Epistola Ad Omnem Ecclesiam / LUCIANI EPISTOLA AD OMNEM ECCLESIAM TOTIUSQUE ORBIS CHRISTIANOS, DE REVELATIONE CORPORIS STEPHANI MARTYRIS

Letter Lucian to the Whole Church, on the Revelation of the Body of Stephen the First Martyr and of Others. From the editions published at Ulim and Louvain, and revised against several manuscripts. Lucian, in need of the mercy of God and the least of all men, presbyter of the Church of God which is in the village of Caphargamala in the territory of Jerusalem, to the holy Church and to all the saints who are in Christ Jesus throughout the whole world, greeting in the Lord. The vision which appeared to my lowliness three times from God, concerning the revelation of the relics of the blessed and glorious protomartyr Stephen and first deacon of Christ, and of Nicodemus who is written of in the Gospel, and of Gamaliel who From the Floriacensis codex and other manuscripts. Lucian, in need of the mercy of God and the least of all men, presbyter of the Church of God which is in the village of Caphargamala in the territory of Jerusalem, to the holy Church and to all the saints who are in Christ Jesus throughout the whole world, greeting in the Lord.

The revelation of Saint Stephen, which is named in the Acts of the Apostles, and which was shown to me by the grace of our Lord and Savior, I have deemed necessary to disclose to your Love in Christ, having been implored and rather commanded by the holy and God-worshipping father Avitus, a presbyter, that, according to completed faith, as a son obeying a father who questions, I might, just as I have learned, with all simplicity and diligence, faithfully relate the whole truth. Therefore, on the day of Preparation, that is, the sixth day, which is the third day before the Nones of December, in the consulship of Honorius for the tenth time and Theodosius for the sixth time, the Augusti, as night was coming on, while I was sleeping in my bed, in the holy place of the baptistery, where it was my custom to sleep and to guard the ecclesiastical things that were in the ministry, at the third hour of the night, which is the first watch of the vigils, as if in an ecstasy, half-awake, I saw an old man, tall, hieroprepes, that is, worthy of a priest, gray-haired, having a long beard, cloaked in a white stole, on which were golden gems having within them the sign of the holy cross, and holding a golden rod in his hand. And coming, he stood at my right side, and with the golden rod he struck me, calling me three times by my name, saying: "Lucian, Lucian, Lucian." And he said to me in the Greek language: "Go to the city which is called Aelia, which is Jerusalem, and say to the holy John who is bishop in it: How long are we shut in, and you do not open for us? And especially, because in the times of your priesthood it is necessary for us to be revealed.

Open to us quickly the monument where our relics lie placed in neglect, so that through us God and his Christ and the Holy Spirit may open the door of their mercy in this world. For this age is endangered by many misfortunes which occur in it daily. And I am not so much anxious for myself as for those who are placed with me, saints and worthy of great honor. And I answered him, saying: For who indeed are you, lord, and these who are with you? He answered me: I am Gamaliel, who nurtured Paul the apostle of Christ, and taught the Law in Jerusalem. And he who is with me, lying in the eastern part of the monument, is my lord Stephen, who was stoned by the Jews and the chief priests in Jerusalem for the faith of Christ, outside the gate which is to the north, which leads to Cedar: where he lay cast out day and night, so that he might not be given burial, according to the command of the impious rulers, that his body might be consumed by wild beasts. But by the will of God, not one of them touched him, not a beast, not a bird, not a dog.

I, Gamaliel, compassionate toward the minister of Christ and eager to have reward and a share with the holy man in faith, sent by night as many religious men as I knew, believers in Christ Jesus dwelling in Jerusalem among the Jews, and I urged them and supplied the necessities of substance, and persuaded them to go secretly, so that they might carry his body in my vehicle to my estate, that is to Caphargamala (which is interpreted as the Estate of Gamaliel), twenty miles from the city, and there I had a lamentation made for him for forty days and ordered him to be placed in my monument in the eastern chamber, and I ordered whatever was necessary for his lamentation to be given from my resources. The lord Nicodemus himself is also placed in another chamber, who came to the Savior Jesus by night and was evangelized by him, hearing: Unless one has been reborn from water and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven (John 3:5). And going out, he was baptized by the disciples of Christ. And the Jews, learning of this, removed him from his principate and anathematized him and exiled him from the city. And I, Gamaliel, as one who suffered persecution for Christ, took him up into my field and nourished and supported him, so that I might disclose this to your Sanctity, not out of some boastfulness, but for the confirmation of the hearers.

