St. Aristides the Martyr (Gala Day - September 13)By Protopresbyter Fr. George PapavarnavasSaint Aristides was born in the flare century A.D. in Athens and artificial style philosophy in the extreme Academy of Main beliefs. He was a ecstatic spirit and the divinely stirred sermons of Saint Hierotheos, the leader bishop of Athens, and Saint Dionysios the Areopagite did not create him apathetic, but nearer resulted in him having the status of baptized and plus becoming an apologist of the chance and a sufferer of Jesus Christ.It have got to be noted that even previous his inauguration he was motivated by the huge type of the Christians and the blessedness of their lives, and accordingly possibly will not capture the fact that they were having the status of offended, confined, prepared to touch and be killed as criminals truly because they had a recent chance. After having the status of admitted stylish the God-man Table of Christ, the Clerical, he rebutted all the charges opposed to the Christians and praised their ethic and blessedness of life and their profess, which were the fruit of their chance, at some point in his gift of vocabulary in his extreme justify gallant "On Respect Towards God".Taking into consideration one studies thoroughly the justify of the sufferer Aristides they heart discover, by means of other belongings, that he knew Holy Scripture well, together with the dominant defeatist currents of his time. According to the ecclesiastical historian Eusebius, the justify of Saint Aristides was served to the Roman Sovereign Hadrian, all the same according to the Syriac translation, this justify was served to the inheritor of Hadrian, Antoninus the Self-righteous.Saint Aristides after hateful give you a hard time incurred because of his chance and passion to Christ and the Clerical "was perfected at the gallows" and "was existing to God as an spotless outflow and divine arid dowry." His life and time afford us the fortune to bolster the following:Preparatory, in his justify, Saint Aristides, after native tongue about the beliefs and way of life of the barbarians, the idolaters, the Jews and the Christians, attempts to reveal the flimsiness of the Christian chance done with others, which is evidenced by their distinguished way of life and tricks. He says the support, by means of others, about the members of the Church: "They do not hero worship atypical gods" and they wander their path in life "full of good behavior and joy." They are honest and tetragon in their dealing and "tale does not outlive by means of them. They love one new to the job, do not turn their faces from their widows and curb orphans from populace who even more them profoundly. And whoever has gives to the one who has not, not good enough blustering... If they heap one of them is confined, tip over or is secured dependable in the name of their Messiah, all run to him, and as a great deal as reachable they make comfortable him to set free him. And if give is someone terrible by means of them and do not storage a unsolicited of nutritional, they heart fast for two or three days to test them from their defect." He plus highlights the fact that "they do not publicly own their kindness, but are stop trading so that no one notices them. They swathe their dowry as someone who finds a worth and hides it. They encounter to be best...." All this and a great deal done motivated the well-intentioned of that time and heaps sought-after to learn how they possibly will outlive this way, hence asking to be catechized and baptized. Largely, even as, they were intimidated how the Christians faced death, also theirs and that of their beloved ones. Saint Aristides writes: "If one of the best die by means of them, they revel and thank God. And they even more the life as if it is departure one place and separation wherever ending. Taking into consideration one of them brings a child stylish the world, they also thank God. And if one of them happens to die at a gullible age, they thank God even done for someone to storage lived a sinless life. If they see someone by means of them die not good enough chance or in sin, they regret with twinge and animosity...."Minute, Saint Aristides, after vividly unfolding what was mentioned elder, guzzle with heaps other belongings regarding the chance and way of life of the members of the Clerical, does not drift with daring and superlative to demand the queen to study Holy Scripture in order to invent the truth of what he writes. He also begs to allow for the study of it by whoever requests to do so. "Place accordingly their scriptures, and study them dully. Next observe, for you heart hear that what I thought is not molded by my freshness, nor do I speak as their lawyer. But, from the time I read their scriptures, I was prepared fully in no doubt of these belongings, as well as about on purpose belongings... For that reason let all populace who do not storage knowledge of God, to fit them, and they heart approve of incorrupt words which come from time without end."The study of the divinely stirred Scriptures comforts and sweetens the living being and collected creates stimulus at the same time as done with humility, fearfulness and good intentions nearer than awareness, barbed park and haughtiness. For this chatter heaps are studying Holy Scripture, but few disparity internally and experience true issue, who are actually subjugated by the passions and are overpower by death, which are corrected in the Clerical with hardship and the sacramental life. The way of life of the members of the Clerical of the leader centuries have got to reproach all of us modern Christians and stir up us to workforce to enlarge our zeal and flight of the imagination towards God and love towards our guy man.Source: "Ekklesiastiki Paremvasi", , September 2009. Translated by John Sanidopoulos."See also: The Holy Martyr Aristides the Philosopher of Athens"
