Saints Tertiana, Mygdonia and the Holy Apostle Thomas in India

Saint Tertiana was the wife of the Indian King, Mazdai. Her sister Mygdonia was the wife of a kinsman of the King, Prince Karizius. It was when Saint Thomas the Apostle, of whom holy tradition upholds as having had missionary work in India after the dispersement of the apostles, that the Queen's sister Mygdonia became attracted to the teachings of this Holy Apostle. Mygdonia disguised herself as a beggar and would venture out to hear the words of the Holy Apostle. Mygdonia would convert to Christianity. Upon her conversion, it was observed that she refused to submit to her husband. The Queen began to probe her on this, asking as to why Mygdonia refused to submit in good-manner to her husband to which Mygdonia revealed she had become a Christian by the preaching of the Holy Apostle Thomas. As her husband was a Pagan, she could no longer submit to him for his was a false faith.

The Queen's interest was piqued by the words of her sister and she asked if she could meet this Holy Apostle. So her sister took her to the Holy Apostle Thomas who taught her the faith. Convinced, the sisters were both baptized by the Holy Apostle Thomas. Tertiana, upon her baptism, also refused conjugal relations with the King for he was still a Pagan. When he learned that it was through the Holy Apostle Thomas that the sisters were refusing conjugal relations with their husbands, he ordered the Holy Apostle to be put to death. The abuse of these two sisters continued for some time after but they lived godly lives until their deaths. Many years later, the King saw the error of his ways. Mygdonia is honored on March 27 and Tertiana is honored on October 6.

According to The Consummation of the Apostle Thomas, the King Mazdai (Misdeus) had the Holy Apostle locked up in prison when Tertiana, Mygdonia, his son Juzanes, and Markia had all become believers yet were not deemed worthy of baptism. They visited Saint Thomas while he was locked behind the bars of the prison cell, at which a miracle occurred where a young man, leading them by a light, unlocked the doors and the Holy Apostle was allowed to commune them with the Holy Eucharist and confirm them in the orthodox faith. Saint Thomas then returned to his prison cell. The King's men believed this to be a work more akin to that of a sorcerer rather than a fisherman.

The King questioned the Apostle and the Apostle proclaimed the faith of the Gospel. He was a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ who was also the Lord of Misdeus. Misdeus accused the Apostle of sorceries. Saint Thomas prophesied that the things that had followed him which the King referred to as sorceries shall always remain with the people of India. And as the soldiers surrounded the Apostle, he cried out, 

"O the hidden mysteries of You, O Lord! For even to the close of life is fulfilled in us the riches of Your grace, which does not allow us to be without feeling as to the body. For, behold, four have laid hold of me, and one leads me, since I belong to One, to whom I am going always invisibly. But now I learn that my Lord also, since He was a stranger, to whom I am going, who also is always present with me invisibly, was struck by one; but I am struck by four."

And he prayed that those spearing him to death would have their eyes open to the light and that they would see the faith of Christ. And he called out to the King's son Juzanes that he ought to give what is due to those who are to fulfill the will of Misdeus.

Saint Thomas would appear after his martyrdom to Syphorus and Juzanius, making them Syphorus a presbyter and Juzanius a deacon in the service of the Lord. He also appeared to Tertiana and Mygdonia to endure the sufferings they faced at the hands of their abusers, Misdeus and Karizius (Charisius). It was when Misdeus and Charisius saw they could not persuade the two saintly women to repudiate their newly held Christian views that they would relent. The brethren assembled together under Syphorus and Juzanius and the Lord blessed the helped his people, increasing their faith.

Much later, it happened that one of the sons of Misdeus was a demoniac. Misdeus was determined to heal his son and he sought out the tomb of the Holy Apostle for one of his bones to heal his son with. But the Holy Apostle appeared to Misdeus, rebuking him for not believing him when he was alive, how shall he believe the Apostle when he is dead! But the Apostle also informed Misdeus that the Lord Jesus Christ was kindly deposed to the King and while Misdeus could find no bones for no body remained there, he did bring home dust to his ailing son. Taking home the dust, Misdeus submitted himself to the faith of Christ and entreated the rest of the brethren, with Syphorus who ruled them, to pray for him that he might obtain the mercy from Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever!

The Apostle Thomas's Feast Day is celebrated on October 6 in the Eastern calendar and he also holds a Feast Day the First Sunday After Pascha, called Thomas Sunday.

Sources:

Thornton: Pious Kings and Right-Believing Queens

The Consummation of the Apostle Thomas