The sufferings of the holy martyrs Archelaus, Thecla, and Susanna

The world-conquering virginity that tamed fleshly desires was unknown to the mother of all, Eve, for to her God said: "In pains you will bring forth children, and your craving will be for your husband".

But virginity is free from this; it does not wither from many years, but always blossoms and adorneth the life of virgins; a virgin becomes the bride of Christ and enters into the heavenly realm of her Bridegroom.

With this honorable and divine gift, pure virginity, was adorned the blessed Archelaus, who was unmarried to Christ and showed herself a conqueror of the world.

She lived in a place near Rome, in a small and unknown monastery, as it might have been in those difficult pagan times for Christians.

After the persecution of Christians in Rome, the holy virgin Archelaus, having escaped with her two sisters and companions in Christ, Fecla and Susanna, from the persecution of the tormentors, left Rome and fled to Campania.

north by Samnium, east by Lucania and south by the Tyrrhenian Sea.

In this Italian province, for the first time (from the 8th century), bells were cast, which is why they are called in the Church Charter "campane" (before they were used as a beat or iron board).

In a place called Nola [the city of Nola was south of Capua; it still exists today (now in the Italian province of Caserta) and has about 15,000 inhabitants.] , the holy virgins settled in a lonely and empty place, spending days and nights in earnest prayer to God, exercising in various

And heal the sick, because they have received a miracle of healing for their pure and holy life.

Their faces were humble, meek, and at the same time bright, for they were always rejoicing in their hearts for the Lord Jesus Christ; their eyes shone with purity and holiness; their garments were hairy, simple and coarse, and their appearance was desert and fasting.

Their hair was shaved like men's, so many thought they were men rather than women.

Gradually the surrounding people began to gather to them for healing and spiritual instruction, for besides the gift of healing, they had the ability to teach by inspiration; they healed not only bodies but also souls, and they converted many from pagan wickedness to the faith of Christ.

It's spread all over the country.

And the news of the holy virgins came to the governor of the province, whose name was Leontius; for soldiers were stationed in many places to watch over the Christians; and they told the governor of the province concerning these holy virgins.

The latter ordered them to be taken and brought to him in the city of Salerno, where the Christians were then tried and tortured.

They understood that the Lord Jesus Christ, their immortal and incorruptible Bridegroom, was calling them to the crown of martyrdom, to receive them into his heavenly home, adorned not only with virginity but also with the blood of suffering, as with a royal scarlet.

With great boldness and hope in God, they went without fear to the tormentor and told him the whole truth about themselves, who they were and where they came from; they did not hide their lives or their Christian faith, they did not hide that they - virgins - were betrothed to Christ and promised him to keep

I'll keep myself clean until the day I die.

And when the king of Macedon, Leontius, saw that the blessed maiden Archelaus was older than the others, and more bold in speech, and that her countenance was exceedingly pious, he said unto her, Hear, Archelaus.

What right do you have to call all people, good and bad, and teach them to worship Jesus of Nazareth, who could not save himself when he was tortured, much less help anyone else?

How dare you use magic words and seduce people; how dare you dress like a man and pretend to be a man when you're really a nasty and harmful witch?

If I do not now destroy thee, and if thou teachest these two maidens thy sorceries, then thou shalt make all the children of the earth to fall by thy sorceries.

"I will destroy the powers and authorities of Satan in the name of Christ, and will bring all men to the knowledge of the one true God, who made heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them. Healing will come through me in the name of my Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God.

Slaves - I don't pretend to be a man, but now I'm a slave to Christ and a virgin.

And the king's chamberlain said, Whosoever shall disobey the king's commandment shall surely be put to death. And the holy woman said,

And we wait for the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ, for whose sake the world and all things in it have been rejected.

- Our gods contain and possess everything; they have many names: Kronos [Chronos is the youngest son of Uranus and Gaia, one of the Titans.

He was considered the patron of crops and harvests, which is why he was depicted with a sickle in his hand.] , Trismegistus [Trismegistus' name was assimilated by Jupiter or Zeus.] , Hermes [Hermes - god of prosperity.] , Aphrodite [Aphrodite or Venus - goddess of love and beauty.] , Hera [Hera - patroness of marriage and childbirth.] ,

Athena [Athena or Minerva - goddess of wisdom] , Dius [1 Zeus or Jupiter - supreme god of ancient Greek religion, considered the originator of other gods and the culprit of all that exists.] , who is above all.

