Saint Adrien
Martyr à Nicomédie, en
Bithynie (+ 306)
Saint Adrien et ses
compagnons martyrs. Officier dans les armées impériales, il fut arrêté durant
la persécution de Maximien.
Avec ses compagnons
emprisonnés, il comparut devant le juge. Battu à coups de bâtons, il ne fut
bientôt que plaies sur tout le corps.
Ses compagnons
squelettiques à cause d'une très longue incarcération, furent un temps
épargnés.
Puis ils furent tous
condamnés à avoir les jambes et les bras coupés pour n'être qu'un corps sans
membres.
Ils périrent les uns
après les autres dans les douleurs de ce supplice.
Sainte Natalie de
Nicomédie
(IVe siècle)
ou Natacha
Elle servit les persécutés chrétiens. Son action est mentionnée dans les rapports sur le martyr de saint Adrien.
"C'est une sainte très populaire dans l'Église orientale. Elle serait la
femme de saint Adrien de Nicomédie. Mais, en dehors de merveilleuses et pieuses
"légendes", on n'en sait pas plus sur elle que sur lui."
SOURCE : https://nominis.cef.fr/contenus/saint/342/Sainte-Natalie-de-Nicom%C3%A9die.html
L'histoire d'Adrianus
(Saint Adrien) et de sa jeune épouse Natalie (Sainte Nathalie,
Natacha) est contée dans la Légende Dorée.
Adrianus était officier
dans l'armée de l'empereur Romain Galère qui faisait
appliquer avec zèle les quatre édits de persécution des chrétiens de Dioclétien.
Vers 306, alors qu'Adrianus avait vingt-huit ans, il se convertit
devant le courage de trente-trois chrétiens de Nicomédie que Galère avait ordonné de supplicier en
les faisant fouetter à coups de nerfs, en leur broyant la bouche avec des
pierres, puis en les emprisonnant après leur avoir mis le garrot.
Apprenant cette
conversion, l'empereur fit emprisonner Adrianus avec les autres chrétiens puis,
quelque temps après, le fit comparaître devant lui en présence de ses
compagnons pour le faire fouetter ; les coups furent si violents qu'à la
fin les entrailles d'Adrianus sortaient de son corps.
Puis Adrianus et ses
compagnons furent de nouveau jetés en prison.
Comme des matrones, dont
Nathalie, soignaient en cachette les martyrs dans leur prison, l'empereur Galère ordonna qu'on
tranche les pieds puis les jambes des prisonniers puis qu'on fasse brûler leur
corps.
Adrianus fut le premier
supplicié et on lui coupa également une main.
Quand on jeta les corps
des martyrs au feu, Nathalie voulut se précipiter dans le brasier mais une
pluie violente éteignit les flammes.
Nathalie récupéra alors
la main de son mari qu'elle conserva précieusement. Réfugiée peu de temps après
à Constantinople pour échapper à la proposition de
mariage que lui avait fait un tribun, elle rendit l'esprit après avoir vu, en songe,
Adrianus lui demander de le rejoindre dans la paix éternelle.
Les reliques de Nathalie
et d'Adrianus ont été transférées, en 1110, de Constantinople au monastère de Grammont en Belgique.
Saint Adrien de Nicomédie
et son épouse sainte Nathalie sont fêtés en Orient ensemble le 26 août.
En Occident, saint Adrien
est fêté le 8 septembre et son épouse Nathalie, qui
l'encouragea à souffrir le martyre, est fêtée le 26 août.
Il est réputé guérir les
maux de ventre.
.jpg)
Cornelis Schut (1597–1655), Martyrdom
of Saint Adrian, manuscript illumination,
1500, The Morgan Library & Museum
SAINT ADRIEN ET SES
COMPAGNONS *
Adrien souffrit le
martyre sous le règne de Maximien. En effet, comme cet empereur offrait des
sacrifices aux idoles dans la ville de Nicomédie, par son ordre, ou se livra à
la recherche de tous les chrétiens les uns par la crainte d'être punis, les
autres par amour de l’argent qui leur était promis, tous enfin trairaient aux
supplices les chrétiens ; les voisins traînaient leurs voisins, les proches,
ceux de leur maison. Il y en eut trente-trois pris et amenés devant le prince
par ceux qui se livraient à cette perquisition; et Maximien leur dit : « Est-ce
que vous n'avez pas appris quelle peine attend les chrétiens? » Ils lui
répondirent « Oui, et nous nous sommes moqués de ton décret ridicule. » Alors
l’empereur, irrité, ordonna de les fouetter avec des nerfs tout frais et
commanda qu'on leur broyât la bouche avec des pierres; ensuite, qu'après avoir
pris note de leurs aveux, ou les garrottât pour enfin les enfermer en prison.
Adrien, un des premiers officiers de l’armée, qui avait été témoin de leur
constance, lui dit : « Je vous conjure par votre Dieu de me dire quelle
récompense vous attendez pour ces tourments? » Les saints lui répondirent: «
L'oeil n'a point vu, l’oreille n'a point entendu et le coeur de l’homme n'a jamais
conçu ce que Dieu a préparé pour ceux qui l’aiment dans la perfection. » Alors
Adrien courut se joindre aux martyrs, en disant aux bourreaux : « Prenez note
que je veux être des leurs, car, et moi aussi, je suis chrétien. » Quand
l’empereur eut appris cela, il fit charger de chaînes et emprisonner Adrien qui
refusait de sacrifier. Or, Natalie, son épouse, entendant dire que son
mari était en prison, déchira ses vêtements en poussant des cris et des
sanglots. Mais quand elle eut appris qu'Adrien était incarcéré pour la foi de
J.-C., elle accourut remplie de joie à la prison et baisa les chaînes de son
mari et des autres; car elle était chrétienne, mais elle n'avait pas rendu cela
public à cause de la persécution. Et elle dit à son mari : « Bienheureux es-tu,
mon seigneur Adrien, d'avoir trouvé des richesses que ne t'ont pas laissées tes
parents, et dont seront privés ceux qui possèdent beaucoup de biens quand il ne
sera plus temps de prêter à usure, ni d'emprunter, quand personne ne délivrera
aucun autre de la peine, ni le père son fils, ni la mère sa fille, ni l’esclave
son maître, ni l’ami son ami, ni les richesses celui qui les possède. » Et
après lui avoir conseillé de ne faire aucun cas de toute gloire terrestre, de
repousser ses parents et ses amis et d'avoir toujours à coeur les biens
célestes, Adrien lui dit : « Va, ma soeur, quand arrivera le temps de la
souffrance, je te ferai venir afin que tu sois témoin de. notre fin. » Et après
avoir recommandé aux autres saints d'encourager son mari, elle revint à sa
maison.
Peu de temps après,
Adrien apprenant que le jour de son martyre était arrivé, distribua des
présents aux gardes et donna pour ses cautions les autres saints qui étaient
avec lui, puis il alla à sa maison appeler Natalie, comme il le lui avait
promis, afin qu'elle fût présente à leur martyre. Or, quelqu'un qui le vit,
courut en avant dire à martyre. : « Adrien est absous, le voici venir. » En
entendant cela, elle ne le croyait pas : « Et quel est celui qui a pu le
délivrer de ses chaînes, dit-elle ? A Dieu ne plaise que je le voie libre de
ses fers et séparé des saints ! » Pendant qu'elle parlait ainsi, un jeune valet
de la maison vint dire : « Voici que mon maître est relâché. »
Alors Natalie, croyant qu'Adrien fuyait le martyre, versait des larmes
amères, et quand elle le vit, elle se leva avec précipitation et ferma sur lui
la porte de la maison en. disant: « Loin de moi celui qui s'est retiré de Dieu
; ah ! je me garderais bien de parler à un homme qui a souillé ses lèvres pour
renier son Seigneur. » Et se tournant vers lui : « Oh ! dit-elle, que tu es
misérable sans Dieu ! Qui t'a forcé d'entreprendre ce que tu n'as pu terminer ?
Qui t'a séparé des saints ? Ou bien qui t'a séduit pour quitter l’assemblée où
règne la paix ? Dis-moi, pourquoi as-tu fui avant. que le combat ne fût engagé,
avant d'avoir vu ton adversaire? Comment as-tu été blessé sans qu'aucune flèche
n'eût été lancée? J'aurais été vraiment bien étonnée si d'une nation sans Dieu,
d'une race d'impies, il y en eût eu un qui fût offert Dieu. Ah ! que je suis
malheureuse ! Que je suis misérable! Que ferai-je moi qui suis unie à un membre
de cette race d’impies ? Soit, il ne m'a pas été donné d'être appelée,
seulement pendant une heure, l’épouse d'un martyr ; mais je serai nommée la
femme du renégat. Pour un instant j'ai vraiment été dans des transports de
joie, et cet instant sera mon opprobre pour toujours. » Or, le bienheureux
Adrien, qui entendait cela, ressentit une grande joie; il admirait comment une
femme jeune, de toute beauté, noble et mariée depuis quatorze mois, pouvait
parler ainsi. Son ardeur pour le martyre s'en accroissait d'autant et il
écoutait de tout coeur ses paroles ; cependant comme il la voyait affligée à
l’excès, il lui dit: « Ouvre-moi, ma chère Natalie ; non, je n'ai pas
fui le martyre, connue tu le crois ; mais je suis venu t'appeler comme je
l’avais promis. » Et comme elle n'en croyait rien, elle lui dit : « Voyez comme
ce renégat me trompe, comme ment cet autre Judas. Fuis de moi, misérable; je
vais me tuer pour que tu sois content. » Et comme elle tardait d'ouvrir, Adrien
lui dit : « Ouvre vite, car je m’en irai et tu ne me verras plus;
ensuite tu pleureras de ne m’avoir pas vu avant mon trépas : les,
cautions que j'ai données, ce sont les saints martyrs, et si les bourreaux qui
me chercheront ne me trouvent pas, ces saints devront souffrir leurs tourments
et les miens tout à la fois. » Alors Natalie ouvrit, et après s'être
prosternés l’un devant l’autre, ils allèrent ensemble à la prison, où, pendant
sept jours, Natalie essuyait avec des linges précieux les plaies des
saints.
L'empereur fixa un jour
où il ordonna qu'ils fussent amenés en sa présence. Affaiblis qu'ils étaient
par les souffrances, ils ne pouvaient marcher; on les portait donc comme des animaux.
Adrien les suivait les mains liées derrière le dos **, et chargé du chevalet
qui lui était destiné, il fut présenté à César. Natalie vint alors
auprès d'Adrien et lui dit : « Prenez garde, mon seigneur, de vous laisser
surprendre par la peur, lorsque vous verrez les tourments : vous n'aurez à
souffrir qu'un instant, mais aussitôt après vous serez dans l’allégresse avec
les anges. » Et comme Adrien ne voulut pas sacrifier, il fut battu de la
manière la plus violente. Toute joyeuse, Natalie courut alors trouver
les saints qui étaient dans la prison, pour leur dire « Voici que mon seigneur
vient de commencer son martyre. » Comme l’empereur exhortait Adrien à ne pas
blasphémer ses dieux, ce dernier lui dit : « Si j'endure des tourments parce
que je blasphème ceux qui ne sont pas dieux, comment ne seras-tu pas tourmenté,
toi qui blasphèmes le vrai Dieu ? » Maximien répliqua : « Ce sont là les
paroles que t'ont apprises ces séducteurs. » Adrien lui dit: « Pourquoi
appelles-tu séducteurs ceux qui sont les docteurs de la vie éternelle ? »
Et Natalie courait rapporter avec joie aux autres les réponses de son
mari. Alors l’empereur le fit fouetter rudement par quatre hommes très
vigoureux. Et Natalie s'empressait de raconter aux autres martyrs qui
étaient eu prison toutes ces peines, et ces interrogations et ces réponses. Or,
Adrien fut fouetté avec Tant de fureur que ses entrailles sortaient de son
corps : ensuite on le chargea de chaires de fer et il fut enfermé avec les
autres dans la prison. Adrien était un jeune homme délicat, fort brun, et âgé
de 28 ans. Quand Natalie vit son mari étendu sur le dos et tout
lacéré, elfe lui dit en lui mettant la main sous la tête : « Vous êtes
bienheureux, mon seigneur, d'avoir été rendu digne d'être au nombre des saints
vous êtes bienheureux, ma vie, de souffrir pour celui qui a souffert pour vous.
