According to the Christian religion, God gives each Christian two angels. In the works of St. Theodore of Edessa explains that one of them - a guardian angel - protects from all evil, helps to do good and protects from all misfortunes. Another angel - the saint of God, whose name is given at baptism - intercedes for the Christian before God. You must resort to the mediation of your Angel in different cases in life, he will pray for us before God. In addition, the Christian tradition has determined which holy saints can help in certain situations if you turn to them with faith and hope for resolving the situation. For example, about success in blacksmithing in Rus', they turned to the patronage of the unmercenaries and miracle workers Kozma and Demyan, the holy brothers - artisans and healers. Prayed against pride Venerable Wonderworker Sergius of Radonezh and Alexy To God's man, known for his deep humility. The prayers were structured, for example, like this: “Reverend Seraphim of Sarov, martyrs Anthony, Eustathius and John of Vilna, holy healers of feet, weaken my ailments, strengthen my strength and legs!”

Orthodox Christians had patron saints who helped both in captivity of the enemy (the righteous Philaret the Merciful leads those awake out of captivity through prayer), and in the patronage of the entire state (Great Martyr George the Victorious, in whose honor a state award was established for services to the fatherland “ St. George's Cross"), and even in digging wells (Great Martyr Fyodor Stratilates).

During their lifetime, many saints and great martyrs knew the art of medicine and successfully used it to heal the suffering (for example, the martyrs Cyrus and John, the Monk Agomit of Pechersk, the martyr Diomedes and others). They resort to the help of other saints because during their lifetime they experienced similar suffering and received healing by trusting in God.
For example, Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir (11th century) suffered from eyes and recovered after Holy Baptism. Prayers achieve success only with faith in the power of their intercession before God, from whom believers receive help. To make prayers more successful, they ordered a prayer service in the church with the blessing of water.

We present to your attention a list of saints who glorified themselves by helping people get rid of physical and mental illnesses. It should be noted that holy healers help not only fellow believers, but also other sufferers. For example, there is a known case where Metropolitan Alexy of Moscow (14th century) cured the wife of Khan Chanibek Taidula from eye diseases. It is Saint Alexy who prays for the granting of insight.

The proposed list of intercessors in illness does not pretend to be complete; it does not include miraculous icons, Archangels are the patrons of Christians at different stages of life. Here is only information about saints - healers. After the name of the saint, numbers are indicated in parentheses - the century of life, death or acquisition of relics by the church (Roman numeral) and the day on which the memory of this saint is honored by the Orthodox Church (according to the new style).

Hieromartyr Antipas(I century, April 24). When he was thrown into a red-hot copper bull by his tormentors, he asked God for the grace to heal people from toothache. There is a mention of this saint in the Apocalypse.

Alexy Moskovsky(XIV century, February 23). During his lifetime, the Metropolitan of Moscow healed eye diseases. They pray to him to get rid of this disease.

The Righteous Youth Artemy(IV century, July 6, November 2) was crushed by the persecutors of the faith with a huge stone that pressed out the insides. Most of the healings were received by those suffering from stomach pain, as well as from a hernia. Christians with serious illnesses received healing from the relics.

Agapit Pechersky(XI century, June 14). He did not require payment during treatment, which is why he was nicknamed the “free doctor.” He provided assistance to the sick, including the hopeless.

Venerable Alexander of Svirsky(XVI century, September 12) the gift of healing was given - of his twenty-three miracles known from life, almost half relate to the healing of paralyzed patients. After his death, they prayed to this saint for the gift of boy children.

Venerable Alypius of Pechersk(XII century, August 30) during his lifetime had the gift of healing leprosy.

Andrew the First-Called, holy apostle from Bethsaida (1st century, December 13). He was a fisherman and the first apostle to follow Christ. The Apostle went to preach Christ's faith to Eastern countries. He passed through the places where the cities of Kyiv and Novgorod later arose, and through the lands of the Varangians to Rome and Thrace. He performed many miracles in the city of Patras: the blind received their sight, the sick (including the wife and brother of the city ruler) were healed. Nevertheless, the ruler of the city ordered Saint Andrew to be crucified, and he accepted martyrdom. Under Constantine the Great, the relics were transferred to Constantinople.

Blessed Andrew(X century, October 15), who took upon himself the feat of foolishness, was awarded the gift of insight and healing of those deprived of reason.
The Monk Anthony (IV century, January 30) parted with worldly affairs and led an ascetic life in complete solitude in the desert. He should pray for protection of the weak.

Martyrs Anthony, Eustathius and John of Vilna(Lithuanian) (XIV century, April 27) accepted holy baptism from Presbyter Nestor, for which they were subjected to torture - this happened in the 14th century. Prayer to these martyrs provides healing for leg diseases.

Great Martyr Anastasia the Pattern Maker(IV century, January 4), a Christian Roman woman who retained her virginity in marriage due to illnesses that tormented her, helps women in labor in relieving themselves of a difficult burden.

Martyr Agrippina(July 6), a Roman woman who lived in the 3rd century. The holy relics of Agrippina were transferred from Rome to Fr. Sicily by revelation from above. Many sick people received miraculous healing from the holy relics.

Venerable Athanasia- the abbess (9th century, April 25) did not want to get married in the world, wanting to devote herself to God. However, by the will of her parents, she married twice and only after the second marriage did she retire to the desert. She lived a holy life, and she needs to pray for the well-being of her second marriage.

Martyrs Blessed Princes Boris and Gleb(baptized Roman and David, 11th century, May 15 and August 6), the first Russian martyrs - passion-bearers constantly provide prayerful assistance to their native land and to those suffering from illnesses, especially with leg diseases.

Blessed Basil, Moscow miracle worker (XVI century, August 15) helped people by preaching mercy. During the reign of Fyodor Ioannovich, the relics of St. Basil brought miracles of healing from diseases, especially from eye diseases.

Equal to the Apostles Prince Vladimir(in holy baptism Basil, 11th century, July 28) during worldly life he was almost blind, but after baptism he recovered. In Kyiv, he first of all baptized his children in a place called Khreshchatyk. This saint is prayed to for healing from eye diseases.

Vasily Novgorodsky(XIV century, August 5) - archpastor, famous for the fact that during the epidemic of ulcers, also known as the Black Death, which wiped out almost two-thirds of the inhabitants of Pskov, he neglected the danger of infection and came to Pskov to calm and console the inhabitants. Trusting the reassurance of the saint, the citizens humbly began to wait for the end of the disaster, which soon really came. The relics of St. Basil of Novgorod are located in the St. Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod. A prayer is offered to Saint Basil to get rid of ulcers.

Venerable Basil the New(10th century, April 8) they offer prayer for healing from fever. During his lifetime, Saint Basil had the gift of healing those sick with fever, for which the patient had to sit next to Basil. After this, the patient felt better and recovered.

Reverend Vasily - Confessor(VIII century, March 13), together with Procopius the Decanomite, imprisoned for icon veneration, they pray to get rid of severe shortness of breath and bloating.

Hieromartyr Basil of Sebastia(IV century, February 24) prayed to God for the possibility of healing those with sore throats. He should be prayed to in case of sore throat and in danger of being choked by a bone.

Rev. Vitaly(VI-VII centuries, May 5) during his lifetime was engaged in the conversion of harlots. They bring him a prayer for redemption from carnal passion.

Martyr Vitus(IV century, May 29, June 28) - a saint who suffered during the time of Diocletian. They pray to him to get rid of epilepsy.

Great Martyr Barbara(IV century, December 17) they pray for salvation from serious illnesses. Barbara's father was a noble man in Phenicia. Having learned that his daughter had converted to Christianity, he severely beat her and took her into custody, and then handed her over to the ruler of the city of Iliopolis, Martinian. The girl was brutally tortured, but at night after the torture the Savior himself appeared in prison, and the wounds healed. After this, the saint was subjected to even more cruel torture, she was led naked around the city, and then beheaded. Saint Barbara helps to overcome severe mental torment.

Martyr Boniface(III century, January 3) during his life he suffered from addiction to drunkenness, but he was healed himself and was awarded martyrdom. Those suffering from the passion of drunkenness and binges pray to him for healing.