And the virgin said, Thy gods are blind, and the blind worship them, and believe in them. And the chief said, Thy God is one, and he is not able to save himself, for he was crucified, and made drunk with vinegar, and crowned with thorns, and pierced with a spear.

But he said, "It is for your own good that God did this, so that no one who believes in him should perish, but have eternal life.

And when he had said these things, he was wroth, and commanded to give her to the hungry lions to eat, thinking that they would at once tear her to pieces; but the beasts were as soft as lambs, and lay at the feet of the saint. And she prayed to God, saying,

Lord God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who has kept my flesh pure from all defilement, as you have now tamed the beasts and given me the power to overcome a beast more fierce than the beasts, so be always my servant, your constant helper.

When Hegemon saw that the saint had escaped the beasts, he was even more furious and ordered the soldiers to kill the beasts, and to bind the holy martyr and her companions and throw them into the prison.

"Do not be afraid, O virgin, for your prayer has been heard and a crown has been prepared for you. " The guards were afraid and cried out in terror", The God of these virgins is the true God. "

"Bring to me that witch who yesterday dishonored me and my gods with many blasphemies".

"Oh, my god, it is not I, but your evil deeds that bring you reproach and dishonor and prepare an unquenchable fire in which you will be tormented forever with your gods. If you want to escape eternal torment, then listen to my kind words and accept my good advice: believe in God the Father who created you, and in

The only begotten Son of his Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Spirit:

The chief, taking these words for mockery and madness, objected to the saint, saying:

If thou wilt obey me and believe in my gods, thou shalt be endowed with riches and honour, and shalt not be the last among the honest women of Rome; but if thou wilt not obey me, I will give thee to the harlots, and afterwards I will punish thee severely, and at last deliver thee to a cruel death.

I'll give your flesh to dogs and wild beasts and birds to eat.

And she said, I have the help of my Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Saviour of my soul and of my body.

He will save me from the filth which you have prepared for me, as you have saved many holy virgins who have suffered before me. I do not fear death, for I hope for eternal life with my Lord, who will grant me eternal joy and count me among His holy angels.

And the king commanded to strip the holy woman naked, and to bind her pure virgin body with iron tools, and to beat her cruelly, and to pour on her wounds hot oil and tar prepared for this purpose; and the body of the holy woman was sharpened, and burned to the bones.

All who were there, beholding the suffering of the holy martyr, were greatly astonished and perplexed how such a weak maiden could endure such cruel torments and remain alive.

Lord, look down from heaven, from the height of thy holy throne upon thy faithful servant, quench the burning fire of thy grace, and give my flesh rest in the torments of my sickness.

"Fear not, for I am with thee". When Hegemon saw the saint unharmed, he gnashed his teeth in rage. Near the place was a great stone, which few men could scarcely move; and Hegemon ordered it to be lifted up and laid upon the martyr, that it might be crushed with the stone.

When the servants began to carry out the order of the ignominious, the angel of the Lord, invisibly present with the holy virgin, quickly moved the stone to the other side, so that he crushed the servant of the torturer, but the saint remained alive and praised God, singing:

"Blessed are you, Lord, the God of our fathers, who comes to the aid of those who hope in him. " When the people saw this, they shouted", Great is the God of Christ, whose virginity this virgin bore witness to. "

And now what shall we do with this sorceress? She is in pain; take her, and lead her out of the city, and the two maidens that follow her, and the three of them, and put them to the sword.

And when they were come to the place, the soldiers were ready to cut off the heads of the holy martyrs; and when they saw the angels, they were afraid; and the holy angels, seeing the suffering of the martyrs, prepared to take away the souls of the martyrs with glory.

And the soldiers, when they saw the presence of the angels, were afraid, and trembled, and forgot themselves; but St. Archelaus prayed to God, and said unto the soldiers, Do what ye are commanded. And the soldiers said, We will not, my lord, for we are afraid.

And all the maidens said to them, If ye do not this thing, ye have no part with us. And the men of war took their swords, and cut off their heads.

And so the three holy martyrs, Archelaus, Thecla, and Susannah, the virgins, having performed their deed, entered into the heavenly realm, and now with the angels are present before the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost, the one in the Trinity, glorious God, to whom be glory forever.

On the same day the conversion of St. Paisius of Uglich, in 1504