Allez donc, mon doux ami, allez contempler sa gloire. » Mais l’empereur ayant
appris qu'un grand nombre de matrones servaient les saints dans la prison,
défendit de les y laisser entrer à l’avenir.
Quand Natalie le sut, elle se coupa les cheveux en rond
(Tonsuravit), et prenant des habits d'homme, elle servait les saints dans la
prison. Son exemple en porta d'autres à l’imiter, et elle pria son mari que,
quand il serait dans la gloire, il obtint pour elle que Dieu la conservât
intacte et qu'il l’ôtât bientôt de ce monde. Quand le roi apprit la conduite
des matrones, il commanda d'apporter une enclume, sur laquelle on couperait les
cuisses des martyrs pour les faire périr. Or, Natalie craignant que
son mari ne se laissât effrayer par les supplices des autres, pria les
bourreaux de commencer par lui. On lui coupa donc les pieds et les jambes,
et Natalie le pria ensuite de se laisser couper la main afin qu'il ne
fût pas moins que les autres saints qui avaient souffert davantage.; Après
cette boucherie, Adrien rendit l’esprit ; ensuite les autres étendirent les
pieds de leur plein gré et ils moururent dans le Seigneur. Or, le roi manda
qu'on brûlât leurs corps ; mais Natalie cacha dans son sein une main
d'Adrien. Quand on jeta les corps des saints dans le
feu, Natalie voulut s'y précipiter avec eux ; mais tout à coup une
pluie très forte vint à tomber, et en éteignant le .brasier, elle préserva les
corps des martyrs. Alors les chrétiens, ayant tenu conseil entre eux, firent
transporter ces restes à Constantinople jusqu'à ce que, la paix ayant été
rendue à l’Eglise, on put les rapporter avec honneur. Ils pâtirent
vers l’an du Seigneur 280. Quant à Natalie elle rentra chez elle et
conserva la main de saint Adrien qu'elle plaçait toujours au chevet de son lit
pour consoler sa vie. Après quoi, un tribun qui vit Natalie si belle,
si riche et de plus noble, envoya par ordre de l’empereur d'honnêtes matrones
pour la faire consentir à l’épouser. Natalie leur adressa cette
réponse: « Quel est celui qui me procure l’avantage de -pouvoir me marier avec
un homme de cette qualité ? Toutefois je demande un délai de trois jours pour
nie préparer. » Or, elle disait cela, afin de pouvoir s'enfuir. Et comme elle
priait Dieu de la conserver intacte, tout d'un coup elle s'endormit ; et voici
que lui apparut un des martyrs; il la consola avec douceur et lui commanda
d'aller à l’endroit oit reposaient les corps des martyrs. Quand donc elle se
réveilla, elle prit secrètement main d'Adrien et monta nu vaisseau avec un
grand nombre de chrétiens. Le tribun, qui en fut informé, la poursuivit sur un
navire avec une troupe de soldats; mais il s'éleva un vent qui contraria leur
course; plusieurs même d’entre eux périrent dans les flots, et ils furent donc
forcés de rentrer dans le port. Or, au milieu de la nuit, le diable, sous la
forme d'un pilote monté sur un vaisseau fantastique, apparut à ceux qui étaient
avec Natalie, et leur dit comme ferait un pilote : « D'où venez-vous, et
où allez-vous ? » Les chrétiens répondirent: « Nous venons de Nicomédie et nous
allons à Constantinople. » Et le diable reprit : « Vous faites fausse route,
allez à gauche, et vous naviguerez plus directement. » Or, il parlait ainsi
pour les mettre en pleine mer et les faire périr. Et comme ils faisaient voile
en conséquence, tout à coup Adrien leur apparut assis sur une nacelle; il les
avertit de naviguer comme auparavant, ajoutant que c'était le malin esprit qui
leur avait parlé; puis se plaçant en avant, il les précédait et leur montrait
le chemin. Or, Natalie qui voyait Adrien aller en avant fut remplie
d'une immense joie. Le jour allait luire quand ils arrivèrent à Constantinople.
Et quand Natalie fut entrée dans la maison où se trouvaient les corps
des martyrs, et qu'elle eut placé la main d'Adrien auprès de son corps, elle
s'endormit ; alors Adrien lui apparut, et en la saluant, il lui commanda de
venir avec lui dans la paix éternelle. A son réveil, elle raconta son songe à
ceux qui se trouvaient là, et après avoir dit adieu à tous, elle rendit
l’esprit. Les fidèles prirent son corps qu'ils placèrent à côté de ceux des
martyrs.
* Tiré des actes reconnus
authentiques parles Bollandistes; — Honorius d'Autun.
** L'édition princeps
porte ces mots portatus super equuleum, les éditions
subséquentes ont portans sibi equuleum. Alors ou bien on attacha
Adrien sur un chevalet pour le porter devant l’empereur, ou bien on le chargea
du chevalet qui devait être l’instrument de son supplice : Les deux textes
peuvent s'expliquer. Mais quel est le véritable ?
La Légende dorée de
Jacques de Voragine nouvellement traduite en français avec introduction,
notices, notes et recherches sur les sources par l'abbé J.-B. M. Roze, chanoine
honoraire de la Cathédrale d'Amiens, Édouard Rouveyre, éditeur, 76, rue de
Seine, 76, Paris mdcccci
SOURCE : http://www.abbaye-saint-benoit.ch/voragine/tome03/133.htm
Also
known as
Hadrian
8
September (translation of relics)
26
August (Greek calendar)
1
December on some calendars
Profile
Pagan officer and
body guard at the imperial court of
Nicomedia. Adrian was so impressed by the strength and faith shown by persecuted Christians that
he declared himself a Christian,
though he had not even been baptized.
He was immediately arrested and tortured.
He and fellow prisoners were
tended by his wife, Saint Natalia until
they were executed.
thrown to a lion,
which refused to touch him
legs broken with an anvil,
and then hacked
to pieces with a sword on 4 March 304
body burned, but when a
storm extinguished the fire his wife salvaged
his dismembered hand as a relic,
and took it to Argyropolis near Constantinople
other relics at
Grammont (Geertsbergen), Belgium
an anvil upon
which rests his chopped off hands and feet
man being brought to land
by dolphins
man in armour,
with hammer, anvil,
and sword
man in armour
man laying his hand on
an anvil to
be chopped off
man thrown off a cliff into
the sea
man trampling on a lion
man with a lion or
just a lion‘s
head at his feet
man with a hammer and anvil in
one hand, a sword in
the other
man with a hammer in
his left hand, a sword in
right
man with a raven descending
toward him
man with an anvil in
his hand,
at his feet or nearby
man with an anvil in
his left hand, a sword in
right
man with his arms and legs chopped
off
Additional
Information
An
Old English Martyrology, by George Herzfeld
Book
of Saints, by the Monks of
Ramsgate
Book
of Saints, by the Monks of
Ramsgate
Curiosities
of Popular Customs, by William Shepard Walsh
Lives
of the Saints, by Father Alban
Butler
Lives
of the Saints, by Father Francis
Xavier Weninger
Saints
and Their Symbols, by E A Greene
Saints
in Art, by Margaret E Tabor
Saints
of the Day, by Katherine Rabenstein
books
Dictionary of Saints, by John Delaney
Emblems of the Saints,
by Father Frederick
Charles Husenbeth and Augustus Jessopp
Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints
Oxford Dictionary of Saints, by David Hugh Farmer
Sacred Symbols in Art, by
Elizabeth Edwards Goldsmith
Saints
and Their Attributes, by Helen Roeder
Some Patron Saints, by
Padraic Gregory
Symbolism of the Saints,
by Peter Hampson Ditchfield
other
sites in english
1001 Patron Saints and Their Feast Days, Australian
Catholic Truth Society
images
video
fonti
in italiano
Martirologio Romano, 2005 edition
MLA
Citation
“Saint Adrian of
Nicomedia“. CatholicSaints.Info. 16 June 2024. Web. 25 August 2024.
<https://catholicsaints.info/saint-adrian-of-nicomedia/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/saint-adrian-of-nicomedia/
Profile
Christian woman married to
a non-Christian Nicomedian
imperial officer named Adrian.
Her husband was so impressed by Christians persecuted
by Diocletian that
he openly declared he was a Christian,
though he hadn’t even been baptized;
he was immediately arrested.
Natalia visited him, arranged for his instruction in
the faith,
and ministered to other prisoners.
When Adrian was
sentenced to death and
could have no visitors, Natalia disguised herself as a boy and
bribed her way in to see him. On 8
September 304 she
watched Adrian‘s tortured execution,
and had to be restrained from throwing herself on the funeral pyre. When
a storm put
out the fire,
she managed to recover Adrian‘s
hand, which she kept as a relic.
She then moved to Argyropolis where she lived out the rest of her days alone.
Born
1
December 311 at
Argyropolis of natural causes
woman holding
her husband’s severed hand
Additional
Information
Book
of Saints, by the Monks of
Ramsgate
Saints
of the Day, by Katherine Rabenstein
Saints
of the Day, by Katherine Rabenstein
books
Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints
other
sites in english
Antiochian Orthodox
Christian Archdiocese of North America
fonti
in italiano
websites
in nederlandse
nettsteder
i norsk
MLA
Citation
“Saint Natalia of
Nicomedia“. CatholicSaints.Info. 20 August 2020. Web. 25 August 2024.
<https://catholicsaints.info/saint-natalia-of-nicomedia/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/saint-natalia-of-nicomedia/
Saint
Adrian, attributed to Nicolaus Gerhaert, circa 1440, stone. Cinquantenaire
Museum, Brussels, Belgium
Adrian (Hadrian) M and
Natalia (RM)
Adrian died at Nicomedia
on March 4, c. 304; other feasts for the martyr are celebrated on March 4 and
August 26; September 8 is the date of the translation of his relics to Rome.
Saint Adrian, a Roman
imperial officer (either a pagan or a catechumen), watched as 23 Christians
were being beaten before Emperor Maximian at the imperial court of Nicomedia.
Their bravery prompted him to cry out, "Let me be counted as one of these,
for I too am a Christian."
When his Christian wife
of 13 months, Natalia, learned the reason for her husband's arrest, she was
extremely proud. She ministered to Adrian and his fellow prisoners, who
suffered excruciating tortures, and arranged for her husband to be catechized
while interned. After Adrian had been sentenced to death, visitors were
forbidden, but Natalia disguised herself as a boy and bribed her way into the
prison to ask Adrian's prayers for her in heaven.
Natalia accompanied her
husband to the executioner's block where he was to be cut to pieces. As the axe
dismembered Adrian over an anvil, Natalia managed to save one of his hands.
