May 18 (new style) The Orthodox Church honors the memory of the Holy Great Martyr Irene. Irene, a Slav by birth, lived in the second half of the 1st century and was the daughter of the pagan Licinius, ruler of the city of Mageddon in Macedonia, so Saint Irene began to be called Macedonian.
At birth she was given the name "Penelope". When Penelope began to grow up and turned 6 years old, she seemed to have an unusually beautiful face, so that she outshone all her peers with her appearance. Licinius assigned Elder Karia to his daughter as a teacher. Licinius also instructed an old man named Apelian to teach her book wisdom. Penelope's father did not know that Apelian was a secret Christian. The girl spent six years and three months like this, and when she turned 12 years old, the father began to think about who to marry his daughter to.
One day, when the girl was sitting in her room, a dove flew into her open window facing east, holding a small branch in its beak; placing it on the table, he immediately flew out of the room through the window. Then an hour later an eagle flew into the room with a wreath of different colors, and he, too, placing the wreath on the table, immediately flew away. Then a raven flew in through another window, carrying a small snake in its beak, which it placed on the table, and itself also flew away.
Seeing all this, the young woman, together with her teacher, were very surprised, wondering what this arrival of birds foreshadowed? When teacher Apelian came to them, they told him what had happened.
Apelian explained it this way:
- Know, my daughter, that the dove means your good character, your meekness, humility and maiden chastity. The olive branch symbolizes God's grace which will be given to you through baptism. An eagle, soaring high, depicts a king and a winner, signifies that you will reign over your passions and, having risen in the mind of God, you will defeat invisible enemies, just as an eagle defeats birds. A crown of flowers is a sign of the reward that you will receive for your exploits from the King Christ in His heavenly kingdom, where an imperishable crown of eternal glory is being prepared for you. A raven with a snake signifies the enemy, the devil, who is trying to inflict grief, sadness and persecution on you. Know, maiden, that the great King, who holds heaven and earth in His power, wants to betroth you to His bride and you will endure many sufferings for His name.

Saint Panteleimon (Panteleimon), often called "Panteleimon the Healer", was born in the 3rd century in the city of Nicomedia (now Izmit, Turkey) into a noble pagan family and was named Pantoleon. Pantoleon's mother was a Christian, but she died early and did not have time to raise her son in the Christian faith. Pantoleon was sent by his father to a pagan school, after which he began to study the art of medicine from the famous physician Euphrosynus and became known to Emperor Maximian, who wanted to see him at his court.
Saint Hermolai, who lived in Nicodemus, told Pantoleon about Christianity. Once a young man saw a dead child on the street, bitten by a snake that was still nearby. Pantoleon began to pray to Christ for the resurrection of the deceased and the killing of the poisonous reptile. He firmly decided that if his prayer was fulfilled, he would be baptized. The child came to life, and the snake scattered into pieces in front of Pantoleon's eyes.
Saint Hermolai baptized Pantoleon under the name Panteleimon - “all-merciful” (it is the spelling “Panteleimon” that is canonical in Orthodoxy, the version of the name with “th” is the secular version of this name). Panteleimon's father, seeing how he healed a blind man, also received baptism.

Conversation between Saint Panteleimon and Saint Hermolai

Saint Panteleimon devoted his life to healing the sick, including prisoners, among whom were Christians. The fame of a wonderful doctor who did not charge money for treatment spread throughout the city and the rest of the doctors were left without work. Embittered doctors reported to the emperor that Panteleimon was treating Christian prisoners. Emperor Maximian demanded that Panteleimon renounce his faith and sacrifice to idols. The saint suggested that the emperor call upon one incurable patient and arrange a test to see who would heal him: he or the pagan priests. The pagan priests were unable to heal the sick man, but Panteleimon, by the power of prayer, granted healing to the sick man, proving the true Christian faith and the falsity of paganism.

Almost everyone knows what "Valentine's Day" is, but few know the history of Saint Valentine himself. This article will examine the origins of the legend of St. Valentine, and will also present images of this saint, including Orthodox icons of him.

