Saint Euphrosyne

A virgin in Alexandria

Translated from "Les Saints d'Egypte"

by R. F. Paul Cheneau

Jerusalem, 1923.

In the days of Theodosius [Theodosius II (408-430)], the son of Arcadius, there lived in Alexandria an eminent true godly rich man called Paphnutius. He was married to a young noble and very virtuous person who was deserving of him, but they had no children. That made them sorrowful. Seeing that there would be no heir of his name and riches, he did not cease to make the heavens interested to his desires, by helping the poor, going to churches by day and night, and striving to touch the heart of God by his prayers and his numerous fasts. However Heaven remained deaf toward his wishes. The test continued to be so painful and depressing that some day Paphnutius suddenly decided to go to the abbot of a near monastery to disclose his sorrow to him.

The latter had a well-deserved reputation of holiness. He attentively received the secret of his visitor, and sympathised with his delicate sorrow. He prayed, and made others pray, so much and so well, that he forced the heavens. An exquisite little girl came to fill with joy the home of Paphnutius who was extremely gladdened. On that day, a ray of happiness crossed his life.

At the age of seven, the miraculous child was baptized. She was called Euphrosyne (which in Greek means joy or happiness). She was truly according to the significance of the expression, the joy of God and of her noble parents, by the virtues of her soul and the beauty of her features.

She was twelve years of age, when a cruel sickness took her mother away from her. In order to beguile her loneliness, Paphnutius then gave himself entirely to the education of his child. He made himself her instructor, and taught her literature and worldly sciences. There is no need to say that his young student became his solace and his pride, through her docility and her progress. She soon became well-known, appreciated, and admired by all the inhabitants of the town who were amazed by her knowledge and her humility. Effectively Euphrosyne did not look at all for appreciation; she was the enemy of pretension and conceit; and although she naturally had many qualities of heart and various exterior advantages, she neglected enough the excessive cares of adornment, and she despised embellishment and jewelry. She secretly fasted, and sometimes she wore coarse clothes under her fine silk garments. However she was breathtaking in the saloons of that era where his father took her, and many were ambitious of having a brilliant alliance with her.

A son of a family, whose parents were very rich and well considered in society, had the chance to please her. He was happy enough to obtain the acquiescence of Paphnutius and the hand of his lovely young daughter: the betrothal was celebrated and previous payments were given: she was just beginning her eighteenth year.

Soon after that, her father took her for a visit to the monastery which he preferred. Since the birth of his daughter, he had remained in close relation with the abbot who had obtained her for him from Heaven; and his sweetest pleasure was to sponsor the needs of the monks with great alms. He presented Euphrosyne to the abbot saying: "my father, here is the fruit of your prayers; I have brought her so that she herself may express her gratefulness to you, and entrust her future to you, because she has to conclude a brilliant marriage." The abbot took both of them to the lodging place, and he commended the youg girl to live always in humility, chastity and the fear of the Lord. The visitors remained for three days in the monastery admiring the heavenly life which the brothers lived before them. At the moment of separation, Euphrosyne bowed down to the feet of the abbot and said: "My father, I beg you, ask God to gain my soul altogether".

Soon there was the anniversary of the consecration of the monastery. Paphnutius, being a distinguished benefactor of the house, was invited. A brother was especially sent to Alexandria to invite him. Euphrosyne received him while her father was absent. She seized the opportunity to question him as she wished.

"How many brothers are you in your community?"

"Now, we must be three hundred and fifty two."

"Do they willingly accept the individuals who present themselves in order to become converted?"

"Certainly, and with great joy; did not the Lord say not to send away those who come to Him?"

"Do they all pariticipate in the songs of the mass? do they all fast in the same manner?"

"As a general rule, everybody sing the praise of God in the church, but each one fasts according to his inspiration and his strength."

Thus Euphrosyne satisfied her godly curiosity and obtained all the information for which she cared, from the good brother without suspicion. To close this conversation she said:

"I also I would like to leave the world and live your admirable life; but I am afraid to act contrarily to the will of my father who is absolutely decided to see me in the holy state of marriage."

"O my sister, give yourself rather to God, if this is your fervent desire. You can disguise your departure. Your father will undoubtedly accept the invitation which I come to transmit; take the opportunity of his absence, get yourself religious clothes, and go to a monastery of virgins, and there you will be received with open arms."

Remark: [The means to follow her vocation which that monk indicated to the young girl who was already betrothed, is a shock to our present customs. That was not so at the time of our narration. Moreover there are many examples of strength of spirit which are given by the saints, that are not always imitable in all their details.]