Distraught, she had to be restrained from casting herself into the fire when
Adrian's body was burned with those of other martyrs. A rain storm extinguished
the fire, allowing the Christians to gather the remains and bury them. (Another
version of the story relates that the prisoners were to be burned to death, but
the rain put out the fire.)
A few months later a
pagan official began pestering Natalia to marry him. She had no intention of
consorting with the heathen who had been responsible for Saint Adrian's death.
She set sail to Argyropolis on the Bosporus, near Constantinople, taking her
husband's hand with her. There she died peacefully on December 1 and is said to
have been buried among the martyrs. Adrian's relics were later translated to Rome,
then to Decline, Flanders, where they were placed by Count Baldwin VI (husband
of Saint Adela of Messines) in the abbey now named Saint Adrian (if I
understood this circuitous tale correctly). Many miracles were wrought at this
shrine and attributed to Saint Adrian.
It is unknown which
version or how much of this romantic story is true. There were two martyrs
named Adrian who suffered at Nicomedia: one under Diocletian and the other
under Licinius (Attwater, Benedictines, Bentley, Delaney, Husenbeth, White).
In art, Saint Adrian is
portrayed as a Roman soldier with an anvil. His hand may be chopped off on the
anvil or Natalia may be shown holding his severed limbs (Roeder). Sometimes he
may be shown with a sword, lion, or hammer; as being thrown from a cliff into
the sea (perhaps another Adrian?), or being brought to land by dolphins(?)
(White). Adrian is the patron of soldiers, butchers (Roeder), arms dealers (who
use anvils in their work), and prison guards, and is invoked against the plague
(White). They are venerated in Lisbon (Roeder).
SOURCE : http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/0908.shtml
Article
(Saint) Martyr (August
26) (4th century) Said to have been a son of the Emperor Probus, and, having
embraced Christianity, to have been put to death (A.D. 320), at Nicomedia in
Asia Minor, by the Emperor Licinius. But no reliable information concerning him
is extant.
MLA
Citation
Monks of Ramsgate.
“Hadrian”. Book of Saints, 1921. CatholicSaints.Info.
22 May 2017. Web. 25 August 2024.
<https://catholicsaints.info/book-of-saints-hadrian/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/book-of-saints-hadrian/
%2C_KBS-FRB_43.jpg)
New Catholic
Dictionary – Saint Hadrian
Article
Martyr,
c.306. According to legendary records he was an officer in the body-guard of
the Emperor Galerius. Having witnessed the fortitude of 22 Christians who
were tortured and martyred in
Nicomedia by his master, he became converted to the faith, was imprisoned,
tortured and burned. Patron of soldiers and butchers; invoked against
pestilence. Relics at Grammont (Geertsbergen). Feast,
Roman Calendar, 8
September.
MLA
Citation
“Saint Hadrian”. New Catholic Dictionary. CatholicSaints.Info.
10 August 2018. Web. 25 August 2024.
<https://catholicsaints.info/new-catholic-dictionary-saint-hadrian/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/new-catholic-dictionary-saint-hadrian/
St. Adrian
Feastday: September 8
Patron: of plague, epilepsy, arms dealers, butchers, guards, soldiers
Death: 306
According to legend
Adrian was a pagan officer
at the imperial court of Nicomedia. Impressed by the courage of a group of
Christians who were being tortured, he declared himself a Christian and
was imprisoned with them and suffered excruciating tortures before he was put
to death. His young wife, Natalia, who was present at his death, comforted him
in his agony, recovered one of his severed hands, and took it to Argyropolis
near Constantinople, where she fled to escape the importunities of an imperial official
of Nicomedia who
wanted to marry her. She died there peacefully on December 1. Adrian is the
patron of soldiers and butchers.
SOURCE : https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=253
Cornelis Schut (1597–1655), Martyrdom
of Saint Adrian, circa 1640, 318 x 233, Collegiate Church of Saint Gertrude,
Nivelles
Hadrian
Martyr, died about the
year 306. The Christians of
Constantinople venerated the
grave of this victim of Diocletian's persecution. We are told
by legendary and
unverified records, which have been preserved in Greek and Latin, that Hadrian
was an officer in the bodyguard of Emperor Galerius. In
this capacity he was present one day, with the emperor, at the trial and
torture of twenty-two Christians in Nicomedia. He was so
impressed that he forthwith declared himself a Christian, and with the
others was thrown into prison. His wife,
Natalia, who had secretly become one herself, cheered and ministered to her
husband and his fellow-prisoners. The account given in the Acts of the martyrs is
embellished with a number of legendary and, in part, very poetical details.
Hadrian and his companions in martyrdom were
finally put to death.
Their members were first broken, after which they were delivered up to the
flames. Natalia is supposed to have brought to Constantinople the mortal
remains of her martyred husband.
Another legend speaks of a martyr, Hadrian of Nicomedia, who figures
in the Roman Martyrology and
in the Greek Menaion under
26 August. Though different in detail, the story deals with the same person. The remains of
St. Hadrian were later laid in the church erected under his name and patronage on the
Roman forum, which church (S. Adriano al Foro) is standing at the present day.
The feast of
the translation, which, in the Roman Church is the
principal feast of this martyr and of his
companions, is celebrated on 8 September. The Roman Martyrology, however,
mentions them also on 4 March, while the Greek calendar places
their feast on 26 August. On this last date the Roman
Martyrology likewise makes mention of a Hadrian.
Kirsch, Johann
Peter. "Hadrian." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol.
7. New York: Robert Appleton
Company, 1910. <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07105a.htm>.
Transcription. This
article was transcribed for New Advent by Christine J. Murray.
Ecclesiastical
approbation. Nihil Obstat. June 1, 1910. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John
Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.
Copyright © 2023 by Kevin Knight.
Dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
SOURCE : https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07105a.htm
Master of the Beighem Altarpiece, Saint Adrian, circa 1510, 30,5 x 22,9
Saints and
Their Symbols – Saint Adrian
Article
A.D. 290, September
8, patron
saint of Flanders and Germany,
of soldiers,
and against the plague,
was long considered in the North of Europe the chief military saint next to
Saint George. He was born of a noble Roman family, and served in the army under
the Emperor Galerius Maximian. When superintending the martyrdom of some
Christians during the tenth persecution, he was so struck by their constancy
that he was himself converted. His wife NATALIA was
already a Christian, though secretly, and when Adrian was imprisoned for the
faith she comforted and strengthened him, greatly rejoicing that he was found
worthy to suffer for Christ. When she was forbidden to see him, she disguised
herself as a man, and thus visited him in prison and supported him in the
intervals of torture. Adrian was martyred by ‘having his limbs struck off on an
anvil, and then being beheaded. He died in the arms of Natalia, and was buried
at Byzantium. Soon after this the Emperor wished to make Natalia marry one of
his officers, but she fled to Byzantium, and lived near the tomb of her husband
where she was comforted with many visions of him. And soon her pure spirit was
released that she might follow him, and when she died Adrian with angels met
her, and together they entered the presence of God. Natalia is one of the great
martyrs in the Greek Church, as her sufferings are considered to have been
worse than loss of life. Emblems: Anvil. Anvil at his feet. Anvil in his hand.
In armour. Lion. Sword. Axe.
MLA
Citation
E A Greene. “Saint
Adrian”. Saints and Their Symbols, 1909. CatholicSaints.Info.
12 April 2017. Web. 25 August 2024.
<https://catholicsaints.info/saints-and-their-symbols-saint-adrian/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/saints-and-their-symbols-saint-adrian/
Brandenburg
an der Havel ( Germany ) . Saint Catherine's church: Altar of Saint Hedwig (
1457 ) - Central piece: Statue of Saint Adrian.
Brandenburg
an der Havel ( Deutschland ). Katherinenkirche: Hedwigsaltar ( 1457 ) -
Schrein: Heiliger Adrian.
Article
(Patron Saint of
Soldiers) (8th September)
A Roman of noble birth,
who served in the guards of the Emperor Galerius. His wife Natalia was a
Christian. When the tenth persecution broke out in Bithynia (a.d. 290) it fell
to the lot of Adrian to superintend the execution of the Christians; and,
overcome by their constancy in suffering, much to the joy of his wife, he was
converted to her faith. Having been cast into prison, scourged, and tortured,
he was finally sentenced to have his limbs cut off on a blacksmith’s anvil.
Thus he died, and his body was carried by the Christians to Byzantium. Natalia,
who comforted and encouraged her husband to the last, passed the remainder of
her life in widowhood near his tomb, but has always been given the honours of
martyrdom, because of her sufferings and constancy.
He is represented in
armour, sometimes with a lion or sword; his distinguishing attribute is an
anvil.
MLA
Citation
Margaret E Tabor. “Saint
Adrian”. The Saints in Art, with Their Attributes
and Symbols. CatholicSaints.Info. 6 August 2018. Web. 25
August 2024. <https://catholicsaints.info/saints-in-art-saint-adrian/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/saints-in-art-saint-adrian/
Statue de saint Adrien
September 8
St. Adrian, Martyr
THIS saint was an officer
in the Roman army, who, having persecuted the Christians in the reign of
Maximian Galerius, was so moved by their constancy and patience, that he
embraced their faith, and suffered many torments and a glorious martyrdom for
the same at Nicomedia, about the year 306, in the tenth or last general
persecution. His relics were conveyed to Constantinople, thence to Rome,
afterwards into Flanders, where they were deposited in the Benedictin abbey of
Decline, dedicated in honour of St. Peter, in the time of the first abbot,
Severald. Baldwin VI., earl of Flanders, surnamed of Mons, because he married
the heiress of that county, bought of a rich lord, named Gerard, the village of
Hundelghem, in which stood a famous chapel of our Lady. The count founded
there, in 1088, the town now called Geersbergen or Gerard’s Mount, on which, by
a famous charter, he bestowed great privileges. Besides many pious donations
made to that place, he removed this abbey of St. Peter, which has since taken
the name of St. Adrian, whose relics, which it possesses, have been rendered
famous by many miracles. Geersberg, called in French Grammont, stands upon the
Dender, in Flanders, near the borders of Brabant and Hainault. St. Adrian is
commemorated in the Martyrologies which bear the name of St. Jerom, and in the
Roman, on the 4th of March, and chiefly on the 8th of September, which was the
day of the translation of his relics to Rome, where a very ancient church bears
his name. See on the translation of his relics to the abbey of Geersberg,
Gramay’s Antiquitates Gerardi-montii, p. 40. Sanderus in Flandria Illustrata,
&c., Stilting, p. 231.
Rev. Alban
Butler (1711–73). Volume IX: September. The Lives of the
Saints. 1866.
SOURCE : http://www.bartleby.com/210/9/082.html
_and_132r_(right).jpg)
Lieven van Lathem (1438–1493) /
Simon Marmion (circa 1425–1489), Weense Meester van Maria van
Bourgondie (2nd half of 15th century). Scribe: Nicolas Spierinc. Trivulzio Book of Hours - KW SMC 1 -
folios 131v (le ft) and 132r (right), book
of hours / illuminated manuscript , circa
1470, Koninklijke Bibliotheek
Saint Adrian of Nicomedia
Aug 04, 2021 /
Written by: Tonia
Long
Feast September 8
Convert and martyr, Patron Saint of arms dealers, butchers, guards and soldiers
Death: 306 A.D.
Saint Adrian was the
chief military saint of Northern Europe for many ages, second only to Saint
George, and is much revered in the north of France, Germany and Flanders. He is
usually represented armed, with an anvil in his hands or at his feet.
