Mar-20: Feast of St Photina - the Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob
Mar-20: Feast of St Photina - the Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob
You will probably recognise the story of Photina (name means 'the enlightened one') in the Gospel of St John 4:1-42, she is the Samaritan woman who Jesus meets and converts at the Well of Jacob in the Samaritan city of Sychar (also Sichar or Sichem)
Gospel of John 4:4–26
But he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon.
A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?" (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink', you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." The woman said to him, "Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?" Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life." The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water."
Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come back." The woman answered him, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, 'I have no husband'; for you have had five husbands, and the man you are now living with is not your husband. What you have said is true!" The woman said to him, "Sir, I see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshipped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem." Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ). "When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us." Jesus said to her, "I am he, the one who is speaking to you."
Reflections:
1. Although Jews and Samaritians shared the Pentateuch or five Holy Books of Moses (Torah) after the return of the Jews from exile in Babylon, the two communities grew apart viewing each other with suspicion and even contempt. Jesus pushes back against societal and religious restrictions by going to Samaria where he as an observant Jew was not supposed to go in order to encounter and bring the Word of God to those on the margins of society.
2. Furthermore to visit the well at noon indicated that Photina might had been considered an outcast within her own community and was not welcome to join the other women at the well at dawn or dusk - the cooler parts of the day. Her encounter with Jesus, freed her to see herself as God saw her and mot as someone ostracised by society. Everyone has within them “living water,” or the Spirit of God, and that there is absolutely nothing we can do, or will ever do, that can alter that reality. St. Photina is an example for every person who desires to discover within themselves this living water that flows freely and abundantly.
3. St Photina is highly regarded in the Orthodox Churches where her feast is celebrated on February 26th. Their tradition says at Pentecost she received baptism, along with her five sisters, Anatole, Photo, Photis, Paraskeve, Kyriake, and her two sons, Photeinos and Joseph. She then began a missionary career, traveling far and wide, preaching the good news of the Messiah’s coming, His death and resurrection. She is referred to as Photini or Fotini in Modern Greek, also Photinā in Doric Greek and some modern dialects. Diminutives of her name include Fotoula, Foteinoula, Fori, Fofi, Foto, Faye.
Reflections:
1. Although Jews and Samaritans shared the Pentateuch or five Holy Books of Moses (Torah) after the return of the Jews from exile in Babylon, the two communities grew apart viewing each other with suspicion and even contempt. Jesus pushes back against societal and religious restrictions by going to Samaria where he as an observant Jew was not supposed to go in order to encounter and bring the Word of God to those on the margins of society.
2. Furthermore, visiting the well at noon indicated that Photina might have been considered an outcast within her own community and was not welcome to join the other women at the well at dawn or dusk - the cooler parts of the day. Her encounter with Jesus, freed her to see herself as God saw her and not as someone ostracised by society. Everyone has within them “living water,” or the Spirit of God, and that there is absolutely nothing we can do, or will ever do, that can alter that reality. St. Photina is an example for every person who desires to discover within themselves this living water that flows freely and abundantly.
3. St Photina is highly regarded in the Orthodox Churches where her feast is celebrated on February 26th. Their tradition says at Pentecost she received baptism, along with her five sisters, Anatole, Photo, Photis, Paraskeve, Kyriake, and her two sons, Photeinos and Joseph. She then began a missionary career, traveling far and wide, preaching the good news of the Messiah’s coming, His death and resurrection. She is referred to as Photini or Fotini in Modern Greek, also Photinā in Doric Greek and some modern dialects. Diminutives of her name include Fotoula, Foteinoula, Fori, Fofi, Foto, Faye.
1. Although Jews and Samaritans shared the Pentateuch or five Holy Books of Moses (Torah) after the return of the Jews from exile in Babylon, the two communities grew apart viewing each other with suspicion and even contempt. Jesus pushes back against societal and religious restrictions by going to Samaria where he as an observant Jew was not supposed to go in order to encounter and bring the Word of God to those on the margins of society.
