On the 13th day of the Blessed month of Tuba we celebrate the lives of; Pistis, Helpis, Agape and their mother Sophia. St. Sophia was from a rich and noble family of Antioch. God granted her three beautiful daughters whom she named; Pistis which means faith, Helpis which means hope, and Agape which means love. Their mother's name, Sophia, means wisdom.
Sophia took her three daughters to Rome to teach them the church subjects and to worship. When the report reached Emperor Hadrian, he summoned them. He tried to force them to forsake their Christian faith. Seeing them only as little children, he at first felt quite confident in his ability to convert them. However, their mother encouraged them to be steadfast in their faith of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Pistis was twelve years old. Helpis was eleven years old. And little Agape was only nine. When the emperor saw their dedication to the faith he grew angry. Enraged at their commitment to Christ he set out to torture them one by one. He first tortured the older child Pistis. He had his guards tear at her body with whips, then cast her into a fiery furnace until finally they beheaded her. But during that torture she did not waver once.
The Emperor then commanded the guards to torture the next daughter, Helpis. He ordered the guards to comb her body with hot sharp iron combs, then struck her neck with the sword. All of this happened in the viewing of the youngest sister Agape. The Emperor, as well as his guards, we're convinced the little girl was terrified, and therefore willing to recant her Christian faith. To their amazement, she did not. Overcome by sheer rage the Emperor ordered the guards to cast her into a fiery furnace, crush her body, and then finally beheaded her.
During this horrific ordeal the blessed and beautiful Sophia prayed earnestly for the salvation of her children. She rejoiced exceedingly and thanked the Lord that her daughters had been steadfast in their faith and received the crowns of martyrdom. They had become brides to the Lord Jesus Christ. She took their bodies and shrouded them with expensive shrouds. She then asked the Lord to receive her spirit and the Lord hearkened to her prayer and she delivered her pure spirit into the hand of the Lord. The believers took their bodies and buried them with great honor..
Lessons from this story
This is a very hard story to hear. Any parent would be disturbed by these images. But there's no way to tell her story without showcasing what each of the daughters witnessed and endured. And though we of course celebrate the strength these little girls held in the face of such a horrible behavior, we must focus on the sheer importance their mother played in their salvation. There is no greater blessing than being a parent. But in truth, there are times of no greater source of frustration, aggravation, and fear.
Our role as a mother or a father is to highlight the beauty, the truth, and the power a deep Christian faith brings to the individual. Children this day are bombarded with messages that have nothing to do with a Christian life. Virginity is more than just the Purity of the body, it's the purity of knowledge. For when we recall the story of Adam and Eve, they lived in purity because they knew not the difference of good and evil. They lived a life according to their first nature, which was created out of an abundance of love. They enjoyed a life without hardship, walking daily content and without any temptation whatsoever.
The hardest thing for a parent is balancing work life and a family life. But not time with the family born out of an obligation, for a child knows when you are not really enjoying their company. But to see the true joy of time with our children. For one thing that is glaringly obvious about this telling of Sophia's story, that the thief in the night can come at any time.
No one can fault a mother or a father for being tired at the end of a hard-working day....