December 6 / December 24

1. The Venerable Nun Martyr Eugenia and others with her

Eugenia was the daughter of Philip the Eparch of all Egypt and was born in Rome. At that time the Christians had been driven out of Alexandria and lived outside the city. The virgin Eugenia visited the Christians and accepted their Faith with her whole heart. Fleeing from her parents with two of her faithful eunuchs, she was baptized by Bishop Elias. Disguised in men’s clothing, she entered a men’s monastery where she received the monastic habit. So much did she cleanse her heart by voluntary asceticism that she received from God the grace of healing the sick. Thus, she healed a wealthy woman, Melanthia. After this, however, Melanthia wanted to lure Eugenia into bodily sin, not suspecting that Eugenia was a woman. Since she was adamantly rejected by Eugenia, out of revenge this evil woman went to the eparch and slandered Eugenia in the same manner as Potiphar’s wife had once slandered the chaste Joseph. The eparch ordered that all the monks be bound and cast into prison together with Eugenia. But when St. Eugenia was brought before the tribunal, she revealed herself to her father as his daughter. The overjoyed Philip was then baptized with his entire household, and he was chosen as Bishop of Alexandria. Hearing of this, the Roman emperor sent a wicked commander, Terentius, who came to Alexandria and secretly had Philip killed. St. Eugenia moved to Rome with her mother and brothers. In Rome she fearlessly and zealously converted pagans, especially maidens, to the true Faith, and thus she converted a beautiful maiden Basilla to the Faith. Shortly afterward, Basil- la was beheaded for Christ as Eugenia had foretold to her. Then both eunuchs, Protus and Hyacinth, were beheaded.

Finally, a martyr’s end came to St. Eugenia, whose presence had caused the collapse and destruction of the Temple of Diana. The torturers threw her first into water and then into fire, but God saved her. The Lord Jesus Himself appeared to her in prison and told her that she would suffer on the day of His Nativity. And so it was. She was beheaded by the sword on December 25, 262, in Rome. After her death, St. Eugenia appeared in great glory to her mother and comforted her.

2.  The Venerable Nicholas the Calligrapher

Some think this great saint was a Slav of Balkan ancestry. At the time of Emperor Nicephorus, Nicholas was a commander and had authority over a division of the army that went to war against the Bulgarians. Along the way, Nicholas spent the night in an inn, where he experienced a great temptation and had a strange dream. This dream fully came to pass in the war, where the Greeks were utterly defeated by the Bulgarians in the year 811. Nicholas was spared, and out of gratitude for God’s providence, he left his military rank and became a monk. He lived a long life of asceticism and became so perfect that he became a great clairvoyant and God-pleaser. He died peacefully in the ninth century and took up his habitation in the Blessed Kingdom of Christ the Lord.

3.  The Holy New Martyr Ahmed, a Turk by birth and a stonecutter by profession, is also He embraced the Christian Faith and laid down his life for it. He suffered at the hands of the Turks in Constantinople in the year 1682.

• Vitimionus of Scetis (5th c.).
• Aphrodisius (6th c.) and St. Antioch (635), monks, of Palestine.
• Nicholas the Monk, of Bulgaria (9th c.).
• New Hieromartyrs Innocent, archimandrite, of Voronezh (1927) and Sergius, archpriest, of Moscow (1941).

HYMN OF PRAISE

The Venerable Martyr Eugenia

Eugenia, a glorious maiden, recognized God
And dedicated herself completely to His service.
She sacrificed this temporary life for the eternal and endless one;
To Christ the Eternal she betrothed her heart.
With patience she conquered the vice of evil
And gained the wondrous grace of God.
With the angels in heaven she now rejoices;
With the saints she gloriously celebrates the eternal feast.
Eugenia, beautiful virgin, God sanctified you.
Remember us sinners before God even now.

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