Therapont of Sardis

The holy, glorious and right-victorious Hieromartyr Therapont, Bishop of Sardis suffered for Christ during the third century (the city of Sardis was in Lydia, Asia Minor). In fulfilling his priestly service, St. Therapont enlightened many of the pagan Greeks with the light of the Christian faith and baptized them. For this, he was brought to trial before the governor Julian and fearlessly declared himself a Christian bishop.

They threw him into prison, where he languished with hunger and thirst, and then they gave him over to cruel tortures. These torments did not break the saint's valiant confession of faith. They led the saint off in chains to the city of Sinaion in Phrygia, and then to Ancyra.

In these cities they tortured him again. They took him to the River Astala, where they stretched him naked upon the ground, fastened to four stakes, and fiercely beat him. After this torture, they took him to the outskirts of the Satalia diocese, part of the Sardis metropolitanate, and here after long beatings St. Therapont ended his martyric contest.

The stakes to which the saint had been tied, and which were soaked with his blood, put forth green shoots and grew into large trees, whose leaves were found to have curative powers. Many people received healing through them. St. Therapont's feast day is on May 27.

Hymns

Troparion (Tone 4)

Having partaken of the apostolic way of life,

And becoming their successor to the throne,

Thou hast discovered in the practice of the virtues

The way to divine contemplation.

Therefore dispensing the word of truth

Thou hast also suffered to the shedding of blood for the sake of the faith,

O holy martyr Therapont, entreat Christ our God to save our souls.

Kontakion (Tone 1)

In righteous suffering, O Therapont saint of Christ,

Thou didst truly become a hierarch and martyr.

Therefore we entreat thee to heal the ingrained passions of our souls,

Entreating Christ who loveth mankind and granteth mercy.

Source

• www.oca.org - Lives of Saints, May 27.