet and hands, I will break all the joints of your body; I will invent for you new and unheard-of torments that you cannot endure.

To all this Saint Samon replied:

We are more afraid of the unsleeping worm and the inextinguishable fire prepared for all apostates from the Lord than of those torments that you have listed, for the One to whom we offer spiritual sacrifice will first strengthen us in enduring torment and make us invincible, and then, delivering us from your hands, will instill us in bright cloisters, where the stay of all those who rejoice is. So we are not afraid of your threat, because you arm yourself only against the body, but you cannot harm the soul, which, while it lives in the body, until then is more and more purified and enlightened by the suffering inflicted on the body. "If our outer man smolders, then the inner one is renewed from day to day" (2 Corinthians 4:16). "Therefore, let us walk with patience the race that is set before us" (Heb. 12:1).

The ruler said again:

“Abandon your recklessness, listen to my advice and, stepping back from your error, fulfill the royal command, for you will not be able to endure the torments that I have prepared for you.

Saint Gury replied:

“We are not mistaken, as you think, and we will not listen to your crazy advice and will not submit to the royal will. Let us not be so faint-hearted and insane as to be afraid of your torment and anger our Lord. We are the servants of Him who, showing us the riches of His goodness, laid down His life for us; how can we not stand for Him, even to the point of bloodshed? Let us become courageous, strengthened by Christ Jesus, let us become unshakable in the face of all enemy tricks, let us stand until we overthrow the enemy who rises against us.

Seeing their steadfastness in faith, the tormentor began torturing them. He ordered the saints to be hanged, tying the hand of one with the hand of the other, and tying a heavy stone to their feet. In this position they hung patiently from the third to the eighth hour; at this time the ruler was judging others.

After this, he asked the saints if they agreed to obey the royal command in order to be freed from torture; but they unfailingly continued to profess the true faith. Then the tormentor ordered them to be untied and thrown into a dungeon, extremely narrow, in which the light of day never showed itself, and where the wind did not penetrate. In such a prison they stayed from the first day of August until the ninth day of November; with their feet hammered into wood, they endured severe suffering, hunger and thirst, and, despite this, did not cease to give thanks to God.

After such a hard and long stay in prison, they were again brought to court before the ruler. Saint Gury was already barely alive, exhausted from many constraints in prison, from great hunger and thirst; and Saint Samon seemed strong. The ruler asked them:

“Are you tired of spending so much time in prison, and have you not changed your hardened heart to listen to sound advice and, having honored our gods, freed yourself from this difficult situation?”

Saints answered:

What we said to you before, we say now: let us not depart from our Lord Jesus Christ; torment us as you wish.

And so the tormentor ordered that Saint Gurius be taken as a sick man to prison, for he did not want to torment him then, so as not to hasten his death and not to lose hope through this one day to incline him to his wickedness; He ordered Saint Samon to be hung by one leg, head down, and an iron weight tied to the other leg. In this position, he hung from the second hour of the day until the ninth hour. The soldiers standing around him, out of sympathy for him, exhorted him to obey the royal command and save himself from severe torment. He did not answer them, but from the depths of his heart he prayed to God and remembered His former miracles from time immemorial:

- Lord my God, without whose will not a single bird will fall into the net (cf. Matt. 10:29) You spread the heart of David in sorrow (Ps. 4:2) and showed the prophet Daniel stronger than lions (Dan. 6-18; 14:32). Knowing the weakness of our nature, see the battle that rises against us; for the enemy seeks to tear away your property from you; but Thou, having looked upon us with Thy merciful eye, keep in us the inextinguishable lamp of Thy commandments, correct our steps with Thy light and enable us to enjoy heavenly bliss, for blessed are You forever and ever.

When the sufferer prayed like this, one scribe wrote down his words. Then the governor ordered to untie Samon. But he could not stand on his feet, because the joints in his knees and hips were out of place. Then, at the command of the tormentor, they took the saint to the dungeon and laid him next to Saint Gurias.

On the fifteenth of November, the ruler Musonius, having risen with cockcrowing, went to the chamber where he held court, bringing candles and preceded by armor-bearers, and, arrogantly sitting at the court, ordered Guria and Samon to be brought to him. Saint Samon walked in the middle of two soldiers, leaning on them with both hands and limping, for his legs were stretched out in their joints when he hung; they carried Saint Gurius, since he could not walk at all; his legs, due to being crushed in the tree, were covered with wounds and bent. Looking at the saints, the ruler began to say:

“Have you had enough time to discuss the question of which is better to choose—life or death?” Tell me, what did you agree to? Are you tired of the previous tortures and have you decided to fulfill the command of the kings in order to stay alive and enjoy the blessings of the world?

To this the saints replied:

— We discussed and chose what would serve us well — we chose death for Christ, neglecting life in a vain world; enough for us and the past time, in which we have seen enough of the fading light of day; our souls desire now to move on to the unfading day.

The ruler said:

“It is hard for my ears to hear your repulsive speeches; in short I give you useful advice: put incense on the altar of Diya, and go home; but if you do not put it down, I will immediately order that your heads be cut off.

“There is no need for us to say much,” answered the saints, “here we are before you; whatever you want to do, do it urgently, for we will not cease to affirm that we are the servants of our Lord Jesus Christ, we worship Him alone and reject idolatry.

Then the governor made an order that they be truncated with a sword. The saints, hearing about this, rejoiced with great joy that they would soon be freed from the body and go to their Lord. The ruler ordered the executioner to put the martyrs on a chariot, take them far beyond the city and behead them there. The saints were led out of the city through the north gate; none of the citizens knew about it, for all were enveloped in a deep sleep. Having brought the saints to a certain mountain located in the vicinity of Edessa, the soldiers stopped and ordered the executioner to behead the martyrs. Descending from the chariot, the saints asked themselves a little time to pray, and after praying fervently, they finally said:

God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, receive our souls in peace.

Turning to the executioner, Saint Samon said:

- Do what you are commanded.

Then, at the dawn of the day, the confessors, bowing their holy heads under the sword, were beheaded, and so they died. The believers, having learned about the death of the holy martyrs, took their holy relics and buried them with honor.

Martyr Aviv (Edessa)

After a significant number of years, the impious king Licinius, having separated from Constantine the Great, raised a persecution of Christians in Nicomedia. By such an act, he violated the agreement that Constantine had concluded with him. Giving his sister in marriage to Licinius and appointing him an accomplice in the administration of the Roman state, Constantine laid down such a condition that Licinius, although he was a pagan by faith, did not do any oppression to Christians, but left everyone to live according to their faith, so who If he likes faith, he would hold on to it unhindered. However, Licinius, not keeping this agreement, and raised the persecution of Christians in the eastern countries and put many believers to death in various ways. At that time, in the aforementioned city of Edessa, in which the holy martyrs Gurias and Samon had previously suffered, there lived a deacon named Aviv, who, going around the city from house to house, taught people the holy faith and urged them to be courageous in the confession of Christ. Through his sermon, Saint Aviv converted the unbelievers to Christ, and exhorted the faithful to live pleasing to God. Upon learning of him, the mayor Lysanias wrote to King Licinius, reporting to him about Aviv, that he had filled the whole city of Edessa with Christian false teaching; at the same time he asked what the command would be regarding him. Lysanias wrote to the king specifically in order to obtain from him the right to torture Christians, for he had not yet been instructed to do any violence to Christians. The king immediately wrote to him to have Aviv put to death. Having received such a command from the king, Lysanias ordered that Saint Aviv be found, to be betrayed for torment. Aviv then lived in one part of the city, in an unknown house, together with his mother and his relatives, trying to spread the holy faith, which he secretly planted where he could not do it openly. While the soldiers throughout the city were looking for the blessed Aviv, he, having learned about this, instead of hiding, leaving the house, looked for the soldiers who were looking for him, in order to surrender himself into their hands. Meeting in one place a military leader named Theotecne, he said to him:

“Here is the one you are looking for: for I am Aviv, whom you were ordered to find; take me then and lead me to the one who sent you.

