Saints & Veterans Day

Menas was an Egyptian by birth and a soldier by profession. As a true Christian, he was not able to witness the abominable sacrificial offerings to the idols and left the army, the town, the people and everything else, and went to a deserted mountain, for it was easier for him to live among the wild beasts than with pagans. One day Menas clairvoyantly discerned a pagan celebration in the town of Cotynaeus. He descended into the town and openly declared his faith in Christ the Living God. He denounced idolatry and paganism as falsehood and darkness. Pyrrhus, eparch of that town, asked Menas who he was and where he was from. The saint replied: “My fatherland is Egypt, my name is Menas. I was an officer, but witnessing the worship of idols, I renounced your honors. I now come before you all to proclaim my Christ as the true God, that He may proclaim me as His servant in the Heavenly Kingdom.” Hearing this, Pyrrhus subjected St Menas to severe tortures, and tortured him by various other means, and finally beheaded him with the sword. They threw his body into a fire so that Christians would not be able to retrieve it, but Christians recovered several parts of his body from the fire nonetheless. They reverently buried those remains, which were later transferred to Alexandria and buried there, where a church was built over them. St Menas suffered in about the year 304 and went to the Kingdom of Christ. He was and remains a great miracle-worker, both on earth and in heaven. Whoever glorifies St Menas and invokes his help with faith, receives his help. The saint has often appeared as a warrior on horseback, arriving to help the faithful or punish the unfaithful.

St Menas is commemorated on November 11th which, coincidentally this year, falls on Veteran’s Day.

Apolytikion

With great valour of soul, thou didst strive in martyrdom, and having fought the good fight, O divine Great Martyr Menas, thou from Heaven hast received the gift of miracles; for God hath shown thee to the world as a worker of great signs, and He made thee our protector and a swift help in afflictions and ever-vigilant defence from harm.

Today is also the Feast of another warrior, St Martin of Tours.

St. Martin was a Roman soldier serving in France when he met a shivering beggar on a street. He cut his cloak in two and shared half with the poor man. That night, Jesus, wearing half of Martin’s cloak, appeared to him and said: “Martin is still only a catechumen, but has covered me with this garment.” Soon after this Martin presented himself for baptism. After his discharge from the military, he founded a monastery and was chosen as bishop of Tours in 371. He is the patron saint of soldiers. Let us ask St. Martin to pray on behalf of all our military personnel: may they discharge their duties with justice and courage; may they soon return safely home. On this Veterans’ Day let us also pray for all veterans and for the eternal rest of all who lost their lives in service of our country.
Taken from here.