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After
Jerusalem, the town which played the most important role in the spreading
of the Gospel and in strengthening the Church of Christ was Antioch. It
was one of the most beautiful towns of the Greek, Roman and Byzantine
eras. It was well populated, wealthy with beautifully constructed
buildings and adorned with a volume of artistic treasures and monuments,
and was a centre of learning. It was one of the most well known cities of
the Mediterranean basin and third in importance after Rome and Alexandria.
Antioch was built in 293BC on the eastern side of the Orontes River near
the modern city of Antakya, Turkey by Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander
the Great’s generals. After Alexander's death in 323 BC, his generals
divided up the territory he had conquered. Seleucus I Nicator won the
territory of Syria, and he proceeded to found four “sister cities” in
north-western Syria, one of which was Antioch, named after his father
Antiochus. The majority of its citizens were Greek settlers from Ionia,
Crete and Athens, but there were also Syrians and many Jews and settlers
from other places. Because of its strong Greek influence, it was also
known as the Syrian Athens and because of its position in the Eastern
Mediterranean it became a important centre for trade and commerce and for
education and culture. But wherever wealth is concentrated there is always
a lot of corruption. So like the ancient cities of Greece, Antioch with
its strong cosmopolitan character, suffered a great moral and ethical
decline. This Sunday’s Apostolic reading refers to the founding of the
Antiochian Church. From then on it became, after Jerusalem, the first
centre of the Apostolic campaign to spread the Gospel.
The
Church of Antioch will grow very rapidly and will play an important role
in the life and action of the Catholic Church. It was the hometown of the
Evangelist Luke who wrote the Acts of the Apostles as it was also the
hometown of St. John Chrysostom and St. John of Damascus and many more
great Church Fathers. In the third century it founded the famous
theological school which contributed in the development and growth of
Christian thought, of interpretation of Scripture and the fight against
the heresies. Such was the importance of the Antiochian Church that it was
recognized as one of the five ancient Patriarchates, and of the four that
remain today, Antioch holds the third position of honour. So with that as
an introduction to Antioch, let’s hear the reading for this Sunday which
is from the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 11, verses 19-30.
“In those days, the Apostles which were
scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled
as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but
unto the Jews only. And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which,
when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the
LORD Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number
believed, and turned unto the Lord. Then tidings of these things came unto
the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth
Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch. Who, when he came, and had
seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose
of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. For he was a good man, and full
of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord.
Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul: And when he had found
him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year
they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the
disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. And in these days came
prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch. And there stood up one of them named
Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth
throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius
Caesar. Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined
to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea: Which also they
did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.”
19) “In those days, the Apostles which were scattered abroad upon the
persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and
Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.”
Luke,
who as already mentioned, is the author of the Acts of the Apostle and a
son of Antioch, wants to give us the history of the founding of the Church
of Antioch. He attempts to chronologically link together the beginnings of
the Christian preaching in the Syrian Capital with what had just recently
taken place in the Church of Jerusalem. In other words the martyrdom and
death of Stephen, the persecution of the Church that immediately followed,
the preaching and conversion of Samaria, the journeys of St. Peter to
Lydda and Joppa, which we heard of in last weeks reading, and his journey
into Caesarea, which resulted in the conversion of the first gentiles to
the Christian faith. The persecution that followed Stephens’s death
resulted in the scattering of the Apostles and many Christians of
Jerusalem to many other places. Through God’s providence, such a painful
event for the first Disciples of Christ was to have a wonderful
continuance: the spreading of the Gospel and the increase of the Church.
The
places where the persecuted Apostles took refuge on abandoning Jerusalem
were Phenice, Cyprus and Antioch. Phenice or rather the land that remained
of the Ancient Phoenician civilization consisted of a large strip of land
along the Mediterranean coast stretching from the north-west of Palestine
to Lebanon. The main Phoenician towns were Tyre and Sidon, Beirut, Byblos
and Tripolis. During the time of Christ and the Apostles, it was part of
the Roman province of Syria and inhabited with many Jews. By using the
geography of the region it is not difficult for us to work out the journey
of the Gospel preachers. From Jerusalem they went to Samaria and from
there to Caesarea where by boat the visited the Phoenician towns of
Ptolemais, Tyre and Sidon. From here some set sail for Cyprus and others
via Seleucia went to Antioch. The Persecuted disciples, in spite of the
trials they underwent and their departure from Jerusalem, continued their
work of preaching the Gospel, but still only to the Jews of those regions.
