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Agathi, the martyr

Saint Agathe (Salha) was born in the early third century AD in the city of Benorme on the island of Sicily. She was of great beauty, very rich, of great fame, and of honorable origin, and she was also above the joys of the world and its mortal embellishments, as her pure soul was attached to Jesus the Redeemer, the divine circumcision of virgins. Candianus, the Roman governor during the reign of the Roman king Decius, learned of her and wanted her for himself to satisfy his desires. He had her for a while, but she was ignoring him, so he arrested her under the pretext that she was a Christian and put her in prison. He explained to himself that the promise and threat would eliminate her reluctance, so she would submit to him submissively, and in order to weaken her resistance, he handed her over to his hands. Women to seduce her, but when they failed, he brought her back to him and tried to convince her with threats and intimidation if she returned to worshiping his God, so he sent her back to prison to think about her bad fate if she remained in her faith.

و عندما أحضرت إلي مجلسه بعد السجن سألها هل فكرت في نجاتتها و خلاصها؟ أجابت “بأن خلاصي هو المسيح” فأمر بتعذيبها و تقطيعها فضربت بقساوة ثم قطع الجلاد ثديها و أعادها إلي السجن و الدماء تنزف منها و أمر أن لا يدخل عليها أي طبيب، و أن تحرم من الماء و الطعام، و ما كان الليل ينتصف و أغاثي تتألم حتى رأت شيخاً جليلاً داخلاً عليها، و معه عقاقير و يتقدمه طفل يحمل سراجاً و قال لها: “إني كنت حاضراً و أنت تتعذبين و جئت لمعالجة جراحك فقالت له أليس عاراً علي أن أكون قليلة الثقة بالله الذي توكلت عليه منذ طفولتي؟ فلا يمكنني أن أرضى بدواء”.فسألها الشيخ لماذا؟ قالت:”لأن يسوع مخلصي، و هو قادر أن يبرئني بكلمته”فابتسم الشيخ و قال:”أنا الرسول بطرس و هو نفسه أرسلني إليك، و أنا رسوله وباسم يسوع ستعود صحتك اليك”.

فلما قال هذا توارى و إذا بجروحها قد شفيت فسجدت للرب تصلي و تشكر و أضاء السجن بنور سماوي حتى إن الحراس خافوا و هربوا. وبعد أربعة أيام أعادها الحاكم و حاول إقناعها لتقدم الذبائح للآلهة . و إلا سينزل بها عذاب أشد عنفاً و أكثر مرارة فقالت له:”هل يمكن أن أعيد هذه الأخشاب و الحجارة التي تدعونها آلهة، و أعرض عن الإله الحقيقي الذي أبرأني و أعاد إلي ثدييي و صحتى” . فسألها :”من هو الذي شفاك”؟ فأجابت :”هو يسوع المسيح إبن الله المبارك”، فاستشاط غضباً و أمر بأن تفرش أرض السجن بقطع من الخزف المكسر، و أن تعرى الفتاة البتول من ثيابها و تدحرج على تلك القطع المسننة فعمل السجان بأمره وما كاد يبدأ بذلك العذاب البربري حتى أهتز المكان و شعر الناس بمدينة كاتانا تهتز إهتزازاً عنيفاً فارتاعوا وأيقنوا أن السماء تنتقم لتلك الصبية الطاهرة، التي تعذب ظلماً فجمعوا جموعهم و تألبوا على دار الحاكم يطلبونه ساخطين فتوارى عن الأنظار وأمر بإرجاعها إلي السجن فأعيدت إليه، و كانت تصلي وتتضرع إلي الرب أن يتقبل روحها بين يديه وما كادت تنهي صلاتها حتى صرخت بصوت عظيم و أسلمت روحها بين يدي خالقها.

When the believers learned of this, they carried her body and placed it in a new grave. Suddenly, a young man with a beautiful appearance arrived in front of the grave, with about a hundred children in white silk clothes. He came forward and placed a white marble plaque on the girl’s head, on which was written: A pure soul, an apostolic soul, it is the glory of God and the guardian of the homelands. Then He disappeared. The news spread that the angel Agathi had come to her grave to glorify her, and the people of Sicily and Italy began to honor her and take her as their intercessor.

As for Candianus, after Agathi’s death, he rode his horse and went with his companions to seize her property. They went down in a boat to cross a river there, and while they were in the middle of the river, Candianus's horse flinched and struck his companion's horse. The horses became furious and struck Candianus with their hooves, throwing him into the water and drowning, and his body was not found. A year after her death, the Athna volcano near the city of Qatani erupted, and the lava and fiery torrent flowing from its nozzle overwhelmed the earth and the surrounding villages. The people were defeated, and the believers went to Agathi’s grave, humbled and humbled. They carried the cover that covered her grave and raised it in front of the overwhelming torrent, so it stopped and she was saved. The city was saved from destruction, and Saint Agathe became the patron saint of Italy and will remain an example for Christian virgins forever with her purity.

إستشهدت القديسة عام”254″ للميلاد. و تحتفل كنيستنا بعيدها في اليوم الخامس من شهر شباط.

Troparia in the fourth tune
Your ewe, Jesus, cries out to you with a loud voice, saying: O my circumcised, I long for you and struggle seeking you, and I will be crucified and buried with you through your baptism, and I will suffer for you so that I may reign with you, and I will die for you so that I may live in you. But as a blameless sacrifice, you will receive with eagerness what was sacrificed for you. Through her intercessions, since You are merciful, save our souls.

Qandaq with the fourth tune
Today, let the church be decorated with a glorious pearl, dyed from the pure blood of the martyr Agathe, and shout out: Peace be upon you, O honor and pride of Qatani.

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