Great Martyr George the Victorious(IV century, May 6) was born into a Christian family in Cappadocia, professed Christianity and called on everyone to accept the Christian faith. Emperor Diocletian ordered the saint to be subjected to terrible torture and executed. The Great Martyr George died before reaching the age of thirty. One of the miracles performed by Saint George was the destruction of a cannibal serpent that lived in a lake near Beirut. They pray to St. George the Victorious as a helper in grief.

Saint Gury of Kazan(XVI century, July 3, December 18) was innocently convicted and imprisoned. After two years, the doors of the dungeon opened freely. They pray to Guria of Kazan to get rid of persistent headaches.

Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica(IV century, November 8) at the age of 20 he was appointed proconsul of the Thessalonian region. Instead of oppressing Christians, the saint began to teach the inhabitants of the region the Christian faith. They pray to him for insight from blindness.

Tsarevich Dmitry of Uglich and Moscow(XVI century, May 29) sufferers bring prayer to get rid of blindness.

Saint Demetrius of Rostov(XVIII century, October 4) was ill chest illness and died from this disease. After his death, his incorruptible relics help sufferers who are exhausted especially from chest illness.

Martyr Diomede(III century, August 29) during his lifetime he was a healer who selflessly helped sick people get rid of their ailments. Prayer to this saint will help to receive healing in a painful condition.

Reverend Damian, presbyter and healer of the Pechersk Monastery (11th century, October 11 and 18), was called a pelebnik during his lifetime “and those who healed the sick with prayer and holy oil.” The relics of this saint have the grace to heal the sick.

Martyrs Domnina, Virinea and Proscudia(IV century, October 17) help in fear of outside violence. The persecutors of the Christian faith led Domnina’s daughters Virinea and Proskudiya to trial, that is, to death. To save her daughters from violence from drunken warriors, the mother, during the warriors' meal, entered the river with her daughters as if into a grave. The martyrs Domnina, Virinea and Proskudiya are prayed for help in preventing violence.

Venerable Evdokia, Princess of Moscow(XV century, July 20), wife of Demetrius Donskoy, shortly before her death, she took monastic vows and received the monastic name Euphrosyne. She exhausted her body with fasts, but slander did not spare her because her face remained friendly and cheerful. Word of the dubiousness of her feat reached her sons. Then Evdokia took off some of her clothes in front of her sons, and they were amazed at her thinness and withered skin. They pray to Saint Eudokia for deliverance from paralysis and for the sight of the eyes.

Venerable Efimy the Great(V century, February 2) lived in a deserted place, spent his time in work, prayer and abstinence - he ate food only on Saturday and Sunday, slept only sitting or standing. The Lord gave the saint the ability to perform miracles and insight. Through prayer he brought about the necessary rain, healed the sick, and cast out demons. They pray to him during famine, as well as during marital childlessness.

First Martyr Evdokia(II century, March 14) was baptized and renounced her wealth. For her strict fasting life, she received from God the gift of miracles. Women who cannot get pregnant pray to her.

Great Martyr Catherine(IV century, December 7) had extraordinary beauty and intelligence. She announced her desire to marry someone who would surpass her in wealth, nobility and wisdom. Catherine's spiritual father put her on the path of serving the heavenly bridegroom - Jesus Christ. Having received baptism, Catherine was honored to see the Mother of God and the Child - Christ. She suffered for Christ in Alexandria, was wheeled and beheaded. They pray to Saint Catherine for permission during difficult childbirth.

Reverend Zotik(IV century, January 12) during the leprosy epidemic, he ransomed lepers condemned by order of Emperor Constantine to death by drowning from the guards and kept them in a remote place. Thus, he saved those doomed from violent death. They pray to Saint Zotik for the healing of those suffering from leprosy.

Righteous Zechariah and Elizabeth, parents of St. John the Baptist (1st century, September 18), help those suffering in difficult childbirth. Righteous Zechariah was a priest. The couple lived righteously, but they had no children, since Elizabeth was barren. One day an angel appeared to Zechariah in the temple and predicted the birth of his son John. Zechariah did not believe it - both he and his wife were already old. Because of his unbelief, he was attacked by dumbness, which passed only on the eighth day after the birth of his son, John the Baptist, and he was able to speak and glorify God.

Saint Jonah, Metropolitan of Moscow and All Rus', miracle worker (XV century, June 28) - the first of the metropolitans in Russia, elected by a council of Russian bishops. During his lifetime the saint had the gift of healing toothache. They pray to him to get rid of this scourge.

John the Baptist(I century, January 20, July 7). The Baptist was born of Saints Zechariah and Elizabeth. After the birth of Christ, King Herod ordered all the babies to be killed, and therefore Elizabeth and the baby took refuge in the desert. Zechariah was killed right in the temple, as he did not reveal their hiding place. After the death of Elizabeth, John continued to live in the desert, ate locusts, and wore hair shirt. At the age of thirty he began to preach on the Jordan about the coming of Christ. Many were baptized by him, and this day is popularly known as the day of Ivan Kupala. At dawn of this day it was customary to swim; both dew and healing herbs collected on this day. The Baptist died a martyr's death through the beheading. Prayer to this saint can help with unbearable headaches.

Jacob Zheleznoborovsky(XVI century, April 24 and May 18) was tonsured by Sergius of Radonezh and retired to the Kostroma desert near the village of Zhelezny Borok. During his lifetime he had the gift of healing the sick. Despite the exhaustion in his legs, he walked to Moscow twice. He lived to a ripe old age. They pray to Saint James for the healing of leg diseases and paralysis.

Venerable John of Damascus(VIII century, December 17) for slander, his hand was cut off. His prayer before the icon of the Mother of God was heard, and his severed hand grew together in a dream. As a sign of gratitude to the Virgin Mary, John of Damascus hung a silver image of a hand to the icon of the Mother of God, which is why the icon received the name “Three-Handed”. John of Damascus was given grace to help with hand pain and hand injuries.

Saint Julian of Cepomania(1st century, July 26) during his lifetime he healed and even resurrected infants. On the icon, Julian is depicted with a baby in his arms. A prayer to Saint Julian is offered when an infant is ill.

Venerable Hypatiy of Pechersk(XIV century, April 13) during his life he was a healer and especially helped heal female bleeding. They also pray to him for mother’s milk for babies.

Venerable John of Rila(XIII century, November 1), Bulgarian, spent sixty years in solitude in the Rylskaya desert. They pray to Saint John of Rila for healing from dumbness.

John of Kiev - Pechersk(1st century, January 11), a baby martyr, cut in half, belongs to the number of Bethlehem babies. Prayer before his tomb helps with marital infertility. (Kiev-Pechersk Lavra).
Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian (1st century, May 21) - guardian of purity, chastity and assistant in the writing of icons.

Venerable Irinarch, recluse of Rostov(XVII century, January 26), was a farmer in the world, during the famine he lived in Nizhny Novgorod. At the age of thirty he renounced the world and spent 38 years in the Boris and Gleb Monastery. He was buried there in a grave he dug himself. Irinarch spent sleepless nights in retreat, so it is recognized that prayer to Saint Irinarch helps with persistent insomnia.

Righteous Joachim and Anna, parents of the Virgin Mary (September 22), had no children until old age. They made a vow, if a child appears, to dedicate it to God. Their prayers were heard, and at an old age they had a child - Holy Virgin Maria. Therefore, in case of marital infertility, prayer should be addressed to Saints Joachim and Anna.

Unmercenary and miracle workers Cosmas and Damian(Kozma and Demyan) (III century, November 14), two brothers studied the art of medicine and treated without demanding payment from the sick, except for faith in Jesus Christ. They helped with many diseases, treating eye diseases and smallpox. The main commandment of the unmercenaries: “Freely you have received (from God) - freely give!” Wonderworkers helped not only sick people, but also healed animals. They pray to the unmercenaries not only in case of illness, but also for the protection of those entering into marriage - so that the marriage will be happy.

Martyr Conon of Isauria(III century, March 18) during his lifetime he treated patients with smallpox. This help was especially valuable for believers in those days, since no other means were yet known. And after death, prayer to the martyr Konon helps in healing smallpox.

