SS. Cyril & Methodius
Bulgarian Orthodox Mission
St. Sophia and her
daughters,
Saints Faith, Hope
and Love
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Our services are held
at:
St. Luke Orthodox Church
6801 Georgetown Pike, McLean, VA 22101
We are a member
parish of the
Orthodox Church in America
Saint Sophia and her daughters, Saints Faith, Hope,
and Love
Commemorated by the Church on September 17
The Holy Martyrs Saint Sophia and her Daughters Faith, Hope
and Love were born in Italy. Their mother was a pious Christian widow who named
her daughters for the three Christian virtues. Faith was twelve, Hope was ten,
and Love was nine. St Sophia raised them in the love of the Lord Jesus Christ.
St Sophia and her daughters did not hide their faith in Christ, but openly
confessed it before everyone.
An official named
Antiochus denounced them to the emperor Hadrian (117-138), who ordered that
they be brought to Rome. Realizing that they would be taken before the emperor,
the holy virgins prayed fervently to the Lord Jesus Christ, asking that He give
them the strength not to fear torture and death. When the holy virgins and
their mother came before the emperor, everyone present was amazed at their
composure. They looked as though they had been brought to some happy festival,
rather than to torture. Summoning each of the sisters in turn, Hadrian urged
them to offer sacrifice to the goddess Artemis. The young girls remained
unyielding.
Then the emperor ordered
them to be tortured. They burned the holy virgins over an iron grating, then
threw them into a red-hot oven, and finally into a cauldron with boiling tar,
but the Lord preserved them.
The youngest child, Love,
was tied to a wheel and they beat her with rods until her body was covered all
over with bloody welts. After undergoing unspeakable torments, the holy virgins glorified their
Heavenly Bridegroom and remained steadfast in the Faith.
They subjected St Sophia
to another grievous torture: the mother was forced to watch the suffering of
her daughters. She displayed adamant courage, and urged her daughters to endure
their torments for the sake of the Heavenly Bridegroom. All three maidens were
beheaded, and joyfully bent their necks beneath the sword.
In order to intensify St
Sophia's inner suffering, the emperor permitted her to take the bodies of her daughters.
She placed their remains in coffins and loaded them on a wagon. She drove
beyond the city limits and reverently buried them on a high hill. St Sophia sat
there by the graves of her daughters for three days, and finally she gave up
her soul to the Lord. Even though she did not suffer for Christ in the flesh,
she was not deprived of a martyr's crown. Instead, she suffered in her heart.
Believers buried her body there beside her daughters.
The relics of the holy
martyrs have rested at El'zasa, in the church of Esho since the year 777.
(Courtesy
of OCA.org)
Saints
Commemorated Today
15th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (1st of
Luke)—Tone 6. Ven. Chariton the Confessor, Abbot of Palestine (ca. 350). Synaxis of the Saints of the Kiev Caves (Near Caves).
Ven. Kharit—n of SyanzhŽmsk (Vologd‡—1509). Ven. Herodion, Abbot, of
IloezŽrsk (1541). Prophet Baruch (6th c. B.C.). Martyrs Alexander,
Alphius, Zosimas, Mark, Nicon, Neon, Heliodorus, and 24 others in Pisidia and
Phrygia (4th c.). Martyrdom of St. Wenceslaus (Viacheslav), Prince
of the Czechs (935). Schema-monk Kirill and Schema-nun Maria (parents of Ven.
Sergius of R‡donezh).
May
Their Memory Be Eternal
Elena, Archbishop GREGORY, Olivera, Helen, Christo, Radka, Anna,
Dale, Mary, Priest Peter, Philemon, Carmel, Thomas, Vasili, Mary Ellen, George,
Christophor, Rada, & Julia.
(If you wish to add a name to
this list, please contact Fr. Timothy)
Those Who Are In Need of
Prayer
Elisabeth, Mathew, Venko, Tanya, Petya, Vera, Magdalena, Catherine,
Bojanka, Albana, Presbyteras Marie, Miriam, Barbara, Artemis, & Priests
Photius, Joseph, Anthony, Milorad, Milorad, and Joseph; Alexandra, Yekaterina,
Sasha, John, Carmeta, Charlie, Robert Michael, and Patricia.
(If you wish to add a name to
this list, please contact Fr. Timothy)
Schedule
of Services
(All
Services begin at 2:00)
Sunday, October 12 Fathers of the 7th Ecumenical Council
Sunday, October, 26 Holy Greatmartyr Dimitar ( 306)
Sunday, November 9 Archangel Michael and all the Heavenly
Host
Sunday, November 23 Entry of the Theotokos into the
Temple
October Parish Council Meeting
The next Monthly Parish Council
Meeting will be held on Thursday evening, October 9 at St. Luke Orthodox Church
in MacLean, VA. The meeting will
begin at 7:00 PM and will end promptly at 9:00 PM. Parishioners are welcome and encouraged to attend the
meeting but are respectfully reminded that only Parish Council members may
vote.
The Most
Rev. DIMITRI The Most Rev.
SERAPHIM
Locum tenens of the Metropolitan See
Administrator of the OCA
Sts.
Cyril & Methodius Bulgarian Orthodox Mission
Bulletins prepared by Fr. Timothy.
For more information
please contact:
(V.Rev. Timothy Perry)
703.385.2049 or (Mr. Mat Mathews) 703.759.5528