In chapter 10 of the Acts up to the verses just before today’s reading,
Luke tells us of Peter’s visit to Cornelius and how God revealed to him
that the Gentiles must also be accepted as members of Christ’s Church, but
now with Luke’s testimony we are told that only the Jews of the places
mentioned received the word. We can then only assume that the departure of
the disciples from Palestine happened before Peter visited Cornelius and
so before God made it clear to him that the Gospel was to be preached
freely also to the Gentiles.
20) “And some of them were men of Cyprus
and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the
Grecians, preaching the LORD Jesus.”
Among
the persecuted Christians who reached Antioch were some who were
originally from Cyprus and Cyrene. Cyrene was the Capital of an ancient
Greek colony of the African country known today as Libya. From the names
mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, we know that Barnabas (Acts 4:36)
and Mnason (Acts 21:16) came from Cyprus, Lucius from Cyrene (Acts 13:1)
and Nicholas, (Acts 6:5) one of the Seven Deacons came from Antioch.
On
reaching Antioch, the Cypriot and Cyrenian men began to preach the Lord
Jesus to the Greek speaking Jews. When speaking of the ministry of
preaching, Luke mentions in other places that they preached the Gospel or
they preached the word, but here he says that they preached the Lord
Jesus. In other words, the content of their preaching was the Person of
Jesus, the cross and his Resurrection. The Christian preaching is not some
abstract idea or an ethical concept of what is right and wrong, but the
person of Christ and the sacred historical events which brought about the
salvation of the world and which rendered man once again a partaker of
eternal life and an heir of the kingdom.
21) “And the hand of the Lord was with
them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.”
In
the work of preaching the Gospel, the Cypriot and Cyrenian men had with
them the power and blessing of the Lord. The expression “hand of the Lord”
was a Jewish expression and here it wants to show the strength which the
Lord gave to these ministers of the Gospel. This power and strength of the
Lord was made manifest with miracles so that their listeners would believe
their word. Now these men were not of the Apostolic circle, and from what
we can assume they were just ordinary, but fervent and passionate
Christians. Even so the grace of God guided their missionary work and
richly blessed their efforts. Through their preaching of the divine word,
strengthened by the hand of the Lord, many of the Antiochians believed and
returned to the Lord.
22) “Then tidings of these things came
unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth
Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch.”
The
news of the success the preaching of the Gospel had in Antioch reaches the
members of the Church of Jerusalem. In fact the first Christian community
watched very carefully the conversion of the gentiles (Acts 11:1) and as
on other occasions once again expresses her interest in maintaining a
relationship with the other Churches. On these other occasions the ties
were established personally by the Apostles, (Acts 8:14, 9:32) but here,
for reasons not mentioned by Luke, the first Church only sends a
representative who is not even an Apostle. St. John Chrysostom asks: “Why,
when such a great city as Antioch was receiving the word, did not the
Apostles come, but instead sent Barnabas”? And he answer: “Because of the
Jews”. It seems the Apostles thought that the time had not yet come for
them to expand the area of their mission beyond the borders of Judea. Yet
at the same time they thought it appropriate and their obligation to be
concerned for all Christians, even those who came from the ranks of the
gentiles. Barnabas was deemed as the most suitable to be sent to Antioch.
Without a doubt, by choosing Barnabas, they took into account his
spiritual gifts and capability, but also his nationality. He was Cypriot,
a Greek speaking Jew, thus he was the most suitable to understand and
watch the missionary efforts in Antioch which his fellow countrymen began.
23) “Who, when he came, and had seen the
grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart
they would cleave unto the Lord.”
Barnabas
reaches Antioch and immediately he is verified of the wonderful results
from the efforts of the Cypriot and Cyrenian men. By the expression he
“had seen the grace of God” Luke means the great number of the Antiochians
who believed and the zeal that discerned them. If the grace of God is not
working within a man, then he can neither believe nor live the new life in
Christ. But when the energy of God’s grace is there then others can
perceive it just as a tree is recognizable by its fruit. So taking part in
the Christian gatherings in Antioch, by talking with them, by observing
their personal and family life, Barnabas could see the progress made and
was glad and encouraged and urged the new disciples to remain faithful to
the Lord with their whole heart and soul. Encouragement as a way of
teaching is a method which finds particular response from people: it
respects the divine gift of man’s freedom and at the same time commends
them to continue with their praiseworthy efforts which serves in
strengthening the Church. Barnabas had the special gift of knowing how to
encourage; in fact his name was a Jewish name meaning the Son of
Consolation or the Son of Encouragement. (Acts 4:36)
24) “For he was a good man, and full of
the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord.”
