Today the Church honors St. Usthazanes and Companions, Martyrs.
Orate pro nobis.
St. Usthazanes was a monk in late 3rd-4th c. Persia. He was also the Abbot of his monastery. He is numbered among the Martyrs of Persia under Shapur II, who were a group of Assyrian Christian martyrs put to death by Shapur II of Persia (r. 309–379) for refusing to renounce the Christian Faith.
Shapur II severely persecuted the Christians of the Persian empire from AD 339 until his death in 379. This was in part a response to the increasing Christianization of the Roman Empire, the fierce enemies of Persia, making all Christians suspected traitors. This was confirmed in his mind when St. Shimun Bar Sabbae, bishop of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, was accused of being in secret correspondence with the Roman emperor. In total, it is estimated that Shapur martyred roughly 200,000 Persian Christians. They are remembered as a group in the Roman and Orthodox calendars. The Roman Martyrology gives feast days of 6 April, 22 April and 9 May for different groups. Some individuals we know by name and they are honored with their own feast days.
St. Usthazanes is one such saint and martyr. Little is known about his life except that he was a monk and abbot. As part of the sweeping persecution of Christians, St. Usthazanes was tortured and executed with 12 of his brother monks at Ishtar in AD 341.
In “The Ecclesiastical History of Sozomen : comprising a history of the Church from A.D. 324 to A.D. 440” (written c. AD 349-350), he records the story of the martyrdom of St. Usthazanes, his fellow monks, and nearly 100 other clergy:
“In this manner the honorable life of Usthazanes was terminated, and when the intelligence was brought to Symeon in the prison, he offered thanksgiving to God on his account. The following day, which happened to be the sixth day of the week, and likewise the day on which, as immediately preceding the festival of the resurrection, the annual memorial of the passion of the Saviour is celebrated, the king issued orders for the decapitation of Symeon; for he had again been conducted to the palace from the prison, had reasoned most nobly with Sapor on points of doctrine, and had expressed a determination never to worship either the king or the sun. On the same day a hundred other prisoners were ordered to be slain. Symeon beheld their execution, and last of all he was put to death. Amongst these victims were bishops, presbyters, and other clergy of different grades. As they were being led out to execution, the chief of the Magi approached them, and asked them whether they would preserve their lives by conforming to the religion of the king and by worshiping the sun. As none of them would comply with this condition, they were conducted to the place of execution, and the executioners applied themselves to the task of slaying these martyrs. Symeon, standing by those who were to be slain, exhorted them to constancy, and reasoned concerning death, and the resurrection, and piety, and showed them from the sacred Scriptures that a death like theirs is true life; whereas to live, and through fear to deny God, is as truly death. He told them, too, that even if no one were to slay them, death would inevitably overtake them; for our death is a natural consequence of our birth. The things after those of this life are perpetual, and do not happen alike to all men; but as if measured by some rule, they must give an accurate account of the course of life here. Each one who did well, will receive immortal rewards and will escape the punishments of those who did the opposite. He likewise told them that the greatest and happiest of all good actions is to die for the cause of God. While Symeon was pursuing such themes, and like a household attendant, was exhorting them about the manner in which they were to go into the conflicts, each one listened and spiritedly went to the slaughter. After the executioner had despatched a hundred, Symeon himself was slain; and Abedechalaas and Anannias, two aged presbyters of his own church, who had been his fellow-prisoners, suffered with him.”
Almighty God, who gave to your servant Usthazanes and Companions boldness to confess the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ before the rulers of this world, and courage to die for this faith: Grant that we may always be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in us, and to suffer gladly for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
Amen.
