Daily saints, october 31

[holy...@wondering.com]

Holy Apostles Stachys, Apelles, Amplias, Urban, Narcissus and
Aristobolus.

They are numbered among the Seventy. All six are mentioned by St Paul in
the sixteenth chapter of his Epistle to the Romans. Stachys was
appointed Bishop of Byzantium by the Apostle Andrew, and reposed in
peace in AD 54. Apelles became Bishop of Heraclea in Asia Minor. Amplias
and Urban were made Bishops in Macedonia by St Andrew; both died as
Martyrs. Narcissus became Bishop of Athens and died a Martyr.
Aristobulus became Bishop of Britain, where he reposed in peace.

New Martyr Nicholas of Chios (1754)

Raised in piety, he worked as a stone-mason until an accident deprived
him of his reason and of the power of speech. The local Turkish rulers
took advantage of his condition to declare him a Muslim. For years
thereafter he was employed as a shepherd until he met a monk named
Cyril, who prayed fervently that he be restored to his senses. He was
miraculously restored, and almost immediately was filled with the desire
to repent and to live only for Christ, devoting himself to prayer,
fasting and vigil. Some time later he was falsely suspected of a crime
by the (Christian) people of his village, and brought before the Turkish
authorities. When he was questioned, he declared 'I was born a
Christian, I was brought up as a Christian, I have never denied Christ
for Islam, and I never will deny Him, but will die a Christian.' For
this he was brutally tortured. Many local Christians, including the
village priest, feared for their own safety and urged him to deny
Christ, but Nicholas only rebuked them and stood firm. After many days
of torture he was finally slain by the sword.