The memory of the holy martyr Euple the deacon

During the reigns of Diocletian and Maximian, persecution of Christians spread throughout the universe. At this time, the wicked kings mentioned were sent to Sicily to search for and torture Christians, a prince named Pentagur, known for his cruelty.

And there was a great multitude of people of all ages and sexes gathered together to the sound of trumpets and tambourines in the square of Achilles. And when the prince Pentagur came with Calvisian, he said to the multitude, Is it true that all the people worship and sacrifice to our gods?

"Truly, bright prince, all whom thou seest are zealously serving the great gods, offering many sacrifices; among them there is not a wicked one". This answer brought great joy to the Pentagons, and he expressed his approval both to the people and to the ruler of the city; then, having made known the king's decree, he gave the power to Calvisianus before all, <unk> if any man be found calling himself a Christian, he may torture and put him to death.

And Calvisianus called the praetors, and commanded them to search carefully, if there be any in the city, or in the country, that profess the Christian faith, even if it be secretly, that they should take such a man to be punished.

And there was a man in the city, named Eublius, who carried a book, and went about from house to house, and taught the people, saying, The Lord is the God of the Jews.

When Calvisian heard this, he immediately sent for him and brought him to him bound. The soldiers went out, searching for Saint Euphrosyne throughout the city; finally they found him in a poor hut, where he was reading the Holy Gospel, teaching the listeners; the soldiers took him, tied his hands behind him and led him to the court to the city ruler, seizing the Gospel. Seeing Saint Euphrosyne, Calvisian said: "Are you a blasphemer of the gods and a violator of the orders of the kings?"

St. Euples answered, "Who are your gods that I should worship them?" "Our gods are Jupiter, Asclepius, and Diana", said Calvician. "You", replied the saint, "are blind, not knowing the one true God, who created heaven and earth, who created man from earth, and who clothed us Christians with the precious and shining garment of immortality, which is holy baptism". "You speak so proudly that you have not yet suffered torments", said Calvician.

"For me this torment is a crown of light, but for you it is darkness and destruction", said Saint Euple.

"Lord Jesus Christ, clothe me, from which the flesh is now taken away as a garment, immortality in the life to come, grant me this strength for this hour, that I may not be overcome by torment". And a voice from heaven said, "Be courageous and strong, Euple! the true garment is already prepared for you".

Why shouldest thou not go into the house of thy gods, and offer sacrifices to them, and make atonement for thyself by them, and by the king, and by riches, and by us, and by us, and by us, and by thee? and there is silver and gold in abundance.

"O son of perdition, servant of the devil, do you not know how terrible will be the punishment of all those whom you have now made idols of gold and silver?

"You foolish man, blinded by malice, why do you inflict on me these torments which I, strengthened by my God, regard as webs of cobwebs? If you can, invent even more ferocious ones, and these are no more to me than a game.

After this, Calvician ordered to untie Saint Euple and, hanging the Gospel on his neck, take him to the dungeon, at the same time he ordered to lock the prison doors especially carefully and seal them with his ring, and put a guard so that no one could pass to Saint Euple and bring bread and water with him: Calvician wanted him, tormented by thirst and hunger, to die.

St. Euple was in prison for seven days and nights and felt very thirsty, when he prayed to the Lord:

"Lord Jesus Christ, our true God, who gives food to every living thing, You who gave water to Your people in the past, led by Moses in the desert, and brought them living water from the rock (Ex.17:6), You who brought forth water for Samson from the dry jaw of the donkey (Judg.15:19) and washed us with the water of holy baptism, give me, I pray You, coolness, for I am faint of thirst: command that this spring of water flows in the prison and quench my thirst, and all will know that You alone are God and there is no other.

And none like Thee.

When St. Euple had finished this prayer, suddenly a spring of water appeared in the dungeon; he drank from it and satisfied with it not only his thirst, but also his hunger, as if with food; St. Euple sang, praising and thanking God.

When the soldiers came and opened the prison doors, they were afraid, for the prison was full of water. At once the water stopped flowing, and the soldiers said to each other, "Great is the God whom this man worships!"

And they took the holy martyr, and brought him to the house of the ruler of the city. And when the ruler saw that the holy man had not changed, but was merry, as if he had come from a feast, he marveled greatly, and said, Wilt thou now worship the gods, before they cut off thy head?

The enraged mayor ordered that his ears be cut off with iron hooks and that the prisoner be taken to the praetor for trial; here the torturer himself came and, sitting in his place, for a long time forced the saint to offer ungodly sacrifices, but seeing that Saint Euple remained unyielding, Calvician condemned him to be pierced with a sword.

When the soldiers led the holy martyr to execution, they were accompanied by a large crowd of people, many of whom were Christians who secretly held to their faith.

And when he had come to the place, St. Euples stopped; and he turned to the people, and took the Gospel, which he always carried with him, and opened it, and began to read of the miracles of Christ, teaching the knowledge of the true God, and many of the Gentiles were enlightened by the light of the truth of Christ.

"Blessed are you, Euple, my good and faithful servant, come and enter into the joy of your Lord, enjoying peace with all who have ever been pleasing to me". When this voice was heard, Saint Euple bowed his head and, after cutting it off, returned to his Lord: his sufferings ended on the eleventh day of August [According to other, more reliable reports, Saint Euple was cut off on August 12 in 304].

His relics are in Trivico (now vico della Baronia), within the Neapolitan boundaries; when they were transferred here from Catania is unknown; in 1656 part of the relics were transferred from here back to Catania.]

The pious men of Christ took his body and head and buried them in a place specially prepared, and by the prayers of the holy martyr at his tomb many healings were performed, in which the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ worked, to whom be honor and glory forever. Amen.

Carrying the law of Christ in your hand, you have become a crying enemy in the process: you have claimed to be a persecutor of the truth, yet you have joyfully bowed your shoulders, you have taken up the cutting of the sword, your mortal course.