ST. MAHRATI (MOHRAEL)

Synaxarium

Coptic Date: 14 Tobe

Resource: 

https://st-takla.org/Saints/Coptic-Orthodox-Saints-Biography/Coptic-Saints-Story_1713.html 

Story

This saint was born in Tamouh to godly christian parents. She lived in the fourth century AD. Her father, Youannis was a priest and his wife was a virtuous woman named Ilaria. When they had no offspring, they prayed fervently for the Lord to give them offspring, and Anba Besari had prophesied to them that God would give them offspring, and God granted them this daughter and they called her Mahrati. 
They raised her on the christian moral values. When she was twelve, saint Mary appeared to her father, and told him that “I came to you because of your daughter Mahrati. I want  to invite her to my Son’s wedding to heavenly Jerusalem." The priest Yoannis answered and said to the saint Mary: "How can I do this and deliver my daughter to a strange land?" Saint Mary replied: “As the Lord lives and governs all after the departure of your daughter, I will send her body to you to bury her in any place you choose.”
Then saint Mary anointed saint Mahrati with perfume, and miracles and wonders began flowing on saint Mahrati’s hands, and everyone who had an illness, if she prayed on a little oil and anointed the sick with it, would heal.
When Diocletian abandoned the faith, Mahrati went out to the shore of the river and found a boat carrying a large crowd of those who were taken to martyrdom, so she went with them without informing her parents. When the boat reached the city of Ansena, 12-year-old Mahariel stood among those who were martyred, so the governor thought about releasing her due to her young age, she shouted declaring her faith in the Lord Christ. The governor marveled and tried to persuade her to change her resolve but she was steadfast in her faith. He ordered to torture her with the Hinbazeen, and then placed her on an iron chair with a hot fire under it. With the grace of God she endured patiently the tortures in spite of her young age and thin body. 
Finally, the governor ordered that she be placed in a box containing snakes and scorpions and put them in the boat and then throw them, so the boat went for three days and the saint inside the box was praising God, then on the fourth day the Lord Jesus appeared to her and told her: “Peace be to you, O martyr, O saint. Peace be to the pure Mahrati. Behold. I have brought you to the house of your father, the priest Yoannis, according to what my mother promised. And the perfume that my mother poured on your head, I make its scent in your body until the passing of generations. And whoever builds a church on your name I write his name in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever calls his daughter after your name I protect him from all evil ". And everyone in the boat smelled the scent of perfume. They did not see anyone, but only heard the sound, so great fear fell on them.
Shortly after that, her soul departed to the Lord, and a strong wind occurred and stopped the boat when it was ambushing its country, so the soldiers left the boat and left it on the beach and went to buy food from the country. Her father came with a large group of the people of the city and took her body and shrouded it with dignity and moved it from there and built a church over it, and many miracles and wonders were performed from her body.
The blessing of her prayers be with us all. Amen.