By Bishop Grigorios of Mesaoria
Our Church commemorates today Martyr Boniface of Tarsus and Righteous Aglaia, who lived in the 3rd century AD in Rome during the period of severe persecution.
Though she came from a noble Roman family, Saint Aglaia was distinguished for her justice and her benevolent feelings towards the humble. Boniface served Aglaia as her estate manager and was also an honest and philanthropist man. Once the two fell into human weaknesses and carnal sins, for which they repented and decided to devote themselves to God.
Boniface was martyred for Christ in Tarsus, Cilicia, while Aglaia, after distributing her wealth to the poor, spent the rest of her life in prayer and fasting.
The lives of these two saints are eloquent proof that salvation is possible through the sacrament of repentance and confession, which is rightly characterized as the second baptism of the Christian.
Source: Church of Cyprus