She was the daughter of Consta, the ruler of Alexandria of Egypt, during the reign of the emperor Maximinus (305-313). Living in the capital, the center of Hellenic learning, Catherine, who had a rare beauty and intelligence, received an excellent education, having studied the works of the best ancient philosophers and scientists. Young men from the most eminent families of the empire were looking for the hand of the beautiful Catherine, but none of them became her chosen one. She announced to her parents that she agreed to marry only someone who surpasses her in nobility, wealth, beauty and wisdom.
Catherine's mother, a secret Christian, took her for advice to her spiritual father, a holy elder, who performed a prayer feat in solitude in a cave not far from the city. After listening to Catherine, the elder said that he knew the Youth, Who surpasses her in everything, for “His beauty is brighter than the sunshine, His wisdom rules over all creation, His wealth spreads throughout the world, but this does not diminish him, but multiplies, the height of His family - is inexpressible. " The image of the Heavenly Bridegroom gave birth to a burning desire in the soul of the holy virgin to see Him. The truth, to which her soul was striving, was revealed to her. At parting, the elder gave Catherine an icon of the Mother of God with the Infant Jesus in her arms and ordered to pray with faith to the Heavenly Queen - the Heavenly Bridegroom Mother for the granting of a vision of Her Son.
Catherine prayed all night and was honored to see the Blessed Virgin, Who asked Her Divine Son to look at Catherine kneeling before Them. But the Baby turned away His face, saying that he could not look at her, because she was ugly, thin, poverty-stricken and insane, like any person who was not washed by the waters of Holy Baptism and not sealed with the seal of the Holy Spirit. In deep sadness, Catherine again went to the elder. He accepted her with love, instructed the faith of Christ, commanded to keep purity and chastity and to pray incessantly, and performed the sacrament of Holy Baptism over her. And again Saint Catherine had a vision of the Most Holy Theotokos with the Child. Now the Lord looked at her affectionately and gave her a ring, wrapping her around for Himself. When the vision ended and the saint awoke from sleep, a ring shone on her hand - a wondrous gift from the Heavenly Bridegroom. At this time, the emperor Maximinus himself arrived in Alexandria for a pagan festival. On this occasion, the holiday was especially magnificent and crowded. The screams of sacrificial animals, the smoke and stench of the altars that burned incessantly, the hubbub of the crowd on the lists filled Alexandria. Human sacrifices were also made - they doomed the confessors of Christ, who did not depart from Him under torture, to death in the fire. The holy love for the Christian martyrs and a heartfelt desire to alleviate their fate prompted Catherine to go to the chief priest and ruler of the empire, the persecuting emperor Maximinus.
Maximinus, no longer hoping to convince the saint, tried to seduce her with the promise of wealth and glory. Having received an angry refusal, the emperor gave orders to subject the saint to cruel torture, and then to throw her into prison. Empress Augusta, who had heard a lot about Saint Catherine, wished to see her. Having persuaded the voivode Porfiry with a detachment of soldiers to accompany her, Augusta came to the dungeon. The Empress was amazed by the strength of the spirit of Saint Catherine, whose face shone with divine grace. The holy martyr revealed to those who came the Christian teaching, and they, believing, turned to Christ.
The next day, the martyr was again brought to the trial, where, under the threat of the wheel, they invited her to renounce the Christian faith and offer sacrifice to the gods. The saint adamantly confessed Christ and herself approached the wheels, but the Angel crushed the instruments of execution, and they scattered to pieces, killing many pagans. Seeing this miracle, the Empress Augusta and the courtier Porfiry Stratilat with 200 soldiers in front of everyone confessed their faith in Christ and were beheaded. Maximinus again tried to seduce the holy martyr, proposing marriage to her, and again was refused. Saint Catherine firmly confessed her fidelity to her Heavenly Bridegroom, Christ, and with a prayer to Him she herself laid her head on the block under the executioner's sword.
Veneration
Prayer Words
Troparion, voice 4
Good-natured, like the rays of the sun, / enlightened the unbelieving sages / with a desire for heavenly hell / to the beautiful Bridegroom, Christ, / and from Him I was crowned with a royal crown: / To Him, from the Angel coming, / I pray for us, // to be honored.