Saint Adrian of
Nicomedia. Exhibit in the Higgins Armory Museum, 100 Barber Avenue, Worcester,
Massachusetts, USA.
Adrian and his wife
Natalia lived in Nicomedia during the time of Emperor Maximian in the early
fourth century. At twenty-eight years of age, Adrian was head of the praetorium
at the imperial court of Nicomedia in present-day Turkey. He and his wife were
both pagans.
Placed in charge of the
torture of a group of Christians, Adrian was impressed by their courage and
resignation to their sufferings. He asked them what reward they expected to
receive from God. They replied, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither
have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them
that love him." (1 Corinthians 2:9)
He was so amazed at their
courage that he publicly confessed his faith, though he had not yet been
baptized. From that point onward, Adrian refused to carry out his orders
against those proclaiming their Christian Faith. He was then immediately
imprisoned with them and suffered excruciating tortures. He was forbidden
visitors, but accounts state that his wife Natalia came to visit him, dressed
as a boy, to ask for his prayers when he entered Heaven. She, too, converted to
the Christianity, but secretly. Natalia, who was present at his death,
comforted Saint Adrian in his agony.
The executioners wanted
to burn the bodies of the dead, but a storm arose and quenched the fire.
Natalia recovered one of Adrian's severed hands, and took it to Argyropolis
near Constantinople. She fled there in order to escape the advances of an
imperial official who wanted to marry her. She died there peacefully on
December 1.
Saint Adrian was
proclaimed patron of prison guards, correctional officers and butchers, the
last presumably due to the tortures he suffered.
SOURCE : https://americaneedsfatima.org/articles/saint-adrian-of-nicomedia
Church
of Santo Adrião in Braga, Portugal.
An
Old English Martyrology – March 4 – Saint Adrian
Article
On the fourth day of the
month there is the martyrdom of the noble man Saint Adrianus: he was commander
of the troops of the emperor called Maximianus. When he saw how steadfast the
Christians were, he believed in Christ and suffered great torments for Christ.
Adrianus was young and handsome at twenty-eight years; he had a noble bride,
Natalia by name, and they were sixteen months together. She taught him never to
give up the belief in God and never to let any worldly charms pervert his mind.
After he had suffered martyrdom for God, she took Saint Adrianus’ hand that had
been cut off and poured precious condiments over it and wrapped it up in fine
linen and put it near her head at her resting -place and kept it there for her
pleasure. When another great man among the heathens invited her to become his
wife, she wept and said, ‘Lord God, help me, thine handmaid, so that I may
never defile the bride-bed of thy martyr Adrianus.’ Then she took only the hand
and went into a ship and travelled over the sea from the town of Nicomedia to
the town of Byzantium, where Christian men had brought Adrianus’ body. At
midnight the ship turned back on its way in consequence of the devil’s
treachery. Then Adrianus appeared there suddenly sitting on a small boat and
called out towards the ship on which the woman with the hand was and said,
‘Travel now as your sails are set, the wind will carry you on.’ Natalia arose
and saw that Saint Adrianus went on before them. Joyfully she spoke: ‘ecce
dominus meus: behold there is my lord,’ and suddenly she could not see him any
more. Then she went into the town where the body was and put the hand to the
body and prayed there and slept a little, as she had been sorely fatigued on
the sea. Then Saint Adrianus appeared to her during her sleep and said to her:
‘Thou art welcome, but come to us for eternal rest;’ and immediately she gave
up her spirit to God.
MLA
Citation
George Herzfeld. “March 4
– Saint Adrian”. An Old English Martyrology, 1900. CatholicSaints.Info.
16 May 2024. Web. 25 August 2024.
<https://catholicsaints.info/an-old-english-martyrology-march-4-saint-adrian/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/an-old-english-martyrology-march-4-saint-adrian/
Golden Legend –
Life of Saint Adrian
Of Saint Adrian, Martyr,
and first of his name.
Adrian is said of A,
which is as much to say as without, and of ydros, that is water. For after that
he confessed to be christian, he was without water of sin. Or he may be said of
andor, that is to say light, and dian, that is to say God. For he was illumined
with light divine by passion of martyrdom.
Of Saint Adrian, martyr.
Adrian suffered death
under Maximian, emperor. For when the said Maximian was in the city of
Nicodemia, whereas he sacrificed to the idols, and by his commandment they
sought all christian men, some sought them for dread, and some for love, and
some for promise of sllver, so that neighbour brought his neighbour to
martyrdom, and cousin his cousin. Among whom three and thirty were taken of
them that they sought, and brought tofore the king. And the king said to them:
Have ye not heard what pain is ordained against the christian men? And they
said to him: We have heard the commandment of thy folly. Then the king was
angry and commanded that they should be beaten with raw sinews, and their
mouths beaten with stones, and that each of their tongues should be pierced
with iron, and that they should be bound and closed in prison. And then Adrian,
which was first in the office of knighthood, said to them: I conjure you by
your God that ye tell to me the reward that ye entend to have for these
torments. And the holy man said that never eye saw, nor ear heard, ne heart of
man might think, those things that our Lord maketh ready for them that love him
perfectly. And Adrian leapt in the middle among them and said: Account ye me
with them here, for I am a christian man. And when the emperor heard that, and
that he would do no sacrifice, he did do bind him and threw him in prison. And
when Natalie his wife knew that her husband was in prison for the faith of Jesu
Christ she was glad, and ran to the prison, and kissed the chains that her
husband was bound with, and also of the others, for she was christian secretly,
but she durst not publish it for dread of the persecution. And she said to her
husband: Blessed art thou, my lord Adrian, for thou hast found the riches which
thy father and mother never left to thee, which have need of them that possess
many things, and shall have thereof great need when they shall have no time to
borrow ne to take; when that one shall not deliver that other from pain, ne the
father the son, ne the mother the daughter, ne the servant the master, ne one
friend another friend, ne riches them that own them. And when she had
admonished him that he should despise all worldly glory and friends and
kindred, and that always he should have his heart unto celestial things, Adrian
said to her: Go now, my sister, the time of our passion hasteth, of which thou
shalt see our end. Then she recommended her husband unto the other saints that
they should comfort him, and then she returned unto her house. And after,
Adrian hearing when the day of his passion should be, gave gifts to the keepers
of the prison, and delivered to them the other saints in pledge, and went to
his house for to call Natalie, like as he had promised by oath that she should
be present at their passion. And a man that saw him come, ran tofore him, and
said to Natalie: Adrian is delivered, see, lo! where he cometh. And when she
heard it she believed it not, and said: And who may deliver him from his bonds?
God forbid that he be loosed of his bonds, and departed from the saints. And as
she said these words, a child of the meiny came, that said: Certes, my Lord is
let go. And she supposed that he had fled from his martyrdom, and wept
bitterly, and when she saw him she shut hastily the door against him. Let him
be far from me, said she, that is fallen away from God, and God forbid that I
speak to the mouth of him that renied his Lord. And then she turned to him and
said: O thou wretch without God, who constrained thee to emprise and take which
thou mayst not perform? Who hath taken thee from the saints, or who hath
deceived thee for to depart from them? Say to me, wherefore art thou fled
tofore thou sawest the battles? How art thou hurt? Certain it is of none arrow
that was shot to thee. Certes, I should have marvelled if any of the people of
the felons, and without God, had been offered to God, and how unhappy and how
caitiff am I ! What shall I do that am joined to him that is of the lineage of
felons? It is not granted to me to be the wife of a martyr but
for a time, but now I shall be called the wife of a renegade and transgressor,
my joy certainly hath little endured, and it shall be to me a reproach long
time. And in hearing this thing the blessed Adrian enjoyed him strongly, and
marvelled much of his wife that was so young and right fair, noble, and married
but fourteen months without more, how she might say this, and therefore he was
the more ardent to martyrdom, and heard gladly these words. But when he saw her
overmuch tormented, he said to her: Open the door to me, Natalie, my love and
lady, for I have not fled the martyrdom as thou weenest, but I am come to call
thee, as I promised to thee. And she believed it not, but said to him: See how
this traitor renegade deceiveth me, why liest thou? that other Judas! Flee,
thou unhappy, from me or I shall slay myself; and then thou shalt be full
sorry. And while she tarried to open the door, he said: Open anon, for I must
go, and then thou shalt see me no more, and then shalt thou weep that thou hast
not seen me tofore my death. I have laid to pledge for me the holy martyrs, and
if the ministers seek me and they find me not, they shall cause the saints to
suffer their martyrdom and mine also. And when she heard that, she opened the
door, and they then embraced and kissed each other, and went together to the prison,
and there Natalie cleansed, seven days during, the wounds of the saints with
precious cloths. And then the emperor commanded them to be brought to him, and
they were so broken with the pains that they might not go, but were borne as
beasts. And Adrian certainly was bound, his hands behind him, and spake to
Natalie, and was borne upon the torment of eculee and presented to Cæsar. And
Natalie joined her to him, and said to him: My lord, beware that thou tremble
not for none adventure when thou shalt see the torments, thou shalt not suffer
here but a little, but thou shalt be anon enhanced with the angels. And then
Adrian would not sacrifice, and was beaten right grievously. And then Natalie
ran to the saints that were in the prison, and said: My lord hath begun his
martyrdom. And the king warned him that he should not blame his gods; and he
answered: If I be thus tormented that blame them that be no gods, how shalt
thou be tormented that blasphemest him that is very God! And the king said to
him: These other traitors have taught thee these words. To whom Adrian said:
Why callest thou them traitors, which be doctors and enseign the life
perdurable? And Natalie ran to the others with great joy, and told the words
that her husband had said. And then the king did him to be beaten with four
strong men. And Natalie anon reported to the other martyrs that were in the
prison all the martyrdom, the answers, and the pains of her husband, and he was
so sore beaten that his entrails sprang out of his belly, and then he was bound
with iron, and put in prison with the other. And Adrian was a young man, lusty
and much fair, of eight-and-twenty years of age. And when Natalie saw her
husband lie grovelling upon the earth, and all to-broken, she laid her hand on
his head in comforting him, and said: Thou art blessed, my lord, for thou art
made worthy to be of the number of saints; thou art blessed, my light, when
thou sufferest for him that suffered death for thee: go then forth, my sweet
love, that thou mayst see his glory. And when the emperor heard that many women
ministered to the saints in prison, he commanded that they should no more be
suffered to enter. And when Natalie heard that, she shaved her head and took
the habit of man, and served the saints in the prison and made the other women
do so by the ensample of her. And she prayed her husband when he should be in
glory that he would pray for her, that she might keep her undefiled in this
world, or rather to be taken out thereof. And when the king heard what the
women had done, he commended to bring forth an anvil or a stithie, so that the
holy martyrs should have their legs and arms all to-frusshed and broken
thereon, and die the sooner. And then Natalie doubted that her husband should
be afeard for the torments of the others, and prayed the ministers that they
would begin with him. Then they hewed off his legs and thighs, and Natalie
prayed them that they would smite off his hands, and that he should be like to
the other saints that had suffered more than he, and when they had hewn them
off he gave up his spirit to God. The other saints held forth their feet with
their free will, and passed to our Lord. And the king commanded that the bodies
should be burnt. And Natalie hid in her bosom the hand of Saint Adrian. And when
the bodies of the saints were thrown into the fire, Natalie would have with
them sprung into the fire and be burnt, and suddenly anon there came a great
rain and quenched the fire, so that the bodies of the saints had none harm. And
the christian men took counsel together, and did do bear the bodies to
Constantinople till that the peace was given to the church, that they were
fetched again with honour. And they suffered death about the year of our Lord
two hundred and four score.
