Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky! So many wonderful books have been written about him that it is simply amazing. It is no coincidence that he is called “the name of Russia” - the most popular Russian historical figure of all time ... But today they dare to write and say a lot of bad things about him. What is worth only one transmission on TV “The Court of History”, where the “case” of ... the holy prince was examined! You just don't know where to go from this.
And he is just with us. Always.
I'm twelve. They brought me to St. Petersburg. The family of relatives behaves stiffly, and I hear the phrase “you shame me” from my mother more often than my own name. However, then I hated with fierce hatred and my name. My name is - so now I'll get it in full. And so the cold sweat had not dried up yet - they had just thrown a ball on an elastic band with their second cousins, Romka did not catch it - and the ball bounced into a crystal glass. And my mother looked at me like that ... - I couldn’t even cry with fright. You have to understand that my mother came to me twice a year, and I really cherished every minute when she was just there. And how painful it was to realize that I always do not meet her expectations, I do everything wrong all the time ...
However, Aunt Rita and her mother (my grandmother's sister) somehow distracted my dear mother, and I, in a faded checkered dress, which is already noticeably small for me, stay with the brothers. Sasha is two years younger than me, Romka is three years younger. They pull out some kind of game: “Look, here is a chip, here is a cube, you need to buy a store - uh, pay a hundred rubles!”.
“Pay a hundred rubles” is a favorite saying of the “packed” fat-faced brothers. For the first time in my life, I saw a serverat on the table. “Yulka, don’t eat this sausage, it stinks of fish!” my brothers shouted across the table to me. “Here, they turn their noses at delicacies,” sighed Aunt Rita. I winked at my aunt, put a piece of servelat on the toast, took a bite and closed my eyes: “Mmmm, delicious!” A minute later, the brothers raced to eat exotic toast sandwiches, and all the adults vied with each other to praise me. Well… almost everything. Except mom.
Another day in St Petersburg. Mom and Aunt Rita were somewhere, I don’t care about that, my brothers and I are arguing. On different topics. Including those that adults are better off not knowing about. Adults are on our own, we are on our own. But then I understand that we have to go somewhere. Where, mom?
- Alexander Nevsky Lavra.
I know that there was such a hero Alexander Nevsky, I always loved him very much. But Laura? Our family is entirely militant atheists. And that's how I was raised. Once, on her next visit, my mother mentioned that one monastery had reopened. Grandfather said: "Oh!" - and left, the grandmother frowned in disgust, and I, a sort of brainy, said:
“Does anyone else go to monasteries?”
Mom looked at me wearily.
- Do you know, daughter ... In this monastery, the nuns are very smart, intelligent women. Many with higher education. And they would be very offended by hearing your words.
And for the first time in my life, I thought. And it was as if a river rushed into the soul, which was held back by a dam for a long time. It became clear: I always knew that God exists. I just repeated what they told me day after day, not realizing that words matter. And God always is, and always has been, and always will be.
Since then, my mother and I have been “dissident”. I easily looked at photos of temples and icons in my mother's books. Nothing more: my mother herself, as I then believed, was an unbeliever. And now she called me to the Lavra. A brave mother is not afraid of grandparents!
- Mom, mom, what to do there?
- Be baptized. You are being baptized. And boys too.
We are on the threshold of the temple. The brothers are trying to escape, teasing. They're stupid, they don't know how to behave. And I'll be nice. The dress presses in the chest, the belt of the dress is almost under the chest, if only these stupid old stockings would not fall off. So, how can I be baptized?
We enter. I am afraid of a huge black cross and a white skull somewhere at its base. I don’t even go to the icons: it’s as if there is no altar, the temple is seen as a huge corridor leading to where we all will one day come. And I realized that now I will lose consciousness.
There were about ten of us being baptized. I remember one young woman, her name was Jeanne, in baptism she became Joanna. They bought crosses on a white string for me and my brothers, my mother bought for herself too - simpler. And Aunt Rita proudly wore two gold chains, on one - a gold cross, on the other - a sign of the zodiac (she was then asked to remove the sign of the zodiac).
Batiushka was middle-aged, kind and clearly with a higher technical background. Later, my mother said:
- Rita and I specially traveled in advance and talked with him. I firmly decided: if the priest does not like it, I will not baptize you! And he went out - and like the sun shone. Yes smart...
Father, dear, thank you for liking her ...
Batiushka talked with us for a long time... Now, after the lapse of years, I only remember that he compared something with "running electronics". And I also remember a strange feeling: he speaks, tells, and I understand that from somewhere I already know all this, that I am here, dear. Everything is spinning, my legs are weakening, how I approached the font, how godmother Rita gave me a towel - I don’t remember, I don’t remember!
- Seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit.
- Amen...
- Seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit.
- Amen...
Confess and give me communion - this is what my mother promises with pleasure. But does not perform. However, the next day brings to the same temple in the late afternoon. I'm going. Everything around me is booming and sonorous, everything breathes... When we leave the temple, I understand that my mother is frightened.
- Mom, what are you doing?
- Yulka, you ... How do you know all this? Who taught you what you did?
And I understand that no one really taught.
- Mom, how did you become a godmother, are you baptized?
Mom is embarrassed, waves her hand and translates the conversation.
Five years have passed. I do not leave the dream of going to the temple. I just ask my friends and buddies to take me to some temple. Finally! A large icon meets me at the door of the temple. Who is it, who is on it?!
This is the holy prince Alexander Nevsky.
Thank you, prince!
After a while, my friend comes to faith. She takes me to the same temple. And gives me a prayer book. And I stun her with the words: “He just has to be connected with the Alexander Nevsky Lavra!”
She silently opens the book. On the first page is a photograph of the church where I was baptized.
More time later. After a long, long time.
- Father, bless ... this is Yulia ... Yes, roar, forgive me. And sorry for calling at night. Bless to baptize your son according to the order of fear of death for the sake of it. Yes, in the morning the operation, they say - everything is bad with him. Yes. Definitely, save Christ.
My dear son. Did I know that it would be so ... I will name you in honor of Prince Alexander.
Husband calls:
– I contacted the sisters from the Novo-Tikhvin Monastery via the Internet. They are praying for the baby.
“I don't know about this place. And in whose honor is their main temple?
- In honor of Alexander Nevsky. Why are you asking?
“Hey, hey, son, what are you doing!” The icon does not need to be torn off the crib. What? Peevesity? No, not “peevesity”, let it hang where mom hung it. Who is on the icon?
– Knyas Kisyander!!!
“Yes, son, this is your patron saint.
- Sasa - Kisyander, mother - Kisyander ...
- No, my mother has a saint ...
- Nooo! Noooo!! Sasa - Kisyander, mom - Kisyander and dad - Kisyander!
“Well, whatever you say, son. Then you need to go to Serbia, to celebrate family “glories”.
- Selbiya? And there are bells bam-bam? ..
- ... In the meantime, we will celebrate your name day on September 12th. On this day, it turns out that our spiritual father was ordained a deacon. Well, I didn't know!
