ON SAINT MACEDONIUS AND TWO HOLY BOYS,
MARTYRS AMONG THE GREEKS.
LIKEWISE ON SS. LUCIANUS AND PAULUS THE PHYSICIAN,
CONFESSORS AMONG THE SAME.
From the Ms. Synaxary of Dijon.
CommentaryMacedonius, Martyr among the Greeks (S.)
Two Boys, Martyrs among the Greeks (SS.) Lucianus, Confessor among the same (S.)
Paulus the Physician, Confessor among the same (S.)
D. P.
I join these Saints, although probably pertaining to diverse
places and times, The fingers of his hands and feet were cut off from Macedonius. because in one and the same
Synaxary of Dijon together I find them,
each with his proper Distich,
explaining the kind of death. And of the first
indeed it is read there thus; "Holy Macedonius, the fingers
of his hands and of his feet being cut off, is perfected." S. Macedonius, his fingers of hands and feet
cut, finished his life, and to him it is sung thus:
"They cut the fingers of Macedonius the Martyr,
The fingers of bloodstained men."
They cut off the fingers of the Martyr Macedonius, Lucianus died in peace,
The fingers of men stained with blood.
[2] Then is praised a certain S. Lucianus, in peace
deceased on the same day: and at first indeed, "Ulcianus,"
he is called in the title, but in the subsequent distich
the scribe's slip seems to be corrected, while it is thus written:
"Enter rejoicing, Lucianus all-blessed,
The gate of the heavens Christ has opened for thee."
Enter rejoicing, Lucianus, into heaven, as also Paulus the Physician.
Whose gate is opened to thee by Christ.
On the same day also Paulus the Physician, "in peace
is perfected," rested in peace: and it is added,
"Paulus ceased before he should use cutting and burning,
But now he stops all sufferings by his intercession."
And iron and fire before he should experience, 2 Boys crucified.
Paulus rested: and all the passions
He makes to rest, prayers being poured out to God.
Hence a suspicion arises that Paulus indeed was taken for the faith,
but before the torments were applied to him,
died: which, suspecting the same of Lucianus, to each
I have added the title of Confessor.
[4] Finally, "The holy two Boys, having been crucified,
are perfected." Two holy Boys crucified die;
and of them this distich is recited:
"In the tablets of time two boys
Crucified the children of painters portray."
In the tablets of time two fixed to crosses
The children of painters are wont to paint as boys.
Where no other tablets seem to me to be signified, than
the figured Ephemerides, such as I taught the Muscovites to have received from the Greeks
before the Acta of the Saints of May, and which
various Churches had, somewhat varied likewise, as their
Synaxaria; and as the Latins their diverse Martyrologies,
while each Church takes care that its proper Saints in them especially
be placed.