Who does not know this combination of names: Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia? A mother who saw her daughters off to their deaths and then died at their grave.

Their story is outwardly the plot for a horror movie. From the point of view of inner experiences, it is an example of the Christian idea of ​​life. Paradoxical, inconsistent with the mundane idea of ​​normal behavior. As well as much that is taken from the teachings of Christ.

It is incomprehensible to us the courage and fortitude of these girls and their mother, who were truly clothed " by power from above" (Luke 24:49) and showed us a striking example of standing for the Truth. How great was their faith, how strong was their hope, and how deep was their love!

In the feat of the holy great martyrs, the Lord again shows us His great power, which He bestows on His chosen ones, “ the weak of the world ", confounding the rulers and rulers of this world ( Cm. 1 Corinthians 1:27).

May God grant that we also learn such weakness in which “ the power of Christ (2 Corinthians 12:9) and glorify God, as the holy martyrs glorified Him...

And so, in the second century from the birth of Christ, the Italian Sophia lived in Rome. At that time, Rome was the richest capital of the empire, the vast majority of whose inhabitants worship pagan gods. The streets are decorated with magnificent temples and altars, the houses are “protected” by statues of deities and various talismans.

Just a hundred years ago, there was a huge fire in the city. Few dare to say that it was arranged by the then emperor - Nero. It is easier to believe that this is the work of new strange sectarians - Christians. And the Romans believe, but at the same time they have almost no idea what Christians are - maybe this is one of the many offshoots of Judaism. It is not known what they do in their meetings, they are extremely suspicious, so the guards pursue them. These people are dying in prisons and circus arenas, but every day there are more and more of them ...

Those who believe in Christ steadfastly confess their religion and died with the name of Jesus Christ on their lips, do not deny Him in the face of the most terrible bodily suffering. To accept martyrdom means to become like Christ, to be worthy of the great honor of suffering for your Savior. They know that the true reward awaits them in heaven. Their death is only a moment, but it will serve as an example and foundation of faith for the surviving sisters and brothers.

And here in Rome lives a woman named Sophia. She is baptized and has baptized three daughters. Her husband has died and she has to raise the girls alone. It is not easy, but she does her best to give her daughters a true Christian upbringing and strengthen them as much as possible in the faith.

Even the names of the three sisters denote the names of the most important Christian virtues - Faith, Hope and Love. Probably, every day this reminds girls of what qualities they need to cultivate in themselves.

This family is intriguing. Still would! She has three daughters who are about to become brides (the eldest is already 12 years old, the middle one is 10, and the youngest is 9).

They are attractive in appearance, talented, read a lot (although not all neighbors know that they study both apostolic and prophetic books).

One fine day, Emperor Hadrian was told about Sophia and her daughters. He was a cruel ruler, a zealous pagan, and he could not stand Christians.

The emperor wished to immediately see Sophia and her daughters in the palace. It is unlikely that anyone could resist the order of the ruler, and even more so a weak woman who did not even have a husband who could protect her. Sophia obeys the emperor's order, begging God not to leave them at this difficult hour.

She understands that the emperor will certainly take an interest in what gods she and her daughters make sacrifices. She is not going to lie and understands perfectly well what will follow her truthful answer.

But she does not run away, does not ask God to save her family from torment, but asks only that the Lord strengthen her heart and the hearts of her daughters and not let them be afraid of suffering and death. After all, the Almighty granted this mercy to hundreds of their tormented and tortured fellow believers!

And here is the audience in the palace, which was desired by many citizens of the empire. Small talk, a question about faith and Sophia's answer:

“I am a Christian—this is the precious name of which I can boast.

In fact, with these truthful words, the Roman woman signs a death sentence for herself and her daughters. But Emperor Hadrian "shows mercy" by sending them to stay with a noble woman named Palladia and hoping that with her eloquence and cunning she will be able to convince Christians to renounce their faith.