Ying kondak, voice 3(Similar: Virgo today :)
Today, Catherine is a martyr / and Vitiam expose a mind-boggling heresy, / Angel bo from Heaven to that coming, / you brought power from the Most High, / you received it, manly speaking: // Christ is commendation.
Kontakion, voice 2(Similar: Seeking the Highest :)
The face of the honest Divine, martyrs, raise up now, / honoring the whole of all-kind Catherine, / this is in the throne of Christ, the sermon and the serpent trampled, // rhetoricians of the mind tamed.
The icon of the Great Martyr Catherine is venerated among Orthodox Christians. The saint is considered the patroness of students who turn to the icon for help in difficult moments of life.
Saint Catherine of Alexandria helps everyone who turns to her with sincere prayers. Her life is a model of chastity and true faith in the Lord. Often they turn to her for support, ask for peace of mind, repent of their sins.
The history of the icon
Catherine's story begins in the third century. She was born into a noble believing family. The parents gave the girl an excellent education, and when the time for marriage came, Catherine wished herself an intelligent and honest husband, better than herself. The mother took the girl to church, where Catherine was imbued with the spirit of Christianity and went through the sacrament of baptism. After the ceremony, she had a dream in which the Lord himself appointed her as his bride. When she woke up, she found an elegant ring on her finger.
Catherine lived in a time of turmoil and strife, and during the next godly holiday with sacrifices, she went to the king's palace. The emperor Maximinus was struck by the intelligence and beauty of Catherine and invited the greatest philosophers to try to persuade the girl to their faith. However, nothing could break the spirit of a true believer. She bravely endured numerous tortures, and an angel who appeared to her told her that she would be able to withstand the struggle for the true faith. The emperor ordered the execution of Catherine of Alexandria. Together with her, the wife of the emperor and his best friend the military leader, who followed Catherine's example and converted to Orthodoxy, renounced paganism, were betrayed to death.
Where is the image of the great martyr Catherine
Icons depicting the saint were especially revered in St. Petersburg. Empresses Catherine I and Catherine II considered her their patroness and intercessor. In the great city, ten temples were built with her name. Now the image of Catherine can be worshiped in many places throughout Russia, for example:
- in the church of the same name in St. Petersburg;
- in St. Isaac's Cathedral;
- in the village of Murino, Leningrad Region;
- in the temple of the same name in Moscow, Bolshaya Ordynka street;
- in the churches of Moscow on Ibragimov Street, Donskoy Street, Odintsovskaya Street, Pyatnitskaya Street, on Red Square.
There are also temples and churches in Smolensk, Vidnoye, the village of Semenovsky, Suzdal region, Nerekhta, Kostroma region, Egypt, Mordovia, Tatarstan.
Description of the icon of the great martyr Catherine of Alexandria
The most ancient icons date back to the 8-9th century. On them, the Great Martyr is skillfully painted in a royal dress, she has a crown on her head. Some icons depict Catherine with a palm branch in her hands. Catherine's red robes symbolize martyrdom, and the white headscarf symbolizes chastity.
What they pray for in front of the image of Catherine of Alexandria
Before the image, you can pray to avoid mistakes that can harm. They ask Catherine for patronage, for protection from all kinds of dangers that lie in wait for people on the path of life. Women turn to Catherine with prayers to find spiritual harmony, build relationships in the family, ask for the protection of their children. Those who receive education also pray to the image. Many educational institutions in European countries are named after the saint.
Prayers to Catherine are also offered in the hope of helping in court proceedings. Anyone who needs help can sincerely pray to the holy great martyr. Prayers in front of the image strengthen a person's faith not only in the Higher Forces, but also in their own, allow you to overcome obstacles and achieve your goals with honest work.
Celebration date
The solemn service in honor of the memory of the Great Martyr Catherine of Alexandria is taking place 7 december... On this day, everyone can turn to the saint for help, and his sincere prayers will be heard.