Natalie then abode and
dwelled in her house, and retained the hand of Saint Adrian, and for to have
comfort thereof she kept it always at her bed’s head. And after the judge saw
Natalie so fair, so rich, and so noble, by leave of the emperor he sent women
to her because she should consent to him by marriage. To whom Natalie answered:
Who is he that may do me so much honour that I may be joined to him by
marriage? but I require you that I may have term of three days to array and
make me ready. And this she said to the end that she might flee away. Then
began she to pray our Lord that he would keep her from touching of man. And
then suddenly she fell asleep, and one of the martyrs appeared to her and
comforted her sweetly, and commanded her that she should go to the place where
the holy bodies were. And when she awoke she took the hand of Adrian only with
her, and entered into a ship with many christian men, and when the judge heard
it he followed after with many knights, and then the wind came contrary to
them, and drowned many, and constrained the others to return. And then in the
night the devil appeared to them in guise of a mariner in a ship of phantasm,
and said to them: From whence come ye, and whither go ye? And the christian men
said: We come from Nicomedia and go unto Constantinople. And he said: Ye err,
go towards the left side and ye shall sail more right. And he said so because
he would have drowned them in the sea. And as they followed the stars, anon
suddenly Adrian appeared to them in a boat, and bade them sail as they did
before, and told to them that it was a wicked spirit that had spoken to them,
and then he went tofore them and showed them the way; and when Natalie saw him
go tofore them she was replenished with joy, so that tofore day they came to
Constantinople. And when Natalie entered into the house where the martyrs were,
she put the hand of Adrian to the body. And when she had made her prayers she
slept. And Saint Adrian appeared to her and saluted her, and commanded her that
she should come with him to joy perdurable. And when she awoke she told to them
that were there her vision, and took her leave, and after gave up her spirit to
Almighty God. And then the good christian men took her body and laid it with
the bodies of the martyrs.
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/golden-legend-life-of-saint-adrian/
Weninger’s
Lives of the Saints – Saint Gorgonius, Saint Dorotheus and Saint Adrian,
Martyrs
Article
Saint Gorgonius, though
chamberlain of the heathen Emperor, Diocletian, was secretly a Christian, and
with the assistance of Dorotheus, who occupied a similar position, he gradually
converted all the chamberlains of the court to the Christian religion.
One day, when both had
witnessed the cruel torturing of a Christian, condemned by the emperor, their
hearts were filled with the desire to suffer martyrdom for their faith, and addressing
Diocletian they said: “Why do you torture only him? We profess the same
religion, and we wish to suffer for Christ’s sake as he suffers.” The Emperor
was highly incensed at these words, and both were immediately barbarously
scourged, after which, salt and vinegar were poured upon their wounds. When
this had been done, they were chained upon a gridiron, placed over a fire, and
having been thus roasted for some time, they were at length hung. Thus died
these two holy martyrs, animated to endurance by witnessing the martyrdom of
others.
Saint Adrian was
converted in a similar manner. He was about twenty-eight years old, descended
from the first Roman nobility, and was one of the most distinguished of the
imperial courtiers under Maximian Galerius. He was often a witness of the
sufferings of the Christians when they were tortured in the presence of the
emperor. Considering the constancy and joy with which they suffered the most
cruel pains, he came to the conclusion that such strength must be more than human,
and that there must be a God who imparted it, and further, that this God must
be the only true one. Having arrived thus far, he would no longer hide the
change that had taken place in him, and he confessed publicly that he was a
Christian, and desired to live and die as such. No sooner had the Emperor
Maximian been acquainted with this, than he commanded him to be cast into a
dungeon, where twenty-three others were already confined. Natalia, the wife of
Adrian, who, for a long time, had been a Christian, was greatly rejoiced when
she heard of his conversion. She hastened to the dungeon, threw herself upon
his neck, kissed the chains that fettered him, and praised him that at last he
had recognized the truth of Christianity. Having encouraged him to remain firm
in the approaching combat, she had to leave him as she was not permitted to
stay any longer. A few days later, Adrian was informed that the emperor had
sentenced him to die. Not in the least terrified at this message, he bribed the
jailer to allow him to go to his wife and communicate to her this joyful news,
promising to return in a few hours. When on his way, he met an acquaintance,
who hastened before him to prepare Natalia for the coming of her husband. She
was terrified when she heard of his coming, thinking that he must have become
faithless to Christ. Running hastily to the door of the house, she closed it
against him, saying that she neither could nor would recognize as her spouse,
one who had become an apostate. Adrian called to her to listen, as he had not
renounced the true faith, but had only returned to bring her the joyful news
that he had been sentenced to die. Quickly opening the door to him, Natalia,
falling at his feet, begged his pardon, and after some conversation, she
returned with him to the prison, where she renewed her exhortations that he
would remain firm, and she prayed to God to give him strength in his
approaching martyrdom. The day on which Adrian was brought before the Emperor,
Natalia, going to him, said: “The time has now arrived, my beloved spouse, to
manifest your noble resolutions. Think of the Almighty. Your sufferings will
end, but the reward which you will receive in heaven has no end. If you have
been brave in combating for your Emperor, who could give you only an earthly
recompense, how much braver ought you to be when fighting for Christ, who will
give you an eternal crown.” Adrian, filled with Christian heroism, went to the
Emperor, and as he fearlessly confessed Christ, the tyrant ordered him first to
be scourged with rods, then beaten with clubs, and after this, to be torn with
small iron hooks. Having suffered all this, he was led back to the dungeon,
where Natalia and some other matrons waited for him. Embracing him most
tenderly, she congratulated him on having so courageously withstood the first
assault. She wiped the blood that flowed from his wounds, and endeavored in
every possible way to give, him some comfort. The tyrant, hearing of it,
forbade them henceforth to admit women into the prison. Natalia, going home,
cut off her hair, put on male attire, and thus returned unknown to Adrian. Soon
after came the imperial command to cut off the hands and feet of all the
imprisoned Christians and to burn their bodies. The invincible confessors of
Christ praised God and prepared themselves for the cruel martyrdom. Natalia
requested the executioners to begin with her husband, that the sight of the
sufferings of the others might not give him fear. Encouraging him to bear his
pain with fortitude, she accompanied him to the place of execution, and there
manifested a heroism such as perhaps the world had never before beheld. She
herself laid the feet of her husband upon the block, and constantly animating
him, she held them there until the executioner had cut them off. She then did
the same with his hands. Adrian remained fearless to his last breath. Natalia
reverentially kissed his feet and hands, but was not allowed to take them home
with her. The fate of Adrian was shared by all those who had been imprisoned
with him, and when they had all gloriously ended their combat, the executioners
threw their bodies and limbs upon a pile of wood to burn them. But a terrible
storm arose, every one fled, and the rain extinguished the fire, which gave the
faithful an opportunity to carry the bodies and limbs, as yet untouched by the
flames, into the nearest Christian dwelling. They also bought for a large sum,
the garments which the martyrs had worn and which the executioners had divided
among themselves. Placing these and the sacred relics in a vessel, they brought
them from Nicomedia, where these holy martyrs had suffered, to Constantinople.
One arm of her husband was kept as a priceless treasure by Natalia, that
incomparable Christian heroine. Some days later, Adrian appeared to her, and
directed her to leave for Constantinople in order to escape the danger of
becoming the wife of a heathen, as the Emperor desired. Natalia obeyed, went to
Constantinople, and served God with great fervor, until Adrian again appeared
to her in her sleep and said: “Come, you zealous servant of Christ and of the
Martyrs! take possession of the glory prepared for thee in Heaven!” She awoke,
related her dream, again closed her eyes, as though she would sleep, and calmly
and peacefully expired.
Practical Considerations
• Gorgonius and Dorotheus
converted all the chamberlains of the Emperor to the true faith, and evinced a
most admirable zeal for the salvation of souls. There may be also in our time,
men in a subordinate condition, who have done the same in regard to their
companions. By kind persuasions, by explaining the Catholic faith, by inviting
them to listen to sermons, they have made them acquainted with the truth, and
thus converted them. Those who have occasion for such pious work ought not to
neglect it, as by it they prove their love to God and their neighbor, to the
great benefit of their own souls. There are many other ways in which domestics,
soldiers, and others, may give evidence of this love. You, perhaps, work with
another servant, or have a friend or acquaintance, who is negligent or slothful
in his prayers, in going to church, in partaking of the Holy Sacraments, in
reading devout books, or in the exercise of other good works. You know another
who is addicted to gambling, cursing, blasphemy, slander, or drinking.
He utters the most
lascivious speeches and laughs at them; he sings the most abominable songs;
reads heretical, superstitious, unchaste, or otherwise bad books. He is
faithless to those whom he serves, and purloins all he can lay hold of; he
frequents bad or dangerous company, and goes to places of sinful amusement. Oh!
how you can prove your zeal; how strong a love can you show to God and to your
neighbor, if you animate those who are tepid to greater fervor in prayer, to
visiting the church, to partaking of the Holy Sacraments, to reading devout
books, and other exercises of virtue, and in preventing those who are wicked
from doing works of iniquity! In many cases, this is your duty, and by omitting
it, you become guilty of the sins of others. It is not always possible for you
to make an impression with your words; but you can do much by your example, and
you can pray for those whom you can neither persuade nor dissuade. These means,
given you by the Almighty, you must not neglect to make use of, if you truly
love God and your neighbor. You must do all you can, and where you are in doubt
how to act, ask the advice of your confessor. I only tell you this: you cannot
do anything more pleasing to God or more beneficial to mankind, than to
admonish the sinner to do good, and to prevent him from doing evil.
You must also know that
you cannot do anything more displeasing to God, or more hurtful to yourself and
your neighbor, than by restraining the latter from doing good or by tempting
him to sin, or by giving him an opportunity of doing evil. Hence, guard
yourself from restraining your fellow servants, your friends, or others, from
praying, going to church to hear sermons, or similar pious works, by laughing
at them, or by deriding their piety. Still more guard yourself from tempting
them to faithlessness, disobedience, unchastity, or any other sin. Become not a
partaker in the iniquities that your fellow servants commit. Do not assist
them, even should they persecute you, or drive you from your place on account
of it. It is much better to be driven from the house innocently, by the
wickedness of such people, than deservedly to be precipitated into hell by the
Almighty. If you were to poison, or otherwise kill, the body of your fellow-servant,
you would render yourself guilty of death before the temporal authorities and
would die by the hand of the executioner. What do you suppose you deserve from
God, if you deprive your neighbor of the spiritual life of his soul, yes, even
of eternal life, which you do by tempting him to sin or by giving him
opportunities to do wrong, or by otherwise assisting him in doing evil? Do not
doubt that you deserve the unavoidable punishment of Divine Justice, hell,
eternal perdition. If you fear this, follow my advice.
• “Think of God!” With
these words Natalia animated her husband to endure bravely the most barbarous
martyrdom. By saying this, she meant: “God is present; He sees your suffering,
He will assist, strengthen, and richly recompense you. Think of this, and you
will not regard your pains, you will remain constant.”
Take this today as an
important lesson, not only to cheer you in adversity, but also to prevent you
from sin and to animate you to remain steadfast in the path of rectitude.
