Saint Penelope
Nouno
day?
Lisa Lovell
is The Holy Great-Martyress Irene whose name was Penelope before her
conversion. St. Irene's feast is May 5 (May 18).
http://www.oca.org/pages/orth_chri/feasts-and-saints/may/may-05.html#1
Hope this helps,
Ann
++
Nouno wrote:
> Does anybody know if there is a Saint Penelope and if so when is her feast
> day?
Not to my knowledge. The only Penelope I know associated with Christianity
was a heretic, a lawyer, named Penelope of Ghat.
Maybe someone else in the newsgroup knows one?
Maybe you are confusing the non denominational Greek women's association,
Daughters of Penelope? The girl's version is Daughters of Athena. Nothing
religious except that some chapters meet in church halls.
++
Lisa Lovell wrote:
> As far as I can tell there isn't a St. Penelope. The closest I can come
> is The Holy Great-Martyress Irene whose name was Penelope before her
> conversion. St. Irene's feast is May 5 (May 18).
Hmm, then that would have sanctified her previous pagan name, no?
Alexander Arnakis
>
>Maybe you are confusing the non denominational Greek women's association,
>Daughters of Penelope? The girl's version is Daughters of Athena. Nothing
>religious except that some chapters meet in church halls.
Daughters of Penelope and *Maids* of Athena. The young men's
equivalent is the Sons of Pericles. All these are auxiliaries of the
Order of Ahepa (acronym for American Hellenic Educational Progressive
Association).
The Ahepa was founded as a Greek self-help and solidarity organization
in Atlanta, Georgia, in the 1920's. It was loosely patterned after the
Knights of Columbus, which itself was a Catholic alternative to
Masonry.
nick cobb
We are all called to be "saints" and those who are practicing
Christians are already called "saints." There are "saints" who are
known and saints who are unknown. So, quite possibly there was some
woman who was saintly named Penelope who is in the Kingdom of Heaven.
And, she may be a local saint in a village in Greece who is only
locally known. Not all who have gone before us and are with Christ are
necessarily revealed to us.
Alexander Arnakis <alexande...@verizon.net> wrote in message news:<er98evcjc91q66tp6...@4ax.com>...
leushino
You see, Nick... now that was a great post. I learned something by
reading this thread and in particular by reading your post. Why can't
you post more like this, Nick? It's edifying and it builds up the Body
of Christ whereas the political posts just bring about contention and
fighting. Please... consider it at least.
Gary
Alexander Arnakis <alexande...@verizon.net> wrote in message news:<er98evcjc91q66tp6...@4ax.com>...
nick cobb
Simple, your personal problem solved!
leushino <leus...@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:<3EE494E7...@hotmail.com>...
++
nick cobb wrote:
> Please place me in your kill file and please don't read my posts.
> Simple, your personal problem solved!
Me, too. Killfile me, too. Don't think about me. Don't mention me. Clear your mind
leushino
YOu're too dangerous, Schneider. Cobb is simply a leftist jerk who
thinks he's on a mission to convert us all to his idiotic political
thinking. He could easily be killfiled since his remarks generally don't
cause anything more than irritation among most readers. You, on the
other hand, are an ever-present danger, given your misrepresentation of
the Church. You need to be watched and you shall be.
Dormition
martyrs celebrated on September the 1st, and who were all martyred in
Andrianoupolis (date unknown, but most likely very early considering most of
the 40 female martyrs share pagan names eg: Sts Athena, Antigone, Kleopatra,
Pandora, Sapho etc).
en XC
Nick
Nouno <nou...@neo.rr.com> wrote in message
news:xkSEa.137785$VP.35...@twister.neo.rr.com...
Lisa Lovell
and could only find reference to the group as a whole. I'd love to be
able to add to my research base.
Ann Lovell
++
Dormition wrote:
> There is most definately a Saint Penelope. She is one of the holy 40 female
> martyrs celebrated on September the 1st, and who were all martyred in
> Andrianoupolis (date unknown, but most likely very early considering most of
> the 40 female martyrs share pagan names eg: Sts Athena, Antigone, Kleopatra,
> Pandora, Sapho etc).