Prayer before the icon
“Holy Great Martyr Catherine! We humbly appeal to You. Protect our souls from all evil, but do not let us stumble. Send your grace to us and let your mind overcome all difficulties in learning and in life. Protect anyone from evil, do not let us go astray from the path of the Orthodox, strengthen our faith in the Lord. Save and preserve our children and families, do not let evil fill our hearts filled with prayer. Amen".
The image of Catherine helps everyone to realize the value of their life and knowledge. Thanks to this image, many gain confidence and move towards their goal much faster. Prayers offered to Catherine of Alexandria must come from a pure heart. We wish you good luck in all your endeavors, and do not forget to press the buttons and
07.12.2017 05:48
On Orthodox Epiphany Eve, Christians traditionally observe fasting and do not eat until the first star, they exalt ...
The Holy Great Martyr Catherine of Alexandria is venerated by Eastern and Western Christians. This early Christian saint lived in Egypt when Maximinus ruled the Roman Empire. She came from a noble family and was the daughter of Emperor Konst, who, according to later sources, ruled Alexandria. The saint before the adoption of Christianity bore the name Dorothea. The girl was very beautiful and highly educated, she knew well the works of philosophers and the works of ancient poets and historians, she had an aptitude for medicine and languages.
How did Dorothea become a Christian?
Dorothea told her parents that she would only marry the person who would be equal to her in wisdom and position in society. After listening to her daughter, her mother, a secret Christian, introduced Dorothea to her spiritual father. From him, the girl learned about the One Who, in intelligence, wealth, nobility and beauty, surpassed all those living on earth. Dorothea, who with all her heart wanted to see the Bridegroom, received an icon of the Mother of God as a gift and prayed in front of Her image. In a dream, the Mother of God appeared to her with the Youth in her arms, who for some reason turned away from her. With this question, the girl returned to the elder, then he baptized her with the name Catherine and told about Christ. The Virgin again prayed in front of the image of the Mother of God and in a dream she saw the Lord. Now she was betrothed to the Heavenly Bridegroom.
Martyrdom
As a pagan, the emperor Maximinus in 305 gathered the inhabitants of the surrounding lands in Alexandria to make sacrifices to the pagan gods. Crowds of people in the city squares, sacrificial fires, the roar of slaughtered animals struck Catherine, and the girl came to the emperor at the palace to denounce the pagans.
The emperor was captivated by the beauty of the girl, and he wanted to convince her to abandon the Christian faith. For this, he called 50 wise men, but after a dispute with Catherine, they themselves believed in the truth of the Christian teaching. The enraged Maximinus ordered the philosophers to be burned at the stake. When their bodies were found unburnt, many people believed in Christ.
Having heard about the virgin's faith, courage and virtues, the wife of Maximinus and his soldiers believed in the Lord. All the attempts of the Roman ruler to persuade the saint to paganism were in vain, and by his order Catherine was thrown into captivity. Empress Augusta came to her along with the commander Porfiry and 200 soldiers.
After 12 days of imprisonment, Maximinus wanted to subject Saint Catherine to a terrible torture, for which a device in the form of four wheels with nails was placed on the city square. The body of the saint would simply be crushed by the rotation of the wheels, but when Catherine was tied to them, the mechanism collapsed, and the wheels flew apart, from which many of those who came to see the execution were crippled. This miracle also prompted the people who were in the square to believe in Christ.
Augusta wanted to prevent the torment of Catherine and personally asked her husband for discipline, but he, in anger, tortured his wife, and then ordered her, Porfiry and the soldiers to be executed.
Catherine herself was executed the next day - the martyr's head was cut off with a sword. Tradition says that milk flowed out of the head of the righteous woman instead of blood, and the angels lifted her body and carried it to Mount Sinai. In the Orthodox Church, the memory of the holy Great Martyr Catherine, Martyr Augusta, Martyr Porfiry and two hundred soldiers is celebrated on December 7 (November 24, O.S.).
