When you imagine a 3 yr old, you would not typically imagine St. Qirqos, you don’t imagine a child with so much faith willing to be martyred for Christ, and the True Faith.

On this day also were martyred Saint Cyriacus and Julitta, his mother, and 11,434 men in the days of Alexander, the governor. And the governor came into that city seeking for Christians, and the guards seized her and took her to the governor, & told him that she was a Christian. And the governor said unto her, “Offer sacrifice to the gods.” And she said unto him, “I will not offer sacrifice to unclean gods, but only to my Lord Jesus Christ.”

On this day Saint Cyriacus (St. Qirqos) and Julitta his mother were martyred, and 11,434 people believed. Julitta his mother was a God-fearing woman from her youth, and when she heard that a persecution had started, she fled through fear of the governor, and she came to the country of Terses, in Celicia, and she dwelt there. And the governor came into that city seeking for Christians, and the guards seized her and took her to the governor, and told him that she was a Christian. And the governor said to her, “Offer sacrifice to the gods.” And she said unto him, “I will not offer sacrifice to unclean gods, but only to my Lord Jesus Christ.” And the governor said unto her, “O woman, tell me of what nation you are from, and where your city is, and what your name is.” And Saint Julitta said unto him, “As for my country, my father was Isawiros, the chief of the people of the city of Nikyos, and my name is Julitta.’ Behold I am in your power now, but I will definitely not sacrifice to unclean gods.”

And the governor said to her, “Offer sacrifice so that you won’t die through severe torture.” And she said to him, “If you are pleased to do this, send men into the city, and let them search there for a boy who is 3 years old, and let them bring him to you, and he shall tell us who we should serve and worship.” And the governor sent men to search for a boy 3 years old, and they found the boy Cyriacus, who was 3 years old, less 3 months. And they took him to the governor, saying, “We think that this boy will not fail to speak, for he is Christian.” And when the governor saw that the boy was handsome, and of goodly appearance, he said unto him, “O handsome boy, rejoice!” And the boy said unto him, “Joy is with me, but joy is not with you. God said, ``There is no joy for the wicked.” And the governor said to him, “What is your name? Tell me that thou mayest not die.” And the boy said unto him, “I am a Christian, and my baptismal name is Cyriacus.” And the governor said unto him, “Sacrifice to the gods, so that I may honor you, and give you money.” And the boy said to him, “Get far from me, O messenger of Satan, and enemy of Righteousness.”

And when the governor heard this he became very angry, and he commanded the soldiers to carry him away and to beat him fifty times with the whip; and they did so until his blood flowed like water.
And when Saint Julitta saw the endurance of her son she gave thanks to God. Then the governor commanded them to bring salt and mustard, and to open the nostrils of the boy and thrust them into him. Then the boy cried out and said, the psalm: “Your word is sweeter to my throat than honey and sugar, yes, sweet to my mouth.”
And the governor then commanded them to bring 14 sharp, red-hot rods, and to thrust seven of them into the body of his mother, and seven into the body of Cyriacus, two in his ears, two in his eyes, two in his nostrils and one in his heart; but by the Will of God the fire was extinguished and the rods became like frozen snow.
Then the governor commanded them to close him up in the prison house and to be bound with fetters. And as Cyriacus was praying there, Satan came unto him in the form of an angel to lead him astray; but when the boy made the sign of the Cross over him Satan disappeared like smoke!

Then the governor commanded a blacksmith to make terrifying instruments of torture so he can torture the boy and his mother. When Satan knew that Cyriacus was eager to receive the crown [of martyrdom], he entered into the heart of the governor and made him dumb. Then the boy said unto the blacksmith, “Could you make for me some instruments of torture that are more hurtful than those that they have been using to torture me?” And the blacksmith said to him, “I can.”

And the boy said, “Make me two knives as sharp as razors, each a cubit long, and make me instruments to break the head, that twist the neck, and pierce the ears, and [separate] the arms and legs, and scrape the sides; and make a brass crusher, and an instrument for pulling out the muscles; and make me three pointed stakes, as tall as I, and write on them, saying, ‘The Holy Trinity, which is neither divided nor separated from those who call upon it.’ And make me an instrument for twisting the neck, and a saw, and a frying-pan, and a cauldron, and a wheel, and a roller, and a bender of the neck; and an iron hook that can draw out what is in the belly. These are the instruments wherewith I would be tortured.” And when the blacksmith heard these things he marveled, and was silent, and he and the workmen, the blacksmiths of the city, finished them in forty days.
And the governor commanded his servants to shave the head of Cyriacus with a razor, and to pour red-hot coals upon it, and they did so.

And they drove four rods through his shoulders and straight down his body, to the soles of his feet. And the angel of God came and removed from him the pain of the tortures. And they also put him into a boiling cauldron and kept him there from the morning until the evening, but they were unable to make him feel pain; and then our Lord appeared to him, and comforted him.

And the governor said unto the boy, “If you would perform a miracle take up my sandal, and make it come alive.” And when the boy had prayed, the sandal turned into a great bull, out of the neck of which went forth a kid, and they killed it, and eleven thousand and four men ate from it. And the governor was angry, and he ordered the soldiers to cut out the boy’s tongue, and they did, and brought back to him the tongue. And the governor commanded them to bring a red-hot cauldron and to cast him into it; and when Julitta saw this she was afraid. And her son prayed, and God gave him divine power to such a degree that she and her son went into it and came out alive and uninjured. And the governor also commanded the soldiers to cast them into a machine, and to drag them about with ropes so that the flesh might be torn off their bodies, and they did until the angel of God came and delivered them. And when the governor found that he was unable to vanquish them, he commanded the soldiers to cut off their heads with the sword.

And our Lord Jesus Christ came down from heaven, and said unto the boy, “Tell me the things which you wish for.” And Cyriacus said unto Him, “Let not my body be buried on earth. And whoever calls upon my name, or celebrates my commemoration, or builds a martyrium for me, or writes the book of my strife, or reads it, or brings an offering into my church, or shall pray at my church, give them what they need and forgive their sins.”

And our Lord Jesus Christ said to him, “Everything which you have asked Me I will give you, and you will be with Me on My right hand.” And when the boy heard this he rejoiced greatly, and he thanked God and was given a special crown with his mother. Salutation to Cyriacus.

Glory be to God who is glorified in His saints.