There is such a legend. During the days of the Leningrad siege, one woman prayed at night, where did she get the strength to stand in prayer and bow down. She decided to look out the window. And I saw the holy prince. He rode a horse through the streets of the city, he looked at the houses. And she understood: he was looking for someone in this city who could still be brought to the Lord. And it will look like this - always.
Here, he found me.
About the author. Mother Julia Kulakova - wife of priest Dimitry Kulakov, rector of the church in honor of the icon of the Mother of God "Inexhaustible Chalice" in the village of Prosvet, Volga region Samara region. Yulia Kulakova is a professional journalist, the author of many publications in the Orthodox newspaper Blagovest and the Lampada magazine.
HEAVENLY PROTECTORS
(by profession).
Everyone has problems at work from time to time. But sometimes it will press so hard that you don’t know who to pray to, who to ask for help. We hope that our tips will help you out in difficult times.
TRADING PEOPLE
All those who are involved in trade, salespeople, commercial directors and sales managers can ask for help Archbishop Nicholas of Myra.
(Nicholas the Wonderworker)
And that's why.
When a great famine broke out in Lycia, Archbishop Nicholas, in order to save the starving, performed a miracle - he sent a strange dream to the merchant, who had loaded a lot of bread. The merchant saw in a dream an old man who ordered him to deliver bread to Lycia, for he buys all the cargo from him and gives him three gold coins as a deposit. Waking up, the merchant found three gold coins in his hand and realized that it was a command from above. He brought bread to Lycia, and the hungry were saved. When the merchant told the townspeople about the elder he saw in a dream, they recognized him as their archbishop from the description.
SAILORS AND TRAVELERS
Archbishop Nicholas of Myra patronizes sailors. Once a ship sailing from Egypt to Lycia was caught in a violent storm. The sails were torn off on it, the masts were broken, the waves were ready to swallow the ship, doomed to inevitable death and no forces could prevent it. The dying sailors began to pray fervently, and Saint Nicholas appeared at the stern at the helm, began to steer the ship, and safely brought it to the harbor.
DIPLOMATS AND POST WORKERS,
PHILATELIERS
Their patron is Archangel Gabriel- a heavenly messenger whom God sends to tell people about his plans. Thus, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the righteous Anna, who had been suffering from infertility for many years, and said that her prayers were heard by God, and soon she would give birth to a blessed daughter, Mary, through whom the world would receive salvation.
He told the Virgin Mary that she would be the mother of the son of God. Later, God's representative explained to the angry Joseph that the conception of the Son of God came from the Holy Spirit, and his beloved Mary remained innocent. Why not a diplomat...
EDITORS, PUBLISHERS AND WRITERS,
PRINTERS AND BINDERS,
JOURNALISTS AND TELEVISION
... took under his wing Apostle John the Evangelist beloved disciple of Christ. John created his version of the Gospel, and at the same time the Apocalypse. And he performed many miracles: he raised two hundred people from the dead, drove a demon out of a pagan castle, turned salty sea water into drinking water. Such was amazing person that even the dust from his grave was fragrant and whole year healed the sick.
And they also patronize Saint Luke.
ICON PAINTS, ARTISTS
Evangelista Luca ask when studying icon painting, St. Luke in Orthodoxy is considered the first icon painter and is the Heavenly patron of icon painters, painters; doctors and farmers also receive special assistance from him.
FOR SINGERS, CHOIR ARTISTS
AND VOCALISTS
Reverend Roman, nicknamed " sweet singer”, was a Greek by birth and diligently helped during worship, although he did not differ in either voice or hearing. At one of the pre-Christmas services, ill-wishers pushed Roman to the pulpit of the church and forced him to sing. In the presence of the emperor and the court retinue, embarrassed and frightened, he publicly disgraced himself with his trembling voice and inarticulate singing. Arriving home completely depressed, Saint Roman at night prayed long and intensely before the icon of the Mother of God, pouring out his grief. The Mother of God appeared to him, gave him a paper scroll and ordered him to eat it. And then a miracle happened: Roman received a beautiful, melodic voice and at the same time a poetic gift.
The next day, Saint Roman came to church for the Vespers on the eve of the Nativity of Christ. He insisted on being allowed to sing on the pulpit again, and this time he sang the hymn he composed, “The Virgin Today,” so beautifully that he aroused universal delight. The emperor and the patriarch thanked Saint Roman, and the people called him the Sweet Singer. Since then, Saint Roman has adorned divine services with his wondrous singing and inspired prayers.
Beloved by all, Saint Romanus became a teacher of singing in Constantinople and raised high the splendor of Orthodox services. For his poetic gift, he took a place of honor among church hymnographers. More than a thousand prayers and hymns are attributed to him for various holidays. Especially famous is the akathist to the Annunciation of the Mother of God, which is sung on the fifth Saturday of Great Lent. Other akathists were compiled according to his model. Saint Roman died in 556.
FOR DANCERS
those associated with dance and choreography are protected Holy Martyr Vitus. (Boy 7-12 years old).
According to legend, he went to Rome, where he cast out demons from the emperor Diocletian. But when Vit refused to pray to the Roman gods, he was arrested again and thrown to the lions, who did not touch the righteous man. Then Vita was thrown into a cauldron of boiling oil.
For unknown reasons, there was a belief in Germany in the 16th century that one could gain health by dancing in front of a statue of St. Vitus on his name day.
BUILDERS
honored as their assistant Saint Alexy, Metropolitan of Moscow, on whose initiative the first stone buildings of the Kremlin were built.
REALTORS
Patrons of Realtors Saints Alexander Kushtsky and Euthymius Syanzhemsky.
Having met in a dense forest, the monks rejoiced at each other and, for the sake of even greater silence, decided to exchange deserts: Euthymius remained on the banks of the Syanzhema River, in Alexander's cell, and Alexander went to Kushta, settling in the monastery of Euthymius. Both saints were distinguished by amazing patience and humility - qualities necessary for any city dweller who started to solve the housing problem.
MINING WORKERS
They are patronized Holy Great Martyr Barbara of Iliopol. Her father, the pagan Dioscorus, having learned that his daughter had become a Christian, fell into an indescribable rage. He drew his sword and chased after the girl, intending to kill the disobedient. But the mountain blocked their way, which parted and hid the saint in a cleft, on the other side of which there was an exit upward.
ECONOMISTS
Bankers, accountants, financiers, employees of tax inspections and treasuries can consider their patron holy apostle Matthew, who is usually depicted with bills or a pouch of gold. By profession, Matthew was a tax collector, but when he heard the voice of Christ: “Follow Me,” he threw the collected taxes into the dust and went lightly after the Savior.
FOR MOTORISTS, DRIVERS AND everyone whose activities are related to carrying heavy loads ,
patronizes Saint Christopher. This name was given to the hermit Oferro, who lived at the river crossing. Once he happened to carry a little boy across the river, who turned out to be Jesus himself. In gratitude, Jesus baptized Oferro, giving him the name Christopher, which means "bearer of Christ."