On February 14, Catholicism celebrates the day of remembrance of three Saint Valentines: Valentine of Rome, Valentine the Bishop of Interamna, and Valentine from the Roman province of Africa. Almost nothing is known about the third; the first two are possibly the same person. Due to this confusion, in 1969 the Catholic Church excluded Valentine from the universal Roman calendar (Calendarium Romanae Ecclesiae) - a list of those saints whose memory is obligatory for liturgical veneration by all Catholics. At the same time, the name of Valentine remained in the Catholic martyrology - a list of saints, the decision to venerate them is made at the level of local churches. In Russian Orthodox Church The day of memory of Valentin Interamsky is celebrated on August 12, and the day of memory of Valentin Rimsky is celebrated on July 19 (both dates are according to the new style).

On December 7, the Russian Orthodox Church honors the memory of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine of Alexandria (287 - 305).

Catherine was the daughter of the ruler of Alexandria of Egypt, Constus, during the reign of Emperor Maximian (305 - 313). Living in the capital - the center of Hellenic learning, Catherine, who had rare beauty and intelligence, received an excellent education, having studied the works of the best ancient philosophers and scientists.

Carlo Dolci. Saint Catherine of Alexandria reading a book

In Christianity, several saints bearing the name Paraskeva are revered. In Russian Orthodoxy, the most revered holy martyr of the 3rd century is Paraskeva-Friday (commemorated on November 10). Another saint with the name Paraskeva, called “Petka” in these countries, is popular among Orthodox Christians in Bulgaria and Serbia. Saint Paraskeva-Petka is commemorated on October 27. In Russian Orthodoxy, Saint Petka is called Serbian or Bulgarian Paraskeva.

Saint Petka (Paraskeva Bulgarian/Serbian)

Jerome is a Christian saint, venerated in Catholicism (feast day on September 30) and in Orthodoxy (feast day on June 28). The main merit of Saint Jerome is the translation of the Old Testament into Latin and editing the Latin version of the New Testament. The Latin Bible, created by Jerome and called the Vulgate, is the canonical Latin text of the Bible to this day. Saint Jerome is considered the heavenly patron of all translators.

Jerome was born around 340-2 (according to other sources, in 347) in the Roman province of Dalmatia, in the city of Stridon (not far from where the capital of Slovenia, Ljubljana, is now located). Jerome went to study in the capital of the empire - Rome, where he was baptized in the period from 360 to 366. Jerome studied with the famous grammarian Aelius Donatus, a specialist in ancient and Christian literature. While continuing his studies, Jerome traveled a lot. In the Syrian city of Antioch in the winter of 373-374, Jerome became seriously ill and had a vision that forced him to abandon secular studies and devote himself to God. Jerome retired to the Chalcis desert in Syria, where he began to study the language of the Jews with the aim of reading biblical texts in the original. Jerome returned to Antioch in 378 or 379, where he was ordained bishop. Later Jerome leaves for Constantinople and then returns to Rome. In the capital of the empire, Jerome gained great confidence among the famous noble women of Rome: Jerome's peer Paula and her daughters Blesilla and Eustochia, under the influence of Jerome, abandoned their aristocratic lifestyle and became ascetics.

On September 30, the Orthodox Church honors the memory of the holy martyrs Faith, Nadezhda, Love and their mother Sophia, who suffered in Rome under Emperor Hadrian (2nd century AD).

Saint Sophia, a strong Christian, managed to raise her daughters in ardent love for God. The rumor about the good behavior, intelligence and beauty of the girls reached the Emperor Hadrian, who wished to see them, having learned that they were Christians.

Adrian called on all three sisters in turn and affectionately convinced them to make a sacrifice to the goddess Artemis, but received a firm refusal from everyone and agreement to endure all the torment for Jesus Christ.

Vera was 12 years old, Nadezhda - 10 and Lyubov - 9. In front of their mother's eyes, they were tortured in turn. They beat Vera mercilessly and cut off her breasts, but instead of blood, milk came out of the wound. Then she was placed on a hot iron. The mother prayed with her daughter and strengthened her in suffering - and the iron did not burn Vera. Being thrown into a cauldron of boiling resin, Vera loudly prayed to the Lord and remained unharmed. Then Adrian ordered her head to be cut off.

Next Nadezhda and Lyubov were tortured and killed.

To prolong the mother's torment, the emperor did not torture her; he gave her the tortured bodies of three girls. Sophia put them in an ark and buried them with honors on a high hill outside the city. The mother sat at the grave of her daughters for three days and finally gave up her soul to the Lord. Believers buried her body in the same place.

The relics of Saints Faith, Hope, Love and Sophia rest in Alsace, in the Church of Escho.

