In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit!
Beloved in Christ brothers and sisters, today the Holy Church honors the memory of Sts. Faith, Hope, Love,1 and their mother Sophia, praising their sufferings for faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
In order to have an idea of the nature of the sufferings of these holy martyrs, we should recollect the time and circumstances under which they were martyred. St. Sophia lived in Rome during the reign of Emperor Hadrian (ruled 117–138). Having lost her husband at a young age, she set about raising her young children on her own. Being a pious and diligent Christian, she tried to instill in her daughters the same spirit of piety, faith and love for our Lord Jesus Christ. With sufficient financial resources, she devoted herself entirely to the exploits of Christian love, helping the poor. Her children (and they generally seek examples) saw in her a good role model for a pious life. No wonder that the young maidens had fervent faith in the One God glorified in the Trinity, and believed in the future blissful life that God promises to give to all those who love Him with all their hearts. And there is no greater love on earth than if one lays down his life for Christ. The feat of martyrdom for Christ is at the very pinnacle of Christian virtue.
At that time there were terrible persecutions of Christians, and there were many martyrs in Rome. St. Sophia often spoke about them with her daughters. But an informer reported her to the Praetor Antiochus, the local governor, who demanded that the mother and her daughters be tried by Emperor Hadrian. The four of them prayed to the Lord, saying, “O God, our Savior! Help us for the glory of Thy name!” And, making the sign of the cross, they set off for the Emperor’s palace. The latter was surprised by their calm and fearlessness. The holy family was unshakeable before all kinds of promises and persuasions. Then the persecutors resorted to torment.
St. Faith was the first to be brutally tortured. Then the tormentors turned to Sts. Hope and Love, putting them to death by beheading. Their holy mother, Sophia, suffered unbearable physical and mental sufferings during that time. She was a true martyr without shedding blood. The pagans did not want to subject her to bodily torment; on the contrary, they allowed her to bury her daughters outside the city, and she, without leaving their grave, shed her tears quietly, imploring the Lord that her soul would join the souls of the holy martyrs soon. The Lord answered her prayer request, and on the third day she reposed peacefully at her daughters’ grave. Christians buried her in the same grave, and from that time on venerated St. Sophia as a martyr for Christ, for she had been tormented no less than her daughters, although she had not been subjected to bodily torture.
Dear brothers and sisters, St. Sophia exhorted her daughters not to cherish a temporary and prosperous life for the sake of acquiring eternal life, and thus showed them great love. We, too, must view this short and fleeting life in the same way and not prefer anything to the future eternal life. Our earthly life is like steam that appears and disappears. This is exactly what our earthly life is: a person is born, enjoys good health and beauty, then grows old and dies. And if that is so, then sacrificing this temporary life for the sake of the highest goals is a praiseworthy deed. If laying down one’s life for his neighbor is a high degree of virtue, then sacrificing his life for Christ is a martyr’s feat that will be crowned by the Lord Himself. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for My sake and the Gospel’s, the same shall save it (Mk. 8:35). And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell… Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father which is in Heaven… He that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me (Mt. 10:28, 32, 37). Thus, dear ones, the Lord demands from us sacrificial love for Him—love in deeds, which was shown to Him by the holy Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia.
Let us keep in mind, dear ones, that our life is passing and is given to us to prepare for the life to come, and that there will be our resurrection and eternal life. Let us build up our lives in such a way so that we may not defile ourselves with any vice, but that we can say together with the Apostle Paul: I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing (2 Tim. 4:7–8), which I wish for myself and all of you to be vouchsafed through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
