Otdanije (Leave-taking) of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
The Holy Apostle Quadratus of Magnesia.
Quadratus, one of the Seventy, was a
disciple of the Great Apostles. He preached the Gospel in Athens and
was at first bishop of Athens after St. Publius, and afterward bishop
of Magnesia. Quadratus was highly educated in secular wisdom, and
rich in the grace of the Holy Spirit. His biographer says of him: He
was as the morning star among the clouds (Sirach (Isaiah) 50:6). The clouds
were the darkness of Hellenic paganism, without the light of piety.
The Holy Apostle Quadratus, through the word of God, shone upon the
Hellenes as a great light, illuminating the darkness, destroying the
foul sacrifices, crushing the idols, and destroying the demonic
temples by his prayer. However, darkness always hates the light, and
the pagans hated holy Quadratus. First they stoned him, as once the
Jews did St. Stephen. Then they threw him into prison and gave him no
bread until he gave up his holy soul, and went to dwell in the
Kingdom of Christ, his God.
St. Quadratus wrote an Apologia for
Christianity and gave it to Emperor Hadrian. This Apologia had such
an effect on the pagan emperor that he ordered that Christians not be
persecuted without specific cause. St. Quadratus suffered in about
the year 130. He is buried in the city of Magnesia, where he
suffered.
Respectfully Taken From the:
"The Prologue of Ohrid"
by St. Nikolai of Zica, Serbia(Velimirovic)
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