By Sophia Bekri
"The newly appeared stars" "who gloriously competed in these last years" are annually honored by our Church on the Third Sunday of Matthew (two weeks after All Saints). According to the Synaxarion of the feast, the Service of which was composed by Saint Nikodemos the Hagiorite, on this day "we celebrate all the Holy Newly Appeared Martyrs of Christ who were martyred after the Fall of Constantinople."
The providence of the good and compassionate God acted so that during the long captivity our race did not remain without consolation, but "through this and from this blessed captivity worthy fruit sprung forth in the newly appeared martyrs."
Therefore, the contribution of the New Martyrs is twofold: spiritual and national.
They were the "strength" of the Orthodox faith in troubled times, when it was fiercely fought by both the Muslim Ottomans and the Western non-Orthodox - the latter, in fact, were more indiscernible and insidious enemies. For this reason, Neomartyrs are considered not only those who were martyred under the Ottomans, but also from the 12th century onwards under the Latin Franks, and in fact after the First Fall of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade (1204). Now, under these terms, all the newer athletes of the faith from iconoclasm to our days are declared, when the tree of faith does not cease to be constantly renewed by the purple blood.
However, in addition to being defenders of the orthodox doctrine, the Neomartyrs, during the difficult years of the Turkish rule, also appeared as "protectors of our race", because anyone who lost his faith was also considered lost to the race, hence the expression "turned Turkish" for anyone who changed their religion. In short, the national contribution of these "new soldier" martyrs was enormous. On the one hand, these new athletes joined the choir of the old athletes of the faith, with whom they united their testimony in heaven, and on the other hand, with their martyrdom, they strengthened the tyrannized rayahs and even strengthened weak, converted or not brothers in the struggle and in their testimony against the common enemy of the faith and the country.
That is why, despite their painful martyrdoms, they remained firm in their faith and confessed with courage: "I am not a Turk", "I am not betraying Christ", but also "I am fighting for the freedom of Greece". In general, they willingly sacrificed themselves "for the holy faith of Christ and freedom of the country", for which the later fighters of 1821 also fought.
In other respects, "the newly illuminated stars", "the young men armed with Christ" were in no way different from the sturdy athletes before them. The kept the faith with patience and they endured similar and even fiercer martyrdoms: scourgings, beatings, hangings, even hideous skewerings for the love of Christ. And instead of being cowed and deterred by the severe tortures, they were more strengthened by the love of Christ and by the spiritual blessings of their spiritual trainers, but they also admired and competed in martyrdom with other brave brethren.
Above all, however, old and new fighters, "the surrounding cloud of witnesses" looked towards the "author and finisher of the faith" (Heb. 12:1-2), the champion Christ, who was their inspiration and their mighty strength. He was invoked during their martyrdom and He encouraged them to endure and not to bend. The figure of Christ, the founder of the faith, and the example of all His imitators, Apostles, preachers, confessors and all kinds of witnesses, gave them courage and strength in their contest. But above all, they were strengthened by the hope of obtaining future goods and the crown of His eternal glory, "which the Lord has promised to those who love Him" (James 1:12).
If we want, therefore, to keep alive our faith, which is being tested again, in these troubled times, by open and hidden enemies, and not to lose "our souls by being discouraged" (Heb. 12:3), we have only to walk in the footsteps of the martyrs, old and new, and constantly drawing strength and courage from their own struggle, we also give our own testimony and our own struggle, with the sure hope that, in the end, with by God's grace, we will be worthy of our own honors.
In fact, the example of the Neomartyrs, who were children and young people, can be the best signpost for our children and young people today, to fight with a vision, with solid ideals and values, like those taught to them by the accomplished, old and young, athletes of faith and country. They need not look for their inspiration in ephemeral idols, which quickly disappoint them, because they prove inferior to their expectations, but they can rely on genuine and secure standards, which will never disappoint them, because they are of fixed value, timeless and eternal, as Christ is eternal, to Whom they look to.
May the God of love, who wants "all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim. 2:4) enlighten children and young people as well as families, teachers and all pastors to direct their journeys on the path of God and seek to quench their thirst not from clouded waters but from the pure streams of our Greek Orthodox faith and tradition, which promote man and lead him upwards, where the light of His face shines, now and forever and to the endless ages. Through the intercessions of His Saints and indeed of His glorious Neomartyrs, may this be!