But at Palladia, Sophia teaches her daughters day and night and affirms in the faith. What would a “worldly” woman do in her place? Would you dare to run away or bribe? Or maybe, for the sake of a few decades of life, she would lie to the emperor, bring the prescribed sacrifices to the altar of Jupiter or Juno and move to another city?

But for Sofia, a lie is unacceptable. How will she then look into the eyes of those whom, day after day, she called brothers and sisters in Christ? With what words will he be justified before the Lord after his death? How can one word and deed cross out his whole life, all the upbringing of girls? What example will he set for newly baptized people? Is it because of her and her daughters that Christians will be accused of unfaithfulness to their God?

And now the mother, who always took care of her daughters and gave them life, now prepares them for death and wishes for their death.

Oh, my beautiful daughters! Remember my illnesses at your birth, remember my labors in which I nursed you, remember my words with which I taught you the fear of God, and comfort your mother in her old age with your courageous confession of faith in Christ. For me there will be triumph, and joy, and honor, and glory among all believers, if I am worthy to be called the mother of martyrs, if I see your valiant patience for Christ, firm confession of His holy name and death for Him.

One can hardly imagine how the mother's heart broke when she uttered these words! It is difficult, almost impossible, to endure the bodily death of your child, especially when you know that it is in your power to prevent it.

But much more terrible for Sophia is the possibility of spiritual death of at least one of her daughters, if she were afraid of suffering and renounced Christ.

Brought up on the Holy Books and firm in faith, the daughter girls understood their mother. Perhaps sometimes she left them to cry alone, pray to the Lord and strengthen herself, so as not to succumb to temptation and not to depart from the faith. And then the sisters talked among themselves, strengthening each other.

Mother and sisters remained united in their faith to the end. They acted in love and mutual understanding, and this was their invincible strength.

When they came back to the palace, Adrian decided to talk to each girl separately. He saw (and Palladia's stories certainly confirmed this) that Sophia would definitely not renounce Christ. But after all, her daughters are still small, and it will be easier to persuade them or, in extreme cases, to intimidate them. In addition, it is easier to break individual straws than to break a whole broom.

First, the ruler spoke with the eldest - Vera. She refused to sacrifice to the goddess Artemis, and the emperor ordered the girl to be tortured. Her breasts were cut off, but instead of blood, milk flowed out of them. Faith has not given up. She was placed on a red-hot iron grate, but prayer saved her from burns. They threw her into a cauldron of boiling oil and pitch, and from there she, healed by the Lord, came out unharmed. Then the emperor ordered her to be beheaded.

Before her death, the girl asked to pray for her and reminded the sisters that they have one mother and one Father and that they must also be courageous.

“Let me be an example for you, so that both of you follow me to our Bridegroom calling us.

Then it was Hope's turn. First, they threw her into the fire, from which she emerged unharmed, and then they hung her on a tree and began to whittle her body with iron claws.

Christ is my help. and not only am I not afraid of torment, but I desire it as the sweetness of heaven… Torment awaits you, tormentor, in fiery gehenna along with demons, whom you consider to be gods,” the girl said and prayed.

Adrian was touched by these words, and he ordered Nadezhda to be taken down from the tree and thrown into the cauldron, like Vera. But as soon as the tormentors approached the cauldron, it melted, and boiling tar and oil splashed the tormentors of Nadezhda themselves.

The enraged emperor ordered to cut off Nadezhda's head. Like her older sister, the girl asked her mother to pray for her and, kissing her younger sister goodbye, said:

- Do not stay here, sister, we will stand together before the Holy Trinity.

Adrian did not spare Love, who was just a child. First, they stretched her on a wheel and beat her with a stick, then they threw the mutilated baby into the oven. By the grace of God, dew descended from the sky, which put out the fire. Moreover, sparks flew out of the furnace with force and burned the inhuman emperor.

In retaliation, he ordered the girl's body to be drilled with iron drills and, finally, beheaded.

Sophia, Adrian "mercifully" gave life. She silently took the bodies of her daughters and buried them with honor on a hill outside the city. Sophia spent three days next to the grave, praying to God and thanking Him for strengthening her daughters and not letting them renounce the faith, and she died. Christians buried her body next to her daughters.

Sophia did not endure bodily suffering, but one can imagine how her heart was tormented when she saw the torments of her beloved daughters and was afraid that they would depart from Christ.

“... These feats transcend all nature and any order of things, so that you are convinced that these are the works of the grace of God,” wrote John Chrysostom about the tortures that Christians were subjected to.

Mother and three sisters managed to endure these torments and remain faithful Christians to the end. The wise upbringing of their mother prepared them for this feat. Sincere faith, strong hope and unfeigned love helped to hold on. Four virtues, whose names were borne by these courageous Christian women.

TO THE MARTYRS FAITH, HOPE, LOVE AND SOPHIA
Troparion, tone 4

The Church of the Firstborn triumphs, / and the mother rejoices in accepting her children, / who, as the namesake of wisdom, / is equal in number to the triple theological virtue. / Tyya with the wise virgins sees the bridegroom of God the Word. / With her, we spiritually rejoice in their memory, saying: / Champions of the Trinity, / Faith, Love and Hope, / affirm us in faith, love and hope.

Kontakion, tone 1

Sophia's most sacred branches / Faith and Hope and Love appeared, / wisdom shrouded Hellenic grace, / and the victim, and the victorious appeared, / the crown of incorruptibility from all the Lord Christ was tied.

Magnification of the Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia

We magnify you, holy martyrs, Vero, Nadezhda, Love and Sophia, and we honor your holy sufferings, even for Christ you endured nature.

Prayer to the martyrs Vera, Nadezhda, Love and their mother Sophia

O holy and glorious martyrs Vero, Nadezhda and Lyuba, and valiant daughters of the wise mother Sophia, now a parishioner to you with fervent prayer; what else can intercede for us before the Lord, if not faith, hope and love, these three cornerstone virtues, in them the image of the named, you are manifest by the most prophetic! Pray to the Lord that in sorrow and misfortune He will cover us with His indescribable grace, save and preserve us, as the Lover of mankind is also good. To this glory, as the sun is not setting, now it is bright and bright, hasten us in our humble prayers, may the Lord God forgive our sins and iniquities, and may we have mercy on us sinners and unworthy of His bounties. Pray for us, holy martyrs, our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom we send glory with His Beginningless Father and His Most Holy and Good and Life-Giving Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.

In contact with

Waiting for Christ

When you read ancient lives about the brutal torture of children by adult uncles-executioners, surrounded by an interested public, you somehow don’t immediately understand how to deal with all this. Was it? How can this be tolerated? But what do we know about the people of that time?

In the reign of Emperor Hadrian (2nd century), a noble widow named Sophia lived in Rome. She had three daughters: Vera, 12 years old, Nadezhda, 10 years old, and Lyubov, 9 years old.

Saint Sophia belonged to that first generation of Christians who lived in tense expectation of the imminent second coming of Christ.

And this news of the coming for them was not "the end of the world" in the sense in which we often understand it. It was the news of the end of evil, the victory of good over evil.

The second coming was predicted in the Gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke, which were not yet written down, but whose events were orally retold in Christian communities, as well as by the apostles, especially Paul (1 Thess. 1: 2-10).

As the biblical scholar, Archimandrite Iannuary Ivleev writes, “The Second Coming was seen as the end of this world, but not a complete end, bringing the destruction of all creation, but its transformation, rebirth, as the expectation of the risen and glorified Lord.

And therefore, the expectation of Christians was not at all gloomy (that everything will burn and everyone will be punished, as appears in the apocalyptic moods today). It was a hopeful expectation.

The sign of the times did not allow to take root in the world, to cling to the earthly. Since Christ is coming soon, why should I collect chests of good things?

But, what is very important for understanding the attitude of the early Christians, it was not just an expectation - of what will come sometime; It was stay -"The kingdom of God is within you." And Christ really comes to those who seek Him.

Simply put, the early Christians tried—and some were able—to live on earth according to the law of the spirit. Do things and pray to God. In anticipation of the Kingdom of Heaven, they, as far as possible, tried to fulfill it on earth: from the epistles of the apostles we know that many voluntarily gave up property, bringing their property to the community.

Therefore, the mother raised the girls more for eternal life, and not for the earthly, final.

It is known about the life of the daughters of Saint Sophia that they read the apostolic epistles, honored the memory of the martyrs known to them for Christ. It is obvious that Christ gradually became a true reality for them, graciously (supersensibly, supernaturally) establishing the Kingdom of Heaven in the heart even here on earth.

Martyrs in the rule of law

Publius Aelius Trajan Adrian, handsome and intelligent, on whose personal order the holy child martyrs were executed

Emperor Hadrian was informed that Sophia was raising her children in the Christian faith. The emperor wished to meet her personally.

Since the Christian faith was outlawed in those days, it was dangerous to live. Christians could be called to account at any time. And if a person did not renounce his faith, not just death awaited him, but death after severe torment, sometimes public - the Romans were great sybarites in terms of thrills.

Hadrian was not the worst persecutor of Christians. He was revered as a just ruler. Under his predecessor, Emperor Trajan, on major holidays, the crowd could demand to seize a person and, accusing him of following Christ, publicly execute him without any trial or investigation.

Adrian forbade consideration of anonymous denunciations of Christians, instituted strict legal proceedings for all suspects, and ordered that no attention be paid to the cries of the crowd. If, after the trial, the accusations were confirmed, the person was executed; if not, the accuser himself was punished for slander.

Mother prepares children for suffering

Novgorod icon (XVI century, State Tretyakov Gallery)

As the text of the lives of the holy martyrs says, when Saint Sophia and her daughters heard the order of the emperor, they understood why they were being called to the sovereign. St. Sophia tried to prepare her daughters for the suffering ahead of them.

“The hour of your joy has come,” she said to her daughters, “and you will be crowned with a martyr's crown with Christ. Do not regret your youth and do not grieve for the deprivation of life. When the king caresses you and promises you fame and fortune, don't be tempted.

The glory of this world is passing away. She is fragile and vain. Christ is true goodness, true beauty, health and life. For the sake of Him you leave perishable life, do not be afraid, He will give you eternal life in everlasting joy and His indescribable glory.

The emperor demanded the martyrs for trial. “If you listen to me and worship our gods, you will be my daughters instead of my own, I loved you and do not want your death,” the king said to the maidens. But they answered: “Our father is the Lord. We want His love and we want to be called His children. We worship Him and are ready to die for Him.”

Adrian ordered Vera to be tortured, but the Lord kept her in the midst of torment, so that the tormentor did not know what to do with her, and ordered to kill her with a sword. She said goodbye to her mother and sisters and gladly accepted death.

Then the emperor turned to Nadezhda, she said to him: “Am I not born from the same mother? Am I not the sister of the one you killed? And I'm ready to die for Christ." They began to torment her, and she also remained unharmed in the midst of torment. Saying goodbye to her mother and sister and saying to her sister: “And you do not leave us behind, so that we all come together to the Lord,” she died under the sword.

Adrian began to persuade the youngest, nine-year-old Love, but with surprising firmness for a child, she rejected his "kindness". The emperor ordered to put the child in a kindled furnace. But Love itself entered there with a prayer and remained unharmed. And they killed her with the sword.

All three girls, as the life repeats, remained “unharmed” in the midst of torment, which means that the Lord preserved His grace in response to their willingness to endure suffering. Such torments, by nature, cannot be endured by one's own strength.

According to legend, during the executions of St. Sophia did not show "emotions", did not utter a word. Like the Mother of God at the cross of the Savior, when "weapons passed through the soul."

St. Sophia Adrian did not order to be executed, he left alive, correctly understanding that she had already undergone the most terrible torments. St. Sophia buried the body of the daughters-martyrs and, remaining nearby, at the grave, prayed. On the third day, God took her to her daughters and Himself.

