Is it easy to make a choice at fifteen between a handsome young rich man, honors, a comfortable life and terrible torment that can only end in death? What can motivate a young soul to choose the latter? No matter how terrible such a choice was, it was not uncommon at the time of the birth of the Church.
Holy Martyr Agathia (Agatha)
The history of the Christian church goes back a little more than twenty centuries. For a thousand years, the Church was united. There was no division between Orthodox and Catholics. The division was territorial: Eastern and Western Church.
Agatha
holy for Orthodox and Catholics
At the same time, the unity of faith was preserved. All the saints that were revealed in those times are common to both churches. One of these saints is Saint Agatha, or Agathia.
The name of the holy martyr Agatha in the Eastern Church is pronounced Agathia. This is due to the peculiarities of its pronunciation in Latin and Greek.
In the Latin tradition, it is customary to depict Saint Agatha with a dish on which her severed breasts lie.
Italy - birthplace of Saint Agatha
The Holy Martyr Agathia was born on the territory of modern Italy. According to some information, in the city of Catania in Sicily, and according to others, in the city of Palermo at the dawn of Christianity, at the beginning of the third century.
These were terrible and glorious times for the Church of Christ. One emperor after another became more sophisticated in their methods of executing Christian martyrs, and many adults and children showed incredible feats of faith.
Catania is located at the foot of Mount Etna
Christ became the girl’s main wealth
Agatha was born into a very rich family, but despite this, the girl learned to value not only wealth, consisting of jewelry and lands. She was able to appreciate the treasure that she received when she believed in Christ.
Christ became this treasure for her. Being fifteen years old, the girl decided never to marry and to live in purity and holiness, spending all her time in prayer and good deeds.
At that time, this was a fairly common feat among Christian girls, who sometimes gathered and lived together, forming something like modern monasteries, but more often, they stayed in the houses of their parents.
Agafya the Martyr: the untouched holy body
Usually hagiographic and patristic literature is very modest in the matter of naming parts of the human body. They are called either something generally: “all his members shook,” or the conversation is led into the safe area of “hands, feet, head.” Intimate and shameful things are covered.
And only when there is absolutely no strength to remain silent, either from horror, or from delight, or for edification, things - in the sense, parts of the body - are called by their proper names. As, for example, in the life of the holy martyr Agafya.
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Saint Agathia lived on the island of Sicily in the 3rd century. She was the daughter of noble and wealthy parents, was raised in the Christian faith and wanted to dedicate her virginity to Christ without getting married. Her desire was especially strengthened when she heard that hegemon Quintian announced, according to the plan of the ruler of Sicily Decius, new persecution of Christians: they were ordered to be subjected to severe beatings and executions.
Agafya was filled with a passionate dream of suffering for Christ - and literally right there Quintian, having heard about her beauty, nobility, and at the same time her Christian religion, sends his soldiers after her. His calculation is simple: either the beautiful Agafya will become his wife and bring with her a rich dowry, or she will fall under the new decree and suffer as a Christian.
The messengers demand that the girl go with them to Quintian from Palermo to Catana. Agafya asks them for a few minutes to get ready and, shutting herself up, turns to Christ with a prayer: “Lord! You know my heart and the disposition of my soul, love and faith in You! Be my leader and helper against the enemy. Do not allow an all-nasty and all-evil person, a servant of demons, to desecrate my body, in which I have lived purely and honestly until now. Accept my tears as a sacrifice and an offering, for You alone are God and glory is due to You forever.”
Having finished the prayer, Agafya went out to the waiting warriors of Quintian and set off on the road. Numerous neighbors and friends of their family went with her, because they were all interested in what was happening: some went out of idle curiosity, while others sincerely sympathized with the girl and worried about her.
On the way, Agafya conducts a mental conversation with herself, and its content is extremely interesting. Unlike many holy virgins who, having once decided to dedicate their virginity to the Heavenly Bridegroom, no longer seemed to experience any struggles about this, Saint Agafya says this: “At first I had a fight with the devil, trying to keep my virginity pure and defeat my carnal passions, which I conquered with the help of the grace of my Christ, and trampled on the enemy. Now I am going to the second battle, in which I must lay down my soul for Christ. But, devil, you will not rejoice through me, but rather will be put to shame yourself: for I trust in Christ my God.”
I walked part of the way in such thoughts, and then Agafya’s sandal strap came untied. She stops to correct it, puts her foot on the stone and at the same time looks around. What does she see? Both curious and sympathetic neighbors abandoned this campaign long ago and returned to their city; she was left alone with the accompanying warriors in the middle of the desert.