For the third time it was shown to me, while I was resting in the basilica of the baptistery on my bed, on the sixth day of the week at daybreak, around the third hour of the night, while I was still nearly awake, as if rendered in an ecstasy, I saw a man, elderly in age, tall in stature, handsome in face, with a long beard, in white clothing, wrapped in a pallium, on the top of which there were like golden crosses woven in (and he held a golden staff in his hand), shod in boots gilded on the surface, walking before me, and silent. And when I saw this, hesitating within myself I said: Who do you think it is? Is it from God, or from the opposing side? For I had not forgotten the word of the Apostle saying, For even Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14). Therefore, when I saw him walking, I began to think in my heart and say: If this man is from God, he will call me by my name a third time: but if he calls me once, I will not give him an answer. He, hesitating not at all, dissembling his walking, came to me: and with the staff which he held in his hand, striking me, he called me by my name a third time, saying: Lucian, Lucian, Lucian. To whom I responded: Who are you, lord? He said to me: Arise, and go, and say to John, bishop of Jerusalem: How long are we shut in? How long do you not open to us? especially since in your times we are to be revealed. Open to us more quickly, so that through our prayer God may open the door of his mercy to the human race.

For the time is at hand that this world should perish, because of the multitude of its iniquities, which they commit daily. And after this he says: I am not only anxious on my own account, but also for those who are with me: for they are worthy of being heaped with the greatest honors on earth; because the place in which we lie is very despised. When I had heard these things, therefore, I said to him: Tell me, lord, who you are, and who are those with you? And he says to me: I am Gamaliel, who nurtured Paul, who later became an apostle. But he who lies with me is the lord Stephen, who was stoned by the Jews at Jerusalem, and lay day and night in the exapeleus of the city, on the road going to Cedar, cast out by order of the impious priests, to be devoured by beasts and birds. And yet neither beasts nor birds presumed to touch him. But I, Gamaliel, knowing the sanctity of the man and his faith and devotion, believing that I would have a share with him in the resurrection, sent for religious and faithful men, commanding and saying: Fearing nothing, acquiesce to my counsels, and gather the body of the holy Stephen, and carry it to my possession, which I have called by my name Caphargamala: and place it in my new tomb; and perform the customary solemnities for forty days, in that same possession, which is at the twenty-second milestone. And whatever shall be expended in the solemn expenses, I shall have provided from my own means.

The other one, who lies with him, is my nephew Nicodemus, who came by night to the Savior to learn the words of truth and to be reborn through water and the Holy Spirit. When he had heard from the Lord, he was baptized by the holy apostles Peter and John. Because of this baptism, the chief priests were enraged against Nicodemus and plotted to kill him; but on account of my honor and the bond of kinship, they did not do so. Nevertheless, they struck him with many blows, left him half-dead, anathematized him, cast him out of the city, and plundered all his possessions. I, however, had him gathered up and brought into my own estate, instructing my steward to provide whatever was necessary for him until the end of his life; and when he died, I buried him honorably next to Lord Stephen. Likewise, my most beloved son Abibas, who received the baptism of Christ with me from his disciples, being twenty years old, died before me and was buried in the third, higher vault, in which I myself, after my death, was later placed. My wife, whose name is Ethna, and my firstborn Selemias, because they refused to be cultivators of the faith of Christ, were buried in another village of their mother, that is, in Capharsemelia. Then I, the humble Lucianus the presbyter, asked, saying: And where shall we seek you? And he said to me: In the middle of the proastium, which can be understood as the nearby villa of the field, which is called Delagabri, that is, of the Men of God.

I awoke and prayed to the Lord, saying: Lord Jesus Christ, if this vision is from you and is not an illusion, cause it to appear to me again and a third time, whenever you wish and however you wish. I therefore began to fast and to eat dry foods until the next Parasceve. And again the lord Gamaliel appeared to me in the same likeness and the same form as in the first vision, saying: Why did you neglect to go and tell the holy bishop John? And I answered: I feared, lord, to announce this immediately after the first vision, lest I appear to be a deceiver. I prayed, however, that if you had been sent to me by the Lord, you would appear to me a second and a third time. Gamaliel then said to me: Yield, yield, yield to me. And again he said to me: Since you have asked about the relics of each one, how and where they are placed, apply your mind and see diligently what is shown to you. And I said: Yes, lord. And immediately he brought four baskets, three of gold and one of silver. Three of them were full of roses: two had white roses, and the third had red ones of a blood-like color; the fourth basket, of silver, was full of well-scented crocus. And he placed them before me. And I said to him: What are these, lord? And he said to me: They are our relics. The one that has red roses is the lord Stephen, who is placed on the right side toward the east from the entrance of the tomb. The second basket is the lord Nicodemus, placed opposite the door.