“Think of God:” He is always with you. He sees how and what you suffer. He will
assist you with His grace and richly recompense you. Hope in Him, do not
despair. He knows the good you do. He leaves nothing unrewarded. Therefore be
zealous in doing good. God is with you, when you are in temptation to sin. He
sees, hears, and knows everything. Nothing that you do escapes Him. Hence, dare
not commit sin in His presence, before His very eyes. He can precipitate you
into ever-lasting fire, the very moment you offend Him. Do not dare to utter an
offensive word, or to give place to an evil thought; for He will one day call
you to account for it. Think of God! In times long since past, this was the
lesson the venerable Tobias gave to his son: “All the days of thy life, have God
in thy mind; and take heed that thou never consent to sin.” (Tobias 4)
MLA
Citation
Father Francis Xavier
Weninger, DD, SJ. “Saint Gorgonius, Saint Dorotheus and Saint Adrian,
Martyrs”. Lives of the Saints, 1876. CatholicSaints.Info.
4 May 2018. Web. 25 August 2024.
<https://catholicsaints.info/weningers-lives-of-the-saints-saint-gorgonius-saint-dorotheus-and-saint-adrian-martyrs/>
.jpg){kind=icon}
ИКОНА
«СВЯТАЯ НАТАЛИЯ» Россия, Санкт-Петербург, 1914 – 1917 гг.
Дерево;
паволока, левкас, гравировка и чеканка по левкасу, масло, золочение.
Надпись
на верхней дробнице «…яти…е… Ея высочества Великой Княгини Наталiи Сергеевны въ
память / Высокоторжественнаго дня / Тезоименитства…».
Article
(Saint) (December 1) (4th century) A devout Christian woman of Nicomedia, the residence of the Emperor Diocletian, who bravely ministered to the Martyrs imprisoned during the persecutions, the worst of which she survived, dying peacefully at Constantinople about A.D. 311. She had been a servant in the household of the Martyr Saint Hadrian (September 8), and the loyal service she rendered him in prison and in the torture chamber is touchingly narrated in his Acts.
MLA Citation
Monks of Ramsgate. “Natalia”. Book of Saints, 1921. CatholicSaints.Info. 3 March 2016. Web. 25 August 2024. <https://catholicsaints.info/book-of-saints-natalia/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/book-of-saints-natalia/
Мученица
Наталия. Фреска XVIIв. Софийский Собор в Киеве.
La martyre Natalia. Fresque du 17ème siècle. Cathédrale Sainte-Sophie de Kyiv.
Мученица
Наталия. Фреска XVIIв. Софийский Собор в Киеве.
La martyre Natalia. Fresque du 17ème siècle. Cathédrale Sainte-Sophie de Kyiv.
Natalia of Nicomedia, Widow (RM)
Died on December 1, c. 311. The story is told that after a turbulent life, Saint Natalia died peacefully in Argyropolis near Constantinople. She was the young Christian wife of an imperial officer of Nicomedia named Adrian. Her husband was so impressed by the patient suffering of some persecuted Christians that he openly declared he was a Christian himself, though he had not yet been baptized.
Adrian was at once thrown in jail, where Natalia visited him and arranged for his instruction in the faith. It is said the Natalia also ministered bravely to other imprisoned Christians during the persecution of Diocletian. After Adrian had been sentenced to death visitors were forbidden to him, but Natalia disguised herself as a boy and bribed her way in to ask him to pray for her in heaven.
At Adrian's execution, Natalia watched as her husband was broken limb by limb. After his death on September 8 about the year 304, a fire was built to burn the bodies of the martyrs, so that there would be nothing left for burial. Natalia had to be restrained from casting herself into the fire when Adrian's body was burned. A rain storm put out the fire, and Christians gathered the remains and buried them.
Natalia managed to recover Adrian's hand, then fled to Argyropolis, on the Bosporus, to escape the importune wooing of another imperial official. When Natalia died she was buried among the martyrs. It is not known what, if any, truth lies behind this romantic tale. There were apparently two Adrians martyred at Nicomedia, one under Diocletian, the other under Licinius. In art she is shown holding her husband's hand (Attwater, Benedictines, Delaney, Roeder).
SOURCE : http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/1201.shtml
Lives of all saints
commemorated on August 26
Martyrs Adrian and
Natalia and 23 companions, of Nicomedia
The 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). The
emperor promised a reward to whomever would inform on Christians to bring them
to trial. Then 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. Adrian, the head of the praetorium, watched as these
people suffered with such courage for their faith. Seeing how firmly and
fearlessly they confessed Christ, he asked: “What rewards do you expect from
your God for your suffering?” The martyrs replied: “Such rewards as we are not
able to describe, nor can your mind comprehend.” Saint Adrian told the scribes,
“Write my name down also, for I am a Christian and I die gladly for Christ
God.”
The scribes reported this
to the emperor, who summoned Saint Adrian and asked: “Really, have you gone
mad, that you want to die? Come, cross out your name from the lists and offer
sacrifice to the gods, asking their forgiveness.”
Saint Adrian answered: “I
have not lost my mind, but rather have I found it.” Maximian then ordered
Adrian to be thrown into prison. His wife, Saint Natalia, knowing that her
husband was to suffer for Christ, rejoiced, since she herself was secretly a
Christian.
She hastened to the
prison and encouraged her husband 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 (Adrian was then 28 years of age),
nor riches. Everything worldly is dust and ashes. Only faith and good deeds are
pleasing to God.”
On the pledge of the
other martyrs, they released Saint Adrian from prison to tell his wife about
the day of his execution. At first Saint Natalia thought that he had renounced
Christ and thus had been set free, and she did not want to let him into the
house. The saint persuaded his wife that he had not fled from martyrdom, but
rather had come to give her the news of the day of his execution.
They tortured Saint
Adrian cruelly. The emperor advised the saint to have pity on himself and call
on the gods, but the martyr answered: “Let your gods say what blessings they
promise me, and then I shall worship them, but if they cannot do this, then why
should I worship them?” Saint Natalia did not cease to encourage her husband.
She asked him also to pray to God for her, that they would not force her into
marriage with a pagan after his death.
The executioner ordered
the hands and the legs of the saints to be broken on the anvil. Saint 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.
They wanted to burn the
bodies of the saints, but a storm arose and the fire went out. Many of the
executioners were even struck by lightning. Saint Natalia took the hand of her
husband and kept it at home. Soon an army commander asked the emperor’s
approval to wed Saint Natalia, who was both young and rich. But she hid herself
away in Byzantium. Saint Adrian appeared to her in a dream and said that she
would soon be at rest in the Lord. The martyr, worn out by her former
sufferings, in fact soon fell asleep in the Lord.
Saints Adrian and Natalia
are the patrons of married couples, as are Saints Timothy and Maura (May 3).
The Kykkos Monastery on Cyprus has a portion of Saint Natalia's relics.
SOURCE : https://www.oca.org/saints/all-lives/2013/08/26
Saint Adrian, fresco, St. Sophia of Kyiv.
Santi Adriano e Natalia Sposi
e martiri
† Nicomedia, Bitinia, IV
secolo
I santi coniugi Adriano e
Natalia subirono insieme il martirio presso Nicomedia in Bitinia, ma il
Martyrologium Romanum commemora in data odierna solamente Adriano, in onore del
quale il papa Onorio I tramutò in chiesa la curia del Senato Romano
Martirologio Romano: A
Roma, commemorazione di sant’Adriano, martire, che a Nicomedia in Bitinia,
nell’odierna Turchia, subì il martirio e in suo onore il papa Onorio I
trasformò in chiesa la curia del Senato Romano.
L'unica notizia certa è che esisteva un culto antico e molto forte di un Adriano, martire di Nicomedia, sia in oriente che in occidente. II nuovo Martirologio Romano ricorda il santo in questo giorno senza commenti ulteriori. Il resto è supposizione e leggenda.
I bollandisti e l'antico Martirologio Romano affermavano l'esistenza di due diversi Adriani di Nicomedia, entrambi morti martiri, ma in persecuzioni diverse e i cui resti vennero portati ad Argiropoli. Quanto segue è un riassunto di questi racconti.
Si dice che un Adriano fosse un ufficiale pagano alla corte imperiale a Nicomedia. Assistette al maltrattamento di ventitré cristiani e dichiarò che anch'egli era cristiano e voleva unirsi a loro. Venne imprigionato. La sua giovane moglie, Natalia, una cristiana a cui era stato sposato per tredici mesi, fu informata dell'accaduto e corse alla prigione, baciò le sue catene e lo curò. Egli la mandò a casa, promettendole di tenerla informata. Quando seppe che stava per essere ucciso, Adriano pagò il guardiano della prigione perché lo lasciasse andare a salutare la moglie, ma ella quando lo vide, pensando che avesse rinnegato la sua fede, gli sbatté la porta in faccia. Egli le spiegò che gli altri prigionieri erano stati presi in ostaggio fino al suo ritorno, ed essi ritornarono alla prigione insieme. Natalia bendò le ferite dei prigionieri e si prese cura di loro per una settimana. Adriano fu portato davanti all'imperatore ma rifiutò di sacrificare agli idoli, allora .venne frustato e riportato in cella. Altre donne seguirono l'esempio di Natalia, ma l'imperatore impedì loro di entrare in prigione. Allora Natalia si tagliò i capelli, indossò abiti maschili ed entrò in prigione come al solito.
I martiri furono condannati alla morte per spezzamento degli arti. Natalia chiese che il marito potesse essere ucciso per primo, così da risparmiargli la vista dell'agonia degli altri. Ella gli mise le gambe e le braccia nei ceppi, e rimase inginocchiata sul posto mentre il marito veniva ucciso, riuscendo a nascondere una sua mano nei vestiti. Quando i corpi vennero bruciati, dovettero trattenerla per impedirle di gettarsi nel fuoco. La pioggia spense le fiamme e i cristiani poterono conservare delle reliquie dei martiri, che furono portate e seppellite ad Argyropolis, sul Bosforo vicino a Bisanzio.
Un ufficiale imperiale iniziò a tormentare Natalia con offerte di matrimonio, così ella portò la mano del marito ad Argyropolis, dove mori in pace poco dopo il suo arrivo. Ella fu considerata martire per associazione, perché il suo corpo fu seppellito con i resti degli altri uccisi.
Questo racconto di chiara invenzione si dimostrò molto commovente, rendendo Adriano un martire molto popolare in passato. Diversi quadri ricordano in maniera raffinata, a volte splendida, la sua morte e l'intervento di Natalia. Era il patrono dei macellai e dei soldati e veniva invocato contro la peste.
L'antico Martirologio Romano indicava il 4 marzo come il giorno della sua morte, e l'1 dicembre per quella di Natalia e l'8 settembre per il trasporto dei loro resti a Roma. La festa comune dei santi Adriano e Natalia, martiri, era l'8 settembre.
Tuttavia un altro Adriano (5 mar.) ricordato da Eusebio come un martire di Cesarea sotto Diocleziano, a volte confuso con il primo Adriano, ha una tradizione più affidabile e molto diversa.
Si dice che sia stato ucciso a Nicomedia sotto Licinio, che fosse il figlio dell'imperatore Probo, che aveva rimproverato Licinio per le sue persecuzioni contro i cristiani. L'imperatore ordinò che venisse ucciso. Suo zio Domizio, vescovo di Bisanzio, seppellì il corpo nei sobborghi della città chiamata Argyropolis. L'antico Martirologio Romano fissa la memoria di questo Adriano il 26 agosto. Il racconto è ugualmente inaffidabile, e meno accattivante degli altri.
Autore: Alban Butler
SOURCE : http://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/93389
.jpg)
Св.