TEACHERS AND TEACHERS
Your patron saints - Cyril and Methodius. Saint Cyril, having received a brilliant education, perfectly comprehended all the sciences of his time and many languages. With the help of his brother Methodius and his students, he compiled the Slavic alphabet and translated the Gospel and the Psalter into Slavonic.
PUPILS AND STUDENTS
Your patron - Reverend Sergius Radonezh. He is prayed for help in difficult teaching. Sergius at the age of seven was sent to study literacy, but science was not given to him, and the boy suffered terribly because of this. One day he met a monk in a field. He approached him and told him about his trouble. After listening to the boy, the elder gave him part of the prosphora and ordered him to eat it. At that very moment, grace descended on the boy. The Lord gave him memory and understanding, and he began to easily assimilate book wisdom.
Martyr Tatiana considered the patroness due to historical coincidence. It was on January 25 (Tatiana's Day) that Empress Elizabeth approved the project of Moscow University. And the Great Martyr Tatyana was named his patroness.
DOCTORS AND PHARMACISTS
Physicians have not one, but four patron saints. Healer Panteleimon, who devoted his life to the suffering, sick and wretched, free of charge treated all who turned to him. Soon the rumor about the gracious doctor spread everywhere. Leaving other doctors, people began to turn only to St. Panteleimon.
Saint Luke
Evangelist Luke- a Christian saint, revered as the author of one of the four Gospels and the Acts of the Holy Apostles. He was a doctor, possibly a ship's doctor, he is asked to heal eye diseases.
Ipatiy Tselebnik
He also devoted himself to serving the sick, and for this he received from God the gift of healing people by the simple laying on of hands.
Brothers Kosma and Damian
could heal any disease, even the most terrible. The blind, the lame, the demon-possessed went to the miracle-workers in crowds, and they did not refuse to help anyone. On the contrary, in order to be more accessible to the sick, they themselves looked for them, moving from city to city. And they did it absolutely free of charge, for which the people called them unmercenaries.
VETERINARY
Not only people were healed Cosmas and Damian, but also our smaller brothers. Grateful animals knew their benefactors, and therefore sometimes followed them on their heels.
MILITARY
In general, all military people are under reliable protection Saint George, who is called the Victorious for his courage and for his spiritual victory over the tormentors, who could not force him to renounce Christianity. George the Victorious He became famous for his miraculous help to people in mortal danger.
As well as military, armed forces under the tutelage of the Reverend
Ilya Muromets Pechersky.
Patron saints of types of troops:
Internal Troops (MVD)
Vladimir, Prince Equal to the Apostles.
Apostle Andrew the First-Called,
Holy Righteous Theodore Ushakov.
Airborne Troops
Elijah the prophet.
Troops special purpose
Alexander Nevskiy.
Tank forces
Many people wonder what patron saints by name and date of birth they have. Our article is entirely devoted to the answer. You will learn the name of your patron saint, and information will also be provided on how best to celebrate name days. This day is incredibly important for every person. So, please read the information below carefully.
In our time, more and more people, after a long break, begin to revive interest in their heavenly patrons and name days. But many continue to confuse the concepts of “name day”, “birthday” and “guardian angel day”. Also, often people simply don’t think about why their name day is celebrated, say, today, and not tomorrow or some other day. Even more often, having learned that there are several saints with a certain name, people begin to wonder which of these saints is the heavenly patron for this or that person. Let's try to understand these questions and find answers to them. These concepts simply need to be distinguished.
I think everyone knows what a birthday is and loves to celebrate it, invite guests and receive gifts. Everything is simple here: birthday is the day on which a person was born. But let's think about it, why is it that quite often a person is called a “birthday man” on his birthday? This happens because, thanks to the long atheistic period throughout the post-Soviet space, people simply began to confuse the birthday and the day of their name day, sometimes combining them into one date. However, “birthday” and “name day” are different concepts. It is worth mentioning that before the revolution in tsarist Russia name days for the Orthodox were a much more important holiday than a birthday. Nowadays, they are celebrated much less frequently. This is due to the ignorance of people about the significance of the name day. But every year the situation changes and more and more people show interest in them and their heavenly patrons. So what is this day? Believers also designate it with the word "the namesake". Do you know the meanings of the words "namesake", "teza"? They denote a person who has the same name. So: a certain calendar day, on which one or another saint or several saints are remembered at once, is a namesake, festive for a person bearing the name of the saint who is remembered on this day. In the common people, especially in the western parts of Ukraine and Belarus, the name day is often referred to as “the day of the angel”, “the day of the guardian angel (guardian angel)”, which, of course, is also not entirely correct. The mistake occurs for the reason that believing people sometimes call their saints angels, guardian angels. But this is not a saint, this is precisely an angel, a good spirit, given by God to a person during baptism, so that he would instruct a person during his earthly life on the path of salvation. But a person cannot know his personal name, since he is invisible to a person. Therefore, for each guardian angel, a separate day is not assigned for his remembrance. But installed certain days in which all heavenly angelic powers are honored.
How to find out the name of the patron saint
So how do you find out, and when is the day of veneration of your saint appointed? And what are the patron saints by name and date of birth for each of us? After all, who decides all this? So, in order: firstly, in order to find out which of the saints is our heavenly patron, we need to look into the Saints, or, as this church-folk calendar is also called, the Months. It is there that the names of all the saints and the dates for their memory are recorded. And these dates are set by the Church, which ranks this or that person as a saint. Secondly, patron saints are usually identified by name and date of birth. Well, this is understandable, because we know our name. However, what should we do if several saints with our name are mentioned in the Saints at once? In such a case, we must choose the saint whose memory is honored closest to our birthday. It should also be noted that the list with saints is constantly updated, as more and more saints are glorified. For example, at the Bishops' Council in 2000, the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia were glorified, and if a person was baptized before 2000, then the saints by name and date of birth are determined according to the publications of the Saints earlier than 2000. And if after, then the saint is determined from a wider list by date of birth, according to the publications of the Saints later than 2000. But what if we don’t find a saint with his own name in the Saints? For example, if a person has a non-Christian name? In this case, we must choose a patron saint close in name to ours. So, Dina becomes Evdokia, Angelica becomes Angelina, Zhanna Ioanna, and Svetlana becomes Photinia. But Yuri at baptism is called George. Does this mean that a person in ordinary worldly life is called by this new name? No. In worldly life, of course, he remains Yuri. And in church life, at, say, confession or communion, calling himself, he must name church name: George. When submitting notes about health or repose, the church name of a person is also written. Previously, when they decided to name and baptize a newborn, they usually looked into the Saints and looked at the memory of which saints the Church honors on this day, and chose a patron saint for the baby by name from this list. It is on the day of the baptism of the child, and not on the day of his birth. Now this is a forgotten tradition, and in our time, few adhere to it. They now name them mainly in honor of their relatives or in honor of some favorite characters in books or films, but not in honor of saints. This also happens because many do not know which patron saints exist by date of birth and name. Using the example of some names, let's see how many saints there are in one name.
