Despre Sfînta Teodosia, fecioara cea din Tir, Evsevie, episcopul Cezareei Palestinei, martorul ocular, a scris astfel:
“Întinzîndu-se asupra noastră pînă la cinci ani prigoana de la păgînii închinători la idoli, în două zile ale lunii aprilie, chiar la praznicul Învierii Domnului, în cetatea Cezareea Palestinei o fecioară credincioasă şi cinstită de neam din Tir, care nu avea încă optsprezece ani, s-a apropiat de cei care erau închişi în temniţă, legaţi pentru Hristos, şi le spunea cu îndrăzneală despre împărăţia lui Dumnezeu.
Ea le-a urat de bine, rugîndu-i s-o pomenească înaintea Domnului cînd vor sta înaintea Lui, după sfîrşitul nevoinţei lor cei muceniceşti. Văzînd ostaşii pe fecioară că vorbeşte cu cei legaţi pentru Hristos, au răpit-o ca şi cum făcuse un mare rău şi au adus-o la ighemonul Urban spre cercetare. Ighemonul, fiind plin de mînie şi de sălbăticie cumplită de fiară, a muncit-o cu cumplite munci, strujindu-i pînă la oase coastele şi sînii cu unghii de fier; dar ea, fiind cu faţa luminoasă, pe toate le răbda cu curaj. Deci, a poruncit s-o înece în adîncul mării”.
Acestea le povesteşte Evsevie, care a fost martor ocular la toate muncile. În povestirea romanilor se mai adaugă: “Teodosia, această sfîntă muceniţă a lui Hristos, după înecarea sa în mare, a fost scoasă vie de îngeri din adînc la uscat şi umbla purtînd în mîini piatra care fusese legată de grumajii ei. Apoi, prinzînd-o din nou şi aducînd-o la judecată, muncitorul a dat-o spre mîncarea fiarelor, dar n-a fost vătămată de ele. După aceea a poruncit s-o taie cu sabia. Şi, cînd i-a tăiat capul, s-a văzut o porumbiţă, zburînd din gura ei, care strălucea mai mult decît aurul şi s-a suit spre cer. Apoi, după ce a sosit noaptea, sfînta muceniţă s-a arătat părinţilor săi în mijlocul sfintelor fecioare, îmbrăcată cu o haină mai albă decît zăpada, avînd o cruce de aur în mîini, purtînd o cunună pe cap şi zicînd: “Iată cît de mare este slava şi darul Hristosului meu de care aţi vrut să mă lipsiţi!”
Părinţii ei, văzînd în dînsa dorinţa de nevoinţă mucenicească, o opreau de la acea faptă; dar sfînta, ascunzîndu-se de dînşii, a alergat la cei legaţi pentru Hristos, s-a prins spre muncire, precum s-a zis şi s-a încununat de Domnul nostru Iisus Hristos, Cel ce i-a rînduit o astfel de nevoinţă.
Ἡ Ἁγία Θεοδοσία ἡ Παρθενομάρτυς
Ἡ Ἁγία Παρθενομάρτυς Θεοδοσία καταγόταν ἀπὸ τὴν Τύρο τῆς Φοινίκης καὶ ἄθλησε κατὰ τοὺς χρόνους τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος Διοκλητιανοῦ (284 – 305 μ.Χ.).
Σὲ ἡλικία δέκα ὀκτὼ ἐτῶν διέπρεπε τόσο γιὰ τὴν εὐσέβεια, ὅσο καὶ γιὰ τὸ ζῆλο της ὑπὲρ τῆς Χριστιανικῆς πίστεως, διαδίδοντας αὐτὴ μεταξὺ τῶν εἰδωλολατρισσῶν γυναικῶν καὶ ἑλκύοντας πολλὲς ἀπὸ αὐτές. Κατὰ τὸ πέμπτο ἔτος τῶν διωγμῶν, βρισκόμενη στὴν Καισάρεια τῆς Παλαιστίνης, συνελήφθη καὶ δέσμια ὁδηγήθηκε ἐνώπιον τοῦ ἄρχοντος Οὐρβανοῦ. Ἐπειδὴ ἡ Ἁγία δὲν πειθόταν νὰ θυσιάσει στὰ εἴδωλα, διατάχθηκε ὁ σκληρὸς βασανισμὸς αὐτῆς. Τῆς κόπηκαν οἱ μαστοὶ καὶ τῆς καταξεσκίσθηκαν τὰ πλευρά, ἡμιθανὴς δέ, πιεζόταν νὰ ἀπαρνηθεῖ τὸν Χριστό. Ἡ Θεοδοσία, μὲ φωνὴ ποὺ μόλις ἀκουγόταν, δήλωσε καὶ πάλι ὅτι ἦταν καὶ θὰ παρέμενε Χριστιανή. Τότε ὁ Οὐρβανός, γεμάτος ἀπὸ ὀργή, διέταξε, ἀφοῦ βασανισθεῖ σκληρότερα, νὰ ριχθεῖ στὴ θάλασσα, ὅπου ἔλαβε καὶ τὸν στέφανο τοῦ μαρτυρίου.
