Saint Theophania, Empress

Life

Theophania was from renowned parents, Constantine and Anna, who were relatives of several emperors. Her parents were long childless and prayed to the Most Holy Theotokos that offspring might be given to them. And God gave them this daughter, Theophania. Imbued with the Christian spirit from childhood itself, Theophania surpassed all her companions in all Christian virtues. When she grew up, Theophania entered into marriage with Leo, son of Emperor Basil the Macedonian. With her husband she endured great miseries. According to some slander, as if Leo carried a knife in his boot to kill his father at an opportune moment, the credulous Basil imprisoned both son and daughter-in-law. And these two innocent souls were imprisoned for three years. Once, on the feast of the holy Prophet Elijah, the emperor had summoned all his magnates to the palace for a feast. At one moment the emperor's parrot suddenly spoke these words: Alas, alas, Lord Leo! And repeated these words several times. This brought all the imperial lords to great agitation, and all entreated the emperor to free his son and daughter-in-law. The softened emperor did so. After the death of his father, that Leo reigned, called the Wise. Theophania counted her imperial dignity as nothing, but all devoted to God she cared for the salvation of her soul, fasting and praying and distributing much alms, and restoring many monasteries and churches. From her lips there came forth no false word, nor superfluous word, and least of all slander. Before her death she summoned all her kinfolk and bade them farewell, and gave up her soul to God in the year 892. Emperor Leo wished to build a church in her name at her grave, but as the patriarch objected to this, he built the church Of All Saints, saying that if Theophania was glorified as a saint, let her be glorified together with the rest of the saints. Then was established the feast of All Saints on the Sunday after Holy Trinity.