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16May

 

Saint Abda and his companion martyrs.

Abda was born in Chaldor toward the beginning of the fourth century. His mother was a magi, who educated him in good virtues, which made Abda be loved by everyone. After Abda has gained an excellent education and grow up in virtuous life, he was ordained a priest, and built up in his hometown a monastery and a school, which he took personal care of, and grow to have some 60 teachers in it, as some say. Abda had baptized for Jesus many lamps in Chaldo, and brought others to the true faith. The fact that made the magi people arrest him. In his prison Abda endured humiliations, hunger and pain, persevering in his faith in Jesus, until he was miraculously released.

During the persecution that was led by Saboor against the Christians, a tree-cross grow up from the ground and caused numerous miracles. This brought many people around it, where they built a monastery, which Abda joined later, and used as a base to preach the Gospel of life. At that, he had become a bishop over several cities, and many people followed his footsteps, becoming disciples of him. Abda was accused that he destroyed the magi temple of fire, which enraged the king, who ordered Abda to rebuild it. Abda refused, being aware that this is will lead him to participate in magi worship. At that the king ordered his death, and he got driven outside the city, where he was killed along with other seven of his priests, and seven deacon, and seven virgins. It was the year 374 when they all received the crows of martyrdom. May their prayers be with us. Amen. [1] 

 

          & Saint Ajnadios, Patriarch of Constantinople.

Ajnadios was a priest in the church of Constantinople before he got elected as its patriarch, thanks to his intelligence [2]  (excellent education) and virtuous life.

When Peter Kassar had illegally taken Antioch’s Cathedral, Ajnadios intervened with Pope Leo I, who ended ordering Peter demission. Patriarch Ajnadios had turned many heretics to the true faith, and among them was Marcian the priest.

He found great favour before the king, who liked to listen to him. And thus Ajnadios convinced the king to issue a royal decree that prohibits his people from working on Sunday, and to grant the clergy a legal protection, so that they cannot be brought before courts as witnesses or to be trialed, without the permission of their religious superiors.

After long years of holy struggle in the service of the Church, and its people, Ajnadios died in the Lord in the year 471. May his prayers be with us. Amen.


 [1] Like in many other stories, the story of Abda seem to be quite mythological, and closer to the work of public pious imagination, than to historical facts. The other remark, I want to reinforce here is that most of the Arabic text are quite weak linguistically, and are mostly, as someone can tell from reading through them, primitive or non-professional translations, where in many cases the translator seems uncertain of what he is wants to say. The more I try to be faithful to the original text, the more my English text looks odd, and lacking meaning.

From another point, many text in this Synxar, appear to be a juxtaposition of multi original sources, which I presume they come first from the Greek, then Latin, then Coptic, and Syrian etc.

 [2] Almost every single one of our dear saints has been fit into this neat outfit: they come from noble wealthy families, and had acquired an excellent education and trained themselves in the sciences and virtuous of their ages.

I see in this, an intention from the writer of the Synxar, to underscore the importance of good family life, of education, and of acquired virtues.