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| Sts. Paul, Pausirios and Theodotion the Martyrs (Feast Day - January 24) |
Verses
To Paul and Pausirios
Both Pausirios and Paul the brothers,
Were seen to be fellow athletes in the stream of the river.
Were seen to be fellow athletes in the stream of the river.
To Theodotion
Behold the sword approaches the neck,
With which Theodotion cried out with divine longing.
With which Theodotion cried out with divine longing.
These three Saints were brothers according to the flesh and lived during the reigns of Emperors Diocletian (284-305) and Maximian (285-305), when Arianus was governor of Cleopatridis, which can be found in Egypt, and today is called Suez. Paul and Pausirios became monastics at a young age, while Theodotion lived in the mountains with the bandits. After being arrested for being Christians, Paul, who was thirty-seven years of age, and Pausirios, who was twenty-five, boldly confessed their faith in Christ before the governor. When their brother Theodotion learned of their arrest, he came down from the mountain and abandoned his thievery and went to see them in order to bid them farewell.
When he arrived he saw his brothers being judged by the governor, so he turned around and dared not approach them. Rather, he contemplated the glory and good things prepared for his brothers. Divine grace therefore warmed his heart, so he turned around and approached the governor, and confessed before him that he too was a Christian. Then Theodotion jumped on the governor and toppled him from his throne. He was immediately seized and tormented with red-hot iron nails that pierced his sides and stomach, then he was beheaded. Meanwhile Paul and Pausirios were cast into a river and drowned. In this way the renowned Martyrs received crowns of martyrdom.
