Feast Day: April 19th
The Life of Saint Agathangelos: The Saint replied with courage: “When that man hired me to work for him, I was a Christian. He made me a Turk by force but I am a Christian again and I believe in Jesus Christ, which I avow as True God”. The Hagarines that were there started scolding him and, then, he pulled the Cross and the Icon of the Resurrection of Christ out of his clothes and raised them, he was preaching Christ again and condemned their impure religion…
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A Prayer
Apolytikion – Tone 4: Your Soul drank of the waters of Asceticism, you shown forth among Martyrs, you were radiantly glaring, O wise Agathangelos, therefore graciously, as is truly fitting, you shamed those from Hagar and magnified Christ. Him therefore entreat O Righteous Martyr that He be merciful to us.
Saint Agathangelos grew up a Christian, and had great skills and virtues. He worked on a Turkish man’s ship, and this man wanted to convert him to Islam to make him his heir. Saint Agathangelos was seriously injured and threatened by this man, Saint Agathangelos told him he will convert to Islam in order to save his life, he said to himself:
“Let me say this word in order to save myself from this cruel man and, tomorrow, I’ll deny it and I’ll leave”.
After many hardships and dangers, Saint Agathangelos escaped and came to the Holy Monastery of Esphigmenou on Mount Athos where he Confessed and was appointed to serve the tables.
One day, Saint Agathangelos was serving in a place where there was smoke, his eyes hurt and he went to his cell, where he started crying saying: “The woe is to me, that if I can not tolerate such a little pain, how can I endure the Martyrdom?” He Prayed for a long time and afterwards when he slept he saw the Mother of God in a dream, who said to him: “Why, my child, are you sad and anxious?” Saint Agathangelos said: “How can I not be sad, the rascal, when, apart from my other sins, I denied my Lord?” The Virgin Mary said to him: “Have courage, my child, for you will enjoy the desired Martyrdom.”
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During Holy Lent, Saint Agathangelos went to the Monk Grigorios, who had formerly prepared other Saints for Martyrdom. He Venerated their Holy Relics and returned to the Monastery of Esphigmenou to prepare with great struggles, fasting and Prayer. Everyday he did 1500 large prostrations, and another 4000 small ones. Before that, his Confessor read him the Merciful Prayers for eight days and, in the end, he anointed him with the Holy Oil. In the Fourth Sunday of the Lent, during the Divine Liturgy, he received Monastic Tonsure at nineteen years of age. After he received Holy Communion, his face lit up and a Heavenly flame lit in his heart, which urged him to struggle further. He found a chain which weighed more than 25 lbs. and tied himself up to the skin like a true Esphigmenos (tied-up); also, he wore a sack made of hair and he increased the number of Prostrations until he exceeded 3000 large ones and 8000 small ones. He was reading the Salutations to the Virgin Mary two times a day, the Holy Gospel, the New Martyrology and other books, Praying with Jesus Prayer and desiring death with all his Soul for Christ. He pleaded his Elder to send him for Martyrdom as soon as possible. The brother Monks of the Monastery all Prayed if this was the Will of God, and that evening, the Elder saw Saint Nicholas saying to Saint Agathangelos: “You desired good work, so hurry and you will prosper”.
On Holy Saturday a ship arrived out the front of the Monastery, it was heading for Smyrna. Saint Agathangelos reveiced the Great Angelic Schema and the brothers farewelled him with tears and Prayers for the Lord to help him in his struggles.
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“When that man hired me to work for him, I was a Christian. He made me a Turk by force but I am a Christian again and I believe in Jesus Christ, which I avow as True God”.
The Hagarines that were there started scolding him and, then, he pulled the Cross and the Icon of the Resurrection of Christ out of his clothes and raised them, he was preaching Christ again and condemned their impure religion. They tried to offer him many flatteries and Earthly posessions but the Martyr remained silent. They then began to torture him and put him in prison. The next day, they threatened him with the sword, but he desired this and continued Praying and preaching Jesus Christ as the True God. He was then thrown back into prison and heard that the Christians were Praying for him to be released. But Saint Agathangelos immediately wrote a letter pleading and imploring them not to act in this way, but to let the impious people torture him as they wanted and for the Christians only to Pray that God would help him in his road.
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The next day they beheaded Saint Agathangelos while he was continuously Praying:
“Lord Jesus Christ Son of God, have mercy on me.”
An Icon
