“Well done, good and faithful servant … enter into the joy of thy Lord.” (Matt. 25:23)
Today, as we commemorate Ss. Gordianus and Epimachus, martyrs of the early Church, the Church in her ancient wisdom places before us readings that stir the heart toward faithfulness, righteousness, and sacrifice. The lessons from Sirach and St. Matthew’s Gospel are not chosen at random, but fitly accord with the witness of these holy martyrs who gave their lives in fidelity to Christ.
1. Sirach: The Line of Glory and Fidelity
In Sirach 44:16–27; 45:3–20, we hear the praises of the righteous—from Enoch to Moses—and of the covenantal line that God established with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The sacred writer extols not mere earthly greatness, but the greatness that comes from faithfulness to God’s covenant.
Saint John Chrysostom observes:
“When Scripture praises the saints, it does not recount their riches or honors, but their faith and virtue, for this is the true glory of man.”
(Homilies on Matthew, Hom. 72)
In highlighting Moses, Sirach underscores the role of one chosen by God to stand before Him in holiness, to be made glorious in the presence of kings, and to bear the law. This is no worldly exaltation but the divine vindication of the servant who is zealous for God’s glory.
So too were Ss. Gordianus and Epimachus elevated—not by men, but by martyrdom, that most sacred priesthood of suffering, wherein the Christian becomes an oblation, like Moses interceding, but now united to the Lamb.
2. Matthew 25: The Parable of the Talents and the Martyr’s Reward
Our Lord’s parable in Matthew 25 is rich with application. The “man travelling into a far country” entrusts his goods to his servants. To one, five talents; to another, two; to another, one—“to every one according to his proper ability.”
The saints understood this deeply. St. Augustine teaches:
“The talents are all the gifts which God bestows on us, both temporal and spiritual. They are not ours, but His; and He asks an account of their use.”
(Sermon 88)
Martyrs like Gordianus and Epimachus made return on their “talents” not by burying them in fear, but by bearing witness unto death. Gordianus, a Roman official, received baptism only after seeing the steadfastness of Christians. Once converted, he gave his whole life to Christ. Epimachus, tortured and imprisoned, persevered through suffering with unshaken fortitude. Both gave not a portion, but the full account of their lives, proving themselves faithful servants, worthy of the Master’s joy.
This parable also casts a warning against sloth in the spiritual life. It is not enough to possess grace—we must labor with it, multiply it. St. Gregory the Great says:
“Each person must examine what he has received and consider how he uses it for the glory of God. The one who does not labor out of fear or negligence, though he has received a gift, is condemned as if he had none.”
(Moralium, lib. 26, c. 16)
3. The Martyrs: Stewards of Grace and Witnesses of Eternity
The juxtaposition of these readings on this day calls us to imitate the martyrs in our own stewardship. We may not all be called to shed blood, but we are all called to be faithful with what has been entrusted to us—whether in the family, the Church, or the world.
Saint Cyprian reminds us:
“The world is in flames, and yet your spirit remains lukewarm? The time of persecution is the time of crown and victory. Let us not fall asleep in the day of battle.”
(De Lapsis)
The names of Gordianus and Epimachus are recited in the Martyrology as shining lights in the midst of pagan Rome. Their relics were venerated in the Roman catacombs, and their blood sanctified the soil that once thirsted for Christian blood.
Conclusion: Enter into the Joy
The faithful servant is not merely praised—he is invited: “Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” What is this joy but the beatific vision, the eternal Sabbath, the reward of those who have fought the good fight and kept the faith?
On this day, let us beg the intercession of these holy martyrs, that we may not fear the demands of grace, nor shrink from sacrificial fidelity. May we, like them, use well what has been given, and so be found among the good and faithful servants, ready to enter the joy of our Lord.
Prayer (adapted from the traditional Martyrology collect):
O God, who didst strengthen Thy holy martyrs Gordianus and Epimachus with invincible constancy in the confession of Thy Name: grant, we beseech Thee, that we who celebrate their heavenly birthday, may imitate their fortitude and be strengthened in our witness to the Truth, through Christ our Lord. Amen.