Saint patron named Andrew
The name Andrew is of Greek origin. In translation, it means "courageous, brave." Insofar as given name very common - that was the name of one of the twelve apostles of Christ - then, accordingly, there should be a lot of saints with that name. Let's see, is that right? Let's take a look at Saints. Yes, indeed, there are many saints named Andrew. Here they are. Hieromartyr Andrew, Bishop of Ufa (January 8), Martyr Andrew of Lampsakia (May 31), Apostle Andrew the First-Called (July 3, July 13, December 13), Saint Andrei Rublev, icon painter (July 17), Martyr Andrew of Crete (October 30).
So, as we can see, the choice is rich. This is far from full list. Remember that Andrew, in order to determine his heavenly patron, needs to choose a saint named Andrew from the list, which would be the closest to his birthday.
Vladimir
What is the patron saint named Vladimir? It is Slavic. The first part of the name goes back to the Proto-Indo-European basis and means the word "strength, power." The second part of the name is borrowed from the Germanic languages \u200b\u200bwith the meaning "great, famous." However, this second part (-mers) among the Slavs, under the influence of the word "peace", took on a different meaning, corresponding to the indicated word. It turns out that the name Vladimir means the combination "owning the world"; at the same time the world in the meaning of "the Universe, the globe", and the world in the meaning of "peace, peace". The original name was pagan. But after the baptism of Russia, subsequently, the name Vladimir was canonized, since Russia was baptized by Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich. There are much fewer saints with this name than in the case of Andrei. Let's take a look at Saints. Hieromartyr Vladimir, Metropolitan of Kyiv and Galicia (February 1), Martyr John Vladimir, Prince of Serbia (June 4), Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir (July 28), Martyr Priest Vladimir (August 29), Right-Believing Prince Vladimir Yaroslavich of Novgorod (October 17) .
Name Dmitry
Now we will find out which patron saint named Dmitry. This Greek name means "dedicated to the goddess Demeter." The established church form of the name is Demetrius. There are also many saints with this name, since the name Dmitry is very common to this day. What kind of saints with the name Demetrius do the Saints mention? Rev. Demetrius Skevophylax (February 7), Righteous Demetrius of Yuryevsky, son of the Right-Believing Prince Svyatoslav (February 16), Passion-Bearer, Blessed Tsarevich Demetrius of Uglich and Moscow (May 28, June 5, June 16), Martyr Demetrius of Kazan (October 15), Martyr Demetrius ( November 28), Righteous Demetrius (December 14).
Alexandra
Let's talk about which patron saint is named after Alexander. This is the female form of the name Alexander; is of Greek origin and translates as “protector of people”, “brave”. There are, frankly, few saints with this name, here they are: Martyr Alexandra of Pontus (April 2), Martyr Alexandra of Rome, Nicomedia, Empress (May 6), Martyr Alexandra of Corinth (May 31, November 19), St. Alexandra Diveevskaya (June 26 ), Holy Martyr Empress Alexandra (July 17). In Russia, by far, the most popular saint bearing this name is the Russian empress, wife of Nicholas II, the last Russian emperor.
Anna
It is worth talking about which patron saint named Anna. If all the previous names we are considering (with the exception of Vladimir) were of Greek origin, then this name is Hebrew, and translates as "grace, favor, mercy, dear." This name is biblical. Since the name is very common throughout the world, there are, of course, many saints with this name, unlike Alexandra: the prophetess Anna (February 16, December 22, martyr Anna Gotfskaya (April 8), grand duchess Anna of Kashinskaya (June 25, August 3, October 15), Venerable Anna of Vifinskaya (June 26, November 11), Martyr Anna (July 18).
Elena
What are the patron saints named after Elena? It is of Greek origin. Interestingly, its etymology is still unclear. There were suggestions that it is associated with the sun god Helios or indicates the self-name of the Greeks - the Hellenes. However, despite their popularity, there are very few saints with this name. Martyr Elena (January 28), Equal-to-the-Apostles Empress Elena (June 3), Martyr Elena, daughter of the Apostle Alpheus (June 8), Rev. Elena Diveevskaya (June 10), Equal-to-the-Apostles Olga, Grand Duchess of Russia, in holy baptism Elena (July 24), righteous Elena, Queen of Serbia (November 12).
A little about the icons of patron saints
There are many icons depicting saints. And it is very good if a person has at home or carries with him an image of his heavenly patron saint. You can turn to the saint with any request, our patron saints hear us and help. In order to choose the right icon with the image of our saint, we need to know about our patron, how he is depicted on the icons, go to the church shop and choose the right one. It will be good if the icon of the patron saint by name will always be next to you. In addition, let's say that it would be nice to know at least one prayer addressed to your saint.
How to celebrate the patron saint's day?
If you understand the difference between a name day and a birthday, you certainly understand the difference between celebrations. On the name day, we, first of all, remember our saints so that they also remember us. On the day of the name day, believers usually go to the temple, confess and take communion. But, of course, there are no obstacles for guests, a gala dinner and gifts. But this should not be noisy fun and a feast with alcoholic drinks. It is better if it is a sincere conversation filled with meaning and content. It is worth noting that if your name day falls during Lent, you need to cook only Lenten dishes. Follow this rule. If your name day falls on a weekday in Lent, they must be moved to Sunday or Saturday.
Some people do not celebrate their name day in any way. This is extremely wrong, because, in addition to religious overtones, it is also just a good bright day filled with joy.
It is very important to teach children from an early age to celebrate name days, take them to church for communion, and also give them small gifts and arrange a quiet feast with the family. In the future, the child throughout his life will treat this day as a festive and special one.
And further. Never forget to congratulate your relatives and friends on their birthday. Give them small gifts. Your attention on this day will be very pleasant to them. Visit them whenever possible. Knowing which patron saints your loved ones have by date of birth and name will help you with choosing a gift if you decide to present an icon.
We really hope that this article was helpful to you. You know what patron saints are by name and date of birth, as well as how to identify them. That's not all. You found out which patron saint is named after you. We also hope that you will find interesting information on how to celebrate name days. For many people, this is another reason for a feast, which is not right. Now you will know what actions are best done on this day of his name day, wonderful for every person. How to find out the name of the patron saint? It's not that hard. You just need to show a keen interest.
Each of us has a guardian angel given by the Lord from birth. He protects from all evil, helps in adversity, supports in difficult times. Accepting holy baptism, becoming a Christian, a person entrusts his soul to the Lord and his second guardian - the holy saint of God, the name that he receives at baptism. The saint takes care, protects and tirelessly prays for us before the Lord.
Name day is the day of memory of the saint, in honor of which you received your Christian name.
