Who has a name day today, September 17

On September 17, the church honors the memory of the Holy Martyrs Sophia, Faith, Hope and Love and honor the virtues.

Legend has it that in the second half of the 1st century, a pious Christian woman lived in Rome - her name was Sophia.

She had three daughters who bore the names of Christian virtues — Faith, Hope and Love. She raised them in love for the Lord Jesus Christ. The mother and her daughters did not hide their faith in Christ and confessed it openly. The governor of Antiochus reported this to the emperor Hadrian (117-138), who ordered that they be brought immediately to the emperor. When they stood before the emperor, all those present were amazed at their calmness: it was as if they had been called to a bright celebration and not to torture.

Hadrian tried to convince them to make a sacrifice to the goddess Artemis, but the young girls (Faith was 12 years old, Hope — 10 and Love — 9 years old) remained adamant, then the emperor ordered to torture them severely. And the mother was forced to watch the inhuman torture and suffering of her children. But she displayed extraordinary strength throughout. The girls could not withstand the torture and died, and the emperor allowed Sofia to take the bodies of her daughters and bury them.

Three days after the death of the children, their mother also died, who was also buried with them. The Church also honors Saint Sophia as a martyr, because as a mother she experienced with her heart the terrible tortures for Christ of her beloved daughters. The relics of the holy martyrs Sophia, Faith, Hope and Love have been resting since 777 in Alsace, France.

On September 17, Sofia, Soka, Sophie, Vyara, Vera, Verka, Nadezhda, Nadia, Nadine, Lyubov, Lyubomira, Lyubomir, Lyuba, Lyubho, Lyubcho, Lyuben celebrate their name day.