Commemorated on May 25 in the Slavic Church
The Life of St Therapon Bishop of Cyprus the Miracle-worker
The Martyrdom Therapon was
a monk and ascetic on the island of Cyprus. He was worthy of episcopal
rank and, during a persecution of Christians, was found worthy of a yet
higher crown: that of martyrdom.
He brought many Greeks to the
Christian faith and was cruelly persecuted by the pagans, being
starved, imprisoned and flogged. They stripped him and threw him to the
ground, bound him to four posts and beat him mercilessly, until they had
stripped the flesh from his bones. However, the martyr still remained
alive and the four dry posts became green and grew into tall trees from
which many of the sick received healing. Finally St Therapon was slain
like a lamb and entered into the Kingdom, to behold the glory of God in
eternity. He suffered with honour in the time of Valerian, in about 259.
His body at first rested in a
church in Cyprus, but, during the reign of the Emperor Nicephorus, in
806, the Hagarenes fell upon Cyprus. Therapon appeared to the verger,
told him that the infidel was about to attack Cyprus and ordered him to
have his relics transferred to Constantinople. The verger saw to this at
once. When the ship with the casket put to sea, a great storm arose,
but the sea around the ship remained calm and a sweet perfume spread
from the casket around the whole ship and the surrounding area. Then the
verger opened it, and they saw that it was full of myrrh, which flowed
from the saint’s relics. Many of the sick anointed themselves with this
myrrh and were restored to health.
A church was built in
Constantinople (present day Istanbul, in Turkey) over the relics of the
wonderworking saint, which continued to give healing to all who gathered
round them with faith. The gravest diseases were healed by St
Therapon’s relics: paralysis, cancer, haemorrhage, insanity, blindness,
tuberculosis and other maladies.
We do not know much about the life of St Theapon. According to the
witness of St Andrew Bishop of Crete, St Therapon lived prior to the
seventh century. His was born in Anatolia (Modern Day Turkey) where
monasticism flourished. He matured and drew close to God through the
upbringing of his pious parents. His desire to be united with Christ
directed him towards monasticism.
The rich talents of the monk Therapon became quickly recognized
by the people. The local bishop of his province ordained him as his
deacon and then later, priest. Some time later, when the bishop fell
asleep in the Lord, the clergy and laity elected St Therapon as their
bishop. He fought against the heresy of iconoclasm and he suffered at
the hands of the heretics who persecuted him and had him deposed. He
travelled from place to place and everywhere he taught the Gospel, all
the way to Jerusalem.
He had a great desire to venerate the All-Holy Tomb of Christ and
the other holy places. There he performed many miracles and the people
esteemed him as a Holy Miracle-worker even while he was still alive!
He became well known by the people but he desired to flee from the
attention they generated for him.
Afterward he travelled to Cyprus and there he was received by the
faithful with great joy. He resumed his work untiringly preaching the
Christian Faith and ministering to the assuaging of human misery.
The pious faithful of Cyprus recognized his great skill and
beseeched him to stay on the island. St Therapon, now an old man,
touched by the requests of the faithful, agreed to be their bishop in
the city of Larnaka. He made his home there and immediately commenced
the task of teaching the Orthodox Faith. Meek and attentive was the
unmercenary physician of Cyprus.
The Arab invasions of that time struck the island of Cyprus
leading to the destruction of many churches and monasteries. Thousands
of Christians were martyred. While he was serving the Holy Liturgy, St
Theapon himself was slain while he stood before the Holy Altar.
The remainder of his flock, giving glory to God, buried the Saint
with great honor and respect. In the same place they built a church
after that first Arab conquest. When the invaders returned to invade the
island a second time St Therapon appeared to a certain pious Christian
and commanded him to transfer his relics to Constantinople. The pious
Cypriot immediately obedient to the request secretly transferred the
holy relics of the Saint onto a ship bound for the City, the other
travellers unaware of their presence.
As the ship drew near to the City, a strong fragrance was noticed
by all the travellers coming from the place of the relics. A guard ran
to see what all the commotion was about. He cried out loudly, as the
people rushed forth to see also, the sight of holy myrrh flowing from
the relics of the Saint. They immediately gathered the myrrh in glass
bottles.
The Holy relics of the Saint where held for a short while in a
certain house. But God through a miracle once again revealed them. They
were again transferred to an elder of the church of the Holy Theotokos.
Later the people of that city built a church to house the relics.
Many are the miracles even to this day of St Therapon through the grace of God.
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