The
present verse consists of a short but concise laudation for Barnabas. Over
and above his natural qualities and capabilities that he had, he stood out
for the goodness of his character. His goodness is verified by his action
to sell his land and give the money to be distributed to the poor (Acts
4:37)
Barnabas
was not only a good man, but also full of the Holy Spirit and faith: a
combination of true and sincere piety and genuine kind-heartedness.
Goodness and love are only genuine and steadfast when they are the fruit
of the presence of the Holy Spirit in our heart. As also any other natural
virtues a man might have, they are not enough and are ineffectual on the
road for holiness and salvation, if at the same time the person does not
partake of the life-giving grace of the Holy Spirit. Barnabas’ virtues,
the graces of the Holy Spirit of which he was full and his fervent faith
are all those things which contributed to his successful mission in
Antioch. How successful and fruit bearing his stay in Antioch was is made
clear in the second half of the verse “and much people was added to the
Lord”. His personality, his authority and his presence in the renowned
city increased dramatically the numbers of the members of the Antiochian
Church.
25) “Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus,
for to seek Saul:”
The
growth of the Church in Antioch brought with it an increase of missionary
workload for Barnabas. Foreseeing that he would not be able to competently
carry out the work of the Gospel on his own, he remembers Paul who he had
personally met in Jerusalem and was convinced of his sincere return to
Christ and also of his great capabilities.
From
what Paul himself tells us, (Gal. 1:21) after his visit to Jerusalem he
went to Syria and Cilicia. How long he stayed there and when exactly he
accepted Barnabas’ invitation to go to Antioch is difficult to pinpoint
but the view of various interpreters puts the year around 43AD.
Barnabas
needs to seek for Paul who had withdrawn and lived in isolation and as he
himself says he: “was unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which
were in Christ” (Gal. 1:22). Barnabas eventually finds him and invites him
to go with him to Antioch which Paul accepts.
26) “And when he had found him, he
brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they
assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the
disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.”
Once
before, Barnabas found Paul and took him to Jerusalem before the Apostles.
Now this second time he finds him and takes him to Antioch. These two
occasions comprise important moments in the historical journey not only of
the Church but of all humanity. Barnabas is indeed revealed as a man
guided by the Holy Spirit, endowed with the gift of discernment, capable
of foreseeing what Paul’s invitation to Antioch would mean for the
spreading of Christianity. A man of genuine virtue, he is not afraid of
the possibility of being overshadowed and taking second place. Above every
personal ambition he places the progress of the Gospel and the
establishment of the Church. And it is for this reason that not only does
he accept to work together with Paul. but it was he who pursued to seek
out Paul.
The
stay and collaboration of these two men in Antioch lasted for one complete
year. They took part in the assemblies of the faithful of the Church, in
other words the gatherings for the common worship and prayer and taught
the Gospel of salvation without resting. The rich results of Barnabas’ and
Paul’s joint missionary efforts are not only implied by the words that
they “taught much people” but is also testified by the fact that the
disciples of the new faith now included a great many of the Gentiles and
had to be discerned from the Jews and so for the first time received a
separate name and were called Christians.
It
stands to reason that the name was given to the disciples of Christ from
the Greeks, in other words the gentile inhabitants of Antioch and not from
the Jews who called the followers of Christ Nazarenes. Just as today so
also then, it was usual for followers of a certain man to be called with a
name that derives from their leaders Name. Thus it was natural for the
faithful of Antioch to be called Christians and thereby declaring their
faith, love and devotion to Christ. The way in which Luke mentions the
name does not allow us to think that it was originally used
condescendingly, but it is not impossible. Whatever the intentions of the
people who first thought up the name, the members of the Church of Christ
accepted it and since then until today bear the name with pride and joy.
With the name of Christian, the faithful manifest their faith and love
towards their saviour Jesus Christ and their will to live according to the
Gospel and their hope in his promises.
