Saints Gourias, Samonas and Avivos the Confessors
Date of celebration: 15/11
Gourias and Samonas, fighting the Holy fight of the Christian faith, were arrested by the ruler Antoninus, during the persecution under Diocletian. And after they had endured many sufferings with wonderful patience, they were beheaded.
Avivus lived a few years later and was from a village in Edessa called Apothelsaea. Then the king was Licinius, the well-known rival of Constantine the Great. Avivus, therefore, was appointed Hierodeacon and was distinguished for his great piety and great zeal for his work. In particular, however, he was distinguished for his warm love in the Holy sermon, observing the divinely inspired word of the Holy Bible, which says:
“They preached the word, believed in time and time, checked, appreciated, begged, in all longsuffering and teaching”. That is to say, preach the word of God, stand as a watchman and guide to your hearers, not only in suitable circumstances, but also in those that seem improper circumstances, check, rebuke, comfort with all longsuffering and with every method of teaching.
The ruler of Lysanias, when he saw Avivus attracting many pagans by his fervent preaching, arrested him, and after hanging him in a pen and tearing him with iron claws, he then led him out of the city, where he threw him into the fire, and so Avivus surrendered his spirit to God.
