Feast Day: September 25th
The Life of Saint Euphrosyne and Saint Paphnutius: Having attained that which she desired, she struggled with much labor and with intense and unceasing Prayer, so that she overcame and exceeded the tenderness and femininity of her body, and she astonished and amazed the brotherhood of the Monastery, seeing the extreme suffering the renowned one underwent… Saint Euphrosyne revealed herself to her father saying “O father.” Then she gave her Soul into the hands of God. Saint Paphnutios was full of joy and seeing the zeal and asceticism in his daughter, left the world and became a Monk, inheriting the place she lived and virtuous way of life…
+
Prayers to Saint Euphrosyne
Apolytikion: As an ascetic thou didst hide thy womanhood, and thy falling asleep was an amazement, O Euphrosyne. Though a woman, thou didst toil as a man, and by thy prayers thou dost save those who honour thee.
Kontakion: Desiring the life on high and forsaking all Earthly pleasures, thou didst live as a man among men, O Holy Euphrosyne. For the sake of Christ thy Bridegroom, thou didst spurn Earthly betrothal.
Saint Euphrosyne secretly left the home of her parents, disguised herself as a man, and lived in a men’s Monastery. She wanted to hide from her father Saint Paphnutios who was desperately looking for her, because she wanted to struggle in great asceticism.
+
Saint Euphrosyne lived for 38 years in the Monastery in great struggles.
+
An Icon of the Mother of God by Saint Luke. Saint Symeon and Saint Theodore, the Founders of the Monastery of the Great Cave, had many dreams leading them to the Icon and the shepherdess Saint Euphrosyne. When they approached, Euphrosyne kneeled to them with respect and called them by their names. Then she lead them into the cave to the much sought-after Holy Icon, which was discovered just a few years before by her in a wondrous manner. They also found a stone Altar that had been carved out of the rock of the mountain by Saint Luke and was used by him in the Divine Liturgy, in the place were he lived in Asceticism for years. With much joy, gratitude and devotion, the Monks Saint Theodore and Saint Simeon took the Icon out of the cave and began to clean it. However, a violent dragon soon appeared from the cave, but by the Grace of Christ and Panagia’s Holy Icon, it was struck by lightning and died. The bones of the dragon remain to this day. Inside the cave they constructed a small Church and some small cells with the assistance of the crowd of believers, who came to Venerate the Miraculous Icon of the Virgin Mary and to hear the Word of God from this Godly-preachers, Fathers Simeon and Theodorou. Many of the crowd remained as Monastics.
Saint Euphrosyne’s father Saint Paphnutios went to the Monastery when he heard this Monk way dying, and Saint Euphrosyne revealed herself to her father saying “O father.” Then she gave her Soul into the hands of God. Saint Paphnutios was full of joy and seeing the zeal and asceticism in his daughter, left the world and became a Monk, inheriting the place she lived and virtuous way of life.
+
Icons
