Feast of St. Ellien of Homs, February 6th
By V. Rev. George Alberts
On February 6th each year we celebrate the Feast Day of St. Ellien of Homs, Syria. St. Ellien accepted the Christian faith even though his father and family were not Christians. Because of this, he and his family were at odds with one another.
When St. Ellien became a Christian, he took stock of the talents that God had given him.
He heard the Gospel of our Lord concerning the parable of talents and decided to use his talents to benefit others. Saint Ellien is described by his biographers in this way:
“Having set his hopes in Jesus Christ, he was not tempted by the glory of this ephemeral world. He prayed day and night, practiced fasting, visited prisoners and comforted them. He gave out large alms of what remained in excess in his father’s house. Ellien studied and practiced medicine skillfully. He strived to cure the diseases of both the body and soul. He cured sick people by Christ’s grace and the faith of the Apostles, while preaching God’s Word and urging them to follow the path of virtue. ‘It is not’, he says, ‘with medicines that you will be cured of your illness nor thanks to your idols which drive to perdition all those who kneel before them, but by the power of Jesus Christ’s name who has been crucified by the Jews under Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem, who has been buried and resuscitated on the third day.’”
Because of his mastery of the healing arts and the fact that he not only effectively healed the body, but also the soul, he stirred up jealousy in the hearts of his fellow physicians who were not followers of Christ. There was a great persecution of Christians at that time and they used his Christian faith against him. First they appealed to his father who held a powerful position in the city. They asked him to force his son to stop what he was doing, to give up his practice of medicine and stop healing in the name of Jesus Christ. But St. Ellien refused to listen to these men or his father knowing that he would have to give an account before His Heavenly Master as to what he did with the many talents God had given him. When they found that he would not listen to them or his father, they appealed to the Governor of Homs to imprison St. Ellien along with the Bishop of Homs, Silvanus, the Deacon Luke, and the Reader Mocime.
Saint Ellien felt unworthy and overjoyed to be in their company and he kissed and reverenced the chains that bound them. When these men were about to be put to death, St. Ellien prayed to God and angel appeared to him and said: “Do not be grieved, O Ellien, a crown has been prepared for you. You will conquer your enemies and the devil’s tricks. Do not fear their torture for, I am with you!”
St. Ellien suffered through many hardships. He suffered imprisonment and tortures, all along preaching and healing those who were sick. Finally he was put to death at the hands of his own father who had twelve long nails driven into his head. St. Ellien was left for dead. He did not die there. When his executioners left, he managed to crawl to a cave owned by a potter. When the potter came to the cave and discovered the body of St. Ellien he took it by night to the church of the Apostles and St. Barbara where he was buried at the East of the Altar.
Later, a church dedicated to St. Ellien was built on the spot of the cave where he died and his body was put in a marble coffin. Many miracles attributed to St. Ellien’s intercessions occurred after his death and they continue to occur to this day. Prior to his being put to death, St. Ellien himself blessed those who celebrate his Feast Day as he offered this prayer to God:
“O my Lord Jesus Christ, hear my prayer and accept my request on this hour. Give peace to whoever remembers me on the day of my martyrdom and forgive his sins. Protect him from his enemies’ snares and break up the devil’s power. Defend your lambs against the wolves!”
There are only two churches dedicated to this great saint: the original church of St. Elian in Homs, Syria, and the church of St. Ellien in Brownsville, PA. St. Ellien is often also referred to as St. Julian of Homs. Today many bear his name in either of these two forms. St. Ellien is considered a Holy Unmercenary, a physician who did not take money for his cures of both body and soul. Many who are sick continue to ask his intercessions and are often anointed with oil blessed with a special prayer on his feast day.
On his feast day, let us pray the words of his Troparion: O Saint clothed in strife and the healing physician, Ellien, intercede with our merciful God, to grant forgiveness of sins to our souls.