Synaxarium

On this day in the year 188 A.D. (March 3), the holy father Pope Julianus, the eleventh pope of the Markian preaching, fell asleep. This father was a student at the clerical college founded by Saint Mark, and was ordained a priest in the city of Alexandria. He surpassed many in knowledge, chastity, and piety. He was ordained patriarch on 9 Baramhat (year 178 A.D.). After his selection, he saw that the pagans did not allow bishops to leave the city of Alexandria. So he secretly left it to ordain priests everywhere. Before his departure, the angel of the Lord announced to him that the one who would come to him with a bunch of grapes would be his successor on the patriarchal throne. One day, while Demetrius the grape-grower was pruning his trees, he found a bunch of grapes out of season and presented it to the patriarch. The patriarch interpreted this gift and told the bishops about the vision, instructing them to ordain Demetrius as patriarch after him. This father wrote many articles and homilies, was diligent in teaching, preaching, and visiting the people, and served on the apostolic throne for ten years. Then he fell asleep in peace. May his prayers be with us. Amen.

On this day, Saint Matthias the Apostle fell asleep around the year 63 AD. He was born in Bethlehem and was one of the companions of the apostles. He was the one chosen to replace Judas Iscariot in the meeting of the Council of Zion when the Apostle Peter said, "Men, brothers, it was necessary that this scripture be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. For he was numbered among us and had obtained a part in this ministry." So this man acquired a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. It became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their language, Field of Blood. For it is written in the Psalms, 'Let his dwelling place be desolate, and let no one live in it,' and 'Let another take his office.' Therefore, the men who had accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day He was taken up from us, must become witnesses with us of His resurrection. So they proposed two: Joseph called Barsabbas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed and said, 'You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.' And they cast their lots, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles" (Matthew 27:8 and Acts 1:15-26). After that, Matthias was filled with the Holy Spirit and went to preach the Gospel until he reached the land of a people who ate human flesh. Their custom was that when a stranger fell into their hands, they would put him in prison and feed him grass for thirty days, then bring him out and eat his flesh. When Saint Matthias came to them and preached the gospel of love, they seized him, gouged out his eyes, and put him in prison. But before the time ended, the Lord sent Andrew and his disciple to him. They went to the prison and saw the prisoners and what was done to them. Then the devil prompted the people of the city to seize and kill them as well. When they were about to arrest them, the two saints prayed to the Lord, and a spring of water burst forth from under one of the prison pillars and overflowed until it reached the necks. When the commander was distressed by the people of the city and despairing of life, they came to the apostles and wept, confessing their sins. The apostles said to them, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved." They all believed, and they released Saint Matthias. He, along with Andrew and his disciple, taught them the mystery of the incarnation of Christ. After the waters receded by their prayers and supplications, they baptized them in the name of the Holy Trinity. They prayed to the Lord Christ, who removed from them the wild nature, and they ordained them bishops and priests. After they stayed with them for a while, they left, and the people asked them to return quickly. As for Matthias the Apostle, he went to the city of Damascus and preached there in the name of Christ. The people of the city became angry with him, took him, placed him on an iron bed, and kindled a fire under it. However, he was not harmed; rather, his face shone with light like the sun. They marveled greatly and all believed in the Lord Jesus Christ through this apostle. He baptized them and ordained priests for them. He stayed with them many days, strengthening them in the faith. After that, he fell asleep peacefully in one of the Jewish cities called Phalon, where his body was laid. May his prayers be with us. Amen.

On this day, Saint Arianus, governor of Ansena, was martyred. When Saint Apollonius was pierced with arrows, one arrow rebounded into his eye and gouged it out, as mentioned on the seventh day of Baramhat. One of the believers said to him, "If you take some of his blood and put it on your eye, you will see." He took some of his blood, put it on his eye, and immediately saw. He believed in the Lord Christ and deeply repented for what he had neglected in torturing the saints. Then he rose and broke his idols and no longer tortured any of the believers. When his news reached King Diocletian, he summoned him and asked him the reason that made him abandon the worship of his gods. The saint began to recount to him the signs and wonders that God performed through His saints, and how they, despite their severe tortures and bodily mutilations, returned healthy. The king was enraged by these words and ordered that he be severely tortured and thrown into a pit and covered until he died. The Lord Christ sent His angel, who carried him out of that pit and set him at the king's feet. When the king awoke and saw him and recognized him as Arianus, he was terrified and amazed. But he again ordered that he be put in a sack made of hair and thrown into the sea. They did so, and here the martyr surrendered his spirit inside the sack. When the saint bid farewell to his family, he told them that the Lord had revealed to him in a night vision that He would care for his body and return it to his country, and that they would find it on the coast of Alexandria. It happened that the Lord commanded a sea creature to carry him to Alexandria and cast him ashore. His servants took him and brought him to Ansena, placing him with the bodies of the saints Philemon and Apollonius. Thus, he completed his struggle and received the heavenly crown. May his prayers be with us, and glory be to our Lord forever. Amen.