Lives of all saints commemorated on December 10

The Holy Martyrs Menas, Hermogenes, and Eugraphus suffered for their faith in Christ under the emperor Maximian (305-313).

Saint Menas was sent by the emperor from Athens to Alexandria to suppress the riots that had arisen between the Christians and the pagans. Distinguished for his gift of eloquence, Menas instead openly began to preach the Christian Faith and he converted many pagans to Christ. Learning of this, Maximian sent Hermogenes to Alexandria to place the saints on trial. Moreover, he gave orders to purge the city of Christians.

Hermogenes, although he was a pagan, was distinguished by his reverent bearing. And struck by the endurance of Saint Menas under torture and by his miraculous healing after the cruel torments, he also came to believe in Christ. Maximian himself then arrived in Alexandria. Neither the astonishing stoic endurance of Saints Menas and Hermogenes under torture, nor even the miracles manifested by God in this city, mollified the emperor. Instead, they vexed him all the more. The emperor personally stabbed Saint Eugraphus, the secretary of Saint Menas, who had declared himself a Christian upon witnessing the endurance of Saints Menas and Hermogenes; and then gave orders to behead the holy Martyrs Menas and Hermogenes.

The relics of the holy martyrs, cast into the sea in an iron chest, were afterwards found (see February 17) and transferred to Constantinople in the ninth century. The emperor Justinian built a church in the name of the holy Martyr Menas of Alexandria. Saint Joseph the Hymnographer (April 4) composed a Canon in honor of these holy martyrs.

Saint Joasaph was born at Proluka, in the former Poltava governance, on September 8, 1705, the Feast of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos. He was descended from the old and venerable Little Russian (Ukrainian) lineage of the Gorlenkovi. At Baptism he was named Joachim.

In 1712, his father enrolled the seven-year-old Joachim in the Kiev Spiritual Academy. Within the walls of the academy he felt attracted to monastic life. For seven years he studied it further, and finally revealed his intention to his parents.

For a long time his mother and father pleaded with their first-born son not to accept monastic tonsure. But in 1725, unknown to them, he became a “rasophore” (“robe-wearing novice”) with the name Hilarion at the Kiev Mezhigorsk monastery, and on 21 November 1727 he was tonsured in the mantya with the name Joasaph at the Kievo-Bratsk monastery. This event coincided with the completion of his studies at the spiritual academy.

After the death of His Grace Barlaam, the See of Kiev was governed by Archbishop Raphael Zaborovsky. Archbishop Raphael noticed the abilities of the young ascetic and assigned him to greater service to the Church. He was entrusted with the responsibility of the office of examiner of the Kiev archbishopric.

In November 1734, Archbishop Raphael ordained the hierodeacon Joasaph as hieromonk, and he was transferred from the Bratsk monastery school to the Kiev-Sophia archbishop’s house. At the same time, he was appointed a member of the Kiev religious consistory.

In fulfilling the office of examiner, he exerted much effort towards the correction of moral deficiencies among the parish clergy. The saint’s service in the consistory office enabled him to develop his administrative abilities. During this time, he made a good study of the needs of clergy-servers, noting both the good points and the failings of the diocese. His talent for administration was combined with his great spiritual effort. He quickly ascended the ladder of spiritual perfection, which can be seen in his work, “The Conflict of the Seven Venerable Virtues with the Seven Deadly Sins.”

On June 24, 1737 Hieromonk Joasaph was appointed head of the Holy Transfiguration Mgarsk monastery, and elevated to the rank of igumen. Here he worked with all his strength to put the monastery in good order, for it was an old bastion of Orthodoxy in the struggle with the Unia. In this monastery were relics of Saint Athanasius, Patriarch of Constantinople and Wonderworker of Lubny (May 2). Several times Saint Athanasius appeared to Igumen Joasaph, as a sign of his patronal protection.

In 1744 Metropolitan Raphael elevated Igumen Joasaph to the dignity of archimandrite. Towards the end of that same year he was called to Moscow and soon, at the direction of the Most Holy Synod, he was appointed vicar of the Holy Trinity Sergiev Lavra monastery. At this monastery of Saint Sergius he also unstintingly fulfilled obedience to the Church (this year required much exertion for the rebuilding of the monastery after a fire).

On June 2, 1748 at the Peter and Paul cathedral in Peterburg, Archimandrite Joasaph was ordained Bishop of Belgorod. Ascending the archbishop’s throne, Saint Joasaph strictly concerned himself with piety and the condition of the churches, with the proper celebration of divine services, and especially with the moral condition of his flock.

The saint devoted great attention to the education of the clergy, and the correct observance of churchly norms and traditions. Just as before, the saint worked with all his strength in his archpastoral service, without regard for his health.

On the eve of his repose, the saint forbade his cell attendant Stephen to aspire to the priesthood, and he predicted that if he did not obey him, he would meet with an untimely end. To another cell attendant Basil, the saint indicated that he would be a deacon, but would never become a priest. Later, this prediction was fulfilled. Saint Joasaph died on December 10, 1754, and was glorified on September 4, 1911.

The Holy Martyr Gemellus of Paphlagonia was subjected to cruel tortures for his staunch denunciation of the emperor Julian the Apostate (361-363) in the city of Ancyra (Galatia). A red-hot iron belt was placed around his waist. Then he was ordered to accompany the impious Julian on his journey. When they reached Edessa in Mesopotamia, he was stretched out on the ground and his limbs were pierced with wooden stakes. Then he was hung on a post and mutilated.