Finding relics and veneration
In the 6th century, monks from the Sinai Monastery acquired the relics of the saint - the head and the left hand. They took them to their monastery, which later began to bear the name of St. Catherine. From here the news of the saint spread throughout the Christian world. The relics of the Great Martyr Catherine are kept in the altar of the Basilica of the Transfiguration of the Lord. The head of St. Catherine is covered with a crown. Cancer with relics from the altar is taken out after Matins on the days of the Lord's feasts. For constant worship of pilgrims, a reliquary with a particle of holy relics near the icon of the Great Martyr Catherine is installed in the basilica. When in Egypt at Sinai, the believers, in addition to the monastery, try to visit the Mount of St. Catherine, where the relics of the martyr were found.
Belarusians also have the opportunity to worship the icon of the Great Martyr Catherine. The image of the saint with a particle of her relics is in the Elisabeth Church of the St. Elisabeth Convent in Minsk.
December 7 is the day of the holy Great Martyr Catherine. The biography of this Alexandrian princess, who, having experienced a meeting with Christ, completely changed her life and was not afraid to accept a martyr's death for Him, is amazing. In history, Catherine has also remained known for her beauty and wisdom: in a verbal dispute, she defeated one of the most educated philosophers of her time.
Saint Catherine was born in Alexandria. She came from a royal family, received an excellent education even by today's standards. Already at the age of 18 she could speak several languages, perfectly knew the works of ancient poets and philosophers - Homer, Virgil, Aristotle, Plato and others, was interested in medicine, read the works of Asclepius and Hippocrates, mastered the art of rhetoric.
Catherine firmly decided not to marry and remain a virgin for the rest of her life. Her life does not say what the reasons for such a decision were, but at that time the girl was not yet a Christian and, despite her education, she did not know Christianity.
Relatives insisted on marriage, and Catherine said that she would marry only that young man who surpassed her in nobility, beauty, wisdom and wealth. That is, in terms of the qualities by which she surpassed the other girls.
“I want to have only someone equal to me as a fiancé. Any young man who does not have at least one of these talents is not worthy of me, and I do not want to be his wife, "said Catherine.
The answer sounded very proud, but it gave Catherine the opportunity to stay unmarried: they really could not find a husband who would fit all these points.
But the mother took Catherine to her spiritual mentor, a Christian elder, and he, having talked with the girl, decided to teach her Christianity and began to talk about a young man who surpassed her in all qualities. In fact, he was talking about Christ, and the girl decided that it was about some earthly young man, and wanted to see him.
The elder gave her an icon of the Mother of God and said that this was the Mother of the Youth, about whom he had told her. If Catherine prays to Her and asks to show her Son, she will see an extraordinary Youth.
Education did not prevent Catherine from believing the words of the elder, she innocently took the icon, brought it home and began to pray. In a dream, the Mother of God really appeared to her with the Baby in her arms. But the Child turned away and did not want to look at Catherine, called her insane, poor and thin and in the end said that let Catherine go to the elder and learn from him.
In the morning Catherine went to the elder. He taught her the secrets of faith, told about Adam, Eve, the fall and death of Christ on the cross. After that, Catherine again prayed to the Mother of God, and the Infant Christ not only looked at her, but when Catherine exclaimed that she was unworthy to be near Him, he presented her with a ring and said that he had chosen her as His bride, incorruptible and eternal.
Of course, this was not an earthly marriage, which Catherine or her relatives had previously spoken about. It was the highest, mysterious union with God, the beginning of the church, Christian life.
Soon the pagan emperor Maximian arrived in Alexandria, and celebrations began in honor of the pagan gods. The emperor and his courtiers slaughtered livestock and made sacrifices. The screams of animals, blood, cruel rituals - all this was unbearable to see Catherine. She came to a pagan temple to convince Maximian not to do this and generally stop believing in false gods.
The beauty of Catherine surprised and attracted the emperor, and the words caused great irritation. He tried to convince the girl, and then decided to call 50 of the smartest philosophers and sages to defeat her in a verbal dispute. The sages hoped to put the impudent girl to shame, but for each of their answers, she cited quotations from ancient authors who refuted the words of the sages and proved her right. She told them about Christ, and the philosophers believed in Catherine's God and asked her to pray for them when the angry emperor ordered them to be executed for not defeating Catherine.