Unmercenary martyrs Cyrus and John(IV century, February 13) during his lifetime they selflessly healed various diseases, including smallpox. Patients received relief from ailments and celiac diseases. They should read the prayer in a sick state in general.

Blessed Xenia of Petersburg(XVIII-XIX centuries, February 6) widowed early. Grieving for her husband, she gave away all her property and took a vow of foolishness for Christ’s sake. She had the gift of clairvoyance and miracle-working, especially healing the afflicted. I was revered during my lifetime. Canonized in 1988.

Martyr Lawrence of Rome(III century, August 23) during his lifetime was endowed with the gift of giving sight to blind people, including those blind from birth. He should pray for healing from eye diseases.

Apostle and Evangelist Luke(I century, October 31) studied the art of medicine and helped people with diseases, especially eye diseases. He wrote the Gospel and the book of the Acts of the Apostles. He also studied painting and art.

Martyr Longinus the Centurion(1st century, October 29) suffered from eyes. He was on guard at the Cross of the Savior when blood from the Savior’s pierced rib dripped onto his eyes - and he was healed. When his head was truncated, a blind woman received her sight - this was the first miracle from his truncated head. They pray to Longinus the Centurion for the enlightenment of the eyes.

Venerable Maron of Syria(IV century, February 27) during his lifetime helped those sick with fever or fever.

Martyr Mina(IV century, November 24) helps with troubles and illnesses, including eye diseases.

Venerable Maruf, Bishop of Mesopotamia(V century, March 1 - February 29) pray to get rid of insomnia.

Reverend Moses Murin(IV century, September 10) in worldly life he lived far from righteously - he was a robber and a heavy drunkard. Then he accepted monasticism and lived in a monastery in Egypt. He died a martyr's death at the age of 75. They pray to him to get rid of the passion for alcohol.

Venerable Moses Ugrin(XI century, August 8), a Hungarian by birth, “strong in body and beautiful in face,” was captured by the Polish king Boleslav, but was ransomed by a rich Polish young widow for a thousand silver hryvnia. This woman was inflamed with carnal passion for Moses and tried to seduce him. However, blessed Moses did not change his holy life, for which he was thrown into a pit, where he was starved and beaten daily by his mistress’s servants with sticks. Since this did not break the saint, he was castrated. When King Boleslav died, the rebel people beat their oppressors. Among them, a widow was killed. Saint Moses came to the Pechersk Monastery, where he lived for more than 10 years. They pray to Moses Ugrin to strengthen the spirit in the fight against carnal passion.

Venerable Martinian(V century, February 26) the harlot appeared in the form of a wanderer, but he quenched his carnal lust by standing on hot coals. In his struggle with carnal passion, Saint Martinian spent his days in exhausting wanderings.

Venerable Melania the Roman(V century, January 13) almost died in worldly life from difficult childbirth. They pray to her for a safe outcome from pregnancy.

Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker(IV century, December 19 and May 22) during his lifetime not only healed eye diseases, but also restored sight to the blind. His parents Feofan and Nonna made a vow to dedicate the child born to them to God. From the early days. For years, Saint Nicholas fasted and prayed diligently, and while doing good, he tried so that no one knew about it. He was elected Archbishop of Myra. During a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, he stopped a storm at sea and saved (resurrected) a sailor who had fallen from the mast. During the persecution of Christians under Diocletian, he was thrown into prison, but remained unharmed. The saint performed many miracles, and was especially revered in Rus': it was believed that he helped when traveling across the waters. Nikola was called “sea” or “wet”.

Great Martyr Nikita(IV century, September 28) lived on the banks of the Danube, was baptized by the Bishop of Sofia Theophilus and successfully spread the Christian faith. He suffered during persecution from the pagan Goths, who tortured the saint and then threw him into the fire. His body was found at night by his friend, Christian Marion - it was illuminated with radiance, the fire did not damage it. The body of the martyr was interred in Cilicia, and the relics were subsequently transferred to Constantinople. They pray to Saint Nikita for the healing of babies, including those from the “parent”.

Saint Nikita(XII century, February 13) was Bishop of Novgorod. He became famous for his miracles, especially in bringing sight to the blind. People with poor eyesight can get help by turning to this saint.

Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon(IV century, August 9) studied healing as a young man. He treated unselfishly in the name of Christ. He owns the miracle of resurrecting a dead child bitten by a poisonous snake. He healed both adults and children from various diseases, including abdominal pain.
The Monk Pimen of Pechora the Many-Sick (XII century, August 20) suffered from various diseases from childhood and only at the end of his life received healing from his ailments. They pray to the Monk Pimen for healing from a long-term painful condition.

To the Blessed Prince Peter and Princess Fevronia(XIII century, July 8), Murom miracle workers should pray for a happy marriage. During his lifetime, the Murom prince Peter, having accomplished the feat of freeing his brother's wife from the snake, became covered with scabs, but was healed by the Ryazan commoner healer Fevronia, whom he married. The married life of Peter and Fevronia was pious and accompanied by miracles and good deeds. At the end of their lives, blessed Prince Peter and Princess Fevronia accepted monasticism and were named David and Euphrosyne. They died on the same day. Believers received healing from their ailments from the shrine of their relics.

Martyr Proclus(II century, July 25) was considered a healer of eye diseases. Prokle dew is used to treat eye diseases and cure intramural care.

Martyr Paraskeva Friday(III century, November 10) received her name from pious parents, because she was born on Friday (in Greek “paraskeva”) and in memory of the passion of the Lord. As a child, Paraskeva lost her parents. Growing up, she took a vow of celibacy and devoted herself to Christianity. For this she was persecuted, tortured and died in agony. Paraskeva Pyatnitsa has long been especially revered in Russia, considered the patroness hearth and home, healer of children's diseases, assistant in field work. They pray to her for the gift of rain in a drought.

Reverend Roman(V century, December 10) during his life he was distinguished by extraordinary abstinence, eating only bread and salt water. He healed many ailments very successfully, and became especially famous for treating marital infertility with fervent prayers. Spouses pray to him in case of infertility.

Righteous Simeon of Verkhoturye(XVIII century, September 25) treated for prolonged blindness, appearing sick in a dream. People also resorted to his help for leg diseases - the saint himself made a trek on foot from Russia to Siberia with sore legs.

Righteous Simeon the God-Receiver(February 16) on the fortieth day after Christmas, he received the infant Christ from the Virgin Mary in the temple with joy and cried out: “Now, Master, you release your servant in peace, according to your word.” He was promised repose after he accepted the holy baby into his arms. They pray to Righteous Simeon for the healing of sick children and protection of healthy ones.

Venerable Simeon the Stylite(V century, September 14) was born in Cappadocia into a Christian family. In the monastery with adolescence. Then he settled in stone cave, where he devoted himself to fasting and prayer. People flocked to the place of his asceticism wanting to receive healing and edification. Invented for privacy the new kind asceticism - settled on a pillar four meters high. Of his eighty years of life, forty-seven stood on the pillar.

Venerable Seraphim of Sarov(XIX century, January 15 and August 1) took upon himself the feat of standing: every night he prayed in the forest, standing on a huge stone with raised hands. During the day he prayed in his cell or on small stone. He ate meager food, exhausting his flesh. After the revelation of the Mother of God, he began to heal the suffering, especially helping people with sore legs.

Venerable Sergius of Radonezh(XIV century, October 8), boyar son, by birth Bartholomew. Surprised everyone with early age- on Wednesdays and Fridays I didn’t even drink mother’s milk. After the death of his parents at the age of 23, he took monastic vows. From the age of forty he was the abbot of the Radonezh Monastery. The life of the saint was accompanied by miracles, especially the healing of the weak and sick. Prayer to Saint Sergius heals from “forty ailments.”

Reverend Sampson, priest and healer (VI century, July 10). He was given the ability to heal people with various diseases through his prayers to God.

Saint Spyridon - miracle worker, Bishop of Trimifuntsky(IV century, December 25), became famous for many miracles, including proof of the trinity on the First Ecumenical Council in 325. During his lifetime he healed the sick. Prayer to this saint can provide help in various painful conditions.

