Homily on the Holy Martyrs Faith, Hope and Love and their Mother Sophia
By Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov
(Delivered in 1964)
By Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov
(Delivered in 1964)
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit!
Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Holy Church celebrates the memory of the Holy Martyrs Faith (Vera), Hope (Nadezhda) and Love (Lyubov) and their mother Sophia, honoring their suffering for their faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
To understand the nature of the suffering of the Holy Martyrs, it is necessary to recall the time and circumstances in which their martyrdom took place. Saint Sophia lived in the city of Rome, Italy, during the reign of Emperor Hadrian. Having lost her husband in her youth, she took on the upbringing of her young children — her daughters Vera, Nadezhda, and Lyubov. Vera was the eldest, twelve years old; Nadezhda was ten; and Lyubov was nine. Being a pious and zealous Christian herself, she strove to instill in her daughters the same spirit of piety, faith, and love for our Lord Jesus Christ. Having ample material resources, Saint Sophia devoted herself entirely to Christian philanthropy, helping the poor. Her children, who are generally drawn to good examples, saw in her life a good role model, and so it is not surprising that they were quite pious.
