Saint Martina, Virgin & Martyr
Under the emperor Alexander Severus she
was discovered in a church one day by three officers of a search
party, and commanded to follow them to a temple of Apollo. She
cheerfully agreed, saying she would do so after praying for a short
time and taking leave of her bishop. The officers reported their
important capture to the emperor, believing she would readily
renounce her faith. But when he ordered her to speak, she replied
that she would sacrifice to none other than the true God, and never
to idols, the handiwork of men. She was tortured by iron hooks, but
her executioners were thrown to the ground amid a great light as she
prayed, and arose converted, like Saint Paul, to the Christian faith.
She was tormented again the following
day before the emperor, cruelly scourged while attached by her hands
and feet to posts. When, one day later, she was taken to a temple of
Diana, the demon left amid horrible screams. Fire from heaven fell
and burnt the idol, which in tumbling crushed many of its priests and
pagan worshipers. Saint Martina, after suffering other tortures and
being spared by an enraged lion and a fiery furnace, was finally
beheaded. Her death occurred on January 1st during the
fourth year of Alexander Severus.
Her relics were found in 1634, during
the papacy of Urban VIII, near the Mamertine Prison, with those of
several other martyrs. All were placed in a beautiful church
dedicated to Saint Martina in the Roman Forum. Urban VIII spared no
efforts in promoting her veneration; and through his solicitude the
Office was enhanced with hymns for Matins and Lauds. In these we read
that her soul rose to heaven, where she was seen afterwards upon a
royal throne, while the Blessed sang praises to God.
Les Petits
Bollandistes: Vies des Saints, by Msgr. Paul Guérin (Bloud et
Barral: Paris, 1882), Vol. 2.
