Feast Day: October 19th & October 25th
The Life of Saint Varus: “I beseech you, O Holy servants of God, Pray for me to Christ that He have mercy upon me, for it is my desire to suffer for Him, but I have not the strength to do so. I fear the cruel torments I see you have undergone.”… The Saints said: “Therefore, come, O brother, and tread with us the path of Martyrdom, which leads to the Master Who looks down upon our struggles. Suffer together with us, for you will not soon find again a company like ours.”… When he heard these things, the heart of Varus was set afire with love for God, and he wished to endure torment for Jesus Christ. He passed the entire night in Prayer with the Holy Martyrs and hearkened unto their teaching gladly…
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Prayers
Apolytikion – Tone 1: Thou didst follow in the steps of the Martyrs, and contend for the Glory of Christ. Thou wast tied to a beam and restored by the Tree of Life, and thine intercessions gladden our Aouls.
Kontakion – Tone 4: Thou hast followed Christ and drank His chalice; thou didst receive the Crown of Martyrdom, O Holy Varus. Thou art rejoicing with the Angels: Pray unceasingly for our Souls.
Saint Varus was a soldier who secretly served the King of Heaven. At night he would visit the Christians in prison for their Confession of Christ. He bribed the prison guards with gold to permit him to enter the prison cells, and would bound up the wounds of the Holy Martyrs, wash their blood, give them food, kiss their wounds and Pray for them.
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Saint Varus went to visit the seven teachers of the Christians, they were desert-dwellers, flogged and cast into prison. Saint Varus fell at their feet and kissed them, and he praised them for their sufferings, saying:
“Blessed are you, O good and faithful servants of the Lord! You shall enter into the joy of your Lord, for you have resisted unto blood (Heb. 12:4). Blessed are you, O good strugglers; the right hand of the Most High has woven Crowns for you in Heaven. You have run with patience the race that is set before you (Heb. 12:1), and I know for certain that tomorrow your sufferings shall come to an end. Blessed are you, O passion-bearers of Christ; the Kingdom of Heaven is open unto you, for you suffer with Christ, Who suffered for our sake, as the Apostle says, ‘If it be that we suffer with him, we shall also be glorified with him’ (Rom. 8:17). I beseech you, O Holy servants of God, Pray for me to Christ that He have mercy upon me, for it is my desire to suffer for Him, but I have not the strength to do so. I fear the cruel torments I see you have undergone.”
The Saints replied: “Beloved, no one who is fearful can attain perfection, nor can he who does not sow reap. Likewise, a man who is unwilling to suffer receives no crown. Remember the words written in the Gospel: ‘Whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I deny before My Father which is in Heaven’ (Matt. 10:33). If you fear passing torments, you shall not escape those which are eternal. If you fear to confess Christ on Earth, you shall not be satisfied with the vision of His countenance in Heaven. Therefore, come, O brother, and tread with us the path of Martyrdom, which leads to the Master Who looks down upon our struggles. Suffer together with us, for you will not soon find again a company like ours.”
When he heard these things, the heart of Varus was set afire with love for God, and he wished to endure torment for Jesus Christ. He passed the entire night in Peayer with the Holy Martyrs and hearkened unto their teaching gladly.
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“I am ready to die for Christ with the other Christians here.”
“I prefer the Bread which is come down from Heaven and the Chalice of the Divine and Most Precious Blood of My Lord to your honours and esteem. I count nothing more dear than My Christ: not your regard, my rank, great honours, nor yet life itself. To suffer for Christ I count as the greatest honour and to lose all things for His sake as gain.”
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As they began to torment Varus, he said to the Holy Martyrs:
“O Holy passion-bearers! Bless me, who am your servant, that I may share your lot. Entreat the Master Christ for me that He grant me patience, for He knows that our flesh is infirm. ‘The spirit indeed is willing,’ it is written, ‘but the flesh is weak’ (Matt. 26:41).”
The Saints lifted up their eyes unto Heaven and Prayed fervently for Varus… The Saints cried out to Varus: “Take courage, Varus, and may your heart be strengthened, for Christ invisibly stands before you and strengthens you!”
Saint Varus replied: “Truly, I perceive the help of my Christ, for these torments seem as nothing to me.”
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Then the Divine Liturgy was served. Cleopatra fell down before the Holy Relics of Saint Varus and Prayed thus: “I beseech thee, O passion-bearer of Christ: Ask God for that which is profitable for me and for mine only son. I do not dare ask for anything more than what the Lord Himself wisheth, for He knoweth what is needful for us. May His good and perfect Will be done in us!”… Every Sunday as she Prayed Saint Varus appeared to her in great glory with her son…
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