When Paphnutius returned, he promised to honor the feast to which he had been so graciously invited. He quickly made some preparations, and went down the Nile until the door of the monastery, accompanied by the brother. Euphrosyne who was well decided to execute her devout project, waited for nothing but the departure of her father. She accompanied him till the harbor, said farewell to him in a long embrace in which she poured all her filial love that was in her heart; then after the boat had gone far away, she returned home, and called the most faithfull of her servants and sent him to the monastery of S. Theodosius, to ask for a monk to come and fetch her. A few hours later, the servant was back bringing with him a dignified old man whom he had met, and who had come to the town to sell the product of the work of his brothers. Euphrosyne, with the tears of joy in her eyes, knelt down and asked him for his blessing, saying:

"Father, I want to be all to God; consecrate me to Him. My mother is no more. My father who is very christian and very rich, adores me; and wants by all means to see me married. As for me, I cannot bear this idea. I have spent all the night sleepless, praying to God to help me; and this morning I have sent my servant to bring a brother to me. Fulfill my desires, O venerable father; consecrate me to God and cut my hair."

The old man stood up, made a long prayer for her, dressed her in a monastic garment, then blessed her saying:

"My daughter, may God, who has delivered his saints from all their difficulties, protect you against every evil!"

After having accomplished this function, the old man went to sell his mats and his baskets, and returned very happily to his monastery.

As for Euphrosyne, she was absorbed in her meditations. She had just done the first step, she must now get herself secure for the future. To enter a nunnery would be an easy matter; but just after she is back home, her father who is looking for her would find her and throw her without mercy in the arms of her betrothed man. There was a unique possible solution to which she ceaselessly thought again and again: that was to imitate some courageous women whose story she had known: she would abandon the clothes of her sex, take a man's wear and go out from her abode by night. She stopped at this scheme. After having put in order her little matters, she took with her five hundred pieces of gold, organised her departure in order to escape her people, and when everybody in the house were asleep, she cautiously went out to some deserted burying ground where she spent the night. Paphnutius returned the next day, while Euphrosyne who was disguised in man's clothes, daringly knocked the door of the monastery which her father had left the night before.

The abbot said to the visitor who had knelt down while he approached:

"Who are you, my son? What did you come here to look for?" Euphrosyne said in a decided tone:

"I have been an eunuch of the palace, and I have always been ardently willing to become a monk. It is not possible to lead such a life in town. I know the zeal of your community, and with your permission, I shall be very happy if a very isolated cell would be assigned to me in the places which are dependant of the monastery. Thanks to God, I possess considerable riches, and if I find rest here, I shall absolutely not be a burden to you."

"You are welcome, my son, your desires will be fully satisfied. But what is your name?"

"My name is Smaragde".

"You are still young, my son; therefore I cannot leave you to follow solely your inspirations; you need a master who will teach you the principles of the rule and who will lead you in your new life. I shall entrust you to one of the most dignified, the oldest, and holiest brothers."

"Thank you, my father; I shall do according to your wishes."

Then the abbot sent for brother Agapit and entrusted him with Smaragde saying:

"From now on, here is your son and your disciple; I confide him to you, so that one day he will exceed his master." The pseudo Smaragde replied while taking his leave from the abbot:

"God willing, it shall be so!"

Agapit lead his freshman to a cell which was very far from the others, according to his desire, and gave him the order to pray there, to take his simple meal there, and never to go out of it. Euphrosyne was all joyfull in her soul. She gave herself to prayer, fasted every day, kept awake for a long time by night, and served God in such a simplicity of heart that she was the subject of the admiration of all the monks who praised God for the perseverance of that hermit who lives such a rigorous life.

During the edifying beginnings of brother Smaragde, mourning and desolation took place in her wealthy abode. When Paphnutius had returned, he customarily run to his daughter's room. It was deserted; but there was nothing which betrayed the heroic resolution of the escaped girl. Every object had kept its usual place; perfect order reigned in all the house; the servants who were questioned, had nothing seen nor heard; besides, had they not the last evening done their service to their young mistress?

A thousand conjectures then invaded the mind of the poor father. Had she been kidnapped? but is that possible from the part of the bethrothed who is such a virtuous and well-educated young man? They called him, and his arrival made a scene of indescribable grief and despair.

Has she been murdered? but where and why? No door nor window was broken. Moreover, the police had been searching all places in the city, had made an inquiry in the places of bad fame, had explored the obscure surrounding lands, and had visited even the bottom of the ships that were anchored in the harbour, or which were leaving.

Has she run away to the monastery? They had questionned the communities of women in the town and in the surrounding places, and the results of this enquiry, as of all other inquiries, were completely negative. Besides, the worldly exterior of Euphrosyne's life, fighted this unlikely idea; was she not bethrothed and at the eve of such a well assorted union? Briefly speaking, the disappeared girl seemed to have been dead as a victim of an accident.

In his terrible sorrow, nothing remained to Paphnutius but the very brittle hope to appeal to the prayers of his saint friend the abbot, in order to learn through revelation, what was the hidden mystery of his daughter's disappearance.

When they heard these news, the assembled monks kept praying for a whole week, the monastery fasted to this purpose. Contrary to the custom, Heaven was mute to the fervent supplications of those saints. It must be said that the prayers of Euphrosyne counterbalanced near to God, all the devout entreaties of His servants: she asked nothing but a single grace, which was rigorously not to be recognized.

