Baring-Gould’s sources: Modem Roman Martyrology. By the Greeks on Feb. 2 J, and Athanasia separately on July 22. Authority: — the Greek Acts.] There lived at Antioch, in Syria, a silversmith, named Andronicus, and his wife Athanasia, fearing God and showing love to their neighbours. All the gains of his trade Andronicus divided into three portions, whereof he spent one on the poor, and one they lent to those driven by necessity to borrow, yet without exacting interest, and the third portion he spent on himself and family. These good people had two children, a boy and a girl, whom they loved as the apples of their eyes. Now when Andronicus and Athanasia had been married for twelve years, by the will of God their two children died in one day. The father stilled his grief and worked more patiently and silently at his craft than before. But Athanasia was heart-broken and spent her time by the tomb that contained her little ones, in the church of S. Julian. And she stayed there clinging to the tomb and sobbing, “ Let me die with my children and be laid at their side.” But in the night, when all was still, and the lamps burned dimly in the chinch, there stood an abbot before the weeping woman, and said to her: “Woman, what aileth thee? why sufferest thou not the dead to sleep in peace?” Then she answered: “My Lord, be not angry with thy handmaiden, because I am overwhelmed with grief. I had two little children, and I lost them both in one day, and they lie here.”

Then said he, “ Weep not for them; for I say unto you, that as human nature craves and cries out for food, and languishes if it find it not, so do thy children crave and cry oct. 9.] S-S. A ndronicMs and A thanasia. out where they are to Christ, for the blessedness of future things, saying, Just Judge, give us celestial comforts in the room of those earthly joys of which we were deprived.” Now when Athanasia heard this, all her sorrow was turned into joy, and she looked to speak to the abbot, but could not find him. Then she went to the keeper of the gate and said: “ Which way went the abbot who was in the church ?" But he answered, “ There has been no abbot here.” Then she knew that the Blessed Julian, the martyr, had appeared to her under the garb of a monk. And she went forth, and came to her husband and told him all, and besought him that he and she might together renounce the world and retire into a monastery, where they might prepare to meet their little ones.

He consented, for his heart was very heavy, and all his hopes and ambition in this world were at an end when the earth closed over the white faces of his children. Then they made presents to their servants, and gave over the rest of their substance to the heir-at-law, and taking with them only a little sum they left the house. But when they had got into the street, Athanasia turned round and looked up at the old house in which she had spent so many happy years, at the window where she had sat nursing her pretty children, and sobbed and said: “ O Lord God, who saidst to Abraham and Sarah, Go forth from your land and from your kindred, to a land that I will show you, guide us, I pray Thee, in the way of Thy fear. So we leave our house door open out of love for Thee; do thou unclose to us the door of Thy kingdom.”

Then both wept and went on their way. And when they had come to Jerusalem they venerated the sacred places, and they sought the Abbot Daniel in the solitudes of Scete in Egypt, 1 and asked his advice. He bade 1 Daniel, abbot in Scete, is mentioned in the “Acts of S. Arseni us ” as living after Andronicus go to the monastery of Tabenna, and then he placed Athanasia in a laura of Scete that she might live in a cell by herself, and only assemble with the monks for the Eucharist on the Lord’s Day. And as she was now past the middle life, he bade her cut her hair and assume the habit of a hermit Thus passed twelve years. And then a great longing arose in the heart of Andronicus to visit the Holy Places once more. So he asked permission of his abbot, and it was accorded him. He was now a very aged man, bent, and he walked leaning on a staff, and had a long white beard.

Now, after several days, he arrived towards noon at a tree in the desert, and he would have rested there, when he saw another old man with grey hair and face scorched with the sun, leaning against the trunk, exhausted with the heat and with much walking. Then he saluted him and sat down, and the two old men fell a talking together. But it must be told that this second old hermit was Athanasia, who was also on a journey to the Holy Land. And when she saw her husband, her heart trembled, but she would not disclose who she was. Andronicus, however, knew her not, for her beauty had been burnt out by the sun and worn away with fasting.

