Holy Martyr Hermias

Life

He grew old as an imperial soldier and in his old age suffered for Christ the King. After the wicked judge had tried in vain to turn him from the Christian Faith and counseled him to offer sacrifice to the idols, he ordered that his teeth be knocked out with stones and the skin flayed from his face with a knife. Then they cast him into a fiery furnace, but he arose, preserved by the grace of God. Then he drank the most potent poison, which a certain sorcerer gave him by order of the judge, but the poison did him no harm. Seeing this, the sorcerer was so astonished that he publicly confessed Christ, for which he was immediately beheaded with the sword. Then they gouged out both of Hermias's eyes, but he, without lamenting, cried out to the judge: "Take for thyself these bodily eyes, which gaze upon the vanity of the world; I have the eyes of the heart, with which I clearly see the true Light." Then he was hung upside down by his feet, but those who did this to him were struck blind and staggered about around him. Saint Hermias called them to himself, laid his hands upon them, and by prayer to the Lord restored their sight. Seeing all of this, the judge flew into a rage like a lion, drew his knife, and cut off the head of God's man. Christians secretly took the body of Hermias and buried it with honor. His relics gave healing to all the sick and afflicted. Saint Hermias suffered in the year 166, in the time of Emperor Antoninus.