Nevertheless, the abbot generously gave his most efficient solaces to the unlucky father saying:

"Let not this appalling test take you away from the love of God; He tests only those souls whom He loves; the humble small bird does not die without His permission. I am, as regards myself, convinced that nothing could have happened to your daughter without His holy will. Since He has willed to inform us of nothing about her destiny, be confident that no misadventure had happened to her; if it were not so, He would not have left the prayers of all our people without response. As for me, I have the intimate conviction that you will see her in this life."

While the abbot was speaking, Paphnutius felt an inexpressible quietness pervading him; he came to thanking God for the hard test to which He submitted him, and swore to give himself more than ever to the deeds of charity and devoutness.

The visits of Paphnutius to the friendly monastery became more and more frequent; it was there only that he found some mellowing of his extensive agony. While he was in the presence of the abbot and his religious persons, an ineffable solace invaded his soul. One day, this latter had a sudden insipiration. He said to him:

"Lord, we have here a true saint, who lives here as a hermit, and who had come to us from the palace of the emperor; perhaps you will find much relief in visiting him? Would you like me to introduce you to him?" The poor Paphnuce did not refuse; he thankfully accepted the offer. Agapit was charged to lead him to brother Smaragde and to introduce to him the distinguished benefactor of the monastery. When Euphrosyne saw her father, she could not hide her emotion, tears filled her eyes; she burst into tears.

Her affected visitors attributed that embarrassment to his compunction and were greatly edified. In fact, Paphnutius had no suspicion; the face of his daughter was so emaciated through the long fasts, the night watches, and the other exercises of repentance, that he did not recognize her; besides Euphrosyne had by simulating decency, covered her face with her cap in order to hide her sight partly . After having made some prayers together, according to the custom, they sat down all the three of them.

Then brother Smaragde began the conversation. He spoke with much sweeping eloquence about the eternal glory and about the means to attain it. He praised humility and chastity, and glorified the powerful virtue of alms and charity. Then he spoke of the little attention which should be done about the world, and about the wrong part of those who loved their children more than God. He had the Holy Bible in his hands, and he demonstrated that God sends trials in order to train our patience, and that this last virtue alone soothes the painful soul. He said to him, while taking care not to reveal his secret:

"Believe me, your great affliction will pass away; God will end it. If the safety or the life of your daughter was in any danger, He would already have manifested it to you. As for me, lord, I have full confidence in God, and I can assure you that you will see again your daughter in this world. Do not leave yourself to excessive grief; why would you haste your death? Thank God who protects your child, and regain hope."

To end this poignant visit, Smaragde deeply saluted his noble visitor and went again to pray in the corner of his cell. This latter who was deeply touched in his heart, had a word of profound thankfulness and rendered the venerable hermit who had given him such a sweet hope in the heart to his perpetual silence.

It had been already sometime since Euphrosyne's health inspired serious fears; she sometimes vomitted blood; her features were altogether distorted; her face was pale as death; she was dying from a cancer in the stomach, probably because of the bad treatment which she enforced on it. By this time, Paphnutius came back to the monastery with his usual grief and asked as a special favour, to see again the saint brother Smaragde who had done so much good to him. Agapit lead him again to the poor cell. The dying person was resting on his mat, having lost much of his blood. The visitor was moved with compassion, and knelt down and started kissing him while weeping and saying to him:

"Brother, where are your beautiful promises? when will be the realisation of your comforting words? You assured me that my eyes will see my beloved daughter, and not only this joy was not given me, but here you who are my last and supreme consolation, are going to leave me. Alas! Who now will maintain my hope? Where shall I go? Where shall I find relief? Thirty-eight years have now passed since I have lost my beloved child! I had never had any news about her, and I weep and I pray day and night! where is a similar pain to mine? how unfortunate I am, brother!"

Smaragde replied with a voice which was more weakened by his vivid emotion:

"Why this trouble and this desperation? Has the arm of the Highest lost his power? Remember how God lead Jacob to his son Joseph that he believed to be dead? Listen to me, please. You will stay here near me these three days."

Paphnutius accepted this offer with an eagerness full of gratefulness, thinking that the devout brother had received some revelation from Heaven. He did not leave him, and prayed with him while he admired his resignation to the will of God, his patience in supporting his horrible sufferings and his sereneness in front of death which was quickly coming closer to him. On the third day, at evening, Paphnuce who found himself alone with the dying person, knelt down near him saying:

"Brother, according to your order, I did not leave you during these three days; have you some comforting words to leave for me before returning to God?"

"Yes, lord. The Allmighty has had compassion of your misery and is going to fulfill your desire. As regards me, I have been able to reach the end of my wishes in spite of many impediments, not through my own strength, but through His triumphant help; nothing remains but to get the eternal crown of the elect. You must not worry so much about your daughter Euphrosyne: I am this unhappy person, and you are my father Paphnutius. Now you can say that you have seen her before her death and go back satisfied. However, beloved father, let nobody except you, know my secret; be the only one to bury my corpse. In my remembrance, do some alms to this monastery which have me so happy and pray for me all the days of your life."

