The Holy Martyrs Menodora, Mitrodora and Nymphodora.
They were sisters by birth and grew up
somewhere in Asian Bithynia. Reared in the spirit of Christianity,
they withdrew from the city to the wilderness, wishing to elevate
their minds to God and to free themselves of everything in this
deceitful world, and to live this life in purity and virginity as
true brides of Christ. They dedicated themselves to great labor,
fasting and prayer, until God adorned them with the gift of
miracle-working. When people began to bring the sick to them for
healing, they became well known against their will. A certain
governor, Fronton, heard of them and brought them to trial. Upon
seeing them, the governor was amazed at the beauty of their faces.
For, even though they were great fasters and their bodies were
withered, their faces were radiant, illumined by inward peace and the
grace of God. At first, the governor flattered them and promised to
send them to the emperor, who would give them in marriage to his
noblemen. But when he was convinced that all of his flattery and
promises had no effect on these brides of Christ, he ordered that
Menodora be tortured first, and her sisters thrown into prison. After
cruel tortures, the governor cried out to Menodora, who was wounded
and bloody: ``Offer sacrifice to the gods!'' To this the holy martyr
replied: ``Do you not see that I am offering my entire self as a
sacrifice to my God?'' When St. Menodora was slain by the tortures,
the governor then brought out the remaining two sisters, and stood
them by the dead body of Menodora. Pointing to the body of their
sister, he counseled them to deny Christ. Since they remained
steadfast, he slew them by harsh tortures. Just then, a thunderbolt
struck from heaven, and killed the soulless Fronton and his servants.
Christians honorably buried the bodies of these holy martyrs of God.
They suffered between the years of 305 and 311, during the reign of
Maximian Galerius, and found rest in the Kingdom of Christ.
Respectfully Taken From the:
"The Prologue of Ohrid"
by St. Nikolai of Zica, Serbia(Velimirovic)
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