Daily Reflections - January 12th, 2026

January 12^th: Feast of St. Tatiana - Tatiana was a Roman woman who lived in the third century. Not much is known for sure about her. But according to legend, her father was a secret Christian and brought Tatiana up in the Christian faith. When she became an adult, she chose to commit herself to Christ fully. She eventually became a deaconess in a Roman church. She was known for the care she showed to the needy. She fasted and prayed constantly. Under the rule of the teenage emperor, Alexander Severus, Christians were persecuted. Eventually, Tatiana would be arrested for her faith. They tried to force her to give sacrifices to an idol of Apollo. Instead, Tatiana prayed, and according to legend, while she was praying, and earthquake destroyed the idol and part of the temple. For this she was tortured repeatedly. They tried to force her to worship the goddess Diana, again she began praying, and the idol was destroyed. For this, she was further tortured. They tried to feed her to a hungry lion, but the lion licked her instead. Eventually, she was beheaded. Her father too was executed for raising her in the faith. I do not know if I believe the tale of St. Tatiana one hundred percent. I don’t think it’s impossible, and it is a very fascinating story, but I am a little skeptical of the legend presented about her. But I would like to take this time to reflect on the intense persecution Christians in the Roman Empire went through in those first few centuries. I left out some of the more gruesome things they did to Tatiana, but torture like that very much was real. Christians most certainly suffered and died for their faiths in ways similar to Tatiana. In an age where Christians in the west see themselves as being persecuted, while Christians in the east actually are being persecuted, we should all pray for a world where you are free to practice your faith without the fear of death.

Prayer: O Lord, we pray that you will grant to all Christians who are being truly persecuted for their faith in you, the strength and spirit of Tatiana. May we all show bravery in the face of persecution, and may you forgive those who persecute us. Amen.