Chapter XXVI (continued), Life of Euphrasia, Book 1d
"My lady," she said, "there is a woman standing weeping outside the gate with her child of about eight years old, paralysed, deaf and dumb."
The abbess knew by the revelation of the Spirit that Euphraxia had been given the grace of the Lord against demons.
"Ask Euphraxia to come here," she said to the gatekeeper. And when she appeared she said to her:
"Go and take that child from his mother and bring him here."
She went out to the gate and when she saw the child, paralysed and trembling, she was over come with compassion, heaved a deep sigh and made the sign of the cross over him.
"May he who created you heal you, my son," she said.
And she picked him up and took him to the abbess. While she was carrying him the boy was healed and began to cry for his mother, which gave Euphraxia such a start that she dropped the boy on the floor. The boy immediately got up and ran towards the gate, still crying for his mother. Meanwhile the gatekeeper ran to the abbess to tell her what had happened. The abbess called the mother of the child.
"Now look here, my sister," she said, "Have you come here simply to pay tricks on us?
"In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, my lady," said the mother, "that child has never walked or spoken a word until this present moment. But when that other sister picked him up he began to speak! She was so startled she dropped him on the floor, but the child got up immediately and ran to me, your servant."
"So then, he is completely restored to you!" she said. "Take him and go in peace."
Which she did, and departed glorifying God.

Chapter XXVII
The abbess again consulted the senior sisters.
"What is your opinion of Euphraxia?" she asked.
"She is a true handmaid of God," they replied.
The abbess called her.
"Euphraxia," she said, "I want you to go to this demented sister of ours, to see if she will take food from your hands, as long as you are not afraid of her?"
"No, I am not afraid," she replied, "as long as it is you ask me to do it."
So Euphraxia took a bowl with some pulses and broken bread and offered it to her, but she gnashed her teeth and howled, rushed at her and seized the bowl, threatening to smash it. Euphraxia grasped hold of her hand.
"As the Lord lives," she said, "if I can just manage to throw you down on the ground I will get the abbess's cane and give you such a whipping that you will never dare to try that again!"
This had the effect of intimidating her completely, and Euphraxia continued in a rather quieter vein, and spoke to her coaxingly.
"Sit down, now, sister," she said, "take some food and drink and just don't get excited."
And indeed she did sit down, and ate, and drank, and stayed quite calm.
From that moment onwards, food was always given to her under the threat of the cane. The sisters soon knew what Euphraxia had done, thanked the Lord for her, and if ever the sister showed signs of getting upset and violent, they would simply say to her:
"Calm down, sister, restrain yourself, or else sister Euphraxia will come and give you a whipping." And she was immediately quiet. 

Chapter XXVIII
Germana, however, was still full of spite as hot as a raging furnace
"If it hadn't been Euphraxia," she said to the sisters, "why couldn't somebody else have been the one to approach that sister with her food? I'm going to take some food to her myself."
Which she did.
"Here is some food for you to eat, sister," she said.
The possessed woman jumped on her, tore her clothes, grasped her and threw her to the floor, fell on top of her and began to tear at her flesh with her teeth. Germana screamed, but nobody was brave enough to come to her help. Julia ran to the kitchen to get Euphraxia.
"Hurry, sister," she shouted, "Germana is being torn to pieces by that woman!"
Euphraxia ran as fast as she could, grabbed the possessed woman by her hands and neck and succeeded in dragging her off Germana, who lay there bleeding and torn.
"This is a fine escapade of yours," she said. "What did you think you were doing?"
The woman was still standing there, frothing at the mouth and grinding her teeth.
"From this time on, sister," said Euphraxia, "if you get violent towards the sisters, I shan't spare you, I will have no pity on you, but I will get my lady abbess's cane and beat you mercilessly!"
And at once she sat down, and ceased from her ravings.

Chapter XXIX
Next morning as they came out of the oratory after divine office, Euphraxia went to visit the possessed woman and found that she had torn her clothes to pieces and thrown them on the floor, where she sat picking up her own excrement and eating it.  Euphraxia wept at the sight and went to tell the abbess about it. The sisters all came together, and found her still sitting there, naked, gathering filth and eating it. The abbess ordered that she be given another tunic to wear. Euphraxia took the tunic and a small dish of pulses and broken bread which she held out to her.
"Take this, sister, and get dressed," she said. "Why are you disgracing yourself like this?"
She accepted it, and ate and drank, and Euphraxia put her clothes on for her, and did not cease weeping and groaning for her all day until vespers. And after vespers she began with tears to pray to the Lord that this woman might be healed.
At dawn next day the abbess found her.
"Why didn't you tell me that you were offering prayers for this possessed woman? If you had told me I would have joined you."
"Forgive me, my lady," replied Euphraxia. "It was just that I saw her so vulnerable and acting so disgracefully that I was sorry for her."
"There is something I must say to you," said the abbess, "and that is that you must take care that the temptations of Satan do not result in you getting a bit above yourself! Your must just accept that it is Christ who has given you power over the demons to drive them out."
Euphraxia poured ashes upon her head and prostrated herself on the ground
"I know that I am an unclean and unfortunate person," she cried. "Why should I be the one to expel such a powerful demon, when you have all prayed for such a long time without success?"
"My daughter," said the abbess. "The emergency of the moment found you with the strength to cope with it. Your reward will be great in heaven."
Euphraxia went back into the oratory and prostrated herself before the altar and prayed that through her prayers the possessed woman might be healed and help given her from on high. She got up from the floor and on the instructions of the abbess went back to the woman. The sisters all followed her, in some awe at what was being done.
"May you be healed," she said to the woman, "through my Lord Jesus Christ who created you." And she made the sign of the cross on her forehead, and a great cry came from her mouth, as all who were there can bear witness.
"Why should I depart on the orders of this impostor and deceiver, after having lived here for so many years? No one has ever been able to drive me out, so why should this filthy and abandoned person be trying to disturb me?"
"It is not I who am disturbing you," said Euphraxia, "but Christ the God of all."
"I am not going, you filth," cried the demon. "I do not accept that you have the power to drive me out."
"I know I am unclean and full of all kinds of wickedness," said Euphraxia, "as you yourself have just said. But it is the command of the Lord that you should come out of her, before I make use of the abbess's ring, which will torment you above measure!"
The demon still resisted and refused to go so Euphraxia held up the abbess's ring and cried:
"Go! before I put you to torture!"
"Why should I go? I can't go!
Euphraxia began to strike her with the ring, and on the third strike she cried out:
"Depart from this image of God, you unclean spirit!"
"I can't go! Why are you tormenting me? Where can I go?"
"Into the outer darkness! Into the eternal fire! Into the unending torment prepared for you and for the devil your father and for all who follow him!"
The sisters were witnesses to all this but did not dare come too close, while Euphraxia just kept on struggling with the demon, who kept on resisting.
"Lord Jesus Christ," she cried, looking up to heaven. "Let me not be confounded in this hour! Let not this unclean demon have the mastery!"
And at last, with frothing at the mouth and grinding of teeth, he fled, and the woman was healed from that moment.
The sisters rushed towards her, glorifying God, and a great fear fell upon them all. Euphraxia lifted the woman up and washed her, and clothed her, and led her by the hand to the abbess, who together with all the sisters took her into the monastery and gave glory to God for the miracle they had seen done.

Chapter XXX
From that time on Euphraxia humbled herself even more, going without sleep for a whole night at a time, and maintaining her practice of fasting for the whole week. She continued to serve the sisters in menial tasks, and strove to live in gentleness, humility and joy.
One day the abbess had a vision which left her in a state of extreme distress. The senior sisters noticed and began to question her about it.
"Tell us, my lady abbess, why you are going around groaning, and giving us such cause to worry about you."
"Don't press me on that until tomorrow."
"Trust us, my lady. If you don't tell us what it is, it will only make us more and more worried about you."
"I'm worried about something in the future, and I didn't want to tell you about it until tomorrow. But seeing you are pressing me, listen: Euphraxia is going to leave us. Tomorrow her life here comes to an end. But don't upset her by telling her that."
The senior sisters cried out in distress at what the abbess had to say, and continued to lament for quite some time. One of the sisters, as soon as she had heard this, ran to the bread oven where she found Euphraxia cooking bread along with Julia, her usual companion.
"Sister Euphraxia," she said, "You ought to know that the abbess and the senior sisters are in a terrible state of grief because of you."
Julia and Euphraxia were bewildered, and just stood there open-mouthed.
"Perhaps she has heard a rumour," said Julia, "that your former fiancé has persuaded the Emperor to order your removal from the monastery, and that is what she is upset about."
"As my Lord Jesus Christ lives," said Euphraxia, "not even if the foundations of the whole round world were shaken, could I be persuaded to abandon my Lord Christ. Do me a favour, sister Julia, while the bread is cooking, go and see if you can find out what the problem is and set my mind at rest."
Julia went and stood outside the abbess's door, and could hear her still talking about her dream.
"I saw two men in monastic habits," she was saying, "who came looking for Euphraxia, and they said to me, 'Bring her here. You must.' And then others came along and said, 'Take Euphraxia and bring her before the Lord.' So I summoned her, and hurried along with them, and we came to a gateway whose glory I couldn't begin to describe, and it opened to us of its own volition, and we went in, and we saw an indescribably beautiful heavenly palace, and there was a nuptial throne there, not made with hands. I was prevented from going any closer, but they took Euphraxia and offered her to the Lord. She fell down and kissed his immaculate feet, and I saw ten thousand Angels and a numberless multitude of Saints standing around looking on, and I saw, the mother of the Lord taking Euphraxia - truly! - and leading her to the nuptial couch, where there was a beautiful crown prepared, and  I heard a voice saying to Euphraxia, 'Behold, your reward. Now hurry and come here in ten days' time, to enjoy these things for endless ages.' That was nine days ago, when I saw the vision, so tomorrow Euphraxia will die."

Chapter XXXI
As Julia listened secretly to the abbess's story, she began to beat her breast and face. She wept and returned to the kitchen, where Euphraxia as alarmed to see her in tears.
"For the sake of the Son of God, sister Julia," she cried, "tell me what you have heard and what you are crying about."
"I am weeping, dear sister, because today we shall be parted, so I have heard the lady abbess say. Tomorrow you will breathe your last!"
Euphraxia was shocked at hearing this, and sat down completely distraught. Julia sat down beside her, weeping.
"Give me your hand, sister," said Euphraxia, "and help me to where the firewood is kept and leave me there. I will leave you to take the bread out of the oven and take it into the monastery."
This Julia did, saying nothing as yet to the abbess. Euphraxia lay down n the floor.
"Why, O Lord," she cried, "are you being so cruel to your pilgrim and orphan? Why are you angry with me? Now is the time when I ought to be doing battle with the devil, but you are demanding that I give up my soul. Have mercy on your handmaid, O Lord Jesus Christ. Spare me for at least a year that I may weep for my sins, for I have not sufficiently repented, I have not done penance. I cannot work out my salvation (Philippians 2.12), for no one can approach you from the lower regions. Once dead, there is no repentance, tears cannot prevail beyond the grave, for the dead praise not thee, O Lord (Psalms 6.5). It is the living who praise your holy name. Grant me just one more year, that I may do penance. Without your aid I am become as withered as the fig tree (Mark 11.21). "
One of the sisters heard her laments and told the abbess and the sisters that Euphraxia was lying in the woodshed, weeping.
"It is because she had heard that she was going to die," said Julia.
"Who was it told her?" exclaimed the abbess. "Causing such grief to her soul like that. Who told her and saddened her heart? Didn't I tell you to say nothing until her hour had come? Why have you done this and hurt her so deeply? Go, someone, and bring her here."
Several sisters went to where Euphraxia was.
"Come, sister," they said. "The abbess is calling for you."
She got up and went with them, crying and sobbing, and stood in front of the abbess, weeping and lamenting, and pouring forth heartrending groans.
"What has happened, my daughter," said the abbess, "to make you groan so grievously?" 
"I am mourning for myself," she replied, "because you knew I was going to die, and you didn't tell me so that I might have time to weep for my sins, still embroiled in sinfulness as I am."
She prostrated herself and clasped the feet of the abbess, her who had been always been so prompt to give her good counsel.
"Have mercy on me, my lady," she cried, "and pray for me to the Lord that he might grant me one more year to do penance, for I know not what darknesses may overwhelm me."
"As the Lord lives," said the abbess, "Christ your king surely counts you worthy of joining the heavenly choir."
And she told her all the details of the good things in store for her, and asked her to pray to the Lord that she also might be found worthy to share in those things. Euphraxia prayed, and she and the abbess together turned towards Christ in prayer that what one would enjoy the other might enjoy also.

Chapter XXXII
As Euphraxia lay at the abbess's feet she began to feel cold and stiff, then after a while became quite feverish.
"Pick her up," the abbess said to the sisters, "and let us all go into the oratory, for her time is come."
They put her in the oratory and kept vigil over her till vespers. After vespers it was time for the evening meal, and the abbess told everyone to leave the oratory, keeping only Julia with her so that Euphraxia would not be left alone. They closed the doors and remained with her till morning. Julia prayed to Euphraxia:
"My dear sister, do not forget me. Remember how closely we have always been united on this earth. Pray to God that I be not separated from you. Remember how I have shared in your battles. Pray to the Lord that he will release me from the burden of this flesh in sure hope that I may be found worthy of being with you."
When morning was come, the abbess noticed that Euphraxia was breathing and stirring a little.
"Go and fetch my daughters," she said to Julia, "so that they can say goodbye to her before she goes."
They all came in weeping to make their farewells.
"Remember us, dear sister Euphraxia," they said, "for your name is blessed of the Lord who loves you."
Last of all came in that woman who had suffered for so long from a demon and who had been healed by Euphraxia. She grieved like everyone else, and kissed Euphraxia's hands.
"How much these hands have ministered to me, an unworthy sinner!" she said. "It was these hands that drove the demon out of me."
When Euphraxia made no reply, the abbess said to her:
"My daughter, can you not give this sister some comfort? Can you not just say something to her, for she is so terribly upset?"
Euphraxia responded.
"Why grieve for me, sister?" she said. "Just let me rest in peace, for I am going fast. But you, just keep on blessing the Lord, and he will keep you safe. But pray for me, for there is a great battle going on in my soul at this moment."
The abbess prayed, they all responded Amen, and Euphraxia gave up her spirit. She was thirty years old, and they buried her in the same grave as her mother, glorifying God that they were privileged to have one of their sisters in the presence of God.

Chapter XXXIII
It was Julia who had taught her how to read and how to sing the psalms, and she had loved that pupil of hers who had belonged to the Emperor's family. She wept for three days without leaving Euphraxia's grave. On the fourth day, however, she felt quite happy and went to the abbess to tell her why.
"Pray for me, my lady," she said "for through blessed Euphraxia's intercession Christ is calling me."
She kissed all the sisters, and on the fifth day after Euphraxia's death her teacher Julia died also, and was buried in the same tomb as the blessed Euphraxia.

Chapter XXXIV
Thirty days later the abbess summoned the senior sisters.
"My daughters," she said, "you must choose someone else as a mother to take my place and preside over you."
"Why are you saying this, my lady? Tell us! You have never spoken to your servants like this before."
"The Lord is calling me," she said. "Sister Euphraxia has been praying very diligently for me, so that I too may merit a heavenly marriage bed. Julia also is sharing in what Euphraxia has been granted and has entered into that palace not made with human hands, and I too am hastening on the way to being found worthy of sharing that place with them."
The sisters rejoiced at hearing of the great glory which Euphraxia and Julia enjoyed, and prayed likewise that they all might deserve to be partakers of such a marriage. They chose one of the sisters called Theogenia to preside over them, whom the abbess called to her side.
"All the sisters have a good opinion of you, and given you the leadership, and the responsibility of handing on the divine rule and all that follows from it. In the name of the undefiled and consubstantial Trinity I urge you to take no thought for riches or possessions, nor engage the sisters in worldly concerns, but rather, despising temporal goods you may earn the right to eternal blessings."
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