Theoteknus, looking meekly at him, said:

“Oh, man, so far no one has noticed that you have approached me, step back and hide so that another of the warriors does not see you and capture you.

Aviv replied:

- If you do not take me, then I myself will go and appear to the mayor, and I will confess my Christ before the kings and lords.

Hearing this, Theotecnus brought him to Lysanias. He asked him about his gender and name. The saint first of all declared that he was a Christian; then, saying his name, he said that he came from a village called Felsey. Lysanias forced him to sacrifice to idols and tried, now by threat, now by kindness, to turn him away from Christ and incline him to idolatry, but he, like an unshakable pillar and an unbreakable wall, remained firm in the confession of Christ. The tormentor, not being able to lead him to his wickedness with words, began to force him to do so; He ordered that he be hanged and that his body be scourged with iron claws. After that, he again persuaded him to bow to idols and bring incense to the altar of the pagan gods. But the saint answered firmly:

Nothing will separate me from my God, even though you have appointed me tens of thousands of times more severe torment.

The tormentor asked him:

“What good is it for you, Christians, from the torments that you endure for your God, and what profit do you get from the fact that your bodies are broken into pieces and you arbitrarily choose a bitter death for yourself?”

The martyr replied:

“If you, tormentor, really wanted to turn to the hope of the rewards promised to us from our God, then, without a doubt, you would say what the Apostle of the Lord once said: "The current temporary sufferings are worth nothing in comparison with the glory that will be revealed in us" (Rom. 8:18)

The tormentor laughed at the words of the martyr, as if they were insane, being himself insane; then, seeing that he could not turn the valiant sufferer away from the One True God, he condemned him to be burned.

A great fire was kindled outside the city, and the martyr was taken to the place of execution. He walked, rejoicing that he would be a sacrifice and a burnt offering to God. His mother and relatives followed him; he consoled and exhorted them not to grieve for him, but rather to rejoice that he was coming to Christ and would pray to Him for them. Upon arriving at the fire, he prayed, gave his mother and everyone he knew the last kiss, entered the flame and immediately surrendered his spirit to the Lord. When the fire went out, the mother, with other believers, found the body of her holy son undamaged by the fire and, taking it, anointed it with myrrh and buried at the tomb the previously suffering holy martyrs Gurius and Samon, for Saint Aviv also suffered on the same day (after a significant number of years) in which those saints also suffered before). When the persecution ceased and the Orthodox faith shone forth, the Christians built a church in the name of these three holy martyrs and placed in it, in one tomb, their holy relics, exuding healing to the sick and performing many miracles. Of these, let us recall here one, gloriously accomplished miracle.

Miraculous help for an offended and deceived wife

Once, an impious barbarian people, who lived near Persia and were called Ephalites, moved from the east to the Greek kingdom, and, having conquered many cities, reached Edessa itself, with the intention of taking and destroying it, as they destroyed other cities. And so the Greek kings, who wanted to protect the city from enemies and free it from the siege, gathered a lot of their soldiers and sent them to help Edessa. Having entered Edessa, the Greek troops remained in it for a considerable time, protecting the city from the barbarians. There was one warrior in the Greek army, Goth by origin. It happened to him in Edessa to live in the house of a chaste widow named Sophia, who had an only daughter named Euphemia, whom she cherished like the apple of her eye, observing in virginity and teaching good morals and the fear of God. Sophia tried to hide her from human eyes, because she was very beautiful in face; she hid her in a special room so that the eyes of a man would not see her. During the long stay of the Goth in the house of this widow, it happened to him one day to see this girl. Struck by her beauty, he ignited a passion for her, and only thought how to seduce her. Having approached his mother, he began to ask her to give her daughter for him, and although he had a wife and children in his homeland, he hid it, pretending to be unmarried in order to get what he wanted. However, his mother refused him:

“I will not give my only daughter to a foreign land; you are a stranger, you will take my daughter to your land, and I will be left without her in great sorrow, because I have no other offspring with which I could console myself in my widowhood, except for her alone; I will not give her to you, for I cannot live without seeing her face.

Then the Goth, in a rage, began to threaten her:

“If you,” he said, “do not give up your daughter, then I will not leave here until I bring many disasters on you and expose you to the most extreme grief; because I am a warrior, and I can easily do you any harm that I want.

The widow, although she was alone and there was no one who would come to her aid, boldly objected to him. After this, the warrior again, now affectionately asked her, then again became furious, and, now with requests, now with threats, persuaded the widow to give her daughter for him. Thus he pestered her all the time he lived there. He also offered her some gifts, for he was not poor - he bought gold jewelry and expensive clothes for her and her daughter in order to get what he wanted; the widow, however, did not accept gifts, and avoided him himself, and hid the maiden with even greater caution, so that this lawless person would not see her. One day she told him:

“I heard that you have a wife and children in your homeland.

He, overcome by the desire to possess the maiden and not having the fear of God, began to swear and swear, saying that he had never been married, and that her daughter wanted to have a wife and make her mistress over all her property. Then the widow Sophia, believing, finally bowed to his request and agreed to give him her daughter Euphemia. Raising her hands to God, she said:

“Lord, Father of orphans and Judge of widows, look graciously on Your creation, and do not leave this maiden who marries an unknown man. Do not despise my orphanhood and do not leave me helpless, for, hoping for Your good deed, I give my poor daughter to a stranger and I make You a witness and guarantor of his oaths and promises.

The maiden was married off to this goth and, upon marriage, they lived peacefully. Euphemia conceived, and before giving birth to her, the enemies retreated from the city with nothing, because they could not take possession of it, due to the fact that the troops that were in the city courageously defended the city walls and waged a stubborn struggle with the enemies, especially due to the fact that the city guarded the prayers of the holy martyrs Gury, Samon and Aviv. When the enemy retreated, the Greek troops had to return home, and this Goth also hastened to his homeland. The mother, weeping inconsolably at separation from her daughter, tried to take her from the goth, preventing him from taking her to a foreign land, but she could not terminate the marital union, sealed by law. When the cunning son-in-law was about to set out with his wife, Sophia brought him and her daughter to the church of the holy martyrs Gury, Samon and Aviv, and placing the martyrs in front of the tomb, she said to her son-in-law:

“I won’t trust you with my daughter, if you don’t give me these saints who suffered for Christ as guarantors, take hold of their holy shrine and swear to me that you will not do any harm to my daughter, but you will protect her with due love and respect.