On the day of their name day, Orthodox Christians attend church, take communion and, of course, cover for loved ones festive table. The most welcome guests at this bright holiday are the godparents, because they
Your holy name
Venerable Euthymius the Great
Memorial Day January 20
The Monk Euthymius the Great came from the city of Melitina in Armenia near the Euphrates River. His parents, Paul and Dionysius, noble people, were pious Christians. For a long time they did not have children and, finally, through fervent prayers, they had a son, whose birth was preceded by a Divine vision, which foreshadowed a great future for the baby.
The father of the Monk Euthymius soon died, and the mother, fulfilling a vow to consecrate her son to God, gave him up to be brought up by her brother, presbyter Eudoxius. He presented the outflow to the Bishop of the Church of Melitina, Otrius, who lovingly took upon himself the care of him. Seeing his good behavior, the bishop soon made him a reader. Then Saint Euthymius accepted monasticism and was consecrated to the rank of presbyter. At the same time, he was entrusted with the management of all city monasteries. The Monk Euthymius often visited the monastery of St. Polyeuctus, and during the days of Great Lent he retired to the wilderness. The position of the steward of the monasteries weighed heavily on the ascetic who sought silence, and in the 30th year of his life he secretly left the city and headed for Jerusalem, where, bowing to the holy places, he retired to the Faran Lavra. There, having found a secluded desert hut outside the monastery, he settled in it, earning his living by weaving baskets. The Monk Theoktist labored nearby. Both had one desire for God, one will, one goal. Usually, after the feast of the Epiphany of Prayer, they retired to the Kutumi desert (not far from Jericho). Once they stayed there, having chosen a difficult place in the mountains, and settled in a cave. Soon, however, the Lord opened their solitude for the benefit of many people: the shepherds, driving their flocks, found their cave and told the story in the village. People began to flock to the hermits, seeking spiritual benefit. Gradually, a monastic hostel arose, several monks came from the Faran monastery, among them Marin and Luka. The Monk Euthymius entrusted the management of the monastery that had arisen to his friend Theoktist, and he himself became the confessor of the brethren. He instructed his brethren: "Know that those who wish to lead a monastic life should not have their own will, always be in obedience and humility, but have a mortal in mind to fear the Judgment and eternal fire and desire the Kingdom of Heaven."
The monk commanded the young monks to combine bodily labor with inner God-thinking. “If the laity,” he said, “work hard to feed themselves and their families and, in addition, give alms and make sacrifices to God, all the more we monks should work in order to avoid idleness and not feed on other people’s labors.” Abba demanded that the monks keep silence in the church during the Divine service and at the meal. He did not allow young monks who wanted to fast more than other brothers to follow their will, but instructed them to eat common food at the meal with abstinence without stopping.
In those years, the Monk Euthymius converted and baptized many Arabs, among whom was the commander Aspevet with his son Terevan, whom the Monk Euthymius healed from an illness. Aspevet received the name Peter in Baptism and later became a bishop among the Arabs.
The fame of the miracles performed by St. Euthymius quickly spread. People began to flock from everywhere, bringing with them the sick who were being healed. Unable to endure people's rumors and fame, the monk secretly left the monastery, taking with him only his closest disciple Dometian. He retired to the desert of Ruwa and settled in high mountain Marda, near the Dead Sea. In search of solitude, the monk went deep into the wilderness of Ziph and settled in a cave in which the holy King David once hid from the persecutions of King Saul. The Monk Euthymius founded a monastery there, and built a church in the Cave of David itself. At that time, Saint Euthymius converted many hermit monks from the Manichaean heresy, worked miracles, healed the sick and those possessed by demons.
The only saint who is prayed for help when there is no money is St. John the Merciful
Life of St. John the Merciful, Patriarch of Alexandria - was born in Cyprus in the 6th century in the family of a noble nobleman Epiphanius. At the age of fifteen, he had a vision that influenced his entire subsequent life.
In the form of a beautiful maiden in bright clothes with an olive wreath on her head, the highest virtue appeared to him - mercy, and said: "If you make me your friend, then I will send you great grace from the King and bring you to Him, for no one has with Him such strength and boldness as I. I clothed him with a candle from heaven in human flesh. "
Saint John the Merciful
This virtue was the companion of his whole life, for which Saint John was nicknamed by the people - the Merciful. “He who hopes in the mercy of God must first of all, first of all, be merciful to everyone,” said St. John.
By the will of his parents, he married and had children. The wife and children of the saint died, and he accepted monasticism and became a strict faster, prayer book, and brotherly lover.
Spiritual exploits and virtue gained fame for Saint John, and when the patriarchal see in Alexandria was widowed, the emperor Heraclius and all the clergy begged him to take the patriarchal throne.
The zealous hierarch worthily carried out the archpastoral service, taking care of the spiritual upbringing of his flock. During his patriarchate, he denounced the heresy of the Antiochian monophilite Fulon and expelled his followers from Alexandria. But the saint considered alms and good deeds to be his main duty.
The name Igor (previously it sounded like Ingvar) appeared in Russia thanks to the Varangians. The Varangians worshiped many gods, one of which was Ing, who was considered the god of health and fertility. Accordingly, Igor means "guarded by Ing". This name was borne by one of the first Russian princes even before the adoption of Christianity by Russia. In the first centuries after the baptism of Russia, until they settled in the Russian land Orthodox names and customs, boys in princely and boyar families were called this name.
Nevertheless, it is also glorified by the deeds of the martyr and entered the calendar.
It was a long time ago... After the baptism of Russia by the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, the Russian land gradually turned from a union of pagan tribes and cities into a single, strong and prosperous power. Everywhere - in the West, and in the kingdoms of Europe, and in the East, in Byzantium and in the Baghdad Caliphate, they started talking about a new state. Warlike nomads - Polovtsy and Pechenegs - were pushed aside from the Russian borders. The enterprise of Russian merchants, the wisdom of the boyar envoys, the glorious deeds of the princes made the whole world of that time treat Russia with respect. The lords of the West and East considered it an honor to intermarry with the Russian princes.
The Russian state became strong and glorious. But one serious misfortune remained in Russia: princely strife. At that time there was no single order of inheritance of power in Russia. The holy prince Vladimir, dying, divided the land between his sons, and soon they already came together in a bloody war, unable to decide which of them should be the first in Russia. Since then, it has become customary: for the right to own this or that city, the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of St. Vladimir staged battles, devastated their own Russian lands. The biggest civil strife flared up because of the Kiev table. After all, Kyiv was considered the first city in Russia, and Kyiv prince since ancient times was the main among other princes.
The most dishonorable and desperate of the princes did not hesitate to bring old enemies to Russia - the Polovtsians and Pechenegs, so that they fought for them; and wild nomads burned cities to the ground, devastated volosts. And then, having lost respect for the Russian princes and fear of their squads, they again began to raid Russia.
In vain the most wise and far-sighted of the princes tried to stop the strife. No matter how many princes gathered, agreeing to "have peace with each other," no matter how much they swore to this, kissing the cross, there was still someone desperate or envious, who fought against rivals.