Tatiana of Rome (in Church Slavonic Tatiana) is a holy martyr, whose memory is honored in Orthodoxy on January 25.

Tatiana was born in Rome into a noble family. Her father was elected consul three times, he was a secret Christian and raised his daughter in the Christian faith. When Tatyana reached adulthood, she decided not to get married and to be the bride of Christ. Tatiana's piety became known in Christian circles and she was chosen as a deaconess (the duties of a deaconess included visiting sick women and caring for them, preparing women for baptism, “serving the elders during the baptism of women for the sake of decency,” etc.). In 222, Alexander Severus became emperor. He was the son of a Christian woman and did not persecute Christians. However, the emperor was only 16 years old and all power was concentrated in the hands of Ulpian, who fiercely hated Christians. Persecution of Christians began. Tatyana was also captured. She was brought into the temple of Apollo and forced to bow to his statue. She prayed to the true God and the idol of Apollo fell and broke, and part of the temple collapsed with it.

They began to torture Tatyana. The author of the life of Saint Tatiana, Dmitry Rostovsky writes about it this way:
“At first they began to beat her in the face and torment her eyes with iron hooks. After long torment, the tormentors themselves became exhausted, for the body of the sufferer of Christ was hard for those who inflicted wounds on her, like an anvil, and the tormentors themselves suffered more torment than the holy martyr. And the angels stood invisibly near the saint and struck those who tortured Saint Tatiana, so that the tormentors cried out to the lawless judge and asked him to order an end to the torment; they said that they themselves suffered more than this holy and innocent virgin. ", courageously enduring suffering, she prayed for her tormentors and asked the Lord to reveal to them the light of truth. And her prayer was heard. The heavenly light illuminated the tormentors, and their spiritual eyes were opened.". The eight executioners who tortured Tatiana converted to Christianity and were executed for this.

The next day, Tatyana was tortured again (she was healed from previous torture). They began to cut Tatyana's body, but milk flowed from the wounds.
“Then they spread her out crosswise on the ground and beat her with rods for a long time, so that the tormentors were exhausted and often changed. For, as before, the angels of God stood invisibly near the saint and inflicted wounds on those who struck the holy martyr. The torturer’s servants were exhausted, declaring, that someone was striking them with iron sticks. Finally, nine of them died, struck by the right hand of an angel, and the rest fell to the ground barely alive.”
The next day they began to persuade Tatyana to make a sacrifice to the goddess Diana. She prayed to the true God and fire fell from the sky, burning the statue, the temple and many pagans.

Natalia - female name, formed in the first centuries of Christianity from Lat. Natalis Domini - birth, Christmas. The meaning of the name "Natalia" is Christmas. Of the bearers of this name in Orthodoxy, the most famous is Saint Natalia of Nicomedia, whose feast day falls on September 8. Saint Natalia is venerated together with her husband, Saint Adrian.
Adrian and Natalia lived in Nicomedia of Bithynia under Emperor Maximian (305-311). Adrian was a pagan, and Natalia was a secret Christian. When their marriage was one year and one month old, the emperor instructed Adrian, as the head of the judicial chamber of Nicomedia, to draw up protocols of interrogations of 23 Christians arrested on the denunciation of pagans in the caves where they secretly prayed. The martyrs were severely beaten, but did not renounce Christ. Adrian wanted to know why Christians suffer so much and they told him about their belief in eternal life and divine reward. This faith entered Adrian’s heart, he converted to Christianity and added himself to the list of arrested Christians. Natalia, having learned about this, was delighted, because now her husband shared her secret faith. Natalia went to prison and began to beg Adrian to courageously accept the crown of martyrdom for the sake of Christ. She looked after Christians crippled by torture, alleviating their suffering. When Adrian was sent home to tell his wife about the day of his execution, she at first did not want to let him into the house, thinking that he had renounced Christ. On the day of execution, Natalia, fearing that Adrian might hesitate at the sight of the suffering and death of other martyrs, asked the executioners to begin the execution with her husband and she herself placed his feet on the anvil. When Adrian's legs were broken, Natalia exposed his hand to the blow of the hammer. The executioner cut it off with a strong blow and Adrian died. He was 28 years old. Natalia secretly took her husband's hand and hid it. Maximian, having executed all the Christians in prison, ordered the bodies of the martyrs to be burned. But by the will of God, a strong thunderstorm began, and many of the tormentors were killed by lightning. The rain extinguished the burning stove, and Christians were able to remove the bodies of the saints, undamaged by the fire, from the stove. A pious Christian named Eusebius collected the remains of the saints and brought them to the city of Argyropolis near Byzantium. The emperor wanted to give Natalia as a wife to a noble military leader, then Natalia took Adrian's hand and went by ship to Argyropolis. The military commander, having learned about Natalia's escape, pursued her on the ship, but was caught in a storm and turned the ship back, while many of those sailing on it drowned, and the ship with Christians was bypassed by the storm. Adrian saved them by appearing to them in a blaze of light. Upon arrival in Argyropol, Natalia came to the temple with the bodies of the martyrs and connected Adrian’s hand to his body. The sufferer died that same day.
Natalia, despite her bloodless death and the fact that she was not subjected to physical torture, was numbered among the martyrs for her boundless compassion for her husband and other martyrs.

