mardi 3 août 2021

Sainte LYDIA PURPURARIA, disciple et diaconesse

 

Heilige Lydia (I Jahrhundert)

Polski: Święta Lidia - pierwsza ochrzczona Europejka z I wieku opisana w Dziejach Apostolskich; rosyjska ikona


Sainte Lydie

Commerçante en pourpre convertie par Saint Paul (Ier siècle)

Elle venait de la Grèce d’Asie et s’était installée à Philippes, port de la mer Egée pour son commerce de tissu et de pourpre. C’est là qu’elle rencontra saint Paul et saint Luc (Actes des Apôtres 16. 11). Ils vinrent habiter chez elle « Si vous voulez bien me considérer comme une servante de Dieu, descendez chez moi. »

SOURCE : https://fr.aleteia.org/daily-prayer/mardi-3-aout/?utm_campaign=NL_fr&utm_content=NL_fr&utm_medium=mail&utm_source=daily_newsletter

Sainte Lydie

Commerçante en pourpre convertie par Saint Paul (Ier siècle)

Elle venait de la Grèce d'Asie et s'était installée à Philippes, port de la mer Egée pour son commerce de tissu et de pourpre. C'est là qu'elle rencontra saint Paul et saint Luc (Actes des Apôtres 16. 14). Ils vinrent habiter chez elle "Si vous voulez bien me considérer comme une servante de Dieu, descendez chez moi."

Les Églises d'Orient fêtent cette païenne qui professait la foi juive et qui fut convertie au Christ par saint Paul lors de son passage à Philippes en Macédoine. Elle l'accueillit avec ses compagnons Silas et Luc (Actes 16. 11 à 15). Elle dut mourir vers 50-55, puisque Paul écrivant aux chrétiens de Philippes ne la mentionne pas dans sa lettre.

Au 20 mai, commémoraison de sainte Lydie, la marchande de pourpre de Thyatire, qui, à Philippes de Macédoine, fut la première dans cette ville à croire à l'Évangile, après la prédication de l'Apôtre saint Paul.

Martyrologe romain

SOURCE : https://nominis.cef.fr/contenus/saint/1614/Sainte-Lydie.html

Saint Lydia Purpuraria

Also known as

Lydia of Thyatira

Lydia of Philippi

Lydia Philippisia

Memorial

20 May (Roman Martyrology; Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America; Eastern Orthodox)

27 March (Russian Orthodox Church)

25 June (Russian Orthodox Church)

27 January (Evangelical Lutheran)

25 October (Episcopal Church; Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod)

3 August on some calendars

Profile

Lay business woman in Thyatira, dealing in purple cloth, the most expensive type in the 1st century Middle East. Paul‘s first known convert.

Born

Greek

Canonized

Pre-Congregation

Patronage

cloth dyers

Additional Information

Book of Saints, by the Monks of Ramsgate

books

Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints

other sites in english

1001 Patron Saints and Their Feast Days, Australian Catholic Truth Society

Aleteia

Catholic Fire

Communio

Holy Whapping

Wikipedia

webseiten auf deutsch

Ökumenisches Heiligenlexikon

sitios en español

Martirologio Romano2001 edición

sites en français

Fête des prénoms

Forum Orthodoxe

fonti in italiano

Santi e Beati

Santo del Giorno

strony w jezyku polskim

Deon.PL

Konferencja Episkopatu Polski i Wydawnictwo Pallottinum

sites em português

Evangelho Quotidiano

Readings

On the sabbath we went outside the city gate along the river where we thought there would be a place of prayer. We sat and spoke with the women who had gathered there. One of them, a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth, from the city of Thyatira, a worshiper of God, listened, and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what Paul was saying. After she and her household had been baptized, she offered us an invitation, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my home,” and she prevailed on us. -Acts 16:13-15

MLA Citation

“Saint Lydia Purpuraria“. CatholicSaints.Info. 29 January 2019. Web. 3 August 2021. <https://catholicsaints.info/saint-lydia-purpuraria/>

SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/saint-lydia-purpuraria/

Saint Lydia

The first recorder convert from Europe was a wealthy woman; her resources helped to grow and support the Early Church

Eri-Fragiadaki / CC

Disciple of Saint Paul (First Century)

Her life

According to the Acts of the Apostles (16:13ff), Lydia was merchant of purple cloth in Philippi. When Saint Paul visited that city sometime around the year 55, he baptized Lydia and her household.

