Zoe and Photina

The holy Venerables Zoe and Photina lived in Palestine in the fifth century. They are known from the Life of Venerable Martinian. The Orthodox Church commemorates them on 13 February by the old calendar (26 February by the new).

From the age of eighteen Martinian had settled in the desert near Caesarea of Palestine, and the fame of his ascetic life aroused admiration. Once a sinful woman named Zoe heard talk of Martinian's virtue and promised, on a wager, to tempt him. At night, dressed in poor, worn clothes, she came to his cell and asked to stay the night. The saint admitted her and left her in the outer part of the cell, while he withdrew inside. According to the account of Saint Demetrius of Rostov, Satan troubled him that night with carnal desire. At midnight the woman rose, took all her ornaments from her bag and put them on to lure the saint.

Venerable Martinian, in order not to fall into sin, lit a pile of brushwood in the middle of his cell and stepped into the fire. Coming out of the fire, because of severe burns he could not stand, and prayed lying down, asking forgiveness from God. Zoe, seeing this, repented of her sins, threw her ornaments into the fire and put on rags again. She fell at Martinian's feet. At the venerable man's direction, Zoe went to Bethlehem, where she settled in the monastery of Saint Paula.

As a nun, Zoe led a strict life: during all her repentance she tasted neither wine, nor oil, nor vegetables, but a little bread and water. She ate only once a day toward evening, and sometimes only every second day, and her bed was the bare ground. The Serbian source says that she struggled bravely as a recluse and enclosed one, and that after she had atoned for all her sins she received from God the gift of working miracles. Before her death, Zoe asked God to show her whether her repentance had been accepted. Then Paula showed her a woman with a disease of the eyes and asked her to pray for her healing. Through the prayer of the venerable Zoe, the woman recovered. Zoe reposed in Bethlehem, after twelve years of life in the monastery.

After seven months, Venerable Martinian was healed of his burns and, seeking solitude, moved from his desert cell to an uninhabited rocky island. One day during a storm a young Christian woman, Photina, was cast up on his island. In order not to fall into temptation, Martinian left her there, pointing out the stores of bread and water that a shipman brought him every two months, threw himself into the sea and was carried to the shore by dolphins.

Photina remained on the island, fed by the shipman, who began to bring food to her as he had to Martinian. After six years of life on the island she reposed, and was buried by the bishop of Caesarea of Palestine, to whom the shipman brought her body.