27) “And
in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch.”
The
life of the first church is marked with various extraordinary and
wonderful events which were the fruits of the presence of the Holy Spirit
with the aim of strengthening the faith and the expansion of the Church.
One of these events is now mentioned here by Luke during the time of
Barnabas’ and Paul’s stay in Antioch. It is the arrival from Jerusalem of
certain Christian prophets to the church of Antioch. From what we can
assume from the text, they came to Antioch through their own initiative.
As we are told in other places in the Acts of the Apostles, there were
prophets in Jerusalem as there was later in Antioch, in Ephesus and in
Caesarea who were Christians that prophesized by being inspired by the
Holy Spirit. This can only be the fulfilment of the prophecy by Joel
mentioned in chapter 2 of the Acts: “And on my servants and on my
handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall
prophesy.” (Acts 2:18) Just like the Prophets of the Old Testament so too
the Christian prophets announced the future, that is, mainly events that
concerned the life of the Church. At the same time they also exercised
other roles e.g. encouraging and giving support to the disciples.(Acts
15:32)
As
Priests, we are often asked if there are prophets in the Church today and
if there are, then is this not in contradiction to what Jesus said: “For
all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.” (Matthew 11:13) In
other words John the Baptist was the last of the prophets so how can there
now be mention of Christian prophets in the New Testament? The presence of
prophets in the New Testament does not contradict what Christ said,
because what he meant was that John the Baptist was the last of the
prophets who foretold of his coming into the world.
28) “And there stood up one of them
named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great
dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of
Claudius Caesar.”
Among
the prophets who came to Antioch was a certain man named Agabus. As a
prophet, Agabus is mentioned one more time in the Acts of the Apostles.
(21: 10-11) During one of the assemblies of the Antioch Christians, Agabus
stands up and signifies which here means “with some sort of sign” and
announces by the Holy Spirit that there was to be a great famine in all
the world. The term world or universe in the New Testament often has
different meanings. Here it should be understood as meaning Judaea and the
bordering countries or the Roman Empire which was the civilized world of
that time. Agabus’ prophecy came to pass during the reign of Claudius
Caesar. Claudius was the fourth Roman emperor and ruled from 41-54AD. His
full name was Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus. During his
reign there were four famines in various places of the empire. The famine
mentioned by Agabus was the second and happened in the fourth year of
Claudius’ reign and extended mostly in Syria and Judaea.
The
fifth century historian Orosius mentions this famine in Syria which
occurred in 46 and 47 A.D. A translation of Orosius was later made by King
Alfred of England during the middle ages and was quoted in what is known
as “The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle”. The Chronicle lists British history from 1
A.D. to 1154 A.D. and contains the following remarks:
“A.D. 46:
In this year, Claudius, the second Roman emperor to invade Britain, put
much of the island under his control and added the Orkneys to Rome’s
kingdom. This took place in the fourth year of his rule. In this same
year, a great famine in Syria took place which Luke mentions in his book,
“The Acts of the Apostles.” Due to his incompetence, the Emperor Claudius
Nero almost lost control of the British isle.”
29) “Then the disciples, every man
according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren
which dwelt in Judaea:”
The
famine which mainly struck Judaea gave cause to the Antiochians to express
their brotherly support to the Christians of Judaea. They decided that
each person should contribute according to his ability and send whatever
was collected thus with this help they would bring some relief to their
Judean brothers. This testimony by Luke tells us that the Christian
community of Antioch did not introduce the common ownership of goods which
was adopted by the Church in Jerusalem “where no one said that the things
he possessed was his own but had everything in common.” (Acts 4: 32) In
Antioch everyone held on to whatever possessions he had and according to
his ability contributed to the common efforts of the Church. In our talk
two weeks ago we saw the importance the Church gave to the ministry of
preaching but also to the ministry of serving. The ministry of serving is
the care and relief of the needy. In the words of St. Paul it means the
contributions that were made for the poor. (Rom. 15: 25-28) The concern
and care of the Antiochians was not directed only to their brothers in
Jerusalem but also to all those scattered throughout Judaea. It is
reasonable to say that the first and foremost duty of every local Church
is to take care of her own members in need. Even so, the spirit of
Christ’s love requires that this care is extended beyond her borders when
the need arises for we are all members of the one body of Christ and we
are obliged to become partakers of the joys and hardships of our other
brethren. St. John Chrysostom say: “Look at how the famine became for them
a cause for salvation, a cause for them to show charity, an occasion for
many good things. They had only just come to believe and immediately they
bore fruit: and not only for their own people, but also for those who were
distant.
