St. Emilia

Spring is upon us and in the midst of our baby chicks, building a new goat house, finishing school, beekeeping, neglect of the garden and office work; were able to celebrate the liturgy and feast day of one of my children today, Emmelia.

Saint Emmelia was an amazing woman that has inspired me in my life. She was the daughter of a martyr and a mother to five canonized saints in the Orthodox Church, two of the most famous are Basil the Great (her husband, Basil, was also a saint, as was his mother) and her oldest daughter, Macrina.

On her death bed she spoke these beautiful words with her oldest daughter and her youngest son with her, "To you, O Lord, I give the first fruits and the tithe of the fruit of my womb. The first fruit is my first-born daughter, and the tithe is this, my youngest son. Let these be for you a rightly acceptable sacrifice, and let your holiness descend upon them!”

Holy Saint Emmelia, pray to God for us!