2. Furthermore, visiting the well at noon indicated that Photina might have been considered an outcast within her own community and was not welcome to join the other women at the well at dawn or dusk - the cooler parts of the day. Her encounter with Jesus, freed her to see herself as God saw her and not as someone ostracised by society. Everyone has within them “living water,” or the Spirit of God, and that there is absolutely nothing we can do, or will ever do, that can alter that reality. St. Photina is an example for every person who desires to discover within themselves this living water that flows freely and abundantly.
3. St Photina is highly regarded in the Orthodox Churches where her feast is celebrated on February 26th. Their tradition says at Pentecost she received baptism, along with her five sisters, Anatole, Photo, Photis, Paraskeve, Kyriake, and her two sons, Photeinos and Joseph. She then began a missionary career, traveling far and wide, preaching the good news of the Messiah’s coming, His death and resurrection. She is referred to as Photini or Fotini in Modern Greek, also Photinā in Doric Greek and some modern dialects. Diminutives of her name include Fotoula, Foteinoula, Fori, Fofi, Foto, Faye.
Traditions about St Photina
When Jesus disclosed the secret of her profligate life, she believed in Him at once as that Messiah which was to come, and began spreading the Gospel among the Samaritans, converting many.
According to one tradition, she and her son Josiah and her five sisters went to Carthage to preach and then to Rome. Her eldest son, Saint Victor, a soldier, had demonstrated his bravery in battle, and was therefore rewarded with a prominent station in the city of Attalia. Following a conversation with the city’s administrator, during which Victor was encouraged to renounce his faith and warn his mother and sisters not to preach the Gospel, the city administrator was struck dumb and blind for three days. Upon recovering his senses, and seeing Victor still with him, the administrator converted to Christianity, along with his servants.
According to the Orthodox tradition, when news of this miraculous conversion eventually reached Emperor Nero, an active persecutor of Christians, who ordered them brought to Rome for trial. The emperor then demanded to know whether they had all agreed to die for the Nazarene. Photina spoke for them. “Yes, for the love of Him we rejoice and in His name we’ll gladly die.” Hearing their defiant words, Nero ordered their hands beaten with iron rods for three hours. At the end of each hour another persecutor took up the beating. The saints, however, felt no pain. Nothing happened to their hands. Photina joyfully quoted words of a psalm by David: “God is my help. No matter what anyone does to me, I shall not be afraid.” Perplexed by the Christian’s endurance and confidence, Nero ordered the men thrown into jail. Photina and her five sisters were brought to the golden reception hall in the imperial palace. There, the six women were seated on golden thrones, In front of them stood a large golden table covered with gold coins, jewels and dresses. Nero hoped to tempt the women by this display of wealth and luxury. Nero then ordered his daughter Domnina, with her slave girls, to go speak with the Christian women. Women, he thought, would succeed in persuading their Christian sisters to deny their God. Domnina greeted Photina graciously, mentioning the name of Christ. On hearing the princess’ greeting, the saint thanked God. Photina catechized Domnina and her hundred slave girls and baptized them all. She gave the name Anthousa to Nero’s daughter. After her baptism, Anthousa immediately ordered all the gold and jewels on the golden table distributed to the poor of Rome. When the emperor heard that his own daughter had been converted to Christianity, he condemned Photina and all her companions to death by fire. For seven days the furnace burned, But when the door of the furnace was opened, it was seen that the fire had not harmed the saints. Next the emperor tried to destroy the saints with poison, Photina offered to be the first to drink it. “O King,” she said, “I will drink the poison first so that you might see the power of my Christ and God.” All the saints then drank the poison after her. None suffered any ill effects from it. The enraged emperor had the heads of the sons and sisters cut off. Photina was held in prison for a few more weeks before being thrown into a well, where she joyously gave her soul to the Lord.
