Among the numerous Orthodox icons you can find one that depicts holy virgins. They personify the three basic Christian virtues. We are talking about the icon of Faith, Hope, Love. Their names contain all the main things that the Savior once brought to humanity, for which He endured the agony of the cross.
The beginning of the story of the widow Sophia
To understand the meaning inherent in the images of holy virgins, one should turn to their lives. Symbols come from time immemorial, but are still relevant in modern times, in which material values often prevail over spiritual ones.
The story tells of a deeply religious widow, Sophia. She lived in the second century, when Emperor Hadrian, an ardent persecutor of Christians, reigned. The girl’s name itself was translated as “wisdom”, and it contained the destiny given by the Almighty. Since childhood, Sophia spent all her time among the pagans, but with her heart she was able to comprehend the teachings of Christ.
While married, the woman gave birth to three girls from her husband. She decided to name them after Christian virtues. When the youngest daughter was born, her husband soon died. Having been widowed, pious Sophia devoted herself to raising her children. From an early age, girls consciously gave alms, realizing that they were fulfilling the commandments of Christ, who called for love and compassion for others. The mother and daughters spent all their days in prayer, fasting and reading the Word of God.
Spiritual path
The years passed, the girls grew up and became more and more strong in the virtues that their mother laid in their names. This was facilitated by homework, classes with teachers, and reading books that were written by the ancient prophets and holy apostles. The girls followed the path of spiritual growth, guided by the instructions of their wise mother.
Over time, rumors about their intelligence and beauty spread throughout Rome. They also reached Antiochus, a fanatical pagan and commander of the region. He wanted to meet and talk with them. From the first seconds of the conversation, it became clear that true Christians were standing in front of him. What angered him most was the fact that they openly preached the teachings of Jesus and did not even try to hide it.
Before the Roman Emperor
Antiochus could not contain his rage and went to the ruler Hadrian to talk about the daring followers of Christ. Servants were immediately sent with orders to bring Vera, Nadezhda, Lyubov and their mother Sophia to the palace.
Leaving the house, the widow and daughters realized what awaited them ahead. They turned to the Lord in prayer, asking them to strengthen their hearts, to give them courage and strength, so as not to flinch before the executioners. Standing before the throne of the angry Roman ruler, they mentally addressed the Heavenly King. This is what gave strength to look at Adrian with a majestic and calm gaze.
Interrogation of pious virgins
The emperor was struck by the fearlessness and nobility of those who came. He began to ask them who they were and to whose family they belonged. Mother Sophia answered first, since she was the eldest and full of wisdom, in accordance with the Divine name. She told about herself, her daughters and moved on to why they were brought to the palace.
The widow fearlessly told the emperor about the faith in which she raised her daughters and grew up herself. She spoke about Jesus, whose teaching she considers true and the only true one. Then the woman declared that Love, Hope and Faith became God's servants in order to bring imperishable purity as a gift to the Heavenly Bridegroom.
Resilience in the face of fear and temptation
The Roman ruler did not want to enter into an argument with the wise woman and said that he would make his decision in three days. He sent his daughters and their mother to the noble woman Palladia, so that she would try to shake their firm convictions. After the designated period, the girls again appeared before Adrian.
He failed to achieve what he wanted, the widow and girls remained unconvinced, further strengthened by the spiritual conversations and prayers they performed during these days. The enraged emperor described to them the carefree and happy life that would come if they abandoned the Christian faith and bowed to man-made pagan gods. Having finished talking about earthly joys, he moved on to threats. The ruler listed all the torments that awaited them in case of refusal.
Neither the temptation of earthly joys nor the fear of executioners could shake the resolve of Christian women. On the icon of Faith, Hope and Love, which was painted later, four women are depicted, filled with unearthly strength of spirit and ready to sacrifice themselves, purified by torment.
Willingness to endure earthly torments
The women answered again and again steadily and firmly that their true God was the Creator of Being. They noted that they would worship only Him and were even ready to accept all torture and death for His sake alone. Moreover, after this, in the future life they will be able to unite with Him forever. Neither the temptations nor the threats of the emperor could force Christian women to abandon this belief. Saying all these words, Sophia and her daughters joined hands, forming a wreath that was woven in the name of the One God.
Adrian realized that he had already exhausted all his means of persuasion, and ordered the women to be handed over to the executioners. Christian women were strengthened by the power of prayer; they were full of Grace and endured torment, reciting texts from the Word of God.
Accepting death for the Christian faith
The torturers received negative answers to all entreaties. Then they began to torture the daughters, and the mother was forced to watch the whole process. In this way the executioners wanted to force her to renounce her faith in Christ.