Martyr Sisinius(III century, December 6) was a bishop in the city of Kizin. Persecuted under Diocletian. God gave the martyr Sisinius the opportunity to heal those sick with fever.
Saint Tarasius, Bishop of Constantinople (IX century, March 9), was the protector of orphans, the offended, and the unfortunate, and had the gift of healing the sick.

Martyr Tryphon(III century, February 14) for his bright life, he was awarded in his adolescence the grace of healing the sick. Among other misfortunes, Saint Tryphon delivered those suffering from snoring. Those sent by the eparch of Anatolia brought Tryphon to Nicaea, where he experienced terrible torment, was sentenced to death and died at the place of execution.

Venerable Taisiya(IV century, October 21) during secular life, she became famous for her extraordinary beauty, which drove her fans crazy, who competed with each other, quarreled - and went bankrupt. After the Monk Paphnutius converted the harlot, she spent three years as a recluse in convent, atonement for the sin of fornication. They pray to Saint Taisia ​​for deliverance from obsessive carnal passion.

Venerable Theodore the Studite(IX century, November 24) during his life he suffered from stomach diseases. After his death, many sick people received healing from his icon not only from stomach pain, but also from other celiac diseases.

Holy Great Martyr Theodore Stratelates(IV century, June 21) became popularly known when he killed a huge serpent that lived in the vicinity of the city of Euchait and devoured people and livestock. During the persecution of Christians under Emperor Licinius, he was subjected to cruel torture and crucified, but God healed the martyr’s body and took him down from the cross. However, the great martyr decided to voluntarily accept death for his faith. On the way to execution, the sick who touched his clothes and body were healed and freed from demons.

Venerable Ferapont of Moisen(XVI century, December 25). From this saint they receive healing for eye diseases. It is known, for example, that Elder Procopius, who had had eye pain since childhood and was almost blind, regained his sight at the tomb of Ferapont.

Martyrs Florus and Laurus(II century, August 31) lived in Illyria. Brothers - stonemasons were very close to each other in spirit. At first they suffered from the passion of drunkenness and binge drinking, then they accepted the Christian faith and got rid of their illness. They suffered martyrdom for their faith: they were thrown into a well and covered alive with earth. During their lifetime, God gave them the ability to heal from various diseases and from heavy drinking.

Martyr Thomaida of Egypt(V century, April 26) chose death over adultery. Those who fear violence pray to Saint Thomaida, and she helps in maintaining chastity.

Hieromartyr Kharlampy(III century, February 23) is considered a healer for all diseases. He suffered for the Christian faith in 202. He was 115 years old when he healed not only ordinary diseases, but also the plague. Before his death, Harlampius prayed that his relics would prevent the plague and heal the sick.

Martyrs Chrysanthos and Darius(III century, April 1) even before marriage, they agreed to lead a worthy life in marriage, dedicated to God. These saints are prayed for a happy and lasting family union.

Orthodox Christians most often turn to the saint whose name they bear with a request to pray for them before God. Such a saint is called a holy saint and a helper. To communicate with him, you must know the troparion - brief prayer appeal. The saints must be called upon with love and unfeigned faith, only then will they hear the request.

We will talk about women, about holy women who became the heroines of the next series of old engravings. Spencer Jesse James's book "Women of Early Christianity: A Series of Portraits" (1852), which are now revered as saints in both the Catholic and Orthodox churches, will help us in this. The life stories of some of them are quite contradictory and more reminiscent of legends, but nevertheless interesting...

Holy Abbess Coldingham

Abbe of Coldingham, abbess, martyr. She was abbess at the double monastery of Coldingham in Berwickshire, Scotland. When the monastery was attacked by Scandinavian pirates, Ebba gathered the nuns and blessed them to save themselves from falling into pirate hands by voluntarily mutilating themselves. She set an example by cutting off her nose and upper lip, and the other nuns did the same. When the Vikings burst into the monastery, they were horrified by what they saw and were angry that the women managed to avoid abuse in this way. The nuns were locked up and burned alive.

Saint Genevieve of Paris

Holy righteous Genevieve (Genovefa) saved Paris from the invasion of the Huns in 451. After the death of her parents, when she was about 20 years old, she devoted herself entirely to God, avoiding marriage. Spending her life in solitude, she kept an extremely strict fast, holding night vigils and going into seclusion every year for three months, from the day of Epiphany to Maundy Thursday. During the invasion of the Huns under the leadership of Attila, through the prayers of Saint Genevieve (she was then 28-29 years old), Paris was saved; Attila suddenly turned sharply and bypassed Paris. Genevieve received the gift of tears from God, her virtues were contrite crying, repentance, compassion and love.

Saint Cecilia

Cecilia in Spanish, Cecilia in Italian, is a virgin martyr who dates from 180-350 AD. The oldest archive speaks of the end of the 2nd century, where, having refused to have relations with her husband on their wedding night, Saint Cecilia asked him to become a Christian, since he was a pagan. The husband suffered martyrdom for his faith in Christ, and Cecilia was tortured for a long time and beheaded. Before her death, she called for “singing before the Lord,” which is denoted by the word “organis” in Latin. Often in icons and paintings of great artists, Saint Cecilia is depicted playing the organ, lauda, ​​and other musical instruments. She is the patroness of all musicians.

Holy Martyr Martha

The holy martyrs virgins Martha (Martha) and Mary were sisters, lived in Asia (Asia Minor) and were burning with the desire to suffer for the Lord Jesus Christ. One day a pagan commander passed by their house. The sisters came out to him and loudly announced that they were Christians. At first the governor did not pay attention to them, but they persistently shouted after him, repeating their confession. Then both of them were captured along with their brother, the youth Likarion. All three were crucified on crosses, and their mother was present at the execution, who strengthened them in suffering for Christ. The sisters were pierced with spears, and the youth Likarion was beheaded with a sword.

Saint Petronilla

According to legend, Petronilla was the daughter of the Apostle Peter, who did not want to marry a certain noble Roman, Flaccus. She asked for three days to think, spent these three days in fasting and prayer, took communion, and by the end of the third day she died. The girl was rumored to be the daughter of Peter only in the 6th century, but in general it is likely that Petronilla was tortured during the persecution of 251. In the catacombs of Rome, a fresco depicting the martyr Petronilla has been preserved. The circumstances of her death are unknown, but the legend, of course, is very interesting in itself and can serve as an edification for those who are afraid of marriage: are they capable of dying quietly, in fasting and prayer, just not to get married?

Saint Domitilla

Flavia Domitilla is a saint revered by the Catholic Church as a martyr (c. 60 - after 95); wife of consul Titus Flavius ​​Clement, niece of Emperor Titus Flavius ​​Domitian, the last in the Flavian dynasty, who for professing an alien religion - Christianity or Judaism (Suetonius) put Titus Flavius ​​Clement to death in 95, and exiled his wife to the island of Ponza in the Tyrrhenian Sea, where she died. Domitilla is usually venerated together with St. Nereus and Achilleus - soldiers converted to Christianity who suffered martyrdom during the persecution of Emperor Diocletian.

Holy Martyr Felicata

Felicata is a Roman martyr. Memory is accomplished in Orthodox Church January 25 (Julian calendar), in the Catholic Church - November 23. The mother of seven sons: Iannuarius, Felix, Philip, Silvanus, Alexander, Vitalius and Martial, Saint Felicata came from a wealthy Roman family. She was accused by pagan priests of spreading the Christian faith and, having distributed all her property and, together with her sons, openly went out to preach Christianity. Filitsa and her sons were given over to torture. Seeing the suffering of her sons, Saint Felizata prayed to God that they would persevere in their feat and enter the Kingdom of Heaven before her. All the sons of the saint suffered martyrdom in front of their mother, after which she also accepted martyrdom.

Saint Potamia

The Venerable Martyr Potamia the Wonderworker died from the sword. According to other legends, the martyr Potamia decided it would be better to be thrown into a cauldron with boiling resin than to surrender into the hands of her pagan master for desecration. Sometimes in monthly books he is called... a man, the Venerable Potamius the Wonderworker.

