|
THE TENTH
MONTH IN THE NAME
OF THE FATHER AND THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT, On this day became martyrs the holy virgins Dabamon, and Bastamon, and Sophia their mother. Now they wanted to appoint bishop a certain man, whose name was Warsenof, but he fled to the city of Gehmun, in the neighborhood of Bana, and he dwelt with those holy women. That night the angel of God appeared unto him and said, “Why sleepest thou? Thou must fight, and the crown is prepared. Rise up and go to the governor, and confess the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ before him, and received the crown of martyrdom.” When he awoke from his sleep he made known to the holy women what he had seen; and they all agreed that they would take the crown of martyrdom. And they rose up straightway and departed, and came to the governor, and confessed our Lord Jesus Christ before him, and he tortured them severely and cast them into prison. After this he took them with him from Balbal to the city of Senhue, and their mother followed them. And the governor said unto them, “Cast incense to the gods,” and when they refused he tortured them; and God sent His angel to them, and he gave them strength under the torture [and healed] their wounds. After this he took them to the city of Dha. And the priests of the idols told the governor that the mother of the women, and Dabamon, had cursed the gods. Now Dabamon was a beautiful woman, and her charities were many, and she prayed to God without ceasing. And there was a certain woman whose name was Yona, and she and Dabamon together used to weave beautiful apparel of every kind, [and sell them, and live on their price,] and what was left they gave away in alms. When the governor heard the story of Sophia he sent an executioner, whose name was ‘Eulogi, to her to cut off her head. And when he came to her, and saw the beauty of her face and of her appearance, which was like unto that of an angel, the grace of God made him to understand that he was not to kill her, but to take her to the governor; and she embraced the people of her house, and went forth from the city of Denfa. When she arrived at the city of Dha, she met Saint Warsenof and his companions, and they saluted each other. And the executioner ‘Eulogi confessed our Lord Jesus Christ, and became a martyr, and they cut off his head with the sword; and these holy women also confessed our Lord Jesus Christ, and became martyrs. And Saint Bastamon they hung upon the wheel, and tortured her severely, and she remained under torture for many days; but God gave her strength, and enabled her to endure, and healed her wounds. Then the governor cast her into prison, where she remained a few days, and he brought her out from prison and said unto her, “Cast incense to the gods.” When she refused to obey his command he ordered [the soldiers] to cut off her head, and they took her outside the city to do so; and all the women who were about her were weeping, but she was rejoicing and was glad. And thy cut off her head with the sword, and the heads of her mother and sister, and they received crowns of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens. Salutation to Sophia and to her daughters Dabamon and Bastamon. And on this day also are commemorated ‘Aklemos the martyr, and Abba Na’on, and Yawsek. And on this day also is commemorated the great joy which came into all the ends of the world, and the heavenly angels also rejoiced, for on this day went forth the Edict of the Emperor Constantine, the believer, and just man, to all the cities and countries of his empire, commanding the houses of idols to be closed, and the churches to be opened. And this Edict, which was full of joy, came to the city of Alexandria as it were this day, and they dispatched this Edict to all the countries of Egypt, and the believers rejoiced at the exaltation of the Christians and the glorious Law of the Life-giving Cross. And they closed the houses of idols, and they opened the churches, and they celebrated a festival as it were this day. And this took place in the eleventh year of the reign of Constantine, and in the first year of office of Abba Alexander, Archbishop of the city of Alexandria. Salutation to the day of the Edict of Constantine, which opened the churches, and closed the houses of idols.
Glory
be to God Who is glorified in His Saints.
Amen. |
||