Saint Glyceria suffered as a martyr for her faith in Christ in the
second century, during a persecution against Christians under the
emperor Antoninus (138-161). She came from an illustrious family, and
her father Macarius was a high-ranking Roman official. Later, the family
moved to the Thracian city of Trajanopolis.
St Glyceria lost both
her father and mother at an early age. Falling in with Christians, she
converted to the true Faith, and she visited the church every day.
Sabinus, the prefect of Trajanopolis, received the imperial edict
ordering Christians to offer sacrifice to the idols, and so he
designated a certain day for the inhabitants of the city to worship the
idol Zeus.
St Glyceria firmly resolved to suffer for Christ. She
told the Christians of her intention, and she begged them to pray that
the Lord would give her the strength to undergo the sufferings. On the
appointed day St Glyceria made the Sign of the Cross on her forehead,
and went into the pagan temple.
The saint stood on a raised spot
in the rays of the sun, and removed the veil from her head, showing the
holy Cross traced on her forehead. She prayed fervently to God to bring
the pagans to their senses and destroy the stone idol of Zeus. Suddenly
thunder was heard, and the statue of Zeus crashed to the floor and
smashed into little pieces.
In a rage, the prefect Sabinus and the
pagan priests commanded the people to pelt St Glyceria with stones, but
the stones did not touch the saint. They locked St Glyceria in prison,
where the Christian priest Philokrates came to her and encouraged the
martyr in the struggle before her.
In the morning, when the
tortures had started, suddenly an angel appeared in the midst of the
torturers, and they fell to the ground, overcome with terror. When the
vision vanished, Sabinus, who was hardly able to speak, ordered them to
throw the saint into prison.
They shut the door securely and
sealed it with the prefect’s own ring, so that no one could get in to
her. While she was in prison, angels of God brought St Glyceria food and
drink. Many days afterwards, Sabinus came to the prison and he himself
removed the seal. Going in to the saint, he was shaken when he saw her
alive and well.
Setting off for the city of Heraclea in Thrace,
Sabinus gave orders to bring St Glyceria there also. The Christians of
Heraclea came out to meet her with Bishop Dometius at their head, and he
prayed that the Lord would strengthen the saint to endure martyrdom.
At
Heraclea they cast St Glyceria into a red-hot furnace, but the fire was
extinguished at once. Then the prefect, in a mindless fury, gave orders
to rip the skin from St Glyceria’s head. Then they threw the martyr
into prison onto sharp stones. She prayed incessantly, and at midnight
an angel appeared in the prison and healed her of her wounds.
When
the jailer Laodicius came for the saint in the morning, he did not
recognize her. Thinking that the martyr had been taken away, he feared
he would be punished for letting her escape. He wanted to kill himself,
but St Glyceria stopped him. Shaken by the miracle, Laodicius believed
in the true God, and he entreated the saint to pray that he might suffer
and die for Christ with her.
“Follow Christ and you will be
saved,” the holy martyr replied. Laodicius placed upon himself the
chains with which the saint was bound, and at the trial he told the
prefect and everyone present about the miraculous healing of St Glyceria
by an angel, then he confessed himself a Christian.
The newly
chosen one of God was beheaded by the sword. Christians secretly took up
his remains, and reverently buried them. St Glyceria was sentenced to
be eaten by wild beasts. She went to execution with great joy, but the
lioness set loose upon the saint meekly crawled up to her and lay at her
feet.
Finally, the saint prayed to the Lord, imploring that He
take her unto Himself. In answer she heard a Voice from Heaven,
summoning her to heavenly bliss. At that moment, another lioness was set
loose upon the saint. It pounced upon the martyr and killed her, but
did not tear her apart. Bishop Dometius and the Christians of Heraclea
reverently buried the holy martyr Glyceria. She suffered for Christ
around the year 177. Her holy relics were glorified with a flow of
healing myrrh.
St Glyceria, whose name means “sweetness,” now rejoices in the unending sweetness of the heavenly Kingdom.
Source-Oca.org
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