>
> en XC
>
> Nick
Nick, what's your source? Once I had September 1, I looked them up and shure
enough, there are forty martyrs we start the year with. But they were,
depending on the life, martyred in either some Heraclea I have never heard of in
Thrace or in Heraclea in Macedonia. Their names are very typical for
Macedonians who at that period also had ties with the Egyptians - Amon, the name
of their priest that led them, Cleopatra, etc. and also the Greek gods and
goddesses popular in that area of Macedonia - Pandora, Athena, etc. - because of
the presence of Dionysiac rites. But by the fourth century , there is already a
Christian basilica, baptistry and paraecclesion at the Heracleum, so I owuld
push the date bakc a bit to the 3d century.
http://www.saintgeorge.org/news_and_events/church_calendar/saint_of_the_day/
++
Roman Catholic martyrology has them (I haven't yet checked Eusebius) during
Licenius and a Roman Catholic source has Licinius countering St. Constantine by
specifically martyring Christians under his control in the Balkans. See, on
Valerius Licinianus Licinius in the period of his persecutions after 320:
http://www.roman-emperors.org/licinius.htm
However, looking at the facts, he was a friend and ally of Constantine, not just
as a co-emperor but also becuase he was married to Constantia, St. Constantine's
sister. But Licinius had soem of the territory he controlled ceded to the
authority of Bassianus in 316 and although the peace of 317 retored a certain
degree of amity, but then started a new persecution of Christians in 320-21,
including removing Christians form local public office and martyrdoms. Within
two years he was at war and lost and within another two in a another lising
war. He wa hanged by 325. His son, once elevated to Caesar in 317, was
executed in 327 and his illigitimate second son turned into a slave and weaver
in Carthage.
++
I took a look through Eusebius and found in Book 9 that Eusebius suggested that
eventually Licinius wen insane. His praiseworthy acts , committed before he
became insane, are in this book. But in Book 10, chapter 8 has the following:
CHAPTER 8
The Subsequent Wickedness of Licinius,
and his Death
Such blessings did divine and heavenly grace confer upon us through the
appearance of our Saviour, and such was the abundance of benefits which
prevailed among all
men in consequence of the peace which we enjoyed. And thus were our affairs
crowned with rejoicings and festivities. But malignant envy, and the demon who
loves
that which is evil, were not able to bear the sight of these things; and
moreover the events that befell the tyrants whom we have already mentioned were
not sufficient
to bring Licinius to sound reason. For the latter, although his government was
prosperous and he was honored with the second rank after the great Emperor
Constantine, and was connected with him by the closest ties of marriage,
abandoned the imitation of good deeds, and emulated the wickedness of the
impious tyrants
whose end he had seen with his own eyes, and chose rather to follow their
principles than to continue in friendly relations with him who was better than
they. Being
envious of the common benefactor he waged an impious and most terrible war
against him, paying regard neither to laws of nature, nor treaties, nor blood,
and giving no
thought to covenants. For Constantine, like an all-gracious emperor, giving him
evidences of true favor, did not refuse alliance with him, and did not refuse
him the
illustrious marriage with his sister, but honored him by making him a partaker
of the ancestral nobility and the ancient imperial blood, and granted him the
right of sharing
in the dominion over all as a brother-in-law and co-regent, conferring upon him
the government and administration of no less a portion of the Roman provinces
than he
himself possessed. But Licinius, on the contrary, pursued a course directly
opposite to this; forming daily all kinds of plots against his superior, and
devising all sorts of
mischief, that he might repay his benefactor with evils. At first he attempted
to conceal his preparations, and pretended to be a friend, and practiced
frequently fraud
and deceit, in the hope that he might easily accomplish the desired end. But God
was the friend, protector, and guardian of Constantine, and bringing the plots
which had
been formed in secrecy and darkness to the light, he foiled them. So much virtue
does the great armor of piety possess for the warding off of enemies and for the
preservation of our own safety. Protected by this, our most divinely favored
emperor escaped the multitudinous plots of the abominable man. But when Licinius
perceived that his secret preparations by no means progressed according to his
mind -- for God revealed every plot and wickedness to the God-favored emperor --
being no longer able to conceal himself, he undertook an open war.