Gotf, considering this an unimportant matter, immediately fearlessly took up the honest shrine of the holy martyrs and said:

- From your hands, saints, I accept this maiden and I take you as guarantors and witnesses before her mother that I will not do any harm to this wife of mine, I will never offend her, but I will keep her with love and honor her to the end.

Thus spoke the Goth, moreover, the lawless one also swore by God, not thinking and not fearing that God, the Lord of vengeance, would reward him according to his deeds and destroy him for his deceit. The mother, after listening to the oath of her son-in-law, with a cry said to the holy martyrs:

“After God, oh holy martyrs, I entrust my daughter to you, and through you I give her to this newcomer.

Thus, having prayed, they gave each other a kind kiss and parted: the widow Sophia returned to her home, and the goth with Euthymius went on his way, and he let go of the slave who was with him, so that this secret would not become known in his house.

When they, having gone all the way, reached the fatherland of the Goth and were already near his house, he rebelled against his wife with great cruelty, like an enemy; forgetting his love for her and neglecting his oaths, he took off her expensive clothes and gold jewelry and dressed her poorly, like a prisoner and a slave, and, drawing a sword, gave her this order:

- If you want to be alive, then, entering my house, do not tell anyone anything about what happened between us, but say that you are a prisoner, for I have a wife and children in my house; you be my wife's slave and obey her in everything, as your mistress; and if you tell her or tell one of my relatives that I have married you, you will see my sword around your neck and you will die.

Seeing herself deceived and insulted by the evil barbarian and hearing his threat, Euphemia said to him:

Is this your love? Is this the fulfillment of your promise? Were these your oaths and was it your intention to make me, your wife, a prisoner and a free one a slave? Because of you, I left my mother, relatives and fatherland and clung to you with unfeigned love, trusting your words, which you confirmed with oaths, and you repay me for love with hatred, and instead of a husband and friend, I became a barbarian, enemy and tormentor who led me into a foreign land to destroy me.

Having said this, she raised her eyes to heaven and, raising her hands, sighing from the depths of her heart and weeping bitterly and sobbing, she cried out to God:

“God of my parents, look at my calamity, hear my sigh and hearken to the voice of my prayer!” See what this perjurer is doing to me, and deliver me from evil disasters, through the prayers of Your holy saints who suffered for You. Oh, holy martyrs Guriy, Samon and Aviv! I now call you: help me, who has fallen into an unexpected disaster, for, hoping for you, I went with this goth; be ye his avengers for me, and save me from trouble.

While she was weeping so bitterly and praying secretly in her heart, they entered the house of the goth. His wife, seeing Euphemia and noticing the beauty of her face, was agitated with jealousy, for she suspected that her husband was in lawless cohabitation with her, and asked her husband.

“Who is this girl, and where did you bring her from?”

He replied:

- This is a prisoner; I brought her from Edessa to be your servant.

The wife said:

- The beauty of her face reveals in her not a slave, but a free one.

The husband replied:

- Although she was free in her land, as her appearance shows, but now she is your servant.

Euphemia, being unable to say anything for fear, was silent and obeyed the wife of the Goth, serving her as a slave to her mistress; she did not know what to do that could save her from the disasters that befell her. And she lived, passing the service of a slave, always having in her mind the holy martyrs and crying out to them with tears:

“Hurry to help me, your servant, saints, hasten to show mercy to me and do not disregard the insult and deceit committed against me.

Her mistress, having a feeling of jealousy in her heart, was very cruel and merciless towards her; ordered her to do every hard thing, and tortured her in various ways. The worst thing of all was that she never wanted to talk to her; besides, Euphemia did not know the Gothic language and could not give her mistress any information about herself, and the Gotha was afraid that he would kill her if she told something about herself to her mistress.

After some time, the wife of the Goth found out that Euphemia was pregnant, and inflamed with even greater jealousy for her and rose up against her with more fierce fury, placing on her the most exhausting work in order to thus exhaust her. When the due date had come, Euphemia gave birth to a male child, with a face exactly like that of the Goth, who was his real father. The Goth's wife, seeing a baby who looked exactly like her husband, was filled with terrible anger and began to think how to kill this baby. She told her husband:

“Why are you locking yourself up because you didn’t know this maiden? after all, the baby born by her clearly exposes your work, because he is completely your likeness.

Gotf again began to shut himself up, saying:

- It's not true, I never cohabited with her; but you have power over her and do whatever you want with her, for she is your captive and your servant.

Then this evil woman plotted to poison the baby. After some time, she prepared a deadly poison, sent the mother away from the baby to some work, and when the baby was left alone, she poured the poison into his mouth, and the baby soon died. The mother, returning from work, saw the baby lying dead, and was filled with unspeakable sorrow and tormented by her heart, in bitter sorrow for him. She did not know what was the cause of his sudden death, because there was no one in the room when the mistress poured poison into the baby's mouth. But, preparing him for burial, Euphemia saw that poison was flowing from the mouth of the child, and then she remembered that her mistress had once threatened to destroy her along with her son, and guessed who was responsible for the death of the baby. However, she remained silent, not daring to say anything. Taking some wool, she wiped off the poison flowing from the baby's mouth with it, and hid it in her place, did not reveal this secret to anyone. The baby was given over to burial.

A few days later the Gotf called his friends to supper, and Euphemia served at the table. When the time came for her to give the cup to the mistress, she, wanting to know whether her baby had really died poisoned by the mistress, took the wool with which she wiped her son’s mouth, secretly dipped it in drink, and then taking it out, squeezed it into the cup and served this drink to her mistress. She, knowing nothing, drank this cup, and thus misfortune turned on her head, for on the same night the wife of the goth died suddenly and thus fell into a hole that she herself had dug. In the morning, the Goth, getting up, saw his wife dead, and was horrified by her unexpected death; the whole house was filled with weeping; all relatives, friends and neighbors came together and grieved for her; then, having made for her a luxurious coffin, they solemnly laid the dead in it.

When seven days had passed after the burial of the deceased, her relatives remembered the girl brought from Edessa and began to say:

“No one else is to blame for the sudden death of our relative, but this captive, who has always been hostile to her.

And so everyone rose up against Euphemia, and wanted to present her to the court of the ruler of the region, so that he would extort from her with torment how she killed her mistress, but since the ruler was not at home then, they changed their mind and decided to bury Euphemia alive along with her dead lady. Opening the coffin of the deceased, they laid Euphemia near the corpse, which emitted a smell, teemed with worms and rotted, so that she died a violent death there. Who can express Euphemia's grief, her sadness, fear and trembling, fear and horror, sobbing and crying? Let someone only imagine the fear of a living person, imprisoned in a coffin, along with a stinking corpse; fear from the dead, the stench from the corpse, the darkness and crampedness of the coffin, worms all around, the breath of death and unspeakable suffering! Being in such extreme crowding, Euphemia, in sorrow of her heart, diligently cried out to God from the tomb, as once the prophet Jonah was in the belly of a whale:

— Lord God of heavenly hosts, sitting on cherubim and seeing the abyss, You see the bitterness of my heart and the tightness in this dark and stinking tomb; You know that for the sake of Your name I was given to a lawless goth, for he swore by Your name when he took me; have mercy on me for the sake of your holy name. You die and live, you bring down to hell and harass (1 Sam. 2:6): Deliver me from this bitter death and lead me out of this tomb, as from hell, for You are strong and resurrect the dead - all the more You can lead me out of the gates of mortals, alive, but near death. Have mercy on me, Vladyka, for the sake of the holy martyrs Gury, Samon and Aviv, whose blood and death You accepted as a pure sacrifice. Oh holy martyrs! My enemy has made you surety before my mother, so save me.

