Maurice

Holy Martyr Maurice was a soldier in the army of the emperor Maximian and died a martyr at Apamea in Syria, together with seventy soldiers, among them Philip and the young Photinus, because they would not sacrifice to idols. He is commemorated on 21 February.

The emperor Maximian ordered everyone to sacrifice to the idols. Coming to Apamea in Syria, the servants of the idols denounced to him Maurice and his seventy soldiers, saying that they disregarded the gods. Maximian was angered above all because there were Christians among his soldiers. He had a platform set up by the north gate of the city so that all the people could watch, and had the saints brought there. Maurice answered boldly that the mockery of the gods was preparing for them the glorious crown of victory with the true God. The emperor separated him from the rest and began to coax the soldiers; Philip, an old man, answered unmoved. The saints were bound in prison, where they prayed to the Holy Spirit for wisdom.

After three days they were brought out again. Among them was the young Photinus, who answered the emperor that his name came from the true light and that he was a soldier of Christ. Beaten with ox sinews until their bones were crushed, they felt the relief of the Lord in their torments. Then Maximian prepared a great fire, but the saints approached it by themselves, as if to cooling water. Photinus was beheaded, and Maurice told the emperor that he had fulfilled their wish by sending Photinus ahead to Christ. In July one of the advisers proposed a meadow between two streams and marshes, where the soldiers were tied naked to trees and left to be bitten by insects. They endured it ten days and ten nights, then prayed and gave up their souls into the hands of God and received crowns of glory.