Saint Eugenia

Description

Saint Eugenia, whose memory the Church honors today on December 24, lived in the second half of the 3rd century and came from Rome. Her parents were Filippos and Claudia, while she had two brothers, Avita and Sergio.Saint Eugenia the Holy Martyr studied in the best possible way. She was gifted with many qualities. She was intelligent and learned Roman and Greek, she was very educated at the age of fifteen and everyone admired her.When she finished her studies, looking for more knowledge, she got hold of the letters of the Apostle Paul from a Christian daughter. When he read them, he was very impressed. There were no theories and philosophical beliefs in there. Their lines inspired life and hope.Aquilinus, a Roman official, asked her father in marriage. When Philip mentioned this to his daughter and asked her if she wanted her marriages to take place, she replied that she would like to remain a virgin and devote herself to learning. She also read many Christian books, which seemed more true to her.One night she dressed as a man and left for another city, so as not to marry. Going to a Bishop in men’s clothes, he received Holy Baptism from him and was named Eugene.
So much did the Saint shine in her virtues, that at the request of all the brothers of the Monastery, she accepted their protection and the abbessship.But a nun, named Melanthia, who was dark and black in soul, was overcome by an intense and satanic love. However, because she did not achieve her diabolical purpose, she invented the slander that it was Abbot Eugene who asked to deceive her sexually. As soon as Eugenia’s father and prefect heard this, he immediately became angry.He sent and they quickly brought the Abbot and the Monks of the Monastery bound, as hypocrites and criminals. He presented them to the court, to apologize for this case.When the Saint saw that everyone believed Melanthia’s words and would unjustly kill so many righteous ascetics, as she also thought about the accusation against the holy order of monks, she said: “It is time for the truth to be revealed. God is my witness, that I had a desire to endure this temptation to the end and not to confess the truth in order to receive the crown of patience from Christ on the day of Judgment, but for so that the holy scheme is not slandered, I will confess that which no one knows except the Lord”. And he revealed that she is his daughter, Eugenia. Then her parents became Christians and followed her. When a royal decree was issued, either Christians should sacrifice to idols or be put to death badly because of it, because the Saint did not sacrificed, they beheaded her, thus ending gloriously “the good fight of faith”, together with her earthly life.