Suffering of the holy martyr Susanna the virgin and other martyrs with her

During the reigns of Diocletian and Maximian, known as Hercules, the presbyter Gavinus, the half-brother of the Roman pope Gaius, lived in Rome; possessing a good knowledge of pagan philosophers and an excellent study of the Holy Scriptures, Gavinus, on the advice and admonition of his brother, wrote many books in refutation of pagan misconceptions.

Both of them were of noble birth, so they were known to the emperor Diocletian, who, however, did not want to acknowledge his kinship with them; he despised them because they professed the Christian faith.

The presbyter Gavin had a daughter named Susanna; he brought her up in the true Christian spirit, instilling in her from an early age the fear of God, and at the same time he gave her a good secular education. Susanna was distinguished by her mind and physical beauty, which was surpassed by the beauty of the soul: she loved the Lord Jesus Christ with all her heart and was His faithful, chaste slave.

(Others call him Maximinus; in fact he was not the son of Diocletian, but was adopted by him, as descended from his closest relatives; Diocletian first gave him his daughter Valeria; after her death, he wanted to marry Maximinus to his relative Susanna. This Maximinus had another name, Galerius, and he must be distinguished from the above-mentioned Maximinus, nicknamed Hercules.)

Diocletian sent his cousin Claudius, a noble man, to Gavinus to ask him to marry his daughter Susanna to his son Maximian.

Our glorious king Diocletian has sent me to you with great grace and joy; he wishes to restore the kinship with you through the marriage of your daughter, and what greater good can there be for you than this new glorification of your lineage by blood alliance with the royal house? We are poor and humble, said Gavinus, and in our unworthiness, how can we be called the kinsmen of the king? Claudius answered:

Are not you and your brother, bishop Gaius, sons of Senator Maximinus, who was a relative of our uncle, the brother of our lord the king Diocletian? That is true, said Gavinus, but recent circumstances compel us to say that we are not worthy to be called relatives of the king.

"Do not deny your kinship", said Claudius, "for behold, our lord and king commands you to give to his son Maximian your daughter, whose mind is reputed to be proficient in the sciences; and it is not right to divide the branches that come from the same root; we your kinsmen desire it, and I think it will give you joy".

When Claudius was gone, they sent for Gaius, who lived nearby. When he arrived, they told him about Claudius' visit to them from the king.

Then she said to her father and uncle, "Where is your wisdom now? I do not see it in you. If I were not a Christian, I would be able to talk to you about what you are talking about. Why do you pollute your ears and mouths by listening to wicked words and passing them on to me so that I may marry a wicked tormentor?"

But thanks be to God, who has given me a share in the holy spirit, so that by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ I may be crowned with the crown of the unclean one.

"Look, my daughter", said Gabinius, "stay strong in the faith you now have. Walk without shame before the Lord.

"My lords", answered Susanna to her father and uncle, "you have often taught me to keep my virginity for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and now in my love and fear of Him I am so determined that I cannot even think of carnal marriage; my father, I will only love Him, live for Him, and hope in Him whom you yourself have entrusted to me forever; He, Lord, knows the sincerity of my heart.

Since you have been given to the heavenly Bridegroom of Christ, abide always in his love, keeping his commandments, said St. Gaius. Thus the two holy servants of the Lord, knowing of Susanna's good intention, long affirmed her in her pious desire, and at the same time filled with great joy, which brought forth tears of compassion from their eyes.

Three days later Claudius arrived again, accompanied by many of his servants. He left them behind and went in by himself.

And Gaius said unto him, It is not so, but it is good that thou art a brother to us, and that we have been comforted by thy visitation and by thy conversation. And Claudius said, Ye know, brethren, that our lord Diocletian hath greatly desired to come unto you, and that he may be a better brother.

"Tell my lord and brother, the bishop Gaius, of the king's wishes".

