The Catholic Defender: Saint Euphrasia A.D. 380–410

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1N9iASmPEQc

The feast day of Saint Euphrasia of Constantinople (c. 380–410), a 5th-century nun known for her ascetic life in Egypt, is celebrated on March 13 in the Latin Church. She is remembered for her devotion to a life of service in a monastery from a young age.

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your worries upon him, because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:6-7)

Yesterday, Saint Maximilian of Tebessa inspired us to contemplate how it would feel to walk like a man without a worry in the world. Let’s explore that more today, in the context of a woman who walked like she didn’t have a worry in the world.

Saint Euphrasia was born into the loud world of royalty and politics in Constantinople, but learned to live and love the quiet life no matter what her outer circumstances were. Her father died when she was young, and when she was seven years old, her mother arranged to marry her to a young nobleman.

Euphrasia serenely said no, and expressed her desire to devote her life to God. Euphrasia’s calm demeanor was so convincing that her mother agreed, and brought her to a convent in Egypt.

Key Aspects: Born to noble parents in Constantinople, she moved to Egypt with her mother and entered a convent at age seven.

At age twelve, she renounced her inheritance, choosing instead the humble garb of a nun. Saint Euphrasia lived the remainder of her days in quiet service, fasting, and manual labor. Saint Euphrasia left a legacy of deep, contemplative prayer and a serene demeanor that influenced generations of nuns up to this present day.

Little Euphrasia at the age of seven, begged to take vows to become a nun at that monastery.  Her mother presented the child to the Abbess, and Euphrasia took up an image of Christ and kissed it, saying, “By vow I consecrate myself to Christ”.  Her mother also added, “Lord Jesus Christ, receive this child under your special protection.  You alone does she love and seek, to you does she recommend herself”.  Soon after, Euphrasia’s mother became sick and died.

Hearing of her mother’s death, the Emperor Theodosius I, sent for Euphrasia.  He had promised her in marriage to a young Senator, but she responded with a letter to the Emperor declining the offer to marry, instead she requested that her estate be sold and divided among the poor, and that her slaves be set free. 

The emperor did as she requested shortly before his death in 395. 

She was known for her humility, meekness and charity. 

Her Abbess often advised her to perform manual labor when she was burdened with temptations. 

As a part of these labors, she often carried heavy stones from one place to another, and then put them back again.  S

he did this for thirty days at a time, as a form of manual labor.

She was a Constantinopolitan nun who was venerated after her death as a saint for her piety and example of charity. Euphrasia carried heavy rocks as a penitential labor.

Euphrasia died in the year 410, at the age of thirty.  She was said to perform miracles before and after her death. 

She was said to have healed a deaf, dumb and crippled child and delivered a woman from possession by the devil. 

Before she died, the Abbess of Euphrasia’s monastery reported having had a vision of Euphrasia being transported to God’s throne, surrounded by angels. 

She became powerful over the demons and delivered many possessed persons.

She cured a child who was paralysed, deaf and dumb, making the Sign of the Cross over him and saying, May He Who created you, heal you! She was favoured with other miracles, both before and after her death which occurred in the year 410, the thirtieth of her age.

After her death, she was venerated as a saint.  Her feast day is March 13^th.