Thread by @DouayRheims1

SAINT IPHIGENIA - 21st SEPTEMBER

~thread~
1. [St Iphigenia was a first century Virgin converted to Christianity and afterwards consecrated to God by St Matthew the Evangelist, Apostle of Ethiopia.]

"The Ethiopian king [at the time of St Matthew's arrival]
#StIphigenia

2. was named Egippus. He sent for all the men in his provinces saying to them: Come and see ye God in the likeness of a man.

Upon this, the people came with crowns of gold and divers manner of sacrifices, and would have sacrificed to him.

3. St Matthew beheld them and said: What do ye men? I am not God, but I am servant of our Lord.

[Therefore, from the resources brought they instead built a church for the glory and honour of the Lord.] In which church the apostle sat three and thirty years,
#StMatthew

4. and converted all Ethiopia to the faith of Christ. The king Egippus, with his wife and his daughter, and all the people, were baptised.

And then the apostle hallowed to God Ephigenia the king’s daughter, and made her mistress and governess of more than two hundred virgins.

5. And after this, Hirtacus succeeded to the king, and coveted the said virgin Ephigenia, and the apostle said to him that after the custom of his predecessor he should come on the Sunday to the church.

And when the virgins and all the people were assembled, he spake that

6. marriage is good if it be truly held by good alliance.

But ye that be here, know ye well that if any servant would take the wife of a king wedded but for that he in so taking the spouse of his lord should corrupt the marriage joined.

And thou the king that knew that

7. Ephigenia is sacred with the holy veil, how mayst thou take the wife of a more puissant king and couple her to thee by marriage?

And when the king heard this he began to enrage and departed all wood and frantic.

And after the solemnities of the Mass,

8. the king sent a tormentor which slew Matthew with a sword behind him, which was standing by the altar holding up his hands into heaven, and so was consecrate a martyr.

[Following Hirtacus' death some time later] the people then established for to be king, the brother

9. of Ephigenia whom the apostle had baptised, and reigned seventy years, and increased much the honour of Christianity, and replenished all Ethiopia with noble churches of our Lord."
(Excerpts from The Golden Legend, by Blessed Jacobus de Voragine, compiled 1259 - 1266 A. D.)