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"HAVING lived from his youth in a solitude, and by his perfect life invited many to place themselves under his conduct, at the age of forty he renounced this charge, and shut himself up in a small cell without any roof, where, under the weight of many chains, he raised up his soul to God by prayer and penance. He used to say to such as desired him to be more moderate: Believe me, children, strait is the way, and narrow is the gate that leads to life. This was at the time when the Emperor Constantine Copronymus, resolving to destroy all holy images, and all who approved them, sent to this holy hermit to subscribe to their condemnation. But he answering freely, that he would give his blood, rather than dishonour the picture of Jesus Christ, his master, he was taken out of his cell, kept six days without any thing to eat, had false crimes forged against him, was banished, then recalled and dragged from place to place. Afterwards he was cast into prison, with above three hundred religious, for the same cause, and at length ordered to be beaten through the streets of Constantinople. This was executed with such cruelty, that he died under their hands, in the eighth century; and his fellow-prisoners were all put to death on the same account.

You behold a variety of martyrs in Christ's Church. Some suffer all torments, rather than worship idols, and give God's honour to stocks; others suffer the same torments, rather than dishonour the images of Christ. You see in this your duty: not to give God's honour to any thing created; and yet to have an honour for whatever belongs to God. Avoid therefore both extremes, of Idolatry and profaneness. Be not your own idol, by immoderate self-love and pride; let not the world, nor riches, nor pleasure be your idol, by giving your heart to them, which God demands to himself. Never profane God's holy name, nor his house, by any unbecoming behaviour in that holy place, nor any thing holy, by raillery or disrespect: but let God be in earnest a God to you. To Him be all honour, praise, and glory, from all his creatures. Amen." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother