St.
Symphorosa and her Seven Sons, Martyrs;
Adapted from Father
Francis Xavier Weninger, S.J., 1876
The Catholic Church
presents to us today, seven Christian heroes, who in their youth, manifested
more than manly firmness in the confession of the true faith. Their names were,
Crescentius, Julianus, Nemesius, Primitivus, Justinus, Stacteus, and Eugenius.
Symphorosa, their holy and heroic mother, was a native of Rome, and wife of
Getulius, a Roman general. When in the reign of the Emperor Adrian, a cruel
persecution of the Christians arose, she went with Getulius and Amantius, her
brother-in-law, and her seven sons, to Tivoli, to strengthen the Christians in the
true faith, and to prepare herself for the approaching struggle. The Emperor,
informed of this, despatched Cerealis, one of his officers, to Tivoli, to take
Getulius and Amantius, and bring them prisoners to Rome. Cerealis, still a
heathen, came to execute the imperial command; but convinced by Getulius and
Amantius of the truth of the Christian faith, he embraced it; and hence, all
three were beheaded by command of the enraged Emperor, after having suffered a
long imprisonment, and many cruel tortures.
St. Symphorosa had
every reason to believe that she and her children would not long remain
unmolested; and as she feared that one or more of her children, owing to their
tender age, might be induced to abandon their faith for fear of the tortures,
she left Tivoli, and concealed herself for a time in an unfrequented place, in
order to gain time to inspire her children with Christian fortitude. She
represented to them the priceless grace of dying for Christ's sake, and the
glory which awaits martyrs in heaven. The shortness of the pains of martyrdom,
and the never-ending rewards of heaven were the chief points which she almost
hourly presented to their consideration, while, at the same time, she exhorted
them to follow the example of their uncle and their father, and remain faithful
to the true faith. The pious mother admonished them to pray that God might give
them the strength they needed to suffer for Him; a prayer which she herself
ceaselessly sent up to the throne of the Most High. Not long after, her
anticipations were realized.
Adrian had her and
her children apprehended and brought before him, and commanded them immediately
to sacrifice to the gods, or to prepare themselves for a most cruel death. The
fearless heroine replied: "There is no need of further preparations, of
further consideration. My resolution is taken; I will not sacrifice to idols,
and I have only one wish, to give my life for Him who has given His for
me." The tyrant, who had not expected this answer, was doubly enraged, and
commanded her to be taken to the temple of the idols, and to be hung up by the
hair of the head, after having been most cruelly buffeted. This command was
immediately executed. Symphorosa, during this torture, courageously said to her
children: " Be not terrified, my children, at my sufferings; I bear it
joyfully; joyfully do I give my life for Christ's sake. Remain steadfast. Fight
bravely. Remember the example your father gave you; look at me, your mother,
and follow in our footsteps. This suffering is short, but the glory prepared
for us will be everlasting." With such words, the Christian mother
fortified her children who were willing to conduct themselves according to her
precepts. The tyrant who would no longer listen to Symphorosa's exhortations,
ordered her to be cast into the river, with a great stone fastened around her
neck. In this manner ended her glorious martyrdom, in the 138th year of the
Christian Era.
On the following day,
her seven sons were brought before the Emperor, who represented to them that,
as they had neither father nor mother, he would adopt them as his own children
and provide for them most bountifully, if they would obey him and sacrifice to
the gods. Should they, however, prove as obstinate as their parents had been,
they had nothing to expect but torments and death. "This is what we
desire," answered Crescentius," that we, like our parents, may die
for the sake of Christ. Neither promises, nor threats, nor torments can make us
faithless to Christ." The Emperor, being unwilling to put his menaces
immediately into execution, still endeavored to win over the children,
alternately by promises and threats; but finding all unavailing, he ordered
seven stakes to be raised in the idolatrous temple, to which the seven valiant
confessors of Christ were tied, and tormented in all possible ways. Their limbs
were stretched until they were dislocated, and the witnesses of these awful
scenes were filled with compassion. The pain must have been most dreadful; but
there was not one of these young heroes who did not praise God, and rejoice in
his suffering. The tyrant, ashamed of being conquered by children, ordered an
end to be made of their torments, which was accordingly done in various ways.
Crescentius had his throat cut with a dagger; Julianus was stabbed in the
breast with a sword; Nemesius was pierced through the heart, and Primitivus
through the lower part of his body. Justinus was cut in pieces; Stacteus shot
with arrows, and Eugenius, the youngest, was cut in two.
Thus gloriously died
the seven sons of St. Symphorosa, reminding us of the illustrious martyrdom of
the several Machabees, in the reign of the wicked King Antiochus.
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