Holy Martyrs Adrian and Natalia (IV)
The holy Martyrs Adrian and Natalia married in their youth, only a year before their martyrdom. They lived in Nicomedia in Bithynia in the time of the Emperor Maximian Galerius (305–311). When the God-hating ruler began a persecution of the Christians, he promised rewards to all who would betray them and bring them before the tribunal. Denunciations began. On the information of one man, twenty-three Christians who had taken refuge in a cave near Nicomedia were seized. For refusing to worship idols they were terribly tortured, and then taken to the chamber of the tribunal so that their names might be recorded. Adrian, the head of the tribunal chamber, amazed at the firmness of the confessors, said to the scribes: “Write me down too, for I am a Christian and will gladly die for Christ God.”
When the scribes reported this to the emperor, he summoned his faithful official and said to him: “Hast thou too gone mad and wishest to destroy thyself? Go, strike thy name from the list, ask the gods’ forgiveness and offer sacrifice!” But Saint Adrian answered: “I have not gone mad; I have come to my senses.” Then Maximian ordered the confessor to be thrown into prison. When the martyr’s wife, Natalia, learned that her husband had confessed Christ, she was filled with joy, for she herself was a secret Christian. She visited Adrian in prison and encouraged him: “Blessed art thou, my lord, for thou hast believed in Christ. Thou hast gained a great treasure. Regret nothing earthly: beauty, youth and riches are all dust and ashes, and only faith and good works are pleasing to the Lord.” On the surety of the other prisoners Saint Adrian was let out of prison to tell his wife the day of his execution. Natalia thought that he had been freed at the price of denying the Saviour; but the lamb of Christ assured her that he had not fled from torture, but wished to tell her the day of his end.
Saint Adrian was cruelly tortured. Saint Natalia strengthened her husband and begged him to offer his first prayer before God for her. The tormentor ordered the hands and feet of Adrian and the other condemned men to be broken on an anvil. The godless wished to burn their bodies, but a terrible thunderstorm broke out and the fire in the furnace went out. Many of the executioners were struck by lightning. Soon a tribune of the army asked the emperor’s permission to marry the charming and rich Natalia, but the widow fled to Byzantium and took her husband’s holy body with her. Here Saint Adrian appeared to her in her sleep and told her that she would soon repose. The soul of the lamb of Christ, weakened by the sufferings she had endured, was indeed soon received by the Lord: she died over her husband’s body.
