Saint Abercius, Equal to the Apostles

Life

In the time of Emperor Antoninus, Saint Abercius was a bishop in the city of Hierapolis in Phrygia. In that city there was an enormous majority of pagans, and Saint Abercius guided his small flock, grieving in his heart over such a multitude of pagans and idolaters, and praying fervently to God to turn them to the light of truth. During a noisy pagan festival, Abercius was inflamed with zeal for God, entered the pagan temple, and smashed all the idols. When the enraged pagans wanted to kill him, at that very moment three demon-possessed youths fell before the man of God, foaming and howling, and the man of God cast the demons out of them, and the youths became healthy and calm. Seeing this, the pagans turned their anger to admiration for the wonderworker of Christ, and immediately five hundred of them received baptism. Little by little the entire city of Hierapolis believed in Christ and was baptized. Publius, the proconsul of that region, had a blind mother. Abercius restored her sight through prayer, and Publius, his mother, and a multitude of other people believed in Christ. In his old age, Saint Abercius was summoned to Rome, where he healed the emperor's daughter who had gone mad. Several times the Lord Christ appeared to His faithful follower. People from near and far came to him for wonderworking help with incurable afflictions. The demons not only feared him but even served him at his command. By the instruction of the Lord Himself, he preached the Gospel in Syria and Mesopotamia as well. In deep old age he presented himself to his beloved Lord in the city of Hierapolis, at the end of the second century.

From the Hymn of Praise

Holy Abercius, a model of meekness,Is a most beautiful model of Christian zeal:He zealously overthrew the mute idols,And gladly exposed his life to peril.