+ The baptism is celebrated as the first recorded conversion to Christianity in Europe.

+ A woman of wealth and influence, Lydia is remembered for the hospitality she offered to Paul, Luke and Silas.

+ Saint Lydia was added to the Church’s official list of saints, The Roman Martyrology, at the time of the Council of Trent.

Quote

“In this vast domain of service, the Church’s two-thousand-year history, for all its historical conditioning, has truly experienced the ‘genius of woman’; from the heart of the Church there have emerged women of the highest caliber who have left an impressive and beneficial mark in history.”—Pope Saint John Paul II, Letter to Women

Prayer

O God, who gladden us each year with the feast day of blessed Lydia, grant, we pray, that we, who are called to honor her, may also follow her example of holy living. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

(from The Roman Missal: Common of Holy Men and Women—For a Holy Woman)

Saint profiles prepared by Brother Silas Henderson, S.D.S.

SOURCE : https://aleteia.org/daily-prayer/thursday-august-3/

Matthew Alderman. S. Lydia the Dealer in Purple Cloth. June 2010. Private Collection, New Hampshire. More work by the artist here.


Lydia Purpuraria

St. Lydia was the first Christian to be baptized in Europe, at Philippi by the Apostle Paul; the Greek landscape is visible at beneath her feet while the Apostle Paul hovers in the distance. In one hand is the murex shell, the source of her livelihood, purple dye, and by extension a symbol of royalty and Christ the King, and also, through its marine origins, baptism and regeneration. The waves in the upper left-hand corner also recall baptism, and the strip of half-dyed cloth in her right hand recall the imagery of white robes washed in the blood of the Lamb. St. Paul's book and sword decorate the hem of her robe, while Christ the Man of Sorrows, clad in His purple robe, decorates the clasps at her shoulder. The client (who has also commissioned work from me in the past), a New England lawyer, ND law grad and new mother, commissioned this to celebrate the birth of her first child, also named Lydia. She says she wants it to be hanging in the girl's dorm room 18 years from now when she matriculates at Notre Dame.

SOURCE : http://holywhapping.blogspot.com/2010/10/lydia-purpuraria.html

ST LYDIA

Posted onAugust 3, 2016 7:30 pm byPaul Zalonski


Saint Lydia Purpuraria (1st century) is famous for the mention in Acts 16 for her work with selling purple material (hence, her name which means purple seller), used for for expensive Roman clothing.

Lydia was born at Thyatira (Ak-Hissar), a town in Asia Minor. She met Paul on his second missionary journey in ca. AD50. Lydia became Paul’s first convert at Philippi and he baptized her with her household in the Gaggitis River –called the Angst River. Paul with his companions stayed at her home in Philippi. Thus, it is her home that becomes the first church in Europe.

The Orthodox recall her memory liturgically on May 20.

For most Catholics praying to Saint Lydia for her intercession would be very novel. But what she models for us is not new. In his 1995 Letter to Women, Saint John Paul II wrote “In this vast domain of service, the Church’s two-thousand-year history, for all its historical conditioning, has truly experienced the ‘genius of woman’; from the heart of the Church there have emerged women of the highest calibre who have left an impressive and beneficial mark in history.” Right, Lydia’s genius is instructive and worthy of our consideration for knowing the desires of her heart: she was a business woman, she lived the virtue of hospitality, a leader of people, and a follower of Jesus Christ.

Let us ask Lydia to guide all women, indeed, all Christians, in their responding sacrificially to the holy desires of the heart.

SOURCE : https://communio.stblogs.org/index.php/2016/08/st-lydia/

Saint Lydia Purpuraria

Today's saint, St. Lydia Purpuraria, was the first Christian convert in Europe, a businesswoman who dealt in luxury goods. She is the patron saint of cloth dyers.

Saint Lydia was born during the first century in Thyatira, a town famous for its dye works in Asia Minor, famous for its dye works, (hence, her name which means purple seller). She was a seller of purple dye and was St. Paul's first convert at Philippi. The following is from the Acts of the Apostles:

And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, one that worshipped God, did hear: whose heart the Lord opened to attend to those things which were said by Paul. And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying: If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.
~Acts 16:14-15

She was baptized with her household. Thereafter, Paul made his home with her while in Philippi.

