24 July 2024 (MIA)

Macedonian Orthodox Church Calendar

St. Euphemia

St. Euphemia was born in Chalcedon in the latter part of the third century AD. Her father was the senator Philophronus, and her mother’s name was Theodorisia, both were devout Christians. Euphemia was both Physically and Spiritually beautiful. When the Proconsul, Priscus, celebrated a festival of sacrifice to Ares in Chalcedon, fourty-nine Christians absented themselves form the festivities and hid themselves. But they were discovered and brought before Priscus, holy Euphemia being among them. When the furious Priscus asked them why they had not carried out the imperial command, they replied, “Both the Emperor’s commands and yours must be obeyed if they are not contrary to the God of heaven. If they are, they must not only not be obeyed, they must be resisted.” Then Priscus put them to various tortures for nineteen days. On the twelfth day, he held Euphemia apart from the others and began to flatter her beauty, hoping to bring her thus to idolatry. When all of his flattery proved fruitless, he ordered that she be tortured. First she was put on a wheel, but an angel of God appeared and broke it. Then he had her thrown into a fiery furnace, but she was preserved by God’s power. Seeing this, two soldiers, Victor and Sosthenes, came to faith in Christ, for which they were thrown to the wild beasts, and thus finished their earthly course with glory. After that, Euphemia was thrown into a pit filled with water, and all manner of poisonous reptiles. She made the sign of the Cross over the water as she went into the pit, and remained unharmed. She was finally thrown to the wild beasts, and with a prayer of thanksgiving, gave her soul into God’s hands. Her parents buried her body.

Catholic Calendar

Blessed Joseph Fernandez

Born in Spain, 1774; died in Tonkin (Vietnam), 1838; beatified in 1900 by Pope Leo XIII.