ST SEBASTIANA, VIRGIN AND MARTYR

ST SEBASTIANA, VIRGIN AND MARTYR - 7 JUNE

SAINT SEBASTIANA, VIRGIN AND MARTYR

The story of Saint Sebastiana goes back to the earliest times of the Church. She is said to have been converted and baptised by Saint Paul in Heraclea in Thrace and to have suffered for Jesus as early as 93 A.D. She seems to have received her name from her native city of Sebaste in Phrygia, where her pagan father held the office of prefect for a long time. Later she came to Marcianople in Lower Moesia, now called Preslav, where she suffered much for Christ's sake. She was imprisoned, beaten with lead clubs and thrown onto a burning pyre, on which she remained unharmed, to the amazement of all onlookers.

A violent storm that arose as a result of her prayers extinguished the flames. Then the governor Sergius had her taken back to Heraclea, exactly as the Apostle Saint Paul had previously foretold to her in a night vision.

The local governor repeated the tortures and made them even more severe. To no avail. She seemed insensitive to the tortures that were being inflicted on her. Two lions that were let loose on her one after the other left her untouched and lay down at her side like tender lambs. When she was finally beheaded outside the city, milk flowed from her neck instead of blood.

Even after her death, the miracles continued. Her body, which the governor had locked in a box weighted with lead and thrown into the sea, was brought by an angel to a place called Rhesistos. A pious woman named Synctelica arranged for an honorable burial. The old Greek version of her life and suffering was published by the Bollandists* with the Latin translation opposite. We think it is possible that this Saint is identical with Saint Sebastiana because of all the miracles involved.

(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints, Volume 5, Augsburg, 1882, p. 229)

*A hagiography source used by the authors

Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints - Sources and Abbreviations

PRAYER:

Grant, we beseech you, almighty God, that the venerable feast of Saint Sebastiana 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

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