Holy Hieromartyr Dionysius the Areopagite 10/16/2013
He was numbered among the Seventy lesser Apostles. This wonderful man came of a rich and noble pagan family from Athens. As soon as he completed the school of philosophy in Athens, he went to Egypt to complete his studies. At that time, when the Lord Jesus Christ died on the Cross the sun darkened and Egypt was covered with complete darkness for three hours. Then Dionysius cried out:" Either God is suffering, or this is the end of the world!" Upon his return to Athens, he married Damara and had sons with her. He was chosen one of the counsellors of the Areopagus, the high court and parliament of the city, for which was called the Areopagite. When the Apostle Paul preached the Gospel in Athens, Dionysius was baptized with his family. The Apostle Paul consecrated him the Bishop of Athens, for he had left his wife and children, and his social status for the love for Christ. He travelled as a companion of Saint Paul long enough to meet all the other Apostles of Christ. He headed for Jerusalem in order to meet the Most Holy Mother of God and he described the meeting with Her in one of his works. He attended her entombment together with the Apostles. When his master, Saint Paul had suffered a martyr's death, Dionysius desired martyrdom for himself. And he set out to preach the Gospel among the barbarians in Gaul, together with the priest Rusticus and the deacon Eleutherius. He suffered a lot, but also achieved a lot. Owing to his efforts, many pagans were converted to the faith of Christ. In Paris, Dionysius built a little church, where he served to God. When he was ninety years of age, he was captured and put to the torture for Christ, together with Rusticus and Eleutherius, eventually to be beheaded, all three of them. The head of Saint Dionysius fell before a Christian woman, Catula, who honourably burried his body together with the head. He suffered in the reign of the Emperor Dometian in the year 96. He had written many important works on mystical theology, on heavenly and ecclesiastical hierarchy, on the Most Holy Mother of God.