The girl herself was imprisoned and left without food or water. A dove sent from God brought her food. And when Maximian left the city, his wife Augusta came to her, accompanied by the commander Porfiry. The Empress saw Catherine in a dream and was now glad that God had honored her with a meeting with the saint. Catherine predicted to her and Porfiry a martyr's death for Christ. Naturally, Augusta began to fear the impending torment, but Catherine reassured her and said that Christ Himself would be the empress's helper.
Soon the emperor returned and was angry that Catherine, even after prison, did not want to worship his gods and become his wife. He was preparing a painful execution for her, and Empress Augusta dared to argue with him and dissuade him from torturing Catherine. Maximian unleashed his irritation on her and gave Augusta a painful execution.
“He ordered to bring a large box and fill it with tin so that it would be motionless, to stuff nails into the lid of the box and, pinching his wife's nipples between the box and the lid, squeeze them. And the tormentors, causing the saint unspeakable suffering, squeezed her breasts until they came off. Blessed Augusta, enduring terrible pain, rejoiced that she was suffering for the True God, and prayed to Him: may He send her His gracious help. When the nipples came off, the blood flowed like a river, and everyone around them was filled with pity for her, enduring such a terrible and intolerable torment. But the merciless tormentor did not pardon his wife and ordered her to be cut off with a sword. She, having heard the verdict with joy, said to Saint Catherine:
Servant of the True God, pray for me! "
This is the story of the Life of Catherine.
Maximian wanted to place Ekaterina herself between wooden wheels with iron points. The wheels were supposed to rotate in different directions and simply crush Catherine's body. As it is said in the “Life”, “as soon as they started this torment, suddenly an Angel came down from heaven, freed the saint from the bonds, and crushed the wheels to pieces; and the wheels, broken with force, flew to the sides and struck many unbelievers to death. Seeing such a glorious miracle, all the people exclaimed:
Great is the Christian God! "
The appearance of the Angel did not convince Maximian, he was extremely irritated and again tried to convince Catherine to worship the pagan gods and share the kingdom with him, to become an empress. The commander Porfiry and the soldiers tried to object to the emperor, but he ordered to cut off their heads.
After that, Maximian tried for the last time to convince Catherine, and when he realized that it was useless, he ordered her head to be cut off as well. Before the execution, the saint managed to thank God for giving her patience and strength, and ask Him to hear the prayers of those who will call on His name through her.
When Catherine's head was cut off, it was not blood that flowed from the wound, but milk. According to legend, the angels immediately took her body and carried it to Mount Sinai.
For a long time, the holy relics of Catherine were in obscurity in the ground and were discovered only after more than 200 years. In the 30-40s of the 6th century, the monks of the Sinai monastery, founded by the Byzantine emperor Justinian, were miraculously notified from above that the relics of the Great Martyr Catherine were resting incorruptly near them, and were ordered to transfer them to the newly created temple of the Sinai monastery. The monks actually found the holy relics in the indicated place incorruptible and fragrant. True, they were not completely acquired - only the head and the left hand. These parts of the incorruptible body of the martyr of Christ were then solemnly transferred to the Sinai monastery and are now in the same place.
At present, the holy relics of the Great Martyr Catherine are preserved in a small marble reliquary in the altar of the great temple of the Sinai monastery in the name of the Transfiguration of the Lord, on the right side of the throne. The holy head of Catherine is covered with a golden crown, and a precious ring is put on her finger in memory of the solemn betrothal of Saint Catherine to the Heavenly Bridegroom - Christ. In the reliquary, parts of the holy relics rest on a silver tray, under which lies a large layer of fragrant cotton wool. When parts of the relics are taken out for worship by the brethren, they are placed in the middle of the temple, along with other remains of the shrine, on a table specially prepared for this. The relics of St. Catherine are revealed for a distant pilgrim at any time, but for the brethren and nearby newcomers - only at the end of Matins on the Lord's feasts.
In 1689, Emperor Peter the Great donated a forged silver shrine to the Sinai Monastery for the relics of St. Catherine. “The fear of the greed of Muslims, of the publicity of travelers,” notes the famous Bishop Porfiry, who was in Sinai, “taught the Sinaites to hide this treasure.”
