St. Augusta of Treviso

Power to the women!

Another saint who lived and died early on, this time in the 5th century, August was the daughter of the Duke of Friuli in Italy. She converted to Christianity without her father’s approval and he was so mad that he killed her himself. She’s known as a virgin martyr.

Back in Augusta’s time, virgin was a term for “maiden” and had roots in the Greek pantheon meaning a goddess who had not fallen to the temptations of the gods. It was a term of power. Virgin meant you wouldn’t give in to the wiles of the world, not least of all sexual temptation. But it wasn’t until Medieval times that the term virgin came to mean a female who had not been penetrated by a penis. From there, we all know the purity tests it conceived and which still largely loom today.

Let’s take back the power! Not the weird sexual purity part but the fuller meaning of one who doesn’t give in to the destruction of the world. That’s so fitting for the Christian life! One who rises above the earthly temptations and gives oneself over to something better. That’s what the Christian life is all about!

Augusta was a brave woman for defying her father and facing death at his hand. She encompasses virgin as power. May we also walk in that power.

St. Augusta, pray for us!