Saint Adelaide

Adelaide (Alice) from Schaerbeck is a nun of the Cistercian order, who entered the monastery at the age of seven and became famous for her ascetic life, full of illness and suffering, which she sacrificed for the salvation of souls in purgatory. Having lost her sight and being paralyzed, Saint Alice had a deep mystical experience of communion with Christ, drawing special consolation from the sacrament of the Eucharist.

Saint Catherine of Alexandria

According to legend, Saint Catherine was born in Aleksandra, the capital of Egypt, into a noble family. Many sought her hand, but to no avail: the girl took a vow of eternal virginity to Christ. Soon the longest and bloodiest persecution in the history of the ancient Church broke out: the persecution of Diocletian. His co-ruler Maximin showed particular hatred towards Christians. He personally arrived in Alexandria to oversee the implementation of the imperial edicts on persecution. Catherine was forced to make a sacrifice to the pagan gods, but she refused, confessing the One God. Maximin, struck by her beauty, arranged a debate between her and fifty pagan philosophers and rhetoricians, so that they would convince the girl to renounce her faith. But Catherine defeated her opponents, convincingly proving the truth of Christianity, and led many of them to faith in Christ. She was 18 years old at the time. The angry emperor responded by subjecting the girl to torture: they began to scourge her with ox sinews so that her whole body turned into a continuous wound; she was starved; They began to break her bones, placing her between gear wheels. But through Catherine’s prayer, an Angel stood up for her, and the torture wheels fell into pieces. At the sight of her heroism, several hundred soldiers and executioners turned to her. Eventually her head was cut off.

Holy Queen Helen

Holy Queen Helen was the mother of Constantine I. Her main merit was the erection of the Holy Cross. In order to find the Cross of the Lord, Queen Helena went to Jerusalem in 326. It was pointed out to her that the Cross of the Lord was buried in the ground at the place where the pagans had erected a temple in honor of Venus. When, by order of Helen, they broke down the building and began to dig the ground, they found three crosses and near them a tablet with the inscription: “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” To find out which of the three crosses the Savior was crucified on, they began to place them on the deceased in turn. No miracle happened from the two crosses. When they laid the third cross, the deceased was resurrected, and thus they recognized the cross of the Savior. When people learned about the miracle, everyone wanted to see the Holy Cross. Then the Patriarch of Jerusalem Macarius and Queen Helena stood on an elevated place and erected a cross. The people, seeing the cross of the Lord, prayed with the words: “Lord have mercy!” In memory of this event, the Church established the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. This holiday is one of the great ones and is celebrated on September 27th.

Saint Evdokia

Evdokia was a Samaritan by birth. She lived in Iliopolis Phoenician during the time of the Roman Emperor Trajan (89-117). Distinguished by her rare beauty and slenderness in her youth, Evdokia led a sinful life, selling her body. The Lord, wanting to save Evdokia’s soul from eternal destruction, arranged for one elderly monk named Herman to visit the area where Evdokia lived. Herman had the custom of reading the Holy Scriptures aloud, and Evdokia accidentally heard him reading predictions about the Second Coming of Christ and the Last Judgment.
This reading made a great impression and confused Evdokia, as she realized that it was she, the sinner, who would face the punishments predicted in the Bible. Having believed in Christ with all her heart, Evdokia was baptized, distributed all her treasures to the poor and took monastic vows in a nearby monastery.
Living for many years in this monastery, Evdokia completely devoted herself to the feats of fasting, prayer and purification of the soul. Over the years, she reached spiritual maturity and was elevated to the abbess of her monastery. In 152, under Emperor Antoninus, she ended her righteous life as a martyr. For spreading the Christian faith, Evdokia was slandered for witchcraft and deception. Without judicial trial she was taken to the place of execution and beheaded.
Thus, Saint Evdokia, for her monastic exploits, for her good deeds and for her martyrdom, earned herself a triple crown in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Holy Martyr Lydia

The holy martyr Lydia, together with her husband, Philetus, and two sons, Macedon and Theoprenius, were Christians from the city of Rome and lived during the reign of Emperor Hadrian (117-138), a fierce persecutor of Christians. During one of the persecutions, Saint Lydia was captured along with her companions and brought for questioning to Adrian. Unable to resist the wise answers of the holy martyrs, Adrian sent them for trial to Illyria, to the military leader Amphilochius. The latter immediately ordered them to be hanged on a tree and their bodies to be whittled with knives, and then thrown into prison. At night, when the holy martyrs were praying and singing sacred chants, an angel appeared to them and strengthened them for the upcoming feat.
The next morning the saints were again brought to the tormentor, who threatened them with many torments and tortures. Then he ordered oil and sulfur to be boiled in a copper cauldron and the holy martyrs thrown into it. But when they were thrown, the cauldron immediately cooled. Amazed by such a miracle, Amphilochius himself believed in Christ and, deciding to enter the cauldron, exclaimed: “Lord Jesus Christ, help me.” Having learned about all this, Emperor Hadrian, breathing anger and threats, arrived from Rome to Illyria and ordered to heat a cauldron filled with oil for seven days and then throw the holy martyrs into it. But when the saints were thrown into the cauldron, they remained safe and sound. After this, the disgraced emperor returned to Rome, and the holy martyrs began to pray and thank God, and among the prayers they gave up their souls to the Lord.

Bertha is a saint whose memory is Catholic Church celebrates the 4th of July, a Frankish princess who married Ethelbert, King of Kent, and contributed greatly to the spread of Christianity among the Anglo-Saxons, starting with her husband.

Saint Hilda

Saint Hilda (614–680) was the abbess of the great monastery at Whitby in northern England in the seventh century. She was the daughter of Hereric, nephew of King Edwin of Northumbria, and, like her great-uncle, became a Christian c. 627 after the sermon of St. Paulina of York when she was 13 years old. Under the control of St. Hilda's double monastery in Whitby became very famous. The Holy Scriptures were studied there, no less than five monks from the brethren became bishops, among them St. John, Bishop of Hexham, and St. Wilfrid, Bishop of York. In Whitby, in 664, a famous council was held, which, among other things, approved the method of calculating Easter. Glory to the wisdom of St. Hilda was so great that monks and even royalty came to her from far and near for advice. Seven years before her death, the saint fell ill with a serious illness, which did not leave her until her death, but despite this, she did not neglect any of her duties towards God or her spiritual children. She rested peacefully in Bose after communion of the Holy Mysteries, and the ringing of the monastery bells could be heard miraculously even in Hackness, which is 25 kilometers from Whitby. There the pious nun Beguso saw the soul of Saint Hilda being carried into heaven by angels.

Saint Edith

Edith was born in Kemsing (Kent) in England in 961. She was the illegitimate daughter of Saint King Edgar the Peaceful and Saint Wilfrida, a noble nun whom he kidnapped from Wilton Priory. After this crime, the king, under the leadership of Saint Dunstan, repented for seven years and did not put on his crown. As soon as Wilfrida was able to escape from the kidnapper, she returned to her cell, where Edita was born. The mother raised the child in a monastery, in innocence from the world. At the age of fifteen, Saint Edita decided to take monastic vows. Three times she refused the abbess offered to her by King Edgar in three different monasteries, preferring to remain in Wilton under the care of her mother. Edita combined the life of prayer and good deeds, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, caring for the sick, and serving strangers. She founded a hospital at the monastery, to which the poor and disadvantaged flocked. The saint herself preferred conversation with lepers, rejected by the world, to the company of princes and nobles. Leaving no one without shelter or bread, Edita herself labored in strict fasting and abstinence. Finally, the saint was distinguished by her special closeness to wild animals. Before her death at the age of twenty-two, she erected the Church of St. Dionysius in Wilton. Saint Edith is depicted as a royal nun giving alms to the poor. She is also depicted carrying a purse or washing the feet of the poor.

