St Theodore

Soldier and martyr · Feast: 9 November

St Theodore
St Theodore of Amasea (Theodore the Recruit), martyr and soldier, icon attributed to Ioannis Apakas, tempera and gilding on wood, first half of the 17th century, Northern Greece, Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
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Word for the day

“Share in suffering like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 2:3

Life

The Malankara calendar names this saint simply as St Theodore. In the Eastern Churches the best-known Theodore is the soldier-martyr Theodore of Amasea in Pontus, called the Recruit, who was burned to death around AD 306 for refusing to sacrifice to the gods. St Gregory of Nyssa preached a sermon in his honour at his shrine, which shows how early his cult was established.

Because several saints of this name are honoured in the East, and the details of their lives come largely through later accounts, we present his story as tradition. Whatever the details, he is remembered as a soldier who served Christ before any earthly commander.

Lessons

A soldier of Christ

Our first loyalty is to Christ, whatever our job or uniform.

Courage in faith

Faith sometimes requires saying no to the powerful.

The Church remembers

Gregory of Nyssa's sermon shows how the early Church treasured its martyrs.

Stories

Gregory's sermon (history)

St Gregory of Nyssa preached at Theodore's shrine in Euchaita, describing pilgrims who came to pray there.

Homily

1. A good soldier

Share in suffering like a good soldier of Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 2:3).

2. Which commander?

Theodore served the empire but obeyed Christ first.

3. Faith at work

Christians in uniform, in offices and in fields witness by honesty and courage.

Dear friends, today we remember St Theodore, honoured in the East as a soldier who would not deny Christ. Paul wrote to Timothy: share in suffering like a good soldier of Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 2:3).

Theodore served in the Roman army, but when he was told to sacrifice to idols, he knew which commander came first. Tradition says he was burned for his faith around 306, and within a century pilgrims were coming to his shrine.

Many of us serve in jobs where faith is tested: in offices, police stations, hospitals, fields and markets. Let us serve honestly and well, and when we are asked to do what is wrong, let us, like Theodore, remember our first commander. Amen.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, you gave St Theodore the courage to serve you before every earthly power. Through his prayers, make us faithful and honest in our work, and brave when our faith is tested. Amen.