Saint Margaret of Antioquia comes out of the dragon's belly and miraculously does not suffer in its astonishing martyrdoms. Intercessor for pregnant women and people with stomach problems
An astonishing martyrdom, which terrorized even his executioners. Thus can be summarized the punishments imposed on St Margaret of Antioch, becoming one of the most transmitted Christian facts over the centuries among generations of Christians.
Born in 275 in Antioch de Psiada (present-day Turkey), orphaned by her mother, Margaret had a father who worshipped pagan gods. He entrusted the girl's education to his love, a Christian woman, who secretly taught her the ways of Jesus Christ, enabling her to know the True God. Soon she begins to participate in Christian services, irando her father who as a pity forces her to work with the slaves, with the aim of forcing her to abandon her belief. It didn't work!
One day the governor of the city sees her at work and falls in love with her beauty. Try to convince him to be his wife and abandon Christianity. She is irreducible, still keeping the promise of virginity she made to God. So the governor and her father hand her over to the court to be tried accusing her of being Christian. Psychological torture sessions were started, which did not shake her. They left for physical torture.... From here, the unbelievable that one human being can do to another happens, but the greatness of God's miracles in the body of the saint greatly surpassed this hatred, not allowing her to suffer these horrors:
The first attempt was to flap her and then put her on a beam, tearing it with iron hooks on various parts of the body. The population and even their executioners protested against such cruelty that the young woman was going through. They finally released her, all torn apart. But the other day his body regenerates and doesn't even have scratches. They take her back to the governor who manages to make his new sentence worse: they should bake the young woman on a hot plate. Their executioners again call for a decrease in the most severe punishment, but without results. Miraculously, Margaret shows no pain or suffering and does not die. They then throw her in prison. The demon invades his cell in the form of a dragon and swallows it entirely. The saint securely holds her crucifix, irritating the dragon's stomach, expelling her back out. Satan cornered, wounded and humiliated, flees from the saint. The governor, in turn, does not give up! Tie it in iron chains and spear into an icy river. Another miracle: the young woman leaves the river with the currents burst and again with no sign of torture, bending on his knees all the people of the locality who accompanied the scene, converting them to Christianity. Many offer to be killed in the young woman's place!
But the governor doesn't bend: now he asks to beit. His executioner cuts off his head and asks God for forgiveness, falling to the ground dead in a row in front of the population. Her story also tells that before she was beheaded, she would have asked God for pregnant or labor-in-labor women to ask for her intercession.
Saint Margaret dies at the age of 15. Converted Christians take their bodies to a safe place to be buried. It quickly came to be venerated in the East. As soon as his body was transported to Italy in the 10th century, it was also venerated in the West and became among the 14 Assisting Saints who Christians most call for intercession in situations of great difficulty or disease.
READ MORE by accessing the references of this text by clicking on the following links.
References:
PADRE MARCELO ROSSI. Santa Margarida 275 - 290.
FRANCISCANOS. Santa Margarida da Antioquia
HEROÍNAS DA CRISTANDADE. Santa Margarida de Antioquia – 20 de julho
COISAS DE SANTOS. 20 de julho - Santa Margarida de Antioquia da Pisídia
A12. Santo do dia: 20 de Julho é dia de Santa Margarida de Antioquia
COMECE O DIA FELIZ. Santo do dia 20 de julho: Santa Margarida