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Inspirational Stories of Women
Who Made a Difference!
October, 2007
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Welcome to History's
Women!
Today we are going to take a look way back in
history to discover the faith of a few noble women.
Enjoy the
issue!
Patti
If you have trouble reading
this issue, you can view it
online.
MEMORABLE QUOTE
It is a great
truth, wonderful as it is undeniable, that all our
happiness--temporal, spiritual and eternal--consists in one thing;
namely, in resigning ourselves to God, and in leaving ourselves
with Him, to do with us and in us just as He pleases.
~Madame Guyon
 Madame
Jeanne Guyon
(1648-1717)
Madame Jeanne
Guyon was one of the main leaders and writers of the
seventeenth century movement known as Quietism, which
downplayed the importance of works in religion and emphasized a
total surrender to God.
Soon after her
marriage as a teenager to a wealthy middle-aged nobleman,
Jeanne came to realize that true happiness could only be found
in devotion to God. She turned her back on high society life and
spent her time reading devotional books and doing charitable
works. She became influential in the French courts, where she
helped many women live a pure life. Her teachings were in sharp
contrast to the lavish and sexually immoral culture of the day.
After the death of
her husband, Jeanne dedicated herself entirely to Christian
ministry. She traveled through the towns of France and
Switzerland, reaching out to all segments of society, sharing
her insights on how to live a holy life. Hers was not a public
ministry, but mainly one of personal evangelism, challenging
people to live a holy life by placing their faith in Christ.
While respected by
many, Madam Guyon was often despised by the Church and spent
several years in prison for her teachings on the possibility of
knowing God on a personal level. Though her church leaders
often despised her, she remained true to her Catholic roots
until death. Despite the controversy she causes, her writings
were embraced by both Catholics and Protestants in France,
Germany, Holland, and England, sparking personal revival as her
follows were drawn into a more personal relationship with God
with a deeper devotion to Him.
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 Blandina
Slave Girl of Lyons
A.D. 177
Christianity first came to Lyons in
the early 2nd century when a
missionary came to Gaul (modern-day
France ) and established the church of
Christ in Lyons and nearby Viennes. As
the church grew, persecution against
the Christians in Gaul began. They
endured all kinds of shame and
personal injuries including being
forced out of their homes and
businesses so that nothing belonging
to them could appear in public. Mobs
were formed to beat, stone and rob
them. Adding fuel to the fire of
persecution, unbelieving servants,
fearing lest they should be taken
along with their masters, sought to
protect themselves by charging their
Christian masters with gross crimes
such as cannibalism, incest, and other
shameful practices.
When believers were arrested they
courageously confessed their
allegiance to Christ and then they
were imprisoned and ultimately
martyred for their faith. A slave girl
named Blandina was one who perished
during this terrible religious
persecution under the emperor Marcus
Aurelius.
The Christians were restrained in the
worst part of the prison, in dark and
cramped spaces, and many of them
suffocated there. Some were placed in
stocks; others were placed in a
hot-iron seat where their flesh was
burned. After enduring torture,
forty-eight Christians were taken to
the amphitheater to “entertain” the
crowd during a Roman holiday by being
thrown to wild beasts.
Blandina was one of them. Though she
had already endured numerous tortures
and treated with inhumane brutality,
she was then suspended on a stake and
to taunt the wild beasts. Though it
was intended to terrorize her fellow
Christians, her torture inspired them
for when they looked at her on that
stake it reminded them of Christ on
the cross, who was crucified for them
and that everyone who suffered for Him
would enjoy eternal life with God.
Amazingly, none of the beasts attacked
her so she was taken down from the
stake and cast into prison again.
According to the description of her
death by the Christian History
Institute
(
http://www.gospelcom.net/chi/ ),
Blandina face death heroically:
“On the last day of the contests
in the amphitheater, Blandina was
again brought in with Ponticus, a boy
of about 15. Every day they had been
brought to witness the sufferings of
others and pressed to deny their faith
and swear by idols. Ponticus died
first, and Blandina remained the last.
She had encouraged many others and saw
them go on before her to Jesus. Now
she was ready to hasten after them.
She faced her death rejoicing-as if
being called to a marriage feast
rather than wild beasts. The report
stated: After the scourging, after the
wild beasts, after the roasting seat,
she was finally enclosed in a net, and
thrown before a bull. And having been
tossed about by the animal, but
feeling none of the things which were
happening to her, on account of her
hope and firm hold upon what had been
entrusted to her, and her communion
with Christ, she also was sacrificed.
After the bodies of the witnesses were
exposed for six days, they were burned
to ashes and thrown into the Rhone
river. The bodies of those who had
suffocated in prison were thrown to
the dogs, and guards were stationed to
prevent the remaining Christians from
burying them. The pagans hoped to
prevent even the hope of resurrection
for the Christians.”
An ancient letter that recorded the
persecution in Lyons was included in
the Ecclesiastical History of
Eusebius and stated: “While
we were all trembling, and her earthly mistress, who was
herself one of the contending martyrs,
was apprehensive, lest, through the
weakness of the flesh, she should not
be able to make a bold confession,
Blandina was filled with such power,
that her ingenious tormentors, who
relieved and succeeded each other from
morning till night, confessed that
they were overcome and had nothing
more that they could inflict upon her.
They were amazed that she continued to
breathe after her whole body was
pierced and torn asunder. In the midst
of her sufferings, as she for a moment
revived, she repeatedly exclaimed, ‘I
am a Christian; no wickedness is
carried on by us!’”
Blandina honored her God by her
faithfulness and courage in the face
of danger and ultimately death. She
and her contemporaries are
memorialized by a marker at the place
of their martyrdom in the ancient
amphitheater. You can visit this
marker in Lyons , France today.
History's
Women Newsletter is for informational purposes only.
Patricia Chadwick in no event is to be liable for any damages
whatsoever resulting from any action arising in connection with
the use of this information or its publication, including any
action for infringement of copyright or defamation.
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History's
Women is a free monthly newsletter for those interested in
inspirational stories of women who made a difference in their
world. The content of this newsletter is copyrighted by Patricia
Chadwick (c)2006 unless indicated otherwise. All rights reserved
worldwide. Reprint only with permission from copyright holder(s).
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Patricia Chadwick
Founder & Publisher
History's Women
A magazine highlighting the extraordinary
achievements of women
throughout history.
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