On August 26, the Greek Orthodox Church celebrates the Feast Day of The Holy Martyrs Adrian and Natalia.
Martyrs Adrian and Natalia were married in their youth for one year prior to their martyrdom, and lived in Nicomedia during the time of the emperor Maximian (305-311 AD).
The emperor promised a reward to whoever would inform on Christians. The denunciations began and twenty-three Christians were captured in a cave near Nicomedia. They were tortured, urged to worship idols, and then brought before the Praetor, in order to record their names and responses. St Adrian watched as these people suffered with such courage for their faith. He also declared himself a Christian and was imprisoned.
St Adrian’s wife, St Natalia who was secretly a Christian, knowing that her husband was to suffer for Christ, visited him in prison and encouraged him in his suffering saying, “You are blessed, my lord, because you have believed in Christ. You have obtained a great treasure. Do not regret anything earthly, neither beauty, nor youth, nor riches. Everything worldly is dust and ashes. Only faith and good deeds are pleasing to God.”
St Adrian was cruelly tortured and later executed. The executioner ordered the hands and the legs of the Saints to be broken on the anvil.
St Natalia, fearing that her husband would hesitate on seeing the sufferings of the other martyrs, asked the executioner to begin with him, and permit her to put his hands and legs on the anvil herself.
St Natalia recovered part of his holy relics and took it to Argyroupolis near Byzantine.
The martyr, worn out by her husbands suffering, fell asleep in the Lord soon after.
Today is the name day of Adrian, Adriana, Natalia, Natalie.
Xronia Polla!
*Source: Greek Orthodox
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