Mares the Singer of Syria
d. c. 430
An ascetic of the Cyrrhus region celebrated for the sweetness of his psalmody.
Our Venerable Father Mares the Singer of Syria
Life
Mares the Singer was a Syrian ascetic of the fourth and fifth centuries, celebrated for the sweetness of his psalmody. He is commemorated on January 25.
By the accounts he lived as a hut-dweller, keeping his ascetic struggle for thirty-seven years in the village of Omeros, also called Homeron, near Cyrrhus in Syria. He ate only rough food and wore garments made from the hides of wild goats.
He is remembered as having a fair appearance and a pleasant singing voice, by which he received the name 'the Singer.' His repose is placed by the accounts around the year 430.
Troparion1 hymnReadHide
By a flood of tears you made the desert fertile,
and your longing for God brought forth fruits in abundance.
By the radiance of miracles you illumined the whole universe!
O our holy father Mares, pray to Christ our God to save our souls!
Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).
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