Saturday, August 22, 2015

The Holy Relics of St. Julian of Emesa (Mar Elian Homsi) are saved from ISIS desecration

St. Julian (Elian) of Emesa (Homs), the Martyr and Unmercenary (source)
  
Though reporting of the many atrocities of ISIS throughout the Middle East also revealed the recent demolition the 1500 year old church built at the site of the martyrdom of St. Julian (Elian) of Emesa (Homs), the Holy Relics of this holy and wonderworking Martyr and Unmercenary of the Church have been recovered. While we mourn this great loss for our Church, and repent of our sins, as we cry out to the Lord in the words of the Psalmist:
  
"O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple, they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble. They have left the dead bodies of your servants as food for the birds of the sky, the flesh of your own people for the animals of the wild."
Psalms 79:1-2
 
The Relics of St. Elian after the bombing by ISIS (Source)
  
Yet, Let us also thank God that:  
"He protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken."
Psalms 34:20
  
Christians gathering and caring for the Holy Relics of Mar Elian (source)
  
Στίχοι
Χριστὸς τέτρηται χεῖρας ἥλοις καὶ πόδας,
Ἰουλιανὸς προστίθησι καὶ κάραν.
 
Verses to St. Julian from the Synaxarion
Christ was pierced with nails in his hands and feet,
And Julian offered up his head.
  
 Apolytikion of St. Julian in the Third Tone

Julian, saintly champion and healer, intercede with our merciful God to grant our souls remission of sins.
(The apolytikion of St. Panteleimon the Great Martyr, substituted with the name of St. Julian, according to the above source, taken from: http://goarch.org/chapel/saints_view?contentid=143)

St. Julian the Martyr of Emesa (Mar Elian Homsi) (source)
     
Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!

2 comments:

Franklin said...

Thank God for his safety and guidance.

Gallicus said...

Amen, Belated, but the Relics of Mar Elian (resting in Qaryat-Ain) are not those of Mar Julianos of Emesa, companion of martyrdom with Mar Silvanos, Lukas and Mokios (Bishop, Priest and Deacon), martyrs of Emesa and commemorated on Febr. 6th.. His remains are venerated in the homonymous Church in the ciry of Homs itself, and around it today the greek-orthodox cemetery of the city. His beautiful roman sarcophagus is placed in the diaconicon to the rifht side of the main altar of the Church, dedicated in his honour.

Mar ELian, whose tomb was profanated by ISIS is considered the elder of Mar EPhrem (the Syrian), hence a monk and buried in his homonymous monastery on the outskirts of Qaryat-Ain. The monastic side was founded in the Vth century..

Allah kareem. HE preserved from descruction the holy remains of Mar ELian the Elder in Qaryat-Ain, as well as those of Mart Behnam and Mart Sarah in their IV century glorious tomb annexed to their homonymous Monastery in the Northern Ninivéh plain in Iraq, very close to the syrian-orthodox Monastery of Mar Mattai, their elder who batized them.