"Our good-natured King Claudius has addressed Gaius, and wishes to take your daughter, and my granddaughter, to be his wife; for he knows her beauty, intelligence, and talents; and we, the kinsmen, think that nothing can be more honourable than that our race not only should not depart from the royal blood, but should be even more closely united to it, by which he will be still more exalted and glorified.

And when we had called the maid, we asked her herself. And when they had called the holy Susanna, and there were no strangers in the room, but they three alone, Claudius wept with joy, and wanted to embrace her and kiss her. But she turned from him, and said, My Lord Jesus Christ knoweth that the lips of His servants are not touched by the lips of men.

"I wanted to kiss you as a relative, since you are my granddaughter", Claudius replied. St. Susanna said to this, "I am disgusted with your kiss for no other reason than the fact that your mouth is defiled with idol sacrifices". At these words, St. Susanna Claudius, feeling as if God's finger had touched his heart, repented and said, "What must I do to cleanse my unclean lips?"

"Repent, and be baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost", said St. Susanna. Then Claudius said to the bishop, "Cleanse me, for a pure man through faith in Christ is better than a servant of gods. I have offered many sacrifices to them, and have received nothing from them, though kings bow before them".

Seeing the miraculous, rapid change wrought in Claudius by the work of God's grace through the words of an innocent virgin, Bishop Gaius said with joy:

"Listen, brother, I give you a good advice. God is looking for you and has chosen you because of her prayers. He wants you to be worthy of the kingdom of God. So believe in God and repent of the blood of the holy martyrs. Do not delay to be baptized.

"No doubt; but believe with all your heart", answered the holy pope. When St. Susanna heard this, she fell at the feet of her uncle, St. Gaius, and said: "I beg you, my lord, do not delay the baptism of Claudius for Christ, save his soul". "Let us first see if he truly believes in Christ", said the holy bishop. "I sincerely believe", exclaimed Claudius, "only if my sins are forgiven, as you promise me".

"In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, all your sins are forgiven", said Gaius. Claudius fell at his feet, rubbed some dust on his head, and prayed, "Lord, God of eternal light, forgive my sins of ignorance and unbelief, and fill me with your grace, so that my wife and children may know that you alone save those who trust in you".

When Claudius came out of the sanctuary, he said, "I saw a light brighter than the sun, and it shone on me when I was baptized".

After the holy baptism and anointing, the bishop performed the sacred liturgy and presented the baptized with the Divine Mysteries of the Body and Blood of Christ, and all rejoiced in God their Savior.

After his baptism, Claudius began to sell his possessions and distribute them to the poor; for this purpose, he sought out Christians who were hiding in various secret places, also secretly going to prisons at night; to all whom he found, Claudius washed the feet, kissed them and met their needs with generous gifts, providing them with clothing and food every day, while he constantly repented of the sins committed in the previous life.

After some time, Diocletian began to inquire about Claudius, why he had not brought any news, although he had been specifically sent to Gavinus to inquire about Susanna's consent to marry his son; the king was informed that Claudius was ill, so he sent to him to visit the sick and inquire about Susanna, his younger brother Maximus, who held an honorary position at the court.

And he was troubled, and said, "My dear brother, who has brought me up from childhood, how is it that you have become so pale and pale?" And Claudius said, "If you will hear me, I will tell you the reasons for my change".

"I am sorry", Claudius began, "that I killed innocent Christians by obeying the emperor's orders. I did this in ignorance, obeying the emperor's orders.

"What are you saying, my brother?" said Maximus. "Our lord, King Diocletian, has sent you to our brother Gavinus, that you may marry his daughter to his son.

"I followed him", said Claudius, "to our beloved granddaughter, and saw her beautiful in body and soul, holy and wise, and the bride of the heavenly king Christ; through her I was delivered from my sins. But that thou also mayest know the mercy of God, who wills to save all, let us go to our brother the presbyter Gavinus at night, and thou shalt see the light of eternity".

