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| St. Platonida of Nisibis (Feast Day - April 6) |
Verses
Platonida bore the breadth of the heavens,
Her virtues shining over the breadth of the earth.
Her virtues shining over the breadth of the earth.
Saint Platonida (or Platonis) was at first a deaconess, but afterwards withdrew into the Nisibis desert of Syria, where she founded and organized a women’s monastery.
The Rule of her monastery was distinguished for its strictness. The sisters partook of food only once a day. When they were not praying, they spent their time in monastic labors and various obediences.
On Fridays, the day commemorating the sufferings of Christ the Savior on the Cross, all work stopped, and the nuns were in church from morning until evening, where between services they read from Holy Scripture and from commentaries on it.
Saint Platonida was for all the sisters a living example of strict monastic asceticism, meekness, and love for neighbor. Having reached a great old age, Saint Platonida died peacefully in the year 308.
