St Photini of Samaria, Holy Great Martyr and Apostle
The story of the Samaritan Woman's encounter with Christ, the Living Water, can be found in the fourth chapter of St John's Gospel. Her given name is unknown, but holy tradition states that upon accepting Christ and receiving Holy Baptism she was given the name "Photini" (Φωτεινη) meaning "Enlightened one." In Slavic traditions, she is known as "Svetlana" (Светла́на), a name of similar meaning.
She became the Apostle to the Samaritans, fulfilling Christ's injunction to the Apostles that they should be his witnesses in Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. After sharing the gospel in and around Palestine, she traveled to Carthage and around the Roman world. Wherever she went, she witnessed with boldness and joy to the love of Christ. The people were amazed at her teaching. Following a vision of her Lord, Photini's family, five sisters and two sons, traveled with her to Rome, where they were arrested and brought before the Emperor Nero. For an entire week, St. Photini and her family preached Christ to the Emperor, in the midst of torments and temptations brought upon them by the imperial court. Nero's daughter came to Christ in that time, and St. Photini baptized her and her servants, a hundred in number. Enraged, Nero threw St. Photini and her family into prison for three years. They continued to proclaim the gospel and confess Christ from prison, bringing many prisoners and visitors to faith. Nero executed Photini's five sisters and two sons, and threw her down a dry well and then back into prison. In every circumstance, she blessed God and refreshed those around her with the water of Christ who is salvation. After many days in prayer, Christ appeared to her and promised her that he would bring her to himself to be with her family, making the sign of the cross over her three times. A few days later, with a hymn to God on her lips, St. Photini reposed in the Lord, in the year 66 AD. She is commemorated twice in the church calendar. Her fixed feast day is celebrated on February 26th (according to the Greek tradition), and she is commemorated on the fifth Sunday after Pascha, the Sunday of the Samaritan Woman.
As a Samaritan, St. Photini likely experienced discrimination from the broader Israelite community. As a woman married multiple times, she experienced disrepute from her own religious authorities. As a Christian, she experienced persecution at the hands of the Romans. Yet God chose her for great things. In every trial and tribulation, Photini courageously preached and lived the gospel, placing her faith in Christ's vision of all people being reconciled to God "neither on Mt. Gerizim nor in Jerusalem, but in spirit and truth." She drank of the Living Water and received eternal life, a life which unfolded from that moment at the well in Sychar and which flowed out as a stream of new life for many others. In solidarity with the all-embracing gospel witness of this saint and apostle, we have chosen her as the patron saint of our parish.
Apolytikion of Photini, the Samaritan Woman Third Tone All illumined by the Holy Spirit, thou didst drink with great and ardent longing of the waters Christ Saviour gave unto thee; and with the streams of salvation wast thou refreshed, which thou abundantly gavest to those athirst. O Great Martyr and true peer of Apostles, Photini, entreat Christ God to grant great mercy unto us.
Kontakion of Photini, the Samaritan Woman Third Tone Photini the glorious, the crown and glory of the Martyrs, hath this day ascended to the shining mansions of Heaven, and she calleth all together to sing her praises, that they might be recompensed with her hallowed graces. Let us all with faith and longing extol her gladly in hymns of triumph and joy.