Enduring the tortures, the saint continued to revile the emperor. After being subjected to even more horrible torments, they let him go. He was still able to walk and speak, so he went on his way until he met a priest. He entreated the priest to baptize him, and when he emerged from the water, his wounds were all healed.

Hearing of this miracle, Julian ordered that Saint Gemellus be crucified. The victorious athlete of Christ gave up his soul to God, and his body was secretly taken down and buried by Christians.

Saint Thomas Dephourkinos was born in Bithynia. From his youth he was fond of monastic life and entered one of the area monasteries. Later in his life, when the Byzantine official Galoliktos had founded a monastery at the River Sagarisa, Saint Thomas was already an experienced monk, and the brethren chose him as head of the new monastery.

From there Saint Thomas withdrew into the wilderness, where for a long time he labored in solitude. The monk overcame many snares of the devil in the wilderness. The Lord glorified him with the gift of healing and prophecy.

Once, the emperor Leo the Wise (886-911) came to the monastery to Saint Thomas for advice. Not finding the monk at the monastery, the emperor sent his messenger with a letter for him. And just as the messenger arrived at the the Elder’s hut, the saint carried out to him a sealed answer, resolving the emperor’s question. It is not known when Saint Thomas reposed.

Saint Stephen Brankovic (Branković) (October 9 and December 10), the Despot of Serbia, was born in 1417, and belonged to the Branković dynasty. In 1441 he was blinded by order of the Ottoman Sultan Murad II, and so when his father died in 1456, he could not claim the throne; so his younger brother Lazarus became the new Despot.

After the capture of Serbia by the Turks in 1457, Stephen's middle son (then ruler of Serbia) who was distinguished by his gentle disposition and excellent knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, went to the Turkish capital after his sister, who was given to Sultan Murat as a wife. Learning that the Turks had burned down the Mileshevsky Monastery with fanatical cruelty, Blessed Stephen stood up to defend Serbia from its conquerors.

In 1458, Lazarus died without leaving a male heir. The country was ruled by a triumvirate of regents: Stephen Brankovic, the widow Elena Palaiologίna, and Michael Angelovic (Angelović), the governor of Raska (Raška). The supporters of the Turks at the Serbian court proclaimed the voivode Michael Angelovic (whose brother was the vizier of Mehmed II) as the new Despot, but the population of the Serbian capital Smederevo, with the support of a pro-Hungarian party, prevented this coup. Michael Angelovic was imprisoned, and the blind Stephen Brankovic became the ruler.

Then, on the initiative of the Hungarian and Bosnian kings, the son of the Bosnian king, Stephen Tomasevic (Tomašević), was invited to Smederevo, and was supposed to marry the daughter of the late ruler Elena, and assume the title of Despot. The wedding took place on March 21, 1459, and Stephen Tomašević ascended the Serbian throne.

After his deposition from the throne, Blessed Stephen the Blind lived in Buda for some time (his younger sister Katherine was the widow of the Hungarian nobleman Ulrik Tsilley), then in Dubrovnik. Then he went to Albania to the ruler of the principality of Kastrioti Skanderbeg, where in 1460 he married Saint Angelina (July 30 and August 12), the daughter of the Albanian prince George Arianiti. When he married Angelina, the Turks threatened Blessed Stephen and his family. He was forced to go into hiding with his wife and three children, first in Albania and then in Italy.

Blessed Stephen spent the rest of his life in Venice, and reposed in 1476. Blessed Angelina transferred her husband's incorrupt body to Kupinovo. At the end of the XV century, the ruler of Serbia was Blessed John, the son of Righteous Stephen and Angelina. The relics of Righteous John and his parents were later glorified by many signs.

Saint Leontios (Leóntios) was born in Monemvasia in the Pelopónnēsos. His parents were Andrew and Theodora, and he received the name Leon at his Baptism. His father was sufficiently wealthy and a prominent man.

Emperor Andronikos II Palaiológos (1283 – 1328) gave him an important position in the central administration of the Moriᾶ. Therefore Leon received much attention from his parents and studied foreign languages, philosophy, and theology at Constantinople. When his father died, Leon returned to Monemvasia and took care of his mother. Then his mother retired to a monastery and, with her blessing, Leon got married.

He was a model husband, the head of his family, and a good worker. But then he faced some great trials. First his wife died, and then his children. So he decided to become a monk. He was tonsured with the name Leontios, and went to live with an experienced ascetic named Menides, and remained close to him for a long time.

Later he went to the Holy Mountain, where he acquired greater experience and returned to the Pelopónnēsos. He chose to live on a mountain close to Aigialeia, and he went to the cities of Achaia, preaching the Word of God. Nearby there were other zealots of the angelic life. Later, many of them excelled as members of the clergy.

Saint Leontios reposed peacefully and his reputation endured after his death. The brothers Thomas and Anthony Palaiológos built a monastery in honor of the Saint in the place of his ascetical contests, and dedicated it to the Archangel Michael.

In Greek usage Saint Leontios is commemorated on December 11. Most of his Holy Relics are located in the Monastery of the Archangels at Aigialeia.