Lives of the Saints
1. HOLY MARTYRS FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE, AND THEIR MOTHER SOPHIA
They lived and suffered in Rome in the time of Emperor Hadrian. Sophia the wise, as her name signifies (sophia meaning wisdom), had remained a widow, and as a Christian had firmly established both herself and her daughters in the faith of Christ. When the persecuting hand of Hadrian reached even the virtuous household of Sophia, Faith was twelve, Hope ten, and Love nine years old. All four of them were brought before the emperor, and holding one another by the hand "as a woven garland," they humbly but resolutely confessed their faith in Christ the Lord and refused to offer sacrifice to the idol goddess Artemis. Before their suffering, the mother strengthened her daughters with her counsel, that they might endure to the end. "Your heavenly Lover Jesus Christ is eternal health, beauty indescribable, and immortal life. And when your bodies are slain by torment, He will clothe you in incorruption, and the wounds on your bodies will shine in heaven like stars." One by one the torturer subjected each to cruel torments, first Faith, then Hope, then Love. They were beaten, cut, cast into fire and into boiling pitch, and finally one after another beheaded by the sword. Sophia took the dead bodies of her daughters, carried them outside the city, and there honorably buried them. And she remained at their grave three days and three nights, praying to God, and in so doing surrendered her spirit to God, hastening to the heavenly dwellings where the blessed souls of her glorious daughters awaited her.
2. HOLY MARTYR AGATHOCLEIA
She was a servant of a certain Nicholas and his wife Paulina, who at first were Christians but, having abandoned Christianity, again bowed down before idols. The holy Agathocleia would not follow the example of her masters, and for this she was cruelly tortured both by them and by the judges. Finally her mistress killed her by pouring fire upon her neck. But God glorified His servant in His heavenly Kingdom.
3. HOLY 156 MARTYRS
All were Egyptians. They suffered for Christ the Lord in the year 310, some by the sword, others by fire. Among them were also two elderly bishops: Peleus and Nilus, the priest Zeno, and two renowned men: Patermuthius and Elijah. With them also suffered Bishop Silvanus and the notable blind elder John, who knew Holy Scripture by heart and recited it from memory at Christian assemblies. All were crowned with the crowns of martyrdom and passed over into the immortal Kingdom of Christ.
4. HOLY MARTYR THEODOTIA
For eight years she endured cruel torments for Christ from a certain governor Simplicius, who finally went out of his mind. She was beheaded by the sword around the year 230, in the time of Emperor Alexander Severus.
“Your heavenly Lover Jesus Christ is eternal health, beauty indescribable, and immortal life. And when your bodies are slain by torment, He will clothe you in incorruption, and the wounds on your bodies will shine in heaven like stars.”
Hymn of Praise
Sophia the most wise glorified the Lord,
Three most beautiful daughters she offered as sacrifice to Him:
Then spoke to her daughters: fear not, my children,
Strengthen yourselves in Christ, endure in the faith.
Fear not torment nor bitter affliction,
Grieve not for your bodies — in heaven it is better:
A better body God will give you in heaven:
Grieve not for beauty — with greater beauty you will shine
In the Kingdom of God, among the angels,
As daughters of the King among kings;
Grieve not for life, for what is life worth?
Even a hundred years is measured by a span.
An endless life awaits you in heaven,
A life without end, a life without beginning.
Grieve not for the company of earthly friends,
For there is the company of wondrous saints.
Nor grieve for the company of earthly kinsmen,
In heaven is the company of glorious martyrs. —
Thus the holy mother taught her holy daughters,
While one by one they flew away to heaven,
Three white doves, innocent and pure,
Swiftly flew into the arms of Christ.
And after them the mother rose up in spirit
And overtook her glorious daughters in Paradise.
Now they pray for us, the mother with her daughters,
And their prayers the merciful God receives.
“Three white doves, innocent and pure, swiftly flew into the arms of Christ.”
Reflection
A God-fearing ruler faithful to God is a true heavenly blessing for the whole nation. King Wenceslaus of Bohemia was such a ruler. His zeal for the holiness of the faith and strictness of life remind us of the ancient ascetics. He devoted the day to affairs of state and the night to prayer. Together with his old servant Podivoj he often went barefoot in winter to matins in church. And often he himself kneaded and baked the prosphora, and unfailingly so when he wished to receive Holy Communion. Through his care many churches were built, in which the divine services were celebrated daily. He was especially solicitous for orphans and the poor. He was peace-loving, but nevertheless a great and fearless hero. When the neighboring prince Radislav attacked the Czech land, Wenceslaus sent him a letter asking what moved him to wage war against him. The proud Radislav answered that he demanded Wenceslaus cede all of Bohemia and his throne to him. Then Wenceslaus assembled a great army and went out to face his enemy. But seeing two mighty armies, he felt pity that so many men should perish, and he sent the following message to Radislav: "The dispute is between me and you; you wish to rule Bohemia and I do not yield. Let us settle this matter by combat between the two of us. Why a bloody battle of two armies?" Prince Radislav agreed to single combat, but was defeated by Wenceslaus, and on his knees begged him for forgiveness.
“The dispute is between me and you; you wish to rule Bohemia and I do not yield. Let us settle this matter by combat between the two of us. Why a bloody battle of two armies?”
Contemplation
Contemplate the lawlessness of the Jews and the punishment of God (I Kings 14), namely:
1. How both the people and King Rehoboam did what was evil before the Lord;
2. How they set up idols in the temples, and how there were many sodomites in the land;
3. How the king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem and plundered all the gold from the temple.
Homily
on the unity of essence of the Father and the Son
The more miracles the Lord Jesus performed, and the closer He drew to death, the more openly He spoke of Himself. Numerous miracles and the length of time, sufficient for reflection, had their effect on both the guileless and the malicious: the guileless became receptive to the revelation of the high mysteries of God, while the malicious through their malice increasingly darkened and incapacitated themselves for receiving those mysteries. Therefore the malicious took up stones to kill Him. I and My Father are one. The Father and the Son are one in the essence of being, but are not one in hypostases, for otherwise they would not be called by two names — Father and Son. All the attributes of the Father's essence the Son also has, and the Holy Spirit also has; but the attributes of the Father's hypostasis belong only to the Father, and the attributes of the Son's hypostasis belong only to the Son, and the attributes of the Spirit's hypostasis belong only to the Spirit. But when it is a matter of the divine essence, the Son can say: I and the Father are one; and the Father can say: I and the Son are one; and the Holy Spirit can say: I and the Father are one, and I and the Son are one. The Lord Jesus expressed the unity of His being with the Father in further words as well: the Father is in Me, and I in Him. Can one speak more clearly of the divinity of the Son? Can the human tongue more strongly express the unity of the Tri-hypostatic God? The dogma of the divinity of the Son of God and the dogma of the unity of the divine essence were revealed and established by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Let no one, therefore, give credence to the deceptions of certain unbelievers and heretics, as though the Lord Jesus Himself did not proclaim His divinity but that this dogma was supposedly put forth later in the Church. If Christ had not proclaimed His divinity, why would the Jews have said to Him: "Thou makest Thyself God"? And why would they have taken up stones against Him?
O Lord Jesus, Son of God, one in essence with the Father and the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us and save us by the power and goodness of Thy Divinity, all-powerful and all-good. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.
“The dogma of the divinity of the Son of God and the dogma of the unity of the divine essence were revealed and established by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.”