The Holy Martyress Julia
Commemorated on July 16
The Holy Martyress
Julia was born in Carthagena into a Christian family. While still a maiden
she fell into captivity to the Persians. They carried her off to Syria and sold
her into slavery. Fulfilling the Christian commandments, Saint Julia faithfully
served her master, and she preserved herself in purity, kept the fasts and
prayed much to God.
No amount of urging
by her pagan master could sway her to idol-worship.
On time the master
set off with merchandise for Gaul and took Saint Julia with him. Along the way
the ship stooped over at the island of Corsica, and the master decided to take
part in a pagan festivity, but Julia remained on the ship. The Corsicans plied
the merchant and his companions with wine, and when they had fallen into a
drunken sleep, they took Julia from the ship. Saint Julia was not afraid to
acknowledge that she was a Christian, and the savage pagans crucified her on a
cross.
An Angel of the Lord
reported about the death of the holy martyress to the monks of a monastery,
situated on a nearby island. The monks took the body of the saint and buried it
in a church in their monastery.
In about the year 763
the relics of the holy Martyress Julia were transferred to a women's monastery
in the city of Breschia (historians give conflicting years of the death of the
saint: as either the V or VII Century).
© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos.