When Jesus disclosed the secret of her profligate life, she believed in Him at once as that Messiah which was to come, and began spreading the Gospel among the Samaritans, converting many.
According to one tradition, she and her son Josiah and her five sisters went to Carthage to preach and then to Rome. Her eldest son, Saint Victor, a soldier, had demonstrated his bravery in battle, and was therefore rewarded with a prominent station in the city of Attalia. Following a conversation with the city’s administrator, during which Victor was encouraged to renounce his faith and warn his mother and sisters not to preach the Gospel, the city administrator was struck dumb and blind for three days. Upon recovering his senses, and seeing Victor still with him, the administrator converted to Christianity, along with his servants.
According to the Orthodox tradition, when news of this miraculous conversion eventually reached Emperor Nero, an active persecutor of Christians, who ordered them brought to Rome for trial. The emperor then demanded to know whether they had all agreed to die for the Nazarene. Photina spoke for them. “Yes, for the love of Him we rejoice and in His name we’ll gladly die.” Hearing their defiant words, Nero ordered their hands beaten with iron rods for three hours. At the end of each hour another persecutor took up the beating. The saints, however, felt no pain. Nothing happened to their hands. Photina joyfully quoted words of a psalm by David: “God is my help. No matter what anyone does to me, I shall not be afraid.” Perplexed by the Christian’s endurance and confidence, Nero ordered the men thrown into jail. Photina and her five sisters were brought to the golden reception hall in the imperial palace. There, the six women were seated on golden thrones, In front of them stood a large golden table covered with gold coins, jewels and dresses. Nero hoped to tempt the women by this display of wealth and luxury. Nero then ordered his daughter Domnina, with her slave girls, to go speak with the Christian women. Women, he thought, would succeed in persuading their Christian sisters to deny their God. Domnina greeted Photina graciously, mentioning the name of Christ. On hearing the princess’ greeting, the saint thanked God. Photina catechized Domnina and her hundred slave girls and baptized them all. She gave the name Anthousa to Nero’s daughter. After her baptism, Anthousa immediately ordered all the gold and jewels on the golden table distributed to the poor of Rome. When the emperor heard that his own daughter had been converted to Christianity, he condemned Photina and all her companions to death by fire. For seven days the furnace burned, But when the door of the furnace was opened, it was seen that the fire had not harmed the saints. Next the emperor tried to destroy the saints with poison, Photina offered to be the first to drink it. “O King,” she said, “I will drink the poison first so that you might see the power of my Christ and God.” All the saints then drank the poison after her. None suffered any ill effects from it. The enraged emperor had the heads of the sons and sisters cut off. Photina was held in prison for a few more weeks before being thrown into a well, where she joyously gave her soul to the Lord.
References:
1] “St Photina - Saints and Angels.” Catholic Online, Catholic Online, www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=5450. Accessed 21 Mar. 2022.
2] Topping, Eva Catafygiotu. “ST PHOTINI, THE SAMARITAN WOMAN – PATRON SAINT OF OCL.” Orthodox Christian Laity, ocl.org/orthodox-christian-laity/st-photini-patron-saint-of-ocl. Accessed 21 Mar. 2022.
3] “Who Is St. Photina?” St. Photina Spiritual Care and Direction, LLC, Photina Spiritual Care, photinaspiritualcare.com/who-is-st-photina%3F. Accessed 21 Mar. 2022.
2] Topping, Eva Catafygiotu. “ST PHOTINI, THE SAMARITAN WOMAN – PATRON SAINT OF OCL.” Orthodox Christian Laity, ocl.org/orthodox-christian-laity/st-photini-patron-saint-of-ocl. Accessed 21 Mar. 2022.
3] “Who Is St. Photina?” St. Photina Spiritual Care and Direction, LLC, Photina Spiritual Care, photinaspiritualcare.com/who-is-st-photina%3F. Accessed 21 Mar. 2022.
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