புனிதர் சிம்போரோசா July 18

† இன்றைய புனிதர் †

(ஜூலை 18)

✠ புனிதர் சிம்போரோசா ✠

(St. Symphorosa)

மறைசாட்சி:

(Martyr)

பிறப்பு: --

இறப்பு: கி.பி. 138

டிபூர், (டிவோலி), இத்தாலி

(Tibur (Tivoli), Italy)

ஏற்கும் சமயம்:

ரோமன் கத்தோலிக்க திருச்சபை

(Roman Catholic Church)

முக்கிய திருத்தலம்:

புனித ஏஞ்செலோ, பேஸ்செரியா, ரோம்

(Sant'Angelo in Pescheria, Rome, Italy)

நினைவுத் திருநாள்: ஜூலை 18

பாதுகாவல்: 

டிவோலி, இத்தாலி

(Tivoli, Italy)

புனிதர் சிம்போரோசா, ஒரு கிறிஸ்தவ புனிதராக வணங்கப்படுகின்றவர் ஆவார். பாரம்பரியங்களின்படி, ரோமப் பேரரசன் “ஹட்ரியானின்” (Roman Emperor Hadrian) ஆட்சி முடிவில் (கி.பி. 117–138) தமது ஏழு மகன்களுடன் இத்தாலியின் டிபூர் (Tibur) நகரில் (தற்போதைய “டிவோலி” (Tivoli), “லாஸியோ” (Lazio), “இத்தாலி” (Italy) மறைசாட்சியாக மரித்தார்.

பேரரசன் ஹட்ரியான் (Emperor Hadrian), தனக்காக பெரும் பணச் செலவில் ஒரு ஆடம்பர மாளிகையைக் கட்டி முடித்திருந்தான். அதனை ரோம கடவுளர்களுக்கு அர்ப்பணிப்பதற்காக பலிகளைக் கொடுக்க ஆரம்பித்திருந்தான். அவனுக்கு ரோம கடவுளிடமிருந்து பின்வரும் மறுமொழி கிடைத்திருந்தது.

“உமது பேரரசிலுள்ள சிம்போரோசா என்னும் விதவைப் பெண்ணால் எமது அமைதி தொலைந்துவிட்டது. அவள் அவர்களது கடவுளுக்கு (கிறிஸ்துவுக்கு) செய்யும் புகழ்ச்சியும் அவளுடைய (கிறிஸ்தவ) விசுவாசமும் எங்களுக்கு சித்திரவதையாக உள்ளன. அவளையும் அவளது ஏழு மகன்களையும் எமக்கு பலியாக நீர் தரவேண்டும். அப்படிச் செய்தால், நாம் நீ வேண்டுவதெல்லாம் தருவோம்.”

சிம்போரோசாவை கொல்ல ஏனைய அரசர்கள் எடுத்திருந்த முயற்சிகள் தோல்வியடைந்திருந்த நிலையில், ஹட்ரியான் சிம்போரோசாவை அவர்களது கடவுளர்களின் கோவிலான “ஹெர்குலிஸ்” கோவிலுக்கு (Temple of Hercules) இழுத்து வரச் செய்தான். பலவித துன்புறுத்தல்களின் பின்னர், சிம்போரோசாவின் கழுத்தில் ஒரு பாறாங்கல்லைக் கட்டி, “இத்தாலியின், லசியோ” (Lazio, Italy) பிராந்தியத்திலுள்ள “அனியோ” (Anio River) நதியில் எறிந்தனர்.

மறுநாள் சிம்போரோசாவின் ஏழு மகன்களையும் கொண்டுவரச் செய்த ஹட்ரியான், தமது ரோம கடவுளர்களை வழிபடுமாறு பலவிதங்களிலும் அவர்களை துன்புறுத்தினான். ஆனால் எதற்கும் அவர்கள் மசியாததால், அவர்களனைவரும் வெவ்வேறு விதமாக சித்திரவதை செய்யப்பட்டு, ஏழு விதமாக கொல்லப்பட்டனர். பின்னர் அவர்களனைவரும் ஒட்டுமொத்தமாக ஒரு பெரும் குழியில் வீசப்பட்டு மூடப்பட்டனர்.

† Saint of the Day †

(July 18)

✠ St. Symphorosa ✠

Martyr:

Born: ----

Died: 138 AD

The Anio (Aniene), Tibur (Tivoli), Italy

Venerated in: Catholic Church

Major shrine: Sant'Angelo in Pescheria, Rome, Italy

Feast: July 18

Patronage: Tivoli, Italy

Symphorosa is venerated as a saint of the Catholic Church. According to tradition, she was martyred with her seven sons at Tibur (present Tivoli, Lazio, Italy) toward the end of the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian (AD 117-38).

