Saint Pelagia from Tarsus in Cilicia (south-eastern Asia Minor) lived during the time of Diocletian (284-305), c. the third, being the daughter of some pagans of Vaz. After hearing about Jesus Christ from some Christian friends, she believed in Him and decided to remain a virgin, worshiping the Lord all her life.
The heir of the emperor Diocletian, a boy adopted by him, saw the virgin Pelagia and being hurt by her beauty, he asked her to be his wife. The holy virgin replied to the young man that she was attached to Christ the Eternal Bridegroom and that she would not have a marriage on earth.
The answer made the young man very angry, but he left her to think for a while. At the same time, Pelagia persuaded her mother to let her go to visit the nurse who raised her as a child, actually wanting to look for Bishop Linus of Tarsus who had retreated to the mountains during the persecutions against the Christians and she was looking for him so that he could baptize her. Pelagia had seen the bishop in a dream and it impressed her a lot. It was the saint who advised her to be baptized. The saint set off to visit the nurse, beautifully dressed, in a carriage and accompanied by a retinue of servants, as was her mother’s wish.
On the way, by divine grace, the virgin met Bishop Licinius, whom she immediately recognized from her dream, fell at his feet and asked for his baptism. At the bishop’s prayers, a spring of water gushed out of the ground.
The bishop made the sign of the cross over St. Pelagia and during the Holy Sacrament of Baptism the angels covered the chosen one with a shining mantle. After sharing the virgin, they raised prayers of thanks together to God and he let her continue on her way. Then she took off her precious clothes and left only a simple white dress, giving all she had to the poor. Then speaking to his servants about Jesus Christ, many of them converted believing in God.
Pelagia tried to convince her own mother to convert to Christianity, but she, in a dark mind, sent a message to the emperor’s son telling him that Pelagia was a Christian and that she no longer wanted to marry. The young man, desperate to have lost his great love, threw himself on the sword. Hearing this, Pelagia’s mother, fearing the emperor’s revenge, bound the girl and took her to the emperor as a Christian responsible for the death of the heir to the throne. The emperor was captivated by the maiden’s beauty and tried to convince her to renounce her religion, promising her all the goods on earth if she would be his wife.
The holy virgin refused the emperor’s offer with contempt, saying: “You are mad, emperor, to tell me this. I do not do your will and I hate the dirty marriage you propose to me because I have my Christ Bridegroom, King of Heaven. I do not want your earthly crown, because the Lord has prepared for me three crowns that will never perish. The first is for faith in the true God in whom I have believed with all my heart, the second is for purity , because I kept my virginity in the name of God and the third is for martyrdom because I want to endure any torment for Him and give my soul out of love for Christ.”
Diocletian condemned Pelagia to be burned in a boiling bronze bath. Not letting the executioners touch her body, the saint marked herself with the sign of the holy cross and entered the boiling bath where all her flesh melted spreading a strong smell of myrrh throughout the city. The bones of Saint Pelagia remained untouched and the pagans took them and took them somewhere outside the city. Four lions were placed around the relics and did not allow any living thing to approach them. They guarded the relics until the arrival of Bishop Linus, who buried them with much glory. Later, a church was built on the place where the holy relics were.
In the commemoration service of the Holy Martyr Pelagia of Tarsus it is said that she was honored by “wonderful visions.” It is also celebrated on October 7. During the time of Emperor Constantine, (306-337), when the persecutions against Christians stopped, a church was built on the burial place of Saint Pelagia.
Also on this day, the commemoration of our pious father Hilarion, the miracle worker.
From his youth, lifting the Cross on his shoulders, he followed the Crucified Lord, and submitting his bodily passions to the spirit, he received from God a rich gift of miracles: to heal various diseases and drive out demons. Closing himself in a small house, and being outside of all disturbance and being radiant with all dispassion, he received the divine grace of the priesthood; and enduring many years of severe hardship, he was praised by all for his countless miracles. Because he scolded the creatures that spoiled the sprouted seeds, stopped the hail, watered the thirsty land with rain, and the rush of the river, like Elisha, separated it and passed it. He healed the dry hand of a certain Christian, gave sight to the blind, and straightened the legs of the lame, and did many other miracles to the glory of our true God.
