Απολυτίκιο του Αγ. Εύπλου – 11 ΑΥΓΟΥΣΤΟΥ

TROPARUL ŞI VIAŢA SF. EVPLU

 11 august

Pomenirea Sfântului Mare Mucenic Evplu diaconul.

Acest sfânt a trait în zilele împaratului Diocletian si era de neam din cetatea Catania, din Eparhia Siciliei. Fiind el pârât la guvernatorul Calvisian ca este crestin, si nevoind a se lepada de Hristos a fost supus la nesfârsite si grele chinuri, dupa care, taindu-i-se capul si-a dat sufletul în mâinile lui Dumnezeu.

Ἔζησε στὰ τέλη τοῦ 3^ου αἰῶνα μ.Χ., ὅταν αὐτοκράτορας ἦταν ὁ Διοκλητιανός.

Γεννήθηκε στὴν Κατάνη τῆς Σικελίας, ὅπου ἦταν καὶ διάκονος τῆς ἐκεῖ Ἐκκλησίας. Θερμὸς κήρυκας τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου ὁ Εὖπλος, προσπαθοῦσε νὰ στερεώσει τὴν πίστη τῶν διωκόμενων χριστιανῶν καὶ τοὺς προέτρεπε νὰ προτιμοῦν τὰ πιὸ φρικτὰ μαρτύρια παρὰ νὰ ἀρνηθοῦν τὸ Χριστό. Διότι «εἰ ὑπομένομεν, καὶ συμβασιλεύσομεν εἰ ἀρνούμεθα. Κακεῖνος ἀρνήσεται ἡμᾶς». Ἐάν, δηλαδή, δείχνουμε ὑπομονή, τότε καὶ θὰ βασιλεύσουμε μαζὶ μ’ Αὐτὸν (τὸν Χριστό). Ἐάν, ὅμως, Τὸν ἀρνούμαστε, καὶ Ἐκεῖνος θὰ μᾶς ἀρνηθεῖ.

Οἱ εἰδωλολάτρες, βλέποντας αὐτὴ τὴν δραστηριότητα τοῦ Εὔπλου, τὸν κατήγγειλαν στὸν Ἔπαρχο Καλβισιανό. Αὐτὸς προσπάθησε μὲ συζήτηση νὰ πείσει τὸν Εὖπλο ὅτι ἦταν μωρία νὰ πιστεύει στὸν Τριαδικὸ Θεὸ καὶ ἔπρεπε τὸ συντομότερο νὰ Τὸν ἀρνηθεῖ. Ὁ Εὖπλος ἀκαταμάχητος συζητητής, διέλυσε ἕνα πρὸς ἕνα ὅλα τὰ ἐπιχειρήματα τοῦ ἐπάρχου.
Ὁ Καλβισιανός, ἀφοῦ εἶδε ὅτι δὲν τὰ ἔβγαζε πέρα μὲ τὸν Εὖπλο, διέταξε καὶ τοῦ ἔσχισαν τὶς σάρκες μὲ σιδερένια νύχια. Κατόπιν τοῦ ἔσπασαν τὶς κνῆμες μὲ σφυριὰ καὶ στὸ τέλος τὸν ἀποκεφάλισαν. Ἐνῷ ὁ Εὖπλος ἐξακολουθοῦσε νὰ μὴν ἀρνεῖται τὸ Χριστό, μέχρι καὶ τὴν τελευταία του πνοή.

Ἀπολυτίκιο. Ἦχος δ’. Ταχὺ προκατάβαλε.
Ὡς θεῖος διάκονος, τῆς Ἐκκλησίας Χριστοῦ, ὁσίως διήγαγες, τὰ πρὸς Θεὸν καὶ πιστῶς, καὶ ἤθλησας ἄριστα· σὺ γὰρ ἐν τῷ πελάγει, τῶν ποικίλων ἀγώνων, εὔπλοος ἀνεδείχθης, παμμακάριστε Εὖπλε. Καὶ νῦν ἡμᾶς πρὸς λιμένα, θεῖον κυβέρνησον.

Κοντάκιον. Ἦχος α’. Χορὸς Ἀγγελικός.
Τοὺς νόμους τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ταῖς χερσὶ περιφέρων, ἐπέστης ἐκβοῶν, τοῖς ἐχθροῖς ἐν σταδίῳ· Αὐτόκλητος πάρειμι, ἐναθλήσων στερρότατα· ὅθεν κλίνας σου, περιχαρῶς τὸν αὐχένα, ὑποδέδεξαι, τὴν ἐκτομὴν τὴν τοῦ ξίφους, τελέσας τὸν δρόμον σου.

Μεγαλυνάριον.
Ἄθλους διανύσας μαρτυρικούς, καὶ λύθροις αἱμάτων, πορφυρώσας τὴν σὴν στολήν, τῷ Χριστῷ παρέστης, ὡς Μάρτυς τροπαιοῦχος, ὦ Εὖπλε Διακόνων, τὸ ἐγκαλλώπισμα.

The Martyr Archdeacon Euplus suffered in the year 304 under the emperors Diocletian (284-305) and Maximian (305-311). He served in the Sicilian city of Catania. Always carrying the Gospel with him, St Euplus preached constantly to the pagans about Christ. 

Once, while he read and explained the Gospel to the gathered crowd, they arrested him and took him to the governor of the city, Calvisianus. St Euplus confessed himself a Christian and denounced the impiety of idol-worship. For this they sentenced him to torture. 

They threw the injured saint into prison, where he remained in prayer for seven days. The Lord made a spring of water flow into the prison for the martyr to quench his thirst. Brought to trial a second time, strengthened and rejoicing, he again confessed his faith in Christ and denounced the torturer for spilling the blood of innocent Christians. 

The judge commanded that the saint’s ears be torn off, and that he be beheaded. When they led the saint to execution, they hung the Gospel around his neck. Having asked time for prayer, the archdeacon began to read and explain the Gospel to the people, and many of the pagans believed in Christ. The soldiers beheaded the saint with a sword. 

His holy relics are in the village of Vico della Batonia, near Naples.