Holy Martyr Isidore

Life

In the time of the reign of Decius, this Isidore was taken by force from the island of Chios into the army. From his youth he held to the faith of Christ and spent his life in fasting, prayer, and good deeds. When he was discovered in the army to be a Christian, the commander took him for questioning and counseled him to renounce Christ and offer sacrifices to the idols. The saint answered: "Even if thou shouldst slay my body, thou hast no power over my soul. I have the true and living God, Jesus Christ, Who even now lives in me and after my death will be with me; and I am in Him, and I shall remain His, and I shall not cease to confess His holy name so long as the spirit is in my body." The commander ordered that Isidore first be beaten with ox sinews, and then they cut out his tongue. But even without a tongue, Isidore by the Spirit of God spoke and confessed the name of Christ. Meanwhile, the punishment of God overtook the commander, and he was suddenly struck dumb. The mute commander at last gave the sign for Isidore to be beheaded. And Isidore rejoiced at this sentence and, praising God, went out to the place of execution, where his head was cut off in the year 251. His companion Amonius buried his body, but for this he himself also suffered and received the crown of martyrdom.

From the Hymn of Praise

Blessed Isidore wrestled with himselfUntil, passionless, he became like a dry tree,But even a dry tree the bees fill with honey,And from a dry rock a spring sometimes bursts forth.