Photina of Palestine

Holy Venerable Photina of Palestine, called also Photinia or Svetlana, is remembered together with Venerable Martinian and Venerable Zoe, on 26 February.

Martinian settled in the desert at eighteen, near Caesarea of Palestine, where he spent twenty-⁠five years in struggle and stillness, counted worthy of the gift of healing diseases. But the enemy did not leave the hermit in peace and brought upon him various temptations. Once a sinful woman made a wager with some dissolute men that she would tempt Saint Martinian, the fame of whose virtuous life had spread through the city. She came to him at night, in the guise of a stranger asking for shelter. The saint took her in, because the weather was bad. But the cunning guest put on costly clothes and began to tempt the ascetic. Then the saint went out of his cell, lit a fire and stood barefoot on the burning coals, saying to himself: It is hard for you, Martinian, to bear this passing fire, how will you bear the eternal fire prepared for you by the devil? The woman, astonished at the sight, repented and begged him to guide her on the way of salvation. At his direction she went to Bethlehem, to the monastery of Saint Paula, where she lived in strict struggles twelve years until her blessed repose. The woman's name was Zoe.

Healed of his burns, Saint Martinian withdrew to an uninhabited rocky island and lived several years under the open sky, feeding on the food that a shipman brought him from time to time, for whom the venerable one wove baskets. Once, in a great storm, a ship was wrecked and the waves brought to the island where Martinian was seeking salvation, on pieces of the ship, a maiden named Photinia. The saint helped her onto the island and told her to stay, leaving her bread and water, for in two months the shipman would come. He himself threw himself into the sea and swam. Two dolphins carried him to dry land. From then on the blessed Martinian led the life of a wanderer for two years. Once, having come to Athens, he fell ill and, feeling that the end was near, entered a church, lay down on the floor, called the bishop and asked him to bury his body. This happened around the year 422.

The blessed maiden Photinia remained to live on the island, where she spent six years in solitude, and then gave her soul to God. Her end was learned by the same shipman, who brought her food as he had brought it to Venerable Martinian. He carried the body of the blessed Photinia to Caesarea of Palestine, where it was buried with honour by the bishop and clergy. The commemoration of Venerable Zoe and Photinia is on the same day.