Holy Martyr Eulalia

Life

In the time of the dreadful persecutions of Christians in Spain, there lived a certain maiden Eulalia, born of Christian parents in a place called Barcinon. Wholly devoted to Christ as her Bridegroom, wholly immersed in Holy Scripture, she trained herself steadfastly in voluntary labors of body and spirit. When the persecutor Dacian was mercilessly slaying Christians throughout Spain and came to Barcinon, Eulalia slipped away from her parents by night, went before the persecutor, and in the presence of many people denounced him for the killing of innocent people, reviling the dead idols and publicly confessing her faith in Christ the living Lord. The enraged Dacian ordered that she be stripped and beaten with rods. But the holy maiden declared that she felt no pain in her torments for her Christ. Then the persecutor had her bound crosswise to a wooden frame and ordered that her body be burned with candles. The persecutor asked her where her Christ was now to save her. And Eulalia answered: "He is here with me, but you cannot see Him because of your impurity." In great torments Eulalia surrendered her spirit to God. And when she breathed her last, people saw a white dove fly out of her mouth. At that moment snow fell unexpectedly and covered the naked body of the martyr as with a white garment. On the third day Saint Felix came and mournfully wept before the hanging body of Eulalia. And on the dead face of the saint a smile appeared. Her parents came and together with the other Christians honorably buried the body of the holy maiden. She suffered for her Lord and passed into eternal joy at the beginning of the fourth century.