- Almighty Lord! - Agafya calls, - for the sake of my citizens, who did not believe me that I want to suffer for Your holy name, show some miracle in this place!
Immediately, from the stone on which the saint placed her foot, a wild and barren olive tree grew (as the author of the life adds, “representing the wild minds of the citizens of Palermo”).
Soon the warriors with Agafya arrive in Katana. The girl is sent to the house of a local rich woman and socialite named Aphrodisia. This woman had five daughters, whom Quintian ordered to convince their guest to reject Christian values, succumb to the sweetness of carnal sin (preferably, with him, with Quintian) and make a sacrifice to the pagan gods.
Both the daughters and the mother tried with all their might, now with caresses, now with threats, now with intimate conversations, trying to win Agafya to their side, but she was unshakable: “Let it be known to you that my mind and thoughts are set in stone and cannot be turned away from love.” Christ, your flattering words are like the wind, the provision of worldly joys is nothing more than rain, and your threats are rivers that, although they will flow to my temple, will not be able to move it, for it stands on a solid foundation.”
At the same time, Agafya was terribly worried that she would not be able to fulfill the main goal of her visit: to accept martyrdom for Christ.
Desperate to fulfill the will of Quintian, Aphrodisia goes to him with a report: “It is more likely to crush a stone and turn iron into tin than to convince and turn this girl away from Christ.” Now the ruler is no longer waiting, and Agafya is brought to him. Remembering that the girl standing in front of him is noble and rich, Quintian is surprised by her appearance, and the following discussion takes place between the heroes:
-What kind are you?
“I am of noble birth and have noble and wealthy relatives.
- If you are of a noble family, then why do you wear poor clothes, like some kind of slave?
“I am Christ’s servant, and therefore I wear the image of a slave.”
- How do you call yourself a slave, being a free daughter of noble parents?
“Our nobility and freedom lie in working for Christ!”
- Are we really not free, who do not work for your Christ and deny Him?
“You are in such captivity and slavery that you have become not only slaves to sin, but also worshipers of vile and insensitive idols, considering wood and stone to be God.
- If you utter such blasphemy, you will be given over to many torments. But explain why you deny our gods?
- Because they are not gods, but demons, you yourself make them from copper and marble.
- Listen to good advice, girl. Make sacrifices to our gods so that you do not have to suffer torment and bring dishonor to your noble birth.
At this point, Saint Agathia suddenly wishes for Quintian that his wife would be like Aphrodite, and he himself like Zeus (Aphrodite is the goddess of love, orgies were held in her honor, Zeus is a rather lustful supreme deity). The ruler orders the girl to be hit in the face so that she does not dare insult him.
- Where is your mind, military leader? - asks Agafya. “I wish you to be like your God, but you do not want to be like him and are ashamed of him.”
Kintian gives the order to send the girl to various torments, to which Agafya replies that if she is given to be eaten by beasts, they will be tamed; if thrown into fire, the angels will cool it down. The girl is taken to a damp and stinking dungeon. The next day she is taken back to court and Quintian asks if she would like to think about her health.
- My health is Christ.
The ruler ordered Agafya to be hung naked from a tree and beaten, and then ordered her nipples to be torn with iron pincers, and then cut off completely.
- Godless and inhuman torturer! - exclaims the saint. “Aren’t you ashamed to cut off a woman’s nipples, which you yourself fed on from your mother!” But I have other nipples in my soul that you cannot touch, for they are dedicated to God.
The saint, with open wounds on her chest, is thrown into prison. At midnight, the holy Apostle Peter comes to her, in whose hands are many medical supplies, so Agafya decides that it is the doctor who has come. In response to the words of the apostle that he had come to heal her, she replied that she had never used any healing for her body, so there was no point in starting now.
“After all, I am a Christian and came to heal you, so do not be ashamed of me,” the apostle answers.
“You are a man, and I am a girl, how can I expose my body to you without shame?” I would rather endure the pain of my wounds than wish to be naked before the eyes of a man. I thank you, honest father, but know that healing at the hands of men will never touch my body.
- Why don’t you want me to cure you?
“I have my Lord Jesus Christ, who heals everything with one word.” If He wishes, He will heal me.
The apostle replied that it was the Lord who sent him to heal Agathya, after which he became invisible, and the saint, “looking at her body, saw her breasts intact and her wounds healed, all night an extraordinary light filled her prison, so that all the soldiers fled, leaving the doors are open." Other prisoners suggested that Agafya take advantage of this, but she explained that she did not want to lose the crown of martyrdom and bring guilt to the guards.
