As presented by St. Demetrius of Rostov
Once upon a time there lived in Rome a woman named Aglaida, her father Acacius was once the head of the city. Being young and beautiful, possessing rich estates inherited from her parents, and enjoying a free life without a legal husband, she, overcome by the passion of her weak flesh, spent her days in fornication and sins. She had a faithful slave who was the steward of her house and estates; he was young and handsome. His name was Bonifatius, and Aglaida lived with him in a criminal relationship, satisfying her carnal lust. And there is no shame in talking about this, since further we will talk about the blissful and wonderful change in their lives, for when praise is given to the saints, they are not silent about their previous sins, in order to show that not everyone from a young age was blessed and righteous, but They had, like others, a corrupt body, but through true repentance, a good change in themselves and great virtues they became famous for their holiness. This is narrated in the Lives of the Saints so that we, sinners, would not despair, but would hasten to a speedy correction, knowing that with God’s help even after sins it is possible to be saints, if only we ourselves desire it and work for it. And indeed, it is wonderful that it delights the heart, the story in which we hear that a sinner, apparently having no hope of salvation, becomes beyond expectation a saint and, moreover, a martyr of Christ, like Saint Boniface, who during his lustful life served sin, and then he became a confessor, a valiant ascetic and a glorious sufferer for Christ. Boniface, during his dissolute life, was a slave of sin, but had some praiseworthy virtues: he was merciful to the poor, loving to strangers and responsive to all those in misfortune; He provided generous alms to some, to others he brought comfort with love, to others he helped with compassion. Having a strong desire to improve, Boniface often prayed to God to deliver him from the devil’s wiles and help him become master over his lusts and passions. And the Lord did not despise His servant and did not allow him to become even more mired in the uncleanness of sin, but deigned to arrange it in such a way that his unclean deeds were washed away by the shedding of his blood, and through this very thing his soul became like a royal scarlet and was crowned with a martyr’s crown. This happened in the following way.
At that time there was a strong persecution of Christians, deep idolatrous darkness covered the entire East, and many believers were tortured and killed for Christ. Mrs. Bonifatia Aglaida had a saving thought and a strong, irresistible desire to have the martyr’s relics in her home. Not having anyone among her servants who was more faithful and dutiful than Bonifatius, she called him, revealed her desire to him and said in private:
You yourself know, brother of Christ, how many sins we are defiled, not caring at all about future life and salvation; How can we appear at the terrible judgment of God, at which we must, according to our deeds, be condemned to severe torment? But from one pious man I heard that if someone has the relics of the martyrs of Christ and honors them, he receives help for salvation and sin does not multiply in his house, so that he can even achieve that eternal bliss that the holy martyrs were vouchsafed. Now many, they say, perform exploits for Christ, and, giving their bodies to be tortured, receive martyr’s crowns. Serve me: now the time has come to show you whether you really have love for me. Go quickly to those countries where persecution of Christians is instituted, and try to bring me the relics of one of the holy martyrs, so that I can place them with honor and build a temple for that martyr and always have him as my guardian, protector and constant intercessor before God.
After listening to Aglaida, Bonifatius happily agreed to her proposal and expressed his full readiness to set off. The lady gave him a lot of gold, because it was impossible to take the bodies of the martyrs without gifts and gold: the wicked torturers, seeing the strong love and zeal of Christians for the relics, did not give them away for nothing, but sold them at an expensive price and thus acquired large incomes for themselves. Boniface took a lot of gold from his mistress, partly for the ransom of the martyr’s relics, and partly for the distribution of alms to the poor, and also prepared a lot of various incense, linen and everything that was needed to entwine the honest martyr’s bodies. Taking with him many more slaves, helpers and horses, he got ready to set off. Leaving the house, he laughed and said to his mistress:
And what will happen, madam, if I do not find any body of a martyr, and my body, tortured for Christ, is brought to you - will you then accept it with honor?
Aglaida, laughing, called him a drunkard and a sinner and, reproaching him, said:
Now is the time, my brother, not for mockery, but for reverence. During your journey, you should carefully protect yourself from all disorder and mockery: you must perform a holy work honestly and decently, and on this journey you should remain in humility and abstinence, remember that you are going to serve the holy relics, which we will not only touch, but they are not even worthy of looking at them. Go in peace, may God, who took on the form of a servant and shed His blood for us, forgive our sins and send you His Angel and guide you on a good and prosperous path.