In such a dashing time, Igor was born, in holy baptism he took the name George. He was the son of Prince Oleg of Chernigov, whom his contemporaries called Gorislavovich - indeed, he brought a lot of grief to himself and to the Russian land with his irrepressible thirst for power and power. He did not disdain anything in order to take the throne of Kyiv. For this, not only princes did not like him in Russia, but also ordinary people who suffered from the cruelties he committed.
Igor's mother was a famous lady from Byzantium, Theophania Mouzalon. An educated and God-fearing woman, she suffered from the cruel nature of her husband and tried to instill in little Igor meekness and a love of knowledge.
Igor grew up as a humble and pious young man. Since childhood, he understood the danger and unrighteousness of princely strife, and reading chronicles and studying the Holy Scriptures further strengthened him in this. From his youth, he decided that he would not follow the example of his father, and with his life and his actions he would try to atone for his sins.
Igor inherited the small town of Novgorod-Seversky, which stood on the southern borders of what was then Russia. In summer, the sun was unbearably scorching here, in winter blizzards swept snowdrifts higher than human height. From the wooden city wall, in clear weather, the feather-grass Great Steppe was visible in the distance, from where the Polovtsians came with raids. Polovtsian riders on short, hairy horses, armed with crooked sabers and long-range bows, brought death and destruction. Igor more than once had to repel their attacks, or even go to war in the Polovtsian lands. So, in 1111 he participated in a big campaign in the steppe. Many princes then gathered under the banner of Vladimir Monomakh, the great-grandson of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, forcing the Polovtsy to remember the times of the glorious heroes Ilya Muromets and Dobrynya Nikitich, and for a long time to forget the road to the Russian lands.
The harsh life on the border tempered Igor's character, making him a real prince-warrior and defender, honest and fair.
Taking care of the well-being of the body, he did not forget about spiritual perfection. Igor spent a lot of time in prayers and pious meditations before the icon of the Mother of God. I would have left long ago
HOLY MARTYR MARINA
The Holy Martyr Marina lived during the reign of Emperor Claudius (c. 270). She was born in Antioch of Pisidia (in Asia Minor) and was the daughter of the pagan priest Aedesius. Her mother died when her daughter was 12 years old, and her father believed the care of her daughter to the village nurse. Association with local Christians and Marina's natural inclinations favored the growth of the seed of true faith in her heart. When she was 15 years old, her love for Christ was so strong in her that Marina wanted only one thing and thought of only one thing - to partake of martyrdom and shed her blood in the name of love for Christ. Without hiding her desire, Marina was not afraid to declare publicly that she was a Christian, and ridiculed the cult of idols. By this she aroused the hatred of her father, who disinherited her.
One day Olybrius, the perfect Asia, on his way to Antioch, saw the saint who was pasturing along with other women of the village. Fascinated by the beauty of Marina, he wished to take her as his wife and ordered his people to bring the girl. Arriving at the palace, she appeared before the magistrate, who asked her to give her name. The virgin answered in a confident voice: "My name is Marina, I am the daughter of free parents from Pisidia, but I am a slave of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who created heaven and earth." Then she was imprisoned in anticipation of a great pagan holiday, which was to take place the next day.
When she was brought to court and commanded to bring sacrifices to the gods along with everyone, Marina replied: “I will offer a sacrifice of praise to my God, but never to your dumb idols, deprived of life!” Olybrius urged her to save her youth and beauty. But she objected that all bodily beauty fades, while the torments endured for the name of Christ adorn the soul and prepare it for eternal bliss. The magistrate, angered by such impudence, ordered the maiden to be stretched on the ground, beaten with spiked rods, and tearing her flesh with iron hooks. The saint's blood flowed in an abundant stream and stained the ground, but Marina did not utter a single cry of pain and remained imperturbable, as if someone else was suffering instead of her. After several hours of torment, she was thrown into prison, where she prayed to the Lord not to leave her in the test and profession of faith. hfeya
Holy Great Martyr Irina
Memorial Day: May 5
The Holy Great Martyr Irina lived in the 1st century and bore the name Penelope before her baptism. She was the daughter of the pagan Licinius. Licinius built a separate luxurious palace for his daughter, where she lived with her teacher Caria, surrounded by peers and servants. Every day, a mentor named Apelian came to Penelope, who taught her the sciences. Apelian was a Christian; during the teaching, he spoke to the girl about Christ the Savior and instructed her in Christian doctrine and Christian virtues. When Penelope grew up, her parents began to think about her marriage. During this period of her life, the Lord enlightened her miraculously: three birds flew to her window one after another - a dove with an olive branch, an eagle with a wreath and a raven with a snake. The teacher of Penelope Apelian explained to her the meaning of this sign: the dove, which meant the virtues of the maiden - humility, meekness and chastity, brought the olive branch of the grace of God received in baptism; the eagle - a sign of the height of the spirit, achieved through contemplation of God - brought a wreath for victory over an invisible enemy as a reward from the Lord; the raven brought the snake as a sign that the devil would take up arms against her and would get sorrows, sorrows and persecutions. At the end of the conversation, Apelian said that the Lord wanted to betroth her to Himself and that Penelope would endure many sufferings for her Heavenly Bridegroom. After this, Penelope refused marriage, received Baptism from the hands of the Apostle Timothy, a disciple of the holy Apostle Paul, and was named Irene. She began to convince her parents to accept the Christian faith. The mother rejoiced at the conversion of her daughter to Christ; the father at first did not interfere with his daughter, but then began to demand from her the worship of pagan deities. When Saint Irina firmly and resolutely refused, the enraged Licinius ordered that his daughter be tied up and thrown under the hooves of ferocious horses. But the horses remained motionless, only one of them broke away from the leash, rushed at Licinius, grabbed his teeth with his teeth. right hand, tore it out of his shoulder, and Licinius himself was knocked down and began to stomp. Then the holy virgin was untied, and through her prayer, Licinius, in the presence of eyewitnesses, stood up unharmed, with a healthy hand. Seeing such a miracle, Licinius with his wife and a multitude of people, numbering about 3,000 people, believed in Christ and renounced the pagan gods.