The relics of the holy martyrs Sophia, Faith, Hope and Love were brought to France in 777 and kept in the abbey of Escho near Strasbourg, in the church of Saint Tryphon. During the French Revolution, the abbey was destroyed and the relics were lost. Later, new particles of the relics of St. Sophia - the ark with the relics in the photo below

Over time, the persecution of Christians began to weaken. Quiet years have arrived. And the historians of Christianity then noted an interesting fact:

It was after the quiet years filled with prosperity, when the next wave of persecution began, that apostates-Christians became more:

during a quiet time, the soul relaxed, divided into “earthly and heavenly”, earthly, worldly affairs, chores, which became more and more, were dragged out, and the only thing needed - the One for whom all life was moved aside behind all this.

The more surprising is the feat of St. Sophia, although you are horrified by all this strictly humanly, to be able not to divide your life and transfer this inseparability, devotion to God to your children.

September 30 is an important date for many, because on this day the Church honors the memory of the martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia, which means that most women with these names celebrate their angel day. However, contrary to ideas, not all owners of these beautiful names celebrate the name day of this particular date, some of them have an angel's day on a different date.

In this material, we have collected detailed information about the feast of Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia: about the life of the holy martyrs, the tradition of their veneration, prayers to them and other dates of the holidays associated with these names.

Life of Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia

Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia are early Christian martyrs who lived in the 2nd century AD in the Roman Empire. It is known that Sofia was originally from Milan. She was widowed early, after which she moved to Rome. Sophia raised her daughters in the Christian faith and even gave them names in honor of the main Christian virtues - Faith, Hope and Love.

In those years, the Roman state severely persecuted believers in Christ. Little girls (the eldest Vera was then only 12, and the youngest Lyubov only 9) were arrested, tortured, and then killed in front of their mother. Sophia herself died the next day at the grave of her daughters. But the tragic fate on earth turned into eternal glory for the martyrs in another world. The Church canonized them as saints, and today, through prayers, miracles happen to them.

Interestingly, in the Russian tradition, the name Sophia (which means “Wisdom” in Greek) remained without translation, but the names of her daughters Pistis (Vera), Elpis (Hope) and Agape (Love) have already taken root in our Russian translation .

You can read more about the life and canonization of Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia in our large material.

Name day (Angel Day) of Faith, Hope, Love and Sophia - not only on September 30!

Most girls with the names Vera, Hope, Love and Sofia celebrate their name day on September 30th. But in the church calendar there are other holidays associated with these names. Moreover, in recent years there have been more such dates, because the Russian Orthodox Church canonized new saints who suffered for their faith already in the 20th century.

The dates of the name day of Faith, Hope, Love and Sofia are given below:

Angel Days for Faith:

Angel Days for Hope:

Angel Day for Love:

Angel Days for Sofia:

February 28, April 1, June 4, June 17, August 14, September 30, October 1, December 29, December 31.

The temple where the relics of Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia are kept

Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia have long been revered in France, in Escho near Strasbourg, where particles of their holy relics were transferred more than 1000 years ago. On May 10, 777, the holy relics of the martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia, received by Bishop Remigius of Strasbourg from Pope Adrian I, were brought from Rome to Esho, to the church of St. Trophimus, which was then the center of a Catholic abbey.

Since then, Hagia Sophia has become the patroness of the monastery in Esho, which was called the Abbey of Hagia Sophia in her honor.

The monastery collected testimonies of miracles that took place at the relics of the holy martyrs. They attracted many pilgrims, so Abbess Cunegunde decided to arrange on the ancient Roman road leading to the village of Esho, which had grown around the abbey, "A hotel for pilgrims coming from all sides."

Until the French Revolution, the relics of Saints Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia were kept in the abbey.

However, in 1792, three years after the revolution, the monastery buildings were sold at auction, and the holy relics were trampled on and burned by the revolutionaries.

