Memorial Day of the Holy Martyr Tryphon (14/02)

The holy martyr Tryphon was born in one of the regions of Asia Minor — Phrygia, near the city of Apamea, in the village of Campsada. His parents were simple and pious peasants. As a child, he grazed geese and received no education. But Saint Tryphon, as a child, was honored by the Lord with the gift of miracles: he cast out demons, healed illnesses and through his prayer did many other good deeds.

One day, residents of the native village of St. Tryphon were saved from hunger by him: by the power of his children's prayer, the saint forced the harmful insects that were destroying crops to leave. Based on this miracle, the Church has established a special rite of prayer to Saint Tryphon, which is performed when pests attack crops or plantings.

Saint Tryphon became especially famous for expelling a demon from the daughter of the Roman emperor Gordian. A demon moved into the young, smart and beautiful Princess and tormented her severely. He once shouted that only Tryphon could banish him. The emperor ordered to find the miracle worker and deliver him to Rome. At that time, Saint Tryphon was 16 years old. When the saint approached Rome within three days of travel, the evil spirit could not bear his approach and left Gordian's daughter. Saint Tryphon was brought before the emperor, surrounded by the nobility of the court. He begged the saint to show the demon with his own eyes, wanting to make sure that the young man really healed the princess. After solitary prayer to God and strict fasting for six days, Saint Tryphon ordered the unclean spirit to appear visibly to the emperor and his entourage.

In the Chetiikh-Miney of St. Demetrius of Rostov this is narrated as follows: «Holy Tryphon is filled with the son of the Holy Spirit, and look at the invisible spirit with smart combs, speech: to you, a verb, an unclean soul, in the Name of my Lord Jesus Christ, appear obviously to those who exist here, and show them your stingy and cold-free image, and your weakness of confession. And the devil appeared before everyone in the form of a black dog, having the eyes of aka fiery, the head of the earth...». When asked by Saint Tryphon how he dared to move into the creation of God, the demon replied that he does not have such power over Christians, but can only torment those who follow their lusts and do things pleasing to us, create«. Hearing this, many of those present abandoned idolatry and believed in Christ. Generously gifted by the emperor, Saint Tryphon returned to his homeland. He distributed all the gifts he received along the way to the beggars.

When Emperor Decius, a cruel persecutor of Christians, ascended the royal throne, it was reported to his diocese Aquilinus that Saint Tryphon boldly preaches Christianity and leads many to Baptism. Hearing that the royal servants were looking for him, Saint Tryphon did not take refuge, but he gave himself into the hands of the persecutors. Brought to Aquilinus' trial in Nicaea, he boldly confessed his faith in Christ. Aquilinus was unable to intimidate the young Tryphon with any threats. Then the diocese ordered the holy martyr’s hands to be tied, hung on a tree and beaten for three hours. During the beating, the torturer did not hear a single groan of the martyr. After this, Saint Tryphon was thrown into prison.

After some time, Aquilin once again used threats and persuasion, and then, seeing the failure of his efforts, subjected the martyr to new torture. The body of Saint Tryphon was tormented with iron hooks, wounds were burned with fire, iron nails were driven into his legs and he was led around the city. And when the martyr was forced to follow the horse on which the diocese went hunting, Saint Tryphon sang the following verses from the psalms of the Prophet David: «Make my feet in Your paths, may my feet not move... Guide my feet, O Lord, according to Your words, and let not all iniquity » possess me (Ps. 16, 5; 118, 133). He often repeated the words of the first martyr Saint Archdeacon Stephen: «Lord, do not impute this sin to them» (Acts. 7, 60).

The Lord strengthened His chosen one, and he courageously endured all torture. During the torment, an Angel appeared before the saint with a precious crown in his hands. Seeing this, the tormentors were afraid, but Aquilin became even more bitter. The next day he continued the torture, after which he sentenced the martyr Tryphon to be truncated with a sword. Before his death, the saint thanked God, who strengthened him in suffering.

Ancient Life conveys the following words of the holy martyr to God: «...They will receive my soul in the world, everyone, like me, Your servant, will remember, and in my memory the Holy Sacrifices will be brought to You, hearing from the heights of Your Holy Place, and look at them from Your Holy Dwelling, giving them abundant and imperishable gifts, as One is Good and Generous Giver forever and ever». The saint went to the Lord before his honest head was cut off. This happened in 250.

The holy martyr Tryphon in the Russian Orthodox Church enjoys great veneration.

There is a legend that under Tsar Ivan the Terrible, the king’s favorite gyrfalcon flew away during a hunt. The Tsar ordered the falconer Trifon Patrikeev to find the flying bird and threatened him with death for failure to comply with the order. Sokolnik Tryphon toured the surrounding forests, but to no avail. On the third day, tired of the long search, he lay down to rest, diligently asking for help from his patron —, the holy martyr Tryphon. In a dream, he saw a young man on a white horse holding the royal gyrfalcon on his hand. This young man said: «Take the missing bird, go with God to the king and don’t be sad about anything». When he woke up, the falconer saw the gyrfalcon he was looking for on a pine tree nearby. He immediately took him to the king and told him about the miraculous help he received from the holy martyr Tryphon. Soon, on the site where the saint appeared, the falconer Trifon Patrikeev built a chapel and then a church in the name of the holy martyr Trifon.

Currently, the head of the holy martyr is kept in the city of Kotor (Montenegro), in the Cathedral of St. Tryphon. Some of the relics were brought from there to Russia in 1803. In 1819, this shrine was invested in three arks in the icon of the holy martyr Tryphon, located in the church built in his honor. Nowadays this icon is located in the church in honor of the Sign of the Blessed Virgin Mary, at the Riga Station in Moscow, not far from the place where St. Tryphon appeared to the falconer.

530