On May 13, we celebrate the memory of the holy martyrs Glyceria and Laodicius, and of George the Confessor.
Glyceria lived in the city of Trajanopol (now a village, east of the city of Alexandropol, at the mouth of the Maritsa River in Greece) in the 2nd century, when Antoninus Pius (138-161) was emperor. Her father was a prominent man in the city, a Christian, and he raised her in the saving faith of Christ. And at that time, Christians were periodically persecuted by the Roman authorities with the accusation that they were godless (did not believe in pagan gods) and blasphemers (did not honor the state gods). Persecutions took place at the discretion of local governors and in view of certain political circumstances.
The ruler of Trajanople, Savin, learned that Glykeria was one of the active Christian women in the city, who by her teachings and personal example led other young people to believe in Jesus Christ. Therefore he ordered her to be brought before him. The girl bravely stood before the governor and boldly confessed her faith.
Enraged, Savin tortured her to renounce her faith and sacrifice to the idols. But Glykeria firmly defended her convictions and remained a faithful follower of Christ.
One of the jailers named Laodiceus, observing how strongly the girl defended her faith and was ready even to die for it, also believed in Christ and declared his faith openly. Laodiceus was immediately condemned to death and cut down with the sword, having preceded Glyceria in martyrdom. Governor Savin then ordered the girl to be thrown to the wild beasts in the circus. To everyone’s surprise, they did not tear her apart, but one of the lions, deliberately irritated by the executioners, bit her, and after a few days the martyr gave up her spirit to God.
Saint George the Confessor lived in Constantinople at the beginning of the 9th century and suffered a lot from the iconoclasts because of his Orthodox faith. But he survived the cruel persecutions and is revered as a confessor of the faith.
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