Also on this day, the commemoration of our reverend father Nichifor, the abbot of the Monastery of Midichiei, who peacefully passed away.
Also on this day, the commemoration of the pious Nichifor the Hesychast (from loneliness), the one who calmed down in the most desolate places of Mount Atos.
Saint Nichifor was the teacher of Saint Gregory Palamas (celebrated on November 14). He grew up as a Roman Catholic but after a trip to the Byzantine Empire he became Orthodox. St. Nicephorus lived as a hesychast on Mount Athos and died before the year 1300. His work “On soberness and guarding the heart” is found in the Philokalia: The Most Wise Craft for the prayer of the mind (the prayer of Jesus, the prayer of the heart) which is to the Philokalia.
Also on this day, the commemoration of our venerable father Athanasius, bishop of Corinth.
This Father fell asleep during the reign of Basil and Constantine, in the year 977, and left to posterity commentaries of the holy scriptures and a Treatise on the reasons for the death of Jesus Christ on the Cross.
Also on this day, the commemoration of the holy fathers Aphrodisias, Leontia, Anthony, Mel, Valerian and Macrovia and the multitude of those who together with them confessed in Schitopolis, in Palestine.
Also on this day, the commemoration of the bringing of the relics of the holy and righteous Lazarus, the friend of Christ the Redeemer, and of the myrrh-bearer Mary Magdalene, which was brought during the time of Leon the Philosopher and lover of Christ, in the year eight hundred and ninety (890 AD. ).
Also on this day, the commemoration of Saint Monica, the mother of the blessed Augustine.
Saint Monica, mother of Blessed Augustine of Hippo (celebrated on June 15), was born in 322 in Tagaste, North Africa. Her parents were Christians, but we don’t have much information about her childhood. We learn more from Book IX of the Confessions written by her son.
St. Monica was married to a pagan official named Patritius, fiery by nature and somewhat immoral. At first, her mother-in-law didn’t like her, but Monica endeared herself to her with her gentle nature. Unlike many women who were beaten by their husbands in those days, she was not beaten because she knew how to keep quiet, “guarding her mouth” around him. (Ps. 38/39:1).
St. Monica and Patritius had three children: St. Augustine, Navigius and Perpetua. But the fact that her husband did not let her baptize him caused her a lot of pain. She caused problems for Augustine, who lived with a young woman in Carthage and had an illegitimate son with her. Her persistent prayers and endless tears for her son finally persuaded her husband to convert to Christianity before he died. But Augustine continued to move away from Christ through the life he was leading.
Being in Carthage, Augustine allowed himself to be trapped in the Manichaean sect. His mother was horrified and did her best to get him back on track. In the dream she was shown that she must be gentle and patient with her son. But Augustin did not listen to her and remained in his wanderings for 9 years. St. Monica was very disappointed but did not give up hope that she could help her son. He even tried to ask the help of a bishop who was himself a Manichaean, but he refused to contradict Augustine saying that he could not enlighten the young man because he was still attracted by the novelty of his ideology. But he reassured the mother by saying: “Go on your way, for the son of such tears cannot remain lost.”
St. Monica went to Rome with Augustine when he held classes there in 383. Later, he had a meeting in Milan where he met St. Ambrose (celebrated on December 7) and was very impressed by his sermon. Bishop Ambrose came to value St. Monica very much and often congratulated Augustine for having such a virtuous mother.
One day, Augustine was reading the New Testament in a garden and came to Romans 13:12-14. Then he decided to leave behind “the things of the evil one” and “put on the Lord Jesus Christ”. He was baptized on the eve of Easter in the year 387.
After he was baptized, Augustine and his mother planned to go to Africa. They stopped to rest in Ostia where St. Monica went to the Lord at the age of 56. She was buried in Ostia and her holy relics were transferred to the crypt of a church in the century. the VI. Nine centuries later, the relics of St. Monica were taken to Rome.
In the West, St. Monica is considered the patroness of wives and mothers whose husbands or children are lost.
With their holy prayers, Lord, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.
Article taken from calendar-ortodox.ro
