Sainte Martina was celebrated on January 30. Born in Rome and comes from a famous family, Martina is the daughter of a consul famous for his faith and charity. After the death of his father, Martina sold all her possession and did works of charity and mercy for the poor.
Martine lived under the reign of Alexander, an emperor who persecuted the Christians. Surprised while praying in church, Martine was led before the emperor. She followed them obediently, but once in front of the emperor, she refused to make offerings to the statues. She was taken to the temple of Apollo, but at the entrance, she signed herself and prayed. An earthquake caused a section of the temple to collapse and the statues broke. Furious, the emperor had Martine hung on iron hooks, but she endured her torment patiently. Tired, the torturers saw a glow from the sky that covered them and they converted.
Brought back before the emperor, Martine always refused to present offerings to the statues. She was chained to four beams and beaten until her executioners were tired. Put back in the dungeon, her wounds were sprinkled with boiling water, but an angel came to comfort her. The next day, Martine was taken to the temple of Diana: the demons fled, lightning struck and the fire burned the temple and the priests who officiated there. Frightened, Alexander offered Martine to Justin, who lacerated her flesh with a metal comb until he thought Martine was dead. Seeing that she was still alive, Justin asked her to renounce her faith so that her martyrdom would end, but Martha replied, "I have only one Lord, Jesus Christ, who comforts me. I will not make an offering to the demons". Justin put her back in the dungeon.
The emperor ordered that they brought Martina to the arena to be torn to pieces by the circus animals, but the animals lay at her feet and the lion licked her wounds. He was taken back to the temple of Diana, but again and again, she refused to make an offering to the statues. Her flesh was lacerated again until the bones appeared. One of the executioners said to her, "Recognize the divinity of Diana and you will be set free," but Martha answered, "I am a Christian, I believe in Jesus Christ. She was thrown into the fire, but the wind rose and the fire spread to the executioners and the spectators. She was left for three days in the temple of Diana after her hair was cut, for it was believed that she was a magician and that her powers lay in her hair. During this time, Martine continued to praise God. Alexander had her beheaded and her body was left in the public square, but two eagles guarded her body until another Christian was allowed to give her a decent burial.