When she was praying like this in the sorrow of her soul, three luminous men appeared, shining like the sun - the holy martyrs Guriy, Samon and Aviv, and immediately the stinking smell in the tomb disappeared; Euphemia felt a great fragrance emanating from the holy martyrs who had appeared. They told her:

“Be of good cheer, daughter, and do not be afraid: you will soon be saved.

When the saints said this, Euphemia's heart was delighted both from the bright vision of the saints and from their comforting words; filled with joy, she forgot herself and fell asleep in a sweet dream. During this dream, she was taken from the tomb by the invisible almighty power of God, in one hour she was transferred to Edessa, to the church of the holy martyrs Gury, Samon and Aviv, and laid at their honest cancer. It was night, and the church was doing its usual morning service when it was moved here. Waking up from her sleep, she again saw the holy martyrs, who said to her:

- Rejoice, daughter, and find out where you are now; here we have fulfilled what we promised, go in peace to your mother.

Having said this, they became invisible. Euphemia got up and looked around to see where she was. Seeing the church walls, icons, candles and the holy shrine of the holy martyrs, and, moreover, hearing the singing of the clergy, she was convinced that she was in Edessa, in the church of her lieutenants, the holy martyrs of Christ Gury, Samon and Aviv. Then she was filled with unspeakable joy and joy, and, embracing with love the tomb of the holy martyrs, with tears she gave thanks to God and His saints for such mercy shown to her. In a feeling of gratitude, she said: "Our God in heaven [and on earth]; does whatever he wants" (Ps. 113:11) sent from heaven and saved me; blessed is the Lord who saves those who trust in him: "In the evening weeping dwells, but in the morning there is joy" (Ps.29:6). When she, with joyful tears, said this and many other things, the presbyter heard her words and weeping and, going up to her, began to ask her:

Who are you and why are you crying like that?

She began to tell him everything in detail, how she was given to Goth by her mother at the cancer of the saints, what she suffered from this perjurer, how yesterday she was imprisoned in a tomb, and how during her prayer the holy martyrs appeared to her and in one hour carried her from Goth land to this church of theirs.

The presbyter, hearing this, was horrified, marveling at the great power of God. However, he still did not want to completely believe what she was saying, and asked her:

- And who is your mother?

Learning that her mother was the widow Sophia, the presbyter immediately sent for her, inviting her to come to church. The mother, not knowing anything, immediately came and, seeing her daughter standing at the tomb of the holy martyrs, dressed in poor clothes, was horrified by such an unexpected sight; going up to her, she embraced her, and, falling on her neck, wept; Euphemia also wept, and both of them could not say a word from weeping. Then, not soon quelling her tearful sobs, her mother asked her:

“How did you get here, my daughter, and why are you dressed in such bad clothes?”

Then Euphemia told her in detail everything that she had endured in a foreign land from an evil husband, how yesterday she had been imprisoned in a coffin and miraculously saved and transferred by the holy martyrs Guriy, Samon and Aviv, who appeared to her. Hearing all this, the mother melted in her heart with pity, and all those who were in the temple, having heard what was told, marveled greatly and glorified the almighty power and mercy of God. Falling down before the tomb of the holy martyrs, the mother in a loud voice gave thanks to God and His saints; and they stayed all that day in the church, praying and giving thanks to God, and with love and zeal embracing and kissing the shrine of the holy martyrs. Late in the evening, the mother and her daughter happily went home, praising God.

In the morning the rumor of this miracle spread throughout the city; her relatives and neighbors gathered from everywhere in the house of the widow and, in horror, marveled at what Euphemia told them. Everyone praised the name of the Lord and magnified and glorified the help of the holy martyrs.

Sophia and her daughter spent the rest of her life pleasingly. They told everyone about the mercifully revealed power of God to them. Euphemia said: "The right hand of the Lord is high, the right hand of the Lord creates power!" The right hand of the Lord from the Goths transferred me to Edessa: "I will not die, but I will live and proclaim the works of the Lord" (Psalm 119:16, 17).

God took vengeance on the perjured gothfu in the following way.

After some time, the same wicked people who had previously fought with the Greeks, united with the Persians, again went to Greek soil and tried to take the city of Edessa. In view of this, the Greek emperors again sent an army to Edessa to protect it. The Goth came with this army, who, by cunning and flattery, took the daughter of Euphemia from Sophia. He did not know anything about the miracle that had taken place and thought that Euphemia had died, imprisoned in a coffin with his dead wife; without embarrassment, he came to Sophia's house, as to his mother-in-law. She, seeing that he had come, hid Euphemia in the inner rooms, and received him, showing a look of rejoicing at the arrival of her son-in-law. Then, having gathered her relatives and neighbors, she began to question the goth in their presence, saying:

“How did God help you make a journey from here? Did my daughter get sick on the way, being pregnant, and how did she give birth! .

He replied:

- God, through your prayers, helped us to complete the path safely; your daughter is healthy: she gave birth to a boy. She greets you, and if this path, in which we were ordered to go hastily, was not unexpected, then your daughter would come with me and with the baby to you to bring you consolation; however, she will come at a more convenient time.

Hearing these words, Sophia was inflamed with righteous anger at the lies of this evil man and, tearing her clothes, cried out loudly:

“Liar, sly man and murderer, what have you done with my daughter?”

Having said this, she led Euphemia out of the inner rooms, placed her before the Goth, and said:

“Do you know this girl, who she is, do you know where you have imprisoned her, perjurer?” You put her to death, you lawless one!

Hearing these words and seeing Euphemia, he trembled, became speechless and could not utter a single word, as if dead. Then the relatives and neighbors of the widow took him, locked him in the room firmly and remained to guard at the door. The mother and daughter invited a scribe, described everything that had happened to them, without omitting anything from this amazing miracle, and, going to the bishop of this city, blessed Eulogius, they gave him this record; They also reported the arrival of an evil and crafty Goth to them. The bishop, after reading the record, immediately took his clergy and went to the voivode, who commanded the Greek army that had arrived, and ordered that the record given to him by the widow and her daughter be read before the voivode, in which this marvelous miracle of the holy martyrs was described in detail. The governor, having listened with attention to what he read, was horrified, marveling at the glorious miracle, and all who were with him were filled with fear. The voivode immediately ordered that a goth be brought to him. The widow Sophia and her daughter Euphemia were also introduced to him. Again he ordered to read aloud the record written about them, for a multitude of people, husbands and wives, had gathered in the governor's courtyard. And he asked the goth whether what is written is true? Gotf replied that this was true, and there was nothing false here. Then the governor said to him:

- Cursed killer! how did you not fear God and His Last Judgment and were not afraid of the oath given at the tomb of the holy martyrs, whom you made guarantors and witnesses of your promises? why did you not spare the maiden whom you deceived with your cunning? Accept the punishment you deserve according to your deeds.

