Exclusive Gift Set 23 - St Erasmus and St Marina

Description

Exclusive Gift Set 23 – St Erasmus and St Marina

Exclusive Gift Set 23 – St Erasmus St Marina

He was the bishop of Formiae, Campagna, Italy. He suffered martyrdom during Diocletian’s persecution of the Christians. Erasmus once fled to Mount Lebanon during the persecution. He lived a life of solitude there for some time, being fed by a raven. Ultimately, the emperor discovered his whereabouts, he was tortured and thrown in prison. Legend claims that an angel released him and he departed for Illyricum.

He eventually suffered a martyr’s death and was one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. Legend records that when a blue light appears at mastheads before and after a storm, the seamen took it as a sign of Erasmus’s protection. This was known as “St. Elmo’s fire”. Erasmus is also invoked against stomach cramps and colic. This came about because at one time he had hot iron hooks stuck into his intestines by persecutors under Emperor Diocletian. These wounds he miraculously endured. His feast day is June 2nd.

Marina’s determination

St Marina, born Mariam, was the daughter of wealthy Christian parents. Marina’s mother died when the saint very young, and thus Marina raised in devout Christian life by her father Eugenius. As Marina’s age of marriage drew near, Marina’s father wished to retire to the Monastery of Qannoubine in Lebanon after he had found his child a husband.

When Marina learned of her father’s plan, she asked why her father intended to save his own soul “and destroy mine.” When asked by her father, “What shall I do with you? You are a woman”, Marina answered that she would renounce women’s clothing and live as a monk. She then immediately shaved the hair from her head and changed her clothes. Her father, seeing his child’s strong determination, gave all his possessions to the poor and traveled with Marina to the Kadisha Valley to live in monastic community life, sharing a cell with her under the name Marinos.

After ten years of prayer, fasting and worship together Marina’s father died, leaving her alone. Marina increased her level of asceticism and continued to conceal the fact that she was a woman. The other monks attributed her soft voice to long periods of prayer and strict ascetic life.