So Andronicus said: “What is thy name, brother?” And she answered: “I am called Athanasius.” Andronicus said: “ Whither art thou journeying, my brother.”

She replied, “ I go to visit the Holy Places.” Then he said: “ My heart yearns for thy society; let us journey together.”

So it fell out, by the Lord’s Providence, that the old man and his wife made their last journey together. And they a. d. 444. He also conveyed to Scete the body of S. Thomais. He is mentioned by Cass ia n in his 4th Colloquy. Cassian had met and spoken with him. came together to Jerusalem, and they prayed together, and fasted together, and visited together the sepulchre of the Lord, and together received the Holy Eucharist Then said Andronicus, “ We will return to Egypt, and if it please thee, we will return together.” And Athanasia said: “I am well pleased that it should be so.”

And when they came to the tree where they had met, then Andronicus pointed with his staff, and said, “ Thither lies my way.” And she pointed in another direction, and said, “But my way lies yonder.” And both were exceeding sorrowful.

Then said Andronicus, “ Brother Athanasius, we are both old, and ought not to dwell alone. Thy company has been to me passing pleasant, and now I cannot bear to part with thee. Come and share with me my cell, and should I die first, thou shalt close my eyes; but if thou diest first, then I will lay mine hand on thine.”

And Athanasia turned her face away and wept a little, and then said: u I will come with thee, my brother.” So the old people were reunited; but Andronicus wist not that his companion was his wife, only a great tenderness and love for his associate was manifest in him. And thus passed several years.

Now there was an old hermit whom Andronicus knew, who visited his cell at intervals, and conversed on heavenly things with him and Athanasius his companion.

One day, after this old hermit had left, Andronicus came running after him, with tears on his cheeks, and crying, “ The Abbot Athanasius is migrating to the Lord ! ” So the hermit returned, and found Athanasius lying ill with fever; and the sick monk wept. Then said the hermit, “ What ! dost thou weep, when thou shouldest rejoice that thou art on thy way to meet the Lord ? ” But she said, “ I am weeping for my friend Andronicus, for I know that he will miss my society. And now, I pray thee, when I am dead, thrust thy hand under my head, and thou wilt find a scrap of writing, and do thou give it to Andronicus.” Then they wept around the dying monk, and the Holy Eucharist was brought, and Athanasia received the Lord’s Body and Blood, and sighed, and fell asleep in the Lord.

Now when the monks came to place the dead on a bier for the funeral, a slip of parchment was found under the head, and it was given to Andronicus. And when he had read it, he lifted up his voice and wept aloud, and threw himself on the corpse, and said, “ This is my wife Athanasia ! ”

So it was known through all the desert cells that the old Abbot Athanasius was in truth a woman. Then from every monastery and cell came forth monks and anchorites, even from the remotest rocks far away in the wildest wastes, and they came in their white vestments, after the manner of Scete, 1 waving branches of palms and green boughs; and they bore the body of Athanasia to its last resting-place, praising God with joy that He had magnified His name in a feeble woman.

And the old hermit remained in the cell of Andronicus, “ that he might celebrate the seventh day of the Blessed Athanasia,” and after that he sought to bring the Abbot Andronicus away, to be with him. But Andronicus would not leave that spot, for he said he would tarry there till the Lord bade him rejoin his wife. Then the hermit sadly said farewell, and took his departure. But he had not gone a day’s journey, when there came one running after him, who said, “ Return, for the Abbot Andronicus is ill with fever.” So he went back, and sent a message to Scete, saying, “ Come quickly, for the 1 So in the original Acts.

oct. 90 SS. Androrticus and Athanasia. 203 Abbot Andronicus is following Athanasia.” And they hasted and came, and found him breathing; and when they had prayed he fell asleep in the Lord, and he was laid beside his wife and companion in religion, Athanasia.