The governor ordered to cut off his head with a sword. The God-loving bishop zealously asked the governor not to put the goth to death, but showed him mercy and let him live, so that he would glorify the greatness of God. But the governor answered the bishop:

“I’m afraid to pardon the one who committed such a great crime, so as not to anger the holy martyrs whom this perjurer offended.

And, at the command of the governor, the Goth was beheaded. Thus this accursed man received his retribution; God is glorified in His saints; from us, sinners, may glory, honor and worship be to Him, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.

Troparion, tone 5:

Miracles of Your saints, martyr, who gave us an unconquerable wall, Christ God, destroy those councils of tongues with prayers, strengthen the kingdoms of the scepter, as one is Good and Lover of mankind.

Kontakion, tone 2:

From the height of wisdom, grace is accepted, those who are in temptation are to be all-praised. Even so, the holy maiden from death is bitter and baviste: for you truly are the glory of Edes, and the joy of the world.

Holy Martyrs Guria, Samona and Aviva,
pray to God for us!

The material is taken from the book: LIVES OF THE SAINTS according to the exposition of St. Demetrius, Metropolitan of Rostov. November month.

Edessa is a city in Macedonia.

Diy or Jupiter, according to the pagan Romans, was the highest of the gods and the father of the gods.

The expression "rooster crow" is used to determine the time. It meant one of the four watches of time into which the night was divided, and precisely the third watch, that is, that which was at an equal distance from midnight to dawn.

The martyrdom of Saints Gury and Samon refers to 293 to 306. The relics and the church in the name of Sts. torment. Guria, Samon and Aviv were seen in Constantinople in 1200 by the Russian pilgrim Anthony.

Licinius ruler of the Eastern half of the Empire from 307 to 324, when he, at the behest of Constantine, was killed.

Martyrdom of St. Aviva followed in 322.

The Efalits was the name of the tribe of the Huns who lived in present-day Merv and Afghanistan.

Goths or Goths - the easternmost and most numerous Germanic tribe that lived in the Danube lowland

In Christianity in general and, of course, in its Orthodox tradition, a fairly large number of icons have a special meaning. Suffering people come to them in times of great need for help and comfort. Each such icon has its own story, almost all such images have a miraculous effect.

But even among the unusual icons there are special ones. One of these images is the icon of Guria, Samon and Aviv. It is generally accepted that this image is able to protect from contention, prevent quarrels and enmity between loved ones, protect the house from ill-wishers and their influence and preserve the integrity of the family.

Who is depicted on the icon?

The icon of Gury, Samon and Aviv, whose photo is presented on almost every thematic Orthodox portal, depicts three Christian martyrs. These people lived at different times and, of course, did not suffer for the faith together. The union of saints who did not live together on one icon-painting image is not at all something out of the ordinary. This artistic technique is typical for Christian culture in general and, of course, for Orthodox icon painting.

It is believed that the saints lived in the period from 293 to 322. And since the time of their life and feat in the name of faith almost coincide, the Christian tradition has united these martyrs.

Church historians do not have a common opinion about whether Gury and Samon knew each other. They suffered for their faith in the same city, and there is an official version of joint martyrdom. Aviv, however, died much later and had no direct relation to Guria and Samon.

How are the saints depicted?

The icon of Saints Guria, Samon and Aviv depicts each of the martyrs in a unique way. Guria icon painters represent in the form of an old man. As a rule, on the image it is in the center. However, in the wall paintings typical for Orthodox churches, the location of Guria is not always the same. The figure of an old man is depicted both in the center and at the head of the composition.

Samon is usually presented as a middle-aged man. Usually, if Gury is written in the center of the image, Samon takes place on his right hand. When depicted on wall frescoes, his image is usually the second, if the figures are depicted sideways, in profile. But in the case when the icon painter depicts Guria in the center on the fresco, the image of Samon can be both the first and the last.

Aviv is presented as a young man, sometimes even a boy. The image of Aviv is the most ambiguous. Icon painters adhere to the uniformity in the depiction of Samon and Guriy, but Aviv each time is presented by the authors of the images not quite the same.

How is it known about the martyrdom of these saints?

For the first time, descriptions of the martyrdom of all three saints were recorded in Syriac. The text was compiled by Theophilus of Edessian. Translations of his works into Armenian, Latin and Greek have survived to this day. In the history of the martyrdom of these saints, the church is guided by a list of the text of Theophilus, made in the 15th century. In view of the fact that a lot of time has passed from the moment the manuscript was compiled to the design of this text, church historians admit the possibility of any inaccuracies in the document that appeared due to numerous translations and copyings.

Very little is known about the author himself, all knowledge is gleaned from his own description of the martyrdoms of Saints Guriy and Samon. Theophilus describes himself as a pagan who converted to Christianity. And he mentions that he began to work on a description of the act of martyrdom of Christians in the city of Edessa on the fifth day after its completion.

When did the saints become martyrs?

The image of these three holy martyrs is a revered icon. The Holy Martyrs Guriy, Samon, Aviv were among the last Christians who suffered terribly for their devotion to the faith. But besides the terrible death that many Christians took in those distant times, these people were buried. The believers managed to take away their bodies and perform the burial ceremony, which was a rarity at that terrible time for Christians. They began to pray to the holy martyrs almost immediately after their death, and in church history a lot of evidence of miracles associated with their images has accumulated.

The saints perished in torment during the Great Persecution, begun by Emperor Diocletian and continued by his heirs. It was the most terrible time in the entire history of the formation of Christianity. Many historians, in an effort to isolate and emphasize the power of persecution, compare the atrocities perpetrated by pagans against those who believe in Christ with convulsions of the physical body preceding his death.

It was during the era of the Great Persecution that hundreds of Christians died daily in the arenas, accepted other deaths, languished for years in dungeons and street prison pits. Terrible events throughout the empire became commonplace, no one was surprised anymore and did not especially single out the death of another believer.

There were not many exceptions. And among those whose names have been preserved and revered by believers, were the martyrs Aviv, Guriy and Samon. Their stories shocked the author of the biography and the martyrdom itself, even against the backdrop of the evil and lawlessness that was happening at that time. And the fact that the local Christians did not leave the bodies of the martyrs, but buried them at the risk of their own lives, also testifies to the exclusivity of their feat in the name of the Lord.

What is the martyrdom of Samon and Guria?

It is no coincidence that the icon of Guriy, Samon and Aviv represents the saints in different ways from time immemorial. Samon and Gury were simple laymen who had nothing to do with the conduct and organization of divine services. Aviv, according to his biographies, served in the rank of deacon. They also died differently.

The Christians of Edessa became aware of the upcoming arrests and many of them fled from their native walls, left the city. Among the Christians fleeing persecution were both future martyrs. The city authorities sent a chase after the believers, and some of them were captured. Among these Christians were Samon and Guriy.

The martyrdom itself began immediately after the capture, at the trial. This was also a rarity, as a rule, at first Christians were thrown into dungeons, where they languished in anticipation of their turn. The future saints were not only immediately presented before the court of the authorities, but they also began to be tortured. After being tortured, Samon and Gury were thrown into prison for several months. Subsequently, another trial took place, after which the saints were beheaded. It happened during the reign of Diocletian.

What is the martyrdom of Aviv?

Aviv served as a deacon, that is, he was in one of the lower, first ranks. His martyrdom took place later, under the reign of Licinius, who was emperor from 308 to 324. The young man was “offered” to offer sacrifices to the Roman gods, thereby demonstrating a rejection of the Christian faith.

