Saint Susanna lived in the time of Emperor Maximian and was from Rome with a pagan father and Jewish mother. Turning to Christ, she received baptism from Bishop Silvan. After the death of her parents, she distributed all her wealth to the poor. She was freeing her servants and handmaids from the yoke of slavery. Dressing in men’s clothing and cutting her hair, she entered a monastery of monks named John.
St. Susanna bowed only at the age of 15 to gossip and asked to be given a canon for the sin she was accused of in her lifetime. He wanted to disgrace her. The blessed, finding herself in such need, asked two virgins and two deaconesses to come to her. And she told them her mystery. And also ordered her to be a prioress.
The biblical meaning of the name Susanna means lotus flower. Even though it is just a flower that grows worldwide, it has inspired many songs and poems about it, especially those who seem mystified by its beauty.
She worked many miracles in the name of Christ. When the hegemon Alexander came to Elephtheripolis and offered sacrifices to idols, the saint went there of her own accord and, by her prayer, brought the idols to the ground.
Who was Susanna in the Bible?
In the eighth year of the reign of the king of Persia, Varsken, son of Arshusha, set out for the royal court. He, too, had been a Christian before, of a Christian father and mother. And his wife was the daughter of Varda. They orchestrate the Armenians.
Saint Susanna the Queen is honored on 28 August and presented as a biblical character and martyr in the Bible. The Life of Saint Suzanika is the oldest preserved work of Georgian literature. Her confessor wrote it from information known to him directly. Therefore we will take her life from this work, quoting the critical moments and summarizing the rest.
She bore the name of Varden, or Roza, after her father, and the name of Shushanik, or Suzanika, living in fear of God from her childhood. But for the iniquity of her husband, she prayed unceasingly in her heart and asked everyone to pray to God to turn him from the ways of deceit and make him wise in Christ.
Biography of Saint Susanna
[table id=125 /]
Biblical places from the times of Susanna
- Ancient Carthage- Was Carthage located in Tunisia or Italy?
- Tunisia- Is Ancient Tunisia the nowadays one?
- Constantinople- Was Constantinople founded by Saint Constantine?
- Naissus- Is Naissus the Nis nowadays?
What is another story of Saint Susanna’s life?
We got to know the beautiful at Suzana listening to Mother Abbess Theophania, and it was easier for us. We understood from her veneration what a monastery means, after all, in times of unspeakable trials. And primarily what mission it fulfills in this hour of our present so hurried, dry, and hopeless.
Another version of the story of Saint Susanna is that she lived in the time of Emperor Maximian. She was a native of Palestine. Her father was a pagan, and her mother a Jew. But the saint fled from the unbelief of both; she ran to Christ and received baptism from Bishop Silvan. After the death of her parents, she divided all her wealth among the poor and freed her servants and handmaids from the yoke of slavery. She dressed in men’s clothing, cut her hair, and entered a monastery of monks, changing her name to John. A changeling had come to the monastery.
Thinking she was a man, he urged her to commit fornication. Suzana didn’t want to, so the shepherdess told her he had tried to defile her. When the bishop of Elephtheripolis heard of this, he went to the monastery and rebuked the abbot. Then he wanted to disfellowship her.
Key Verse related to Susanna
“Soon after, Jesus went about from city to city and village to village, preaching and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, and some women had been healed of evil spirits and diseases; Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven devils had come out, Joanna the wife of Cush, Herod’s overseer, Susanna, and many others who helped him with what they had”
At what age did Susanna, the woman with the name of a flower, die?
A study of Christian inscriptions attests that the name was among the most widespread biblical names among the early followers of the new religion in Eastern Europe.
Poor Susanna was martyred at the age of 15. Her name is often mentioned in the Bible but does not refer to her directly. The name Suzana is mentioned as a biblical character in the Old Testament; Susanna is the beautiful wife of Joachim who is accused of adultery, tried, and sentenced to death, but through Daniel’s intervention, Susanna’s innocence and the lies of her accusers are revealed. The story has gone down in history as Susanna and the Old Men and has inspired many artistic creations.
The name enters our onomastics through Slavic filiation and is attested in documents with Susanna, Susana but under French influence, the form of the term used today becomes Suzana.
Primary Takeaways
- She lived in the time of Emperor Maximian and was from Palestine with a pagan father and Jewish mother. Turning to Christ, she received baptism from Bishop Silvan.
- The saint, of her own free will, went to face the demons and, through her prayer, cast down the idols. She was subjected to various tortures and finally thrown into the fire, and gave her spirit to God, taking the crown of mutiny.
- She suffered Christian martyrdom at the tender age of 15 and was thus declared a saint.
Conclusion
We only know a few details about the life of Saint Susanna. But we do know that she was a virgin who chose martyrdom at the age of 15. Saint Susanna dressed in men’s clothes, cut her hair, and entered a monastery of monks, changing her name to John. And then she battled idols and hegemons.
If you enjoyed reading our article, play the following Quizlet to test your biblical knowledge about Susanna and the Saints of God. May God bless you!
Quizlet about Saint Susanna and the other Saints
[ays_quiz id=”65″]
Explanation of biblical words
[table id=116 /]
Bibliography
- Donovan, L. A. (1999). Women’s Saints Lives in Old English Prose. Boydell & Brewer Ltd. A
- McLaughlin, M. (2018). Consorting with Saints. Cornell University Press.
- dams, R. M. (1984). Saints. The Journal of Philosophy, 81(7), 392-401.
- Mernissi, F. (1977). Women, saints, and sanctuaries. Signs: journal of women in culture and society, 3(1), 101-112.
- Harris, T. (2016). Saints, Sinners, Saviors: Strong Black Women in African American literature. Springer.