Modern name Audrey (Audrey) comes from the Old English name Ethelfrith (option - Edilfrida) (Aethelthryth, aethele - noble, excellent, excellent + thryth - power, authority, strength). In Latinized form, the name sounded like Etheldreda, Etheldred. German forms of the same name are Edeltraud, Edeltrud.
The name “Etheldreda” entered history thanks to the saint who bore this name.

Saint Audrey (Etheldreda) on stained glass in St Leonard's Church (Horringer, England)

Saint Etheldreda (Saint Audrey) was born in 630 in Exning, the estate of the kings of the East Angles, located in western Suffolk. She was the daughter of Anne, the future king of the East Anglian Land. She was baptized by the Apostle of East Anglia, St. Felix. While still a young girl, Etheldreda, thanks to the influence of St. Felix, as well as his friend and associate St. Aidan and the latter’s student, the future abbess Hilda (Hilda), felt a strong attraction to monastic life. However, in 652 she was married to a nobleman from the "Lowland" (located on the border of what is now Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire). As a dowry, Etheldreda received the city of Ely and the island on which it was located.

In 655 her husband died; They probably never entered into a marriage relationship. Contrary to her hopes of starting a monastic career in Ely, in 660 she was again forced to marry for political reasons, this time to the 15-year-old king of Northumbria, thus becoming queen of that country.

Who would you put on this list?
The teacher of the Kyiv Theological Academy Andrey Muzolf made his choice and explained in detail to the editors of the portal why he selected these particular saints.

– When answering this question It is immediately necessary to clarify the following: when we say that certain saints are more or less revered by the people, we do not mean that some of them are “better”, and some are “worse”, some “ “stronger” helps, and some “weaker”. All saints have the same grace, because they have already achieved deification, beyond which there is nothing higher. One modern theologian said: the one who has God and something else is not at all richer than the one who has only God. God is our most important wealth, and the one who has met the Lord in his life is truly happy. Therefore, the saints, as people who have already been honored to be in constant communion with God (to which, in fact, man was called from the very moment of his creation), are not in the least humiliated by the fact that some of them are revered more and others less. Consequently, the question of special veneration of saints lies exclusively in the plane of our personal prayer and liturgical practice.

If we talk specifically about the saints who are especially revered in Ukraine, then it is probably worth noting the following.

Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker

Firstly, this is St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Myra. Our people especially reverence this saint, first of all, because, as we know from his life, St. Nicholas was always an “ambulance” for those people who found themselves in a very difficult situation (remember, for example, the case of an unjustly convicted warrior or an impoverished the father of three girls), which is why he is often popularly called Nikolai Ugodnik. That is why people’s love for the saint has reached such a scale both throughout the Orthodox world and in our country. In Ukraine, perhaps, there is not a single city in which a temple would not be erected in honor of this saint.

In addition, we should also note those saints, thanks to whom, in fact, the spread of Christianity began in our land. These are, first of all, the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga and Prince Vladimir.

Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duchess Olga

Holy Equal to the Apostles Grand Duchess Olga in 903 became the wife of the Grand Duke of Kyiv Igor. After his murder in 945 by the rebel Drevlyans, she, not wanting to marry again, took on the burden of public service with her three-year-old son Svyatoslav. In 954, Princess Olga went to Constantinople for the purpose of a religious pilgrimage and a diplomatic mission, where she was received with honor by Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus. The grandeur of Christian churches and the shrines collected in them impressed the princess so much that she decided to accept baptism, which was performed on her by Patriarch Theophylact of Constantinople, and the emperor himself became her successor. The name of the Russian princess was given in honor of the holy Queen Helen. Upon returning from Byzantium, Olga zealously carried the Christian gospel to the pagans, and began to erect the first Christian churches: in the name of St. Nicholas over the grave of the first Kyiv Christian prince Askold and St. Sophia in Kyiv over the grave of Prince Dir. Holy Princess Olga reposed in 969, bequeathing her open Christian burial. The incorrupt relics of the princess rested in the Tithe Church in Kyiv.