The sobs choked her last words. The father and the daughter, who were united again, were in the arms of one another, and during the holy expression of their joy, the poor brother Smaragde rendered his last, at evening, on January 394.

Paphnutius remained prostrated for a long time before this motionless body whose soul had quitted while he was in his hands, against his heart. Agapit came back to the cell at his customary time, and before this unintelligible sorrow, he thought it good to question the generous host of the monastery who, in his emotion, could not retain his secret. The mystery was manifested and all the brothers were admiring how God had accomplished such marvels of life in a sex that is so week and so delicate. They rendered to Euphrosyne-Smaragde the funeral honours which were due to her sanctity and to her old situation in the world.

Before burying her, the abbot who was incited by a heavenly inspiration, brought near the coffin, one of his religious men who was blind from long ago. The latter bent down on the corpse and kissed her on the front; at the same moment he completely recovered his sight.

Paphnutius, with a comforted heart, went back to Alexandria, sold all his property to the benefit of the poor and the monasteries, and came to spend the remaining time of his life inside the cell which his daughter had consecrated. He lived there during ten years and he was buried beside her........and many churches celebrate on the same day the birth in heaven of both father and daughter.

Authors to be consulted:

Many manuscripts which were published by the "BOLLANDISTS"

"Vie de 122 saints" by Simon Metaphraste.

SAINT TIMOTHEUS

AGHNOSTOS

&

SAINT MAURE

HIS WIFE

MARTYRS IN THEBAID

TRANSLATED FROM

LES SAINTS D’EGYPTE

LECTURES

EDIFIANTES, INSTRUCTIVES, AGREABLES

PAR LE

RR.P. PAUL CHENEAU, D’ORLEANS

DOCTEUR EN DROIT CANONIQUE

JERUSALEM

COUVENT DES RR. PP. FRANCISCAINS

CUSTODIE DE TERRE-SAINTE

1923

TRANSLATED

By Meleka Habib Youssef

CAIRO

The two distinguished martyrs whose admirable passion you are about to read, are also victims of the famous Arianus, the prefect of Antinoe. The latter was very active, and had given strict orders which were not to be delayed.

The cities and the villages which were under his authority, must be thoroughly searched; and every individual who was suspected to be a Christian, had to offer sacrifice immediately; otherwise the agents of the Authority, who were invested with full powers, would seize him without mercy, and take him without delay to the chief town of the province.

The people of the village of Perape were lucky. (This is probably Rairamoun that is slightly over Antinoe.) They took hold of a very young man named Timotheus, who had the function of Aghnostos in the Church. He was just married some days before.

As soon as he was brought to the court, the inquiry began.

--“Who are you? What is your occupation”?

--“I am a Christian; and I practice the duties of an aghnostos.”

--“Your name”?

--“Timotheus”.

--“Are you then the only one in your village ignoring the decrees of our noble emperors, who have ordered to put to a horrible death anyone who would not sacrifice to the indestructible gods”?

--“Perhaps! Anyway I have in me the Spirit of God, and certainly I will not sacrifice.”

--“Look well at the torturing instruments which are exhibited there under your eyes”.

--“Do you not see the angels whom God has sent to support me?”

--“Give me your sacred books so that I may know their strength.”

--“Can a father himself deliver his own children to a bloodthirsty enemy?”

--“Beautiful words! All this does not make any progress. Then, you refuse to give me your books and you do not want to sacrify?”

--“No, a thousand times no; because I am a Christian.”

As Arianus was not that day in a mood to discuss, he immediately moved forward to tortures, which are much more eloquent than himself, for taming the rebel convictions. The executioners took sharp daggers, make them red-hot, and thrust them into the ears of the victim. Under the action of the heat, the face became extremely swelled, the cornea of the dried eye cracked and let loose the crystalline lense.

The executioners exclaimed saying:

--“Poor blockhead! Your obstinacy not to sacrifice has made you loose your sight; here you are well advanced now!”

--“You said that rightly; I have lost my eyes, which were used to watch so many repelling scenes, but the Lord Jesus has more than ever, lightened the eyes of my soul.”

The torture by the wheel was the answer to this beautiful word.

The prefect exclaimed:

“Sacrify, sacrify; then I shall put an end to this torture.”

--“It is useless to insist so much; I am not suffering; the Lord Jesus is protecting me.”

--“Executioners, take him off the wheel. You will bind his hands behind his back, and attach him to a pole by the feet, so that he will be suspended very high, with his head downwards; then you will put a gag in his mouth and fasten a stone around his neck.”

The horror and the cruelty of the torture made those who were present exclaim, but their cry was promptly choked; would not the violence of the torture, snatch an expression of regret, a word of apostasy? Facing the distressful silence of the crowd, Timotheus lifted up his bleeding eyelids as if permitting to his faint eyes to look up at the heavens, and he said with a loud voice:

“In front of all of you, I proclaim the God of heavens and earth, who will certainly deliver me from this appalling torture.”

Those who were surrounding the prefect, suggested in the name of humanity, a nearly unerring way to defeat the obstinacy of this young man; that way was very friendly:

“This is a boy who has just been married; let us bring to him his bride; he will not be able to resist her supplication, her tears, and especially her charm.”