Aviv showed steadfastness and did not renounce Christ. He was subsequently burned alive. In the biography of Aviv, it is stated that the body of the young man remained incorruptible. The young deacon was buried by his own family in the immediate vicinity of the tomb of Samon and Guria.

When are saints honored?

Martyrs' Day - 28 November. On this day, the icon "Guriy, Samon and Aviv" in Moscow and other cities is taken to the limit, and during the services the deeds of the martyrs are remembered.

In Moscow, the most famous of the icons depicting martyrs is in the church of John the Warrior, located on Yakimanka.

What is the meaning of the image?

It is believed that in every home, especially in young families, there should be an icon of Guria, Samon and Aviv. How does this image help the newlyweds? In saving a marriage, following one's own vows, maintaining love and respect between family members.

The image prevents the appearance of deceit and anger, enmity and misunderstanding in relations between close people. Protects families from domestic violence and preserves the warmth of feelings between spouses. That is, the icon of Guria, Samon and Aviv patronizes marriage, like the saints themselves.

How did the martyrs come to patronize families?

The incident that happened in Edessa helped the saints to gain fame as patrons of marriage and defenders of wives from injustice and perjury of their husbands. This happened during the invasion of the Hun empire, during the period of the bishopric in this city of Eulogy of Edessa.

One of the soldiers fell in love with a local girl, an exemplary Christian and beauty, Euphemia. The warrior asked for her hand from the mother of the girl, Sophia, who was a widow. Sophia hesitated for a long time before allowing this marriage. But nevertheless, she blessed the union of the young with the condition that the Goth take an oath to respect and protect her daughter on the tombs of the holy martyrs of Edessa. The icon of Guriy, Samon and Aviv either had not yet been painted, or the widow did not have it.

Be that as it may, the Goth took the oath that Sophia wanted to hear, and soon left Edessa with his young wife. But in his homeland, Euphemia was in for an unpleasant surprise. The husband was married. Of course, the pagan wife was not happy with the girl brought from the far south. When a baby was born to Euphemia, the pagan poisoned him.

The girl collected the foam from the baby's lips and added it to a glass of water for her husband's first wife. That same night, the pagan woman died, and her relatives accused Euphemia of murder. The girl was laid alive next to the pagan for a joint burial, but the Christian, remembering the oaths taken by the Goth on the tomb, began to pray to the holy martyrs. In the process, the girl lost consciousness, and came to herself in a Christian church in her hometown, not far from her mother's house.

The news of the miraculous return of Euphemia quickly spread around Edessa, as well as about her misadventures. Goth was not lucky, he again had to come to this city. Of course, the warrior, as soon as he was in Edessa, was convicted of perjury and executed. This is how the icon “Guriy, Samon and Aviv” acquired a meaning that remains with the image to this day.

How to pray in front of an icon?

You need to pray sincerely before the image - this is the main and only condition, there are no others. If the icon of the martyrs Guria, Samon and Aviv is in the house, then you can turn to the saints at any time. If there is no image in the house, then the time of prayers is limited to the work schedule of the temple in which there is an image. Words can be anything, no need to memorize texts. Appeal to the saints must come from a pure heart.

Prayer example:

Holy martyrs, Guriy, Samon, Aviv! I fall down to you and call you as witnesses, I pray for help and mercy, for intercession for me, a servant of God (proper name) before the Lord! Do not leave me at the unfortunate hour. Save my house. Save my family from evil and slander, from bad thoughts and dishonor. Keep from anger and internecine strife, from rage and violence. Do not let them lose respect and piety, guide them on the true path in Christ and save them from losing it. Amen.

The Holy Martyrs Gurius and Samon were priests in the region of Edessa around the year 303, when the emperor Diocletian began the persecution of Christians. They were accused of helping Christians thrown into prison, and encouraging believers not to succumb to threats and to persevere even when burned.

The Saints appeared before the ruler of Antioch, Musonius, who tried to force them to renounce Christ. But both confessors refused with the words: “We will not betray the one Heavenly God. We will not trade it for an image made by human hands. We worship Christ God, who in His goodness saved us from sin. He is our light, our doctor and our life.”

Then the ruler accused them of rebelling against the orders of the emperor, and threatened them with a terrible and painful death if they persisted. “We will not die, as you say, but we will live if we only do the will of the One who created us,” the saints answered. We are not afraid of suffering. They do not last long and pass without leaving traces. We are afraid of eternal torment, which is prepared for the wicked and the apostates. After these words, the ruler gave the order to put them in prison along with other priests and deacons.

A few days later, he ordered that Samon and Guria be brought in and hung by one arm for five hours. Since they silently endured the torture and responded to the suggestions of the tormentors, shaking their heads negatively, they were thrown into the dungeon, called the “dark hole”. There the saints spent three and a half months in complete darkness, receiving almost no food or water.

When the priests were again brought to the court, they showed the same steadfastness, declaring to the ruler: “We have already said that our faith and word are unchanged. Do what the emperor ordered. You have power over our bodies, but not over our souls." Samon and Guriy were hung up by their feet, but they continued to pray to God that He would give them the steadfastness of the patriarchs, prophets, apostles and martyrs who had suffered for the truth even before them.

On November 15 they were called again. The soldiers brought Samon, who had a broken knee, and brought Guria, supporting him, because he was old. When the martyrs heard the death sentence, their faces shone with joy and they glorified Christ. Before the execution, the executioner said to the saints: "Please pray for me, because I am doing evil before God."

Samon and Guriy knelt down, turned to the east and turned to God with this prayer: "Our Father, Lord Jesus Christ, receive our spirit and save our bodies for the resurrection." Then they bowed their heads under the sword and were beheaded one after the other.

When it became known about their execution, the entire population of the city hurried to the place of martyrdom to take the precious relics and even the dust that was saturated with their blood. During the burial of the saints, censer smoke and incense were mixed with psalms and hymns, which ascended to the glory of the Lord, who revealed His power through the firmness of the martyrs.

Saint Aviv served as a deacon at the time when Licinius, following Diocletian, launched a new persecution of Christians (c. 309). He secretly went around the villages in the region of Edessa in order to gather believers in the temple, read the Holy Scriptures to them and encourage them, without fear of persecutors, to adhere to the true faith. The ruler of Edessa Lysanias, having learned about this, became very angry and ordered to find the impudent deacon. Not finding him, he ordered his family and the inhabitants of his village to be seized.

Upon learning of this, Aviv came to Edessa, where he betrayed himself into the hands of the commander of the guard of the ruler. He tried to convince him to flee and said that in any case nothing threatened his family, but the saint insisted, because he was convinced that it was the Lord who commanded him to complete his ministry by martyrdom.

During the interrogation, Aviv showed such self-control and disdain for idols that the ruler, in a rage, ordered that he be scourged without any pity. A few days later, the saint was again brought to Lysanias. Since Aviv again and again refused to obey, he ordered that he be hung up and tear the flesh with iron claws. To the threat of new, even more cruel torments, the saint replied: “These torments rather strengthen my will, just as a tree that is watered bears fruit.” The ruler, realizing his impotence, asked: "Is it your religion that teaches you to hate your body and enjoy suffering?" “We do not hate our bodies,” Aviv objected, “but we rejoice in contemplating that which is inaccessible to sight. We are supported by the promise of the Lord: the current temporary sufferings are worth nothing in comparison with the glory prepared for those who love Christ (cf.: Rom. 8:18).” Since death by the sword seemed too easy to the ruler, he ordered the saint to be burned on a slow fire.