Наталя. Маці Боская Адзігітрыя. Рафаіл. Складзень, 1760.
St.
Natalie. The Virgin Hodigitria. St. Raphael. Triptych, 1760.
Den hellige Natalia av
Nikomedia ( -~311)
Minnedag: 1.
desember
Den hellige Natalia
(Natalie) var en kristen kvinne i Nikomedia (i dag Izmid i Tyrkia). Hun giftet
seg med den hellige Hadrian, en
hedensk offiser ved det keiserlige hoff i Nikomedia. Under keiser Diokletians
(284-305) forfølgelser i 304 ble 23 kristne pisket foran keiseren (noen kilder
sier det hendte under Maximians forfølgelser i 290). Hadrian ble så imponert
over den fasthet og tålmodighet som de forfulgte kristne møtte sine lidelser
med, at han åpent erklærte at han selv var kristen, selv om han ikke en gang
var døpt. Han ble straks kastet i fengsel.
Han hadde vært gift med
sin unge kone i knapt tretten måneder, og da hun fikk høre at han var arrestert,
gråt hun bittert og rev sine klær i stykker. Men da hun fikk høre grunnen, ble
hun svært stolt av ham. Hun skyndte seg til fengselet, kysset mannens lenker og
sa at han var velsignet. Hun sørget for at han fikk trosundervisning i
fengselet. Han sendte henne hjem og lovte å la henne få vite hva som skjedde.
Da han visste at han
skulle henrettes, bestakk han fangevokteren for å få lov til å dra hjem og si
farvel til sin kone. Men hun trodde at han hadde reddet sitt liv ved å fornekte
troen, så hun slengte døra i ansiktet på ham. Han forklarte da at de andre
fangene var gisler for at han skulle vende tilbake. De tro tilbake til
fengselet sammen. Natalia stelte fangenes sår og ble hos dem i en uke. Hadrian
ble brakt for keiseren, men nektet å ofre til avgudene. Han ble da pisket og
satt i fengsel igjen. Andre kvinner hadde fulgt Natalias eksempel, så keiseren
forbød dem å komme inn i fengselet. Da klipte Natalia håret og tok på seg
mannsklær og slapp inn i fengselet ved hjelp av bestikkelser. Da martyrenes
legemer ble brent, måtte Natalia hindres i å kaste seg i flammene.
Martyrene ble dømt til å
få lemmene knust. Natalia ba om at hennes mann måtte få lide først, slik at han
kunne bli spart for det sørgelige synet av de andres smerte. Hun la hans lemmer
på blokken og knelte der mens lemmene ble kunst og hogd av, og hun gjemte en av
hendene hans i klærne sine. Martyriet skjedde i Nikomedia en 4. mars ca år 304.
Et kraftig regnvær slokket flammene, og kristne samlet levningene og tok dem
med til Argyropolis ved Bosporos, ikke langt fra Bysants, hvor de gravla dem.
(Dette var før byen hadde fått navnet Konstantinopel).
Få måneder etter mannens
død begynte en hedensk tjenestemann å ville gifte seg med Natalia. Hun hadde
ikke til hensikt å omgås de hedningene som hadde vært ansvarlige for mannens
martyrium, så hun flyttet selv til Argyropolis og tok Hadrians hånd med seg. Da
hun døde en naturlig død en 1. desember ca 311, ble hun gravlagt blant
martyrene, og hun regnes som en av dem.
Denne åpenbare oppdiktede
historien viste seg å ha svært stor appell, og Hadrian ble en svært populær
helgen. Flere store malerier fremstiller hans lidelser og Natalias inngrep. og
8. september for translasjonen til Roma. Fellesfesten for martyrene Hadrian og
Natalia var 8. september. En 8. september på 600-tallet skal Hadrians og
Natalias relikvier ha blitt overført til Roma, og Hadrians fest har vært
allmenn siden. Pave Honorius I (625-38) lot senatsbygningen Cleria Julia ved
Forum bygges om til kirken Sant' Adriano. 8. september er kirkevigselsfesten
for denne kirken, og den har siden vært hans minnedag. 8. september er også
festen for Marias
fødsel, så kirken Sant' Adriano ble utgangspunktet for kirkeprosesjoner på
Mariafester.
Natalias minnedag er 1.
desember, men oftest minnes hun sammen med mannen den 8. september. Hun
fremstilles som romersk enke eller sammen med Hadrian.
Kilder:
Attwater/John, Attwater/Cumming, Bentley, Butler (VIII), Benedictines, Delaney,
Bunson, Schauber/Schindler, Melchers, Dammer/Adam, KIR, CSO, Patron Saints
SQPN, Infocatho - Kompilasjon og oversettelse: p. Per Einar Odden -
Sist oppdatert: 2001-10-10 00:17
SOURCE : http://www.katolsk.no/biografier/historisk/nnikomed
Saints
Adrian and Natalia church, Odesa
Церква Адріана і Наталії, Одеса, бул. Французький, 46
Natalia van Nicomedië,
Constantinopel, Klein-Azië; belijder (& martelares?); † 303.
Feest † 4 maart
& 26 augustus & 8 september (met Adrianus) & 1 december.
Geschiedenis
De geschiedenis van Natalia is nauw verweven met die van haar man, de martelaar Adrianus van
Nicomedië († 303; feest 8 september). Hij was een heidens officier en hoofd van
de gevangenisbewakingsdienst ten tijde van keizer Galerius (293-311). Als
zodanig raakte hij onder de indruk bij het zien van de standvastigheid der
christenmartelaren en voegde zich bij hen. Dat kwam hem op dezelfde behandeling
te staan. Zijn vrouw Natalia nam de verzorging op zich van de gevangenen. Hun
beider marteldood zou op 4 maart van het jaar 303 of 304 hebben plaatsgevonden.
Deze datum gaat terug op het martelarenboek van Sint Hiëronymus.
Historisch staat geen van deze feiten vast. Volgens andere overleveringen zou Natalia haar man een aantal jaren hebben overleefd.
In de loop der tijden werd Adrianus' persoon met steeds meer legenden omweven.
Hieronder geven wij de verhalen zoals werden opgetekend door bisschop Jacobus
de Voragine († 1298; feest 13 juli) in zijn beroemde Legenda Aurea.
Adrianus onderging het martelaarschap tijdens de regering van keizer
Maximianus (284-305).
Hierboven zagen we dat
Adrianus in dienst stond van keizer Galienus. Zowel Maximianus als Galienus
maakten met Diocletianus (285-305) en Constantius Chlorus (293-306) deel uit
van een keizerlijk viermanschap, dat het beheer over het Romeinse Rijk onder elkaar
had verdeeld.
Deze Maximianus hechtte
grote waarde aan de afgodenoffers die in de stad Nicomedië ingesteld waren.
Daarom gebood hij dat alle christenen aangebracht moesten worden. Dat had tot
gevolg dat sommigen omwille van de beloofde beloning, anderen uit vrees voor
straf de christenen voor de rechter sleepten. Buren verklikten hun buren;
naaste familieleden hun huisgenoten. Tijdens deze vervolgingen werden er 33
gegrepen en aan de keizer voorgeleid.
De meeste andere bronnen
geven het getal van 23.
Deze zei: "Hebben
jullie soms niet gehoord welke strenge maatregelen ik tegen de christenen heb
uitgevaardigd?"
Zij antwoordden: "Dat hebben wij wel degelijk gehoord, maar uw gebod is dwaasheid, vandaar dat we het naast ons neer hebben gelegd."
Dat maakte de keizer woedend. Hij liet ze met nieuwe riemen geselen en hun mond met stenen kapot slaan. Vervolgens liet hij de bekentenis van ieder afzonderlijk opschrijven; tenslotte liet hij ze geketend in boeien in de kerkers opsluiten. Daar zag Adrianus, de hoofdman van de bewakingsdienst, hoe standvastig zij waren, en hij vroeg hun:
"Bij jullie God, wil mij toch zeggen welke beloning je te wachten staat in ruil voor deze martelingen."
Daarop zeiden de heiligen: "Geen oog heeft ooit gezien en geen oor heeft ooit gehoord noch is het ooit in een mensenhart opgekomen wat de Heer te goed houdt voor hen die Hem tot het uiterste liefhebben."
Toen stond Adrianus met een sprong midden tussen hen in en riep:
"Zet mijn naam er maar bij. Ik ben ook christen!"
Toen de keizer dat hoorde, liet hij hem in ketens slaan en in de gevangenis
werpen, want hij weigerde inderdaad te offeren.
Adrianus' vrouw Natalia kreeg te horen dat haar man in de kerker lag. Ze scheurde haar kleren en begon bitter te wenen en te klagen. Maar toen zij hoorde dat hij daar zat vanwege zijn geloof in Christus, was zij zielsgelukkig. Ze kwam naar de gevangenis en kuste de boeien van haar man en die van de andere christenen. Ze was namelijk al heel lang zelf ook christen, maar dat had ze vanwege de vervolgingen geheim gehouden. Nu sprak zij tot haar man Adrianus:
"Zalig ben jij, Adrianus mijn heer, want je hebt een schat gevonden die je niet is nagelaten door je ouders. Wie niets heeft, beschikt hiermee over alle goeds. Want ooit zal het zover zijn dat er niet meer uitgeleend wordt of verpand, niemand zal een ander nog van schuld kunnen bevrijden: een vader zijn zoon niet, noch een moeder haar dochter, zelfs een knecht zijn heer niet of de ene vriend de andere, ja er komt een tijd dat de grootste schatten hun bezitter niet meer zullen baten."
Zo spoorde zij hem aan alle aardse roem van nul en gener waarde te achten, zelfs vrienden en verwanten achter zich te laten en zijn hart te verheffen tot louter hemelse zaken. Daarop zei Adrianus:
"Ga nu maar, mijn liefste zusje. Als het uur van mijn martelaarschap geslagen heeft, zal ik het je laten weten, zodat je het met eigen ogen kunt zien."
Pas nadat ze haar man nog bij de andere aanwezigen had aanbevolen, en hun op
het hart had gedrukt dat zij hem zouden sterken in zijn geloof, ging zij naar
huis terug.
Toen Adrianus enige tijd
later hoorde, dat de tijd van zijn marteldood aangebroken was, gaf hij de
wachters een paar cadeautjes en vroeg aan de andere gevangenen of zij voor hem
in wilden staan. Daarop ging hij naar huis om persoonlijk zijn vrouw Natalia te
roepen: hij had immers beloofd het haar te laten weten als zijn martelaarschap
aangebroken zou zijn. Iemand van zijn huispersoneel zag hem aankomen en liep
vlug vooruit om het aan Natalia te melden met de woorden:
"Ze hebben Adrianus vrijgelaten; kijk maar: daar komt-ie!"
Dat kon zij eenvoudig niet geloven en ze zei dus:
"Wie kan hem dan uit zijn ketenen bevrijd hebben? Nee, God zou nooit toelaten dat hij vrijgelaten werd en van de andere christenen gescheiden zou worden."
Maar terwijl ze nog sprak, kwam er een van de slaven toegesneld:
"Kijk, ze hebben mijn heer vrijgelaten."
Nu meende zij werkelijk dat ze hem voor het martelaarschap hadden gespaard en ze weende bitter. Toen hij eraan kwam, stond ze snel op om de deur voor zijn neus dicht te doen en ze riep:
"Wie van God is afgevallen, is hier niet welkom. Uit de mond van iemand die zijn Heer verloochend heeft wil ik geen woord horen."