A few days later, Agafya is again taken to Quintian, who asks how much longer his prisoner will persist. The saint replies that she offers sacrifices and praises only to the One who healed her. Quintian orders the girl to be naked and sees that her breasts are completely healthy.
Amazed, he asks who cured her, to which he receives an answer that infuriates him: the Lord Jesus Christ. Quintianus orders to pour hot coals on the ground, throw the naked saint on them, beat her and torture her.
The warriors began to carry out the order, but then a terrible earthquake occurred, and the earth swallowed up those who came up with this torment, two friends of Quintian. Local residents demanded that the ruler stop tormenting Agafya, since earthquakes were happening because of her, and Quintian was forced to submit to the will of the people.
The saint was again taken to prison, where, after praying, she calmly and peacefully departed to the Lord. The people took her body to bury her with honors. A beautiful young man and with him a hundred youths suddenly joined the solemn procession. No one in the city knew who they were or where they came from, and just before burial the young man put a tablet in the saint’s coffin with the following text: “Immaculate mind, voluntary sacrifice to God and the fatherland of deliverance.” Immediately after this he became invisible, so that everyone understood that it was an angel.
A church was immediately built over the saint's grave, and her clothes were placed on top of the coffin. Exactly a year after Agafya’s death, Mount Etna erupted. All the inhabitants of the city - both Christians and pagans - rushed to the saint’s grave, took her clothes and, holding them as protection, lined up a wall in front of the lava. The fire immediately turned in the opposite direction, and then went out completely.
The relics of Saint Agathia were transferred to Constantinople in 1040, but in 1126 they returned back to Catana.
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One of the main dangers that the devil prepares for a person who studies the lives of saints is an attempt at a modern approach involving psychology and other ologies. There is no need to analyze these stories from such positions - it is better to simply perceive them as a fairy tale. After all, even very adult and serious people believe in fairy tales. And there it’s already a stone’s throw to the correct perception of life.
Agatha refused to marry the persecutor of Christians
In 249, Trajan Decius became emperor in Rome. The persecution of Christians broke out with renewed vigor. In 251, young Agatha was captured and brought to the prefect Quintian for trial. The girl was not only smart and rich, she was very beautiful. The prefect decided to marry her, but was refused.
Then he gave Agatha to a dissolute woman so that she could corrupt the girl and persuade her to this marriage. For a whole month they tried to convince Agatha with persuasion and temptation, but her faith was strong, and her decision to serve Christ in virginity was unshakable. When Quintian found out that the girl had not changed her mind, he again tried to convince her himself.
Decius, Gaius the Messiah Quintus Trajan is one of the most cruel persecutors of Christians. Wanted to marry Saint Agatha
Agatha courageously answered the judge:
“Every servant of Christ is truly freer than any creature.”
In the Roman Empire, everything related to legal proceedings was scrupulously recorded. That is why information about the sufferings of the holy martyrs and even their dialogues with their tormentors and judges has reached us. The same thing happened with Agatha.
History has preserved the conversation between the prefect and the young saint. “If you are one of the nobles, then why are you acting like a slave?” “Because I am a servant of Christ,” answered Agatha, “and every servant of Christ is truly freer than any creation, for by His grace he gains power over himself.”
The saint refused to bow to the pagan gods
The girl was forced to worship the gods and for this they promised to spare her life, but she resolutely rejected the idols. She said: “Our only salvation is in Christ, the Son of the Living God.”
During her torment, the saint did not cease praising God in prayer:
“The torment You have sent down is a great joy for me, because grain is not put into storage without being scattered. It’s the same with my soul: it cannot achieve the glory of eternal bliss unless it is taken away from the body through torment.”
She was beaten and tortured, and then her nipples were cut off and thrown into prison.
After the torture, Saint Agatha (Agathia) was imprisoned
Folk signs
There are many signs associated with February 18:
- If this day is frosty, then spring will be warm and early, and summer will not be very rainy.
- There is no snow on Agafya - expect a dry summer.
- If there is frost on this day, it means that summer will be sultry.
- If it’s warm at the Cow Intercessor, winter is already over, you don’t have to expect severe cold.
On February 18, the Orthodox Church honors Agafia the Intercessor. In addition, this day is associated with unusual rituals designed to drive away the “Cow Death” and folk signs.
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The miraculous healing of the martyr did not enlighten the tormentor
At night, the Apostle Peter and her Guardian Angel appeared to Agatha. They healed the girl's wounds. When they came for her a few days later, only Quintian was not surprised, because anger clouded his mind.
