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St. Anastasia

“Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life”

(Revelation 2:10).

On the 26th of Koiahk, we commemorate the martyrdom of St. Anastasia. St. Anastasia was born in the city of Rome in the year 275 A.D. She was born to a pagan father whose name was “Britastanos” and Christian mother whose name was “Flavia”. When she was young, her mother baptized her secretly with her father’s knowledge. Her mother raised her well in the faith through daily teachings of the Christian faith; shaping her into someone with immense steadfastness and unwavering faith, to where no one was able to take persuade or take her faith away from her. Also, without her father’s knowledge, she had a Priest as her spiritual guide to care for her spirituality.

Once she was of marriage age, her father wedded her to a young pagan man, against her will. Yet St. Anastasia, in purity and determination, chose to live with him as a sister, preserving her virginity and devotion to Christ. In this, St. Anastasia prayed fervently to the Lord Christ asking to separate her from this young pagan man. St. Ambrose reminds us: “Virginity is not simply abstaining from marriage, but a consecration of the body and soul to God, offered as a living sacrifice.” (On Virgins, Book I, Ch. 7).

While her husband was away, she would go secretly to visit the Christians who were imprisoned for the faith. She ministered to them with courage and love, bringing them food, medicine, and clothing. When her husband discovered her service, he locked her inside their house and set guards around it. But God, in His providence, delivered her from this captivity through the sudden death of her husband.

Freed from this burden, St. Anastasia distributed her wealth generously to the poor, the imprisoned, and those who confessed Christ. Her generosity recalls the words of Christ: “Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail” (Luke 12:33).

When word of her actions and account reached “Florus”, the Governor, he brought her in to question her about her religion. She confessed Lord Christ and did not deny her faith when asked. The governor then offered many precious gifts to try to entice her to leave her faith, but she refused. When she did not entertain his offer, he punished her by many tortures. He then ordered for her to be drowned in the sea, however she came out of the sea alive and unharmed through the Grace of God, Once the Governor learned that she was alive, he ordered that she should be tied to four pegs on the ground and beaten and then light a fire under her. The soldiers did as command by the Governor, and she delivered up her pure spirit and received the crown of martyrdom.

May the blessing of St. Anastasia be with us all.

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