And at the same time that he determined to wage war with Constantine, he also
proceeded to join battle with the God of the universe, whom he knew that
Constantine
worshiped, and began, gently for a time and quietly, to attack his pious
subjects, who had never done his government any harm. This he did under the
compulsion of his
innate wickedness which drove him into terrible blindness. He did not therefore
keep before his eyes the memory of those who had persecuted the Christians
before
him, nor of those whose destroyer and executioner he had been appointed, on
account of the impieties which they had committed. But departing from sound
reason,
being seized, in a word, with insanity, he determined to war against God himself
as the ally of Constantine, instead of against the one who was assisted by him.
And in
the first place, he drove from his house every Christian, thus depriving
himself, wretched man, of the prayers which they offered to God in his behalf,
which they are
accustomed, according to the teaching of their fathers, to offer for all men.
Then he commanded that the soldiers in the cities should be cashiered and
stripped of their
rank unless they chose to sacrifice to the demons. And yet these were small
matters when compared with the greater things that followed. Why is it necessary
to relate
minutely and in detail all that was done by the hater of God, and to recount how
this most lawless man invented unlawful laws? He passed an ordinance that no one
should exercise humanity toward the sufferers in prison by giving them food, and
that none should show mercy to those that were perishing of hunger in bonds;
that no
one should in any way be kind, or do any good act, even though moved by Nature
herself to sympathize with one's neighbors. And this was indeed an openly
shameful
and most cruel law, calculated to expel all natural kindliness. And in addition
to this it was also decreed, as a punishment, that those who showed compassion
should
suffer the same things with those whom they compassionated; and that those who
kindly ministered to the suffering should be thrown into bonds and into prison,
and
should endure the same punishment with the sufferers.Such were the decrees of
Licinius.
Why should we recount his innovations in regard to marriage or in regard to the
dying -- innovations by which he ventured to annul the ancient laws of the
Romans
which had been well and wisely formed, and to introduce certain barbarous and
cruel laws, which were truly unlawful and lawless? He invented, to the detriment
of the
provinces which were subject to him, innumerable prosecutions, and all sorts of
methods of extorting gold and silver. new measurements of land and injurious
exactions
from men in the country, who were no longer living, but long since dead. Why is
it necessary to speak at length of the banishments which, in addition to these
things, this
enemy of mankind inflicted upon those who had done no wrong, the expatriations
of men of noble birth and high reputation whose young wives he snatched from
them
and consigned to certain baser fellows of his own, to be shamefully abused by
them, and the many married women and virgins upon whom he gratified his
passions,
although he was in advanced age -- why, I say, is it necessary to speak at
length of these things, when the excessive wickedness of his last deeds makes
the first
appear small and of no account? For, finally, he reached such a pitch of madness
that he attacked the bishops, supposing that they -- as servants of the God over
all --
would be hostile to his measures. He did not yet proceed against them openly, on
account of his fear of his superior, but as before, secretly and craftily,
employing the
treachery of the governors for the destruction of the most distinguished of
them. And the manner of their murder was strange, and such as had never before
been heard
of. The deeds which he performed at Amaseia and in the other cities of Pontus
surpassed every excess of cruelty. Some of the churches of God were again razed
to
the ground, others were closed, so that none of those accustomed to frequent
them could enter them and render the worship due to God.
For his evil conscience led him to suppose that prayers were not offered in his
behalf; but he was persuaded that we did everything in the interest of the
God-beloved
emperor, and that we supplicated God for him. Therefore he hastened to turn his
fury against us.