Boniface took his mistress's order to heart and set off, reflecting in his mind on what he would have to touch with his defiled, sinful hands. Boniface began to lament his previous sins and decided to fast: not eat meat, not drink wine, but pray earnestly and often in order to come into the fear of God. Fear is the father of attention, and attention is the mother of inner peace, from which the beginning and root of repentance is born. So Boniface planted the root of repentance in himself, starting with the fear of God, attention to himself and unceasing prayers, he acquired for himself the desire for a perfect life.
When Boniface reached Asia Minor and entered the famous Cilician city of Tarsus 1, then, under King Diocletian and his co-ruler Maximian, a cruel persecution of Christians was erected, and believers were subjected to severe torture. Leaving the slaves at the inn, he ordered them to rest, and without resting, he immediately went to look at the suffering of the martyrs, about whom he had previously heard. Arriving at the place of torment, Boniface saw many people gathered to watch the torment being carried out on Christians. All of them were declared to have only one guilt: Christian faith and pious life, but the torment imposed on them was unequal and unequal: one was hanging upside down, and a fire was lit on the ground under him, another was tied crosswise to four pillars, another was lying sawn with a saw, the tormentors whittled some with sharp instruments, gouged out the eyes of another, cut off members of the body of another, put another on a stake and, lifting it from the ground, set the stake in the ground so that it went up to his neck, in another the bones were broken, in another - his arms and legs were cut off, and he rolled on the ground like a ball, but spiritual joy was visible on all faces, because, enduring unbearable torment for humans, they were strengthened by the grace of God. Blessed Boniface looked at all this with attention, now marveling at the courageous patience of the martyrs, now wishing for the same crown for himself, then, filled with Divine jealousy and standing in the middle of that place, he began to embrace all those who had revealed themselves to be martyrs, of whom there were already about twenty, and, loudly, everyone, exclaimed loudly:
Great is the Christian God! Great is He, for He helps His servants and strengthens them in such great torment!
Having said this, he again began to kiss the martyrs and lovingly kiss their feet, and those who did not have legs, the rest of the body, hugging the martyrs, he pressed them to his chest, calling them blessed, because, having bravely endured short-term torment, they they will immediately receive eternal peace, consolation and endless joy, while Boniface prayed for himself, so that he too would be a friend of the martyrs in such a feat and a partaker of the crown that they receive from the Hero - Christ. All the people turned their gaze to him, especially the judge who tormented the holy sufferers. Seeing a stranger and a stranger before him in the person of Boniface, he asked: who is he and where is he from? And immediately ordering him to be seized and brought to him, he asked:
Who are you?
Christian! - answered the saint.
But the judge wanted to know his name and origin. Answering this, the saint said:
My first and most beloved name is Christian, I came here from Rome, and if you want to know the name that was given to me by my parents, then my name is Boniface.
So, Boniface,” said the judge, “go to our gods before I tear your flesh and bones to pieces, and make a sacrifice to them.” Then you will be rewarded with many benefits, you will appease the gods, you will get rid of the torment that threatens you, and you will receive many gifts from us.
In response to this, Boniface said:
I shouldn’t even respond to your words, but I will say again what I have repeated many times: I am a Christian, and this is the only thing you will hear from me, and if you don’t want to hear this, then do with me what you please !
When Boniface uttered these words, the judge immediately ordered him to be undressed, hanged upside down and beaten severely. And the saint was beaten so severely that entire pieces of meat fell off his body and bones were exposed. He, as if not feeling the suffering and not caring about the wounds he received, only fixed his eyes on the holy martyrs, seeing in their suffering an example for himself and being consoled by the fact that he was worthy to suffer with them for Christ. Then the tormentor ordered to ease his torment a little and, trying again to convince him with words, said:
Boniface, let this beginning of torment serve as an indication to you of what it is better for you to choose: now you have experienced unbearable suffering, come to your senses, wretched one, and make a sacrifice, otherwise you will immediately be subjected to even greater and crueler suffering.
The saint objected:
Why do you command me obscene things, O madman! I cannot even hear about your gods, and you command me to sacrifice to them!
Then the judge, in great anger, ordered sharp needles to be inserted under his fingernails and toenails, but the saint, raising his eyes and mind to heaven, silently endured. Then the judge came up with a new torment: he ordered the tin to be melted and poured into the saint’s mouth. When the tin was melted, the saint, raising his hands to heaven, prayed:
Lord my God, Jesus Christ, who strengthened me in the torment I endured, remain with me now, easing my suffering. You are my only consolation: grant me a clear sign that You are helping me defeat Satan and this unrighteous judge: for Your sake, as You Yourself know, I suffer.
Having finished this prayer, Boniface turned to the holy martyrs with a request that with their prayers they would help him endure terrible torment. The torturers, approaching him, opened his mouth with iron tools and poured tin down his throat, but did not harm the saint. Those present during the torment, seeing such cruelty, shuddered and began to exclaim:
Great is the Christian God! Great is the King - Christ! We all believe in You, Lord!
Thus exclaiming, everyone turned to the nearby idol temple, wanting to destroy it, but they were loudly indignant at the judge and threw stones at him to kill him. The judge, getting up from the judge's seat, ran away to his house in shame, and ordered Boniface to be kept in custody.
In the morning, when the excitement subsided and the popular uprising stopped, the judge again appeared at the judge’s seat and, calling Boniface, blasphemed the name of Christ and mocked how Christ was crucified. The saint, not tolerating blasphemy against his Lord, himself uttered many words that were annoying to the judge, in turn cursing the soulless gods and denouncing the blindness and madness of those who worship them, and thereby angered the judge even more, who immediately ordered to melt the cauldron of tar and throw the saint into it martyr. But the Lord did not abandon His servant: an angel suddenly descended from heaven and sprinkled the martyr in the cauldron, and when the resin poured out, a strong flame formed around him, which burned many of the wicked pagans standing near him. The saint came out healthy, without receiving any harm from the tar and fire. Then the tormentor, seeing the power of Christ, was afraid that he himself would suffer, and ordered Bonifatius to be beheaded with a sword. The soldiers took the martyr and led him to beheading. The saint, having asked for some time for prayer, turned to the east and prayed:
Lord, Lord God! Grant me Thy mercies and be my helper, so that the enemy does not block the path to heaven for my sins, insanely committed, but accept my soul in peace and place me together with the holy martyrs who shed blood for You and preserved the faith to the end; Deliver the flock acquired by Your honest Blood, Your people, O Christ, close to me, from all ungodliness and pagan error, for You are blessed and remain forever!
Having prayed thus, Boniface bowed his head under the sword and was beheaded, his wound bled out along with milk. The infidels, seeing this miracle, immediately turned to Christ - about 550 people in number, and, leaving the vile idols, joined the faithful. Such was the death of Saint Boniface, who, setting out on his journey from home, laughingly predicted to his mistress what he actually proved and accomplished in practice 2 .
Meanwhile, the friends of Bonifatius and the slaves of Aglaida, who came with him to find the relics, not knowing anything about what had happened, sat in the hotel and waited for Bonifatius. Seeing that he did not return in the evening, they were surprised, not seeing him all night, and also in the morning of the next day, they began to judge and speak ill of him (as they themselves later said), assuming that he had gotten drunk somewhere and spends time with harlots:
“Here,” they said, laughing, “how our Boniface came to look for holy relics!”
But since he did not return the next night and on the third day, they began to be perplexed and looked for him, walking throughout the city and asking about him. By chance, or rather, at God's discretion, they met a man who was the brother of the commentator 3 and asked him if he had seen a certain man, a stranger, who had come here. He replied that yesterday a certain foreign man, having suffered for Christ at the place of torment, was condemned to death and beheaded with a sword.
“I don’t know,” he said, “is this the one you are looking for?” Tell me, what does he look like?
They described the appearance of Bonifatius, that he was short in stature and had red hair; They also reported other features of his face. Then the man said to them:
This is probably the one you are looking for!
But they did not believe it, saying:
You don't know the person we are looking for.
And, talking among themselves, they remembered Boniface’s former character, cursed at him and said:
Will a drunkard and a libertine suffer for Christ?!
But the commentator’s brother insisted on his own.
In appearance, such as you say, the man yesterday and the day before was indeed tormented at the trial,” he said, “however, what is stopping you? Go and see for yourself his body, lying in the place where he was beheaded.
They followed that man and came to the place of torment, where military guards were stationed so that the bodies of the martyrs would not be stolen by Christians. The man walking ahead showed them the lying beheaded martyr and said:
Is this the one you are looking for?
When they saw the body of the martyr, they immediately began to recognize their friend, and when they put his head, which lay separately, to the body, they were completely convinced that it was Boniface, and they were very surprised, and at the same time they began to feel shame, because they thought and they spoke ill of him, and were afraid that punishment would befall them for condemning the saint and laughing at his life, not knowing his heartfelt thoughts and good intentions.
When they looked at the face of the saint and were in great amazement, they suddenly saw that Boniface gradually began to open his eyes, and graciously looked at them as at his friends, his lips smiled, his face glowed, as if showing the appearance that he forgave them all their sins against him.
They were horrified and rejoiced together and, shedding warm tears, cried over him, saying:
Servant of Christ, forget our sins, that we unrighteously condemned your life and foolishly mocked you!
Then they gave the wicked 500 gold coins and took the body and head of Saint Boniface, anointing them with fragrant ointments, wrapped them in clean shrouds and, placing them in the ark, went to their home, taking the body of the martyr to their mistress. As they approached Rome, the Angel of God appeared in a dream to Aglaida and said:
Get ready to accept the one who was once your servant, but has now become our brother and co-servant; accept the one who was your slave, and now will be your master, and reverently honor him, because he is the guardian of your soul and the protector of your life.
When she woke up, she was horrified, immediately taking several venerable church clergy, she went out to meet the holy martyr Boniface, whom she had previously sent on the journey as a slave, and upon her return she received him into her house reverently with tears as a master. And she remembered the prophecy that the saint uttered as he set out on his journey, and she thanked God, who arranged it so that Saint Boniface, for his and her sins, became a sacrifice acceptable to God. On her estate, which was 50 stages distant from Rome, 4 Aglaida built a wonderful temple in the name of the holy martyr Boniface, and placed holy relics in it, after many miracles began to be performed through the prayers of the martyr, various healings were performed for the sick, demons were cast out from people , and many praying at the saint’s tomb received the fulfillment of their petitions.
Afterwards, blessed Aglaida herself, having divided all her property among the poor and wretched, renounced the world, and, having lived another 18 years in great repentance, died in peace and joined the holy martyr Boniface, being laid next to his tomb 5 .
So this pair of saints, having miraculously changed their previous lives, received a good end, one, having washed away his sins with blood, was awarded the crown of martyrdom, while the other, with tears and a harsh life, cleansed herself from carnal filth; and both appeared justified and blameless before the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever. Amen.
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1 Cilicia is the southeastern Roman province of Asia Minor. - Tarsus is a large and populated city of this province, in the southern part of it, in a fertile plain, near the Kydna River, not far from it flowing into the Mediterranean Sea, - hitherto a fairly significant trading city.
3 Commentary - the head of prisons in the Roman Empire and the clerk of trials, who carried out preliminary investigations of the accused, especially of Christian martyrs.
Stage 4 - a measure of length of 88 fathoms; track. 50 stadia equal almost 9 versts. The head of St. Boniface was subsequently seen in Constantinople in 1200 by the Russian pilgrim Anthony. Over the temple of St. Boniface in Rome, built for him by Aglaida, a larger temple was later built in the name of St. Alexy, the man of God, and the relics of both saints in 1216 were transferred from the lower church to the new upper one, in the sacristy of which their honest heads are currently kept separately.
5 According to the Roman acts of St. martyrs and the Greek synaxarion of Saint Nicodemus, Aglaida, after her exploits, was even awarded the gift of miracles and the expulsion of demons, she was canonized, and her memory is celebrated together with St. Martyr Boniface.
1st of January. A day of nationwide drunkenness and a severe hangover, a headache for doctors on duty and rescuers. It is not without reason that the “breadth” of our compatriots’ celebration of the New Year formed the basis of the plot of the main New Year’s film, “The Irony of Fate.” But an amazing thing: according to the Orthodox calendar, January 1st is the day of remembrance of the martyr Boniface - the saint to whom they pray... for deliverance from drunkenness! Nobody specifically guessed the date: the day of remembrance of the martyr “fell” on the first day of the year thanks to the fact that the Bolsheviks transferred the country to the Gregorian calendar in 1918. Accident? Since when do Christians believe in coincidences?..
Perhaps, if Boniface lived today, no one would especially condemn him for his lifestyle. Yes, the young man loved to take a walk, have fun, drink wine to get his blood pumping. Yes, he lived, as they would say now, with his beloved - Aglaida, a smart and beautiful girl. True, secretly, because their social statuses were too different: a noble Roman woman and a slave, her housekeeper. What can you do: unmarried Aglaida fell in love with her handsome servant, and he reciprocated the mistress's feelings.
Isn't that what happens? Mistress and her handsome lover. Their love story could have remained the plot of a cheap soap opera, one of millions, but became a heroic saga.
It all started with the fact that these young people are a strange thing! - tormented...
Rome, second half of the 3rd century AD. Boniface and Aglaida live enjoying each other and life. Maybe the slavish condition itself, or maybe the innate qualities disposed the young man to feel sorry for people, to help them - he was not an arrogant rake without a penny to his soul. And Aglaida, like Boniface, was tormented by the feeling of the untruth of her life, she prayed, but what can you do - the passion was stronger! Weak man. But God is strong if a weak person has enough determination and patience to accept His help...
It is unknown from whom Aglaida heard the story about the martyrs, of whom there were a lot at that terrible time - the 3rd century, the persecution of Christians by Emperor Diocletian - it probably seemed to prick her in the very heart. The Roman woman wanted to bring the relics of the martyr in order to build a house church on her estate, placing them there with honor.
Let's imagine the daughter of an oil magnate who dreams of building a small temple behind the 4-meter fence of her country house-castle in New Riga, and placing a shrine brought from distant countries inside. It will probably be similar.
What did Aglaida dream about? Probably about the fact that he and Boniface will live an honest, virtuous life, “from scratch,” and the holy martyr will be their assistant and mentor on this path. As the heroine of the film “Unfinished Piece for Mechanical Piano” said to her lover: “We will start a new life, clean, bright. We will live in the village, we will work, we will work a lot...”
Perhaps with similar idyllic dreams, Aglaida began to equip her slave Boniface for the journey. She gave him money to buy the relics, equipped several accompanying people and sent him to Asia Minor. Already going out onto the road, Bonifatius turned around and jokingly asked his beloved: “What if I fail to find the body of the martyr? Maybe then they will bring you my body, martyred for Christ - will you accept it?
Aglaida reproached the joker and reminded him that the purpose of his trip did not tolerate ridicule.
This reproach was remembered by Boniface on the road... There was plenty of time, and he thought about everything that he had to do, about those people who are now dying with the name of Christ on their lips, about that Christian unknown to him, whose body, perhaps, was disfigured by beatings he will have to ransom it for a huge amount of money. Boniface decided to fast, not drink the wine that was so familiar to him, and pray before the enterprise, which - Aglaida is right! - is too serious to be taken lightly.
In the Cilician city of Tarsus, Boniface left his companions at the hotel, and he himself went to the city square. There was a usual thing going on there for that time: the execution of “state traitors” - people who did not want to recognize the Roman gods. The tortures to which these people were subjected were terrible and sophisticated: one was slowly burned at the stake, another was impaled, the third was sawed in half with a wooden saw. It’s hard for us to imagine the savagery of that time.
But what must have struck the young slave much more was something else: the martyrs did not curse, did not beg for mercy, but their faces shone with some unearthly light... The amazed Bonifatius began to walk from one martyr to another, cried, hugged the sufferers, kissed their feet , asked for their prayers. Captured by the judge who presided over these atrocities, Boniface, in response to his angry questions, simply said: “I am a Christian.”
The young man was tied up, hung upside down and brutally beaten. Then they stuck sharp needles under his nails - a terrible technique that was used centuries later in our country, in the dungeons of the NKVD.
“Great is God! Great is Christ!” - that was all the martyr said to all attempts to force him to confess paganism.
When hot tin was poured into Boniface’s throat, a miracle happened: this fanaticism did not harm him! The onlookers gathered in the square began to shout: “Great is the Christian God!”
There was a rebellion. The townspeople began to throw stones at the judge, and he was forced to hide in shame. The heated crowd rushed to the pagan temples - to destroy idols...
But the next day the excitement subsided and... Boniface continued to be tortured. When he ended up unharmed in a cauldron boiling with tar, and the tormentors who were preparing the torture were burned... the judge got scared and gave the order to put an end to the young Christian. Boniface's head was cut off.
His companions, who had been waiting for him at the hotel for two days, mentally washed all Boniface’s bones. “Of course, this lover of pleasure is now having fun in some tavern or brothel! What else can you expect from him?!” - they were indignant. When these people learned about the execution and found the body of the saint, they probably could not find words from shame.
Aglaida was waiting for her lover to return. Did she have a presentiment of something or not? As sometimes happens, the word thrown out as a joke turned out to be prophetic. In a dream, Aglaida saw an Angel who warned her: “Meet not your beloved, but our brother and fellow servant.” And the next day Boniface returned - with his relics.
Of course, Aglaida built a temple in which she placed the body of the martyr - and people began to be healed from his relics. And the noble Roman woman herself distributed her rich property to those in need and renounced the world. Her life ended after 18 years of prayer and righteous living. They say that they were buried side by side - Aglaida and Bonifatius, mistress and slave, ordinary people subject to addictions and passions who acquired holiness; lovers who became a nun and a martyr of Christ.
And the Lord took pity on them and gave them the opportunity to cleanse their sins with their blood and end their sinful life with repentance. Aglaida learned that if the relics of the holy martyrs are reverently kept in the house, then through their prayers it is easier to obtain salvation, for under their grace-filled influence sins are diminished and virtues reign. She sent Boniface to the East, where at that time there was a cruel persecution of Christians, and asked to bring the relics of a martyr so that he would become their leader and patron. At parting, Boniface, laughing, asked: “What, madam, if I don’t find the relics, and I myself suffer for Christ, will you accept my body with honor?” Aglaida took his words seriously and reproached him for taking liberties when going on a holy task. Boniface thought about her words and was focused the whole way.
Arriving in Cilicia, in the city of Tarsus, Boniface left his companions at the hotel and went to the city square, where Christians were tortured. Shocked by the spectacle of terrible torture, seeing the faces of the holy martyrs enlightened by the grace of the Lord, Boniface, at the beck and call of his compassionate heart, rushed to them, kissed their feet and asked for holy prayers, so that he too would be worthy to suffer with them. Then the judge asked Boniface who he was, Boniface replied: “I am a Christian,” and then refused to sacrifice to idols. He was immediately given over to torture: they beat him so hard that the meat fell off the bones, they stuck needles under his nails, and finally they poured molten tin into his throat, but by the power of the Lord he remained unharmed. The people surrounding the judgment seat became indignant, they began to throw stones at the judge, and then rushed to the pagan temple to overthrow the idols.
The next morning, when the unrest had calmed down somewhat, the judge ordered the holy martyr to be thrown into a cauldron with boiling tar, but this did not cause the sufferer any harm: an Angel descended from heaven sprinkled him, and the tar poured out of the cauldron, flared up and burned the tormentors themselves. Then Saint Boniface was sentenced to beheading by the sword. Blood and milk flowed from the wound; Seeing such a miracle, about half a thousand people believed in Christ. Meanwhile, the companions of Saint Boniface, having waited in vain for him for two days at the hotel, began to look for him, assuming that he had indulged in a frivolous pastime. At first the search was unsuccessful, but finally they met a man who was an eyewitness to the martyrdom of the saint. This witness led them to where the headless body still lay. The companions of Saint Boniface tearfully asked him for forgiveness for the inappropriate thoughts about him and, having bought the remains of the martyr for a lot of money, they brought them to Rome.
On the eve of their arrival, an Angel appeared to Aglaida in a dream and ordered her to prepare to receive her former slave, and now her master and patron, a co-servant of the Angels. Aglaida called the clergy, received the honorable relics with great honor, and then built a temple in the name of the holy martyr on the site of his burial and placed the relics there, famous for many miracles. Having distributed all her property to the poor, she retired to a monastery, where she spent her days in repentance and during her lifetime acquired the miraculous gift of casting out unclean spirits. The saint was buried near the grave of the martyr Boniface.
They especially pray to the martyr Boniface to overcome the passion of drunkenness.
To save your loved one from binges and the passion of drunkenness, pray to the martyr Boniface. Boniface himself died from the passion of drunkenness, but he turned to the Lord and was awarded martyrdom.
The feat of Saint Boniface teaches that, like him, we must constantly lament our vices and fight against them. Through prayers to Saint Boniface, Christian believers receive deliverance from sinful passions - fornication and especially wine drinking.
TROPARION, TONE 4
Martyrs were sent to the class, you were a true martyr, having suffered for Christ most powerfully, all-validated, but you returned with the might of the faith that sent you, blessed Boniface, pray to Christ God to accept forgiveness of our sins.
KONDAC, VOICE 4
The immaculate sanctification was brought to you by your own will, even from the Virgin for the sake of the one who wanted to be born, the holy crowned, wise Bonifatius.
IN KONDAC, VOICE 4
Coming out to receive the passion-bearing relics and those suffering from the law of faith for the sake of vain, you showed your courageous strength by rushing to the passions by confessing to Christ, Who received the honor of the victory of your suffering, Bonifatius, pray ever for us.
The holy monk Vo-ni-fa-tiy was the slave of the god-young Roman Agla-i-dy and stood with her in dep- legal cohabitation. But both of them felt a sense of sadness and wanted to somehow wash away their sin. And the Lord took pity on them and gave them the opportunity to cleanse their sins with their blood and end their sinful life in any way. Agla-i-da found out that if it is good to keep the relics of the holy mar- ks in the house, then they can It’s easier for you to get spa-ness, because under their beneficial influence of the mind there are sins and -rya-yut-sya good-ro-de-te-li. She s-rya-di-la Vo-ni-fa-tiya to the East, where at that time there was the same persecution against Christianity, and pro-si-la bring the power of some mu-che-ni-ka, so that he can become their guide and protector . Vo-ni-fa-tiy asked goodbye, laughing; “And what, madam, if I don’t find relics, and I myself suffer for Christ, will you accept my body with honor?” Agla-i-da took his words seriously and reproached him for the fact that, going on a holy mission, he takes liberty. In-ni-fa-tiy thought about her words and all the time he was with-the-middle.
