SAINT FEAST DAY 21 SEPTEMBER: ST IPHIGENIA

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN SEPTEMBER

Saints celebrated on the 21st of September

ST EPHIGENIA, VIRGIN

From the 13th century "Golden Legend" by Bl. Jacopo de Voragine, Archbishop of Genoa, 1275. Originally in Latin, it was the most widely read book (after the Bible) during the late Middle Ages:

[St Ephigenia, who lived in the first century, was a Virgin converted to Christianity and afterwards consecrated to God by St Matthew the Evangelist, Apostle of Ethiopia.] 

"The Ethiopian king [at the time of St Matthew's arrival] was named Egippus. He sent for all the men in his provinces saying to them: Come and see ye God in the likeness of a man. Upon this, the people came with crowns of gold and divers manner of sacrifices, and would have sacrificed to him. St Matthew beheld them and said: What do ye men? I am not God, but I am servant of our Lord.

I AM BUT A SERVANT OF OUR LORD

[Therefore, from the resources brought they instead built a church for the glory and honour of the Lord.] In which church the apostle sat three and thirty years, and converted all Ethiopia to the faith of Christ. The king Egippus, with his wife and his daughter, and all the people, were baptised. 

ST MATTHEW BAPTISED ALL THE PEOPLE

And then the apostle hallowed to God Ephigenia the king’s daughter, and made her mistress and governess of more than two hundred virgins.

And after this, Hirtacus succeeded to the king, and coveted the said virgin Ephigenia, and the apostle said to him that after the custom of his predecessor he should come on the Sunday to the church, and Ephigenia being present with the other virgins, he should hear what he should say of the goodness of lawful marriage. 

HE PREACHED ABOUT MATRIMONY

And when the virgins and all the people were assembled, he spake long of good and lawful matrimony, and he made rehearsal of his sermon saying that marriage is good if it be truly held by good alliance. But ye that be here, know ye well that if any servant would take the wife of a king wedded he should not only run to the offence of the king, but above that he should deserve death, and not for to wed her, but for that he in so taking the spouse of his lord should corrupt the marriage joined. And thou the king that knew that Ephigenia is made the spouse of the king perdurable, and is sacred with the holy veil, how mayst thou take the wife of a more puissant king and couple her to thee by marriage? 

HE BLESSED ST EPHIGENIA

And when the king heard this he began to enrage and departed all wood and frantic. And the apostle without dread confirmed all the others to patience. And Ephigenia, Iying tofore him for dread, he blessed, and all the other virgins also.

ST MATTHEW WAS MARTYRED

And after the solemnities of the Mass, the king sent a tormentor which slew Matthew with a sword behind him, which was standing by the altar holding up his hands into heaven, and so was consecrate a martyr. 

[Following Hirtacus' death some time later] the people then established for to be king, the brother of Ephigenia whom the apostle had baptised, and reigned seventy years, and established his son for to be king after him, and increased much the honour of Christianity, and replenished all Ethiopia with noble churches of our Lord."

Saint Eugenia of Rome, from the Golden Legend