A tavern with a wine cellar was arranged in the monastery. In 1822, it was destroyed along with other monastic premises.

After the Movement for the Restoration of Monuments was created in France in 1898, the remains of the monastery church of St. Trophime were declared a national treasure, and the gradual restoration of the monastery began.

On April 3, 1938, the Catholic Bishop Charles Rouch brought two new pieces of the relics of Hagia Sophia to Escho from Rome. One of them was placed in a sarcophagus made of sandstone in the 14th century, in which the relics of St. Sophia and her daughters were kept before the revolution, and the other was placed in a small reliquary placed in a shrine with other shrines.

From 1938 to this day, the sarcophagus contains one of the two particles of the relics of St. Sophia. Above the sarcophagus are sculptures of the holy martyr Christopher, Sts. Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and Sophia, as well as Bishop Remigius, founder of the abbey.

The flow of pilgrims to the relics is not depleted, including from Russia. Orthodox services are regularly performed near them.

Prayer and akathist to the Holy Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia

To the Holy Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia, the Orthodox Church compiled an akathist, and also wrote a short prayer.

Prayer to the holy martyrs Vera, Nadezhda, Love and their mother Sophia

O holy and praiseworthy martyrs Vero, Nadezhda and Lyuba, and valiant daughters of the wise mother Sophia, now come to you with fervent prayer. what else can intercede for us before the Lord, if not faith, hope and love, these three cornerstone virtues, in them the image of the named, you are manifest by the most prophetic! Pray to the Lord that in sorrow and misfortune He will cover us with His indescribable grace, save and preserve us, as the Lover of mankind is also good. To this glory, as the sun is not setting, now it is brightly shining, hurry us in our humble prayers, may the Lord God forgive our sins and iniquities, and may we have mercy on us, sinners and unworthy of His bounties. Pray for us, holy martyrs, our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom we send glory with His Beginningless Father and His Most Holy and Good and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever and forever and ever. Amen.

Troparion of the Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia

The Church of the Firstborn triumphs, / and the mother, rejoicing in her children, rejoices, / even as the namesake of wisdom / with the triple theological virtue of an equal number of generations. / Tyya with the wise virgins sees the bridegroom of the Bridegroom of God the Word, / with her we spiritually rejoice in their memory, saying: / Champions of the Trinity, / Faith, Love and Hope, / affirm us in faith, love and hope.

Kontakion of the Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia

Kontakion of the Martyrs

Sophia's honest most sacred branches / Faith and Hope and Love appeared, / wisdom shrouded Hellenic grace, / and the victim, and the victorious appeared, / an incorruptible crown from all the Master of Christ tied.

Magnification of the Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia

We magnify you, holy martyrs, Vero, Nadezhda, Lyuba and Sophia, and we honor your holy sufferings, even for Christ you have endured.

Icons, paintings depicting the martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia

Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia. 18th century

The Holy Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia are depicted on the left side of Viktor Vasnetsov's triptych "The Joy of the Righteous in the Lord (The Threshold of Paradise)"

V. Tropinin. Holy Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia. 1818

Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia. Monument in Petersburg

The history and traditions of the holiday of wisdom and the three virtues (the Day of Remembrance of Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia) - in the help of Sputnik. The Orthodox world celebrates the Day of Remembrance of the Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia on September 30. The holiday is dedicated to the martyrs who did not leave their faith, no matter what. Each of the three daughters died, and Sophia begged for her death with tears. Each was canonized as a saint.
Sputnik shares the history and traditions of the Day of Remembrance of Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia.

The history of the feast of the three martyrs and their mother Sophia

Traditions and customs of the holiday

Prayer to the holy martyrs Vera, Nadezhda, Love and their mother Sophia

Name day - Faith, Hope, Love and Sophia

Signs for Faith, Hope and Love September 30

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Not so many years have passed since such an Orthodox holiday as Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia began to be revered by the people. On this day, it is customary to visit the temple and pray before the icon of the saints for various kinds of help and guidance on the true path. In this article, we will consider not only the history of the origin of the holiday and what kind of martyrs they are, but we will also present a special prayer that is recommended to be read in front of the icon of the great martyrs.