And then those among the governors who wished to flatter him, perceiving that in
doing such things they pleased the impious tyrant, made some of the bishops
suffer
the penalties customarily inflicted upon criminals, and led away and without any
pretext punished like murderers those who had done no wrong. Some now endured a
new form of death: having their bodies cut into many pieces with the sword, and
after this savage and most horrible spectacle, being thrown into the depths of
the sea
as food for fishes. Thereupon the worshipers of God again fled, and fields and
deserts, forests and mountains, again received the servants of Christ. And when
the
impious tyrant had thus met with success in these measures, he finally planned
to renew the persecution against all. And he would have succeeded in his design,
and
there would have been nothing to hinder him in the work, had not God, the
defender of the lives of his own people, most quickly anticipated that which was
about to
happen, and caused a great light to shine forth as in the midst of a dark and
gloomy night, and raised up a deliverer for leading into those regions with a
lofty arm, his
servant, Constantine. (Church History, Book 10 has:
http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/250110.htm)
Dormition
written by Fr Anthony Krinas of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia.
Fr Anthony has painstakingly gathered together the names (and some details)
of thousands of Saints and listed them alphabetically. Unfortunately it is
available only in Greek. If you need any other obscure Saints please do not
hesitate to leave a message here.
en XC
Nick
Nouno <nou...@neo.rr.com> wrote in message
news:xkSEa.137785$VP.35...@twister.neo.rr.com...
++
How about posting the whole of Penelope (and her fellow martyrs) life from the
book, then, since no one outside Australia has access to it and it is in Greek?
So far, I've only been able to detail her martyrdom to 320-321 and to show that
indeed there were martyrdoms in those years.
Galina
gerryp...@gmail.com
> Does anybody know if there is a Saint Penelope and if so when is her feast
> day?
nickk - not the imposter
St. Irene of Thessaloniki
The holy Great Martyr Irene of Thessaloniki was born in the city of Magedon in Persia during the fourth century. She was the daughter of the pagan king Licinius, and her parents named her Penelope. The name Irene means peace. She is one of the twelve Virgin Martyrs who appeared to St. Seraphim of Sarov (January 2) and the Diveyevo nun Eupraxia on the Feast of the Annunciation in 1831, and her feast is celebrated on May 5.
Life
Penelope was very beautiful, and her father kept her isolated in a high tower from the time she was six so that she would not be exposed to Christianity. He also placed thirteen young maidens in the tower with her. An old tutor by the name of Apellian was assigned to give her the best possible education. Apellian was a Christian, and during her lessons, he told the girl about Christ the Savior and taught her the Christian Faith and the Christian virtues.
When Penelope reached adolescence, her parents began to think about her marriage. One day, a dove flew through the window carrying an olive branch in its beak, depositing it upon a table. Then an eagle swooped in with a wreath of flowers in its beak, and also placed it upon the table. Finally, a raven flew in carrying a snake, which it dropped on the table. Penelope was puzzled by these events and wondered what they meant.
Apellian explained that the dove signified her education, and the olive branch stood for the grace of God which is received in Baptism. The eagle with the wreath of flowers represented success in her future life. The raven and the snake foretold her future suffering and sorrow.
At the end of the conversation Apellianus said that the Lord wished to betroth her to Himself and that Penelope would undergo much suffering for her heavenly Bridegroom. After this Penelope refused marriage, was baptized by the priest Timothy, and she was named Irene (peace). She even urged her own parents to become Christians. Shortly after this, she destroyed all her father's idols.
Since St. Irene had dedicated herself to Christ, she refused to marry any of the suitors her father had chosen for her. When Licinius learned that his daughter refused to worship the pagan gods, he was furious. He attempted to turn her from Christ by having her tortured. She was tied up and thrown beneath the hooves of wild horses so that they might trample her to death, but he horses remained motionless. Instead of harming the saint, one of the horses charged Licinius, seized his right hand and tore it from his arm. Then it knocked Licinius down and began to trample him. They untied the holy virgin, and through her prayers Licinius rose unharmed in the presence of eyewitnesses with his hand intact.