Saint Agnes

Saint Agnes, according to legend, was born in Rome, at the age of 13 she received an offer to marry the son of the Roman praetor Symphronius, who was captivated by her beauty and wealth, but she refused him, being a Christian. Since the matchmaking of Symphronius himself was not successful, he ordered her to be taken to public house and undress there; Then her hair suddenly grew so much that it covered her whole body like a dress. When the son of Symphronius wanted to commit violence against her, he suddenly fell to the ground and became blind. Yielding to the requests of his friends, Agnes restored his sight; nevertheless, she was doomed to be burned, but she emerged from the fire unharmed. She died from the sword in 303. She was canonized, her emblem is a lamb. On the day of her memory, January 29, the pope blesses the lambs, from whose wool the archbishop's omophorion is made.

Book "A Thousand Names"chapter " Female names"(pp. 7 - 104)

Want to find the best name in the world for your daughter? Then you cannot do without this book. The dictionary-reference book “A Thousand Names” is a practical guide for parents; in it you will find almost 400 Russian female names: from the rarest to the most popular in Russia.

Your choice will be conscious and justified, because the book is not only popular, but also scientific character. The names are presented in a format that is not found anywhere else, and about each name you will find information and arguments that you had no idea or even thought about before!

A complete list of female names is given at this link. Separate chapters of the “Female Names” section are devoted to the choice of godparents and popularity ratings of names of newborn girls in Russia and a number of countries (Belarus, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, England, USA) in 2010-2015.

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What is a godname and how is it chosen?

Passport, “calendar”, godparents, church female names

Not all names given in this book have a correspondence in Orthodox calendar, for example, Albina, Vlada, Vladislava, Yesenia, Carolina, Lada, Maya, Eleonora, Yaroslava, etc. For atheistic families, of course, this has absolutely no meaning. But for Orthodox believers, as well as for parents living in line with the Russian cultural and historical tradition, when choosing such names for their child, they will definitely have to solve one more problem - choosing a godname.

The name that is written in Birth certificate, called passport

(since when the child reaches 14 years of age, it is transferred to the Passport

citizen of the Russian Federation). The name given at baptism is called godfather, it is indicated in Baptismal certificate, which should be given out at the temple. “Calendar” are the names of Christian saints contained in Orthodox church calendars (“saints” or “monthly words”), and used when carrying out the baptism of children (and adults).

Many passport names clearly correspond to calendar names: Agnia,

Alexandra, Alla, Anna, Veronica, Galina, Evdokia, Zinaida, Zoya, Lydia, Lyubov, Nina, Seraphima, Tamara, Faina, ... (passport and godfather names are the same).

Sometimes the passport and church forms have slight differences: Anfisa - Anfusa, Arina - Irina, Elizaveta - Elisaveta, Christina - Christina, Natalya - Natalia, Pelageya - Pelagia, Praskovya - Paraskeva, Stepanida - Stefanida, Tatiana - Tatiana, Emilia - Emilia, Yulia - Julia. And sometimes very significant: Avdotya - Evdokia, Agrafena - Agrippina, Aksinya and Oksana - Ksenia, Alena - Elena, Victoria - Nika, Violetta - Iya, Irma - Ermionia, Lukerya - Glikeria, Olesya - Alexandra, Zhanna and Yana - Joanna, Polina - Paul or Apollinaria, Svetlana - Fotina or Fotinia, Snezhana - Khionia.

In all the cases considered, the passport forms of names come from the corresponding church forms. So, for example, the name Lukerya has a direct connection with church name Glykeria, since it is its Russian transformation, and the names Oksana and Aksinya are recognized folk and literary versions of the church name Ksenia.

However, it should be said that there are no strict rules. And the presence of a connection between the passport and godfather names is not at all necessary. It is entirely possible that a person will be chosen as a passport christian name Anna or, say, Tamara, and the godname will be another Christian name, for example, Agrippina, Angelina, Evdokia or Agathia (in honor of her famous grandmother or great-grandmother).

Let's go ahead and ask a question. Can Orthodox Christians bear such “non-Orthodox” names as Aurora, Azalia, Vladislava, Yesenia, Zarina, Inga, Camilla, Carolina, Louise, Miroslava, Teresa, Yaroslava? - Yes, of course, but for the naming ceremony (naming), which is performed during the process of baptism, you will need to choose another name - a church name. In principle, it can be anything, but usually it is selected so that it is either consonant, or close in meaning to the passport name.

Here is one of possible examples. They have become quite popular in Russian families.

European names Elvira (Spanish origin, from albar - “white”) and Eleonora (from Occitan allia Aenor - “other Aenor”). But these are “non-calendar names”: there are no saints of the same name in the Orthodox calendar, so it will not be possible to baptize a child in a church with these names. As a godname for each of them, you can propose, for example, such a consonant church name as Elena (“sunlight”, “solar”, Greek) or the name Leonilla (“lion”, “lioness”, Greek).

Other examples. The names Bogda na, Bozhe na and Yes na are absent in the Orthodox calendar, but close in meaning There are such names as Theodora (“God’s gift”), Dorothe i (“God’s gift”) and Theodosia (“God gave”) - any of them can be taken as a godfather. IN last years An increasing number of names such as Vitalina and Vitalia are being registered. Obviously, these are analogues of the male name Vitaly, which comes from the Latin word vitalis, so options for translating the name into Russian can be “full of life”, “living”, “giving life”. Obviously, Valentina could be a good godname for Vitalina and Vitalia - and general sense and in sound (Valentina - “strong, good health”, from the Latin valens, meaning “strong, strong, healthy”).

Let us emphasize once again: 1) it is not at all necessary that the passport name coincides with the godfather’s name, 2) it is not at all necessary that the passport name be of Orthodox origin (the name can be anything as long as the parents like it). Even in the hoary old days they did exactly this - every member of the princely family had two names: both a secular name and a Christian one.

So, when choosing a “non-Orthodox” name, the procedure should be as follows - in the registry office, the name chosen by the parents for the girl is written down on the Birth Certificate - for example, Miroslava, Ruslana, Zemfira, Inga or Yesenia, after which in the church she is baptized with any other church name she likes name - Varvara, Ilaria, Maria, Olga, Rufina, Serafima, Sofia or Faina. Neither the registry office nor the church has the right to influence the choice of parents. Advise and recommend - yes, but hinder - no!

Martyrs, righteous women, saints...

As already mentioned, baptism in the Russian Orthodox Church occurs simultaneously with the naming of a name. And naming is necessarily done in honor of a specific saint, who immediately becomes the “heavenly patron saint” (not to be confused with a guardian angel!). Parents have the right to ask the priest to baptize in the name and in honor of the saint whom they themselves consider most desirable and preferable for their child, for example, in honor of the Holy Martyr Agnia of Rome or the Holy Great Martyr Catherine of Alexandria, or the Holy Venerable Euphrosyne of Polotsk. As we see, each holy servant of God bears a certain “rank”: martyr, great martyr,

Reverend... What is this, how should it be understood?

• Martyrs are Christian saints who accepted violent death for their faith.
• Great Martyrs are martyrs for the faith who endured particularly severe torment.
• Venerables are nuns revered as saints for their selfless, ascetic life, entirely dedicated to God (celibacy, asceticism, fasting, prayer and physical work in monasteries and deserts); nun (also known as nokinya), igu menya (abbess of the monastery)

• Venerable Martyrs - holy martyrs from among the nuns (nuns who accepted death for their faith)

• Virgin Martyrs - unmarried, chaste girls (not nuns) who suffered during the persecution of Christians; sometimes youths are written in the calendar and tsa(i.e. teenage girl)

• Righteous (righteous women) - these include such holy women who during their lifetime were family people, led a secular (that is, not monastic) life, and were not subjected to torture or persecution for their faith. As saints, they are revered for their righteous, that is, virtuous, correct life, especially pleasing to God (the word righteous is directly related to the words truth, right, fair)

• Myrrh-Bearing Women - women who became the first witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead; Myrrh-bearers in ancient times were women who carried vessels with m and po m (myrrh is a fragrant, fragrant oil used for anointing and other church rituals); several myrrh-bearers became the first witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, these include Salome, Joanna, Susanna, Mary Magdalene - all of them are considered righteous saints (righteous women)