The first to be doomed to torment was Vera (Pistis, to take the Greek name). She did not say a word during the torture, but only promised to pray for her sisters and mother before her head was cut off. Then it was Nadezhda’s (Elpis) turn. First she was severely beaten, and then forced to go into a burning oven. Noticing that the fire did not harm the girl, the ruler ordered her to remove her head from her shoulders. The youngest daughter Lyubov (Agape) was mutilated beyond recognition and then also executed.
Adrian did not torture the widow and left her alive. But in order to hurt her heart more painfully, he gave her the heads and bodies of his dead sisters. The fearlessness and greatness of the ascetics manifested at that moment is fully conveyed by the subsequently painted icon of Faith, Hope and Love. But the martyrs are depicted on it no longer as earthly women, but as symbols of holiness.
Completion of the widow's earthly journey
The girls, having endured all the suffering, made a valuable sacrifice in the name of Jesus Christ. Sofia placed the remains of her daughters in expensive coffins and did everything that should be done for the dead. The funeral took place in a suburb of the Roman capital on a high hill on the Appian Way at the eighteenth pillar. The procession took place on the thirtieth of September (later this date became a Christian holiday).
Having buried the remains of the children, the widow spent three days in continuous prayer for the sisters. After that, she herself died quietly near the graves. Christians buried her body on the same hill, next to her daughters. The feat of Sofia and the three girls was imprinted in the memory of people and was continuously passed down from generation to generation.
Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia became holy symbols. An icon depicting their faces soon appeared in Rus' after the baptism of the Kyiv people by Prince Vladimir. At the same time, a Slavic translation of the life was made. There is a rather interesting fact associated with it. The names of the martyrs in the original Greek sound different and are not translated as the compilers of the Slavic life intended. The exception is the name of the girls' mother - Sofia. Contrary to tradition, the translators gave the sisters names that correspond to the three main Christian virtues. The history of Christianity knows only a few similar cases. As a rule, when compiling the lives of saints, the names were written down without any changes.
Also interesting is the fact that until the mid-eighteenth century in Rus', newborns were not given the names of saints, since they were considered common noun symbols. Only during the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna did they begin to treat this differently. Holy names have become widespread, and their bearers have guardian angels. In their honor, a holiday was established in Rus' on the thirtieth of September.
Meaning of the icon
Sofia was a wise woman, so she gave her daughters names that signify important spiritual qualities. Every Christian should cultivate them. The meaning of the icon depicting the holy martyrs Faith, Nadezhda, Lyubov and their mother is that it should remind people of those eternal values that often become not as important as transitory earthly joys.
Sophia personifies the wisdom of God, being the mother of three Christian virtues.
Faith represents unity with the Creator, trust in his gifts, power and mercy. This is what has brought man closer to God since the Fall. Thus, Adam in paradise could directly look at the Creator and talk with Him.
Hope represents the feeling of trust that divine mercy has no limits. Without this virtue, faith cannot exist, since this is the confidence in moment-to-moment and universal protection.
Love is the force on which the whole world as a whole and Christian existence rests. It is also the meaning of any person’s life. Love determines the relationship of people to themselves, to each other and to God. It was this quality that the Apostle Paul considered the most important of the virtues. Jesus commanded us to love even our enemies.
Prayer to the icon
“Faith, Hope, Love” is an icon whose meaning is fully expressed in prayer. It is impossible to say with complete certainty when exactly it was compiled. But it contains heartfelt words that are addressed, first of all, to the mother of the young Christian martyrs. In Sophia’s prayer, words of praise are given as a woman who managed to raise her daughters as worthy brides for the Savior. The text contains a request from God to send wisdom and preservation of three virtues to all people. After all, it is on faith, hope and love that the whole world rests. Such prayerful speeches express the deep meaning of the icon.
Description of the icon
The icon of the Great Martyrs is easy to recognize by several features. The girls are depicted frontally, with three short daughters standing in front, and mother Sophia behind them. Usually everyone holds crosses in their hands, as a symbol of the Savior’s sacrifice and martyrdom.
Often the icon looks very colorful. The girls are dressed in vestments of various colors: they use white, azure, red, sometimes yellow and green. In some images they are depicted as priests. The style of execution of the images will depend on the school and time in which the icon painter lived. But the family is always together as a role model.
Icon options
If you look at the history of the icon, you can see several options for its execution.
In traditional images that belong to the Byzantine school, girls have eight-pointed Orthodox crosses in their hands. Their mother stands and prayerfully raises her hands to the sky, asking for God's help. The heads of the saints are bowed, and their faces are calm, as if they agree with the will of the Creator and the prepared trials.
