Saint Sophia and her three martyred daughters – Pistis (Religion) – Elpis (Hope) and Agapi (Love)
The holy martyrs Saint Sophia and her three daughters, Pistis (Religion), Elpis (Hope) and Agapi (Love), had been born in Italy within the second century, AD, within the time of Emperor Hadrian.
(Agapi, love, was accurately translated into Latin as “caritas” after which incorrectly into English as “charity”)
Saint Sophia, whose identify means knowledge, turned a widow shortly after the beginning of her three daughters, whom she had named for the three Christian virtues; Religion Hope and Love.
Religion was twelve years previous, Hope was ten and Love was 9.
Saint Sophia and her three daughters, Pistis (Religion), Elpis (Hope) and Agapi
Sophia and her daughters didn’t disguise their Christian religion, however brazenly confessed it to everybody.
It was not lengthy earlier than phrase of Sophia’s religion reached the pagan Roman Emperor, Hadrian, who instantly ordered that she and her daughters be introduced earlier than him in Rome.
After studying that they had been to be introduced to the emperor and understanding what this meant, the religious Christian mom and her younger daughters prayed to Jesus Christ and requested him to offer them power to not concern torture and loss of life.
The interrogation
Martyrdom of Saint Sophia and her 3 daughters, Byzantine illumination, eleventh century.
Initially, Hadrian separated Sophia from his three daughters and proceeded, first with guarantees of forgiveness after which, when that had no impact, with threats of torture, to attempt to persuade her to resign Christianity.
Sophia refused.
Defeated by Sophia, Hadrian then referred to as his three daughters to be introduced earlier than him.
Once more, first with guarantees after which with threats, Hadrian implored the younger maidens to resign their religion and sacrifice as an alternative to the goddess Artemis.
The tyrant Emperor was as soon as extra overwhelmed; he realized that no matter their younger age, the women had been steadfast of their allegiance to Christ.
Undeterred, Hadrian determined that he would in all probability have extra luck if he cross-examined the women individually.
As a further punishment for Sophia, the evil man additionally compelled her to see the struggling of her daughters.
The Query of Religion (Pistis)
Hadrian – 24 January 76 – 10 July 138 – Roman Emperor from 117 to 138
The primary to be questioned by Hadrian was the twelve-year-old Religion, who categorically refused to give up to Hadrian.
Religion’s conviction so angered him that he ordered his males to topic the poor woman to essentially the most unbelievably horrible tortures.
Religion was stripped, had her palms tied behind her again, and was then brutally whipped with rods.
They then lower off her breasts, which as an alternative of flowing with blood, flowed with milk, astonishing her assailants who witnessed the miracle.
As if all this wasn’t sufficient, Religion was positioned on a red-hot grill; nevertheless, displaying no indicators of struggling, she remained unburnt, a lot to the disgust of the tyrant Hadrian, who referred to as on his henchmen to cowl her with pitch and asphalt and return her to the grill.
To no avail, Religion remained unhurt, raised her arms to heaven, and thanked God.
In a frenzy, Hadrian demanded that they lower off her head.
Sophia accompanied her daughter Religion to her future, on a regular basis, encouraging her to simply accept her loss of life with pleasure as she sacrificed herself for Christ.
The Questioning of Hope (Elpis)
Now it was the flip of ten-year-old Hope, who was additionally steadfast in her religion in Christ and completely refused to bow to the flattery and temptations of Hadrian, who then ordered her to be whipped with cow hides after which thrown right into a red-hot oven .
As together with her sister earlier than her, the ability of God prevailed, and with the invisible presence of Christ, Hope remained unhurt.
Unwilling to surrender after being shamed by a ten-year-old woman, Hadrian had her strung up on a chunk of wooden, her complete physique riddled with iron nails, earlier than her bloody physique was thrown right into a boiling cauldron stuffed with pitch and resin.
Hope did not undergo in any respect, however among the boiling liquid splashed over her torturers.
This sudden flip solely added gas to the hearth of rage burning contained in the monster Hadrian, who instantly had Hope beheaded.
The Query of Love (Agapi)
Lastly, Love, solely 9 years previous, was introduced earlier than Hadrian.
With unbelievable bravery she declared that Christ is the one true God and mercilessly mocked their pagan faith and idols.
Shocked by her lethargy, Hadrian ordered the executioners to hold her and beat her.
Love was whipped so exhausting that her limbs had been torn and her joints jerked.
By God’s grace, her physique was immediately repaired, leaving Hadrian speechless.
Overcome with rage, he ordered her to be burned on the stake.
By divine intervention, Love was untouched by the flames, in contrast to Hadrian and his pagan followers who occurred to be current, who had been consumed by the flames, which had immediately raged uncontrolled.
As soon as once more the evil tyrant flew right into a rage and demanded Regulation’s physique be pierced by an iron rod, in fact, now he knew she could be left unhurt, after which he had his males prepared to chop off her head, which is precisely what occurred.
The funeral
Saint Sophia and her three daughters, Pistis (Religion), Elpis (Hope) and Agapi
Hadrian allowed Sophia to bury the stays of his three martyred daughters, Pistis (Religion), Elpis (Hope) and Agapi, after which she remained at their tomb for 3 days, asking God to take her soul.
God heard her prayer and Sophia left this earth to be reunited together with her daughters in heaven.
Believers buried her relics subsequent to the graves of her three daughters, as an everlasting testimony of the united love of all 4 of them for Christ in heaven.
Sophia might not have suffered within the flesh, however she actually suffered in her coronary heart, and God didn’t deprive her of a martyr’s crown.
Relics of Saint Sophia, Religion, Hope and Love
Because the yr 777, among the relics of Saint Sophia and her daughters have been carried by St. Remigius of Strasbourg to the monastery of Saint Trophime in Eschau, Alsace, France.
Initially, the relics of Saint Sophia and her three daughters had been positioned in a crypt in Porta Latina (Latin – Latin Gate), a single-arched gate within the Aurelian Partitions of historical Rome, within the cemetery of Gordianus and Epimachus, on Through Latina (The Latin Approach).
Pope Sergius II later had the relics moved round 845 to the church of San Martino ai Monti, formally often known as Santi Silvestro e Martino ai Monti (Sylvester and Martin within the Mountains) in Rome.
Because the yr 777, among the relics of Saint Sophia and her daughters have been carried by St. Remigius of Strasbourg to the monastery of Saint Trophime in Eschau, Alsace, France.
Eschau, Saint Trophime Abbey Church. © Radio France – Man Wach
Within the Greek Orthodox Church, their feast day is widely known on the seventeenthth of September.
Associated
