Virgin-Martyrs Sts. Agape, Irene and Chione (304 AD)

You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery;' but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna. If your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off, and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna. 'It was also said, 'Whoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorce,' but I tell you that whoever puts away his wife, except for the cause of sexual immorality, makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries her when she is put away commits adultery. 'Again you have heard that it was said to them of old time, 'You shall not make false vows, but shall perform to the Lord your vows,' but I tell you, don't swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God; nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Neither shall you swear by your head, for you can't make one hair white or black. But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No' be 'No.' Whatever is more than these is of the evil one. 'You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.'* But I tell you, don't resist him who is evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. If anyone sues you to take away your coat, let him have your cloak also. Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and don't turn away him who desires to borrow from you. 'You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor,* and hate your enemy.*' But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven.

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	Virgin-Martyrs Sts. Agape, Irene and Chione (304 AD)

Virgin-Martyrs Sts. Agape, Irene and Chione were young women from Saloniki. During Maximian's persecution they left their homes and went to live on a nearby mountain to follow lives of prayer, where they were arrested under Diocletian in late 303. When they were brought before the magistrate, they refused to eat sacrificial food and stated that they would prefer to die than do so. Agape and Chione, the older two, were sentenced to be burnt alive. Irene, because of her youth, was sentenced to imprisonment. After the death of the other two, Irene was again cross-examined and admitted that she possessed books of the Scriptures and refused once again to eat sacrificial food. She was sentenced to be sent naked into the soldiers' brothel, however , no man dared to approach her. She too was eventually burnt alive. This was recorded in her Acts as 1 April, but the feast of the three Virgin-Martyrs together is 23 April.

Source: http://www.orthodoxchristian.info

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