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Episode 042: St Sousenyos
St Sousenyos
On the 26th day of the Coptic month of Baramouda we celebrate the life of St Sousenyos.
Sousenyos was the son of one of the friends of Emperor Diocletian. An angel of the Lord appeared to him and strengthened his heart on receiving the crown of martyrdom. Sousenyos kept this in his heart, sharing it with no one.
The Emperor sent him to the city of Nicomedia to restore the worship of idols. Sousenyos sorrowed exceedingly. He sent for and brought with him, a priest on his journey to Nicomedia. Who taught him the doctrine of the church, the facts of the faith and baptized him.
When his father found out, he brought his own son before the Emperor, declaring that he did not worship the idols. The Emperor ordered to torture him with severe tortures. But the Lord strengthened and comforted him. Finally, they cut off his head, and he received the crown of martyrdom.
The number of those who had seen him during his torture and believed because of him, were eleven hundred and seventy. They were all martyred and received the crown of martyrdom.
Lessons from this story
Jesus warned us that this exact thing would happen. “Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 10:21-22). The angel came to Sousyenos and revealed his martyrdom. Imagine what that must be like. You have grown up in the luxury of great wealth, comfort and prestige. As the son of a friend to the emperor, you would have everything your heart could desire.
Though this telling does not elaborate why the angel appeared to Sousenyos, only that an angel did reveal his destiny. As we know God knows the heart, cleary we must infer that Sousenyos, despite his wealth and privilege, was not happy. This telling does not say the angel appeared in response to a prayer, in fact the story implies the announcement was unsolicited. So clearly the takeaway is that God knew Sousenyos’s heart and gave him a better option.
But, we read that Sousenyos was cautious. I mean at this time being Christian was not a popular thing to do, especially for someone so close to the emperor who will go down in history and horrible torturer of Christians. But nonetheless, he kept this reveal in his heart.
When the time came for him to be tested, he learned all he could about Christianity, was baptized, stood his ground, gripped his new faith and eventually released, receiving the crown of Martyrdom.
Pure of heart can be found anywhere if we allow God to direct us. Do we imagine for one second Jonah would have gone to that horrible band of sinners the Ninevites if God had not called him? Absolutely not. He even resisted God's will, hoping to witness the destruction of a people he deemed unworthy.
Do we do that? Do we look at others and think we know their hearts? Truly we fall victim to judgment of others based on our one dimension perception, but when we listen to the lives of saints, maybe we can train ourselves to curb that first reaction and allow God to reveal to us the pure of heart no matter where we are.
Prayer
God please use us. Guide our eyes, hands, feet and minds to see and do your work. That through you, we can be part of that greatness that is being“called”. May the prayers and intercessions of St Sousenyos be with us all, amen.
On the 26th day of the Coptic month of Baramouda we celebrate the life of St Sousenyos.
Sousenyos was the son of one of the friends of Emperor Diocletian. An angel of the Lord appeared to him and strengthened his heart on receiving the crown of martyrdom. Sousenyos kept this in his heart, sharing it with no one.
The Emperor sent him to the city of Nicomedia to restore the worship of idols. Sousenyos sorrowed exceedingly. He sent for and brought with him, a priest on his journey to Nicomedia. Who taught him the doctrine of the church, the facts of the faith and baptized him.
When his father found out, he brought his own son before the Emperor, declaring that he did not worship the idols. The Emperor ordered to torture him with severe tortures. But the Lord strengthened and comforted him. Finally, they cut off his head, and he received the crown of martyrdom.
The number of those who had seen him during his torture and believed because of him, were eleven hundred and seventy. They were all martyred and received the crown of martyrdom.
Lessons from this story
Jesus warned us that this exact thing would happen. “Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 10:21-22). The angel came to Sousyenos and revealed his martyrdom. Imagine what that must be like. You have grown up in the luxury of great wealth, comfort and prestige. As the son of a friend to the emperor, you would have everything your heart could desire.
Though this telling does not elaborate why the angel appeared to Sousenyos, only that an angel did reveal his destiny. As we know God knows the heart, cleary we must infer that Sousenyos, despite his wealth and privilege, was not happy. This telling does not say the angel appeared in response to a prayer, in fact the story implies the announcement was unsolicited. So clearly the takeaway is that God knew Sousenyos’s heart and gave him a better option.
But, we read that Sousenyos was cautious. I mean at this time being Christian was not a popular thing to do, especially for someone so close to the emperor who will go down in history and horrible torturer of Christians. But nonetheless, he kept this reveal in his heart.
When the time came for him to be tested, he learned all he could about Christianity, was baptized, stood his ground, gripped his new faith and eventually released, receiving the crown of Martyrdom.
Pure of heart can be found anywhere if we allow God to direct us. Do we imagine for one second Jonah would have gone to that horrible band of sinners the Ninevites if God had not called him? Absolutely not. He even resisted God's will, hoping to witness the destruction of a people he deemed unworthy.
Do we do that? Do we look at others and think we know their hearts? Truly we fall victim to judgment of others based on our one dimension perception, but when we listen to the lives of saints, maybe we can train ourselves to curb that first reaction and allow God to reveal to us the pure of heart no matter where we are.
Prayer
God please use us. Guide our eyes, hands, feet and minds to see and do your work. That through you, we can be part of that greatness that is being“called”. May the prayers and intercessions of St Sousenyos be with us all, amen.