Leaving the administration of the region, he settled in the palace of his daughter, intending to devote himself to the service of the Lord Jesus Christ. Saint Irina began to preach the teaching of Christ among the pagans and turned them to the path of salvation. She lived in the house of her teacher Apelian. Upon learning of this, Zedekiah, the new ruler of the region, called Apelian and asked about the way of life of Irene. Apelian replied that Irina, like other Christians, lives in strict abstinence, in unceasing prayer and reading of Divine books. Selekiah called the saint to him and began to persuade her to stop preaching about Christ and offer sacrifice to the gods. Saint Irina fearlessly confessed her faith before the ruler, not being afraid of his threats and preparing to endure worthily suffering for Christ. By order of Sedeki, she was thrown into a pit filled with snakes and reptiles. The saint stayed in the ditch for ten days and remained unharmed, for the Angel of the Lord preserved her and brought her food. Zedekiah attributed this miracle to magic and gave the saint over to terrible tortures: he ordered her to be cut with an iron saw. But the saws broke one after another and did not harm the body of the holy virgin. Finally, the fourth saw stained the body of the martyr with blood. Zedekiah laughingly said to the martyr: "Where is your God? If He has power, let Him help you." Suddenly a whirlwind arose, a dazzling lightning flashed, striking many martyrs, there was a strong thunder and heavy rain poured down. Seeing such a sign from heaven, many believed in Christ the Savior. Zedekiah did not understand the obvious manifestation of the power of God and gave the saint over to new tortures, but the Lord preserved her unharmed. Finally, the people rebelled, looking at the suffering of an innocent virgin, rebelled against Zedeki and expelled him. The rulers who succeeded Zedekiah also subjected Saint Irene to various cruel torments, during which, by the power of God, she continued to remain unharmed, and the people, under the influence of her preaching and miracles performed, increasingly turned to Christ, leaving the worship of idols. In total, Saint Irene converted over 10,000 pagans. From her native city of Migdaniya, the saint moved to the city of Kallipol and there she continued to preach about Christ. The ruler of the city, named Vavadon, subjected the martyr to new executions, but seeing that the saint remained unharmed, he came to his senses and believed in Christ. Believed with him big number pagans, who all received holy Baptism from the Apostle Timothy.
After that, Saint Irene visited other cities - Constantine, Mesemvria with a sermon about Christ, working miracles, healing the sick and enduring suffering for Christ. In the city of Ephesus, the Lord revealed to her that the time of her death was drawing near. Then Saint Irina, accompanied by her teacher Elder Apelian and other Christians, withdrew outside the city to a mountain cave and, signing herself with the sign of the cross, entered it, instructing her companions to close the entrance to the cave with a large stone, which was done. When, on the fourth day after this, the Christians visited the cave, they did not find the body of the saint in it. Thus reposed the Holy Great Martyr Irina.
The name of Elena, Alena, the day of the angel Elena, Alena
While the pagan world, arming itself against Christianity with fire and sword, thought at the end of the 3rd and the beginning of the 4th centuries to completely wipe out the very name of Christians from the face of the earth, the Providence of God prepared for the Church of Christ, among the Caesars themselves who persecuted Christianity, her royal patron in the person of Constantine the Tsar, who, even during his lifetime, received the name, forever established behind him in Christian history, Equal to the Apostles, in the world history of the Great.
Born in 274 to parents, although not a Christian, but familiar with Christianity and patronizing him, Constantine shunned pagan superstitions from childhood and drew closer to Christ the true God. The right hand of the Lord herself gradually prepared him and purified him in many different ways, as a chosen vessel of the glory of God.
The father of Constantine Constantius Chlorus, Caesar in the Western half of the empire, being in appearance - officially - an idolater, in his soul was far from pagan superstition; internally, he renounced the service of many false gods and recognized the One true God, - he worshiped him alone and his whole house, together with children and households, dedicated to one King-God. How far Constantius was from superstitious service to idols with sacrifices and smoking, he wished one day to test the true dispositions of his courtiers; he pretended to want to perform superstitious pagan rites, and said to his courtiers:
Who wants to enjoy my favor and love and stay
MARTYRS FAITH, HOPE, LOVE AND SOPHIA
Memorial Day: September 17
In the II century, during the reign of Emperor Hadrian (117-138), the pious widow Sophia lived in Rome (the name Sophia means wisdom). She had three daughters who bore the names of the main Christian virtues: Faith, Hope and Love. Being a deeply believing Christian, Sophia raised her daughters in love for God, teaching them not to become attached to earthly goods. The rumor that this family belonged to Christianity reached the emperor, and he wished to personally see the three sisters and their mother. All four stood before the emperor and fearlessly confessed their faith in Christ, risen from the dead and give eternal life to all who believe in Him. Surprised by the courage of the young Christian women, the emperor sent them to a pagan woman, whom he ordered to convince them to renounce their faith. However, all the arguments and eloquence of the pagan mentor turned out to be in vain, and the Christian sisters, burning with faith, did not change their convictions. Then they were again brought before the emperor Hadrian, and he insistently demanded that they sacrifice to the pagan gods. But the girls indignantly rejected his order.
“We have a Heavenly God,” they answered, “we want to remain his children, but we spit on your gods and are not afraid of your threats. We are ready to suffer and even die for the sake of our dear Lord Jesus Christ.”
Toda, angry Adrian ordered the children to be subjected to various tortures. The executioners started with Vera. Before the eyes of their mother and sisters, they began to beat her mercilessly, tearing off parts from her body. Then they laid it on a red-hot iron grate. By the power of God, the fire did not cause any harm to the body of the holy martyr. Maddened by cruelty, Adrian did not understand the miracle of God and ordered the maiden to be thrown into a cauldron of boiling tar. But by the will of the Lord, the cauldron cooled down and did no harm to the confessor. Then she was sentenced to be beheaded with a sword.
Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker
Many great and glorious deeds were done on land and at sea by the great Saint Nicholas the Pleasant. He helped those in trouble, saved them from drowning and carried them out to dry land from the depths of the sea, freed them from captivity and brought the liberated home, delivered them from bonds and prison, protected them from being cut with a sword, freed them from death and gave various healings to many, enlightenment to the blind, walking to the lame , deaf hearing, dumb gift of speech.
He enriched many who were in squalor and extreme poverty, served food to the hungry, and was a ready helper in every need, a warm intercessor and an early intercessor and protector. And now he also helps those who call on him and saves them from troubles. It is impossible to count his miracles in exactly the same way, it is impossible to describe all of them in detail. East and West know this great miracle worker, and his miracle works are known in all ends of the earth.
May the Triune God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit be glorified in him, and may his holy name be praised by the lips forever. Amen.
Birthplace of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker
For many tens of centuries on two peninsulas - Anatolian and Thracian - where Europe connects with Asia, peoples succeeded each other, Greeks, Thracians, Arabs, Byzantines, Lycians, Seljuk Turks came and disappeared. And, finally, the Republic of Turkey was finally established on the site of the former Ottoman Empire. Eighty thousand mosques on the territory of this country. Thousands of them were erected on the site of once Christian Byzantine churches. But neither millennia, nor wars and destruction, nor earthquakes touched the church of St. Nicholas, the Wonderworker, which stands in the modern city - Demre - the ancient World.
The ancient city of Myra, founded before our era, was a member of the Lycian Union of Cities, minted its own coin and was of great strategic importance. In 61 AD, one of Jesus' apostles, St. Paul, met here for the last time with the rest of the apostles before going to Rome.
But the eye no longer notices the ancient beauties, and the heart is torn to where a small Byzantine church is visible behind the trees, in which Archbishop Nicholas of Lycia served all his life and where he was buried after his death.
Lines already familiar from the holy scriptures
his biographies acquire here, in his homeland, at the entrance to his temple, a completely different sound - not abstract and distant, but close and alive - here he walked on this earth, along these steps, touched these walls, served behind this ancient altar ...