Not much history

The story begins at the end of the second century after Christmas. Sophia is a Christian girl in a rich family. When the girl grew up, she married a pagan. Her husband loved her so much that he did not even demand that she renounce the Christian faith. The young couple eventually had three daughters. They had the names Pistis, Alape and Elpis. They were translated into Slavic as Faith, Love, Hope.

Sophia raised her daughters in the Christian faith. She instilled in them love for God from early childhood. After the birth of her third daughter, Sophia's husband died, and she was left alone with three children. Since the family was rich, they did not need money. The girls grew up in kindness and love. They studied the gospel. When they grew up, many noticed that the sisters were smart enough and very beautiful.

At that time, the Emperor Hadrian was the ruler of Rome. When he found out about the Christian family, he issued an order to bring her to him. When this news was brought to Sophia, she immediately understood why the pagan emperor was calling them. She began to fervently pray to Jesus Christ that he would give strength to endure trials and possible death.

The mother and children were taken to the palace. All the surrounding people were amazed at their calmness and firmness. At that time, Vera was 12 years old, Nadezhda was 10, and Lyubov was 9 years old. The emperor called the sisters to him in turn and asked them to renounce their faith and worship their faith, but the girls refused and remained faithful to the faith of Christ. As soon as the emperor did not try to achieve such a refusal. He even promised children gifts and sweets.

The eldest girl Vera was the first to be tortured. The emperor ordered her to be beaten with whips, then thrown into tar, closed behind bars in a blazing fire. But the Lord protected her and there was not a single scratch on her body. The emperor was very angry that the girl did not take anything. He was furious. Then he gave the order to cut off her head.

Nadezhda was the second to test. She was also beaten, thrown into boiling tar, and then her head was cut off. Love went to the torment of the last. She was beaten with whips until there was not a single “live” place on her body. They made one continuous wound from her. After that, her head was also cut off. Their mother Sophia prepared the most terrible test.

All the torment of the daughters was carried out before her eyes, after they were dead, the bodies were given to Sophia. She buried them on a mountain outside the city and carried the mountain over the graves for two days. She tortured herself with suffering and torment. On the third day, the Lord took her long-suffering soul. The family was reunited.

Icon Faith Hope Love and Mother Sophia

Having endured the torments described above, the three sisters and their mother were canonized as saints. Surely many people know what the icon of these saints means. This is a family icon. After all, faith, hope and love must necessarily live in every person in the soul. These are three feelings, without which a person does not live a full life.

On the icon they are depicted as a strong and friendly family. Probably, few people know the meaning of the icon of Faith, Hope, Love. Sophia is wisdom, Hope is faith in God, Christian love means to love without profit.

What helps the holy image

Prayer before this holy icon helps to build a strong, reliable family and find family happiness. They also ask before the shrine:

• about the birth of children
• about children's health,
• about healing from women's diseases,
• about healing from joint pain.

If you sincerely read a prayer in front of the icon of Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia, then it will help protect relatives from temptations. Prayer helps bring peace, joy and happiness back to the family. The main thing is to read it sincerely and with soul. The commemoration of the saints is September 30th. It is also the day of the angel of girls with the same names as the saints.

Prayer to the icon Faith Hope Love is read in these words:

“O holy martyrs Vero, Nadezhda and Lyuba, and wise mother Sophia! We come to you with fervent prayer. Pray the Lord, so that in sorrow and misfortune He will cover us with His inexpressible grace, His servant (names), and save, and to Him glory, like the unsetting sun, let him see. Help us in our humble prayers, may the Lord God forgive our sins and iniquities, and may have mercy on us sinners, and may Christ God vouchsafe us His bounty, to Him we give glory, with His Beginningless Father, and His Most Holy and Good and Life-Giving Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever.”

May the Lord keep you!

See also the video about the miraculous icon of the holy martyrs: