Monday, June 24, 2013

St. Anastasia, Really?

As I passed the large icon of my patron saint yesterday in church, the thought flashed into my mind, "She wished her husband dead."


Yes, it's true, she did.  She was married to an abusive man in pagan Rome, and she prayed he would either become a Christian or else die.  (He died.). 

Now when saints pray this way, they man it for the other's good, that he may rack up no further sins.  But you know, she was human, and I'm not sure I can believe that when he died, she was not glad for her own sake, as well, at the deliverance.  St. Anastasia, after whom I am named!

It's worth noting that there are more ways to abuse someone than physical, there are more was to betray a spouse than sexual, and there are more was to kill than bodily. 

2 comments:

Unknown said...

I have always been a fan of complicated saints.

Anastasia Theodoridis said...

St. Anastasia had a mouth on her, too, making her appropriate for me.