From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   On the Joy of God's Service [IV]   
      
   What return can I make for all these countless favors? If only I could   
   serve You faithfully all the days of my life! If only I could render   
   You worthy service, even for a single day! For You alone are worthy of   
   all service, honor, and eternal praise. (Rev. 4:11) You are truly my   
   God, and I Your poor servant, who am bound to serve with all my   
   powers, nor should I ever weary in Your praise. This is my wish and   
   desire; whatever is lacking in me, I pray you to supply.   
   --Thomas à Kempis --Imitation of Christ, Bk 3 Ch 10   
      
   <<>><<>><<>>   
   February 5th – St. Theodula of Anazarbus in Cilicia   
      
      
   St. Theodula lived in the city of Anazarbus (Asia Minor) during the   
   reign of the Roman emperors Diocletian (284-305) and Maximian   
   (305-311). The prefect of the city, Pelagius, was very cruel. His   
   servants sought out Christians throughout the entire region and   
   brought them to trial, where the imperial edict was read to them, and   
   they were ordered to worship idols.   
      
   Theodula was brought before him, and Pelagius ordered that she worship   
   the pagan gods, threatening her with torture if she refused. St.   
   Theodula replied, “I am a Christian. My very name means ‘servant of   
   God,’ and so people call me Theodula. I worship the One True God and   
   will not worship a mere stone.”   
      
   Pelagius became angry and gave orders to begin the torture. The Lord   
   granted Theodula His help, and she did not feel any pain. Pelagius,   
   however, said this was done by the gods, who had spared Theodula in   
   the hope that she would turn to them.   
      
   St. Theodula said to the prefect, “Where are your gods who spare me?   
   Show them to me, that I might show honor to them.” They brought her   
   into the temple of the “deified” Roman emperor Hadrian, whom the   
   pagans regarded as a mighty god. Theodula, in praying to the One True   
   God, merely blew a breath at the idol, and it crumbled into dust.   
   Seeing this, Pelagius was terrified. If the idol’s destruction was   
   reported to the emperor, he himself would be thrown to the wild   
   beasts. He fell down at St. Theodula’s feet, begging her to restore   
   the idol, and promising to accept Christianity.   
      
   Theodula prayed to the Lord Jesus Christ, and the idol again stood in   
   its place, whole and intact. Pelagius, however, not only did not keep   
   his promise to become a Christian, but instead began to torture   
   Theodula with an even greater fury.   
      
   During these torments, a man by the name of Helladius appeared before   
   Pelagius, and looking at the captive, asked to be given Theodula,   
   promising to make her worship the pagan gods, because he wanted to   
   ingratiate himself with Pelagius and receive honors.   
      
   Helladius subjected Theodula to harsh torments, exceeding Pelagius in   
   cruelty. The saint prayed that God would grant her the ability to   
   persevere. She immediately received help from God and was healed.   
   Helladius was awestruck, and St. Theodula admonished him. “Become a   
   Christian,” she said, “and attain eternal honors in the Kingdom of our   
   Lord Jesus Christ, Who shall judge both the living and the dead and   
   render to each man according to his deeds.”   
      
   By her prayers and her words, St. Theodula led Helladius to the   
   knowledge of the Truth. He believed in Christ and confessed the True   
   God before Pelagius. He received the crown of martyrdom when they cut   
   off his head with a sword and threw his body into the sea.   
      
   St. Theodula was thrown into a blazing oven, but remained unharmed.   
   After this, she was stretched out on a metal plate where boiling tar,   
   wax and oil were poured on her, but the red-hot plate shattered into   
   pieces, and the fire scorched many people, including Pelagius, who   
   died of fright. However, St. Theodula remained unharmed.   
      
   Seeing this miracle, many people came to believe in Christ, among whom   
   were Macarius and Evagrius. The pagans continued to torture the   
   Christian through the heating of an oven. They threw Sts. Theodula,   
   Macarius, Evagrius and many others who believed in Christ into it.   
   They all suffered martyrdom, and were translated into life immortal.   
      
      
   Troparion (Tone 4) –   
      
   Your holy martyr Theodula, O Lord,   
   Through her sufferings has received an   
   incorruptible crown from You, our God.   
   For having Your strength, she laid low her adversaries,   
   And shattered the powerless boldness of demons.   
   Through her intercessions, save our souls!   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   Disengage thyself a while from earthly care, and give thyself for a   
   time to think of God, and to repose a little in Him. Then, having   
   closed the door of thy senses, say with the affection of thy soul: O   
   Lord, behold I am in quest of Thy lovely Countenance; teach Thy poor   
   servant how to find it.   
   --St. Augustine   
      
   Bible Quote:   
   "Jesus answered: Amen, amen, I say to thee, unless a man be born again   
   of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God"   
   (John 3:5)   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   OFFERING OF THE PRECIOUS BLOOD   
      
   Eternal Father,   
   we offer Thee the precious Blood of Jesus,   
   shed for us through exceeding love,   
   and with exceeding pain   
   from the wound of His right hand;   
   through the merits and virtues of which,   
   we beseech Thy divine Majesty   
   to bestow on us Thy sacred benediction,   
   that by its efficacy   
   we may be protected from our enemies,   
   and delivered from every evil.   
   For this purpose we say:   
   May the blessing of Almighty God,   
   Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,   
   descend upon us,   
   and remain always with us.   
      
   Amen.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)