A 5th Century mother's entreaty to
the Lord Jesus, upon learning that her son [one of the monks at Raithu, January
13th] was martyred for Christ:
When she was informed of his death, she dressed in bright
clothes and put on a joyful face; and, having lifted up her hands to the
heavens, said roughly the following to the Savior Christ: To Thee, Master, I
entrusted my son, and I rejoice that now - and in the future age - he has been
saved. To Thee I surrendered my son, and Thou art He Whom I considered his
protector. I thus rejoice, indeed, that he has been preserved safe and
unharmed from the devil. For I do not think about his death, or what his
end was, but I look on the fact that he escaped the danger of every sin.
I do not think about the fact that his body was so wounded, or that he suffered
a bitter death, but that he sustained his soul clean and immaculate to the end;
and surrendered his spirit into that spotless hands.
