By Bishop Gregorios of Mesaoria
The Church commemorates today the miraculous Conception of the Glorious Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist John and celebrates the memory of Saints Xanthippe and Polyxena of Spain as well as of the Martyrs Peter and Antonius.
In addition to the Conception of Jesus Christ celebrated during the Feast of the Annunciation, our Church commemorated the conception of two more persons, the Conception of the Virgin Mary by Saint Anna and the Conception of the Glorious Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist John by Elizabeth, whom Christ described as the greatest among those born of a woman.
The Holy Martyrs Peter and Antonius were brothers from Syracuse. After the capture and destruction of the Sicilian city of Syracuse, they were both arrested and brought up in an environment of another religion. This did not prevent them from remaining steadfast in Christian faith and teaching. When the governor learnt that the two young men were Christians, they did confess their faith in the Resurrected Jesus Christ.
Then the governor was so infuriated that he ordered that the two brothers should be tortured. The two young men endured with courage all those tortures as Jesus Christ did.
The valiant soldiers of Christ fell asleep in the Lord and they were deemed worthy to receive the crown of martyrdom.
SOURCE: Church of Cyprus