- Theodora has it all: beauty, piety, noble title, rich husband
- A devil is jealous, entices man to pursue her
- Man pursues her relentlessly, but she doesn't give into temptation, though she almost does
- Man hires a witch to convince her
- witch says that God can't see what happens at night. For some reason Theodora believes this.
- Theodora invites man over, has sex with him, and he leaves her alone and heartbroken
- She is distraught by the sin she has committed against God and her husband
- Husband asks what is wrong, she won't say
- She runs away to a nunnery and ask if God knows what happens at night
- The nuns say "duh". She asks for a Bible and it falls to Quod scripsi scripsi
- Theodora disguises herself as a man (Theodorus) and becomes a monk
- The husband laments her absence. God tells him he will meet his wife on the road
- the husband sees her, but doesn't recognize her, and goes on.
- A woman in the village accuses her of fathering her child
- the monastary expels Theodorus and Theodorus cares for the child for 7 years
- During the seven years she is continually tempted by the devil, but doesn't give in. She prays or signs the cross and the devil vanishes
- The abbott rewards her patience by welcoming her back.
- She takes the child into her cell.
- the monks overhear her and hears her say she will die, and that the child should take God as his father
- After receiving a vision that tells him the truth, the abbott discovers her dead body, and knows she is a woman
- The abbott is told by God to go find a man on the road
- Finds his husband who is on his way to see Theodora
- They go to the monastery and weep over her
Orthodox Icon Source: Mystagogy Rsource Center |
No comments:
Post a Comment