- THE HOLY MARTYR THEODOTUS OF ANCYRA
This martyr of Christ was secretly a Christian and, as such, helped the Church and honorably buried the bodies of the holy martyrs. Thus, he buried the bodies of seven maidens who suffered for Christ. When the pagans found out about him, they subjected him to tortures and killed him (for more about St. Theodotus see May 18).
- THE HOLY FEMALE MARTYRS CYRIACA, VALERIA AND MARIA
All three of these female martyrs were from Caesarea in Palestine. When a persecution of Christians began, they withdrew from the city to a hut and there they prayed unceasingly to God, fasting and weeping that the Faith of Christ might be spread throughout the entire world and that the persecution of the Church cease. As a result of slander, they were brought to trial, tortured and in their torments were put to death in the year 304 A.D. Thus, these glorious virgins were crowned with the wreaths of martyrdom.
- THE PRIESTLY-MARTYR MARCELLUS, POPE OF ROME
During the reign of Maximian, Marcellus was condemned to tend cattle in a designated place. In order to please Diocletian, who had taken him as co-emperor, Maximian began to construct public baths in Rome, the so-called Thermae, and forced the Christians to work on this project, as the one-time pharaoh did to the Hebrews in Egypt. Many Christians perished at this time. Also martyred was the Deacon Cyriacus who possessed great power over demons and who healed Artemia, the demonical daughter of Diocletian, as well as Jovia, the daughter of the Persian emperor, and baptized both of them. Also martyred was Artemia, the deacons Sisinius, Smaragdus and Largius, companions of Cyriacus, the deacon Aphronianus, two newly-baptized Roman soldiers, Papius and Maurus, and the elder Saturninus, Crescentianus and the blessed virgins Priscilla and Lucina who, from their wealth, built a cemetery for the slain Christian martyrs. St. Marcellus, the Pope, tended cattle for a long time and finally from starvation, humiliations and the fury of the soldiers gave up his soul to God and died.
- THE PRIESTLY-MARTYR MARCELLINUS, POPE OF ROME
Marcellinus was the predecessor of Pope Marcellus on the Roman throne. When Emperor Diocletian summoned him and threatened him with torture, Marcellinus offered sacrifice to the idols for which the emperor presented him with a precious garment. But Marcellinus bitterly repented and began to lament day and night because of his denial of Christ as Peter the Apostle once did. At that time, an assembly of bishops was held in Campania. The pope dressed in sackcloth poured ashes over his head and entered the assembly and, before all, confessed his sin begging them (the bishops) to judge him. The fathers said that he should judge himself. Then Marcellinus said: “I deprive myself of my priestly rank, for which I am not worthy, and even more, do not allow my body to be buried after death but let it be thrown to the dogs!” Having said this, he pronounced a curse on the one who would dare bury him. After that, Marcellinus went to the Emperor Diocletian, threw down the precious garment before him and confessed his faith in Jesus Christ and scorned the idols. The enraged emperor ordered Marcellinus to be tortured and afterwards they killed him outside the city together with three good men: Claudius, Cyrinus and Antoninus. The bodies of these three men were buried immediately but the body of the pope lay there for thirty-six days. Then, St. Peter appeared to the new pope Marcellus and ordered that the body of Marcellinus be buried saying: “He who humbles himself shall be exalted” (St. Luke 18:14).
- THE VENERABLE DANIEL OF SCETIS
Daniel was the abbot of the famous Egyptian Scete. He was a disciple of St. Arsenius and a teacher of many. Many of his words and teachings are as guiding stars for monks. Once, when the barbarians attacked the Scete, the brethren called him to flee together with them. He answered them: “If God does not care about me, what is the purpose of living?” Daniel also said: “Insomuch as your body becomes obese, in the same manner your soul becomes emaciated.” He lived a communal life of asceticism for forty years and after that withdrew to the wilderness in the year 420 A.D. He happened to be in Alexandria when a wicked father-in-law killed his daughter-in-law, St. Thomais (April 13), because of her chastity and Daniel, with his disciple, buried this martyr.