And it came to pass in that night, when they came to the gate of the city, which is called Salarius, and which was by the palace of Salius, that when it was told Gavinus, that his brethren Claudius and Maximus were standing by the house, and desired to come in to him, he hastened to meet them, and took them gladly into his house.

Lord God, who gathers the scattered and looks after the gathered, look upon the works of your hands and enlighten all who believe in you. You are the true light forever. And all said, Amen.

When they rose, they embraced and kissed each other, and Claudius fell at the presbyter's feet, and kissed them. Seeing this, Maxim was surprised and asked permission to see Susanna. Gavinus ordered her to be called.

"Peace be with you from our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with God the Father forever and ever. " They all said", Amen. " When Maxim saw St. Susanna, full of humility and chastity, he wanted to kiss her hand, but she wouldn't let him.

And when they could not hold back their tears for a long time, they told St. Gaius, who lived near the church they had built, that the brothers had gathered together. He thought that they were being taken away to be tortured, and, wanting to be the first of them to see the fate of the martyr, he rushed to the house of Gaius. When they saw him, they were suddenly afraid and bowed down to the ground before him.

And he began to pray and say: "Lord God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who sent him to bring salvation to all by bringing us out of the darkness of this world into everlasting life, establish us, your slaves, by faith in you, for you reign forever and ever. Amen.

And the bishop sat down, and began a divine discourse; and all listened attentively to the words of God which were spoken unto them; and St. Susanna stood and heard, and would not sit with them, but prayed secretly.

<unk> It is better that you tell him yourself, <unk> proposed to him St. Gaius. <unk> The king Diocletian, <unk> said Maximus, <unk> asks to give Susanna for his son Maximian. <unk> The virgin already has Christ, the heavenly Bridegroom, given to her by God the Father, and let it be well known to you that she can no longer marry, <unk> replied the bishop. <unk> All that God gives is eternal, <unk> said Maximus. <unk> You also receive eternal life, <unk> offered to him the pope.

"What is eternal life?" he asked. "This is eternal life, and I have known it", Claudius began. "Whoever you have known, I want to know him", Maximus said to him. "But it is not good for us to be separated from the kinship of the king".

"We urge you", said St. Gaius, "to believe in our Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, while the visible glory and honor of the earthly king is transient, and the kinship with him brings nothing; all these things, together with the short-lived life, pass away and perish.

"You know, brother, " said the bishop, "that we have given up all our possessions in order to pursue nothing else but our Lord Jesus Christ, "for he is our life and the glory of our life".

After his departure, Maximus first concealed his faith in Christ, although he was burning with love for Gavinus, Gaius, and especially for the Lord Jesus Himself; then, as his love for God grew stronger, he began to openly confess the name of Christ, despising death.

Five days later he came to St. Gaius, fell at his feet, and said, I beseech thee, my lord, in the name of Christ, instruct me in holy baptism, as thou hast instructed my brother Claudius.

The bishop baptized him and, after performing the sacred liturgy, presented him with the Divine Mysteries. Maxim stayed with his Christian relatives, singing with them and praising God; during this time he finally sold the estate, which he could not sell and distribute in five days, and distributed it to the poor through his faithful friend Farson, who was a secret Christian and later described the sufferings of these holy martyrs, as everything was done before his eyes.

But he hid his sorrow, and told his wife, the queen Irena, only that he had sent to Gavinus, wishing to wed his daughter Susanna to his son Maximian.

And when Diocletian heard that the queen was grieving, he called to him Julius, a heathen and a cruel man, and told him with sorrow that his beloved kinsmen, who had been sent to betroth Maximian's son, had accepted Christianity against his will.

"All who disregard the king's decrees, "said Julius, "even if the last were unjust, should be put to death; but your decree was just, and if they violated it, the more they deserve death.

The king immediately ordered Julius to send soldiers to take all but the bishop Gaius, which was done. He ordered the presbyter Gavinus and his daughter to be kept in custody; Maximus and Claudius with his wife and children were banished; then he ordered them to be burned in the city of Ostia [so the port near Rome was called] and their ashes thrown into the sea; thus the saints died, having been awarded the glorious martyr's crown.

