Justa (born 268 AD) and Rufina (born 270 AD), two devout Christian women from Seville, Spain, lived by selling earthenware.

Unwilling to participate in or support idolatrous practices, they declined to sell their wares for use in pagan ceremonies. When their refusal incited worshippers to break their stock, Justa and Rufina retaliated by toppling an idol of a false goddess. The enraged townspeople reported them to the governor for their unwavering commitment to their faith.

Brought before the prefect, they boldly confessed their allegiance to Christ. In response, he ordered their bodies to be stretched on the rack and their sides to be lacerated with hooks. A pagan idol was placed near the rack alongside incense, a subtle suggestion that offering a sacrifice could lead to their release. But their faith remained unshaken.

In the course of this brutal torture, Justa met her untimely death. Upon seeing this, the judge commanded that Rufina be strangled. Following their executions in 287 AD, their bodies were consigned to the flames.

Justa and Rufina are held in especially high regard in Spain, their names symbolizing the fortitude of historical martyrs in the face of religious persecution.

Editorial credit: joserpizarro / Shutterstock.com

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