The Holy Martyr Longinus the Centurion, a Roman soldier, served in Judea under the command of the Governor, Pontius Pilate. During the time of the execution of our Savior Jesus Christ, it was the detachment of soldiers under the command of Longinus, which stood watch around Golgotha, at the very foot of the holy Cross. Longinus and his soldiers were eyewitnesses of the final moments of the earthly life of the Lord, and of the great and awesome portents that appeared at His death. These events jolted the soul of the soldier. Longinus believed in Christ and before everyone confessed that, "in truth this was the Son of God" (Mt. 27:54). (According to Church tradition, Longinus was the soldier, who with a spear pierced the side of the Crucified Savior, and from the out flowing of blood and water received healing from an eye affliction).

After the Crucifixion and Burial of the Savior, Longinus with his company stood watch at the Sepulcher of the Lord. Here the soldiers were given to behold the All-Radiant Resurrection of Christ. The Jews persuaded them with a bribe to bear false witness that His disciples had stolen away the Body of Christ, but Longinus and two of his comrades refused to be seduced by the Jewish gold. Having believed in the Savior, the soldiers accepted Baptism from the apostles and decided to forsake military service. Longinus left Judea and set out preaching about Christ Jesus the Son of God in his native land, in Cappadocia. Two of his comrades also followed after him.

The fiery words of actual participants of the great occurrences in Judea swayed the hearts and minds of the Cappadocians; Christianity began quickly to spread about in the city and the surrounding villages. Having learned of this, the Jewish elders persuaded Pilate to dispatch a company of soldiers to Cappadocia, to kill Longinus and his comrades. The dispatched company of soldiers arrived in the native village of Longinus; the former centurion himself came out to meet the soldiers and took them to his home. After a meal, the soldiers told about the purpose of their arrival, not knowing that the master of the house was the very same man whom they were seeking. Then Longinus and his fellows identified themselves and asked the surprised soldiers, unperturbedly, to do their duty of military service.

The soldiers wanted to set free the saints and advised them to flee, but the saints refused to do this, showing firmness of will to accept suffering for Christ. The holy martyrs were beheaded, and their bodies were buried there where the saints made their final witness, and the cut-off heads were sent on to Pilate. Pilate gave orders to cast the martyrs on the trash-heap outside the city walls. After a certain while a certain blind woman arrived in Jerusalem to pray at the holy places. Saint Longinus appeared to her in a dream and said, that she should find his head and bury it. They led the blind woman to the rubbish heap. Having touched the head of the martyr, the woman was granted sight to her eyes. She reverently conveyed the venerable head to Cappadocia and buried it.

Appearance of the Head of St.Longinus the Soldier

After Emperor Tiberius Caesar sent a soldier to Cappadocia to cut off the head of this saint, the soldier fulfilled the order and brought the head to Jerusalem, and handed it to Pontius Pilate. Pilate showed the head to the Jews, who rejoiced at his deed. Pilate commanded that the head be buried in some of the piles of dirt outside Jerusalem. There was a woman who had believed at the hands of St. Longinus when he preached in Cappadocia. During his execution, she stood, weeping, and witnessed his martyrdom. Later on she became blind. So, she took her son and departed to Jerusalem to be blessed by the holy places, and the holy sepulcher, hoping that she might regain her sight. When she arrived in Jerusalem, her son died. She became very sad and grieved because of her condition and there was no one to take her back to her own country.
During her sleep she saw St. Longinus, and with him, was her son who had died. He directed her to where about his head was buried and ordered her to remove it. When she woke up, she looked for the place until she found it. She dug in the ground and a sweet aroma of incense came out. When she reached the head of the saint, a great light shone from it and straightaway her eyes were opened and she was able to see. She glorified the Lord Christ, kissed the head, perfumed it, and placed it with the body of her son. Then she returned to her own country glorifying the Lord Christ Who performed wonders through His saints.

May his prayers be with us all. Amen.

الشهيد لنجينوس القائد

اشتراكه في الصلب

كان يوناني الجنس من إحدى بلاد الكبادوك. ولما مَلَك طيباريوس قيصر وعيّن بيلاطس البنطي واليًا على أرض اليهودية كان لنجينوس أحد الجنود الذين رافقوه. فلما أتى الوقت الذي شاء فيه ربنا أن يخلص الخليقة، كان لنجينوس أحد الجنود الذين تولّوا أمر صلب رب المجد.

وحدث أنه بعد أن أسلم السيد المسيح روحه أن طعنه لنجينوس بحربة في جنبه فخرج منه دم وماء، فتعجّب من ذلك، وزاد عجبه لمّا شاهد ظلام الشمس، وانشقاق حجاب الهيكل، وتشقق الصخور، وقيام الموتى من القبور. وتحقّقت لديه الآيات التي عملها ربنا من وقت ميلاده إلى وقت صلبه.

ولما أخذ يوسف الرامي جسد المخلص وكفّنه ووضعه في القبر، كان لنجينوس حاضرًا وقت ختم القبر.

إيمانه

ولما قام المسيح والقبر مختوم تحيّر وسأل اللَّه أن يعرّفه هذا السر، فأرسل إليه بطرس الرسول فأعلمه بأقوال الأنبياء عن المخلص، فآمن على يد الرسول وترك الجندية وذهب إلى الكبادوك بلده وبشّر فيها بالمسيح. ولما سمع به بيلاطس كتب عنه إلى طيباريوس فأمر بقطع رأسه فنال إكليل الشهادة.

ظهور رأسه

في الخامس من هاتور تحتفل الكنيسة بتذكار ظهور رأسه. وكيفية ظهوره أن الجندي بعد أن قطع رأسه أتى بها إلى أورشليم وسلمها إلى بيلاطس البنطي، وبيلاطس أراها لليهود فسرّهم ذلك، ثم أمر أن يدفن الرأس في بعض الكيمان التي بظاهر أورشليم. وكانت هناك امرأة آمنت على يد القديس لما بشّر بالكبادوك، ولما ضُرِبت رقبته شاهدت أمر استشهاده وهى واقفة تبكي. وقد أصيبت بعد ذلك بالعمى فأخذت ولدها وقصدا أورشليم لتتبارك من الآثار المقدسة والقبر المحيِّ عساها تبصر. ولدى وصولها المدينة مات ولدها فحزنت وأفرطت في الحزن على حالتها، وعلى عدم وجود من يرجعها إلى بلادها. وأثناء نومها أبصرت القديس لنجينوس ومعه ولدها الذي مات، فأرشدها إلى المكان الذي دفن فيه رأسه، وأمرها أن تحمله من هناك. فلما انتبهت سألت عن المكان ومضت إليه وحفرت في الأرض فخرجت رائحة بخور زكية، ولما وصلت إلى رأس القديس أشرق منه نور فانفتحت عيناها وأبصرت في الحال، فمجدت السيد المسيح وقبَّلت الرأس وطيّبته ووضعته مع جسد ابنها، ثم عادت إلى بلادها ممجدة السيد المسيح الذي يظهر عجائبه في قديسيه.

السنكسار، 23 أبيب.