St. Zacharias the New Martyr of Arta (Feast Day - January 20)The Holy New Martyr Zacharias was from the Peloponnesos in Greece in the region of Arta. He renounced Christ to become a Muslim, then went to old Patras and worked there as a furrier. He had a book, Salvation of Sinners,[1] which he often read in secret. The book moved him to repentance, and he wept bitterly for the great evil he had done.
St Zacharias, unable any longer to bear the pangs of conscience, met a certain Elder and told him of his sin. Having confessed his apostasy to a priest renowned for his virtue, he revealed his desire to confess Christ before the Turks. The Elder advised prudence and told him to spend forty days alone in fasting and prayer in order to put his resolution to the test.
After praying and fasting for twenty days, Zacharias no longer was able to restrain the flame of divine love which burnt in his heart, and resolved to return early to the Elder to receive the blessing to go forward in martyrdom. Having returned to the Elder and confessed all the sins he had committed during his life, he asked the Elder's blessing to seek martyrdom. The holy man tried to discourage him. He warned that he might not be killed swiftly, but only after much torture.[2] He also pointed out the danger that Zacharias would betray Christ a second time under the torments he would endure. The saint, aflame with zeal for martyrdom, said he was prepared to suffer myriad punishments for the sake of Christ.
The Elder read the prayers of absolution and chrismated the saint (as is done when apostates from the Faith are received back into the Church), then administered the Holy Mysteries to him. Then he blessed Zacharias to go back to the Muslims and declare his faith in Christ. On his way, the saint asked forgiveness from each Christian he met. He went to his house and shop and gave everything he had to the poor, even the key to his house, and proceeded from there to the house of the judge.
The holy martyr went to the judge's house and said that he had been deceived when he accepted their religion, but now he had come to his senses and returned to Christ. He then returned his white turban and asked him to provide him with Christian clothing. St Zacharias was thrown into prison, where he was beaten three times a day. He was happy to be chastened for the love of Christ, and after every blow he received he repeated: 'Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.' When the pain became too sharp for him to speak, he would raise his eyes to heaven in silence.
One night in order to be finished with him, his tormenter screwed down the stocks until his legs were broken and then calmly went away to finish his supper. Finally, the saint died by being stretched out on a rack and gave his soul to God. The place immediately was filled with perfume, so much so that the guard had to sleep elsewhere because the aroma was so strong.
Christians asked for his body so they might bury it, but the Muslims refused. They said, "He is neither one of you, nor one of us, for he denied both religions. Therefore, he is unworthy of burial." His body was dragged through the streets and thrown into a dry well near the Church of the Holy Trinity, landing on its knees in an upright position. Christians saw a radiant light over the well the next night, and hastened to venerate the saint. The Turks filled the well with dirt and debris to prevent such gatherings in the future.
By shedding his blood, the holy New Martyr Zacharias washed away the sin of his denial of Christ and received an unfading crown of glory in the year 1782.
Notes:
1. Αμαρτωλών σωτηρία or Salvation of Sinners: A devotional work composed by Agapios Landos (c. 1600-c. 1671?), an Athonite monk from Crete. It was greatly appreciated throughout the dark period of the Turkish occupation, and is still widely read in Greece. See more here.
2. The Elder reportedly told Zacharias how in 1770, when the Albanians descended in Morea, they taught the Turks such violent methods of torture that the tortures of the first centuries of Christianity were light in comparison. He warned that he should not expect a swift beheading, but extreme torture. For this reason the Elder advised him against martyrdom and to rather undertake a strict asceticism to purify his soul.
Ἀπολυτίκιον Ἦχος δ’. Ταχὺ προκατάλαβε.
Τῆς Ἄρτης ἀγλάισμα, καὶ Νεομάρτυς κλεινός, ἐν Πάτραις ὡς ἤθλησας, ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐδείχθης μακάριε, οὐ γὰρ τὸν τρώσοντα σέ, καθελῶν δι’ ἀγώνων, γέρας ἐδέξω θεῖον, Ἀθλητὰ Ζαχαρία, πρεσβεύων ὑπὲρ πάντων ἠμῶν τῶν εὐφημούντων σε.
Ἕτερον Ἀπολυτίκιον Ήχος πλ. α’. Τον Συνάναρχον Λόγον.
Τον πανεύφημον μάρτυν Χριστού υμνήσωμεν, Ζαχαρίαν τον νέον, Άρτης το βλάστημα, ότι ενήθλησε στερρώς υπέρ της πίστεως Χριστού και ανόμων ταις χερσί, ραβδισθείς και τανυσθείς, μαρτύριον ανεδέχθη. Τελειωθείς δε εν Πάτραις Χριστώ πρεσβεύει του σωθήναι ημάς.
(Ποιηθέν υπό Μητροπολίτου Πατρών Νικοδήμου την 19/01/1992 μ.Χ.)
Μεγαλυνάριον
Χαίροις Νεομάρτυς του Ιησού, Άρτης σεπτός γόνος, και Πατέρων ο στηριγμός΄ χαίροις Ζαχαρία, Αγγέλων συμπολίτα, μεθ' ων ημίν εξαίτει, το θείον έλεος.