• Equal to the Apostles - “equal to the apostles”, like the apostles they enlightened different peoples, converted them to Christianity (i.e. these are missionaries, spreaders of Christianity), among the Equal-to-the-Apostles there were not only men, but also several women

• The faithful are queens and princesses who became saints for their pious lives and works to strengthen the faith and the church

• The blessed and the holy fools. Blessed, that is, “happy” (in Latin - beata): this epithet is worn by several famous saints of the 4th-9th centuries (St. Mary of Hidan, Holy Muse of Rome, Holy Queen Theophania), as well as St. Matrona of Moscow (XX century). The epithet “blessed” when applied to other Russian saints has a different meaning: holy fool (for example, holy blessed Ksenia of Petersburg, holy fool for Christ’s sake), from Old Russian ugly; holy fools prophesied, denounced bad morals, regardless of their faces, showed great wisdom in the face of apparent madness

• New martyrs - as a rule, they mean those who suffered for the Christian faith during the years of Soviet power

In church calendars, monthly calendars, calendars, these “ranks” (categories, ranks, in other words, “faces of holiness”) are written abbreviated:

mts. - martyr; VMC. - great martyr; St. - reverend; prmts. - venerable martyr; right - righteous (righteous); equal to - equal to the apostles; blgv. - missus; bliss - blessed

Other common abbreviations in church calendars are:

St. - holy, holy; book - prince, princess; led - great, great

English equivalents (used in foreign Orthodox churches):

holy = Saint; martyr = Martyr; great martyr = Great-martyr; reverend = Venerable ; venerable martyr = Venerable-martyr; virgin-martyr = Virgin-martyr; righteous = Righteous; myrrhbearers = Myrrhbearers; Equal-to-the-Apostles = Equal-to-the-Apostles ; enlightener = Enlightene r; missus = Right-believing (princess = Princess; queen = Queen); Holy Fool = Foolfor-Christ; new martyr = New-martyr

Name day (name day, name day, name day holiday)

The well-known concept of “name day” means Day of Remembrance "your" saint

patron (that is, the saint whose name a person received at baptism). In many countries, name days are a more significant personal holiday than a birthday. And in Russia in the old days, as a rule, name days were celebrated, and the birthday remained in the shadows.

The days of remembrance of saints in this book are indicated according to the old and new styles. It looks like this: July 6/19; December 2/15; November 19 / December 2. The fact is that the Russian Orthodox Church still lives according to the Julian calendar, all dates in which differ from the modern civil calendar by 13 days. That is why the holiday of the Great October Revolution (which occurred on October 25, 1917) in the USSR was celebrated annually on November 7. That's why "old New Year"and is still celebrated on the night of January 13 to 14 (in the church calendar this is the night from December 31 to January 1!).

Dates of the Julian, that is, church calendar are considered “old style”. And the dates

Gregorian, that is, the modern civil calendar" - "new style".

Some saints have several memorable days. For example, the holy martyr

Alexandra Ankirskaya, Holy Blessed Princess Anna Kashinskaya, Holy Martyr

Galina of Corinth and a number of others - two memorable dates each, and the holy martyr Iraida (Raisa) of Alexandria and St. righteous Anna(mother Holy Mother of God) - three each.

For several saints, memorial days have not fixed, but movable dates (so

called rolling celebrations). For example, memory Venerable Mary Egyptian is performed on the fifth Sunday of Lent, and the memory of the righteous Salome, Joanna, and Mary Magdalene is celebrated on the Sunday of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women(that is, annually on the third Sunday after Orthodox Easter). The celebration of the memory of Eve (the foremother of all people), the righteous saints Susanna of Babylon, Ruth, Esther, Leah and Miriam is celebrated on the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers And on the Sunday of the Holy Fathers(that is, on the penultimate and last Sunday before Christmas); word a week in church calendars it means Sunday (from not doing, that is, resting); forefathers are the first righteous people in human history, they are mentioned in Old Testament: Adam, Eve, Abel, Noah, Abraham, etc., fathers (Godfathers) - the closest relatives of Jesus Christ: King David, righteous Joachim and Anna (parentsVirgin Mary), righteous Joseph.

When receiving a Baptismal Certificate, you must ensure that it contains

introduced full name the saint in whose honor the name was given, and the date of her memory.

An interesting exception to the rule are the names Inna and Rimma. In Russia they

are considered female, but it should be borne in mind that in the Orthodox calendar they are contained in the section “ Male names" So heavenly patrons and the intercessors of all women bearing the names Inna and Rimma are men - the holy martyrs of the 2nd century Inna Novodunsky and Rimma Novodunsky, disciples of St. Andrew the First-Called.

If the task is to choose a godname for a girl (that is, choose a name

corresponding saint) based on her birthday (or day of baptism), you need to turn to the Monthly Dictionary. The Book of Months is a book in which the days of remembrance of saints are arranged by day of the year (by month), its other names are Church calendar and Saints. Several convenient and high quality church calendars and month words are presented on the Internet, including on English language. You will find links to them in the book “A Thousand Names” in the Literature section.

If you are abroad on a long business trip or on a permanent

residence - in Australia, Western Europe, in the Middle East, Canada, China, USA

or Japan, then find the nearest Orthodox church Russian Orthodox Church

Moscow Patriarchate or other Orthodox churches (Antioch, Bulgarian,

Greek, North American) the Internet links listed in the section will help you

Literature (see subsection “The Orthodox Church Abroad”).

When communicating with a priest, the information line may be useful

"The name of the godfather in foreign Orthodox churches", given in this book on many

female names, and information on the correspondence of the “ranks” of holy saints in Russian and

English (see a little higher - Martyrs, righteous women, saints...)

lives of the saints").

The entire book is only available in print.

The history of the formation of Orthodoxy in Rus' is inextricably linked with a number of individuals who devoted their lives to the true worship of God and the fulfillment of all divine laws. Strictly following the requirements of their religion, these people deserved Divine Grace and the title of Orthodox saints for their selfless service to the Almighty and intercession for the entire human race before him.

The list of godly personalities who became famous for righteous deeds or who suffered for the faith of Christ is truly inexhaustible. Nowadays, it is also replenished with new names of pious Christians canonized by the church. The acquisition of holiness by ascetics of spiritual improvement can be called a great work, coupled with the burden of overcoming base feelings and vicious desires. Creating a divine image in oneself requires enormous effort and painstaking work, and the feat of Orthodox saints awakens admiration in the souls of true believers.

On icons depicting the righteous, their heads are crowned with a halo. It symbolizes the Grace of God, enlightening the face of a person who has become a saint. This is God's gift, warming the soul with the warmth of spirituality, delighting the heart with divine radiance.

Through prayers in churches and prayer chants, clergy, together with believers, glorify the image of the earthly life of the righteous according to their rank or title. Taking into account the feats accomplished during life or the reasons for leaving for another world, on the pages of the Orthodox calendar compiled by the Russian Orthodox Church, lists of pious persons by rank are presented.

• Prophets. This is the name given to the Old Testament saints, endowed with the gift of foreseeing future events. The Prophets were chosen by the Almighty; they were called upon to prepare the people for the acceptance of Christianity.
• The best followers of the Lord are called apostles. Of these, 12 saints are called close, the ranks of the disciples of the Heavenly King number 70 righteous people.
• The Forefathers include the pious men mentioned in the Old Testament, who were distantly related to our Savior.
• Righteous men or women who have accepted monastic rank (monasticism) are called venerables.
• The status of great martyrs or martyrs is given to God-pleasers who died a martyr's death for the faith of Christ. Servants of the church are classified as hieromartyrs, sufferers in monasticism - venerable martyrs.
• Among the Blessed are the pious who have become insane for Christ's sake, as well as travelers without a permanent home. For their obedience, such people were gifted with God's mercy.
• Enlighteners (equal to the apostles) are called righteous people whose actions contributed to the conversion of peoples to the Christian faith.
• Passion-bearers or confessors are the name given to pious believers who were subjected to persecution and imprisonment for their devotion to the Savior. In the world, such Christians died in great pain.

Prayers to the holy saints are associated not only with the veneration of God’s companions, but with turning to them for their own help. Showing divine honors and worshiping anyone other than the true and one God is prohibited by Holy Scripture.