There is an icon that depicts girls of different heights. The eldest holds the Gospel, the middle daughter has a wooden cross in her hands, and the youngest has an unfolded scroll. Mother Sofia hugs her sisters by the shoulders. Behind the martyrs you can see hills, and above - cirrus clouds in the blue sky.
Also known is the icon of Faith, Hope, Love with stamps that show scenes from the life. One of them depicts Sophia and her children reading the Holy Scriptures, the other depicts a conversation with the Roman ruler. Next come the marks of the sisters’ torture and burial. In the very center of the icon is a classic image of a Christian family.
Help icons
A prayer said next to the icon can help save a family, create strong relationships, protect from envious people, return lost love, choose a groom for unmarried girls and alleviate hand diseases. You can ask for the gift of health for your family and children, even if there are no problems with this now. Those who suddenly lost loved ones find relief in prayers.
From time immemorial, this icon has been the patroness of the hearth. Near her, married girls asked the Almighty for peace to reign in the house. On the thirtieth of September, all women had to start the morning with tears. This was a kind of talisman against adversity. Also on this day, festivities were held at which the groom was looked after.
There lived in Antioch one pious woman named Sophia. The Lord sent her the happiness of motherhood - she gave birth to three daughters and named the girls after the most important Christian virtues - Faith, Hope, Love. The kids were left orphans early, and their mother became a widow. The future one didn’t remember her father at all holy love.
All responsibility for raising their daughters now fell solely on Sofia. The main thing, she said, is to be faithful to Christ. There is nothing more important for us. The life of the pious daughters and their wise mother was quiet and secluded.
Beaded icon of Saint Love
Materials used in embroidered icon of Saint Love: fabric - satin, faces painted in oil on thin canvas, beads, truntal, gimp, tiger's eye, serpentine, jade, carnelian, pearls, amber.
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Holy martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia
The earth was created by the wisdom of God. This is the place where a person prepares for the transition to eternal life. Love, hope and believe, God said to man, and you will know what the Kingdom of Heaven is during your lifetime. According to the laws of existence, everything in this world is built on love, sealed with hope and crowned with faith.
It depends on a person whether to follow God’s direction or determine his own vector. In the Orthodox calendar there is a feast day for the holy martyrs Faith, Nadezhda, Lyubov and their mother Sophia. Its meaning is not only to honor the memory of courageous Christian women, but also to realize what is the beginning and end of human good deeds.
History of spiritual achievement
However, when new persecutions against believers began under Emperor Hadrian, the ruler of Antioch was among the first to send Sophia and her children to Rome. The eldest daughter Vera was 12, the middle Nadezhda was 10, and the youngest holy martyr Lyubov was only 9 years old. They knew why they were being taken to Rome. The path was long, and all this time the saints prayed, sang spiritual hymns, supporting each other’s cheerful spirit.
When the family was brought to the palace, those present were surprised at the wondrous calm that emanated from the future martyrs. They shone from within. It was as if they had come here not for torture, but for a festive feast. The emperor acted cunningly.
First, he gave the girls to be raised by a very smart pagan governess. She told them fascinating stories related to ancient beliefs, took care of them, and taught them social life.
Sophia was offered to make a sacrifice to the goddess Artemis and after that they promised to release her and her children into freedom. Nothing at all: throw a handful of ashes at the feet of the pagan statue and be free! Live, raise your daughters and just forget about everything that happened. But this is betrayal! And Sofia chose death.
Some time has passed. The emperor called the girls to him and, with the promise of all earthly blessings, asked them to also bow to Artemis. The girls were adamant. Even the youngest holy martyr Lyubov showed miracles of courage. Seeing the futility of his labors, Adrian ordered the torture to begin.
In front of their mother's eyes, the girls were subjected to severe torture. They became blood martyrs. And Sophia suffered a bloodless, but most cruel execution. Therefore, there is nothing worse for a mother than seeing her child suffer.
The bodies of the tortured girls were given to Sofia. She took them out of town. She no longer had the physical strength to bury the holy bodies. The Christians of Rome buried the girls with honors. Mother fell to the fresh graves. Now she could give free rein to her tears.
She knew that her daughters were there in heaven. They are with God, they are easy and joyful. But my mother’s heart was still torn with grief. It stopped on the third day. The mother and her holy daughters met again after a short but such a terrible separation.
In Greek, the girls' names sounded like Pitis (Faith), Elpis (Hope) and Agape (holy martyr Love). In the Middle Ages, the story of the martyrs was told in Russian. The names, accordingly, were translated in accordance with their meaning for a more complete perception of the feat of faith. The name of mother Sophia, literally meaning the Wisdom of God, remains to sound in Greek.