Listen to the first hymn chanted here.
St Zacharias, unable any longer to bear the pangs of conscience, met a certain Elder and told him of his sin. Having confessed his apostasy to a priest renowned for his virtue, he revealed his desire to confess Christ before the Turks. The Elder advised prudence and told him to spend forty days alone in fasting and prayer in order to put his resolution to the test.
After praying and fasting for twenty days, Zacharias no longer was able to restrain the flame of divine love which burnt in his heart, and resolved to return early to the Elder to receive the blessing to go forward in martyrdom. Having returned to the Elder and confessed all the sins he had committed during his life, he asked the Elder's blessing to seek martyrdom. The holy man tried to discourage him. He warned that he might not be killed swiftly, but only after much torture.[2] He also pointed out the danger that Zacharias would betray Christ a second time under the torments he would endure. The saint, aflame with zeal for martyrdom, said he was prepared to suffer myriad punishments for the sake of Christ.
The Elder read the prayers of absolution and chrismated the saint (as is done when apostates from the Faith are received back into the Church), then administered the Holy Mysteries to him. Then he blessed Zacharias to go back to the Muslims and declare his faith in Christ. On his way, the saint asked forgiveness from each Christian he met. He went to his house and shop and gave everything he had to the poor, even the key to his house, and proceeded from there to the house of the judge.
The holy martyr went to the judge's house and said that he had been deceived when he accepted their religion, but now he had come to his senses and returned to Christ. He then returned his white turban and asked him to provide him with Christian clothing. St Zacharias was thrown into prison, where he was beaten three times a day. He was happy to be chastened for the love of Christ, and after every blow he received he repeated: 'Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.' When the pain became too sharp for him to speak, he would raise his eyes to heaven in silence.
One night in order to be finished with him, his tormenter screwed down the stocks until his legs were broken and then calmly went away to finish his supper. Finally, the saint died by being stretched out on a rack and gave his soul to God. The place immediately was filled with perfume, so much so that the guard had to sleep elsewhere because the aroma was so strong.
Christians asked for his body so they might bury it, but the Muslims refused. They said, "He is neither one of you, nor one of us, for he denied both religions. Therefore, he is unworthy of burial." His body was dragged through the streets and thrown into a dry well near the Church of the Holy Trinity, landing on its knees in an upright position. Christians saw a radiant light over the well the next night, and hastened to venerate the saint. The Turks filled the well with dirt and debris to prevent such gatherings in the future.
By shedding his blood, the holy New Martyr Zacharias washed away the sin of his denial of Christ and received an unfading crown of glory in the year 1782.
Notes:
1. Αμαρτωλών σωτηρία or Salvation of Sinners: A devotional work composed by Agapios Landos (c. 1600-c. 1671?), an Athonite monk from Crete. It was greatly appreciated throughout the dark period of the Turkish occupation, and is still widely read in Greece. See more here.
2. The Elder reportedly told Zacharias how in 1770, when the Albanians descended in Morea, they taught the Turks such violent methods of torture that the tortures of the first centuries of Christianity were light in comparison. He warned that he should not expect a swift beheading, but extreme torture. For this reason the Elder advised him against martyrdom and to rather undertake a strict asceticism to purify his soul.
Ἀπολυτίκιον Ἦχος δ’. Ταχὺ προκατάλαβε.
Τῆς Ἄρτης ἀγλάισμα, καὶ Νεομάρτυς κλεινός, ἐν Πάτραις ὡς ἤθλησας, ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐδείχθης μακάριε, οὐ γὰρ τὸν τρώσοντα σέ, καθελῶν δι’ ἀγώνων, γέρας ἐδέξω θεῖον, Ἀθλητὰ Ζαχαρία, πρεσβεύων ὑπὲρ πάντων ἠμῶν τῶν εὐφημούντων σε.
Ἕτερον Ἀπολυτίκιον Ήχος πλ. α’. Τον Συνάναρχον Λόγον.
Τον πανεύφημον μάρτυν Χριστού υμνήσωμεν, Ζαχαρίαν τον νέον, Άρτης το βλάστημα, ότι ενήθλησε στερρώς υπέρ της πίστεως Χριστού και ανόμων ταις χερσί, ραβδισθείς και τανυσθείς, μαρτύριον ανεδέχθη. Τελειωθείς δε εν Πάτραις Χριστώ πρεσβεύει του σωθήναι ημάς.
(Ποιηθέν υπό Μητροπολίτου Πατρών Νικοδήμου την 19/01/1992 μ.Χ.)
Μεγαλυνάριον
Χαίροις Νεομάρτυς του Ιησού, Άρτης σεπτός γόνος, και Πατέρων ο στηριγμός΄ χαίροις Ζαχαρία, Αγγέλων συμπολίτα, μεθ' ων ημίν εξαίτει, το θείον έλεος.
Listen to the first hymn chanted here.