30) “Which also they did, and sent it to
the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.”
The
decision of the Antiochian Christians becomes an act of reality. The
product of love is loaded to be transported to Jerusalem by Barnabas and
Paul. This event, in other words the choice of the two most important
persons to carry out the mission for the famine relief, verifies the
understanding the Antiochians had for the value of the load and the
seriousness of the mission in aid of their poor brethren.
This
journey to Jerusalem will be Paul’s second after his conversion, but
neither Luke nor Paul in his letters make mention of the actual visit.
Paul possibly keeps silent because he didn’t meet up with Peter but only
with the Elders and also possibly because the purpose of the journey was
to deliver with Barnabas the famine relief sent by the Church of Antioch.
But
why was the mission made to the elders and not to the Apostles? Two
explanations can be given, the first that none of the Apostles were in
Jerusalem because of the persecution of the church mentioned in the
following chapter which seems rather unlikely, or second because the
Apostles were no longer involved with the serving of tables which was now
the responsibility of the elders.
But
who were these elders? In the Greek they are called Πρεσβύτεροι which
properly translated does indeed mean elders, but it is also the official
title of Priests which in English has also retained the Greek form of
Presbyter. The Presbyters which are mentioned here for the first time had
ecclesiastical - liturgical duties. Now because the Acts of the Apostles
is silent concerning the introduction of this new ecclesiastical order,
the opinion was formulated that it came about in imitation of the council
of elders who were at the head of the Jewish synagogue and were mentioned
in order after the high priests and so in a similar way the Christian
Presbyters were mentioned after the Apostles.
After
this first mention of the Presbyters, we come across them many times. We
see them together with the Apostles, playing an important role in the
first Apostolic Synod held in Jerusalem. We see them again in Jerusalem
together with James who was the first bishop of Jerusalem, we see also
many that were ordained by Paul and Barnabas in the Churches of Lystra,
Iconium, Antioch, Pisidia and Ephesus (Acts 14: 23) which means that there
were also Presbyters in the other newly formed churches.
This
Sunday’s Gospel reading is the account of the Samaritan woman who went to
Jacob’s well to draw water and there met Jesus who told her that instead
of the water from the well he would give her living water so that she
would never thirst again. The reading is very long and we don’t have time
to analyse it properly so I think it would be better to leave the analyses
for another time and instead, after hearing the Gospel so that it is fresh
in our minds for Sunday, I will tell you what became of the Samaritan
woman after her conversion to the Christian faith.
The reading is from the Gospel according to St. John, chapter 4, verses
5-42.
“At that time, Jesus cometh to a city of
Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob
gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being
wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth
hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her,
Give me to drink. (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy
meat.) Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou,
being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews
have no dealings with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said unto her, If
thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to
drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee
living water. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw
with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank
thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said
unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But
whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst;
but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water
springing up into everlasting life. The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me
this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. Jesus saith
unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. The woman answered and
said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have
no husband: For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is
not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly. The woman saith unto him, Sir,
I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this
mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to
worship. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye
shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of
the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall
worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to
worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him
in spirit and in truth. The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias
cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all
things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. And upon this
came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no
man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her? The woman then
left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,
Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the
Christ? Then they went out of the city, and came unto him. In the mean
while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. But he said unto
them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. Therefore said the disciples
one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat? Jesus saith unto
them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his
work. Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest?
behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for
they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages,
and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he
that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, One
soweth, and another reapeth. I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed
no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours. And
many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the
woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. So when the
Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with
them: and he abode there two days. And many more believed because of his
own word; And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy
saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the
Christ, the Saviour of the world.”
So
what became of the Samaritan woman after her encounter with Christ? Well
she did indeed drink of the living water. At some time after she was
baptized into the Christian faith and received the name Photini which
means bright and refers to her being enlightened. In Russian the name
Photini is Svetlana, so if you know any Svetlanas give them a ring on
Sunday and wish them a happy name day. During the time of the emperor Nero
(54-68), Photini lived in Carthage, Africa where she dedicated her life to
spreading the Gospel. She had two sons of whom the youngest named Joses
lived with her and the oldest named Victor fought bravely in the Roman
army against barbarians, and was appointed military commander in the city
of Attalia (Asia Minor). Later, Nero called him to Italy to arrest and
punish Christians.
