21st OCTOBER: ST ZAIRA, MARTYR
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1.St Zaira is mentioned today's catalogue of feast days as being martyred in Spain, during the occupation of the Moors and as remembered on October 21.
Very little else is handed down to us about this saint, #StZaira
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1.St Zaira is mentioned today's catalogue of feast days as being martyred in Spain, during the occupation of the Moors and as remembered on October 21.
Very little else is handed down to us about this saint, #StZaira
2. but making some reflections we can deduce some circumstances of her saintly life.
The name derives from the Arabic Zahirah and means "the rose" and often occurs in oriental literature, even in the form Zara.
In Spain, the occupation
The name derives from the Arabic Zahirah and means "the rose" and often occurs in oriental literature, even in the form Zara.
In Spain, the occupation
3. of the Muslim Moors, provoked a strong religious persecution against the pre-existing Christians and their institutions, with the aim of imposing the islamic religion.
During this ordeal, there were many Christian martyrs, who resisted the injunctions,
During this ordeal, there were many Christian martyrs, who resisted the injunctions,
4. defending the Christian faith, which thanks to them was never suppressed.
In that period of slavery of Christians, Arabs converted to Christianity, changing their Arabic name to a Christian name; for example St Bernard of Alzira who was called Hamed,
In that period of slavery of Christians, Arabs converted to Christianity, changing their Arabic name to a Christian name; for example St Bernard of Alzira who was called Hamed,
St Mary of Alzira who was called Zaida and St Grace of Alzira who was called Zoraide, converts who became martyrs at the hands of Muslims. Our St Zaira is likely also to have been known by another Christian name, which cannot be matched, because she was most probably a convert.
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