Day of the Nine Martyrs of Kizichesk

On May 12, the Holy Orthodox Church honors the memory of the nine martyrs of Cyzicus These sufferers for the Christian faith lived in the 3rd century in the rich trading port of Cyzicus, located on the coast of the Sea of ​​Marmara Despite the fact that in the 1st century Cyzicus was blessed by the Holy Apostles Paul and Andrew the First-Called with their parish, the inhabitants of the city predominantly professed pagan beliefs Christians left the ancient port, fearing persecution and death; only nine true believers from among the followers of Jesus Christ were not afraid to bring the word of God to the lost idolaters of Cyzicus These Christians were of different ages and came from different places, they were not bound by a common status or occupation, but all nine were devoted to their faith and were ready to sacrifice their lives for it They openly preached the tenets of Christianity in places where large numbers of townspeople gathered, as a result of which the brave men were captured and brought to trial Captive Christians were forced to renounce their faith in the Savior and bow before pagan idols Persuasion gave way to cruel torture, but not a single one of the martyrs renounced their convictions After prolonged torture, nine Cyzitic Christians were sentenced to death by beheading The date of death of the martyrs became the day of their veneration A few decades later, when Christianity became the dominant religion in Asia Minor, the incorrupt bodies of nine holy men were found A temple was erected in honor of the righteous, where their relics showed their miraculous powers There are many icons depicting the martyrs from Cyzicus, on some the saints are depicted in one row, on others three on top of each other In some images, the martyrs look at the sky, from where Christ looks at them Any Christian can turn with prayers to the Cyzic righteous The saints send healings from long-standing mental and physical illnesses, help to find a good job and achieve material well-being In folk tradition, May 12 was considered the day of healers, especially those who used beneficial herbs to treat diseases In addition to plants, they used spells and prayers The names of the nine martyrs were listed above the sick, awaiting recovery Weather signs of this day helped to find out what the coming days, the coming summer and autumn, would be like: - the migration of ants suggested imminent doges; - the invasion of May beetles foreshadowed drought; - if the first thunderstorm occurred before May 12, you should prepare for prolonged heavy rains; - the bright scarlet sunrise directly indicated the hot summer season; - many stars in the clear night sky promised a bountiful grain harvest