Lydia was a woman of hospitality, a woman of faith. As a successful businesswoman she most likely had a home spacious enough to welcome guests and to use her home as a Christian center, where others would gather for the Holy Mass and prayer. After Paul and Silas were released from prison, they went immediately to Lydia’s house to see and encourage the believers gathered there. Lydia served the Lord through her gift of hospitality by welcoming others into her home.

SOURCE : https://catholicfire.blogspot.com/2016/08/saint-lydia-purpuraria.html

ST. LYDIA OF THYATIRA

First Christian Convert in Europe

Deaconess at Philippi

March 27th and June 25th

(Acts 16:8-40)

Let us remember that the word “deacon” comes from the Greek word “deaconia” which means “to serve”. The first seven deacons were men of God “full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom” who were set aside to “serve tables”, that is to care for orphans, widows, the poor, the sick, those in prison, and other social works of the Church (Acts 6:1-7). This was done to allow the twelve Apostles to spend their time spreading the Gospel of Christ.

Lydia, who bore the name of a Roman province in western Asia Minor, hailed from the wealthy town of Thyatira (present day Al-Hissar, Turkey) which was noted for its well-organized trade guilds. The guilds for coppersmiths and dyers were two of the more powerful guilds which were greatly steeped in the pagan religion of their day and whose members were required to worship the patron god/goddess of their trade. As a seller of purple, Lydia and her husband were probably members thereof. It is not known whether they traded in purple dyes or purple fabric or both.

The purple dyes used in the Thyatira area were thought to have been made from the madder-root (genus Rubia) and from a sea snail (Murex brandaris). Each of these sources of dye could be used to produce various shades of purple-red (porphyra) or purple-blue (yakinthos) depending on the process and the raw fiber used. The purple-red was used by emperors, statesmen, and other high government officials, while the purple-blue was used for religious purposes such as priests’ robes or curtains for one of the many temples. This dye was the most expensive of its day and was said to be worth its weight in silver.

At some point, Lydia and her household moved to Philippi, a principal city of Macedonia which is about ten miles north of the harbor city Neapolis (present day Kavalla). This was an excellent business move, as Philippi was a Roman colony whose populace spoke Latin and enjoyed all the privileges and rights of Roman citizens. Philippi was also on the Egnation Highway, a major east-west trade route that connected Rome and Asia. Another possible reason for her move to Philippi could be that Lydia converted to Judaism and would no longer worship in the manner of the Thyatirans. Whatever the reason, suffice it to say that Lydia was a successful business woman who probably spoke several languages and had a great love for the one, true God.

While on his second missionary journey (c. 50 A.D.), Paul (the Apostle to the Gentiles) with Luke (writer of the third Gospel), Silas, and Timothy were traveling through and establishing churches in what is currently western Turkey, they came to Troas, a coastal town on the Aegean Sea. There Paul had a vision in which he beheld a man in Macedonian garb, standing and asking him to “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” Taking this vision as direction from God, this band of four boarded a ship for Neapolis, where they disembarked and walked the ten miles to Philippi.

 It was Paul’s custom to find the local synagogue and preach to the Jews first. Apparently, Philippi did not have ten Jewish men to hold Sabbath Services and, therefore, had no synagogue either in the city or outside it. When Paul, Luke, Silas, and Timothy did not find a synagogue, they went outside the city and followed the Gangites River (now Angista River) until they came upon a group of women who were praying in the manner of the Jews. (It is the customary practice among the Jews to have living (flowing) water for washing their hands before praying.) Not expecting four men to attend their prayer service, Paul and the others probably greeted them with “The peace of God be with you” (a traditional Jewish greeting) and introduced themselves. Then they sat down and spoke to the women there, sharing the good news of Christ’s salvation and gift of eternal life. Their presence must have been an answer to the many prayers of these women.

It was there that Lydia listened to the words of Paul with great attentiveness, heard the Gospel of Christ, recognized the truthfulness thereof, and received Christ with her whole heart. She and her whole household were baptized in the Gangites River. Thus, Lydia attained the honored place of being the first Christian in Europe.

Although no mention is made of her husband, one may easily presume by her actions that she was widowed and head of her household. By humbly saying to Paul and those with him “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay”, Lydia compelled them to reside at her house while they preached the Gospel in the city. In this way Lydia could learn more about Jesus and His teachings and ask many questions. Her home became the first Christian Church in Europe and a place of Christian hospitality.

