The Life of Saint Christina, Martyr

The daughter of the governor of Tuscany

Urban was governor of a city in Tuscany, Italy. He had grown very rich by selling some captives as slaves and releasing others for huge ransoms. He was known for his violence and cruelty. He had an only daughter named Christina; he was overjoyed and built her a magnificent palace. Christina was her father’s whole life; she filled all his thoughts and his heart. He gave her every luxury, gardens around the palace and much more. He also gave her pagan nurses, for fear she would mix with Christians and learn about their religion. He placed statues of his gods all around the palace and brought in pagan priests to teach his daughter. For the pagans knew how attractive the Christian faith was, and how strongly Christians influenced others through their holy lives and living spiritual conduct.

Her longing to know the divine truth

Christina used to walk in the garden of her palace. Neither the palace with all its splendour nor the vast garden with its beautiful flowers and fruit held her attention. What set her simple heart on fire was her longing to know the divine truth. She would look up at the sky, the sun, the moon and the stars, and contemplate the plants, sensing the existence of a wise and powerful Creator. She was not convinced that idols, which cannot hear or see or feel, were the creator of this beautiful world; they were only the work of human hands.

A divine vision

Her whole heart was taken up with the God she did not yet know, and the hidden cries of her heart rose to heaven. God answered her sincere longing: an angel appeared to her in a dream and said, “I am sent by the King of kings and Lord of lords.” Christina woke up with an even greater longing to know the living God.

Drawn by the martyrs

One day Christina went with her father to his place of work; it was a day when some Christians were on trial. The governor was proud of torturing Christians and took great pleasure in it. Christina was amazed at her father’s bitter feelings toward people who were being tried for their religion without being accused of any crime or wrongdoing. The only charge was the name of “Jesus”, whom they had accepted as their Saviour. The conduct of the Christians, even at the moment of martyrdom, drew her soul.

Christina returned to the palace, not proud of what her father was doing, but wondering what secret allowed the Christians to bear torture and humiliation with such great joy. She spoke with some of the women who worked in the palace and who seemed devout, and they told her about God’s immense love, the saving work of Christ and the sweetness of the new life in Christ Jesus. Christina’s heart found rest; she was filled with a wonderful strength and set about smashing the stone statues.

Her witness before her father

Her father heard what Christina had done and came to demand an explanation. She told him about her vision and that she had accepted faith in Christ. Urban was stunned; he slapped her across the face with all his strength and threatened to kill her and cut her to pieces if she did not give up this idea. When Urban saw that threats only made Christina stronger and more attached to the Christian faith, he began to coax her with many lavish promises. But she cared for nothing except staying close to God and enjoying the new life.

The scourging

Urban had no pity on his only daughter, because he could not bear the name of Jesus crucified. He had her whipped until her body was torn and her blood flowed, and then had her thrown into prison to make an example of her to everyone in his province.

Her father’s death

Armed bands attacked the city, and the governor went to war with them and was killed. Christina wept for him, because he died without repentance and without faith in God, the Saviour of the world. She returned to her palace and, having received baptism, practised her faith openly. Then she sold all the property she had inherited from her father and gave the money to the poor. She became a preacher of the Christian faith through her practical love and her care for those in need.

Her sufferings

News spread of Christina’s baptism, her witness to the Christian faith and her care for the poor, and the new governor, Dion, summoned her. Dion promised to give back all the property she had sold and to shower her with gifts, but her love for the heavenly King outweighed every temptation. Faced with her firmness, the governor had her placed on an iron bed with a fire lit beneath it, but God protected her.

The governor accused her of being a sorceress and ordered her to bow down to the idols. She pretended to agree, and he was delighted. She walked up to one of the idols and kicked it with all her strength; it fell and was completely smashed. Dion could not believe his eyes, and his heart filled with rage. He went home bitter, not knowing what to do with this virgin. In his fury he suffered a heart attack and died that same night.

The next governor began his term by putting Christina on trial, thinking he could persuade her to abandon her faith, but he failed. He had her thrown into a room full of poisonous snakes. When the room was opened the next day, he expected to find her dead, but he found her standing in prayer with the snakes at her feet, as if they were happy to be near her. The governor was terrified and trembling, and accused her of witchcraft. Wanting to stop her from praying, he had her tongue cut out, but he could not deprive her heart of silent prayer.

Her martyrdom

On the governor’s orders, Christina was tied to a tree and shot with arrows until she received the crown of martyrdom. Her uncle, who had come to believe in Christ, took care of her pure body and buried it.

The Western Church celebrates Saint Christina on July 24.