From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   December 4th - St. Barbara   
      
   The History of our Church is full of examples of individuals who dedicated   
   their lives to God. Their stories are different and vary, yet the one thread   
   that links them all is their Love for God. They endured whipping, stoning   
   and other forms of torture because of their belief. Some, were even fed to   
   lions and beheaded, yet, even when faced with this enormous pressure to deny   
   Christ they stood firm and fearless even to death.   
      
   One such heroine, named Barbara, lived in the city of Heliopolis in the   
   beginning of the third century. She was a lovely and intelligent girl and   
   the daughter of Dioscorus, who was a wealthy nobleman and a pagan. In his   
   zeal to protect his young daughter, Dioscorus built a magnificent tower for   
   her to live in and to keep her safe. He spared no expense, providing her   
   with every material luxury, the best food, clothing, servants and teachers,   
   but forbade her to have friends and even speak to anyone without his   
   permission. Dioscorus's intentions were simple-he wanted to surround his   
   daughter with the greatest comforts and attendants focused on teaching her   
   how to worship the pagan gods. He felt that by keeping her secluded from the   
   world, she was sure to remain a pagan worshipper. Barbara was a bright and   
   intelligent girl who was obedient to her father's wishes and remained in the   
   tower, without complaint, even during his frequent business trips.   
      
   One day, before leaving on one of his many business trip, Dioscorus decided   
   to build a bathhouse for Barbara next to her tower. He drew up plans and   
   left strict instructions for the builders to follow. Dioscorus' business   
   however kept him away for an unusually long time, so that the workers were   
   over half finished with the bathhouse and still there was no word on his   
   return. It was around this time that Barbara came down from her tower to   
   inspect the new structure. She noticed that it only had two windows, and   
   thought to herself that the pool would have more light if there were three   
   windows in the bathhouse and she instructed the workers to create a third   
   window.   
      
   Remembering Dioscorus's stern instructions, the workers were afraid to   
   deviate from the plans, but Barbara assured them that she would assume full   
   responsibility for the change in plans. The workers, aware of the love that   
   Dioscorus had for his only daughter, agreed and placed a third window in the   
   bathhouse. One day, as Barbara stood by the pool facing the east she said,   
   "In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit," and she   
   miraculously drew the sign of the cross in the marble wall of the bathhouse   
   with her finger. She then returned to her tower and spent her days praying   
   and fasting.   
      
   When Dioscorus finally arrived home he immediately noticed the additional   
   (third) window in the bathhouse and became very angry. He entered the   
   bathhouse, to inspect it further, and then noticed the large cross, carved   
   on the marble wall. He became furious. He quickly went to the workers and   
   demanded to know who gave them permission to make changes to the bathhouse?   
   The workers, cowering in the face of such anger, replied that Barbara   
   instructed them to add the third window and then drew the cross herself, on   
   the marble wall with her finger.   
      
   Dioscorus immediately sought out his daughter and demanded to know why she   
   had deviated from his strict instructions and if the inclusion of this third   
   window had an additional meaning. Barbara responded in a very loving way to   
   her father stating that indeed the three windows represented the three   
   Lights which guide everyone who comes into the world (the Holy Trinity).   
   Barbara then proceeded to explain and confess her faith in the Holy Trinity.   
      
   Upon hearing Barbara's confession of faith, Dioscorus became furious! His   
   plan of keeping his daughter in darkness had failed! Even though she had no   
   'human' teacher to bring her to the knowledge of God's existence, Barbara's   
   mind, heart and soul were opened by the grace of God to feel His presence.   
   Secretly, she was able to meet with some Christians who told her about   
   Christ and His teachings. Convinced of the Truth concerning Jesus, she   
   became a Christian whose love for God inspired all who heard of her.   
      
   Blinded by his fury, Dioscorus delivered Barbara to Marcian, the Roman   
   prefect, to torture her until she denied Christ. Young Barbara was stripped   
   and struck with whips and clubs until she was standing in a pool of her own   
   blood. To increase the pain and suffering, the soldiers rubbed vinegar into   
   her wounds. Through all this however, Barbara stood firm in her faith and   
   would not deny Christ.   
      
   She was then thrown into prison and ordered to return the following day.   
   While in her cell Barbara knelt in prayer to ask God to continue to grant   
   her the strength that she needed to remain faithful, and as she prayed her   
   heart was filled with heavenly joy and her wounds were completely and   
   miraculously healed.   
      
   In a nearby cell, was another pious young lady named Juliana, who was also   
   imprisoned because of her belief in Christ. Upon witnessing the miraculous   
   healing of Barbara, Juliana praised God and promised to endure what ever   
   terrible tortures that were facing her because of her faith.   
      
   The next day, Barbara was brought in front of Marcian. He was amazed to see   
   that her wounds had healed, and demanded that she deny her faith in Christ.   
   Her refusal angered the prefect who ordered her body to be hung on a stake   
   and ripped with iron claws. The soldiers then burned her wounds with hot   
   irons and beat her head with spiked clubs. Yet through it all, Barbara found   
   consolation in prayer.   
      
   Juliana witnessed Barbara's tortures and wept bitterly over her inability to   
   assist her. When Marcian saw this, he ordered that Juliana be brought   
   forward and tortured in an effort to have her renounce her faith in Christ.   
   The horrible beatings resumed and continued for several hours while the   
   young ladies stood praying and chanting hymns. Their refusal to renounce   
   their faith only further frustrated Marcian and he ordered that the two   
   girls be taken out of the city and killed!   
      
   When Dioscorus, who was watching his daughter's torture, heard Marcian   
   pronounce the sentence, he offered to execute Barbara himself with his own   
   sword. Saint Barbara and Saint Juliana were then led out of the city to a   
   mountainside were they were beheaded - Saint Barbara, by her father and   
   Saint Juliana by an executioner. As the two men hurried down the   
   mountainside, a great bolt of lightning came from heaven striking Dioscorus   
   and killing him, another lightning bolt killed Juliana's executioner. When   
   the cowardly Marcian heard of these events, he became so paralyzed by fear   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)