The saint was led to execution, dragged by a rope passed through his jaw. Abiva's mother, dressed in festive white, walked beside her son. Arriving at the place, Aviv turned his face to the east and prayed. Then he turned to the crowd that accompanied him and wished him to find peace, and blessed the people. When the fire flared up, the martyr opened his mouth and immediately surrendered his soul to God. The Christians removed the body of Saint Aviv from the fire and, after anointing it and covering it with incense, buried it in the grave, where Guriy and Samon had already been laid.

Kondak 1

Chosen wonderworkers of Christ and the holy faith of the confessor, Good-natured Guria, Samona and Aviva, honor your memory with laudatory songs, we sing like Christian intercessors, suffering patrons. But you, having boldness to the Lord, free us from all troubles and misfortunes, calling with faith and love:

Ikos 1

Angels in the flesh of the Trinity of Saints equal in number, burning with love for God, idols just, faith
Strengthen Christ, glorify the Holy Trinity, even more praising your deeds, we say to you:
Rejoice, lamps of piety.
Rejoice, accusers of wickedness.
Rejoice, affirmation of the faith of Christ.
Rejoice, pillars of the Church of God.
Rejoice, faithful hope and intercession.
Rejoice, unfaithful fear and shame.
Rejoice, Guria, Samona and Aviva, passion-bearers of Christ and the offended patron!

Kondak 2

Seeing the wickedness of the people of the city of Edessa, Saints Guriy and Samon retire to the wilderness, running away from the prince of this world and his temptations and diligently serving God, singing day and night: Hallelujah.

Ikos 2

Having a wise mind, holy martyrs, working hard for the glory of God, pagan ungodliness, denouncing those who seek the truth on the right path, instructing and attracting the unfaithful to the True God, for this we say to you:
Rejoice, planters of true worship of God.
Rejoice, eradicators of the demonic ministry.
Rejoice, accusers of the darkness of wickedness.
Rejoice, idol charms; detractors.
Rejoice, confessors of Christ in line.
Rejoice, luminaries of the Orthodox faith.
Rejoice, Guria, Samona and Aviva, passion-bearers of Christ and the offended patron!

Kondak 3

By the power from above of the fall of the holy martyr, the persecutors of the holy faith were not afraid, the command of the wicked Antonian was negligent and glorified the faith of Christ, the same and thrown into prison to God: Hallelujah.

Ikos 3

Having faith in Christ, the firmest adamant, and armed with that power, you bravely endured, the holy martyrs, prison bonds and death itself, for the sake of praising such courage, we bless you to this:
Rejoice, confessor of the true faith.
Rejoice, heirs of the kingdom of God.
Rejoice, martyrs praise.
Rejoice, glory to the martyrs.
Rejoice, affirmation of the holy Church.
Rejoice, all kind of Christian adornment.
Rejoice, Guria, Samona and Aviva, passion-bearers of Christ and the offended patron!

Kondak 4

Possessed by a storm of doubtful thoughts, the impious king Licinius raised a cruel persecution of Christians, but you, passion-bearing Abiva, were not afraid of that, with firm faith cried out to Christ God: Hallelujah.

Ikos 4

Hearing the king Licinius your exploits, venerable Aviva, and your firm confession of faith, enraged at you with malice, commanded that you be put to death by the fierce as the enemy of the king, you, having seen about this, voluntarily flowed to torment, and with joy you underwent a fiery burning. For this sake, marveling at your great courage, we magnify thee:
Rejoice, fearless champion of faith in Christ.
Rejoice, invincible warrior of Christ.
Rejoice, hung on a tree for Your outstretched hand on the tree of the cross.
Rejoice, cut with iron claws.
Rejoice, give comfort to those who mourn.
Rejoice, quick helper to all who endure for the truth.
Rejoice, Guria, Samona and Aviva, passion-bearers of Christ and the offended patron!

Kondak 5

The divine stars in the firmament of heaven were like nature, holy martyrs, enlightening the darkness of pagan wickedness and instructing many on the path of truth. The same reverently honoring your memory, thankfully we sing to God: Hallelujah.

Ikos 5

Seeing the people of the city of Edessa many miracles that happen from the shrine of the holy martyrs Guriy, Samon and Aviv, they rejoice and glorify the Lord with all their hearts, but we, honoring your holy memory, holy martyrs, tenderly cry out:
Rejoice, intercessors of the unjustly persecuted.
Rejoice, faithful servants of Christ friends.
Rejoice, guardians of those who are in bonds and prisons.
Rejoice, persecutors and offenders, enlighteners.
Rejoice, weeping comforters.
Rejoice, deliverers from impudent and fierce death.
Rejoice, Guria, Samona and Aviva, passion-bearers of Christ and the offended patron!

Kondak 6

From the heights, wisdom, grace is received, for those who are in temptation to come, all-praise, the same maiden, saints, deliver bitter from death. For you truly are the glory of the city of Edessa and the joy of the world; For this reason we sing to the Lord: Hallelujah.

Ikos 6

Deliver us from the work of the enemy, Jesus, the Life-Giver, we implore Your sufferer with prayers, as if not enslaved by the soul and body acquired from passions, we praise those speedy help, as if in the tomb closed by a husband soon preceded, delivered from death; we also cry out to you:

Rejoice, by the wondrous salvation of her victorious atrocities of the tormentor.
Rejoice, having exposed the cruel deed of an evil husband.
Rejoice, you taught him to believe in the power of the Christian God.
Rejoice, givers of mercy to those who demand it.
Rejoice, vigilant guardians of those who honor your memory.
Rejoice, Guria, Samona and Aviva, passion-bearers of Christ and the offended patron!

Kondak 7

Although the Lover of mankind, the Lord, show His mercy to His people, keep your bodies imperishable, sharpening miracles, from them all faithful currents of healing receive, calling God: Hallelujah.

Ikos 7

Leading new intercessors and wondrous wonderworkers, the people of the city of Edessa have created a holy temple in your memory, and put your relics in it, so that all those who suffer will draw help from them, but we still have strong hope in you, we cry out to you:
Rejoice, healers of our spiritual and bodily ailments.
Rejoice, exorcists of demons in the name of the Lord.
Rejoice, preachers of the gospel truths of grace.
Rejoice, bearer of divine grace.
Rejoice, many who grieve for the name of the Lord.
Rejoice, wonderfully shining in His saints.
Rejoice, Guria, Samona and Aviva, passion-bearers of Christ and the offended patron!

Kondak 8

It is strange and frightening for the unfaithful to hear what marvelous deeds are being performed from your holy relics: ailments are healed, passions are healed, but we, having firm hope in you, cry out to God who is so beneficent for you with faith: Hallelujah.