Σὲ ἡλικία δέκα ὀκτὼ ἐτῶν διέπρεπε τόσο γιὰ τὴν εὐσέβεια, ὅσο καὶ γιὰ τὸ ζῆλο της ὑπὲρ τῆς Χριστιανικῆς πίστεως, διαδίδοντας αὐτὴ μεταξὺ τῶν εἰδωλολατρισσῶν γυναικῶν καὶ ἑλκύοντας πολλὲς ἀπὸ αὐτές. Κατὰ τὸ πέμπτο ἔτος τῶν διωγμῶν, βρισκόμενη στὴν Καισάρεια τῆς Παλαιστίνης, συνελήφθη καὶ δέσμια ὁδηγήθηκε ἐνώπιον τοῦ ἄρχοντος Οὐρβανοῦ. Ἐπειδὴ ἡ Ἁγία δὲν πειθόταν νὰ θυσιάσει στὰ εἴδωλα, διατάχθηκε ὁ σκληρὸς βασανισμὸς αὐτῆς. Τῆς κόπηκαν οἱ μαστοὶ καὶ τῆς καταξεσκίσθηκαν τὰ πλευρά, ἡμιθανὴς δέ, πιεζόταν νὰ ἀπαρνηθεῖ τὸν Χριστό. Ἡ Θεοδοσία, μὲ φωνὴ ποὺ μόλις ἀκουγόταν, δήλωσε καὶ πάλι ὅτι ἦταν καὶ θὰ παρέμενε Χριστιανή. Τότε ὁ Οὐρβανός, γεμάτος ἀπὸ ὀργή, διέταξε, ἀφοῦ βασανισθεῖ σκληρότερα, νὰ ριχθεῖ στὴ θάλασσα, ὅπου ἔλαβε καὶ τὸν στέφανο τοῦ μαρτυρίου.
Ἀπολυτίκιο. Ἦχος δ’. Ταχὺ προκατάλαβε.
Ὡς δόσιν θεόσδοτον, τὴν παρθενίαν τὴν σήν, ἀγῶσιν ἀθλήσεως, Θεοδοσία σεμνή, τῷ Λόγῳ προσήγαγες· ὅθεν πρὸς ἀθανάτους, μεταστᾶσα νυμφῶνας, πρέσβευε Ἀθληφόρε, τῷ Δεσπότῃ τῶν ὅλων, ῥυσθῆναι ἐκ πολυτρόπων, ἡμᾶς συμπτώσεων.
Ὡς δόσιν θεόσδοτον, τὴν παρθενίαν τὴν σήν, ἀγῶσιν ἀθλήσεως, Θεοδοσία σεμνή, τῷ Λόγῳ προσήγαγες· ὅθεν πρὸς ἀθανάτους, μεταστᾶσα νυμφῶνας, πρέσβευε Ἀθληφόρε, τῷ Δεσπότῃ τῶν ὅλων, ῥυσθῆναι ἐκ πολυτρόπων, ἡμᾶς συμπτώσεων.
Κοντάκιον. Ἦχος δ’. Ἐπεφάνης σήμερον.
Ὡς παρθένος ἄμωμος καὶ ἀθληφόρος, νοερῶς νενύμφευσαι, τῷ Βασιλεῖ τῶν οὐρανῶν, Θεοδοσία πανεύφημε· ὃν ἐκδυσώπει, ὑπὲρ τῶν ψυχῶν ἡμῶν.
Ὡς παρθένος ἄμωμος καὶ ἀθληφόρος, νοερῶς νενύμφευσαι, τῷ Βασιλεῖ τῶν οὐρανῶν, Θεοδοσία πανεύφημε· ὃν ἐκδυσώπει, ὑπὲρ τῶν ψυχῶν ἡμῶν.
Μεγαλυνάριον.
Δόσει λαμπρυνθεῖσα παρθενικῇ, δόσιν εὐσεβείας, διαυγάζεις ἀθλητικῶς, ὦ Θεοδοσία, Χριστοῦ Παρθενομάρτυς· διὸ κἀμοὶ μετάδος, ἐκ τῶν σῶν δόσεων.
Δόσει λαμπρυνθεῖσα παρθενικῇ, δόσιν εὐσεβείας, διαυγάζεις ἀθλητικῶς, ὦ Θεοδοσία, Χριστοῦ Παρθενομάρτυς· διὸ κἀμοὶ μετάδος, ἐκ τῶν σῶν δόσεων.
Virginmartyr Theodosia of Tyre
Commemorated on May 29
Saint Theodosia of Tyre lived during the third and fourth centuries. Once, during a persecution against Christians, which had already lasted for five years, the seventeen-year-old Theodosia went up to condemned Christian prisoners in the Praetorium in Caesarea, Palestine. It was the day of Holy Pascha, and the martyrs spoke about the Kingdom of God. St Theodosia asked them to remember her before the Lord, when they should come to stand before Him.
Soldiers saw that the maiden bowed to the prisoners, and they seized her and led her before the governor, Urban. The governor advised the maiden to offer sacrifice to the idols but she refused, confessing her faith in Christ. Then they subjected the saint to cruel tortures, raking her body with iron claws until her bones were exposed.
The martyr was silent and endured the sufferings with a happy face, and to a second suggestion by the governor to offer sacrifice to the idols she answered, “You fool, I have been granted to join the martyrs!” They threw the maiden with a stone about her neck into the sea, but angels drew her out from the depths. Then they threw the martyr to the wild beasts to be eaten by them. Seeing that the beasts would not touch her, they cut off her head.
By night St Theodosia appeared to her parents, who had tried to talk their daughter into not going to the sufferings. She was in bright garb with a crown upon her head and a luminous gold cross in her hand, and she said, “Behold the great glory of which you wanted to deprive me!”
The Holy Martyr Theodosia of Tyre suffered for Christ in the year 307 or 308. On May 29 we commemorate the transfer of her relics to Constantinople and Venice. She is also commemorated on April 3.