My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.
On the 23rd of February, Our Holy Orthodox Church Commemorates
the holy Hieromartyr POLYKARPOS (POLYCARP), BISHOP OF
Smyrna.
Apolytikion (Dismissal) Hymn. Fourth Tone
AS sharer of the ways and a successor to the throne of the Apostles
O inspired of God, thou fondest discipline to be a means of ascent
to divine vision. Wherefore, having rightly divided the word of truth,
thou didst also contest for the Faith even unto blood, O Hieromartyr
Polykarpos. Intercede with Christ our God that our souls be saved.
Kontakion Hymn. First Tone
THROUGH godly virtues, thou broughtest for for the Lord God
much spiritual fruit, O thou most blessed Hierarch, and so
didst prove worthy of God thy Lord, O wise Polykarpos.
Wherefore, on this day we who have all been enlightened
through thy holy words extol thy praiseworthy memory and
glorify Christ the Lord.
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This Apostolic and prophetic man, and model of faith and truth, was a disciple of Saint John the Evangelist and Theologian, successor of Bucolus, and teacher of Irenaeus. He was an old man and full of days when the 5th persecution was raised against the Christians under Marcus Aurelius. When his pursuers, sent by the ruler found Saint Polycarp, he commanded that they be given something to eat and drink, then asked them to give him an hour to pray; he stood and prayed, full of grace, for two hours, so that his captors repented that they had come against so venerable a man. He was brought by the Proconsul of Smyrna into the stadium and was commended, “Swear by the fortune of Caesar; repent, and say, Away with the atheists.” By atheists the Proconsul meant the Christians. But Saint Polycarp, gazing at the heathen in the stadium, waved his hand towards them and said, “Away with the atheists.” When the Proconsul urged him to blaspheme against Christ, he said: “I HAVE BEEN SERVING CHRIST FOR EIGHTY-SIX YEARS, AND HE HAS WRONGED ME IN NOTHING; HOW CAN I BLASPHEME MY KING WHO HAS SAVED ME?” But the pagan tyrant became enraged at these words and commanded that he be cast into the fire, and thus he gloriously expired about the year 163 A.D. As the Church Historian Eusebius says, “Polycarp everywhere taught what he had learned from the Holy Apostles, which also the Church has handed down, and this alone is true”
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MORE ON THE LIFE AND MARTYRDOM OF SAINT POLYKARPOS
He was born and raised in the city of Ephesus, which gave birth to him in A.D. 68. His parents were extremely wealthy, pious, and merciful to the poor. The father of the Saint was Pancratios, and his mother was Theodora. The person of authority at Ephesos was one named Marcius, a pagan, who had received intelligence that Pancratios and Theodora were Christians. He dispatched soldiers who brought the holy couple before him for questioning. Theodora was with child, carrying Polycarp in her womb. Following the interrogation the ruler commanded his soldiers to cast the man and his pregnant wife to the ground and render them a strenuous thrashing and were cast into prison where they suffered from their wounds, hunger and thirst. It was in that dungeon that the blessed Theodora gave birth to a son. The Lord sent forth His Angel to the prison. The Angel entered the dungeon and healed the wounds of Pancratius and Theodora. He foretold that the Ephesian ruler was about to put them to death. He also prophesied that they would be crowned with the crowns of martyrdom and become inheritors of the Heavenly Kingdom. The Angel then spoke of their son and said that he would entrust the newborn baby to a wealthy Christian widow who would have him baptized and raise him diligently in the Faith. After the Angel had delivered his Divine message, he took up the infant and vanished.
Marcius the pagan tyrant tortured and finally he sentenced them to be beheaded outside of Ephesus. The soldiers left the holy martyric relics as food for wild beasts. Not one animal drew near to the precious holy relics of the holy Christian martyrs. Christians came secretly and interred the Saints with reverence and piety.
Now his God-fearing foster mother Kallisto treated Pancratios as a son. As he advanced in age, she made him manager of her property. He went into the storerooms to measure out the rations of food for the servants, he would be followed by widows, orphans, and many neighborhood poor among the faithful. They would beg for either corn or oil or other food items and he would secretly from his spiritual mother help them. He learned the Commandments of God well and inscribed them in his soul and heart. When the Saint became twenty-five years old, he heard that Saint John the Theologian was preaching the Gospel in other parts of Asia. After receiving permission from his foster mother to go to the Saint John with whom were also the God-bearing Ignatios of Antioch and the Venerable Boulosos. The blessed Polycarp attached himself to them, and the walked about together from place to place. AS another Apostle, Polycarp was put to the test by great hardships. He endured hunger, thirst, nakedness, and every other distress and inconvenience, in order to preach the word of Christ.
