13 / 26 December

The Holy Martyrs Eustratius, Auxentius, Eugene, Mardarius and Orestes

These five courageous men shone like five resplendent stars in the dark days of the anti-Christian Emperors Diocletian and Maximian. St Eustratius was a Roman general in the city of Satalios, Eugene was one of his comrades in arms and Orestes likewise a respected soldier. Auxentius was a priest and Mardarius a simple citizen who came, like Eustratius, from the town of Aravraca. The imperial governors, Lysias and Agricola, tortured Auxentius first as he was a priest. Beholding the innocent suffering of the Christians, Eustratius presented himself before Lycias and declared that he also was a Christian. While Eustratius was being tortured, Eugene stood up before the judge and cried out: 'I am a Christian too, Lycias!' When they were driving Eustratius and the other martyrs through the town, Mardarius saw them from the roof of his house, and he took leave of his wife and two frail daughters and hastened after them, shouting into the faces of their tormentors: 'I am a Christian too, like the Lord Eustratius!' Orestes was a young and handsome soldier, who stood head and shoulders above all the other soldiers. One day, when he was at target practice in Lycias's presence, the Cross he was wearing fell from his breast, and Lycias realised that he was a Christian. Orestes openly confessed his faith, and was martyred with the others. Auxentius was beheaded, Eugene and Mardarius died under torture, Orestes was exposed on a red-hot iron grid and Eustratius died in a flaming furnace. St Blaise gave Communion to St Eustratius in prison before his death. Their relics were later taken to Constantinople, and are preserved in the church dedicated to them—The Holy Five Companions. They were seen alive in that church, and St Orestes appeared to St Dimitri of Rostov. A beautiful prayer by St Eustratius is extant, which is read at the Midnight Service on Saturdays: 'I glorify Thy majesty, O Lord for Thou hast regarded my lowliness and hast not shut me up in the hands of my enemies, but hast saved my soul from want ...'. The Holy Martyr Lucy the Virgin.

St. Judoc, hermit of Ponthieu

(Died AD 675) (Welsh: Iudog; Latin: Iudocus; English: Joyce). Prince Judoc (or Josse, as he was commonly called) was educated at the monastery of San Maelmon. On the abdication of his brother, Prince Judicael of Domnonee, around 636, Judoc immediately ascended the Domnonian throne. He asked for eight days to consider his position, but decided he too preferred the religious life and fled to Ponthieu where he became chaplain to the local Count. Judoc later retired from the World to Ray where he set up a small hermitage. Unfortunately, the locals took to worrying him for miracle cures and he was forced to move to Caer-Runiac (Saint-Josse-sur-Mer) to escape them. He lived there thirteen years, and then in the Valley of Pidrague before travelling on a pilgrimage to Rome. Judoc died some time after his return, on 13th December 675. St. Judoc's bones were enshrined at Saint-Josse, before being taken to Winchester New Minster in 902 by some refugee monks. Hence his popularity in England.

On the same day: The Hieromartyr Gavrilo, Patriarch of Serbia; St. Odilia, virgin of Alsace, France (720)