THOSE OF US WHO KNOW OUR SAINTS will be fully aware of the story of St Michael the Martyr, whom we celebrate on May 23rd, remembering his charity, selflessness and disregard for worldly goods. Michael was martyred in the ninth century for his Christianity and chastity, and is one of the most important of the saints in the Orthodox catalogue.
AFTER AN EARLY LIFE of some difficulty and tribulation, during which he gave up all personal ambition in order to serve Man and God, he then visited the holy places of Jerusalem, found his calling, and became a monk. He was held in such high esteem by the Abbot of Mar Savvas Monastery that he was allowed to indulge in the business of buying and selling monastic wares in the town. On one occasion he was humbly selling his wares when he was introduced to a princess, who fell in love with him. He rejected her advances, for which she felt slighted; she had him captured and sent to speak to the sultan on charges of being corrupt and faithless. Having been sentenced to death for refusing to implicate his fellow Christians in these charges, he was forced to drink poison, but this did not work. He was then urged to fall upon his sword, which he did not do, being instead slaughtered by the sultan’s men.
HE SHOULD NOT, OF COURSE, be confused with Saint Michael of the Police, believed to endeavour to protect policemen all over the world in their duties, and in honour of whom many police officers wear medals. Nor should he be confused with St Michael, the emblem of the most successful private businessmen ever to emerge from the rich nation of Britain.
AFTER AN EARLY LIFE of some difficulty and tribulation, during which he gave up all personal ambition in order to serve Man and God, he then visited the holy places of Jerusalem, found his calling, and became a monk. He was held in such high esteem by the Abbot of Mar Savvas Monastery that he was allowed to indulge in the business of buying and selling monastic wares in the town. On one occasion he was humbly selling his wares when he was introduced to a princess, who fell in love with him. He rejected her advances, for which she felt slighted; she had him captured and sent to speak to the sultan on charges of being corrupt and faithless. Having been sentenced to death for refusing to implicate his fellow Christians in these charges, he was forced to drink poison, but this did not work. He was then urged to fall upon his sword, which he did not do, being instead slaughtered by the sultan’s men.
HE SHOULD NOT, OF COURSE, be confused with Saint Michael of the Police, believed to endeavour to protect policemen all over the world in their duties, and in honour of whom many police officers wear medals. Nor should he be confused with St Michael, the emblem of the most successful private businessmen ever to emerge from the rich nation of Britain.
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