Saint Sophia of Ainos, June 4

ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΑ

 Oυκ εμποδών σοι κόσμος ώφθη Σοφία,

Προς την τελειότητα αρετής φθάσαι.

The Byzantine Temple of God's Wisdom, in Ainos. Thrace

Osia Sophia came from Ainos in Thrace and was the daughter of official and wealthy parents. She married and became the mother of six children, who had the sad accident of losing them all. So she found solace in her grief by protecting orphans and widows. He did constant almsgiving, prayers, fasting and everything that relieved his neighbor. At the end of her life she became a Nun and devoted her life to the worship of God. He passed away peacefully at the age of 53.

The short Life of Saint Sophia of Ainos is preserved in five codices of the 12th-14th century1 and has been published by H. Delehaye in a critical note of the Synaxarium Ecclesiae Constantinopolitanae2. Although the Life of Saint Sophia does not provide chronological indications, it is possible to assume that Saint Sophia lived during the Middle Byzantine era, somewhere between the 9th and 12th centuries, so we also have the oldest surviving text of her Life.

Following the narration of her life, we can imagine the life of the saint in the flourishing mid-Byzantine Aeno, which extended approximately to the extent of the post-Byzantine city

.

The text of her Life is as follows:

"Wisdom of asceticism." This time I came from the city of Ainos, my parents

She was born a pious daughter and prominent in the country; she was married

in addition to these men and women mothers of children x. But in the middle of the

of living noises, he showed from works, as not everything present

stuck and in the ways of life, cut offs and confusion because of them

of godly acts of work pleasing to God. No, it was untrustworthy

of the churches, but I also saw overnight prayers and

vigils she taught; and children abandoned to death, orphans

mother, and widows' understanding and help, and the needy ones

I distributed the necessary qualifications to her. Her diet since then

ascetically dietele, water colored drink, the tear aennaon

of the eyes, the psalm, the blessing, the thanksgiving without ceasing

bearing on the mouth. Her humiliation is immeasurable even towards them

if possible, or to each of the attending priests

alms cheerful and honorable and almost beyond strength. Believe it or not

thought of self-deprivation or the apparent emptiness of repulsion and

He rejoices in giving rather than in receiving. For from a vessel of dream,

in spreading the penances of the excommunicated, both hands pumping and

I have provided for those who are in need, now a thing of bliss, fulfilled in the

I found a vessel and not the Andean one receiving relief. And so far

if to myself the miracle was hidden and unspoken,

full and the vessel was visible during the spring season. But Opinika

the majesties of God proclaiming their own mystery

revealed, nothing full was found but incomplete; this also of the brains

she sat down. Profasos, however, has since been engaged in the exercise

now she unworthily exaggerates herself, as the exaggeration of

exercise and come to the extremes of the body and not even breathe

power. So, I fought well and did not get in the way

under the hardships of life and at times four to thirty

I lived that way, as it is all my life, year after year

fifty to three and little more, and last

devoted to the Lord, she redeemed".

It is worth quoting the free rendering of the Life by Saint Nicodemus the Saint:

"On this day the memory of our holy mother Sophia, the ascetic

and surely you will live.

This saint was descended from Ainon, daughter of pious parents and

wandered about that place; and when I came of age I married

from her parents with a legal man, with whom she gave birth to

children. And even if it were in the midst of the world's cares and troubles,

though this he showed by works that the cares of the world and

turmoil is no obstacle at all to pleasing God

he wants, if only he works the Lord's commandments and treats himself

godly deeds and virtues

. Because this blessing was not absent from

the church of God, but also found in her house

awake all night and went down to prayer; and, because

After her children died, she became the mother of other orphaned children as well

great help to widows. But I divided her possessions among them

from then on she led her life in poverty with an ascetic diet; and food

he had dry bread, but plain water to drink; no tears

was missing from her eyes, the psalms of David were

unceasingly in her mouth; she did not weaken nor neglect her

prayer; her humility towards all men and even to them

He was immeasurable to those who were wronged and wronged, whose mercy

he burned all the poor people who came, it was hilarity and wealth.

Trisolbia thought that it was better to be deprived of it, than to

let the poor go out of her house empty; and more

He was happier when he gave than when he received

.Therefore a paradox followed in this miracle; that is, he had a

a vessel full of wine and divided to distribute it to them

poor people. Since they received it from that vessel with both

of his hand and gave it to the poor, so he saw a miraculous blessing,

because he always found the vessel full, without diminishing

completely

· and in that he hid the miracle from me and did not reveal it to

rather, the vessel was full when it was opened;

to proclaim the greatness of God revealed to a relative of hers the

miraculously, the vessel was no longer found full as before, but

It seemed empty and incomplete, and this made the blessed heart sad.

Hence, I took occasion and thought that because of it

her unworthiness was followed by the deprivation of God's gift

more she increased the exercise, so much so that her body dried up in

the akron and not even to breathe possible. In such a way

well-worn or oedematous and completely unobstructed in the

Virtue lived long from the cares and hardships of life

thirty-three and then. And lastly I got a haircut and a haircut

a nun to the Lord, she was ordained".

In conclusion, the Life of Saint Sophia of Ainos presents a succinct and timeless example of an amazing intensity and effort of a competitive ascetic spirit, combined with unimaginable determination and humility. These elements are what the people of every era have in particular need to overcome the various obstacles of life and clearly show the means by which our society should face the modern challenges