Once upon a time, there lived in Rome a woman named Aglaida. Her father, Acacius, had once been the mayor of the city. Young and beautiful, possessing rich estates inherited from her parents, and enjoying a free life without a lawful husband, she, overcome by the passions of her frail flesh, spent her days in adultery and sin. She had a faithful slave, young and handsome, who was the steward of her house and estates. His name was Boniface, and Aglaida lived with him in a criminal relationship, satisfying her carnal desires. And there is no shame in speaking of this, for the discussion will further focus on the blessed and wondrous transformation of their lives. For when the saints are praised, their former sins are not ignored, to show that not all were blessed and righteous from their youth, but, like others, had corrupt bodies. Yet, through true repentance, a positive change in themselves, and great virtues, they became renowned for their holiness. This is recounted in the Lives of the Saints so that we sinners would not despair, but would hasten to a swift correction, knowing that with God's help, even after sinning, it is possible to be holy, if only we ourselves desire it and strive for it. Indeed, it is a beautiful, heart-warming story in which we hear how a sinner, seemingly without hope of salvation, becomes, beyond all expectation, a saint and, indeed, a martyr for Christ, like Saint Boniface, who during his life of lust served sin, but later became a confessor, a valiant ascetic, and a glorious sufferer for Christ. During his dissolute life, Boniface was a slave to sin, yet he possessed certain praiseworthy virtues: he was merciful to the poor, loving to strangers, and sympathetic to all who were in misfortune; he gave generous alms to some, lovingly provided comfort to others, and compassionately helped others. Having a firm desire to reform, Boniface often prayed to God to deliver him from the devil's wiles and help him become master of his desires and passions. And the Lord did not disdain His servant and did not allow him to sink further into sinful impurity, but deigned to arrange it so that his impure deeds were washed away by the shedding of his blood, and through this very thing his soul became like a royal purple robe and was crowned with a martyr's crown. This was accomplished in the following manner.
At that time, there was a severe persecution of Christians; a profound idolatrous darkness covered the entire East, and many believers were tortured and killed for Christ. Aglaida, Boniface's mistress, had a saving thought and a strong, irresistible desire to have the martyr's relics in her home. Having no one among her servants more faithful and obedient than Boniface, she called him, revealed her desire, and said privately:
"You yourself know, brother in Christ, how many sins we are defiled by, completely unconcerned about the future life and salvation. How then will we stand before the Dread Judgment of God, where we must be condemned to grievous torments according to our deeds? But I heard from a certain pious man that if anyone has the relics of Christ's martyrs and venerates them, he receives help for salvation, and sin does not increase in his home, so that such a person can even attain that eternal bliss which the holy martyrs were granted. Now, they say, many perform ascetic deeds for Christ, and, giving up their bodies to torture, receive martyr's crowns. Serve me: now is the time to show you whether you truly have love for me." Go quickly to those countries where persecution of Christians has been raised, and try to bring me the relics of one of the holy martyrs, so that I can place them with honor and build a temple to that martyr and always have him as my guardian, protector and constant intercessor before God.
After listening to Aglaida, Boniface joyfully agreed to her proposal and expressed his full readiness to set out. His mistress gave him much gold, for it was impossible to take the martyrs' bodies without gifts and gold: the impious torturers, seeing the Christians' intense love and zeal for the relics, did not give them away for nothing, but sold them at a high price, thus acquiring great profits for themselves. Boniface took much gold from his mistress, partly to ransom the martyrs' relics and partly to distribute alms to the poor. He also prepared a large quantity of various perfumes, linen, and everything else needed to wrap the venerable martyrs' bodies. Taking with him many more slaves, assistants, and horses, he prepared for the journey. Leaving the house, he laughingly said to his mistress:
“And what will happen, madam, if I do not find any body of a martyr, and my body, tortured for Christ, is brought to you—will you then accept it with honor?”