The prefect favourably welcomed this idea and sent to summon Maura the wife of the Christian. Being anxious about what had become to her husband, she came in a hurry. The prefect said:

“I am greatly touched with commiseration at your bad luck, my child; because I fear that a great mishap will occur to you; the obstinacy of Timotheus will cost him his death; to become a widow at the age of fifteen, is not that an appalling matter!? You must absolutely do everything to save his life. Go back home then; put on your most beautiful dress, submerge your hair in the most savory perfume; then go to your husband in all the brightness of your beauty, and conquer his obstinacy; in a word, make him sacrifice to the gods.”

The young woman who hoped to release her husband, without any hesitation obeyed to the suggestions of the prefect; and after a while she came back like a queen, and started to play the role of the alluring Eve. They took off the gag that made it impossible for Timotheus to speak. Maura came very near to him. The tortured man said:

---“Where is my father, the priest Bassilius?”

The priest said:

---“My dear son, what thing do you desire that would be agreable to you?”

---“My father, only one thing; for goodness sake, wrap my head with a linen cloth, so that I may not anymore breath the infected odor of these perfumes.”

Then Maura started to talk:

---“Timotheus, my brother, my beloved husband, why do you insult me in this way? In what thing could I hurt your feelings? Has not yet even twenty days passed since you have married me; what is it that you blame me for? I am groaning for your fate; because finally what is the reason of your condemnation? Is it for some debts that you suffer this horrible torture; if this is the case, I shall sell all my jewelry in order to liberate you.”

Timotheus let her express this great affliction without interrupting her. After having relieved her heart, Maura, who was broken by emotion, fell down, soaked in her tears. Timotheus said:

“Maura, my dear sister, my tenderly beloved spouse, just now I have seen you going out of our home, and a demon beside you who was leading you astray towards the things of this perishable world; I have now given up all the trifles that entertain the spirit.”

---“But, my brother, you have not given up the matters that pertain to God. Who then will read our sacred Books on Saturdays and Sundays?”

---“My sister, let us say goodbye to the fleeting things of this life; come to fight with me the beautiful battle of the martyrdom which will make us obtain the immortal crown. If we sustain it courageously, God will, without any doubt, forgive us all our sins.”

---“What a joy it is to accompany you, oh my beloved husband! It was my dream to suffer thus with you; but I used to find myself so unworthy of it! Your heavenly words have brought the strength of God to my soul; while you were speaking, the Spirit of God came down on my soul; it is done, I also prefer the celestial goods to all the treasures of that world.”

---If verily this is what you think, my dear Maura, go to the prefect; who is anyway impatiently waiting, and curious to know the result of our conversation; and reprimand him boldly for his barbarism.”

---“I shall do that willingly; but I am quivering lest I lack courage in the midst of torture! I am so young, and so weak!”

---“Put all your trust in the Christ; completely abandon yourself to Him without any mental reservation; then, all the torture which human maliciousness would inflict on your members, will be to you like the oil which is poured upon a wound; your body will be in a certain manner, insensibilsed by the grace of our Lord Jesus.”

Then the saint martyr concentrated on a passionate prayer. He called aloud:

“Oh God! You who have made tolerable, the suffering of many of your servants; You who have made deliciously fresh, the flaming furnace, in which the three young men were cast down in Babylon, look favourably on your servant Maura. You who have blessed from on high in heaven the vows of our marriage, do not permit that we be separated during the eternity; on the contrary, condescend to unite us forever in the purple choir of your saint martyrs.”

He said this, and suddenly Maura stood up, entered into the court and showed herself to Arianus, as if she were animated, and said to him:

“Perfidious man, were you not ashamed to tempt me with the lure of riches; you have made gold and silver to be offered to me as a price of an apostasy; thus willing to lead the souls of my husband and me, to eternal death. No, I do not let myself be taken by this vulgar bait; I do not dread you in any way, because Jesus-Christ has clothed me with his unbeatable armour.”

Arianus addressed himself to those who were surrounding him, in a determined tone saying:

“Did not I verily tell you that Timotheus is a magician? Here is now his enchanted wife. She is all under the influence of the magic fascination. So, you Maura, you prefer death to life? Rightly compare the unknown suffering, the unheard-of torture, and the frightful agony, against the sweet things, the pleasures, the possessions, the vivid enjoyment of existence. If your husband wants to leave this world, in his abnormal excitement, and in his criminal obstinacy, why then suffer such a great grief for that? Is he not a fool? Console yourself, I shall give you the hand of one of my centurions, you will not be a looser in that change; because you will have a husband who is much more noble than Timotheus.”

The young righteously angry woman objected saying:

---“For that, no; Timotheus is preferable to all the centurions and better than them all. He is neither mad, nor obstinate, nor a magician, he is very simply protected by the Christ, as I am myself also; that is why, he is scornful of all your instruments of torture, and so am I.”

