The Holy Martyrs Saint Sophia and her Daughters were born in Italy. They came from a rich and devout family raised in the love of the Lord Jesus Christ. Their mother Sophia was a pious Christian widow who named her daughters for the three Christian virtues; faith, hope and love. Faith was twelve, Hope was ten, and Love was nine. St Sophia and her daughters did not hide their faith in Christ, but openly confessed it before everyone.
An official named Antiochus hearing of their admirable manner of life denounced them to the Emperor Hadrian (117-138). The Emperor hearing they were in Rome sent soldiers to bring them before him.
Realizing that they would be taken before the emperor, the holy virgins prayed fervently to the Lord Jesus Christ, asking that He give them the strength not to fear torture and death. When the holy virgins and their mother came before the emperor, everyone present was amazed at their composure.
Considering their tender years, the Emperor was amazed at how steadfast in the faith Sophia’s daughters were. Thinking it was only by supporting one another that they were able to hold their own against him, he put them to the question separately.
They looked as though they had been brought to some happy festival, rather than to torture. Summoning each of the sisters in turn, Hadrian urged them to offer sacrifice to the goddess Artemis. The young girls remained unyielding.
Pistis (Faith), who was twelve years old, was brought in first. She boldly dismissed the tyrant’s flatteries and deprecated his shameless deeds and vain plots against the Christians. The infuriated Emperor had her stripped, mercilessly beaten and her breasts torn off, whence milk not blood flowed forth. The other tortures she endured were to no avail, for she was protected by the power of God. When, at last, they came to strike off her head, Sophia encouraged her to accept with joy the death that would unite her to Christ.
Elpis (Hope), who was ten years old, was brought in next. Confessing Christ as steadfastly as her sister, she was beaten and cast into a raging furnace, but its fire went out on touching her, in whom love of God burnt with a fiercer flame than material fire. After many other tortures, she too died by the sword, giving thanks to God.
Agape (Love), the third of the sisters was then summoned before the Emperor whom anger had maddened. She was only nine years old but of the same steadfast mind as her sisters. She was hung on a gallows and chained so tightly that her limbs were broken by the bonds. She was then thrown into a furnace, from which she was delivered by an angel, and finally, beheaded.
In order to try intensify St Sophia's inner suffering, the emperor permitted her to take the bodies of her daughters. Sophia rejoiced in spirit to see her daughters so gloriously making their way to the abodes of the righteous.
She placed their remains in coffins and loaded them on a wagon. She drove beyond the city limits and reverently buried them on a high hill. St Sophia sat there by the graves of her daughters for three days, and finally she gave up her soul to the Lord.
Even though she did not suffer for Christ in the flesh, she was not deprived of a martyr's crown. Instead, she suffered in her heart. Believers buried her body there beside her daughters.
O holy and righteous Sophia! You who bore children that were betrothed to the Savior and suffered for Him and now reign and are glorified together with Him. In truth you are a wondrous mother worthy of remembrance for having beheld the cruel torments and death which your beloved children underwent. You have not as is the custom with mothers suffered grief, but have rejoiced comforted by the grace of God. You encouraged them to pray, not to preserve their fleeting lives, but to accept martyrdom and resolutely offer to shed their blood for Christ. And now, exulting in the vision of His most radiant countenance, you and your holy daughters enlighten us that we too may be preserved in the virtues of faith, hope, and love and be deemed worthy to glorify and stand in the presence of the most holy, uncreated, and life-bestowing Trinity, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
An official named Antiochus hearing of their admirable manner of life denounced them to the Emperor Hadrian (117-138). The Emperor hearing they were in Rome sent soldiers to bring them before him.
Realizing that they would be taken before the emperor, the holy virgins prayed fervently to the Lord Jesus Christ, asking that He give them the strength not to fear torture and death. When the holy virgins and their mother came before the emperor, everyone present was amazed at their composure.
Considering their tender years, the Emperor was amazed at how steadfast in the faith Sophia’s daughters were. Thinking it was only by supporting one another that they were able to hold their own against him, he put them to the question separately.
They looked as though they had been brought to some happy festival, rather than to torture. Summoning each of the sisters in turn, Hadrian urged them to offer sacrifice to the goddess Artemis. The young girls remained unyielding.
Pistis (Faith), who was twelve years old, was brought in first. She boldly dismissed the tyrant’s flatteries and deprecated his shameless deeds and vain plots against the Christians. The infuriated Emperor had her stripped, mercilessly beaten and her breasts torn off, whence milk not blood flowed forth. The other tortures she endured were to no avail, for she was protected by the power of God. When, at last, they came to strike off her head, Sophia encouraged her to accept with joy the death that would unite her to Christ.
Elpis (Hope), who was ten years old, was brought in next. Confessing Christ as steadfastly as her sister, she was beaten and cast into a raging furnace, but its fire went out on touching her, in whom love of God burnt with a fiercer flame than material fire. After many other tortures, she too died by the sword, giving thanks to God.
Agape (Love), the third of the sisters was then summoned before the Emperor whom anger had maddened. She was only nine years old but of the same steadfast mind as her sisters. She was hung on a gallows and chained so tightly that her limbs were broken by the bonds. She was then thrown into a furnace, from which she was delivered by an angel, and finally, beheaded.
In order to try intensify St Sophia's inner suffering, the emperor permitted her to take the bodies of her daughters. Sophia rejoiced in spirit to see her daughters so gloriously making their way to the abodes of the righteous.
She placed their remains in coffins and loaded them on a wagon. She drove beyond the city limits and reverently buried them on a high hill. St Sophia sat there by the graves of her daughters for three days, and finally she gave up her soul to the Lord.
Even though she did not suffer for Christ in the flesh, she was not deprived of a martyr's crown. Instead, she suffered in her heart. Believers buried her body there beside her daughters.
O holy and righteous Sophia! You who bore children that were betrothed to the Savior and suffered for Him and now reign and are glorified together with Him. In truth you are a wondrous mother worthy of remembrance for having beheld the cruel torments and death which your beloved children underwent. You have not as is the custom with mothers suffered grief, but have rejoiced comforted by the grace of God. You encouraged them to pray, not to preserve their fleeting lives, but to accept martyrdom and resolutely offer to shed their blood for Christ. And now, exulting in the vision of His most radiant countenance, you and your holy daughters enlighten us that we too may be preserved in the virtues of faith, hope, and love and be deemed worthy to glorify and stand in the presence of the most holy, uncreated, and life-bestowing Trinity, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.