Seeing such a miracle, Licinius and his wife, and many of the people, (about 3000 men) believed in Christ and turned from the pagan gods. Resigning his administrative duties, Licinius devoted himself to the service of the Lord Jesus Christ. St. Irene lived in the house of her teacher Apellian, and she began to preach Christ among the pagans, converting them to the path of salvation.
When Sedecius, the new governor of the city, heard of this miracle he summoned Apellian and questioned him about Irene's manner of life. Apellian replied that Irene, like other Christians, lived in strict temperance, devoting herself to constant prayer and reading holy books. Sedecius summoned the saint to him and urged her to stop preaching about Christ. He also attempted to force her to sacrifice to the idols. St. Irene staunchly confessed her faith before the governor, not fearing his wrath, and prepared to undergo suffering for Christ. By order of Sedecius she was thrown into a pit filled with vipers and serpents. The saint spent ten days in the pit and remained unharmed, for an angel of the Lord protected her and brought her food. Sedecius ascribed this miracle to sorcery, and he subjected St. Irene to many other tortures, but she remained unharmed. Under the influence of her preaching and miracles even more people were converted to Christ, and turned away from the worship of inanimate idols.
Sedecius was deposed by his son Savorus, who persecuted Christians with an even greater zeal than his father had done. St. Irene went to her home town of Magedon in Persia to meet Savorus and his army, and ask him to end the persecution. When he refused, St. Irene prayed and his entire army was blinded. She prayed again and they received their sight once more. In spite of this, Savorus refused to recognize the power of God. Because of his insolence, he was struck and killed by a bolt of lightning.
After this, St. Irene walked into the city and performed many miracles. She returned to the tower built by her father, accompanied by the priest Timothy. Through her teaching, she converted five thousand people to Christ.
Next, the saint went to the city of Callinicus, or Callinicum (possibly on the Euphrates River in Syria). The ruler of that place was King Numerian, the son of Sebastian. When she began to teach about Christ, she was arrested and tortured by the pagan authorities. She was placed into three bronze oxen which were heated by fire. She was transferred from one to another, but miraculously she remained uninjured. Thousands of idolaters embraced Christianity as a result of this wondrous event.
Sensing the approach of death, Numerian instructed his eparch Babdonus to continue torturing the saint in order to force her to sacrifice to idols. Once again, the tortures were ineffective, and many people turned to Christ.
Christ's holy martyr then traveled to the city of Constantina, forty miles northeast of Edessa. By 330, the Persian king Sapor II (309-379) had heard of St. Irene's great miracles. To prevent her from winning more people to Christ, she was arrested, beheaded, and then buried. However, God sent an angel to raise her up again, and she went into the city of Mesembria. After seeing her alive and hearing her preach, the local king was baptized with many of his subjects.
Wishing to convert even more pagans to Christianity, St. Irene went to Ephesus, where she taught the people and performed many miracles. The Lord revealed to her that the end of her life was approaching. Then St. Irene left the city accompanied by six people, including her former teacher Apellian. On the outskirts of the town, she found a new tomb in which no one had ever been buried. After making the Sign of the Cross, she went inside, directing her companions to close the entrance to the cave with a large stone, which they did. When Christians visited the cave four days later, they did not find the body of the saint.
Apellian returned after only two days, and found the stone rolled away and the tomb empty. Thus did God glorify St. Irene, who loved Him and devoted her life to serving Him. Although many of these miracles may seem improbable to those who are skeptical, nothing is impossible with God.
St. Irene led thousands of people to Christ through her preaching, and by her example. The Church continues to honor her memory and to seek her heavenly intercession.
The holy, glorious Great Martyr Irene is invoked by those wishing to effect a swift and happy marriage. In Greece, she is also the patron saint of policemen. By her holy prayers, may the Lord have mercy upon us and save us.