Nu richtte zij zich rechtstreeks tot hem:
"Jij, arme trul zonder God: er is toch niemand geweest die van jou eiste
ergens aan te beginnen wat je niet tot een goed einde zou kunnen brengen? Wie
heeft jou gescheiden van de heiligen? Wie heeft jou zover gekregen dat je uit
de kring van de vrede bent weggegaan? Waarom ben je op de vlucht geslagen nog
voor de strijd goed en wel begonnen was, ja nog voor je de vijand ook maar met
eigen ogen hebt kunnen aanschouwen? Hoe kan je nu al verwond zijn, nog voordat
er ook maar één pijl op je afgevuurd is? Terecht dus heb ik me verwonderd lopen
afvragen hoe het mogelijk was dat uit een goddeloos volk en een generatie van
boosdoeners zomaar iemand kon opstaan die zich voor God wilde opofferen.
Heremetijt, wat moet ik beginnen, want ik ben getrouwd met deze goddeloze man.
Het heeft dus niet zo mogen zijn - wat ik heel even heb gedacht: dat ik de
vrouw van een martelaar zou
worden genoemd; integendeel, ze zullen mij noemen de vrouw van die afvallige.
Die vreugde was dus maar van korte duur, terwijl mijn schande zal duren tot in
eeuwigheid."
Toen Adrianus dit allemaal hoorde, was hij intens blij en hij stond er verwonderd over dat deze jonge trotse vrouw - zo mooi en edel en pas veertien maanden bij hem - dat zij zulke krachtige taal sprak. Nu hij haar woorden met instemming aanhoorde, verlangde hij eens te meer naar het martelaarschap. Maar omdat hij wel zag, hoezeer dit alles haar aangreep, zei hij tot haar:
"Natalia, mijn vrouwe, doe open, want het is helemaal niet zoals jij denkt: ik ben niet gevlucht voor het martelaarschap. Ik ben alleen maar gekomen om je te roepen om erbij aanwezig te zijn; dat had ik je toch beloofd?"
Maar zij kon die woorden niet geloven:
"Moet je kijken hoe mijn verrader mij een rad voor ogen draait, hoe deze Judas staat te liegen. Scheer je weg, stuk ongeluk! Of ik zal mezelf nog iets aandoen, dan heb je je zin."
En ze deed hem niet open.
Waarop hij riep: "Maar doe nou toch eindelijk open, want ik moet gaan en dan zul je me nooit meer terugzien; je zult er weet van hebben dat je mij zo vlak voor mijn einde niet meer hebt willen zien. Je moet weten: ik heb de andere heilige martelaren gevraagd of zij voor mij in wilden staan. Als de beulen mij missen en niet zullen vinden, zullen de anderen niet alleen hun eigen martelaarschap ondergaan, maar ook het mijne."
Toen Natalia hem dat hoorde zeggen, deed ze open, en ze vielen elkaar in de
armen en samen gingen zij naar de gevangenis. Natalia bleef daar zeven dagen om
er de verwondingen van de martelaren te
verbinden met het kostbaarste linnen.
De dag brak aan waarop was vastgesteld dat ze moesten sterven. De keizer liet ze allemaal voor zich verschijnen. Er waren erbij die zo toegetakeld waren dat ze zelfs tot lopen niet meer in staat waren; ze moesten als een beest voortgesleept worden. Adrianus liep achter hen aan, de handen geboeid. Hij moest zijn eigen pijnbank tot voor de keizer sjouwen. Natalia liep met hem mee met de woorden:
"Mijn lieve heer, als je de martelingen ziet, schrik er dan niet voor terug. Want het lijden hier duurt maar eventjes, maar daarna zul je met de engelen in de eeuwige vreugde zijn."
Adrianus weigerde dus te offeren. Daarop werd hij verschrikkelijk afgeranseld. Maar Natalia ging vol troost naar de heiligen in de gevangenis en zei:
"Het martelaarschap van mijn heer is begonnen."
Intussen waarschuwde de keizer Adrianus dat hij de afgoden niet moest
beledigen.
Maar hij merkte op: "Als ik gepijnigd word, omdat ik beledig wat geen goden zijn, hoeveel te meer zult u dan niet gepijnigd worden, want u beledigt de ware God."
De keizer zei: "Deze woorden heb je natuurlijk van die misleiders geleerd."
Adrianus gaf terug: "Hoe komt u erbij om hen misleiders te noemen; zij
onderrichten ons het eeuwige leven."
Ook dit antwoord ging Natalia vol vreugde doorvertellen aan de anderen.
Nu liet de keizer hem door vier sterke kerels afranselen. Alles wat hij had te verduren, alle vragen en alles wat hij erop antwoordde, ging Natalia meteen aan de anderen zeggen die nog in de gevangenis zaten. Adrianus werd zo hard geslagen dat zelfs zijn ingewanden naar buiten kwamen. Toen werd hij in ketenen geslagen en naar de anderen in de gevangenis teruggebracht.
Deze Adrianus was op dat moment 28 jaar oud, eigenlijk nog een hele mooie, knappe man. Toen Natalia haar man zo toegetakeld op zijn rug zag liggen, legde zij haar hand op zijn hoofd met de woorden:
"Zalig ben jij, lief heertje van me, want jij bent waardig bevonden om
opgenomen te worden onder het getal van de heiligen. Zalig ben je, jij licht
van mijn ogen, dat jij lijdt voor Hem die voor jou heeft geleden. Ga nu van
hier, mijn liefste troost, om zijn heerlijkheid te aanschouwen."
De keizer kwam te weten
dat er vele vrouwen waren die de gevangenen in de kerker verzorgden. Nu
gelastte hij dat er geen enkele vrouw meer bij de gevangenen mocht worden
toegelaten. Maar toen Natalia dit hoorde, schoor zij haar haren af, trok
mannenkleren aan en ging gewoon door met het verzorgen van de heiligen in de
kerker. En vele anderen volgden dit voorbeeld. Ze vroeg haar man Adrianus voor
haar een smeekgebed te doen wanneer hij in de heerlijkheid zou zijn: dat God
haar in zuiverheid zou willen behoeden en dat Hij haar snel tot zich zou roepen.
De keizer vernam wat de vrouwen hadden gedaan. Hij liet een aambeeld halen met
de bedoeling dat daarop de benen van de heiligen verbrijzeld zouden worden.
Nu vreesde Natalia dat
Adrianus zich misschien toch nog zou bedenken bij het zien van de martelingen
der anderen. Dus ging ze aan de beul vragen of hij met hem wilde beginnen. Zo
hakte men hem dus de voeten af en werden zijn benen verbrijzeld. Zij drong er
bij hem op aan dat hij zou vragen hem ook de handen te laten afhakken; dan zou
hij een beetje in de buurt komen van degenen die al veel meer martelingen
hadden moeten ondergaan. Adrianus deed het. Daarop gaf hij de geest. Ook alle
anderen boden bereidwillig hun voeten aan en gingen zo naar God.
De keizer gebood dat hun
lijken moesten worden verbrand. Maar Natalia wist Adrianus' hand in haar boezem
te verbergen. Op het moment dat men de lijken van de heiligen in het vuur
wierp, wilde ook Natalia zich in het vuur werpen. Juist op dat moment barstte
er zo'n geweldige regenbui uit de hemel los, dat het vuur doofde; met als
gevolg dat de lijken gaaf bleven. De christenen overlegden met elkaar wat ze
moesten doen. Ze besloten de lichamen naar Constantinopel over te brengen tot
de vrede zou zijn weergekeerd; dan zou men ze met eerbetoon weer terughalen.
Het lijden van deze heiligen vond plaats rond het jaar 280.
Natalia bleef in haar huis wonen, waar ze de hand van Adrianus aan het hoofdeinde van haar bed bewaarde; want hij was haar een grote troost. Maar toen gebeurde het dat een tribuun opmerkte hoe mooi, rijk en edel Natalia eigenlijk was. Vandaar dat hij met toestemming van de keizer een afvaardiging vrouwen naar haar toezond met de bedoeling dat zij haar zouden overhalen zijn vrouw te worden. Natalia gaf hun ten antwoord:
"Wie ter wereld zal mij ervoor kunnen behoeden de vrouw te worden van deze hooggeplaatste man? Ik zou jullie om drie dagen uitstel willen vragen, want ik wil mij er goed op voorbereiden."
Dit zei ze in de hoop dat ze in de tussentijd zou kunnen ontkomen. Ze begon dus
tot God te bidden dat Hij haar zuiverheid zou willen behoeden. Zo viel ze in
slaap. Er verscheen haar een van de martelaren die haar
liefdevol troostte. Hij gaf haar de opdracht naar de plek te gaan waar hun
lichamen rustten. Wakker geworden stond ze op, nam alleen maar de hand van
Adrianus mee en ging met een grote schare christenen aan boord van een schip.
Toen die tribuun dat hoorde, zette hij op een andere boot de achtervolging in,
vergezeld van een overmacht aan soldaten. Maar er stak een zware storm op en
velen van zijn metgezellen verdronken, zodat hij zich genoodzaakt zag
rechtsomkeert te maken.
Daarop verscheen aan het gezelschap van Natalia rond middernacht de duivel zelf in de gedaante van een kapitein op een toverschip. Hij zei tot haar:
"Waar komt u vandaan en waar vaart u heen?"
Zij gaven hem ten antwoord: "Wij komen uit Nicomedië en zijn onderweg naar Constantinopel."
Waarop de duivel zei: "Dan varen jullie verkeerd. Je moet de steven meer
naar links wenden. Dan ga je goed."
Doch dat zei hij alleen
maar met de bedoeling dat ze op volle zee terecht zouden komen en daar ten
onder zouden gaan. Toen zij dus de zeilen bijzetten, verscheen daar opeens
Adrianus zelf in een klein bootje met de mededeling dat ze hun oude koers
moesten aanhouden, want het was een boze geest geweest die hun dat andere
advies gegeven had. Hij voer met zijn bootje voor hun schip uit en wees ze de
weg. Natalia was natuurlijk buiten zichzelf van vreugde dat ze Adrianus zelf
voor zich uit zag varen. Zo kwamen ze, nog voor het dag was, behouden in
Constantinopel aan.
Natalia ging onmiddellijk
naar het huis waar de lichamen van de martelaren rustten en
voegde Adrianus' hand weer bij zijn lichaam. Bij het bidden viel ze in slaap.
Nu verscheen haar Adrianus zelf, hij begroette haar hartelijk en zei dat voor
haar het moment gekomen was om met hem de eeuwige vrede binnen te gaan. Wakker
geworden vertelde zij haar droom aan haar metgezellen; ze nam afscheid van ze
en gaf de geest. Toen namen de christenen haar lichaam en legden het ter ruste
bij de lichamen van de martelaren.
[183]
[000; 000»Corbinianus/bisd.Freising:48; 000»Natalia; 100; 101»Hadrian;
101a; 102; 103»Hadrian; 106»Hadrianus; 107»Adrian; 108»Hadrian; 109;
111a»Hadrianus; 140; 156nr62; 178p:42.45.48.49.50; 183; 193p:17; 200;
201p:17(5e.3); 229; 230; 231p:134; 237A9; 279:17»Adrien; 282b:235; 291;
293p:176; 300p:147»Adrien; 320p:59.60; 327p:23; MacMillan»Hadr.; 500; Dries van
den Akker s.j./2007.11.17]
© A. van den Akker
s.j. / A.W. Gerritsen
SOURCE : https://heiligen-3s.nl/heiligen/12/01/12-01-0311-natalia.php
