Sophia and her three daughters lived in the second century after Christ under the emperor Andrianou. This was a time when Christians were persecuted. Sophia lived in Rome in Italy . She was widowed at a very young age with three daughters to bring up. Sophia was a Christian with great faith in the Lord and a very good woman.
She was charged with being a Christian and placed under arrest with her three daughters. They were told that unless they renounced Christianity they would die in three days. Sophia spoke with her daughters. She told them that she would not renounce the Lord and she wanted them to do likewise. Faith was twelve years old. Hope was ten and Agabi or Love nine. The three daughters agreed with their mother.
When the three days were up they went before the judge. He had the three young girls before him , and, at first tried gentle persuasion to get them to renounce their faith. When he saw that he was getting no where he resorted to threats. The three children still stood firm. They lived and breathed for Christ and were prepared to die for him too, they told him.The first to die was Faith . She stood firm under horrible torture, and was eventually beheaded. The same was done to Hope and Love.
Sophia prayed earnestly for her daughters, and waited to die like them. The judge however, refused to kill her, believing that it would be more torture for her to see the remains of her children. She was allowed to take the bodies of her children to bury them.. She prayed that she would meet them soon. Three days after she buried her daughters, she died whilst praying at their graves. |
