SYNAXIS OF THE MOTHER OF GOD OF PRUSA

August 22nd/September 4th
SYNAXIS OF THE MOTHER OF GOD OF PRUSA
HOLY MARTYR AGATHONICOS AND HIS COMPANIONS

Troparion of the Feast Tone 1
In giving birth thou didst preserve thy virginity;/ in falling asleep thou didst not forsake the world, O Theotokos./ Thou wast translated to life, O Mother of Life,/ and by your prayers you deliver our souls from death.

Troparion of the Mother of God Tone 1
By thine icon of Prusa thou art protectress of the land of Greece/ and a worker of wondrous signs, O Immaculate Virgin Mary./ For thou dost grant sight to the blind, thou dost cast out demons and strengthen paralytics, O good one./ And thou dost save from dangers all who hasten to thee./ Glory to thy seedless childbirth; glory to Him Who has made thee wonderful;/ glory to Him Who works such wonders through thee.

Troparion of St Agathonicos Tone 3
Thou hast raised up a victorious trophy over error, O Agathonicus/ and wast found worthy of incorruptible riches./ Thou didst emulate the death of the Master/ and become a partaker of immortal life./ O glorious Martyr, entreat Christ our God to grant us His great mercy.

Kontakion of the Feast Tone 2
Neither the tomb nor death could hold the Theotokos,/ who is sleepless in her intercessions and an unchanging hope in her mediations./ For as the Mother of Life she was transferred to life/ by Him Who dwelt in her ever-virgin womb.

Kontakion of the Mother of God Tone 3
We lovingly celebrate the joyful feast of thine icon,/ O Virgin Mother of God,/ for we have thee as our protection/ and have found thee to be our helper in all our distress./ Wherefore with faith we praise thy glorious deeds, O Mother of the God of all.

Kontakion of St Agathonicos Tone 1
O glorious Agathonicos, thou namesake of goodness,/ thou art a godly martyr/ who didst turn from the shrines of evil men,/ not fearing their tortures./ Wherefore thou didst inherit blessings and worthily receive the crown of incorruption/ with thy fellow martyrs.

+ + +

THE HOLY MARTYRS AGATHONICUS, ZOTICUS AND OTHERS WITH THEM

St. Agathonicus was a citizen of Nicomedia and a Christian by faith.With great zeal he converted the Hellenes from idolatry and instructed them in the true Faith. By order of Emperor Maximian, the emperor's deputy cruelly persecuted the Christians. During the persecution, the deputy captured St. Zoticus in a place called Carpe, crucified his disciples and brought Zoticus to Nicomedia where he also captured and bound St. Agathonicus, Princeps, Theoprepius, (Bogoljepa), Acindynus, Severianus, Zeno and many others. Securely bound, they were all taken to Byzantium. However, along the way, Saints Zoticus, Theoprepius and Acindynus died of their many wounds and exhaustion. They killed Severianus near Chalcedon and, Agathonicus with the others were taken to Thrace to the town of Silybria where, after torture before the emperor himself, they were beheaded and entered into eternal life and into the joy of their Lord.