Aglaida, laughing, called him a drunkard and a sinner and, reproaching him, said:
"Now, my brother, is not a time for mockery, but for reverence. You must carefully guard yourself against all outrage and mockery during your journey: holy work must be performed honorably and with decorum, and on this journey you must remain humble and abstinent. Remember that you are about to serve holy relics, which we are unworthy not only to touch but even to gaze upon. Go in peace, and may God, who took the form of a servant and shed His blood for us, forgive our sins and send you His angel to guide you on a good and prosperous path."
Boniface took his mistress's command to heart and set out, pondering what he would have to touch with his defiled, sinful hands. Boniface began to grieve over his past sins and resolved to fast: not to eat meat, not to drink wine, but to pray fervently and frequently, so as to come to the fear of God. Fear is the father of attention, and attention is the mother of inner peace, from which springs the beginning and root of repentance. Thus, Boniface planted the root of repentance within himself, beginning with the fear of God, self-attention, and unceasing prayer. He acquired the desire for a perfect life.
When Boniface reached Asia Minor and entered the famous Cilician city of Tarsus in 8531 , a brutal persecution of Christians had been unleashed there under Emperor Diocletian and his co-emperor Maximian, and believers were being subjected to severe torture. Leaving his slaves at the inn, he ordered them to rest, but without resting, he immediately went to witness the sufferings of the martyrs he had heard about earlier. Arriving at the scene of torture, Boniface saw a multitude of people gathered to witness the torment inflicted on Christians. They were all accused of only one crime: Christian faith and a pious life, but the torments they suffered were unequal and uneven: one hung upside down with a fire lit on the ground beneath him, another was tied crosswise to four posts, another lay sawn in half, another was shaved with sharp instruments by the tormentors, another had his eyes gouged out, another had his limbs cut off, another was put on a stake and, having been raised from the ground, the stake was driven into the ground so that it went up to his neck, another had his bones broken, another had his arms and legs cut off and was rolling on the ground like a ball, but spiritual joy was visible on all their faces, because, enduring torments unbearable for a person, they were strengthened by the grace of God. Blessed Boniface watched all this with attention, now marveling at the courageous patience of the martyrs, now desiring the same crown for himself, then, filled with divine zeal and standing in the middle of that place, he began to embrace all those who had revealed themselves to be martyrs, of whom there were already about twenty, and, in the hearing of all, he loudly exclaimed:
"Great is the Christian God! He is great, for He helps His servants and strengthens them in such great torment!"
Having said this, he again began to kiss the martyrs and lovingly kiss their feet. He embraced the remaining parts of the bodies of those who lacked legs, pressing them to his chest, calling them blessed, because, having courageously endured brief torments, they would immediately receive eternal peace, consolation, and endless joy. Boniface prayed for himself, that he too might be a companion to the martyrs in such a struggle and a partaker of the crown they receive from the Author of the struggle—Christ. All the people turned their gaze upon him, especially the judge who had tortured the holy sufferers. Seeing before him in Boniface a stranger and a stranger, he asked: "Who is he and where is he from?" Immediately ordering him to be seized and brought before him, he asked:
- Who are you?
“A Christian!” the saint answered.
But the judge wanted to know his name and origin. In response, the saint said:
“My first and most beloved name is Christian, I came here from Rome, and if you want to know the name that was given to me by my parents, then my name is Boniface.
"So, Boniface," said the judge, "approach our gods before I rend your flesh and bones, and offer them a sacrifice. Then you will be granted many blessings, you will appease the gods, you will be freed from the torment that threatens you, and you will receive many gifts from us."
In response to this, Boniface said:
“I shouldn’t even answer your words, but I will say again what I have already repeated many times: I am a Christian, and this is all you will hear from me, and if you do not want to hear this, then do with me what you please!”
