By Bishop Gregorios of Mesaoria
Our Church commemorates today the Martyrs Demetrius, his wife Evanthia, and their son Demetrian and Venerable Theodora of Alexandria († 491), Saint Euphrosynus the Cook of Alexandria (9th century).
Venerable Theodora was from Alexandria. She was beautiful and devoted to her pious husband. However, she betrayed her husband and committed adultery.
When she realised the seriousness of her fall, she regretted it. She disguised herself as a man and resolved to go off to a men’s monastery so that her husband could not find her. Her new name was Theodore. After two years of repentance, she found a baby at the monastery door. Someone slandered her for committing adultery with the woman who gave birth to the baby. Venerable Theodora settled with the child not far from the monastery in a hut for seven years until slanderous accusation was proven to be false. The truth was revealed only when Theodora fell asleep in the Lord.
When her husband learnt of her death, she attended the funeral and received monastic tonsure at this same monastery where his wife had been after having given away his wealth to the poor.
SOURCE: Church of Cyprus