List of the most revered saints of the Orthodox Church by year of their life

• The First-Called Apostle is one of the 12 disciples of Christ, chosen by him to preach the Gospel. The disciple of John the Baptist received the status of the First Called for being the first to respond to the call of Jesus and also calling Christ the Savior. According to legend, he was crucified around the year 67 on a cross of a special shape, later called St. Andrew's. December 13 is the day of veneration by the Orthodox Church.
• Saint Spyridon of Trimifunt (207-348) became famous as a miracle worker. The life of Spyridon, elected bishop of the city of Trimifunt (Cyprus), was spent in humility and calls to repentance. The saint became famous for many miracles, including the revival of the dead. An adherent of strict observance of the words of the Gospel passed away while reading a prayer. Believers keep the icon of the miracle worker at home to receive God’s grace, and on December 25 they honor his memory.
• Of the female images, the most revered in Russia is the Blessed Matrona (1881-1952). The Orthodox saint was chosen by the Almighty for good deeds even before her birth. The difficult life of the righteous woman was permeated with patience and humility, with miracles of healing documented in writing. Believers venerate the relics of the passion-bearer, preserved within the walls of the Intercession Church, for healing and salvation. The day of veneration by the church is March 8.
• The most famous of the righteous saints (270-345) is listed as Nicholas of Myra in the list of great saints. As a bishop, a native of Lycia (Roman province), devoted his entire life to Christianity, pacified the warring, defended the innocently convicted, and performed miracles of salvation. Believers turn to the icon of St. Nicholas the Pleasant for mental and physical healing, and protection for travelers. The Church honors the memory of the miracle worker with prayers on December 19 according to the new (Gregorian) style.

Prayer to Nicholas the Ugodnik for help:

After the desired is realized, it is important to offer a prayer of gratitude to the saint:

Touching the myrrh-streaming relics of the Wonderworker, kept in the Catholic monastery of Bari (Italy), blesses believers with healing. You can pray to Nicholas the Pleasant anywhere.

The emphasis of Orthodox teaching is based on the spiritual principle of purposeful movement towards achieving holiness throughout a sinless life. Important advantage holiness according to Orthodox teaching in constant communion with God of the apostles residing in the Kingdom of Heaven.

List of Russian Orthodox saints canonized in the 19th century

Naming a saint (secular name)	Sainthood status	Brief information about the canon	Day of Remembrance	Years of life
Sarovsky (Prokhor Moshnin)	Reverend	The great ascetic and wonderworker predicted that his death would “be revealed by fire”	January 2	1754-1833
Petersburg (Ksenia Petrova)	Blessed righteous woman	A wandering nun of a noble family who became holy fool of Christ for the sake of	February 6	1730-1806 (date approximate)
Ambrose Optinsky (Grenkov)	Reverend	The great deeds of the Optina elder are associated with blessing his flock for charitable deeds and guardianship of the women's monastery	October 23	1812-1891
Filaret (Drozdov)	Saint	Thanks to the Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna, Christians of Russia listen to the Holy Scriptures in Russian	November 19	1783-1867
Feofan Vyshensky (Govorov)	Saint	The theologian distinguished himself in the field of preaching, voluntarily chose seclusion to translate ascetic books	January 18	1815-1894
Diveevskaya (Pelageya Serebrennikova)	Blessed	The nun became a holy fool for Christ’s sake according to the will of Seraphim of Sarov. For her feat of foolishness she was persecuted, beaten, and chained	12th of February	1809-1884

The act of canonization of righteous Christians can be either church-wide or local. The basis is holiness during life, the performance of miracles (intravital or posthumous), incorruptible relics. The result of the church's recognition of the saint is expressed by a call to the flock to honor the righteous man with prayers during public services, and not by commemoration. The ancient Christian church did not carry out the canonization procedure.

List of pious righteous people who received the rank of sainthood in the 20th century

Name of a great Christian	Sainthood status	Brief information about the canon	Day of Remembrance	Years of life
Kronstadt (Ioann Sergiev)	Righteous	In addition to preaching and spiritual writing, Father John healed the hopelessly sick and was a great seer	20th of December	1829-1909
Nikolai (Ioann Kasatkin)	Equal to the Apostles	The Bishop of Japan was engaged in missionary work in Japan for half a century, spiritually supporting Russian prisoners	February 3rd	1836-1912
(Bogoyavlensky)	Hieromartyr	The activities of the Metropolitan of Kyiv and Galicia were associated with spiritual enlightenment to strengthen Orthodoxy in the Caucasus. Accepted martyrdom during the persecution of the church	The 25th of January	1848-1918
Royalty	Passion-bearers	Members royal family led by Emperor Nikolai Alexandrovich, who suffered martyrdom during the revolutionary coup	4th of July	Canonization was confirmed by Russia in 2000
(Vasily Belavin)	Saint	Life His Holiness Patriarch Moscow and all Rus' was associated with the glorification of the saints. The confessor was a missionary in America, spoke out against the persecution of the Orthodox Church	March 25	1865-1925
Silouan (Simeon Antonov)	Reverend	Having left the monastic path, he served in the army, where he supported his comrades with wise advice. Having taken monastic vows, he retired to the monastery to gain ascetic experience in fasting and prayer.	11 September	1866-1938

IN Orthodox literature There is a special genre that describes the life and deeds of people who lived in holiness. The lives of saints are not secular chronicles, but life stories written in accordance with church canons and rules. The first records of events in the lives of holy ascetics were kept at the dawn of Christianity, then they were formed into calendar collections, lists of days of veneration of the blessed memory of saints.

According to the instructions of the Apostle Paul, preachers of the word of God should be remembered and their faith should be imitated. Despite the departure to another world of the holy righteous, whom the holy church reveres.

For high morality and holiness, throughout the history of Orthodox Rus', people with a pure heart and a radiant soul were gifted with God's grace. They received the heavenly gift of holiness for their righteous deeds, their help to people living on earth is invaluable. Therefore, even in the most hopeless situation, go to church, pray to the saints, and you will receive help if the prayer is sincere.

This holiday deserves it! On the one hand, it creates a cash flow for flower and cosmetic stores, where joyful excitement begins to reign a few days before, and on the other hand, it causes mass irritation in the information space. In my opinion, almost all categories do not like him: men, feminists, other believers, and many women who see hypocrisy in him - when it is easier for family members to declare love and respect for their wife and mother once a year than to show it in practice all year round.

Some of the dislike is deserved. And to the original meaning - communism is still not the most attractive ideology in the world - and especially to what this day has become now. It was based on the results of last March 8 that your humble servant identified herself as a feminist, although previously she could have imagined this only in a nightmare. But everything was overpowered by streams of bad taste, a downright witch’s Sabbath: “Remain as feminine, capricious, stupid and mysterious, that’s why we love you.”

No really. I don’t know a single man who would love me for this: my husband, colleagues and acquaintances value something completely different in me. It is clear that everyone sometimes does stupid things, gets into a bottle out of the blue or behaves illogically, but it is impossible to love this in an adult, full-fledged person. These are attributes that adorn either a deity or a cute, playful kitten.

And this is the reason why this vanilla sexism offends my religious feelings. A woman is not a deity. A woman is not a kitten.

Christianity values ​​the same things in a woman as it does in a man. Yes, with some variations and nuances, but the principle is the same. Proof of this is the women whom the Church reveres as saints.

These are the ones I want to remind myself and the public about in honor of Clara Zetkin’s birthday (I have no idea when her actual birthday is, but the origin of the meme is clear), and also the Holiday of Hothouse Tulips.

So, my personal top 10 women, without whom, it seems to me, Orthodoxy as we know it is unimaginable.

They were all different: rulers, preachers, philanthropists, martyrs, married women, widows, virgins, repentant harlots, princesses and peasant women, learned and illiterate. And not one of them, as we see, demonstrated the qualities that are valued - or supposedly valued - by the most narrow-minded of modern men.

However, all of the above is not at all a reason to forget about congratulations to mothers, sisters, wives and female colleagues. Showing love is never at the wrong time.