When Boniface uttered these words, the judge immediately ordered him stripped, hung upside down, and severely beaten. The saint was beaten so severely that whole chunks of flesh fell from his body, exposing his bones. He, seemingly unaffected by the suffering and unconcerned by the wounds he received, fixed his gaze solely on the holy martyrs, seeing their suffering as an example for himself and comforted by the fact that he had been deemed worthy to suffer with them for Christ. Then the torturer ordered the torment to be eased somewhat and, attempting to persuade him again with words, said:
- Boniface, let this beginning of torment serve as an indication to you of what is best for you to choose: you have experienced unbearable suffering, come to your senses, you wretched one, and make a sacrifice, otherwise you will immediately be subjected to even greater and more severe suffering.
The saint objected:
"Why do you command me to do such an obscene thing, O madman? I cannot bear to hear of your gods, and yet you command me to sacrifice to them!"
Then the judge, in great anger, ordered sharp needles to be thrust under his fingernails and toenails, but the saint, raising his eyes and mind to heaven, silently endured. Then the judge devised a new torment: he ordered tin to be melted and poured into the saint's mouth. As the tin melted, the saint, raising his hands to heaven, prayed:
"Lord my God, Jesus Christ, who strengthened me in the torments I have endured, remain with me now, easing my suffering. You are my only consolation: grant me a clear sign that You are helping me overcome Satan and this unjust judge: for Your sake, as You Yourself know, I suffer."
Having finished this prayer, Boniface turned to the holy martyrs, asking that they, through their prayers, help him endure this terrible torment. The torturers approached him, forced his mouth open with iron instruments, and poured lead down his throat, but did not harm the saint. Those present at the torment, seeing such cruelty, shuddered and began to exclaim:
– Great is the Christian God! Great is the King – Christ! We all believe in You, Lord!
Thus shouting, everyone turned to the nearby idol temple, wishing to destroy it. They loudly raged at the judge, throwing stones at him to kill him. The judge, rising from the judgment seat, fled to his home in shame, and ordered Boniface to be kept under guard.
In the morning, when the unrest had died down and the popular uprising had subsided, the judge again appeared in the judgment seat and, summoning Boniface, blasphemed the name of Christ and mocked the manner in which He had been crucified. The saint, unable to tolerate blasphemy against his Lord, himself uttered many words that offended the judge, in turn revilement of the soulless gods and denouncing the blindness and madness of those who worshiped them. This further enraged the judge, who immediately ordered a cauldron of tar to be heated and the holy martyr to be thrown into it. But the Lord did not abandon His servant: suddenly an angel descended from heaven and sprinkled the martyr in the cauldron. When the tar poured out, a powerful flame formed around him, consuming many of the impious pagans standing nearby. The saint emerged healthy, unharmed by the tar or fire. Then the torturer, seeing Christ's power, feared lest he himself suffer, and ordered Boniface to be beheaded with the sword. The soldiers seized the martyr and led him away to be beheaded. The saint, having requested some time for prayer, turned to the east and prayed:
"Lord, Lord God! Grant me Your mercies and be my helper, so that the enemy, for my foolishly committed sins, will not bar the way to heaven. Instead, receive my soul in peace and number me with the holy martyrs who shed their blood for You and preserved the faith to the end. And the flock acquired by Your precious Blood, Your people, O Christ, who are close to me, deliver from all impiety and pagan error, for You are blessed and abide forever!"
Having prayed thus, Boniface bowed his head beneath the sword and was beheaded, blood and milk flowing from the wound. The infidels, seeing this miracle, immediately converted to Christ—around 550 in number—and, abandoning their vile idols, joined the faithful. Such was the end of Saint Boniface, who, setting out from home, laughingly predicted to his mistress what he actually proved and accomplished in 8532 .
Meanwhile, Boniface's friends and Aglaida's slaves, who had come with him to find the relics, were sitting at the inn, unaware of what had happened, waiting for Boniface. Seeing that he had not returned by evening, they were astonished. Not seeing him all night, nor even the next morning, they began to judge and speak ill of him (as they themselves later recounted), assuming he had gotten drunk somewhere and was spending his time with prostitutes:
“Look,” they said, laughing, “how our Boniface came to look for the holy relics!”
