St. Hadbshabo +355

St. Hadbshabo +355

July 20th is the commemoration of the dukhrono of St. Hadbshabo +355 according to the Liturgical Calendar of the Syriac Orthodox Church. Bar Hadbshabo means "son of Sunday" He was a deacon from Arabela(modern day Arbil/Erbil Iraq) He lived during the reign of the Persian Sassanid emperor Sharpur II. During this time, Sharpur II was carrying out one of the fiercest waves of persecution on the Christians of his empire. Sapor Tamsapor the governor of Adiabene, ordered deacon Hadbshabo be arrested & tortured. While they were torturing him, the tyrant said to the deacon, "Worship fire & water, eat the blood of animals, & at once your torments will cease & you are free." However the Saint too happy to suffer for his God, smiled & insulted the tyrant, "Who are you, he cried to him, to force me to abjure the religion of my childhood? I swear by the God whom I love with all my soul & by his Christ, in whom I have placed my hope, neither you nor this king whose power you boast, nor torments, nothing can separate me of the charity of my Jesus, whom I have loved above all things from my tender childhood to my old age" Tamsapor ordered Hadbshabo be beheaded. There was a apostate Christian named Aggai, who initially confessed his Christian faith & was imprisoned. However, he renounced his faith after Tamsapor agreed to free him if he executed Hadbshabo. The deacon was taken to the hills of Hazza village & tied to a post. Aggai struck the deacon 7 times but couldn't behead him, throwing away the sword in fear. But the gathered crowd chanted for him to continue. Aggai then took the sword & plunged it into the bowels of the deacon, killing him at once. Thus Mor Hadbshabo attained the crown of martyrdom. Aggai suddenly fell ill, his hand swelled up enormously, & he died days later from horrible disease as punishment. Tamsapor ordered the body of Mor Hadbshabo be guarded, but at night two clerics secretly took the body & entombed it.The siege of Aynwardo (Einwardo/Gulgoze) village of Turkey is a piece of history which will not soon be forgotten. In 1915 the Ottoman Turkish nationalists & Kurdish allies began the great Genocide on the Christians known in Syriac as Sayfo (Year of the Sword). While most of the villages were unprepared for the onslaught of persecution, the inhabitants of Aynwardo village foresaw the coming violence. They further fortified their Church of Mor Hadbshabo and their hilltop village to defend themselves from any attack. After sending word to nearby areas, villagers from surrounding regions escaped & fled to the safety of Aynwardo. Every individual was given a job, even the clergy had to participate in battle. The persecutors came & began their offensive. After 3 failed assaults, what was meant to be an easy task for the Kurdish warriors & Ottoman forces led to a 3 month long battle. The villagers of Aynwardo sparingly using what little they had to make sure their village & all who sought refuge there stayed safe. The attackers were fed up & wanted an end to the battle, which they were losing despite having a far greater number of soldiers & better weapons. After multiple failed negotiation attempts, finally sheik Fathullah brokered a peace deal, with him as the guarantor. The sheik was from the Mohallemi tribe (Syriac Christians who converted in the 1300s because of a dispute with their bishop) who did not take a side in the genocide, & so could be trusted. While around 500,000 Syriacs died during the Syriac Genocide, the 6000-7000 who took refuge in Aynwardo at the fortified church of Mor Hadbshabo were spared. Thus Mor Hadbshabo has a special place in the hearts of the Syriac People, & they attribute the miracle of their safety to his intercession.Oh Mor Hadbshabo! Plead for us before God's throne of grace. AmenActs of Mor Barhadbesabba: https://bit.ly/Hadbshabo  To read the story of Aynwardo: https://goo.gl/rbFCV5 additionally one can read 'From the Holy Mountain' by William Dalrymple.