Holy Martyr Aquilina (+293)

The holy Martyr Aquilina (+293) was brought up in a devout Phoenician family in the time of the Emperor Diocletian (284–305). Her parents raised their child in faithfulness to the commandments of Christ. Aquilina too sincerely loved God; she pitied her companions deprived of spiritual light and urged them to follow Christ. One of the servants of the governor Volusian denounced Aquilina to his master, saying that she was teaching her companions to insult the gods of their forefathers. The holy child was then twelve years old. Volusian decided to capture the child’s heart with sweet persuasion and affection and to turn her to paganism, but Aquilina confessed her faith before him with wonderful firmness. When no stratagem availed, the tormentor showed his true nature and ordered the child to be tortured. The executioners first beat Aquilina cruelly, and then stripped her and tortured her terribly. Volusian said mockingly to the young martyr: “Where is thy God? Let Him come and snatch thee out of my hands!” Aquilina answered: “My God is always with me invisibly, and the more I suffer, the more strength and patience He gives me!”

Red-hot skewers were driven into the ears of the lamb of Christ and her head was pierced through. She fell to the ground as if dead. The tormentor ordered the child to be thrown outside the city for the dogs to tear apart. At midnight an angel of the Lord came to Aquilina, healed her by the touch of his hand, raised her up, and said to her: “Go, denounce Volusian and show him how powerless his power is before the Lord!” The martyr glorified the Lord, set off for the governor’s palace, and stood before Volusian. The tormentor, struck with terror, called his servants and ordered them to guard the girl respectfully, and in the morning he sentenced her to death as a sorceress and a rebel against the king. As the saint was being led to execution, she prayed and gave thanks to the Lord for making her worthy of martyrdom. In reply a voice rang out calling Aquilina to the heavenly Kingdom, and she commended her soul to the Lord in peace (+293). The executioner, afraid of failing to carry out the governor’s order, cut off the head of the martyr, who was already dead. The Christians buried the martyr’s holy body with honour, and later it was translated to Constantinople, to a church built in her name.