Feasts of Saint Cyriacus and Julitta
January 21, 2022
Saint Cyriacus and Julitta his mother, and eleven thousand four hundred and thirty-four men in the days of Alexander, the governor became martyred on January 23. Julitta was a God-fearing woman from her youth, and hearing that a persecution had broken out, she took to flight through fear of the governor, and she came to the country of Terses, in Celicia, and she dwelt there. The governor came into that city seeking for Christians, and the guards seized her and took her to the governor, and told him that she was a Christian. The governor, said unto her, “Offer sacrifice to the gods.” She said unto him, “I will not offer sacrifice to unclean gods, but only to my Lord Jesus Christ.” The governor said unto her, “O woman, tell me of what nation thou art, and where thy city is, and what thy name is.” Saint Julitta said unto him, “As for my nation (or, people) [my father was] Isawiros, the chief of the people of the city of Nikyos, I am a rich and noble woman, and my name is ‘Julitta.’ Behold I am in thy power now, but assuredly I will not sacrifice to unclean [gods].” The governor said unto her, “Offer sacrifice so that thou may not die under severe torture.” She said unto him, “If you art pleased to do this, send men into the city, and let them search there for a boy three years old, and let them bring him to thee, and he shall tell us whom we are to serve and worship.”
The governor sent men to search for a boy three years old, and they found the boy Cyriacus, who was three years old, less three months. They took him to the governor, saying, “We think that this boy will not fail to speak, for his is of Christian origin.” When the governor saw that the boy was handsome, and of goodly appearance, he said unto him, “O handsome boy, rejoice!” The boy said unto him, “Joy is with me, but joy is not with thee. God said, There is no joy for the wicked.” The governor said unto him, “What is thy name? Tell me that thou may not die.” The boy said unto him, “I am a Christian, and my baptismal name is Cyriacus.
The governor said unto him, “Sacrifice to the gods, so that I may honor thee, and give thee money.” The boy said unto him, “Get thee far from me, O messenger of Satan, and enemy of Righteousness.” When the governor heard this he became exceedingly angry, and he commanded the soldiers to carry him away and to beat him with fifty stripes; [and they did so] until his blood flowed like water. When Saint Julitta saw the endurance of her son she gave thanks to God. Then the governor commanded them to bring salt and mustard, and to open the nostrils of the boy and thrust these things into them. Then the boy cried out and said, “Thy word is sweeter to my throat than honey and sugar, yea, sweet to my mouth.”
The governor then commanded them to bring fourteen sharp, red-hot rods, and to thrust seven of them into the body of his mother, and seven into the body of Cyriacus, two in his ears, two in his eyes, two in his nostrils and one in his heart; but by the Will of God the fire was extinguished and the rods became like frozen snow. Then the governor commanded them to shut him up in the prison house and to be bound with fetters. As Cyriacus was praying there, Satan came unto him in the form of an angel to lead him astray; but when the boy made the sign of the Cross over him Satan disappeared like smoke.
Then the governor commanded a blacksmith to make terrifying instruments of torture wherewith to torture the boy and his mother. When Satan knew that Cyriacus was eager to receive the crown [of martyrdom], he entered into the heart of the governor and made him dumb. Then the boy said unto the blacksmith, “Couldst thou make for me some instruments of torture which are more hurtful than those wherewith they have been torturing me?” The blacksmith said unto him, “I can.” The boy said, “Make me two knives as sharp as razors, each a cubit long, and make me instruments to break the head, and twist the neck, and pierce the ears, and [separate] the members, and scrape the sides; and [make me] a brass crusher, and an instrument for pulling out the sinews and muscles; and make me three pointed stakes, as long as I am high, and write on them, saying, ‘The Holy Trinity, which is neither divided nor separated from those who call upon it.’ Make me an instrument for twisting [the neck], and a saw, and a frying-pan, and a cauldron, and a wheel, and a roller, and a bender of the neck; and an iron hook wherewith to draw out what is in the belly. These are the instruments wherewith I would be tortured.” When the blacksmith heard these things he marveled, and was silent, and he and his disciples, the blacksmiths of the city, finished them in forty days.
The governor commanded his servants to shave the head of Cyriacus with a razor, and to pour red-hot coals upon it, and they did so. They drove four rods through his shoulders and straight down his body, to the soles of his feet. The angel of God came and removed from him the pains of the tortures. They also cast him into a [boiling] cauldron and kept him there from dawn to the seventh hour, but they were unable to cause him pain; and then our Lord appeared unto him, and comforted him. The governor said unto the boy, “If thou wouldst perform a miracle take up my sandal, and make it to live.” When the boy had prayed, the sandal turned into a great bull, out of the neck of which went forth a kid, and they killed it, and eleven thousand and four men ate of it. The governor was wroth, and he ordered the soldiers to cut out the boy’s tongue, [and they did so] and brought back to him the tongue. The governor commanded them to bring a red-hot cauldron and to cast him into it; and when Julitta saw this she was afraid. Her son prayed, and God gave him divine power to such a degree that she and her son went into it and came out there from alive and uninjured.
The governor also commanded the soldiers to cast them into a machine, and to drag them about with ropes so that the flesh might be torn off their bodies, [and they did so], until the angel of God came and delivered them. When the governor found that he was unable [to vanquish] them, he commanded the soldiers to cut off their heads with the sword. Our Lord Jesus Christ came down from heaven, and said unto the boy, “[Tell me] the things which ye wish for.” Cyriacus said unto Him, “Let not my body be buried on earth. whosoever shall call upon my name, or celebrate my commemoration, or build a martyrium for me, or write the book of my strife, or read it, or bring an offering into my church, or shall pray therein, grant such their desires and forgive them their sins.” Our Redeemer said unto him, “Everything which thou hast asked of Me I will give thee, and thou shall be with Me on My right hand, and I will set thy body in the chariot of Elijah.” When the boy heard this he rejoiced greatly, and he gave thanks to God and was crowned with his mother during the night, and our Redeemer crowned him with incorruptible crowns, and took his soul up with Him, in glory which is indescribable and inexplicable.
May their intercession be with us, Amen!
Source: The Ethiopian Synaxarium page 286-288