Beaded icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Tenderness
Through the prayers of the saints, the Lord strengthens people in Christian virtues. They are asked to intercede for teenagers from the soul-harming temptations of life. They help maintain trusting and friendly relationships between parents and children. In front of the icon, the martyrs of Faith, Hope, and Love are healed of spiritual grief; prayer in front of the image helps them survive the loss of a loved one.
Holy Love
Holy Martyr Love
Prayer of Faith Hope Love listen
Love Prayer
O holy and praiseworthy martyrs Vero, Nadezhda and Lyuba, and valiant daughters, wise mother Sophia, I now come to you with fervent prayer; What else will be able to intercede for us before the Lord, if not faith, hope and love, these three cornerstone virtues, in which the image is called, you are the most prophetic!
Pray to the Lord, that in sorrows and misfortunes He may cover us with His indescribable grace, save us and preserve us, as the Lover of Mankind is good. That glory, like the never-setting sun, is now radiantly visible, assist us in our humble prayers, may the Lord God forgive our sins and iniquities, and may He have mercy on us sinners and unworthy of His bounty.
Pray for us, holy martyrs, our Lord Jesus Christ, to Him we send forth glory with His Beginning Father and His Most Holy and Good and Life-Giving Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Life
In the 2nd century, the pious and noble widow Sophia lived in Rome with her three daughters, who were named by her in honor of the three Christian virtues - Faith, Hope and Love. These three names entered the Roman-Hellenic world at the dawn of Christianity, testifying to values unknown and alien to the pagans.The 2nd century was a time of persecution of Christians, when the Roman emperors, wanting to destroy Christianity, tortured and killed followers of Christ. Sofia, despite this, was not afraid to raise her children in the Christian faith and piety. Vera was 12, Nadezhda 10, and Lyubov only 9 years old when rumors about the virtuous family reached Emperor Adrian, who personally wished to see Sophia and her daughters. Foreseeing the purpose for which they were being taken to the emperor and that they might have to suffer for their faith, Saint Sophia was not afraid, did not allow the thought of renouncing Christ and thereby saving the lives of herself and her children, but began to exhort her children to stand firmly in the faith even to death. She said: This will be my honor and glory if I can be called the mother of martyrs. Then my soul will rejoice, and you will be my true children when you obey to the end.
When the martyrs appeared before the emperor, he began to affectionately persuade them to renounce Christ, promising to make them his beloved daughters, to which the young girls replied: Our father is the Lord, and we are his children. We don’t need another love, we are ready to die for him! Undoubtedly, such an answer infuriated the king, who expected an easy victory over the weak girls. The holy martyrs were given up one by one to cruel tortures in front of their mother. But all of them, without uttering a word, bravely endured the suffering, and in the end each of them was beheaded with a sword.
The cruel emperor did not kill Sophia, considering that there was no greater torment for her than seeing the death of her children. He gave her the bodies and heads of the holy martyrs for burial. Sofia buried her children with honors on a hill outside the city, and she herself remained sitting at their graves. On the third day she died quietly. Believers buried her next to the graves of her holy girls.
The courage of these children and their mother is amazing. Weak in body, strengthened by the grace of God, they showed tremendous strength of spirit by their martyrdom. They pray to the holy martyrs for the preservation of teenagers from the temptations of the world and for love between parents and children.
Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia are holy martyrs widely revered in Christianity. They lived in Rome in the 2nd century after the birth of Christ. Sofia became a widow early. She raised her daughters as convinced Christians.
Sophia and her daughters were reported to the pagan Roman emperor Hadrian. He was interested in the fact that very young girls (Vera was 12 years old, Nadezhda - 10, and Lyubov - 9) took Christianity so seriously. He called them to him, was surprised at their beauty and faith, and began to convince the girls to renounce their faith and worship the pagan gods. But they firmly refused. The emperor began to threaten torture, and when this did not affect the daughters of Sophia, he ordered them to be brutally tortured. None of the girls denied Christ. After much torture they were beheaded.
The emperor did not touch Sophia, but she, having buried her daughters near Rome, died three days later. Sophia, like her daughters, was canonized as martyrs.
Interesting facts about Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia
The relics of the martyrs have been in Alsace since 777. For the first few centuries, they were located on the Aurelian Way near Rome - where Sophia buried her daughters. Subsequently, a tomb was built there. Pope Paul I moved them in the middle VIII centuries to Rome, but they were soon sent to Alsace. Some of the relics were donated to the monastery of St. Julia in Bresci