One silver basket, however, is Abibas, my son, from the womb of testimony, that is, repeated in the law, immaculate from his mother’s womb he departed from the world, therefore he appeared in the likeness of the purest silver. Do you not see the saffron, which is in it, to be of the most fragrant odor? And it is joined to my basket in a high place, where we are both placed as if twins. And when he had said these things, he again vanished from my eyes. When I had awakened, I gave thanks to almighty God, and I devoted myself to my customary fasts until the third revelation. In the third week, therefore, on the same day and hour, the aforementioned man came, threatening and furious, and said to me: Why have you delayed until now, and refused to go and tell Bishop John what was said and shown to you? What excuse will you have before God, or what pardon for this contempt will you hope for on the day of judgment? Do you not see how great a drought and tribulation there is in the whole world? And you act negligently! Do you not consider that many holy men, better than you, are in the desert, whom, passing them by, we wished to be made known through you? For this reason indeed we wished you, from another place, to be a priest in this town, so that through you we might be revealed. Arise, therefore, and go, and tell him to open for us and make a place of prayer, so that through our intercession the Lord may have mercy on his people.

And when I trembled at his words, I said: "I have not been negligent, my lord, but I was awaiting your third coming. Now, however, without delay, I will go forth tomorrow and say all that you have commanded me." And as he stood before me indignantly, I seemed to myself, as if in another state of mental ecstasy, to have come to Jerusalem, and as if he had been present before my eyes. He lived on for a little while, then fell asleep in the Lord. I had him buried at the feet of the blessed Stephen, as if for the name of confessor. But that third one, who lies with me, is my son Abibas, who together with me believed in the precepts of Christ, and together with me received Baptism from the holy Apostles, being about twenty years of age, having much knowledge of the Law, chaste in body, and knowing no stain of woman; but always devoting himself to the temple of God with my disciple Paul. For he had gone before to God immaculate. Next to him are placed those of whom I have spoken above, with whom I also lie. For my wife Ethna and my firstborn son Selemias, who refused to believe in Christ, withdrew from us, and were buried in their maternal possession, which is called Capharselemia: because they were deemed unworthy of our company. But so that you may believe, when you begin to dig, you will find the place of my wife and son empty. And we found it just as he said. And when I, most wretched, asked, saying: "Where shall we find them, lord?

He says to me: "In my possession you will find us, which is now called in the Syriac language Delangabria, or Debathalia, which is interpreted as 'Possession of the men of God' or 'of the warriors.'" And when he had foretold all these things, he vanished from my eyes. But after this vision I arose, and prostrating myself in prayer, I begged the mercy of the Lord, and said: "Lord Jesus, if this revelation or vision is by your will, grant that it be manifested to me a second and a third time, so that, emboldened, I may faithfully announce the revelation of your saints." And I began from that day to fast, and to abstain from all things, and to take nothing for food except bread and salt, and to drink water, as we are accustomed to do during the days of holy Lent. On the following Friday, the holy Gamaliel came again in the same attire as before, and at the same hour of the night, while I was not yet fully asleep; and he says to me: "Why have you dissembled, dearest brother, and not gone and reported to Bishop John? Do you not see how great a drought is upon the land and tribulation throughout the whole world? And you act negligently! Arise, therefore, and go, and tell him to open for us and make a place of prayer, so that through our intercession the Lord may have mercy on his people." But I said to him: "I have not acted dissemblingly, my lord; I begged the Lord, and said, 'Lord Jesus, if this revelation is from you, let it appear to me a second and a third time.'

