Cosmas of Chalcedon and Auxentius
Our Father among the Saints Cosmas the Confessor, Bishop of Chalcedon, and Auxentius his companion
Venerable · Bishop · Confessor · d. 9th century
Commemorated 18 April — Repose of the confessors of the icons
Cosmas, Bishop of Chalcedon, and his companion Auxentius were confessors of the holy icons in the iconoclast persecution. Cosmas, chosen bishop of Chalcedon across the water from Constantinople, withstood the heretical emperors and refused to surrender the veneration of the images; for this he was persecuted, deposed and exiled, and with his faithful companion Auxentius endured much for the faith before reposing in peace. They are kept together on April 18.
Cosmas lived in the age of the iconoclast controversy. A man of ascetic life and firm Orthodoxy, he was raised to the see of Chalcedon — the great city on the Asian shore opposite Constantinople, hallowed by the Fourth Ecumenical Council. When the iconoclast emperors pressed the bishops to reject the icons, Cosmas refused: he confessed openly the honour due to the images of Christ, His Mother and the saints, and would neither sign the impious decrees nor commune with the persecutors.
For his confession he was harassed, driven from his see, and sent into exile, sharing the lot of the confessors of that age. His companion Auxentius, who had followed him in the ascetic life and in the defence of Orthodoxy, remained faithful through every hardship, sharing his sufferings and his witness. Having preserved the faith unshaken and their flock so far as they could, the two reposed in peace, confessors of the icons, and the Church numbers them among the holy confessors of the iconoclast persecution.
Feast and commemoration
April 18 (church date; Old Calendar civil May 1). Cosmas and Auxentius are honoured as confessors of the holy icons; their service is that of the common of a bishop-confessor. They are to be distinguished from the several other saints named Auxentius kept on other days (of Bithynia, January 14; of Constantinople).
Hymns
Troparion — Tone 4 (common of a bishop-confessor)
O God of our fathers, ever dealing with us according to Thy gentleness: take not Thy mercy from us, but by the prayers of Thy holy confessors Cosmas the bishop and Auxentius, direct our lives in peace.
Original translation from the Greek
Iconography
Cosmas is painted as a bishop in the phelonion and omophorion, blessing and holding the Gospel; Auxentius as a monk-confessor beside him. As defenders of the icons they may be shown holding a small image of Christ. No pre-1900 icon of them has been identified for this repository.