{"id":11087,"date":"2022-08-29T20:55:34","date_gmt":"2022-08-30T00:55:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stpeterorthodoxchurch.com\/?p=11087"},"modified":"2022-08-29T20:55:34","modified_gmt":"2022-08-30T00:55:34","slug":"st-peter-news-august-29-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stpeterorthodoxchurch.com\/st-peter-news-august-29-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"St. Peter News August 29, 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Twelfth Sunday of Matthew<\/h2>\n

Hieromartyr Babylas, Bishop of Antioch and the Three Youths With Him, Prophet Moses the God-Seer; Martyrs Jerusalem, Sekendos, Sekendios and Kegouros in Aleppo
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Who Was The Hieromartyr Babylas, Bishop of Antioch and the Three Youths With Him?<\/h4>\n
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The Hieromartyr Babylas and with him the three youths Urban, Prilidian, Epolonius and their mother Christodoula died as martyrs under the emperor Decius (249-251). During his stay in their city of Antioch, the emperor arranged for a large festival in honor of the pagan gods.<\/p>\n

At the same time, Babylas, the holy and God-fearing Bishop of Antioch, was serving the Divine Liturgy in church. He prayed for his flock and taught them to endure all tribulations for Christ with courage. The idolater Decius, curious to witness the Divine Mysteries, decided to enter the church.<\/p>\n

News of this reached the bishop, so he went out to meet Decius and blocked the path to the church, for he was unwilling to permit impiety in the temple of God. When the emperor approached the church doors, Saint Babylas refused to let him enter, so the emperor had to abandon his intention. He wanted to take revenge on the saint right away, but when he saw the large throng of Christians, he feared they might riot.<\/p>\n

The next day the angry emperor ordered that the church be set on fire, and for Bishop Babylas to be brought before him. When asked why he had insulted the imperial dignity by not allowing the emperor to enter the church, the holy bishop answered, \u201cAnyone who would rise up against God and want to desecrate His sanctuary, is not worthy of respect, but has become the enemy of the Lord.\u201d<\/p>\n

[…]<\/p>\n

Read the entire story on the Orthodox Church of America<\/a> website.<\/em> <\/p>\n

Services This Week<\/h2>\n