However, the widespread spread of Christianity in Rus' was destined to begin only under the grandson of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga - Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir.

Equal to the Apostles Prince Vladimir

The future enlightener of Rus' was the son of Grand Duke Svyatoslav Igorevich, and his mother (Princess Malusha), although she came from a Varangian family, professed the Christian faith. Young Vladimir was given the reign of Novgorod, where he grew up under the supervision of his uncle Dobrynya, a rude pagan. Soon, as a result of internecine wars, Vladimir reigned in Kyiv. Having established himself in the glorious city with the aim of better centralizing power and consolidating the Slavic tribes, he decides to establish unity of faith in Rus' and in the course of long search(Vladimir himself talked about faith with representatives of various religions who were at the princely court, and repeatedly sent his proxies look, so to speak, “faith on the ground”) is inclined to accept Christianity. Having accepted his own baptism, the holy prince subsequently called on his boyars to accept Christianity, as a result of which in 988, in the waters of the Pochayna River (a tributary of the Dnieper), the Sacrament of Baptism was performed on the ancient people of Kiev.

Blessed Princes Boris and Gleb

One of the first saints of God, canonized by our Church, are the holy brothers - the noble princes Boris and Gleb, the sons of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir. They were canonized as passion-bearers, since they accepted a violent death, however, not for the name of Christ, but due to the political ambitions of their brother Svyatopolk, who wanted to concentrate the grand-ducal power in his hands. Saints Boris and Gleb are an example of the true love of Christ: knowing that their brother wanted to kill them, they could gather troops to resist, however, not wanting anyone else’s blood to be shed in internecine wars, they decided to sacrifice their lives for the sake of the benefits of the fatherland.

Venerable Anthony and Theodosius of Pechersk

The saints about whom I would like to say especially are the Monks Anthony and Theodosius of Pechersk. They are the “chiefs” of ascetic life in Rus'. Thus, the Monk Anthony, becoming the first Russian monk, brought the monastic Rule from Holy Mount Athos, where he labored very long time. The Monk Theodosius is the founder of a more organized, so to speak, cenobitic monasticism in Rus'. It was he who founded the very first monastery in our lands (now the great Holy Dormition Lavra), from which monasticism spread throughout Rus' and which became a model for a huge number of monastic communities.

Russian saints...The list of saints of God is inexhaustible. By their way of life they pleased the Lord and thanks to this they became closer to eternal existence. Each saint has his own face. This term denotes the category to which the Pleasant of God is classified during his canonization. These include the great martyrs, martyrs, saints, saints, unmercenaries, apostles, saints, passion-bearers, holy fools (blessed), holy believers and equal to the apostles.

Suffering in the name of the Lord

The first saints of the Russian Church among the saints of God are the great martyrs who suffered for the faith of Christ, dying in severe and long agony. Among the Russian saints, the first to be numbered in this rank were the brothers Boris and Gleb. That is why they are called the first martyrs - passion-bearers. In addition, the Russian saints Boris and Gleb were the first to be canonized in the history of Rus'. The brothers died in the battle for the throne that began after the death of Prince Vladimir. Yaropolk, nicknamed the Accursed, first killed Boris while he was sleeping in a tent while on one of his campaigns, and then killed Gleb.

The face of those like the Lord

Reverends are those saints who led through prayer, labor and fasting. Among the Russian saints of God one can single out St. Seraphim of Sarov and Sergius of Radonezh, Savva of Storozhevsky and Methodius of Peshnoshsky. The first saint in Rus' to be canonized in this guise is considered to be the monk Nikolai Svyatosha. Before accepting the rank of monasticism, he was a prince, the great-grandson of Yaroslav the Wise. Having renounced worldly goods, the monk labored as a monk in the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. Nikolai Svyatosha is revered as a miracle worker. It is believed that his hair shirt (a coarse woolen shirt), left behind after his death, healed one sick prince.