Facing this quiet firmness, fury seized Arianus. He made a sign, and the executioners showed up themselves:

“Unfasten the ribbons that hold up the hair of this woman, and pitilessly snatch her hair.”

The barbarous order having been executed, Maura stood in front of her judge, motionless; her head was bleeding. Arianus challenged her, while he showed her the tarnished with blood locks of her hair, lying on the ground, and said:

---“Here is what made the beauty of your head; note that this torture is nothing but the beginning; for, I swear by all the gods! I keep for you much more.”

---“By snatching this hair which I had ornamented and perfumed according to your command, in order to lead my husband to apostasy, you made me expiate an error which I had thoughtlessly committed; my hair will no more be able to harm anybody.”

This unexpected reply upset the prefect:

---“Cut all her fingers”.

She said:

---“Thanks! They are themselves which had worked to adorn myself in order to satisfy my vanity; without knowing, you are making me expiate another sin.”

The priest Basilius, who was disguised among the first row of the audience, let go these words:

“Maura, courageous and honest girl, how much you must be suffering!”

She turned her head towards his side saying:

“I do not absolutely feel any pain.”

Arianus was confounded. He then ordered that a huge boiler be warmed. When the water became boiling, they plunged the victim in it. She stood inside in the middle, without feeling any pain.

“Prefect, again I thank you. You have ordered me to have a good bath; I am finishing my complete purification here; in that way I shall arrive before God, without the shadow of a blemish. I only ask you to boil your water some more, because this bath is cold; and I do not feel any suffering in it, neither did I in the previous tortures.”

Facing this prodigy, Arianus suspected his troop of servants, to have an agreement with the victim. Although that was not appropriate, he thought that they had poured cold water inside the boiler that was warmed from the outside, in order to deliver her; she is rich, and they expect a large compensation. He left his chair to go and examine things from near. He said:

“Maura, throw a little water in my hand, so that I can judge myself its temperature.”

---“It is cold, I repeat to you. If you have no more wood to warm the boiler, fetch some at my father; he is a carpentar and can give you a cargo; but please activate your fire some more, I am catching cold in this bath.”

All this was said while joking, with a smile on her lips; the thing that did not a little stress the bad humour of the prefect.

“I have already asked you to put some of this water in my hand.”

She obeyed; she got her arm out of the hot boiler, and spread the little quantity of boiling water which she could take in the cavity of her hand, on the fingers of her judge. Arianus was severely burnt. He did not contest the miracle any more; he even had a first movement that was a lightning of faith and admiration. He cried out:

“Verily blessed, verily blessed be the God of Maura!”

Having said that, he ordered to release her.

One could have believed that the cult of the immortal gods was shaken inside the spirit of the prefect of Antinoe. Unhappily, the passions, the interest, and above all the ambition, protested against the scream of the vanquished sense, and strangled it. Later on, his beautiful movement was depicted to him, as being a disgraceful weekness, and they demanded an apology which he made largely.

Maura was fetched again at her dwelling place, and was brought back to the court. Arian, who was a rather annoyed to have changed his decision, said to her:

“I had given you back your liberty, but I hope that the future of your life, will not make me regret this favour. Naturally, leave aside your crucified Christ, and sacrifice to the immortal gods.”

---“If it is for this reason that you have called me back, you are loosing your time. You know my convictions;I will never sacrify to your gods; I scorn your torture; because my God is with me and protects me, anyhow you know something about that.”

---“If you decline to offer a sacrifice, I shall fill your mouth with flaming charcoals .”

---“Bravo! she said; I shall then expiate the sins of my tongue. If in former times God had purified his prophet Isaie from his errors by means of a single flaming charcoal which was presented to him by a cherubim, think of the joy which I feel to suffer this trial, and how much I desire that you place these charcoals, not only inside my mouth, but also over all the parts of my body; still better than this, I beseech you, cover me completely, so that I may be purified of all my trespasses.”

The prefect who was thus challenged, did not pursue his threat. He varied the torture, and ordered to bring a lamp that had been filled with sulfur and pitch, whose excessively heated long flame, would be activated by the gazes which came out of these smelted materials. This sophistication of torture angered those who were present. Shouts, objections, and even threats were heard; people were revolted to see a very young woman, tormented in such a manner. The curiosity of the first moment quickly changed into pity and sympathy; the shouts extended, and the demands became domineering after having been bashful, because every one was encouraged by the boldness of his neighbour.

Arianus had stood up, trying to master the agitation and to subdue the spirits. It was Maura who obtained their silence and made the noisy demonstrations cease with a single movement of her hand. The saint martyr feared lest the prefect yields to the threats of the crowd. As for her, it was the crown of martyrdom which she would lose; having been engaged so courageouly into the struggle, and being very near to finish her fight, she was seeing her victory escaping, and the triumph of paradise with it. Therefore she severely addressed those who were present saying:

“Let everybody here, mind his own business! Leave manly works to men; let women be occupied with the works of their sex! I do not need your sponsorship in any way. God, in whom I have placed all my trust, covers me with his protection; and that is enough for me. Illustrious prefect, I am at your orders.”

