10/16/2026
Sunday
2nd Sunday of Luke
beginning: 8:30am
St Isidoros
910 Stewart Ave., Bethpage, NY, 11714
The Life of Saint Charitini, the Great Martyr
Saint Charitini is remembered in the Orthodox Church as a young woman whose faith in Jesus Christ was stronger than the fear of suffering or death. Her name, Charitini, is associated with the Greek word charis, meaning grace, and her life reflects the grace of God working through a soul devoted entirely to Him. The Church commemorates her on October 5, remembering her courage, her purity of heart, and her unwavering commitment to Christ during a time when Christians faced fierce persecution.
Saint Charitini lived in the third century, during the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, when Christians throughout the Roman Empire were threatened, imprisoned, and tortured for refusing to worship the pagan gods. According to the traditional account of her life, Charitini was a young Christian orphan who came under the care of a man named Claudius, a respected Roman who recognized her intelligence, goodness, and devotion to God. Rather than allowing the dangers of the world to weaken her faith, she grew in prayer and virtue, determined to live according to the teachings of Christ.
Her faith did not remain hidden for long. When the authorities learned that Charitini was a Christian, she was brought before the governor and ordered to abandon her beliefs. She was still young, and those who questioned her expected that threats and intimidation would frighten her into obedience. Instead, Charitini spoke openly about Jesus Christ, declaring that He was the true God and that no earthly ruler could persuade her to deny Him. She understood that following Christ might cost her everything, but she considered her relationship with Him more precious than her own safety.
When Charitini refused to deny Christ, the governor ordered her to endure terrible tortures. According to the Orthodox account of her life, her hair was cut, burning coals were placed upon her head, and she suffered painful injuries. Yet she continued to confess her faith. At one point, a heavy stone was tied around her neck and she was thrown into the sea, but the account relates that God delivered her from the waters. She was then subjected to further torments, including being tied to a wheel over burning coals. Through all these trials, Charitini remained steadfast, demonstrating that her hope rested not in earthly strength, but in the power and mercy of God.
The governor, furious that he could not make her renounce her faith, eventually ordered that Charitini be handed over to men who intended to violate her purity. Faced with this final threat, the Saint turned to God in prayer, asking Him to receive her soul rather than allow her to suffer this humiliation. As she prayed, she surrendered her soul into the hands of the Lord. Even after her death, the governor attempted to dishonor her by having her body thrown into the sea in a sack weighted with stones. According to the tradition, however, her body was brought back to shore several days later, where Claudius found it and buried her with reverence and love.
The life of Saint Charitini reminds us that holiness is not measured by worldly power, wealth, or recognition, but by the depth of our love for Christ. She was young and had no earthly authority to protect her, yet she possessed a faith that even the threat of death could not destroy. Her witness also reminds us that our faith is not meant to remain hidden within our hearts; it should be visible through our kindness, our conduct, our courage, and the way we lead others toward Christ. As we remember Saint Charitini, we ask for her holy intercessions, that God may strengthen us in times of trial and grant us the grace to remain faithful to Him in all circumstances. Her life stands as a beautiful testimony that those who surrender themselves to Christ are never separated from His love.
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