Friday, October 30, 2009

Saint Zenobia


Today is my name day.   The Orthodox church commemorates Saints Zenobius and Zenobia on October 30th.  They were brother and sister coming from a wealthy family in Cilicia during the reign of Emperor Diocletian.  Their parents raised them as Christians and when the brother and sister were older, they gave away their inherited wealth to the poor and needy.  


Zenobius was given the gift of healing maladies and his sister, Zenobia, would help him attend to the sick and the suffering.  Zenobius was also bishop of Aegae.  The siblings were both killed in 285 for professing their faith in Christ.  It is said that the following conversation was held between the Govenor Licius and Saint Zenobius - “I shall only speak briefly with you,” said Licius to the saint, “for I propose to grant you life if you worship our gods, or death, if you do not.” Zenobius answered, “This present life without Christ is death. It is better that I prepare to endure the present torment for my Creator, and then with Him live eternally, than to renounce Him for the sake of the present life, and then be tormented eternally in Hades.”


I spent the day enjoying time with my family and a couple of my friends.  The icon above was given to my by my brother a few years ago.  Saint Zenobia is not a common icon among those who write or sell icons.  My brother was very sweet to have this icon written by an iconographer in Greece while he was on pilgrimage there.


Hymn to Saints Zenobius and Zenobia -


Let us honor with inspired hymns the two martyrs for truth:
the preachers of true devotion, Zenóbius and Zenobía;
as brother and sister they lived and suffered together and through martyrdom received their incorruptible crowns.


3 comments:

Pres. Kathy said...

Happy Nameday!

Illumination Learning said...

Thank you! So sweet of you.

Claude LOPEZ-GINISTY said...

In the Sacred Monastery of Saint Nicholas on the island of Andros in Greece, there is a relic of saint Zenobius that is giving a very fragrant myrrhon. One day, as the hegumen Archimandrite Dorotheos ( Themelis) was leading the veneration of various relics for a group of pilgrims, the fragrant relic of Saint Zenobius, dry at the beginning, was wet with a lot of myrrhon that formed a little pool on the relic itself.

Wondrous is God in His saints!

hypodeacon Claude ( Lopez-Ginisty)/ Switzerland