Tag: New Martyr Akakios

Rejoice, my Euthymios, rejoice many times over;
For, having been slain, thou hast found the joy on high with a willing heart.

I behold Ignatios as another star,
Shining from the earth unto the heavens by the way of the noose.

Alas! by the sword, men of blood slaughter
The illustrious Akakios, like unto a lamb.

All three were monks on Mt Athos. All three had renounced Christ in their youth and embraced Islam, but had repented and pursued the Christian life with fervor. All three, at different times, returned to Constantinople and declared themselves Christians, dooming themselves to death under Islamic law. Akakios’ poor and pious mother told him, ‘As you voluntarily denied the Lord, so you must now voluntarily and courageously receive martyrdom for our sweet Jesus.’ All three were beheaded in Constantinople. The holy relics of all three are kept at the Skete of Iveron of the Venerable Forerunner on the Holy Mountain, where they had been monks.

Apolytikion (Troparion) — Tone 1

Being equal in number to the uncreated Trinity, O ye wise ones, ye stand rejoicing before the throne of the Godhead with the choirs of angels and the ranks of martyrs. Wherefore, partaking of the divine effulgence which ye receive therefrom, ye provide fountains of healing and divine enlightenment for the faithful, O martyr of Christ, Euthymios, together with the wise Ignatios and the divine Akakios, ever interceding on our behalf.

Kontakion — Tone 4

(To the melody “Thou didst appear today…”)

Today there hath appeared to the Church a new festival of the three prize-bearers, which, like a radiant beacon, doth illumine the multitudes of the Orthodox, O Christ.

Megalynarion

Let us all hymn the Venerable-Martyrs of Christ, Euthymios and the renowned Ignatios, together with Akakios, crying out: Rejoice, ye new bulwarks of the Church.