Holy Martyr Charitina (+304)
The holy Martyr Charitina was still a child when she was orphaned. A devout Christian, Claudius, took on her upbringing. Claudius came to love the God-fearing girl like his own daughter. He set aside a room for Charitina where Christian girls gathered. The older ones taught the saint the divine law and instructed her, while the younger ones learned from Charitina herself. At this time Diocletian (284–305) began to persecute the Orthodox. The soldiers sent to seize the Christians came for Charitina too; Claudius burst into sobs, pressed the girl to his breast and was ready even to give his life to save his foster-daughter. But Charitina herself asked her foster-father: “Let me go, my second father, let me go in the footsteps of sweet Jesus, and do not grieve; rejoice, for I shall be offered to the Lord as a sacrifice!” She gave herself up to the hard-hearted soldiers, and Claudius followed his foster-daughter and begged her in tears: “Remember me before the King of heaven when you stand before Him with the company of the martyrs!”
At the trial the judge Domitian called Charitina a proud and obstinate Christian who corrupted others. To this the virgin replied: “Before God and the people I confess the name of Jesus Christ, and in this case I count obstinacy the highest virtue; but it is an utter lie that I corrupt others: I do not corrupt them, I turn them away from corruption.” Domitian curbed his anger and demanded that the handmaid of Christ soften the hearts of the gods she had insulted by her apostasy, promising her favour besides. Then the martyr raised her eyes to heaven and said: “Thee alone I love, Jesus, my Bridegroom; with Thee I am crucified, and with Thee I live.” The judge, losing patience, began to mock the virgin: he had her hair cut off, but at that very moment it grew again on the blessed one’s head; then the saint was tortured with fire and sword and thrown into the sea too, but came through unharmed. At last the lamb of Christ prayed and committed her soul to the Lord in peace (this is thought to have happened in 304).