The executioner came near, having the lamp in his hand. With a satanic cleverness, he slowly projected its flame over all the parts of the body, while the saint kept continuing her discourse to the prefect as if nothing had happened.

“You are still thinking that this lamp will frighten me. Verily, think it over; was not the boiler more burning than it? This flame which is licking my flesh, seems to me like the refreshing morning dew, that makes the flowers and the fruits sprout.”

The prefect finally understood then, that in all kinds of torture, he will be conquered by this superior strength that made Maura’s body senseless; so, being confounded by his multiple failures, he decided to put an end to it quickly: Timotheus and his wife were condemned to the torture of the cross.

While they were leading them away to the place of their execution, Maura’s mother run to meet her daughter and cried while sobbing:

“Oh my child! Oh my daughter, it is thus that you abandon your mother? When you disappear, my child, what will remain for me in the world? Think of all the things which you will leave here, of your jewelry, your adornments.”

“Beloved mother, riches are passing away, mites attack clothes, beauty passes away and becomes faded with time and the life span; but the crown and the riches of the heavens never perish.”

Having said this, she embraced her mother, and gave her a last kiss, bidding here a supreme farewell, then vividly escaping from her hands, she joined her husband on the road to the calvary. They were both crucified facing each other, and were kept alive, by a new miracle, during nine days, consoling and encouraging one another.

By the end of the ninth day, a radiant angel came down from heaven to fetch their souls. Then Maura bade farewell to the touched assembly, who most of them were secret disciples of Christ, and had not ceased to assist them during their long agony. She said:

“Brothers, the moment has come for us to receive our reward. Always do the will of the Lord Jesus, and, like us, you will later on go to Paradise.”

After these last words, the two married Timotheus and Maura, being clothed with glory and immortality, went together to take their place, up there, in the eternal wedding of the Lamb.

AUTHORS TO BE CONSULTED:

Synaxarium ex. Menologio

Codex Palatinus of the Vatican Library, volume 27, folio 36.

Saint Martyr

Moritz (Maurice)

Commander

of the Theban Legion of the Roman Army

of Emperor Maximian Herculius

Translated

By

Meleka Habib Youssef

from

LES SAINTS D’EGYPTE

Lectures édifiantes, instructives, agréables

Par Le R.P. Père Paul Cheneau, d’Orléans

Docteur en Droit canonique

Jerusalem

Couvent des RR.PP. Franciscains

Custodie de Terre-Sainte

1923

Under the fair rule of the meek Constance-Chlore who was emperor for a year from 305 to 306, the Valais, which is today a Swiss canton in the upper valley of the river Rhone, was a dependancy of the Gauls.

The region of the Gauls was the most important region of the Roman Empire. France, Belgium, Switzerland, and a part of Germany, are today in the lands of the ancient Gauls.

That region had nearly remained sheltered from the persecutive measures which were then taken against the Christians; with the exception of some old decrees which could have been re-established through the tyranny of the chief of a certain village, or the excessive zeal of a subordinate.

Diocletian was born in the year 245 in Dalmatia, near Salona, of an obscure family. He had accessed to the throne in the year 284, and thought it advisable on the third year of his reign, to join to himself his old colleague in the army, Maximian Herculius.

Maximian Herculius was the son of a peasant from the ancient region of Europe called Sirmium, which today is Hungary. He had been so much distinguished in the army by his courage, that having attracted the attention of the emperor Diocletian, the latter associated him to the empire, giving him the West, with Milan as residence.

He made him Caesar and sent him to the Gauls in order to fight against Amandus who had proclaimed himself emperor together with his colleague Aelianus in theyear 285. These two were behind the insurrection of the rebellious peasants that were named the Bagaudes.

The prefects who were mandated by Diocletian, exceeded in their barbarism all that could be imagined. The executioners teared the bodies of the victims with pieces of broken glass until every trace of skin had disappeared. Women were exposed, completely nude, being suspended by one foot in the air, having their heads down, during a whole day. Two trees that were distant apart, were forcibly brought near one another, then the victim was tied by one foot to each tree, and then the trees were left to return to their natural position; and the body would be divided and the entrails spread on the ground.

Maximian spent some months in the north of Italy in order to gather his troops, and then he crossed the Alps and set up his camp in Valais. A troop of numerous Egyptian soldiers, horsemen and infantrymen reinforced his army. These were valiant, hardened, and untiring men who were all originated from Egypt from the Thebaid province of which they were the frontier guards. All of them were Christians, having fiery faith. They were firmly and in all loyalty, ready to serve the emperor, but they also were firmly decided not to sacrify any of their beliefs. While they were in the army, they knew how to render to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God.

So the troops were camping in the open country, in the valleys between the mountains. Some were in Octodure, an ancient capital city in Helevetia, which is today called Martigny; and the others at Agaune, which is today St. Maurice (St. Moritz) in Valais, Switzerland, four miles far from the lake Leman, (or lake of Geneve). But the way was narrow and tough; because the river Rhone that runs like a fool amidst the steep rocks, hardly respected the small edge of the path that was followed by the traveller. Once this pass is crossed, the country opens wide enough amidst the dominationg summits. There Agaune was established, and the soldiers set up their camp very near to the place.