The Catholic Church presents to us today, as she did on the 10th of this Month, seven Christian heroes, who in their youth, manifested more than manly firmness in the confession of the true faith. Their names were, Crescentius, Julianus, Nemesius, Primitives, Justinus, Stacteus, and Eugenius. Symphorosa, their holy and not less heroic mother, was a native of Rome, and wife of Getulius, a Roman general. When in the reign of Emperor Adrian, cruel persecution of the Christians arose, she went with Getulius and Amantius, her brother-in-law, and her seven sons, to Tivoli, to strengthen the Christians in the true faith, and to prepare herself for the approaching struggle. The Emperor, informed of this, despatched Cerealis, one of his officers, to Tivoli, to take Getulius and Amantius, and bring them, prisoners, to Rome. Cerealis, still a heathen, came to execute the imperial command; but convinced by Getulius and Amantius of the truth of the Christian faith, he embraced it; and hence, all three were beheaded by command of the enraged Emperor, after having suffered a long imprisonment, and many cruel tortures.

St. Symphorosa had every reason to believe that she and her children would not long remain unmolested; and as she feared that one or more of her children, owing to their tender age, might be induced to abandon their faith for fear of the tortures, she left Tivoli, and concealed herself for a time in an unfrequented place, in order to gain time to inspire her children with Christian fortitude. She represented to them the priceless grace of dying for Christ's sake and the glory which awaits martyrs in heaven. The shortness of the pains of martyrdom and the never-ending rewards of heaven were the chief points which she almost hourly presented to their consideration, while, at the same time, she exhorted them to follow the example of their uncle and their father, and remain faithful to the true faith. One day, she asked Eugenius, the youngest, what he would do in case he was forced either to sacrifice to the gods or to be whipped and torn with scourges. The innocent little child answered manfully: “Dear mother, I would rather be torn in pieces than sacrifice to the devils.” “But,” said his mother, addressing all the children, “would you not be frightened if the executioner would seize you, threatening to kill you all most cruelly? Would you not shrink, if they were to place before your eyes fire, swords, the rack, and other instruments of torture? Oh! I fear, my beloved children, I fear that you would lose courage and forsake Christ.” “No, no, dear mother,” said Crescentius, “fear not; I and all my brothers promise to thee that there shall be nothing dreadful enough to conquer us and cause us to become faithless to Jesus Christ.” Greatly comforted, the pious mother admonished them to pray that God might give them the strength they needed to suffer for Him; a prayer which she herself ceaselessly sent up to the throne of the Highest. Not long after, her anticipations were realized.

Adrian had her and her children apprehended and brought before him, and commanded them immediately to sacrifice to the gods or to prepare themselves for the cruelest death. The fearless heroine replied: “There is no need for further preparations, of further consideration. My resolution is taken; I will not sacrifice to idols, and I have only one wish, to give my life for Him who has given His for me.” The tyrant, who had not expected this answer, was doubly enraged and commanded her to be taken to the temple of the idols and to be hung up by the hair of the head, after having been most cruelly buffeted. This command was immediately executed. Symphorosa, during this torture, courageously said to her children: ” Be not terrified, my children, at my sufferings; I bear it joyfully; joyfully do I give my life for Christ's sake. Remain steadfast. Fight bravely. Remember the example your father gave you; look at me, your mother, and follow in our footsteps. This suffering is short, but the glory prepared for us will be everlasting.” With such words, the Christian mother fortified her children who were willing to conduct themselves according to her precepts. The tyrant who would no longer listen to Symphorosa's exhortations, ordered her to be cast into the river, with a great stone fastened around her neck. In this manner ended her glorious martyrdom, in the 138th year of the Christian Era.

On the following day, her seven sons were brought before the Emperor, who represented to them that, as they had neither father nor mother, he would adopt them as his own children and provide for them most bountifully, if they would obey him and sacrifice to the gods. Should they, however, prove as obstinate as their parents had been, they had nothing to expect but torments and death. “This is what we desire,” answered Crescentius,” that we, like our parents, may die for the sake of Christ. Neither promises, nor threats, nor torments can make us faithless to Christ.” The Emperor, being unwilling to put his menaces immediately into execution, still endeavored to win over the children, alternately by promises and threats; but finding all unavailing, he ordered seven stakes to be raised in the idolatrous temple, to which the seven valiant confessors of Christ were tied, and tormented in all possible ways. Their limbs were stretched until they were dislocated, and the witnesses of these awful scenes were filled with compassion. The pain must have been most dreadful, but there was not one of these young heroes who did not praise God and rejoice in his suffering. The tyrant, ashamed of being conquered by children, ordered an end to be made of their torments, which was accordingly done in various ways. Crescentius had his throat cut with a dagger; Julianus was stabbed in the breast with a sword; Nemesius was pierced through the heart, and Primitives through the lower part of his body. Justinus was cut in pieces; Stacteus shot with arrows, and Eugenius, the youngest, was cut in two.

Thus gloriously died the seven sons of St. Symphorosa, reminding us of the illustrious martyrdom of the several Machabees, in the reign of the wicked King Antiochus.