Holy Venerable Martyr Michael (IX)

The holy Venerable Martyr Michael (IX) was a devoted disciple of Saint Theodore of Edessa (commemorated 9 July). After the death of his parents the Venerable Michael gave away his property to the poor and set out for Jerusalem to venerate the holy places. At that time Jerusalem had been conquered by the Muslims. Saint Michael stayed in Palestine and settled in the Lavra of Saint Sabbas. Once the holy father was sent from the monastery to Jerusalem to sell the monks’ handiwork. The eunuch of the Muslim queen Seida liked the brethren’s handiwork very much, and presented Saint Michael together with the monastery’s wares to the queen. The queen took a fancy to the young monk and proposed that he fall into sin with her. On being refused, Seida had him cruelly beaten, and then presented him to the king as an enemy of Islam. After questioning the monk, the king tried to persuade Saint Michael to accept the Muslim faith, but the saint answered: “Either let me go back to the monastery to my elder, or be baptised in the Orthodox way, or cut off my head.” The king ordered a cup of poison to be brought to Saint Michael. The saint drank the poison but remained unharmed. After this miracle the saint was beheaded. The monks carried his body to the Lavra of Saint Sabbas and buried it with honour.