Before the confrontation with the enemy, and according to a spread custom, Maximian ordered a general sacrifice in order to obtain for his troops the protection of the guardian gods, and also perhaps in order to get sure of the faithfulness of his men by making them take oaths. The Christian conscience could not oppose taking oaths, were it not for the accompanying idolatric prayers. Sacrificing to the idols is absolutely reprobable by the Christian conscience.

Having the choice between Caesar’s command and God’s law, the Thebans did not hesitate for a moment, and refused to take part in a ceremony that hurt their conscience. In fact, this was counted as committing a serious transgression of discipline; it was immediately reported to the emperor, who became terribly angry; and swore to make the Theban regiment respect his decrees. To this end, he resorted to a punishment which the military Roman code had always provided, although it was exceptionally practised, that was decimation. So the Theban soldiers appeared before all the troops that have come for the occasion from Octodure (Martigny) and from others places. After balloting on their names, the tenth soldier was first beaten with sticks, and then beheaded.

Far from being terrorised by this bloody show, those who survived dod not stop praying and exhort themselves to the great sacrifice. Their chiefs went from rank to rank in order to encourage those whom they considered as their children: Moritz (or Maurice) the chief commander, Exuper the instructor of the troops, and Candide the senator did not cease to excite them to confess their faith without fear, and to die, till the last one if that was needed, following the example of their comrades who had suffered martyrdom.

Being inspired by their leaders, they signed a letter, written by their commanders to the emperor; that was altogether a very clear, very firm and very courteous declaration of faith which admirably expressed the feelings of their souls. Here is nearly its content:

“Illustrious caesar, we sincerely declare that we are your soldiers, but we are at the same time the servants of God. We owe to you the service of the army; and to Him, the innocence of our hearts. We receive from you our daily salary, He will recompense us at the end of our lives. Illustrious emperor, we cannot obey any orders that are opposed to the cult which is solely due to God, our Creator, our master and your master too, whether you are willing or not. So long as your commands will not be contradictory to His law, we shall obey them in all faithfulness, as we have done till the present time. In the contrary case, we shall obey God rather than you. Do not be offended by that; because we have first been sworn to the King of heaven, before anything else. We are not rebelling; we have weapons and could have used them to sell our lives very expensively; we prefer to die while being innocent, rather than to live while being guilty. We are ready to endure whatever sufferings you order, we are Christians and we highly confess it.”

After this reading, Maximian turned pale with anger; he considered this calm and loyal letter as an insult; he felt all the instincts of the human beast surging from the depth of his soul, and instantly commanded a second decimation of the Theban troops. The soldiers who were named, without boasting, fearlessly went forward towards the executioners, got rid of their weapons, threw their casks and their breastplates down on the ground; and then offered their backs to the sticks and their heads to the sword.

When the troops were assembled, while they were still under the spell of unspeakable emotion, and had already been diminished, they were again asked to sacrifice victims in honour of the protective gods during war. Not a single man went forward; and because of their unanimous rejection, Maximian, whose cruelty regarding the troops was legendary, ordered to execute them till the last one.

It was then an immense slaughter, a foolish hecatomb, a real butchery; corpses littered the valley of Agaune (St. Moritz) that was bathed in their blood.

After having finished their sinistral task, the executioners shared the belongings of the victims. That was a gratification which Rome granted to the executioners in order to keep their zeal and loyalty always awake. It is according to this law that the executioners at the Calvary, shared the clothes of our Lord Christ, and casted lots on his tunic. During the massacre of Agaune, it is well beleivable that the emperor and the superior officers had shut their eyes and left to the executioners all the equipment and the personal belongings of their victims. One can think of the joy of these human brutes, who were partly intoxicated by killing, when they saw the unhoped for fortune that had come to them. Therefore, they assembled to concert and finish that memorable day with an unprecedented carousing.

It is then that a veteran named Victor, who was travelling in the country, passed nearby them. As they were excited through drinking and good food, they invited him to share their riot. The traveller simply turned away their invitation, either because he was in a hurry to arrive at the end of his voyage, or that the exalted condition of the soldiers left a bad impression on him. Briefly these people considered his refusal as an insult, laughed at his reasons, and took hold of him as they wanted to force him to revelry. Victor objected. As they could not understand his refusal to share their feast, and having nothing in mind but the Christians, they supposed that this individual was himself too one of the damned sect. They questionned him sharply. They had rightly guessed, Victor was a Christian; he admitted it, affirmed it, and highly confessed it amidst the whooping and the howling voices of the drunk soldiers. They hurled themselves upon him and killed him like a vulgar Theban. This veteran of the army of the empire shared the destiny of his comrades in the active service, and entered with them to the triumphant legions of paradise.

The greatest part of the corpses were thrown in the Rhone river and were taken away in its rapid course. The relics of saint Moritz were deposed by the Rhone on the shore at Vienna where they were honoured in great pomp.