Not long afterwards, Paul and Silas were going to prayer when a damsel who was possessed with a spirit of divination met them and began following them saying, “These men are the servants of the most high God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” This she did for many days, until Paul could no longer stand it and in the name of Jesus Christ commanded the spirit to come out of her, which it did. Upon hearing that she could no longer foretell peoples’ fortunes, her masters saw their livelihood gone, seized Paul and Silas in the marketplace, stirred up the multitude therein, dragged them before the magistrates, and accused them of teaching customs unlawful to Romans (i.e., doing anything that might damage the state religion). The magistrates had them stripped, beaten with rods many times, and cast into the inner prison where their feet were fastened in stocks.

At midnight, while Paul and Silas were singing hymns, a great earthquake shook the prison and all the doors were open and their chains were loosened. Awaking from sleep and supposing that the prisoners had escaped, the keeper of the prison drew his sword and was about to kill himself, when Paul yelled, “Do yourself no harm for we are all here.” Trembling, the jailer fell down before Paul and Silas and asked, “What must I do to be saved?” To which they responded, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, you and your household.” The jailer took them home, tended to their wounds, and he and his family were baptized that same night.

In the morning, the magistrates sent word to release Paul and Silas; however, they would not leave, as they were Roman citizens and had been beaten openly. (Roman citizens were exempt from public beatings.) When the magistrates heard this, they fearfully came to lead them out of the prison and pleaded with them to depart from Philippi.

Surely, Lydia and those gathered in her house spent the night in prayer for the release of Paul and Silas. There must have been great joy when they saw them enter her house, but also great sadness on learning of their immediate departure.

Paul left Luke behind to preach the Gospel and establish the Church in Philippi and other towns round about. Through Paul and Luke, Lydia, the jailor, their households, and many others were taught the Gospel and, in turn taught others.

In addition to her many business connections, Lydia’s ardent faith, sincere prayer, humbleness of heart, willingness to serve (diaconia), generosity, and following God’s will for her life was instrumental in establishing the Christian Faith in Philippi. Only Christ knows what it cost Lydia to follow Him. Lydia did much to set the tone for the Church at Philippi whose members Paul called “my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown” (Philippians 4:1) and whom he thanked for their assistance.

Paul’s letter to the Church at Philippi, called Philippians, holds much spiritual advice for all of us. Being only four chapters long, it is well worth the time to read and take to heart what is said therein.

SOURCE : http://www.saintsmaryandmarthaorthodoxmonastery.org/newsletter_apr2008.html

Saint Lydia of Philippi

Commemorated on May 20

While Saint Paul was at Troas, he beheld a certain Macedonian in a dream (Acts 16:9), who entreated him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” He heeded this voice as if it were the voice of God, and he decided to journey to Macedonia without delay, accompanied by Saints Timothy, Silas, and Luke.

They disembarked at Neapolis and made their way to Philippi. On the outskirts of Philippi, on the banks of a river, there was a Jewish place of prayer. It was the Sabbath and, to the women who had gathered there, the Apostle of the Gentiles preached the Word of God in Europe for the first time.

The God-fearing women listened to the words of this unknown Jew carefully and with reverence. The one who was most enthusiastic was Saint Lydia, a proselyte and a seller of purple from Thyatira. As she listened, the Lord opened her heart to heed the words that were being spoken by Saint Paul. When she heard him talk about the Messiah, she accepted the truth of what he said and she believed in Christ.

Saint Lydia and her entire household were baptized in the waters of the river. Thus, she became the first woman of Macedonia to be enrolled as a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven. Her heart was filled with gratitude toward those who had opened the eyes of her soul, and so she asked them to accept the hospitality of her house. “If you have judged me to be a believer in the Lord, come to my house and remain there.” And she insisted that they should come (Acts 16:15).

The Orthodox Church honors Saint Lydia as an Equal of the Apostles, and at the holy place of her baptism on the banks of the Zygaktos River, a baptistery has been built, which is similar to the early Christian basilicas of Philippi.

Saint Lydia is commemorated on March 23 (Slavic usage) and on May 20 (Greek usage). She was glorified by the Church of Constantinople on May 23, 1972.