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By St John Chrysostom Coptic OCSt Sousenyos
On the 26th day of the Coptic month of Baramouda we celebrate the life of St Sousenyos.
Sousenyos was the son of one of the friends of Emperor Diocletian. An angel of the Lord appeared to him and strengthened his heart on receiving the crown of martyrdom. Sousenyos kept this in his heart, sharing it with no one.
The Emperor sent him to the city of Nicomedia to restore the worship of idols. Sousenyos sorrowed exceedingly. He sent for and brought with him, a priest on his journey to Nicomedia. Who taught him the doctrine of the church, the facts of the faith and baptized him.
When his father found out, he brought his own son before the Emperor, declaring that he did not worship the idols. The Emperor ordered to torture him with severe tortures. But the Lord strengthened and comforted him. Finally, they cut off his head, and he received the crown of martyrdom.
The number of those who had seen him during his torture and believed because of him, were eleven hundred and seventy. They were all martyred and received the crown of martyrdom.
Lessons from this story
Jesus warned us that this exact thing would happen. “Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 10:21-22). The angel came to Sousyenos and revealed his martyrdom. Imagine what that must be like. You have grown up in the luxury of great wealth, comfort and prestige. As the son of a friend to the emperor, you would have everything your heart could desire.
Though this telling does not elaborate why the angel appeared to Sousenyos, only that an angel did reveal his destiny. As we know God knows the heart, cleary we must infer that Sousenyos, despite his wealth and privilege, was not happy. This telling does not say the angel appeared in response to a prayer, in fact the story implies the announcement was unsolicited. So clearly the takeaway is that God knew Sousenyos’s heart and gave him a better option.
But, we read that Sousenyos was cautious. I mean at this time being Christian was not a popular thing to do, especially for someone so close to the emperor who will go down in history and horrible torturer of Christians. But nonetheless, he kept this reveal in his heart.
When the time came for him to be tested, he learned all he could about Christianity, was baptized, stood his ground, gripped his new faith and eventually released, receiving the crown of Martyrdom.
Pure of heart can be found anywhere if we allow God to direct us. Do we imagine for one second Jonah would have gone to that horrible band of sinners the Ninevites if God had not called him? Absolutely not. He even resisted God's will, hoping to witness the destruction of a people he deemed unworthy.
Do we do that? Do we look at others and think we know their hearts? Truly we fall victim to judgment of others based on our one dimension perception, but when we listen to the lives of saints, maybe we can train ourselves to curb that first reaction and allow God to reveal to us the pure of heart no matter where we are.
Prayer
God please use us. Guide our eyes, hands, feet and minds to see and do your work. That through you, we can be part of that greatness that is being“called”. May the prayers and intercessions of St Sousenyos be with us all, amen.
On the 26th day of the Coptic month of Baramouda we celebrate the life of St Sousenyos.
Sousenyos was the son of one of the friends of Emperor Diocletian. An angel of the Lord appeared to him and strengthened his heart on receiving the crown of martyrdom. Sousenyos kept this in his heart, sharing it with no one.
The Emperor sent him to the city of Nicomedia to restore the worship of idols. Sousenyos sorrowed exceedingly. He sent for and brought with him, a priest on his journey to Nicomedia. Who taught him the doctrine of the church, the facts of the faith and baptized him.
When his father found out, he brought his own son before the Emperor, declaring that he did not worship the idols. The Emperor ordered to torture him with severe tortures. But the Lord strengthened and comforted him. Finally, they cut off his head, and he received the crown of martyrdom.
The number of those who had seen him during his torture and believed because of him, were eleven hundred and seventy. They were all martyred and received the crown of martyrdom.
Lessons from this story
Jesus warned us that this exact thing would happen. “Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 10:21-22). The angel came to Sousyenos and revealed his martyrdom. Imagine what that must be like. You have grown up in the luxury of great wealth, comfort and prestige. As the son of a friend to the emperor, you would have everything your heart could desire.
Though this telling does not elaborate why the angel appeared to Sousenyos, only that an angel did reveal his destiny. As we know God knows the heart, cleary we must infer that Sousenyos, despite his wealth and privilege, was not happy. This telling does not say the angel appeared in response to a prayer, in fact the story implies the announcement was unsolicited. So clearly the takeaway is that God knew Sousenyos’s heart and gave him a better option.
But, we read that Sousenyos was cautious. I mean at this time being Christian was not a popular thing to do, especially for someone so close to the emperor who will go down in history and horrible torturer of Christians. But nonetheless, he kept this reveal in his heart.
When the time came for him to be tested, he learned all he could about Christianity, was baptized, stood his ground, gripped his new faith and eventually released, receiving the crown of Martyrdom.
Pure of heart can be found anywhere if we allow God to direct us. Do we imagine for one second Jonah would have gone to that horrible band of sinners the Ninevites if God had not called him? Absolutely not. He even resisted God's will, hoping to witness the destruction of a people he deemed unworthy.
Do we do that? Do we look at others and think we know their hearts? Truly we fall victim to judgment of others based on our one dimension perception, but when we listen to the lives of saints, maybe we can train ourselves to curb that first reaction and allow God to reveal to us the pure of heart no matter where we are.
Prayer
God please use us. Guide our eyes, hands, feet and minds to see and do your work. That through you, we can be part of that greatness that is being“called”. May the prayers and intercessions of St Sousenyos be with us all, amen.