St Sarah and Her Two Sons
On the 25th day of the Coptic month of Baramouda we celebrate the life of St Sarah and her two sons.
Sarah was from the city of Antioch, the wife of a man whose name was Socrates, one of the governors of Emperor Diocletian. This Governor had denied Christ to please Diocletian, pretending before his wife that he did that because of his fear from the Emperor.
Sarah had two sons, she could not baptize in Antioch, because of her fear from the Emperor and her husband. She
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took them and sailed to Alexandria to baptize them there. God willed to reveal the greatness of her faith as a lesson to the generations to come. God brought forth a great tempest and the ship was about to be wrecked and drown. Sarah was afraid that her sons would be drowned without being baptized. She prayed a long prayer, then she wounded her right breast, took some of her blood, anointed them making the sign of the cross upon the foreheads, and over the hearts. Then she dipped them in the sea three times saying: "In the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit."
After that, the winds died down, a great calm came on the sea, and the ship sailed toward Alexandria. When she arrived, she took her sons, went to the church, and handed them to Pope Peter, the seal of the martyrs. He received them to be baptized, together with the children of the city. When the Pope carried one of her sons to baptize him, the water froze. The Pope went on baptizing other children and came back to her sons, but the water again froze. The same thing occurred on the third attempt. The Pope was amazed and asked their mother about her story. She told him about all that happened to her at sea and what she did for her sons. He glorified God and said: "It is indeed one baptism."
When the woman returned to Antioch, her husband denounced what she had done. He related what happened to the Emperor accusing his wife with adultery. The Emperor brought her and reproached her saying: "Why did you go to Alexandria to commit adultery with the Christians?" The Saint answered him: "Christians do not commit adultery, and do not worship idols, and after this do what you wish, for you will not hear another word from me."
The Emperor asked her: "Tell me what did you do in Alexandria?" When she did not answer him, he ordered to tie her hands behind her, and to place her two sons on her belly, and burn all three of them. She turned her face to the east and prayed. She delivered up her pure soul along with her sons, and they all received the crown of martyrdom.
Lessons from this story
For the love of a mother, were her children saved. For the love of the Father, was her baptism one with God. Her purity was true. Clearly she was not a virgin, as she had been married and given child from her husband. But in this example, purity and virginity are not always the same. Though her marriage was in the faith of Christianity, as the husband denied his faith for he feared the emperor more than he feared God. So her purity was unstained. But so pure was her faith in God, her devotion to her Father, that she believed with all her heart the importance of the baptism of her children. Not as an act of tradition but of faith, knowledge of the Lord.
The importance here is that “the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7) As we meet people from outside of the church, we must remember they are God’s chosen too. That they should not ever let the stain of flesh prevent them from the sweetness of the Father. That in our outreach, the Father of love accepts all as they are. And that a pure desire to be one with God, to be freed from the world, are too all. Just ask Mary Magdalene.
Prayer
God helps us to serve in your holy name and guide us to those seeking your goodness. Help us to see them as you do, to resist the temptations of this world while extending a hand to those who need to know you. May the prayers of St Sarah and her two sons be with us all amen.