And now, lord, behold you have come a second time, and you have gladdened me; but if you come a third time, you will cheer me more fully. And when he had heard this, he made a sign with his hand, saying: "I forgive, I forgive, I forgive." And when he had said this, he says to me: "Listen, presbyter." To which I responded and said: "Speak, lord, for I am listening." And he says to me: "Because you hesitated in your mind, (??). If it should happen that I find the place, do you think I will find all placed in one spot? But if it turns out that way, how will I be able to distinguish the relics of each one? These things, therefore, you were turning over within yourself." To which I could not deny; and I said: "It is true, lord, I was revolving it in my mind. You know all things, and nothing escapes you." And he says to me: "We are not, as you think, placed in one spot; but each one of us has his own place. Pay attention, therefore, to what I say to you, and apply your mind." And looking back, I saw him stretching his hands toward the sky, and praying. And immediately he set down from there four baskets, three golden and one silver, full of roses: and one of them was full of crocus. But one of the three baskets had very red roses like blood, which he placed at my right hand. The other two were full of white roses, in the manner of lilies, but they were roses. I was to stand by Bishop John, relating to him the entire vision.

From whom I seemed to hear: "If these things are as you say, dearest one, and the Lord has revealed them to you in our times, I must take from that estate that great plowing ox, which is fit for both cart and plow, and leave you the estate with all the rest." To whom I said: "What use is the estate to me, my lord, if I do not have that ox by which the estate is managed and plowed?" And the bishop said to me: "Thus it has pleased, dearest one, because our city is served by vehicles, and we lack one ox for that great cart, which you say you are hiding on your estate. For it is necessary that it be in the most celebrated city rather than in a small estate. Do not the two remaining smaller oxen suffice for you to cultivate the land of your vehicle?" And when I had heard this in ecstasy, that is, in an excess of mind, I immediately awoke and blessed the Lord, and went to the city to the holy bishop John. And when I had told him all that I had seen, I kept silent about the vision of the ox, waiting to hear what I would hear from him. For I had understood that the holy Stephen himself was the great ox, and that those carts of which he spoke were the holy churches, and that Sion, the first church, was itself the greater cart. And because the holy bishop was to ask me for the relics of the blessed Stephen, I did not wish to tell the bishop about the vision of the ox.

When John the bishop heard these things, he wept for joy and said: "Blessed be the Lord God, the Son of the living God. If these things are as you say, dearest one, and you have heard them, and God has revealed them to you, I must transfer from that place the blessed Stephen, the first martyr and archdeacon of Christ, who first waged the Lord's wars against the Jews, and who, while placed on earth, saw God standing in his majesty in heaven, and appeared like an angel in the assembly of men. All these things, just as I saw them, so they happened, and everything appeared consistent with itself." Then the holy bishop said to me: "Go, dig in the heap which is in that field; and if you find them, report to me." And I said to him: "I walked through the field, and I saw a heap of small stones in the middle, where I judged them to be." And the pope said to me: "I have already told you: go, dig; and if you find them, sit and guard the place, and send word to me through a deacon that I may come to the place." And so he dismissed me. And when I had come to the village, I sent heralds so that all the inhabitants of the village would rise at dawn and dig in the heap.

That same night, the Lord Gamaliel himself appeared to a certain monk named Migetius, an innocent and simple man, in the same likeness in which he appeared to me, and said to him: "Go, tell Lucian the presbyter, 'You labor in vain over that heap; we are not there now, but we were placed there then, when they mourned us according to the custom of the ancients, on account of which that heap was made as a testimony of lamentation. But seek us in another part, which is to the north, and in a place which in the Syriac tongue is called Debatalia, which is interpreted in Greek as what we may call "Place of Strong Men."'" At dawn, rising for hymns, I found that monk preaching to all the brothers. Then, after the hymns were said, I began to say: "Let us go to that heap and dig in it." Then some said to me: "First hear what the monk Migetius says." And having summoned the monk Migetius, I inquired of him what it was that he had seen. He, however, told me all the signs of the Lord Gamaliel which I had seen, and how he had seen a field situated toward the south, and in it a monument, neglected and ruinous, where he had seen three golden couches spread, and one of them higher than the others, on which two were lying, one old man and one young man, and on the other two couches there was one each. And he who was on the higher couch answered, and there was a fourth basket which had saffron, whose fragrance was most sweet. And he placed them before my sight, and says to me: "Do you see these baskets?