But since he didn't return the next night or the third day, they became perplexed and searched for him, wandering throughout the city, inquiring about him. By chance, or rather, by God's providence, they encountered a man who was a brother of the commentary 8533. They asked him if he had seen a stranger who had come there. He replied that the day before, a certain foreign man, having suffered for Christ at the place of martyrdom, had been condemned to death and beheaded with the sword.
"I don't know," he said, "if this is the one you're looking for? Tell me, what does he look like?"
They described Boniface's appearance: that he was short in stature, had red hair, and also related other features of his face. Then the man said to them:
- This is probably the one you are looking for!
But they did not believe, saying:
- You don’t know the person we are looking for.
And, talking among themselves, they recalled Boniface’s former character, scolded him and said:
– Will a drunkard and a debauchee suffer for Christ?!
But the commentator's brother insisted on his own.
"Judging by his appearance, just as you describe, the man was indeed tortured in court yesterday and the day before," he said. "But what's stopping you? Go and see for yourself his body lying where he was beheaded."
They followed the man and came to the place of torture, where a military guard was stationed to prevent the martyrs' bodies from being stolen by Christians. The man walking ahead pointed to the beheaded martyr lying there and said:
- Isn't this the one you're looking for?
When they saw the body of the martyr, they immediately began to recognize their friend, and when they placed his head, which was lying separately, on the body, they were completely convinced that this was Boniface, and they were very surprised, and at the same time began to feel shame, because they thought and spoke ill of him, and they were afraid that punishment would befall them for condemning the saint and laughing at his life, not knowing his heart's thoughts and good intentions.
When they looked at the face of the saint and were in great amazement, they suddenly saw that Boniface began to open his eyes little by little, and was looking at them mercifully, as if at his friends, his lips were smiling, his face was shining, as if showing that he was forgiving them all their sins against him.
They were horrified and rejoiced at the same time, and, shedding warm tears, they cried over him, saying:
- Servant of Christ, forget our sins, that we unjustly condemned your life and recklessly mocked you!
Then they gave the impious 500 gold coins and took the body and head of Saint Boniface, anointed them with fragrant ointments, wrapped them in clean shrouds, and, placing them in a reliquary, set off for their home, carrying the martyr's body to their mistress. As they approached Rome, an angel of God appeared to Aglaida in a dream and said:
- Prepare to receive the one who was once your servant, but has now become our brother and fellow servant, receive the one who was your slave, but will now be your master, and reverently honor him, because he is the guardian of your soul and the protector of your life.
She awoke in horror, and immediately took several venerable church clergymen and went out to meet the holy martyr Boniface, whom she had previously sent on his journey as a slave, but upon his return, reverently and tearfully welcomed into her home as her master. She recalled the prophecy the saint had uttered before departing, and she gave thanks to God, who had arranged it so that Saint Boniface would become a sacrifice pleasing to God for his and her sins. On her estate, 50 stadia from Rome , Aglaida built a wondrous church dedicated to the holy martyr Boniface, and enshrined his holy relics there. After many miracles had begun to occur through the martyr's prayers, numerous healings had flowed from the sick, demons had been cast out, and many praying at the saint's tomb had their petitions fulfilled.
Afterwards, blessed Aglaida herself, having divided all her property among the poor and needy, renounced the world, and, having lived another 18 years in great repentance, died peacefully and joined the holy martyr Boniface, being placed next to his tomb 8535 .
Thus this pair of saints, having miraculously changed their former lives, received a good end: one, having washed away his sins with blood, was deemed worthy of a martyr's crown, while the other, through tears and austere life, cleansed herself from carnal filth; and both appeared justified and blameless before the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever. Amen.