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🔸 October 6 – The Holy Apostle Thomas 🔸 Today, we commemorate the Holy Apostle Thomas. Originally a fisherman from the Galilean city of Pansada, he followed Christ and became one of His original Twelve Apostles. Initially, Thomas did not believe the reports of the other disciples about the Resurrection. He declared that he would not believe unless he saw the print of the nails on Christ’s hands and touched His side (John 20:25). On the 8th day after the Resurrection, Christ appeared to Thomas and showed him His wounds. Having touched the flesh of the Resurrected Lord, Thomas confessed his faith, crying out, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). After the descent of the Holy Spirit, the lot fell on Thomas to preach in India where, due to his proficiency in architecture, he was commissioned by the king Gondophares to build him a grand palace. Thomas was given much gold by the king for the project - all of which he distributed to the poor. He even asked the king for more gold to finish the roof which he also gave away. Seeking only to lay the foundations of the Church, Thomas led many to the True Faith. Upon discovering what Thomas had done, the infuriated king seized him, demanding to see his palace. Thomas responded, “In the present life you cannot see this palace, but when you depart from this life, you will behold it and shall rejoice to live there unto the ages.” Feeling mocked, the king sent Thomas to prison. That night, the king’s brother had a vision: an angel took him to heaven and showed him a magnificent palace, saying that Thomas had built it for the king. The king rejoiced upon hearing this vision and freed the Apostle. Since Thomas arrived 3 days late to the Dormition of the Theotokos, he wished to venerate her body, but when her tomb was opened, it was empty. Returning to India, Saint Thomas converted the wife and son of the prefect of the city of Meliapur to Christ. For this was imprisoned, tortured, and pierced by spears upon which he delivered his soul to the Lord.

🔸 September 17 - Saint Sophia and Her Daughters Faith, Hope and Love ☦️ 🙏❤️ 🔸 Today, we commemorate Saint Sophia of Rome and her Daughters Pistis (Faith), Elpis (Hope) and Agapi (Love). These Holy Martyrs suffered under the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian (117-138). St Sophia was a pious Christian widow who named her daughters after three of the virtues: Faith (age 12), Hope (age 10), and Love (age 9). They were raised by their mother in the love of the Lord, and did not hesitate to openly confess their faith. A pagan official named Antiochus denounced them to the emperor Hadrian who ordered that they be brought to Rome. The holy martyrs prayed fervently to Christ for the strength not to fear torture and death. The emperor marveled at the beauty of St Sophia, but realizing that she was fearless and above all of his flattery, he brought each of her daughters before him separately to be put on trial. Unyielding in their faith, the girls refused the emperor’s demand to honor pagan god Artemis, and so Hadrian ordered them to be tortured. The holy virgins were beaten with rods, burned over an iron grill, thrown into a red-hot oven, and finally into a cauldron of boiling tar. Miraculously, the Lord preserved them from these torments. Infuriated, the emperor then subjected St Sophia to the most grievous torture - forcing her to watch the death of her daughters. She displayed adamant courage, and urged her daughters to endure their torments for the sake of the Heavenly Bridegroom. All three of her daughters finally delivered their souls by beheading. In order to intensify St Sophia’s intense pain and suffering even further, the emperor permitted her to take the bodies of her daughters. She placed their remains in coffins and loaded them on a wagon. She then went beyond the city limits and buried them on a high hill. St Sophia sat and prayed at the graves of her daughters for three days, and here she gave up her soul to the Lord. Though St Sophia did not suffer martyrdom in the flesh, she still obtained a martyr’s crown, such was the unfathomable suffering she endured in the depths of her heart. Believers buried her body beside her daughters.