St. Babylas 13th Patriarch of Antioch +253

St. Babylas 13th Patriarch of Antioch +253

Saint Babylas (+253). A patriarch of Antioch (237 - 251), During the Decian persecution (249-251) he made an unwavering confession of faith and was thrown into prison where he died from his sufferings. He was, therefore, venerated as a martyr, (according to Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, VI, 39). He asked to be buried with his chains.http://www.soc-wus.org/ourchurch/St.%20Babylas,%20Patriarch%20of%20Antioch.htmSt. John Chrysostom Homily on St. Babylas: http://bit.ly/ChrysostomBabylasSt. Severus of Antioch's veneration of St. Babylas, a brief overview: https://tinyurl.com/jfpdbc5eHymns on St. Severus for the feast of St. Babylas of Antioch:“Because the Lord hath done a wonder”Let no man be surprised at seeing that Babylas the old and advanced in days, a man bowed down from length of time went down boldly to the arena and to the conflict of martyrdom and the boys of immature age and their mother. But let him praise Christ, the Word of God, who after the similitude of boys shared in blood and flesh and became man without change and so far helped and strengthened our feeble race. That even persons of tender age receive crowns of victory in the conflict against the devil who aforetime proudly boasted and said “I will go up to heaven, and above the stars of heaven will I set the seat of my kingdom: and I will be like unto the Most High.” Let us all in thanksgiving send up praise to Him by means of His Cross dissolved his power; and let us cry to Him, “Lord of all, praise to Thee!”“Because of thy Grace, O God” The great and divine Apostle Paul said that he prayed and entreated in a chain on behalf of the Gospel, and Babylas the martyr, imitating him, asked for the chain in which he was martyred to be buried with him, as a general the armour in which he did deeds of progress. Accordingly, even his dust is very formidable to the demons, and Apollo the idol, which was set at Daphne, was struck dumb and ceased to utter its lying folly, because of the neighbourhood of the dead man who was alive through the performance of the signs which he wrought. And to Julian the tyrant, who had gone mad and ordered demon worship; it was unable to give a deceitful revelation. And after the precious bones of the martyr had been removed and taken away, the spirit that speaks from the earth, the full of <> began to utter folly. And so through both facts, by its silence, I mean, and also by its foolish speaking, it proclaims and declares the victory of that combatant by whose prayers, Christ-God have mercy upon us.BL14504