Synaxarium
Daily Stories of the Saints
for the Blessed Month of Baramoudah
The Eighth Day of the Blessed Month of Baramoudah
Baramouda 8
Martyrdom of the Holy Virgins : Agape,
Eirene, and Shiona
On this day the three holy virgins:
Agape, Eirene, and Shiona (Susinia) were martyred. They were from Thessalonica,
and worshipped Christ as their parents. They chose the life of chastity
and they agreed to devote themselves to the ascetic life. They fasted and
prayed unceasingly, visited the convents often and participated with the
virgins in their prayers and asceticism. When Maximianus the infidel, reigned,
he restored the worship of the idols and shed the blood of many Christians. These saints were afraid and they fled to the mountain
and hid themselves in a cave devoting themselves to their worship and asceticism.
Every week, an aged Christian woman visited them bringing all things needed
and took the work of their hands to sell it, and distributed the remainder
as alms to the poor. One day a malicious person observed the frequent visits
of this old woman to the mountain, he followed her secretly until he knew
the cave that she entered. He hid himself so she did not see him on her
way back, and he thought that she was hiding precious things in it. After
she left the cave by a distance he entered the cave and he found the precious
pearls the prides of the Christ standing praying. He bound them, dragged
them away, and brought them to the Governor of Thessalonica. He asked them about their faith, they confessed that they were Christians worshipping
that Who was Crucified. The Governor became wrath with them, tortured them
much, then cast them into the fire, and they delivered up their souls and
received the crown of martyrdom.
May their prayers be with us. Amen.
Martyrdom of the One Hundred and Fifty
believers by the hand of the King of Persia
On this day also is the
commemoration of the incident of the martyrdom of one hundred and fifty
believers by the king of Persia. This king besieged Christian cities which
were near the borders of his country, and captured many of them. When they
refused to worship the sun and the stars, he commanded to cut off their
heads, and they received the crowns of martyrdom.
May their prayers be with us and glory be to God forever. Amen.