And I said to him: "Yes, lord." And he said to me: "These are our tombs in which we lie, and these roses are our remains; and just as you see this basket having the most beautiful roses placed at your right hand, so when you begin to open the place, you will find the door of the sepulcher, and having entered, you will find on the right side a tomb: it is that of Saint Stephen. And do not wish to doubt: because he alone among us merited to be crowned with martyrdom. And therefore he is placed in the eastern part. That tomb which is placed in the northern part, that is, of the north wind, it is that of Saint Nicodemus the neophyte. Another tomb, which is a little more prominent, it is mine and my son's: because we too were neophytes." And I said to him: "I ask, my lord, why is one basket silver?" And he said to me: "Because my son departed from the world chaste and immaculate, therefore it appeared in the likeness of the purest silver. Do you not see that the crocus, which is in it, is of the sweetest odor?" And when he had said these things, he again vanished from my eyes.

And when I had been awakened, I gave thanks to almighty God, and I devoted myself to the appointed fasts until the third revelation. Therefore, in the third week, on the same day and hour, the aforementioned man came, threatening and furious, and said to me: "Why have you delayed until now, and refused to go and tell Bishop John what was said and shown to you? What excuse will you have before God, or what forgiveness for this contempt will you hope for on the day of judgment? And do you not consider that there are many holy men in the desert better than you, whom we wished to be made known through you, passing them by? For this reason indeed we wanted you, from another basilica, to be a priest here, so that we might be revealed through you." And when I trembled at his words, I said: "I have not been negligent, my lord, but I was awaiting your third coming. Now, however, without delay tomorrow I will go, to say all that you have commanded me." And while he stood indignantly against me, I seemed to myself to have fallen into another ecstasy in Jerusalem, and to stand in the presence of Bishop John, relating to him the entire vision. From him I seemed to hear: "If these things are as you say, dearest, and the Lord has revealed this to you in our times, I must take from that property that largest plowing ox, which is fit for cart and plow, and grant to you the property with all the rest." To which I said: "What use is the property to me, my lord, if I do not have the ox by which the property is managed and sustained?

And the bishop says to me: "It has been so decided, dearest, because our city is served by wagons, and we lack one ox for that largest cart, which you say you are hiding on your estate. For it is fitting that it be in the most celebrated city rather than in a small estate. Do the two remaining oxen, and one calf, and the implements of the largest ox not suffice for you to cultivate the land of your wagon?" And when I had heard this in ecstasy, that is, in an out-of-body state, I immediately awoke and blessed God; and I went into the city to the holy bishop John. And when I had recounted to him all that I had seen, I remained silent about the vision of the ox, waiting to hear what I would hear from him. For I had understood that the holy Stephen himself is the largest ox; and that those carts of which he spoke were the holy Churches; and that Sion, the first Church, was itself the larger cart; and because the holy bishop was to ask me for the relics of the holy Stephen, I therefore did not wish to tell the bishop about the vision of the ox. And when bishop John had heard, he wept for joy and said: "Blessed be the Lord God, the Son of the living God. If you have heard these things, dearest, as you say, and God has revealed them to you, then I must transfer the blessed Stephen, the first martyr, the archdeacon of Christ, who first among the Jews waged the Lord's wars, from there." And he said: "Go, tell the presbyter Lucian, that we were the lords of this place. If you wish to find the great and just one, he himself is placed on the eastern side.

And hearing this from the monk, I glorified the Lord, because another witness had been found in the revelation. Therefore we went to the pile, and digging, we found nothing. But we turned to that monument where the monk had appeared that same night, and digging, we found three chests, according to what had appeared to me in the form of baskets. We then found a buried stone inscribed with very tall letters, having "Keayea Celiel," which is interpreted as "Servant of God"; and "Apaan Dardan," which is interpreted as "Nicodemus and Gamaliel." This was interpreted by Pope John, as I myself heard from that holy bishop. Immediately then I reported to the bishop, who was holding a synod in Lydda, which is Diospolis. He took with him two other bishops, Eleutherius of Sebaste and Eleutherius of Jericho, and they came to the place. When the chest of Lord Stephen had appeared, immediately an earthquake occurred, and such sweetness and fragrance of odor entered from it as no man remembers having either heard of or sensed, so that we thought we had been placed in the pleasantness of paradise. For a multitude of people was present with us, among whom were many sick with various ailments. And at that very hour, from the sweetness of its odor, seventy-three souls were healed.