Arriving in Ki-li-kiya, in the city of Tarsus, Vo-ni-fa-tiy left his companions at the hotel and went to -rod-square, where mu-chi-li hri-sti-an. Shocked by the sight of terrible torture, seeing the pro-light blessings of the Lord beneath her, the faces of the holy men -ni-kov, Vo-ni-fa-tiy, by the pull of his co-passionate heart, rushed to them, kissed their feet and asked for the strength of holy prayers, so that he too would be able to suffer with them. Then the judge asked Vo-ni-fa-tiya who he was. Vo-ni-fa-tiy said: “I am a hri-sti-a-nin,” and then from-the-hall-sya at-not-sacrifice-to-idols. He was immediately taken to the torment: he was beaten so that the meat came off the bones, there were needles under his feet, on -in the end, molten tin was poured into the throat, but by the power of the Lord he remained unharmed. The people surrounding the judge became outraged, they began to throw stones at the judge, and then they approached the pagan cave in order to overthrow the idols. The next morning, when the excitement had died down somewhat, the judge decided to throw the holy man -not in a cauldron with boiling resin, but this did not cause any harm to the sufferer: it was oro-strength with An angel came from heaven, and resin came out of the cauldron, flared up, and burned itself. That's when Saint Vo-ni-fa-tiy was beheaded with a sword. Blood and milk flowed from the wound; seeing such a miracle, about 550 people believed in Christ.
Meanwhile, the companion of Saint Vo-ni-fa-tiya, having in vain waited for him for two days in the hotel, began to look for him. Presuming that he indulged in light-mindedness at the time. At first they were without success, but finally they met a person who was clearly visible after the much-needed death of the saint. This witness led them to where the headless body still lay. The companions of Saint Vo-ni-fa-tiya with the traces of him ask for forgiveness for inappropriate thoughts about him and, you... having bought beer for a lot of money and brought them to
On the eve of their arrival, Agla-and-an Angel appeared in a dream and ordered her to come and accept her former slave , and now the state-by-di-na and by-kro-vi-te-la, co-serve-te-la An-ge-lov. Agla-i-da called the kli-ri-kov, with great-ness she received honest powers, and then built-i-la on the place of his burial there is a temple in the name of the holy mu-che-ni-ka and the relics lived there, glorified-by-vi-shi-e- with many miracles. Having distributed all her property to the beggars, she retired to the monastery, where she lived for seventeen years and during her life -I have not acquired the miraculous gift of removing unclean spirits. Po-ho-ro-ni-li the saint near the mo-gi-ly mu-che-ni-ka Vo-ni-fa-tiya.
The providential Orthodox Church on December 19, old style (January 1, according to the New Style) celebrates the day of remembrance of the holy martyr Boniface, the patron saint of all those who struggle with the disease of drunkenness. Of course, at the beginning of the civil New Year, one can and should see some kind of spiritual warning against wild celebrations and excesses, especially in the midst of the Nativity Fast.
Alexander Cabanel. Boniface and Aglaida. Ser. 19th century
Who was the holy martyr Boniface and why do people pray to him for deliverance from drunkenness? Let us try, with God's help, to answer this question.
It is worth remembering that the lives of saints are not some fairy tales. This is real life of real people. So, let’s try to run our hand over the rough, dusty stone slab of time and examine the spark of life through it...
...Rome of the late 3rd - early 4th centuries after the Nativity of Christ was only the nominal capital of the empire. The huge state was divided into two parts, which were ruled by four people - two couples - Western Augustus and Caesar and Eastern Augustus and Caesar (actually, the reigning emperor and his co-ruler-heir). In the East, Diocletian was August. He chose Nicomedia in Asia Minor (modern Turkish Izmit) as his residence. The residence of Western August Maximian became Mediolan (modern Milan).
Rome turned out to be virtually a provincial city. He no longer felt his former power. On the contrary, a decline in morals reigned, and the words of the poet Horace, calling on his compatriots to “feast amidst the plague and live one day at a time” a couple of centuries before the events described:
“Cut off long hopes. While we speak, envious time is passing: seize the moment, trust the future as little as possible.”
This is, in principle, what the young aristocratic patrician Aglaida and her young slave Bonifatius did. They were in illegal cohabitation and spent time in pleasure feasts. But sadness reigned in their hearts.
The fact is that Aglaida and Bonifatius, according to Roman law, could not get married. The girl was in the patrician class - the highest privileged class of the Roman aristocracy. Boniface was a slave - a “speaking thing” or a “speaking instrument.” In Rome, a slave was completely without rights. He could have been punished, killed, sold without a twinge of conscience. The slaves were not even given names, only nicknames. “Boniface” (in Greek transcription “Boniface”) is one of them. Literally translated from Latin, it meant “good fate”, i.e. “lucky.
