Four Martyrs, c. 270
Tonight we will recognize Maris, his wife Martha, and their two sons, Abachum and Audifax. A family of Persian nobility, these four were "converted to the faith and distributed their possessions to the poor." They moved to Rome during the reign of Emperor Claudius II, during a time of Christian persecution. As the story goes.... Claudius ordered his legions to gather Christians in the amphitheater, where they were killed and their bodies burned. The Persian family gathered together their ashes and buried them. The family is known for sympathizing with the persecuted faithful and burying the bodies of the slain. This led judge/governor Muscianus to arrest them. Muscianus was unable to persuade them to abjure their faith and condemned them to torture. No suffering could subdue their courage. Maris and his two sons were beheaded, and Martha was cast into a well.
A Roman lady named Felicitas gathered together what remained of the four bodies and had the sacred relics secretly interred in a catacomb. This happened before the Kalends of February, which is the 20th of January (?). The commemoration of these martyrs, however, has been appointed for January 19th, because the 20th is the feat of St. Sebastian.
Thirteen centuries later their bones were discovered and now lie honored in churches across Italy and Germany.
For dinner: Persian food.
A Roman lady named Felicitas gathered together what remained of the four bodies and had the sacred relics secretly interred in a catacomb. This happened before the Kalends of February, which is the 20th of January (?). The commemoration of these martyrs, however, has been appointed for January 19th, because the 20th is the feat of St. Sebastian.
Thirteen centuries later their bones were discovered and now lie honored in churches across Italy and Germany.
For dinner: Persian food.
