Hieromartyr Cyril, Bishop of Gortyna (III–IV)

The Hieromartyr Cyril, Bishop of Gortyna, laboured in the third century. The saint’s whole life was marked with the sign of God’s choosing. Once, when he was shut up in prison for confessing Christ, he heard at night a voice from on high commanding him to go to Rome, and at dawn he saw that the prison doors had opened, and the fragments of fallen idols lay scattered there. On the road to Rome the Venerable Philoxenus appeared to Cyril and told him that the Lord was preparing two crowns for him, that of a hierarch and that of a martyr. In the capital of the empire the blessed father did great service to the Church by preaching the Gospel. Then the persecution of the Christians began again, and the saint decided to go to Jerusalem to encourage the Christians there. On his way to the Holy Land it was again revealed to him from on high that he should go to the island of Crete. He followed the divine will and was consecrated Bishop of the Cretan city of Gortyna. For a long time the blessed hierarch governed his flock wisely and by his grace-filled word converted many to the true faith. For such labours the aged bishop was brought before the tribunal and required to offer sacrifice to the false gods. The saint firmly refused, for which he was sentenced to be burned, but when the blazing pyre did no harm to God’s chosen vessel, the judge himself glorified the Lord and set the condemned man free.

Cyril returned to his accustomed labours: again he preached the teaching of Christ tirelessly, but he grieved constantly that he had not been made worthy of martyrdom for Christ. Some time later the governor was told that Cyril had not given up his work and was again teaching the people to insult the gods of their fathers. The lawless arrested the Lord’s chosen one and this time sentenced him to be beheaded. When he heard the sentence, the hierarch, rejoicing in spirit, gave thanks to the Lord and willingly bowed to the sword his head, grown white in the service of God. This took place in the reign of Decius (249–251), or, according to other accounts, of Maximian (284–305; 307–310).

Saint Cyril of Gortyna is commemorated twice a year: on 9 July and 6 September.