St. Theodosia of Constantinople lived during the eighth century and was born in answer to the fervent prayers of her parents. After their deaths, she was raised at the women’s monastery of the Holy Martyr Anastasia in Constantinople. After distributing what remained of her parental inheritance to the poor, she became a nun. She also used part of the money to commission gold and silver icons of the Savior, the Theotokos, and St. Anastasia.
When Leo the Isaurian ascended the throne, he issued an edict that holy icons be destroyed everywhere. Above the Bronze Gates at Constantinople was a bronze icon of the Savior, which had been there for more than 400 years. In 730, the iconoclast Patriarch Anastasius ordered that the icon be destroyed.
The Virgin Martyr Theodosia and other women rushed to protect the icon and toppled the ladder with the soldier who was carrying out the command. The women then stoned Patriarch Anastasius.
Emperor Leo ordered the women to be beheaded. St. Theodosia, an ardent defender of icons, was thrown in prison. She was given one hundred lashes a day for over one week. On the eighth day, she was led through the city, being beaten along the way. Ultimately, one of the soldiers stabbed her in the throat with a ram’s horn, and she received the crown of martyrdom.
Following the Triumph of Orthodoxy over iconoclasm she was recognized as a martyr and saint, and The body of the holy virgin martyr was reverently buried by Christians in the St. Euphemia Monastery in Constantinople, near a place called Dexiokratis. The tomb of St. Theodosia was glorified by numerous healings of the sick
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Hi Stephen
ReplyDeleteI haven't looked in for awhile because I have been away. Last Welsh Martyr has been presented with a Sunshine Award and I am supposed to pass it on. Some may think there isn't anything 'sunny' about martyrdom and perhaps, in some ways, that is very true. But, in my opinion, having the courage and grace to die for the faith and seeing God face to face is a bit of a 'sunny thought'. Anyway, I think your blog brings so much information to us that you are deserving of an award. Therefore, I am passing the Sunshine Award on to you. Take a look at my blog to see what the award is about and perhaps you might like to pass it on to some of your favourite blogs, too. God bless you Stephen.
Hi Breadgirl, I suppose such awards should be given to Jesus Christ, for all good things come from him. I suppose one could look at Martyrdom as being the opposite to sunny, but when we think about it, although it is sorrowful to lose such a great Brother or Sister through such an evil act as Murder, it is nonetheless an event that God uses to bring Good about. Thus the statement of Tertullian rings true, ''The Blood of the Martyrs, is the seed of the Church.'' and as well all know a Seed needs the Sun to grow, that Sun is Jesus and the water the Holy Spirit, and before you know it, it brings birds like ourself or people who are not of our fold to rest in its branches ( the Church )
ReplyDeletePax Christi
Stephen <3