An
official in Italy named Sebastian said to Victor “I know that you, your
mother and your brother, are followers of Christ. As a friend I advise you
to submit to the will of the emperor. If you inform on any Christians, you
will receive their wealth. I shall write to your mother and brother,
asking them not to preach Christ in public. Let them practice their faith
in secret.” Victor replied, “I too want to be a preacher of Christianity
like my mother and brother.” Sebastian wanting to put fear into Victor
told him that if he doesn’t renounce Christ then we all know what
suffering awaits you, your mother and brother.” At this, Sebastian
suddenly felt a sharp pain in his eyes and became blind and also lost the
sense of speech.
For
three days he lay there blind, without uttering a word. On the fourth day
he declared, “The God of the Christians is the only true God.” Victor
asked him why suddenly he had changed his mind, and Sebastian replied,
“Because Christ is calling me.” Soon he was baptized, and immediately
regained his sight. Sebastian’s servants, after witnessing the miracle,
were also baptized.
Reports
of this reached Nero, and he commanded that the Christians be brought to
him at Rome. Then the Lord Himself appeared to the confessors and said,
“Fear not, for I am with you. Nero, and all who serve him, will be
vanquished.” The Lord said to Victor, “From this day forward, your name
will be Photinus, because through you, many will be enlightened and will
believe in Me.” The Lord then told the Christians to strengthen and
encourage Sebastian to persevere until the end.
All
these things, and even future events, were revealed to Photini. She left
Carthage in the company of several Christians including her five sisters
and joined the confessors in Rome. At Rome the emperor ordered the saints
to be brought before him and he asked them whether they truly believed in
Christ. All the confessors refused to renounce the Saviour. Then the
emperor gave orders to smash the martyrs' finger joints. During the
torments, the confessors felt no pain, and their hands remained unharmed.
Nero
ordered that Sebastian, Photinus and Joses be blinded and locked up in
prison, and Photini and her five sisters Anatola, Phota, Photis, Paraskeva
and Kyriake were sent to the imperial court under the supervision of
Nero’s daughter Domnina. St Photini converted both Domnina and all her
servants to Christ. She also converted a sorcerer, who had brought her
poisoned food to kill her.
Three
years passed, and Nero sent to the prison for one of his servants, who had
been locked up. The messengers reported to him that Sebastian, Photinus
and Joses, who had been blinded, had completely recovered, and that people
were visiting them to hear their preaching, and indeed the whole prison
had been transformed into a bright and fragrant place where God was
glorified.
Nero
then gave orders to crucify the saints, and to beat their naked bodies
with straps. On the fourth day the emperor sent servants to see whether
the martyrs were still alive. But, approaching the place of the tortures,
the servants fell blind. An angel of the Lord freed the martyrs from their
crosses and healed them. The saints took pity on the blinded servants, and
restored their sight by their prayers to the Lord. Those who were healed
came to believe in Christ and were soon baptized.
In
a rage Nero gave orders to flay the skin from St Photini and to throw the
martyr down a well. Sebastian, Photinus and Joses had their legs cut off,
and they were thrown to dogs. The sisters of St Photini also suffered
terrible torments. Nero gave orders to cut off their breasts and then to
flay their skin. An expert in cruelty, the emperor prepared the fiercest
execution for Photis: they tied her by the feet to the tops of two
bent-over trees. When the ropes were cut the trees sprang upright and tore
the martyr apart. The emperor ordered the others beheaded. St Photini was
removed from the well and locked up in prison for twenty days.
After
this Nero had her brought to him and asked if she would now relent and
offer sacrifice to the idols. St Photini spit in the face of the emperor,
and laughing at him, said, “O most impious of the blind, you degenerate
and stupid man! Do you think me so deluded that I would consent to
renounce my Lord Christ and instead offer sacrifice to idols as blind as
you?” Hearing such words, Nero gave orders to again throw the martyr down
the well, where she surrendered her soul to God (ca. 66).
St
Photini is also commemorated on February 26 together with her sons and
sisters and others who received martyrdom with them.
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