February 18 / February 5

The Holy Martyr Agatha of Palermo in Sicily (251)

Agatha, this glorious virgin and martyr for Christ, was born in the Sicilian town of Palermo of noble and wealthy parents. When Emperor Decius began a persecution against Christians, St. Agatha was arrested and brought to trial before the judge Quintian. The judge, seeing Agatha beautiful in countenance, desired to have her for his wife. When he suggested this, Agatha answered that she was the bride of Christ and could not be unfaithful to her Betrothed. Quintian subjected her to cruel tortures. Ag- atha was mocked, whipped, bound to a tree and flogged until blood flowed. After that, the judge again tried to persuade her to deny Christ and avoid any further torture and suffering. To this the bride of Christ replied: “These tortures are very beneficial for me. Just as wheat cannot arrive at the granary before it is cleansed from the chaff, so my soul cannot enter into Paradise if my body is not humbled by tortures beforehand.” Then the torturer ordered that her breasts be cut off and that she be cast into prison. St. Peter appeared to Agatha in prison and restored her to health and wholeness of body. Again Agatha was led out for torture, and again she was cast into prison, where she gave up her soul to God in the year 251 in the town of Catania, during the reign of Emperor Decius. After her death, the torurer Quintian departed for Palermo to usurpher estate. However, along the way his horse and the horses of his soldiers became wild with rage. Quintian was bitten on the face, thrown to the ground and trampled to death. Swift was the punishment of God for the savage crime perpe- trated against St. Agatha. Saint Agatha is fer- vently venerated by the people of Catania as the patroness of their city, and she is honored as much in the East as in the West.

The Holy Martyr Theodula

Theodula suffered for Christ during the reign of the wicked Roman Emperor Diocletian. During her torture Theodula brought one of her torturers, Heladius, to his senses and converted him to the Christian Faith. When Heladius openly confessed his faith in Christ, he was beheaded. Theodula behaved very courageously at her trial, because of which the judge called her deranged. To this Theodula replied: “It is you, who have forgotten the One True God and bow down before lifeless stones, who are deranged.” The judge then subjected Theodula to cruel tortures, which she heroically endured. By her heroism while suffering torture, she astonished many and converted them to Christ. Among these were two distinguished citizens: Macarius and Evagrius. With these two and many others, Theod- ula was thrown into a fiery furnace, where they all died honorably and were made worthy of the Kingdom of Christ.

3.    Saint Polyeuctus, Patriarch of Constantinople

Because of his great mind, religious zeal and eloquence, Polyeuctus was called a “second Chrysostom.” During the time Patriarch Polyeuctus governed the Church and Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus ruled the empire, the Russian Princess Olga traveled to Constantinople and was bap- tized in the year 957. The patriarch baptized her, and the emperor was her godfather. St. Polyeuctus said to her prophetically: “Blessed are you among Russian women, for you have loved light and cast off darkness. The sons of Russia will bless you to the last generation.” From among the simple monks, Polyeuctus was elevated to the rank of patriarch in the year 946. He remained on the patriarchal throne until his death in 970.

• Theodosius of Skopelos in Cilicia (ca. 421).
• Avitus, bishop of Vienne (Gaul) (525).
• Theodosius, archbishop of Chernigov (1696).
• New Martyr Anthony of Athens, at Constantinople (1774).
• . New Martyrs Matushka Agatha (Agafia) (1938), and with her schemamonk Eugene (1939) and Righteous Paramon (1941), of Belorussia.
• Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Seeking of the Lost” (17th ).

HYMN OF PRAISE

Saint Agatha

Dark is the dungeon, radiant is the martyr.
In the darkness, St. Agatha shines.
Over the courtyard of the dungeon, drenched in light,
There the tormentor lives, covered with shame,
Thinking up new tortures for the virgin Agatha.
He torments himself and contemplates, darkened in the midst of light.
The dungeon is bright for whoever is wedded to Christ,
While the palace is a place of despair to the enemy of justice!

Saint Theodula

Dark is the dungeon, radiant is the martyr.
As soon as she heard of Christ,
St. Theodula, the pure dove, followed Him.
Because of Christ, the mob drove her into darkness,
But joyfully Theodula stands,
Joyfully stands, not fearing anyone,
While her enemies, filled with malice
And in wretched despair in the midst of the enchanting palace,
Think only of evil and serve only malice.
Everything for them is empty, and about everything they complain,
For they do not possess God, for they know not Christ.
Erroneously they read all the mysteries of life!

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