MARTYRS OF AUGSBURG - 12 AUGUST

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN AUGUST

Saints celebrated on the 12th of August

WELCOME!

MARTYRS OF AUGSBURG 

[St Hilaria, St Afra's mother, and the friends and maidservants of St Afra - Eunomia, Euprepia, and Digna - were among the martyrs of Augsburg. To start with, St Afra was a prostitute, and so were her friends. These were the events leading up to the martyrdom:]

The Lord had mercy on the unfortunate sinner [Afra] and led the holy bishop Narcissus, accompanied by  the holy deacon Felix, on their flight from Spain from the persecutors, to their dwelling [in Augsburg], where they were most kindly welcomed, admittedly with a different intention than the holy men were aware of.

...WITH A DIFFERENT INTENTION THAN THE HOLY MEN WERE AWARE OF 

But before the pious Bishop sat down at the table, which Afra had prepared for him, he began to pray with his deacon, which, deeply affected Afra. She asked for more detailed information from her guest. When she heard that he was a Christian bishop, stimulated by divine grace, she suddenly felt such shame at her previous way of life that she fell at the bishop's feet and confessed with tears that she was the most shameful woman in the whole city (in ista civitate nulla me turpior potest inveniri). 

SHE FELL AT THE BISHOPS FEET AND CONFESSED THAT SHE WAS THE MOST SHAMEFUL WOMAN

St Narcissus encouraged her and pointed out Jesus, through whom she could obtain forgiveness of her sins. "Only believe," said he, "and be baptised, and bliss will be your inheritance" (Tantum crede, et baptixare, et salva eris). 

Not a little reassured by this comforting assurance, Afra hurried to her three maidservants, Digna, Eunomia and Euprepia, and aquainted them with the whole conversation with the Christian man, whereupon they declared: "We have been comrades in your iniquities so far, why shouldn't we be with you?" They, too, asked for forgiveness of their guilt. 

Meanwhile night fell and the bishop began to sing psalms and hymns with his deacon, and Afra and her maids also joined this godly work all night, which was glorified by the Lord with a miracle by at midnight (circa pullorum cantum): a heavenly light illuminated the apartment. 

HER FLAT WAS ILLUMINATED BY HEAVENLY LIGHT 

The next day, Afra hurried to her mother Hilaria, introduced her to the whole thing and asked her to  hide the holy men in her house, since bloodthirsty henchmen were already on her trail. They had recognised her as a Christian, because she had blessed herself with the Sign of the Cross first thing in the morning near the window - unaware of being spied upon. 

THEY RECOGNISED HER AS A CHRISTIAN BECAUSE SHE MADE THE SIGN OF THE CROSS

When night fell, Hilaria not only welcomed them joyfully into her house, but also threw herself at the bishop's feet and asked forgiveness for her sins. After all of them had fasted for seven days by order of the same and had heard God's word, they - Afra, her mother and maids, as well as everyone in the house - all went out of the water of baptism to spiritual life.

ALL OF THEM WERE BAPTISED

The Diocletian persecution was still raging, and Afra, not long after, was was dragged before before the judge Gaius (Cajus), who first tried to turn her away from Christ by flattery and threats, and then, when this proved futile, condemned her to death by fire. 

THEY FOUND HER BODY INTACT

During the execution of this judgement, which took place on an island (that existed at that time) on the river Lech, the three maidservants remained on this side of the bank; but after the judgment was completed they went over to the island, where they found the body of their mistress intact (integrum). 

THEY PLACED HER REMAINS IN A CRYPT

Through a boy who was with them and who swam across the river, they informed her mother of this miracle, who on the (following) night set out with priests, took the remains of her daughter with her and placed her in a crypt (memoria), which she had built for herself and her family at the "second milestone of the city" Augsburg. - The year and the day of the martyrdom of St Afra is given variously as having occured in 304 or 303; the former is more likely, however, since the arrival of St Narcissus in Augsburg must be placed in the second half of the year 303, which is documented, as well as the fact that he stayed there for nine months.   

The poet Venantius Fortunatus (d. 609 as bishop of Poitiers) writes in his booklet Vita St Martini among other things: 

"Pergis ad Augustam, quam Vindo Lycusque fluentant;

Illic ossa sacre venerabere Martyris Afrae..."

(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints, Volume 4, Augsburg, 1875)

Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints - Sources and Abbreviations

PRAYER:

Grant, we beseech you, almighty God, that the venerable feast of the Martyrs of Augsburg may increase our devotion and promote our salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Sources of these articles (in the original German): books.google.co.uk, de-academic.com, zeno.org, openlibrary.org

Shortly after St Afra's martyrdom, St Hilaria was discovered by the pagans praying in a little building erected over her daughter’s grave. They forthwith heaped brushwood around it, and the flames consumed Hilaria and Afra's three friends.