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
The providence of the good and compassionate God acted so that during the long captivity our race did not remain without consolation, but "through this and from this blessed captivity worthy fruit sprung forth in the newly appeared martyrs."
Therefore, the contribution of the New Martyrs is twofold: spiritual and national.
They were the "strength" of the Orthodox faith in troubled times, when it was fiercely fought by both the Muslim Ottomans and the Western non-Orthodox - the latter, in fact, were more indiscernible and insidious enemies. For this reason, Neomartyrs are considered not only those who were martyred under the Ottomans, but also from the 12th century onwards under the Latin Franks, and in fact after the First Fall of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade (1204). Now, under these terms, all the newer athletes of the faith from iconoclasm to our days are declared, when the tree of faith does not cease to be constantly renewed by the purple blood.
However, in addition to being defenders of the orthodox doctrine, the Neomartyrs, during the difficult years of the Turkish rule, also appeared as "protectors of our race", because anyone who lost his faith was also considered lost to the race, hence the expression "turned Turkish" for anyone who changed their religion. In short, the national contribution of these "new soldier" martyrs was enormous. On the one hand, these new athletes joined the choir of the old athletes of the faith, with whom they united their testimony in heaven, and on the other hand, with their martyrdom, they strengthened the tyrannized rayahs and even strengthened weak, converted or not brothers in the struggle and in their testimony against the common enemy of the faith and the country.
That is why, despite their painful martyrdoms, they remained firm in their faith and confessed with courage: "I am not a Turk", "I am not betraying Christ", but also "I am fighting for the freedom of Greece". In general, they willingly sacrificed themselves "for the holy faith of Christ and freedom of the country", for which the later fighters of 1821 also fought.
In other respects, "the newly illuminated stars", "the young men armed with Christ" were in no way different from the sturdy athletes before them. The kept the faith with patience and they endured similar and even fiercer martyrdoms: scourgings, beatings, hangings, even hideous skewerings for the love of Christ. And instead of being cowed and deterred by the severe tortures, they were more strengthened by the love of Christ and by the spiritual blessings of their spiritual trainers, but they also admired and competed in martyrdom with other brave brethren.
Above all, however, old and new fighters, "the surrounding cloud of witnesses" looked towards the "author and finisher of the faith" (Heb. 12:1-2), the champion Christ, who was their inspiration and their mighty strength. He was invoked during their martyrdom and He encouraged them to endure and not to bend. The figure of Christ, the founder of the faith, and the example of all His imitators, Apostles, preachers, confessors and all kinds of witnesses, gave them courage and strength in their contest. But above all, they were strengthened by the hope of obtaining future goods and the crown of His eternal glory, "which the Lord has promised to those who love Him" (James 1:12).
If we want, therefore, to keep alive our faith, which is being tested again, in these troubled times, by open and hidden enemies, and not to lose "our souls by being discouraged" (Heb. 12:3), we have only to walk in the footsteps of the martyrs, old and new, and constantly drawing strength and courage from their own struggle, we also give our own testimony and our own struggle, with the sure hope that, in the end, with by God's grace, we will be worthy of our own honors.
In fact, the example of the Neomartyrs, who were children and young people, can be the best signpost for our children and young people today, to fight with a vision, with solid ideals and values, like those taught to them by the accomplished, old and young, athletes of faith and country. They need not look for their inspiration in ephemeral idols, which quickly disappoint them, because they prove inferior to their expectations, but they can rely on genuine and secure standards, which will never disappoint them, because they are of fixed value, timeless and eternal, as Christ is eternal, to Whom they look to.
May the God of love, who wants "all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim. 2:4) enlighten children and young people as well as families, teachers and all pastors to direct their journeys on the path of God and seek to quench their thirst not from clouded waters but from the pure streams of our Greek Orthodox faith and tradition, which promote man and lead him upwards, where the light of His face shines, now and forever and to the endless ages. Through the intercessions of His Saints and indeed of His glorious Neomartyrs, may this be!
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
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