Therefore, young people who loved each other could not legitimize their cohabitation in marriage. They also could not become Christians, because according to Christian laws one must either marry or separate. They couldn’t get married, and obviously they couldn’t separate either...
Perhaps this is why the couple led a riotous lifestyle in order to somehow “fill in” the moral abyss that had formed in their hearts and overcome public censure. For the Roman community, the act of Aglaida and Bonifatius was unacceptable. In principle, it would be difficult to surprise corrupt Rome with anything, but such an open cohabitation of a patrician with a slave, for the hypocritical Roman society, whose representatives, far from prying eyes, could commit truly terrible debauchery, caused bewilderment and rejection. Despite the fact that both Boniface and Aglaya were not depraved people in their internal structure. No, they were looking for God and a way out of this situation. And Aglaida succeeded.
The fact is that paganism was already becoming obsolete. People were very interested in Christians and especially martyrs: the aura of heroism and feat, posthumous miracles and healings from relics. Christian martyrdom was perhaps the most interesting topic for the peoples of the Roman Empire. Aglaida learned that it is a very blessed thing to keep the relics of Christian martyrs in the house. It was believed that this called the grace of God to the house and those living in it, giving health and family happiness. Of course, the girl sought the help of the saints in resolving the difficult situation between her and Boniface.
At the same time (at the beginning of the 4th century) in the eastern part of the Roman Empire, one of the most brutal persecutions of Christians in the entire history of this state raged - the persecution of Emperor Diocletian. Thousands of Orthodox Christians accepted death for Christ. Among them are the great martyrs George the Victorious, Demetrius of Thessaloniki and many other famous saints.
In the hope of finding the relics of one of the martyrs, Aglaya sends her beloved Boniface to the East to Asia Minor (the territory of modern Turkey) - to the Cilician city of Tarsus, which was the birthplace of the Apostle Paul. Before leaving, Boniface jokingly addresses his beloved: “What, madam, if I don’t find the relics, and I myself suffer for Christ, will you accept my body with honor?” Aglaida reproached him for the joke, but the words of the future saint turned out to be prophetic.
When Boniface arrived in Tarsus, he heard that Christians were being executed in the city square at that time. He leaves his companions and goes to look at this bloody spectacle. During the execution, something happens to him. The grace of God overshadows his heart, and the sinful soul, tormented by reproaches of conscience, responds to the Lord’s call. Boniface rushes straight to the place of execution to the martyrs, kisses their feet, and asks for holy prayers. And when the judge asks him: “Who is he?” - Boniface answers: “I am a Christian.”
Then, as the life tells, the future martyr is beaten until the meat is separated from the bones, needles are stuck under his nails, red-hot tin is poured into his throat, he is thrown into a cauldron with boiling resin, but the holy Angel helped him, and Boniface remained unharmed. Finally, tired of torturing the sufferer for the faith of Christ, the executioners beheaded his head with a sword. Blood and milk came out of the wound. Amazed by such a miracle and the martyr’s standing in the faith, 550 people believed in Christ.
The saint’s companions searched for him for two days, thinking that he had indulged in sinful amusements. Finally they found a witness to the feat of Bonifatius, and he told them about what had happened. Crying and asking forgiveness from the martyr, the friends bought the honest remains of Boniface for a lot of money and went back to Rome to Aglaida.
On the eve of their arrival, an Angel appeared to the girl in a dream and commanded that she, accompanied by priests, meet the honorable relics of the holy martyr Boniface with honor.
Aglaida performed everything exactly. She built an Orthodox church at the burial site of the martyr. The relics of Boniface became famous for many miracles. Aglaida herself went to a monastery and spent eighteen years in penitential deeds. During her lifetime she acquired the gift of expelling unclean spirits. After her death, she was buried near the grave of the martyr Boniface. The Church also glorified Aglaida in the rank of righteous saints.
Using the example of the holy martyr Boniface and righteous Aglaida, we see that a person often indulges in drunkenness and debauchery not because he is bad, but because of a spiritual emptiness that he does not know how to fill.
But it is filled only with faith in God. Then a person finds harmony, peace and mental balance. A gracious heavenly peace reigns in his heart, for which he is not afraid to give his life. And confirmation of this is the life of the holy martyr Boniface and righteous Aglaida.
Holy martyr Boniface and righteous Aglaido, pray to God for us!
Priest Andrey Chizhenko
