Holy Virgin Martyr Seraphima

Life

A maiden from Antioch. She lived in the home of a certain Savina, a woman of senatorial rank, whom she brought to the faith of Christ. Having heard of her, a certain Viril, a persecutor of Christians, ordered that she be brought before him. Since Seraphima remained steadfast in her faith, the persecutor ordered that she be cast into prison and sent certain youths to spend the night with her and defile her. Seraphima was praying to God in the prison when the youths arrived before the prison doors. There an angel of God suddenly blazed before them with a sword in his hand, and they fell as though dead, utterly senseless and paralyzed. The next day the persecutor entreated Seraphima, and by her prayer she restored the youths to consciousness. Ascribing all this to sorcery, Viril ordered that this holy virgin first be burned with candles and then beaten with rods. But as they were beating her, a piece of a rod broke off, flew up, and struck Viril in the eyes, from which he was blinded. Finally they cut off the head of this handmaid of Christ with a sword, and she surrendered her spirit to God. The pious Savina honorably buried her body, from which healing began to flow to many. St. Seraphima suffered in the time of Emperor Hadrian (117-138).