SOURCE : https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2021/05/20/205364-saint-lydia-of-philippi

Santa Lidia di Tiatira

20 maggio

sec. I

Vissuta nel primo secolo , non si ha la certezza se Lidia fosse il suo nome o indicasse piuttosto le sue origini. Nacque infatti a Tiatira, città della Lidia, regione dell'Asia minore. Abitò a Filippi, in Macedonia, e non si sa se fosse nubile o maritata. Commerciava la costosa porpora e aveva quindi una posizione sociale ed economica importante. Gli affari terreni non le avevano impedito di dedicarsi anche allo spirito. Apparteneva ai «timorati di Dio», quei pagani che si erano convertiti alla fede dei Giudei. Fino a quando incontrò Paolo di Tarso, nella sua prima missione in Europa. L'episodio è narrato negli Atti degli Apostoli: san Paolo giunse a Filippi con Timoteo, Sila e Luca. Fu allora che Lidia si convertì e sul suo esempio tutti i familiari chiesero di essere battezzati. Prima discepola di Paolo, Lidia ospitò a casa sua il santo e i suoi compagni per tutto il tempo della missione. In quei giorni di predicazione ci furono conversioni, e si formò una comunità di cristiani. Nella casa di Lidia nacque così la prima Chiesa fondata in Europa da Paolo di Tarso. (Avvenire)

Etimologia: Lidia = nativa della Lidia (regione dell'Asia Minore)

Martirologio Romano: Commemorazione di santa Lidia di Tiátira, che, commerciante di porpora, a Filippi in Macedonia, oggi in Grecia, ascoltando la predicazione di san Paolo Apostolo prima fra tutti credette al Vangelo.

Imprenditrice’: oggi andrebbe ai convegni, qualificandosi così. E’ un personaggio che negli Atti degli apostoli occupa un breve spazio (al capitolo 16), ma che vive da protagonista un momento dell’evangelizzazione. Siamo a Filippi di Macedonia, la prima tappa dell’apostolo Paolo in terra europea. Vi è giunto dall’Asia Minore (oggi Turchia) con Timoteo, Luca e Sila. Cerca la sinagoga per annunciare il Vangelo prima di tutto agli ebrei, come sempre. Ma questi sono pochi, nella cittadina già molto romanizzata; non hanno la sinagoga e al sabato pregano in riva a un fiumicello. Anche Paolo va al fiume, ma vi trova soltanto donne.

E alle donne si rivolge tranquillo, come racconta Luca negli Atti: "Sedutici, rivolgemmo la parola alle donne là riunite". Ed ecco venire in primo piano lei. Lei sola: "Una donna di nome Lidia". Non sappiamo se questo sia il nome suo, oppure se indichi la sua origine. Lei infatti proviene dalla città di Tiatira nella Lidia, che è una regione dell’Asia Minore. E ha una posizione speciale, quale proprietaria di un’azienda non certo da poco, perché ciò che lei commercia è la costosissima porpora. Roba da gente che se lo può permettere.

Paolo e i suoi amici finiscono di parlare, e solo Lidia si fa avanti a parlare, a fare domande. Lei non è ebrea di nascita. Viene dal paganesimo e poi l’ha attratta la fede di Israele; ora è una "credente in Dio" (così gli ebrei chiamano i nuovi proseliti). Ora è avvenuta in Lidia una trasformazione che gli Atti descrivono sobriamente così: "Il Signore le aprì il cuore per aderire alle parole di Paolo". Lidia si fa cristiana, insomma. Nella sostanza e nella forma, perché chiede e riceve il battesimo; insieme alla sua famiglia, nella quale è evidente che comanda lei. Poi invita Paolo, Timoteo, Luca e Sila a essere ospiti in casa sua. E ci dev’essere un po’ d’imbarazzo in loro: mah, abitare in casa di una donna... E allora la cristiana Lidia li batte in logica e in franchezza con un ragionamento inattaccabile: "Se avete giudicato che io sia fedele al Signore, venite ad abitare nella mia casa". Confessa Luca: "Ci costrinse ad accettare". Nei giorni seguenti, Paolo e Sila finiscono in prigione a causa di un’indovina e dei suoi sfruttatori, poi vengono liberati miracolosamente, e ricevono le scuse dell’autorità, perché Paolo è cittadino romano.

Prima di partire, i due tornano nella casa di Lidia. "E qui, incontrati i fratelli, li esortarono e poi partirono". Poche e illuminanti parole: in quei giorni di predicazione e di avventura ci sono state conversioni, si è formata una comunità di cristiani. E, prima di andarsene, l’apostolo Paolo la riunisce e l’ammaestra. Proprio lì, nella casa della lucida ed energica Lidia, ha preso dunque vita la prima Chiesa fondata in Europa da Paolo di Tarso.

Autore: Domenico Agasso

SOURCE : http://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/65200