He again ordered the saint to be tortured for refusing to sacrifice to idols. The troparion dedicated to the holy martyr conveys to us her words addressed to Christ:
“I love You, my Bridegroom, and, seeking You, I suffer, and I am crucified, and I am buried in Your Baptism, and I suffer for Your sake, as if I reign in You, and I die for You, and I live with You, but as an immaculate sacrifice , accept me, who have offered myself to You with love.”
The Apostle Peter and the Guardian Angel healed Agatha's wounds at night. (Giovanni Lafranco. 1613)
"Cow Death" and "Cow Intercessor"
It is not surprising that the day of the “Cow Intercessor” is celebrated precisely at the end of winter. In summer and autumn, cows do not particularly need protection - warm days, plentiful fresh food. But at the end of February, hay supplies were running low, and sometimes there wasn’t even enough straw. The cows stood in their stalls, exhausted and emaciated.
Often in February, entire herds of farm animals died out from exhaustion and pandemics. But our ancestors explained such a tragedy by supernatural reasons. It was believed that cows did not die from infections, but because “Cow Death” came to the village.
But who is it? Some evil creature in the form of an evil old woman. It is believed that it walks through the villages exactly on the Day of Agafya the Intercessor.
The townspeople, frightened by the earthquake, forced the saint to stop tormenting
During the torture, a terrible earthquake occurred. Residents of Catania, where this trial took place, gathered and demanded that the prefect stop the torment. They threatened him with death and promised to burn him along with the remains of the palace, which was destroyed by the earthquake.
The torture stopped and Agatha was again taken to prison. The girl prayed to Christ and surrendered her spirit to Him.
The Cathedral of St. Agatha was built over the place of the martyr's imprisonment.
The Guardian Angel appeared to the townspeople at the burial of the holy martyr
Residents of the city buried the martyr with honor. During the burial, a sparkling youth appeared, accompanied by many children in white robes. This young man placed a marble slab on the tomb of the martyr, on which the words were carved:
“Holy devoted soul. Honor to God. Defender of the Motherland."
Life tells us that this was a holy Guardian Angel.
Prefect Quintian went to the estate of the martyr to take it into his possession. The road ran along the river. The horse threw him into the water and the prefect died.
Through the prayers of the saint, miracles and healings occur
In subsequent years, every time the Etna volcano began to erupt, the townspeople rushed to the saint’s tomb and blocked the path of the lava with its blanket and the eruption stopped.
The eruption of Mount Etna was stopped many times by the prayers of the saint.
The feast day of Saint Agatha, or Agathia, falls on February 5th according to the old style, or on February 18th according to the new style. The memory is revered by all Christians of both Churches, both in Orthodoxy and Catholicism.
There is one unwritten rule in church life - most often we pray to the saints for help in problems and sorrows that they themselves have endured. For example, Saint Antipas, whose tormentors had all his teeth pulled out, is often prayed to for toothache.
Likewise, women suffering from diseases of the mammary glands often pray to Saint Agatha. But the most important thing that a saint should pray for is to strengthen her faith and preserve the purity of her thoughts and life.
Rituals
People tried to outwit the February 18 “Cow Death”. To drive her away from the cattle, the housewives fervently prayed to Saint Agathia that day. Then they cleaned the barns with cows using bast shoes smeared with tar. They were fumigated with thistles, and uprooted aspen trees were displayed in the doors. These plants were then believed to be able to scare away unclean spirits.
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Particularly zealous women also performed a special plowing ritual on the night of February 18th. One of the local widows was harnessed to a plow with a collar. Next to her, wearing only shirts and barefoot, were the rest of the villagers. The marchers pounded frying pans and stove dampers as hard as they could, shouting curses of “Cow Death.”
On the night of Agafya, the village people did not sleep - they were afraid that demons would penetrate the house. To prevent this, all chimneys were covered with clay, and the cracks were clogged with thistles. It was believed that devils were scared to death of him.
As for men, on February 18 they were completely forbidden to leave home. People also made sure to tie up their dogs, even the most obedient ones, and tightly locked the barns with livestock. This was not done by chance.
The fact is that if anyone came across the women’s procession on the way, the unfortunate person was beaten to death with the same frying pans and dampers. Both animal and human. People believed that they had encountered the insidious “Cow Death”, changing its appearance.
Of course, over time, this cruel custom sank into oblivion. But at that time he was acquitted. The death of a cow then turned into hunger and poverty for a simple village family.
However, the folk signs associated with the day of the “Cow Intercessor” remain alive.