Demons were put to flight from some; from others, a flow of blood was staunched; others were freed from scrofula and boils; some were healed of a fistula, others of tertian and quartan fevers; fever left some, others the royal disease; some were cured of headache and migraine, and not a few of a hidden pain in the viscera. And men experienced many other cures, which it is long to enumerate. And kissing the holy relics, they closed them again. And then with psalms and hymns they carried the relics of the most blessed Stephen into the holy church of Sion, where he had been ordained archdeacon: leaving for us from the limbs of the Saint small joints, indeed the greatest relics, earth with dust, where all his flesh was consumed; they carried away the rest. From these relics, therefore, I have sent to Your Beatitude: which when you have received, pray for my insignificance, that I may be found worthy in the sight of the Lord, supported by the merits of the most blessed martyr Stephen and by your prayers. The relics of the same Martyr were translated on the seventh day before the kalends of January. And at that time there was a continuous and endless drought: but at that same hour a great rain descended, and the earth was abundantly watered: and all there glorified the Lord, on account of his holy Stephen, and on account of his heavenly treasure of mercy and piety, which Jesus Christ our Lord, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns for ever and ever, deigned to open to a perishing world. Amen.

The marvel of his majesty, placed on earth, saw him standing in heaven, and he appeared like an angel in an assembly of men. And when blessed John had said this, he dismissed me. And when I had come to the village, I sent a herald to all the inhabitants of the village, that they should rise at dawn and dig in the mound. But on the same night, the lord Gamaliel himself appeared to a certain monk named Migetius, an innocent and simple man, in the same likeness in which he appeared to me; and he said to him: Go, and tell Lucian the presbyter, "You labor in vain in that mound; we are not there now, but we were placed there at that time, when they mourned for us according to the custom of the ancients; for which reason the mound was made as a testimony of lamentation. But seek us in another part, in a place which in the Syriac language is called Debathalia; which is interpreted in Greek as Andragathon; which we can call 'Of the Good Men.'" Rising at dawn, I found that monk proclaiming to all the brothers. After hymns were said, I then began to say: Let us go to that mound, and let us dig in it. Then some said to me: First hear what the monk Migetius says. Having summoned the monk Migetius, I inquired of him what it was.

He, however, told me all the signs that Gamaliel had seen, and how he had seen a field situated to the south, and a tomb in it, neglected and ruinous, where he saw three golden couches spread, one of them higher than the others, on which two were lying, one old man and one youth, and on the other two couches there was one each. And the one who was on the higher couch answered and said: Go, and tell the presbyter Lucianus that we are the lords of this place. If you wish to find the great and just one, he himself is placed to the east of us. And hearing this from the monk, I glorified the Lord, because another witness had been found in the revelation. And as I saw these things, so they happened; and all things appeared consistent with each other. Immediately, therefore, I announced it to the blessed bishop. And he sent to his brother bishops. When they had assembled, they came to the place; and when they had ordered it to be dug, and a great part of the earth had been removed, we found a stone, on which was carved: Celeliel, Nasoon, Gamaliel, Abbibabel; Hebrew words indeed, but in Greek letters. The interpretation of the names is this: Celeliel is called Stephen, Nasoon is Nicodemus, Abibabel signifies the son of Gamaliel. When we had reached the bottom, we found the place of Saint Stephen in the eastern part, as I had heard.

And immediately an earthquake occurred, and such sweetness and fragrance of odor came forth from it as no man remembers having perceived; so that we thought ourselves placed in the pleasantness of paradise. For a multitude of people was present with us, among whom very many were sick with various ailments: in that very hour, from the odor of its sweetness, seventy-three souls were healed. From some, demons were driven out; from others, a fountain of blood was stanched; others were freed from scrofula and boils; some were healed from a more hidden infirmity; others from tertian and quartan fevers; some were released from fever, others from the king's evil; some were cured of cephalalgia and hemicranium; and many other cures did men experience, which it is long to enumerate. For there were present at that time the bishops, John of Jerusalem, and Eustonius, bishop of the city of Sebaste, and Eleutherius of Jericho, with all their clergy. And so, with psalms and hymns, they carried away the relics of the most blessed Stephen into the holy church of Sion, where he had been ordained archdeacon, leaving to us small joints from the limbs of the Saint—nay, the greatest relics, with the dust, where all his flesh had been consumed.

And therefore pray, I beseech you, for my insignificance, that I may be found worthy in the sight of the Lord, aided by the merits of the most blessed martyr Stephen and by your prayers: Christ Jesus our Lord reigning, to whom, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, is glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. The relics of the most blessed Stephen were found, however, on the third day before the Nones of August.