SAINT EUPHEMIA

 

During the reign of Emperor Diocletian, in the year 304, the Chalcedon governor, Priscus, circulated an order that all come to a festival to worship and sacrifice to an idol of Ares, threatening torments for anyone who didn't come. Nonetheless, the Christians hid themselves and offered prayer to the true God, our Lord Jesus Christ. Learning of this, Priscus ordered they be found and tortured.

In one particular place, there were 49 Christians concealed. Because of their refusal to sacrifice, the 49 were brought before the Proconsul, who attempted to entice them and instil fear of torments in them. Nevertheless, the Saints – including the holy virgin Euphemia, the daughter of well-respected parents – stood strong in their faith.

For nineteen days, the Martyrs were tortured and tormented, but none wavered in their faith. Angered, the persecutor sent them for trial to the emperor. He kept the youngest, the virgin Euphemia, and tried to entice her with gifts and promises, attempting to lure her virginal heart. Failing in this, however, his vile love for the Martyr was transformed into hate, and he ordered she be tortured, fastened to a wheel with sharp knives. Her body was mangled, but Euphemia prayed fervently to God, and the wheel stopped, and the Proconsul’s henchmen collapsed. An Angel of God came down and wrecked the wheel and healed her. Nevertheless, those watching, unable to perceive the workings of the true God, declared her a sorceress. Then, the tormentor ordered the Saint be cast into a furnace. The Holy Martyr prayed fervently and signed herself with the Cross. At that moment, two of the soldiers, Victor and Sosthenes, who had been ordered to hurl the Martyr into the flames, saw an apparition in the fire: an Angel of God. Having seen this, they declared to the Proconsul that they would rather suffer his wrath than harm Euphemia and receive the wrath of the man in the fire.

Thus, the Proconsul imprisoned them and had others hurl the virgin into the furnace. As they did, great flames leaped forth, burning them to ashes. But the Saint, rejoicing in the furnace, chanted the hymn of the Three Youths.

When the furnace was extinguished, the Saint emerged, unharmed. He then had the soldiers, Victor and Sosthenes brought to him.

Declaring their faith in the true God, they were condemned to be consumed by wild beasts. Praying fervently to God, immediately, a voice from heaven summoned them and they joyfully surrendered their souls into the hands of God.

The next morning, Saint Euphemia was brought from prison, chanting joyously as she came. Before the tribunal, she was questioned and tortured in an attempt to make her sacrifice. Failing again, the persecutor ordered wounds upon her, which miraculously healed.

Then, a pit was dug and filled with water, and a multitude of venomous serpents were placed in it, the torturer commanding that Saint Euphemia be cast in. Praying and signing herself with the Cross, the vipers bore her on their backs so she would not sink. The persecutor, adamant that Euphemia was a sorceress, decided she had to be taken by surprise to be killed. As such, he ordered a pit be dug, in which sharp blades were driven into the ground with their pointed ends upward. After the top of the pit had been covered with branches and earth, he commanded the Martyr walk across the concealed pit. But the Saint crossed over the pit unharmed. The Saint praised God, and the Proconsul unsuccessfully attempted, yet again, to entice Euphemia, before resorting again to more tortures.

Finally, Saint Euphemia was handed over to be consumed by wild beasts. As the Saint was being led into the arena where she was to be fed to the beasts, she prayed to God that He put an end to her suffering. Bears and lions were then released upon her, but they merely licked her feet. One she-bear, however, slightly wounded her foot. Then, a voice came from above, summoning her to heaven, and immediately she surrendered her spirit to the Lord. As her soul departed, the earth trembled, the city was shaken, its walls tumbled down, and its temples fell to the ground. The people were terrified, and fled from the arena in fear as the Saint’s Holy body lay in the sand. Saint Euphemia’s parents came and took their holy daughter and reverently buried her near the city.