Saint Nicholas was born in 234 AD in the city of Patara, which is 60 kilometers west of Demre. Growing up in a wealthy family, he received a good education and devoted his life to people. As a young man, he set off on a journey to bow to the holy places of distant Jerusalem. The sea voyage almost ended in tragedy - a storm threatened to break the ship against the rocks. And then the saint began to pray. People were saved, and since then he has become the patron and saint of sailors and all travelers. Returning from Jerusalem to Demre, St. Nicholas - this educated man, connoisseur of history, foreign languages and theology, a preacher - became the Bishop of Mira, where he preached until his death, giving all his knowledge and strength for the benefit of people.
Miracles, with the help of which he helped people during his lifetime, were passed down in stories from person to person, passed from century to century and have come down to our days.
Just as miraculously preserved to this day the temple of the Saint. The church was discovered in the present mall Demre during excavations in 1956.
THE LIFE OF ST. NICHOLAS ARCHBISHOP WORLD LYCIA WONDER WORKER
Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker was born in 234 AD in the city of Patara in Lycia. From birth, he surprised his pious parents: at baptism, not yet able to walk and stand on his own legs, he stood in the font for three hours, thereby paying honor to the Most Holy Trinity.
His parents Theophanes and Nonna were pious, noble and rich, but for a long time they had no children and no longer hoped to have children, but with many prayers, tears and alms they asked God for a son. This pious couple, for their charitable life, many alms and great virtues, was honored to grow a holy branch, "like a tree planted by streams of water, which bears its fruit in its season." (Ps. 1:3)
When this blessed boy was born, he was given the name Nicholas, which means conqueror of nations. And he, with the blessing of God, truly appeared as the conqueror of malice, for the good of the whole world.
After his birth, his mother Nona was immediately freed from her illness and from that time until her death remained barren. By this, nature itself, as it were, testified that this wife could not have another son like St. Nicholas, he alone had to be the first and last. Sanctified in the womb of God-inspired grace, he showed himself to be a reverent worshiper of God before he saw the light, began to work miracles before he began to feed on his mother's milk, and to be a faster before he got used to eating food.
In him one could recognize the future miracle worker even because he fed on the milk of one right breast, signifying your future standing at the right hand of the Lord along with the righteous. He showed his fair fasting in the fact that on Wednesdays and Fridays he ate mother's milk only once, and then in the evening, after the parents had performed the usual prayers. His father and mother were very surprised at this and foresaw what a strict faster their son would be in his life. Accustomed to such abstinence from infant swaddling clothes, Saint Nicholas spent his whole life
Martyr Photina (Svetlana) Samaritan, and her sons Martyrs Victor, named Photin, and Josiah
Memorial Day: March 20
The Holy Martyr Photina was the very Samaritan woman with whom the Savior spoke at the well of Jacob (John 4:5-42). During the time of the emperor Nero (54-68), who displayed extreme cruelty in the fight against Christianity, Saint Photina lived in Carthage with her youngest son Josiah and fearlessly preached the Gospel there. Her eldest son fought bravely in the Roman troops against the barbarians and, for his services, was appointed commander in the city of Attalia (Asia Minor).
Sebastian, the mayor of Attalia, at a meeting with Saint Victor, said to him: “I know for sure that you, your mother and your brother are followers of the teachings of Christ. to your mother and brother, I will write that they do not preach Christ openly. Let them confess their faith in secret." Saint Victor replied: "I myself want to be a preacher of Christianity, like my mother and brother." To this, Sebastian replied: "O Victor, we all know well what disasters await you, your mother and your brother" for this. After these words, Sebastian felt a sharp pain in his eyes, his face changed and became numb.
For three days he lay blind, without uttering a word. On the fourth day, unexpectedly, he loudly said: "Only the faith of Christians is true, there is no other true faith!" Sebastian, who was nearby, said: "Christ calls me." Soon he was baptized and immediately received his sight. The servants of Saint Sebastian, witnesses of the miracle, were baptized following the example of their master.
Rumors about what had happened reached Nero, and he ordered that Christians be brought to him for trial in Rome. Then the Lord Himself appeared to the confessors and said: "I will be with you, and Nero will be defeated, and all who serve him." The Lord announced to Saint Victor: "From this day on, your name will be Fotin -" Luminous ", for many enlightened by you will turn to Me." The Lord encouraged Saint Sebastian: "Blessed is he who accomplishes his feat to the end." Saint Photina, informed by the Savior of the coming sufferings, accompanied by several Christians, set off from Carthage to Rome and joined the confessors.
In Rome, the emperor ordered the saints to be brought to him and asked them if they really believed in Christ. All the confessors resolutely refused to deny the Savior. Then the emperor ordered that the hands of the holy martyrs be crushed on an anvil. But during the torture, the confessors did not feel pain, and the hands of the martyr Photina remained unharmed. Nero ordered Saints Sebastian, Photina and Iosio to be blinded and imprisoned, and Saint Photina with her five sisters - Anastasia, Photo, Photis, Paraskeva and Kyriakia - were sent to the imperial palace under the supervision of Nero's daughter Domnina. But Saint Photina converted Domnina and all her slave girls to Christ, who received holy baptism. She also converted Volkhov to Christ, who brought poisoned drink to kill the confessor.
Three years passed, and Nero sent to prison for one of his servants, who was imprisoned. The messengers informed him that Saints Sebastian, Photius and Josiah, who were blinded, became completely healthy, and they are constantly visited by people who listen to their sermon; the dungeon itself turned into a bright and fragrant place where God is glorified. Then Nero ordered the saints to be crucified upside down for three days, beating them on their naked bodies with straps. On the fourth day, the emperor sent servants to see if the martyrs were alive. But, having arrived at the place of torture, those sent immediately went blind. At this time, the Angel of the Lord released the martyrs and freed them. The saints took pity on the blinded servants and by their prayers to the Lord restored their sight. Those who received their sight believed in Christ and were soon baptized.
In impotent fury, Nero ordered that Saint Photina be skinned and thrown into a well. Martyrs Sebastian, Photin and Josiah had their shins cut off, thrown to the dogs, and then skinned from them. The sisters of St. Photina also endured terrible torments. Nero ordered their nipples to be cut off and then skinned from them. Sophisticated in torture, the emperor prepared the most cruel execution for Saint Photis: they tied her by her feet to the tops of two bent trees, which, straightening up, tore the martyr to pieces. The emperor ordered the rest to be beheaded. Saint Photina was pulled out of the well and imprisoned for 20 days.
After that, Nero called her to him and asked if she would now submit and make sacrifices to idols. Saint Photina spat in the emperor’s face and, laughing at him, said: “An impious blind man, a lost and insane person! Do you really think me so unreasonable that I would agree to renounce my Lord Christ and offer sacrifice to blind idols like you?!”.
Hearing such words, Nero again ordered the martyr to be thrown into the well, where she gave her spirit to the Lord (+ c. 66)
