👉🏾Saint #Gabriel of Rama and the Martyrdom of Saint #Kirkos and Saint #Eyeluta
(Hamle 19)
Grace and peace be unto you, beloved brethren in Christ, children of the Apostolic and Orthodox faith, lovers of truth, and inheritors of the covenant. Today, we behold with awe and reverence the great deliverance wrought by the Archangel Saint Gabriel of Rama, whose glorious work is remembered on Hamle 19. Let us enter into this sacred mystery, not with idle ears, but with hearts awakened to marvel at the power of God displayed through His angels and saints.
The Burning Furnace and the Courage of a Child
It was on this day Hamle 19 that the mighty Archangel Gabriel descended from heaven like lightning to save two humble but heroic souls: the child martyr Saint Kirkos and his mother Saint Eyeluta. These were not noble by birth nor mighty in flesh, but they were crowned with heaven’s glory by their steadfast faith. Behold the mercy of the Lord, who shows His strength through the weak and His majesty through the mouths of babes.
This child, Saint Kirkos, was not yet three years old only two years and nine months and yet he became a defender of the faith, an unshakable pillar against the idolatry of King Alexander. When his mother was pressured to bow to idols, she called upon her son to testify. And lo, the child spoke with divine wisdom: “We do not worship idols, for there is one eternal, unchangeable God, whom we worship.”
The tongue of the child became the trumpet of the Holy Spirit, silencing kings and terrifying demons. Just as the dumb ass rebuked the madness of Balaam, and the stones of Bethany cried out in worship, so too did this infant tongue preach the majesty of the Uncreated Light.
The Fury of the Tyrant and the Fire of Faith
The cruel king, enraged by the boldness of the child, commanded that a vat of iron forty gallons in size be filled with boiling oil, tar, slag, and poisons, ignited with salt, wax, glue, and lead, until it rose with flames fourteen cubits high. The sound of it was like thunder, the light like the noonday sun. Into this were thrown the mother and her child, and thousands gathered to witness what was thought to be their end.
Yet Saint Kirkos, seeing his mother hesitate at the dreadful sight, became her teacher and comforter:
✤ “Do not fear the splendor of the fire, mother.”
✤ “The God who rescued Ananias, Azariah, and Mishael will also deliver us.”
✤ “He who saved Daniel from lions and Sosanna from evil men will not abandon us now.”
✤ “We must have the patience of Job, who lost all but praised the Lord still.”
This child rebuked his mother not with shame but with tenderness, teaching her to fix her eyes not on the passing fire but on the eternal reward. Then, lifting his eyes to heaven, he prayed with fierce intercession: “O Lord, do not let the enemy boast… strengthen my mother, and glorify Your name among the nations.”
The Descent of Saint Gabriel of Rama
In the twinkling of an eye, the Archangel Gabriel, who stands before God, descended with heavenly might. The iron cauldron, filled with flame and destruction, was extinguished as dew from heaven. Not even a hair of the saints was touched, for the angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him (Psalm 34:7).
The king, astonished but hardened in heart, continued his cruelty: poisoning the child, blinding him with salt and pepper, and finally piercing both mother and child with fourteen sharp irons seven each. Yet Gabriel returned, healing the wounds and reviving the child again and again. When they tried to hang him, the angel loosed the ropes. When they beheaded him, heaven opened.
Continues 👇🏾