Ikos 8

Fulfilled with all the virtues, and honored by the glory of God behind them, heed, holy martyrs, the prayers of the faithful, who honor your holy memory, from them you hear the sitz:
Rejoice, poor in spirit, for yours is the kingdom of heaven.
Rejoice, weeping ones, for you are comforted.
Rejoice, meek ones, for you have inherited the earth.
Rejoice, you who were hungry and thirsty for the truth, as if you were satisfied.
Rejoice, merciful ones, as if you have obtained pardon.
Rejoice, pure in heart, for you have already seen God.
Rejoice, Guria, Samona and Aviva, passion-bearers of Christ and the offended patron!

Kondak 9

All kinds of misfortunes, finding the city of Edessa, ravaged naturally, holy martyrs, even now do not leave us, humble and sinners, but affirm all the people of our country in Orthodoxy and like-mindedness, and with one mouth and one heart we exclaim to the Lord who glorified you: Hallelujah.

Ikos 9

Vityas, many-talked like a silent fish, we see about you, holy | martyr: they are perplexed, how in the desert the spirit soared naturally and in the midst of a person vigilant feats of labor. We, rejoicing, as such are the imams, teachers and prayer books, glorify you, saying:
Rejoice, cymbals of the Word of God.
Rejoice, warm intercessors for us before God.
Rejoice, enlighteners of the Jews and Greeks.
Rejoice, evangelizers of the three-day Resurrection of the Divine.
Rejoice, teachers of meekness and temperance.
Rejoice, denunciation of lies and tatba.
Rejoice, Guria, Samona and; Aviva, passion-bearers of Christ and the offended patron!

Kondak 10

Although the people of the city of Edessa should be saved from the mental wolf, they firmly exhorted them to stand in the true faith, to be afraid of the wiles of the enemy, but also in sorrow and misfortune; thank God for everything, singing; Him: Hallelujah.

Ikos 10

The wall is solid and a reliable refuge, holy martyrs, to all who run to you and require ambulance, for this sake, in the tenderness of our hearts, we cry out:
Rejoice, rejoicing of all who mourn.
Rejoice, refuge and liberation of all the oppressed and enslaved.
Rejoice, intercession of widows and orphans.
Rejoice, protection from heresies and schisms.
Rejoice, for all the wicked marvel at your life.
Rejoice, for all pious people rejoice in your name.
Rejoice, Guria, Samona and Aviva, passion-bearers of Christ and the offended patron!

Kondak 11

Bring the singing of thanksgiving to the Lord and for us, our warm intercessors, we pray you never depart from us, for our sins, but ask mercy from the Lord for all who cry to Him: Hallelujah.

Ikos 11

Praise the radiant trinity of holy martyrs, faithful, let us eliminate strife and strife in this life, flee disagreements and divisions in the Orthodox faith and preserve the unity of the spirit in the union of the world, from the depths of our souls exclaim like this:
Rejoice, loud trumpets of the gospel.
Rejoice, sweet-sounding harp of the preaching of salvation.
Rejoice, guardians of truth.
Rejoice, destroyers of unshakable untruth.
Rejoice, givers of blessings to the pious families of the world.
Rejoice, cruel and unfaithful spouse severe punishments.
Rejoice, Guria, Samona and Aviva, passion-bearers of Christ and the offended patron!

Kondak 12

Grace given to you from God, leading, we celebrate your memory, holy martyrs, with fervent prayer flowing to your honest image, with your firm help, as if we are protected by an invincible wall, for this we praise you, passion-bearers of Christ, and zealously call to God: Hallelujah.

Ikos 12

Singing your wondrous life and martyrdom, we pray you, the passion-bearers of Christ Guria, Samon and Aviva, wake us good helpers in everything, bless us with peace and love, give us firm faith, purity of life and the fear of God, and all peace of mind Let's exclaim with joy:
Rejoice, for your names are also glorified among the unbelievers.
Rejoice, peace and joy to those who mourn.
Rejoice, fear and surprise to those who offend.
Rejoice, you saved an innocent wife from a cruel death.
Rejoice, her evil husband is worthy of punishment.
Rejoice, Guria, Samona and Aviva, passion-bearers of Christ and the offended patron!

Kondak 13

O Holy Passion-bearers of Christ Guri, Samon and Aviva, accept this our laudatory singing and, having heard our earnest desire, deliver us with your warm intercession to God, from all evil, from enmity and disagreement and all kinds of fierce troubles and illnesses, but with love you are honored , we call out to God: Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah.

This kontakion is read three times, then ikos 1st "Angels in the flesh..." and kontakion 1st "Chosen wonderworkers...")

Prayer one

About the holy martyr and confessor of Christ Guriya, Samon and Aviva, warm intercessors and prayer books for us before God! In the tenderness of our hearts, looking at your most pure image, we humbly pray to you: hear us, your sinful and unworthy servants, who are in troubles, sorrows and misfortunes, and, contemplating our grave and countless sins, show us; your great mercy, raise us up from the depths of sin, enlighten our mind, soften the evil and accursed heart, stop the envy, enmity and strife that lives in us, overshadow us with peace, love and the fear of God. Pray the merciful Lord, may He cover many of our sins with His indescribable mercy, may He keep His holy Church from unbelief, heresies and schisms, may He give our country peace, prosperity, fertility of the land; spouses - love and consent; chadam - obedience; offended - patience; offending - the fear of God; mourners - complacency; rejoicing - abstinence. May He cover all of us with His almighty right hand and save us from famine, destruction, coward, flood, fire, sword, invasion of foreigners, and internecine warfare, and vain death. May he protect us with an army of His holy Angels, in order to deliver us after our exodus from this life from the wiles of the evil one and his secret air ordeals, and not condemned to stand before the Throne of the Lord of Glory, where the faces of the holy Angels with all the saints will glorify the most holy and magnificent name of the Father and Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer two

About the glorification of the martyr Guria, Samon and Aviv! Protect us, servant of God (names), from the misfortunes of evil people and the machinations of demons; protect us from accidental death, deliver us from fire, the sword and every soul-destroying situation. Hey, passion-bearers of Christ, arrange for us with your prayers all that is good and useful, yes, a pious temporary life has passed away and a shameless death has acquired, we will be honored with your warm intercession with all the saints at the right hand of the Just Judge of God, and glorify Him unceasingly, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever . Amen.

Prayer three

About the glorification of the martyr Guria, Samon and Aviv! To you, as a quick helper and warm intercessors, we, weak and unworthy, resort, earnestly praying: do not despise us, who have fallen into many iniquities and sinning all the days and hours; guide the erring on the right path, heal those who suffer and mourn; keep us in a blameless and chaste life; and as of old, so now the patron of matrimony abide, in love and like-mindedness this affirms and delivers from all evil and distressful circumstances. Protect, about the great power of the confessor, all Orthodox Christians from misfortunes, evil people and demonic machinations; protect me from accidental death, imploring the All-good Lord, may he give great and rich mercy to us, His humble servant. Nesmy more worthy with unclean lips to call on the magnificent name of our Creator, if not you, holy martyrs, will intercede for us; for this sake we resort to you and ask for your intercession before the Lord about us. So deliver us from famine, flood, fire, sword, invasion of foreigners, internecine strife, deadly ulcers and every soul-destroying situation. Her, passion-bearers of Christ, arrange for us with your prayers all that is good and useful, but piously the temporary life has passed and the death has not been shamefully acquired, we will be honored with your warm intercession with all the saints at the right hand of the Just Judge of God, and unceasingly glorify Him with the Father and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.