The Life of Saint Christodoulos the Ethiopian-Martyr and lessons we can learn
The life of Saint Christodoulos does not begin with Saint Christodoulos, but instead begins with the 70 Disciples. As writ in the Gospel of Luke chapter 10, Christ sent the 70 Disciples as “lambs among wolves” to spread the Gospel of Righteousness to the then-darkened world.
Among the 70 were the Apostle Saints Jason and Sosipater. [1][2]
The Apostles Jason and Sosipater preached the Gospel in many places including Corfu, an island in the Ionian Sea near Greece. While on the island, they built a parish dedicated to Saint Stephen the Protomartyr, and baptized many into the Orthodox Church. Because of their fame, they were quickly discovered by the governor of the island, King Kerkyllinos. The king was a devout pagan, and was outraged at the evangelism of the two disciples. He had them imprisoned. While in captivity, they met seven thieves: Satornius, Iakyscholus, Faustian, Jannuarius, Marsalius, Euphrasius and Mammius. [3] The disciples converted them to Christ. The king was furious, and for their confession of Christ, the seven prisoners were sentenced to die as martyrs in a cauldron of molten tar, wax and sulfur.
The prison guard was inspired by their act of martyrdom, and declared himself a Christian. For this, the king ordered also his death. They cut off his left hand, then both feet and finally his head. The king then ordered the disciples Jason and Sosipater to be whipped and again locked up in prison.
When the daughter of the king, the maiden Kerkyra, learned how the martyrs would suffer for Christ, she declared herself a Christian and gave away all her riches to the poor. The infuriated king attempted to persuade his daughter into a renunciation of Christ, but Saint Kerkyra stood firm against both persuasions and against threats. Then the enraged father devised a terrible punishment for his daughter: he gave orders to situate her in a separate prison-cell and bring into her cell his Ethiopian slave, the robber and murderer, Murinus, so that he would rape Saint Kerkyra, who by now had already betrothed herself to Christ.
Murinus approached Saint Kerkyra in her cell silently, but as he did, a bear miraculously arrived and pounced upon the criminal. Saint Kerkyra heard the noise and in the Name of Christ she drove off the beast, and then by her prayers she healed the wounds of Murinus. After this Saint Kerkyra catechized him with the faith of Jesus Christ, and Murinus declared himself a Christian, taking upon the name Christodoulos in baptism. [4] The mad king had Saint Christodoulos executed, thereby making him a martyr for Christ.
Holy Martyr Christodoulos, pray to God for us!
What do we learn from Saint Christodoulos? It is never too late to repent as long as you are alive. Saint Christodoulos was a murderer and robber. It is likely that these are the reasons he was kept as a slave, perhaps as serving the sentence for his crimes. He was even more corrupt, to the extent that he was going to rape someone because they had become Christian, How abhorrent! Society normally would write these people off, and for good reason, but yet even these people can be saved. For Saint Christodoulos, it took quite the bit of physical pain, and a lot of mercy, but he was converted. Saint Kerkyra remains as a model for our lives. Her we have a woman forgiving the man who was about to rape her and even restoring him to full health. Forgiveness on this level is unheard of in modern society, but Saint Kerkyra demonstrates that it is something attainable by humans. Saint Christodoulos, in seeing this mercy, saw Christ. We are all icons of Christ, bearing the Image of God in us. Saint Kerkyra fulfilled this, and Saint Christdoulos could see Christ as plain as the daylight. It is by this that he was converted and shows us that God has not abandoned us yet, and that we can be saved.
This is where the story ends for Saint Christodoulos, but for the sake of a complete hagiography, I will finish the story of what happened to everyone else.
Following the execution of Saint Christodoulos, the king ordered that the prison holding Saint Kerkyra be burned down. This was done, but Saint Kerkyra lived. Then, by order of her enraged father, she was suspended upon a tree, choked with bitter smoke and executed with arrows, becoming a martyr for Christ. [5] After her death, the king decided to execute all the Christians on the island of Corfu.
Many converts won by Saints Jason and Sosipater were burned, including the Martyrs Zinon, Eusebios, Neonos and Vitalius. [6] The other inhabitants of Corfu, escaping from the persecution, crossed over to an adjoining island. King Kerkyllinos set sail with a detachment of soldiers, but his fleet was swallowed up by the waves with him. The governor succeeding him gave orders to throw the Disciples Jason and Sosipater into a cauldron of boiling tar, but when he beheld them unharmed, with tears he cried out: “O God of Jason and Sosipater, have mercy on me!”
Having been set free, the disciples baptised the governor and gave him the name Sebastian. With his help the Disciples Jason and Sosipater built several churches on the island and, living there until old age, by their fervent preaching increased the flock of Christ.
Thank you, God be with ye.
1: The Scriptures recount Jason in Acts 17:5-9, and both Jason and Sosipater in Romans 16:21. In Acts, Jason and Sosipater are called “my kinsmen” by Saint Tertius [7] (who wrote the Epistle to the Romans as dictated by the Holy Apostle Paul). The Holy Orthodox Church commemorates Saint Jason, Saint Sosipater, and Saint Tertius as among the 70 Disciples.
2: Saint Jason is commemorated by the Church of Jesus Christ on Jan 17, May 11, and May 12 Old Calendar (Jan 4, Apr 28, and Apr 29 New Calendar)
Saint Sosipater is commemorated on Jan 17, May 11, May 12, and Nov 23 OC (Jan 4, Apr 28, Apr 29, and Nov 10 NC)
The Synaxis of the Seventy Disciples is commemorated on Jan 17 OC (Jan 4 NC)
3: Holy Martyrs Satornius, Iakyscholus, Faustian, Jannuarius, Marsalius, Euphrasius and Mammius are all commemorated on May 11 OC (May 4 NC)
4: This is why there is no “Saint Murinus” in any calendar of Saints. Saint Christodoulos the Ethiopian is there alongside the rest of these saints on the same day (May 11 OC, Apr 28 NC), and every hagiography lists the would-be rapist as an Ethiopian robber.
5: Saint Kerkyra is commemorated on May 11 OC (Apr 28 NC)
6: The Holy Martyrs Zeno, Eusebios, Neonos and Vitalius are commemorated on May 11 OC (Apr 28 NC)
7: Saint Tertius is commemorated Jan 17, Nov 12, and Nov 23 OC (Jan 4, Oct 30, and Nov 10 NC)
