Two thirds of the Orthodox Christian parishes and missions in Kansas are under the omophorion of Bishop +BASIL of Wichita, and as such are part of the ancient Patriarchate of Antioch. We are generally familiar with the lives of the ancient martyrs who suffered under Roman persecution, and perhaps of the New Martyrs of Greece or or Russia who suffered under the Turks or Bolsheviks. But the Patriarchate of Antioch, which still suffers under Muslim domination has also brought forth many martyrs.
The English corrected somewhat from the Arab Orthodox Christian blog NOCTOC, here is the life of one such holy martyr, Jacob of Hamatoura, who suffered for Christ at the hands of the Mamelukes in the 13th century:
The rock-cut Hamatoura monastery in Kousba, Lebanon, is a Greek Orthodox monastery, belonging to the Patriarchate of Antioch and its one of the oldest in the country. The monastery is dedicated to the Dormition of the Theotokos, but it is more widely know as Hamatoura Monastery, which is the name of the mountain that the monastery is carved into.
Late in the 13th century, at the Monastery of the Theotokos in Hamatoura, Saint Jacob began his ascetic life. Later, when the monastery was destroyed by the Mamelukes*, he reestablished monasticism along the perimeter of the ruined monastery. In time, he rebuilt the monastery, regenerating and giving renewed vigor to monastic life in the area.
His spiritual briskness and popularity among believers drew the attention of the Mamelukes who set their minds to stopping his verve and determination and to convert him to Islam. He stubbornly refused their relentless pressures.
When the Mamelukes’ horrible coercive attempts failed, they dragged Saint Jacob, along with a number of monks and laymen from Saint George Monastery, situated atop Mount Hamatoura, to Tripoli city (the capital of Northern Lebanon) and handed him to the wali (ruler).
For almost a year, he endured tremendous tortures. Nevertheless, he did not give in or renounce his faith, despite receiving both enticements and threats from the Mamelukes. Although intimidated by Saint Jacob’s stubbornness and persistance, finally, as was their custom in punishing their enemies, on October 13th, Saint Jacob was beheaded. In addition,the Mamelukes burned his body to ensure that the Orthodox Church could not give him an honorable burial as a martyr, a burial befitting a saint.
Not long after his death, seeing his sufferings and steadfast faith, our Lord bestowed on him, everlasting crowns and graces, and today he shines as a martyr as much as he was a beacon during his earthly life. It was during this time, that the Orthodox Church announced Saint Jacob’s holiness and added him to her list of honoured martyr saints, and first prayed for his intercession.
Our Saint was almost forgotten in the course of history. This was due to the severe sufferings of the Orthodox Church under various Muslim sultanates that both weakened the Christian spiritual life and resulted in a noticeable drop of Christian literacy.
However, recorded encounters by the monastery’s pilgrims, upon seeing visions of Saint Jacob and many others, who sensed his presence, affirmed and authenticated his sainthood. Glorifying the name of our Lord, Saint Jacob also healed many.
We have recently discovered a clear mention of Saint Jacob in a Manuscript preserved at the Belamand Monastery in a Gerontikon, an hagiography or compilation of biographical short stories of the lives of holy saints. In a Balamand Archival manuscript, numbered 149, it clearly indicates that the Orthodox Church commemorates his memory on October 13th.
The Monastery of the Dormition of the Theotokos, Kousba, Hamatoura in Lebanon, commemorated his memory for the first time, on October 13th 2002, in an all-night prayer vigil (agrypnia). A number of priests, deacons, and laymen participated in that memorable day, as the attendees chanted Saint Jacob’s troparion and akolouthia, prepared and edited by the monastery’s monks.
Today, believers and pilgrims are constantly reporting his apparitions, miraculous healings and other Grace-filled deeds. All of this kindled the spiritual fervorness to celebrate the memory of this Saint and give praise to the Lord, while honoring Saint Jacob of Hamatoura who is still living among us in his monastery performing miraculous deeds, calls, and visitations to believers.