Fifty-five days later, Diocletian ordered his wife to take Susanna to him in order to persuade her to marry his son.

When Susanna was brought before the queen, she bowed before her, and the queen honored in her the grace and chastity of Christ. St. Susanna fell before the queen to the ground, but she lifted her up tenderly, saying, "Our Saviour Christ rejoices in you". When she heard the name of Christ, St. Susanna rejoiced and said, "Thanks be to Christ my God, who reigns everywhere".

And both of them, Queen Irena and Saint Susanna, rejoiced in the Lord God, and spoke with love of him, and they lifted up fervent prayers to him, especially Saint Susanna, who, as her father had taught her, did not cease day and night in praising God.

Did she persuade Susannah to marry his son? Does she persuade Maximian to love her? "It is vain to labor there", answered the queen, "where the impossible is pursued, and there is no hope where there is no agreement: I do not see in Susannah any trace of such thoughts or intentions as would make it possible to think that anyone could in any way force her to do so.

When Diocletian heard this, he was very angry and gave his son Maximian permission to shame Susanna by committing a heinous act of violence against her, but not in the palace, <unk> let him take her to her father's house and dishonor her there, obeying his shameful lust.

When the two women brought St. Susanna to her house, she fell to the ground in her room and here, weeping and weeping, prayed to her Savior Christ to hasten to her aid.

That same night, the king's son, Maximian, who was inflamed with filthy lust, came, and, entering quietly into the room where St. Susanna was praying, he saw the angel of God above the sky, from whom a great light came.

And when Diocletian had disputed with the queen concerning the coming of Christ, and concerning the worship of the gods, when he was overcome by the queen, he remembered Susanna, and said, Why didst thou not admonish her, seeing her beauty and intelligence, to consent to marry my son?

And she said unto the king, She hath chosen the better part; for thy son also hath said, I have seen the light under her.

The king was greatly angered and ordered a Macedonian, a zealous pagan with a reputation for cruelty, to go to Susannah and force her to idolize not only by threats but also by torture; yet Diocletian ordered this to be done in secret so that the king would not be condemned for torture, saying that he did not spare even his own relatives.

When the Macedonian came to St. Susanna, he took with him a small golden idol of the goddess Diana, showed it to the saint, and commanded her to worship it.

And immediately the idol that was in the hand of the Macedonians disappeared, as if it had been torn by someone. The Macedonians were astonished and thought that St. Susanna herself had stolen the idol and had hidden it: "I see", he said, "that you love gold, for you have stolen the idol from my hand, and I cannot but commend you for it.

And the Lord my God sent his angel, and took the idol out of my eyes, and cast it out of my house. And as she spoke, behold, a servant of Macedonia came, and told that the idol was cast out of the house into the road.

"Bring a sacrifice to the gods", said the Macedonian. "I offer myself a sacrifice to my Lord", answered the saint. "The Macedonians reported to the king about Susanna's steadfastness in her faith and her blasphemy of the idol. The king ordered her to be killed there with the sword in the house.

When the queen learned of the murder of St. Susanna, she took the body of the holy martyr at night and collected the blood of the martyr's body, which she had shed on the ground with her head covering: she wrapped her body in a cloth anointed with spices, and laid her body in the tomb of St. Alexander, where many martyrs had been buried. Her blood, collected on the head covering, she placed in a silver chest, which she hid in her room, where she used to pray secretly day and night.

And the holy Pope Gaius consecrated the temple, where the blood of the holy martyr Susanna was shed, into a church, and performed divine services in it [The biography of Pope Sergius speaks of the church in the house of Susanna, which was in the year 682]. <unk> A little while later, the holy presbyter Gavinus suffered, and after him, Saint Gaius also accepted the martyrdom; all of them, like martyrs, stood before the throne of God, glorifying the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the one God in the Trinity.

To him be honor and glory, now and forever and ever. Amen.