In the West, the Great Martyr Catherine is considered the patroness of students.
Saint Catherine of Alexandria belongs to those Christian martyrs who in the first centuries of the spread of the True Faith, even under the threat of life, did not renounce Christ's teachings and accepted death for him, as the icon of the Great Martyr Catherine reminds us of.
The history of the life and feat of St. Catherine
Catherine was born at the end of the 2nd century in Alexandria, into an aristocratic family. She received an excellent education and was famous not only for her beauty, but also for her intelligence, so there were many applicants for her hand. However, the girl was waiting for someone who would surpass her in everything, and there was still no such groom.
Her fate was decided by a meeting with a righteous hermit elder, to whom she told about her expectations
Then the elder said that he knew such a groom, and gave the girl an icon of the Mother of God, promising that she would help her to see him.
At night Catherine had a vision: the Queen of Heaven appeared to her in a host of angels and with the Youth in her arms, from whom a radiance emanated. However, the Divine Child did not want to look at her and show her His face, but ordered her to go to the elder again.
The elder explained to Catherine that until she believed in the True God, He would not turn to her in His face. He spoke in detail about Jesus and the True Faith, after which Catherine believed in the Son of God and was baptized.
The same night, the Mother of God again appeared to her with Her Divine Son. This time He looked at her graciously and put a ring on her finger with the words: "Do not know the earthly bridegroom."
This betrothal to Christ completely changed Catherine's life: she no longer thought about suitors, but led a pious life and often prayed to the Lord for spiritual guidance.
At this time, the co-ruler of the emperor Diocletian arrived in Alexandria, the same as him, the persecutor of Christians Maximian. At the celebration in honor of the pagan gods, Catherine made a passionate denunciatory speech, urging everyone to turn to the True God.
By order of Maximian, the girl was thrown into prison, and then he sent learned people to her to persuade her to return to the fold of paganism. But the girl brilliantly refuted all their arguments. Maximian's attempts to bribe her also failed. Moreover, his wife Augusta, who became interested in an unusual girl, after a conversation with her also converted to Christianity.
Then Maximian resorted to torture, but the instrument of torture - a wheel with sharp teeth, was crushed by an invisible force. Catherine's head was cut off. This happened in 304.
The meaning of the icon of the great martyr Catherine
On the icon of St. Catherine, a beautiful girl in rich clothes surrounded by scrolls and books appears before us, which testifies to her scholarship, which she fully displayed in a religious discussion with apologists of paganism. There is also an owl - a symbol of wisdom, and the main attribute of Saint Catherine is a wheel with sharp teeth, on which they began to torture her.
In her hand she holds a flower from which a crucifix with the figure of Jesus grows. Catherine's sad gaze is directed at Him - this is her Heavenly Bridegroom, to whom she remained faithful to the end. It is in faithfulness to the Son of God and His teaching that the meaning of the icon of the holy martyr Catherine lies.
How does the icon of St. Catherine help?
They turn to Saint Catherine with requests to strengthen her faith and mental abilities, since she was distinguished by her learning.
Although Catherine herself considered herself the bride of Christ, now she is considered the patron of the lonely, therefore the icon of Catherine of Alexandria is often presented to women who are looking for their soul mate
This icon helps those who want to find a happy family, it also helps in its preservation, protecting it from strife and quarrels. Prayer for the image of St. Catherine helps to conceive and give birth to a healthy child.
Prayer to the Icon
Oh, Saint Catherine, virgin and martyr, the true Christ of Christ! We pray thee, through especial grace eyuzhe preliminary cha groom yours, Sweetest Jesus as He confound the delights of the torturer, the wisdom of thy pyatdesyat vety won hast, and watered their heavenly doctrine, to the light of the true Faith pointed the art Thou, tacos ask for and we as the judges of God, wisdom, and we, the termination of all the machinations adskago tormentor and defying the world and the flesh temptations worthy yavimsya Bozhestvennyya glory and enlargement of the holy Orthodox faith nasheja worthy vessels shall do this, and with you in the heavenly tabernacle of the Lord and the Lord Jesus Christ be praised and glorified in all ages. Amen.