After the passage of considerable time, a decree was issued from pagan Emperor Domitian (81-96 A.D.) at Rome that banished Saint John the Theologian and Apostle to the Greek island of Patmos. The beloved Disciple of Christ had been charged with converting idolaters to the Christian Faith. When the holy Apostle was about to go into exile, he CONSECRATED THE BLESSED Boukolos as Bishop of Smyrna. He also appointed holy Polycarp to be a member of Boukolos’ Synod. Boukolos then, who was bishop, cherished Polycarp. Saint Polycarp supplied the poor with food and other accessories of life. He thereby, unavoidably, gained renown by his actual deeds. Boukolos was informed of Polycarp’s activities, not by the doer himself but by the recipients. Moreover, the bishop rejoiced to see that many people who were sick and afflicted with devils were restored to sound health through the grace given to Saint Polycarp from God; and so the Lord Jesus Christ was glorified. He furthermore beheld many things concerning Polycarp in visions.
Bishop Boukolos felt that Polycarp ought to be ordained a Deacon with the approval of the whole Church. As a Deacon then, Polycarp showed himself approved among his own contemporaries. Boukolos saw that Polycarp’s age was most adequate now to be ordained and enter the office of the Presbyterate. The blessed Polycarp was so humble-minded that he never wished to receive any preferments or privileges. Now Bishop Boukolos knew that the time of his repose was near. He gathered together all the bishops of the region, together with the clergy and people. He revealed to them his imminent death and named his successor. He wished to have the holy Polycarp succeed him. Though the assembly was saddened at his disclosure of his imminent repose, they gladly agreed to have Polycarp preside over the Church of Smyrna. Therefore, the Priest Polycarp was elevated to the Hierarchical throne of Smyrna.
The Saint, upon assuming the precious burden of the episcopacy, shepherded the rational sheep of Christ with much diligence in the saving laws of the Divine Commandments, teaching everyone the word of the holy Gospel. He instructed not only in word but also by all his good deeds. Night and day, he never failed to visit and counsel his flock. He strengthened the weak, consoled the afflicted, healed the sick, guided the orphans, showed mercy to the poor, and helped all of the Christians according to the needs of each. He earnestly endeavored, as much as possible, to assist the martyrs who were being persecuted by the tyrants. He was as a wondrous harbor, which no storm could assail. He was a great refuge for all, not only for the Christians but for the idolaters as well.
After Bishop Polycarp had led the Church of Smyrna for some fifty years, he traveled to Rome and Pope Anicetus, not only to defend the Faith against the heretics but also to discuss the controversy that had arisen between Rome and the Churches of Asia over the date of Pascha. Those of the Church of Asia Minor were celebrating Pascha on the exact date of the Jewish Passover, regardless of the day of the week. The Quartodecimans celebrated the Crucifixion, the Lord’s Sabbath in the tomb, and the Resurrection on the 14th, 15th, and 16th of Nisan, the very dates, according to the Hebrew Calendar, of our redemption by the Lord. Meanwhile, those in Rome were using a specific Sunday each year. Both agreed to leave their traditions as they were–and the fellowship between them was not disturbed.
Epistle to the Philippians
The epistle of Saint Polycarp to the Philippians was written in reply to a communication from the Philippians, who had invited him to address words of exhortation to them. Saint Polycarp writes to them: “Let us be zealous in the pursuit of that which is good, keeping ourselves from causes of offense, from false brethren, and from those who in hypocrisy bear the name of the Lord and draw away vain men into error…Therefore, forsake the vanity and the false doctrines of the many; let us return to the word which has been handed down to us from the beginning…Let us then be imitators of Jesus’ patience. And if we should suffer for His name’s sake, let us glorify Him. For He has set us this example in Himself…
“Stand fast, therefore, in these things, and follow the example of the Lord, being firm and unchangeable in the Faith, loving the brotherhood, and being attached to one another, joined together in the truth, exhibiting the meekness of the Lord in your intercourse with one another, and despising no one. When you can do good, defer it not, because ‘almsgiving doth deliver from death’ [Tobit 4:10; 12:9]. Be all of you subject tone to another, ‘having your manner of life morally good among the nations…As for those members in need of true repentance, he urges the Philipppians in the following manner: “Be then moderate in regard to them, and do not be deeming sh a one ‘as an enemy,’ but be admonishing him as a brother. Thus, all them back as suffering and straying members, that you may save your whole body. For by so acting you shall edify yourselves.” [Source: The Great Synaxaristes of the Orthodox Church]
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“Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!”
– Saint John Chrysostomos
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With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George
The Eastern Orthodox Christian Ethos 