Orthodox Saint Gordios History and Name Day Information

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Those who are part of the Orthodox Christian faith study the lives of the saints on a regular basis. It is important to know about church history, and the saints are very much a part of that history. Not only that, but people are regularly named after the saints, and those who are would celebrate their name days on the saints’ feast days.

Saint Gordios is one of those saints. His name day occurs very day on January 3rd of each year. Here’s more information about him:

About Saint Gordios 

Saint Gordios, also know as Gordios the Martyr of Caesarea, was alive during the early days of the church. At the time, he was a centurion in the Roman army, which means that he was surrounded by pagans. This was also a time of heavy Christian persecution by the Roman Empire, and Gordios was a Christian.

After a time, he could no longer stand being around the heathens and pagans, so he left the army and withdrew to the wilderness where he constantly prayed and fasted. He lived in the mountains and became unrecognizable from what he used to be. However, during a pagan festival, he did come back to civilization, but he had spent so much time in the forest that no one knew who he was at first. Eventually, someone recognized exactly who he was and he confessed his Christian faith before the governor. He suffered a martyrs death shortly after that and was beheaded.

Hymns of Saint Gordios 

Saint Gordios’s feast day is on January 3rd. Here are the hymns that are chanted or sung on this feast day:

Apolytikion of Martyr Gordios – Fourth Tone

Thy Martyr, O Lord, in his courageous contest for Thee received the prize of the crowns of incorruption and life from Thee, our immortal God. For since he possessed Thy strength, he cast down the tyrants and wholly destroyed the demons’ strengthless presumption. O Christ God, by his prayers, save our souls, since Thou art merciful.

Kontakion of Martyr Gordios – Plagal of the Fourth Tone

The whole earth hast thou watered with thy sweat and toils, O glorious one, and hast made all the world glad with thy precious blood, O godly-minded Gordios. By thine earnest entreaties, O famed Martyr, save all them that sing thy praise in faith and worthily revere thee as one that hath truly suffered much.

Saint Gordios one of the early saints of the Orthodox Christian Church. His feast day is on January 3rd of each year.  Check the Name Day page for more information about other Orthodox Christian name days.

Source:

Gordos the Martyr of Caesarea – (Also Photo Credit for the Above Image)

Categorized in: Greek Orthodox Religious Information

This post was written by Greek Boston