Sergius of Radonezh - the chosen vessel of the Holy Spirit

The 14th century Russian saint Sergius of Radonezh, known in the world as Bartholomew, deserves special attention. He was born into the pious family of Mary and Cyril. It is believed that while still in the womb, Sergius showed his chosenness of God. During one of the Sunday liturgies, the not yet born Bartholomew cried out three times. At that time, his mother, like the rest of the parishioners, was overcome with horror and confusion. After his birth the monk did not drink breast milk, if Mary ate meat that day. On Wednesdays and Fridays, little Bartholomew went hungry and did not take his mother's breast. In addition to Sergius, there were two more brothers in the family - Peter and Stefan. Parents raised their children in Orthodoxy and strictness. All the brothers, except Bartholomew, studied well and knew how to read. And only the youngest in their family had a hard time reading - the letters blurred before his eyes, the boy was lost, not daring to utter a word. Sergius suffered greatly from this and fervently prayed to God in the hope of gaining the ability to read. One day, again ridiculed by his brothers for his illiteracy, he ran into the field and met an old man there. Bartholomew spoke about his sadness and asked the monk to pray to God for him. The elder gave the boy a piece of prosphora, promising that the Lord would definitely grant him a letter. In gratitude for this, Sergius invited the monk into the house. Before eating, the elder asked the boy to read the psalms. Timidly, Bartholomew took the book, afraid to even look at the letters that always blurred before his eyes... But a miracle! - the boy began to read as if he had already learned to read and write for a long time. The elder predicted to his parents that their youngest son, since he is the chosen vessel of the Holy Spirit. After such a fateful meeting, Bartholomew began to strictly fast and pray constantly.

The beginning of the monastic path

At the age of 20, the Russian saint Sergius of Radonezh asked his parents to give him a blessing to take monastic vows. Kirill and Maria begged their son to stay with them until their death. Not daring to disobey, Bartholomew until the Lord took their souls. Having buried his father and mother, the young man and his older brother Stefan go to take monastic vows. In the desert called Makovets, the brothers are building the Trinity Church. Stefan cannot stand the harsh ascetic lifestyle that his brother adhered to and goes to another monastery. At the same time, Bartholomew took monastic vows and became the monk Sergius.

Trinity-Sergius Lavra

The world-famous monastery of Radonezh once originated in a deep forest in which the monk once secluded himself. Sergius was in the house every day. He ate plant foods, and his guests were wild animals. But one day several monks found out about the great feat of asceticism performed by Sergius and decided to come to the monastery. There these 12 monks remained. It was they who became the founders of the Lavra, which was soon headed by the monk himself. Prince Dmitry Donskoy came to Sergius for advice, preparing for the battle with the Tatars. After the death of the monk, 30 years later, his relics were found, performing a miracle of healing to this day. This Russian saint still invisibly receives pilgrims to his monastery.

The Righteous and the Blessed

Righteous saints have earned God's favor by living godly lives. These include both lay people and clergy. The parents of Sergius of Radonezh, Cyril and Maria, who were true Christians and taught Orthodoxy to their children, are considered righteous.

The blessed are those saints who deliberately took on the image of people not of this world, becoming ascetics. Among the Russian Pleasers of God, those who lived during the time of Ivan the Terrible, Ksenia of Petersburg, who abandoned all benefits and went on long wanderings after the death of her beloved husband, and Matrona of Moscow, who became famous for the gift of clairvoyance and healing during her lifetime, are especially revered. It is believed that I. Stalin himself, who was not distinguished by religiosity, listened to the blessed Matronushka and her prophetic words.

Ksenia is a holy fool for Christ's sake

The blessed one was born in the first half of the 18th century into a family of pious parents. Having become an adult, she married the singer Alexander Fedorovich and lived with him in joy and happiness. When Ksenia turned 26 years old, her husband died. Unable to bear such grief, she gave away her property, put on her husband’s clothes and went on a long wandering. After this, the blessed one did not respond to her name, asking to be called Andrei Fedorovich. “Ksenia died,” she assured. The saint began to wander the streets of St. Petersburg, occasionally visiting her friends for lunch. Some people mocked the grief-stricken woman and made fun of her, but Ksenia endured all the humiliation without complaint. Only once did she show her anger when local boys threw stones at her. After what I saw local residents stopped mocking the blessed one. Ksenia of Petersburg, having no shelter, prayed at night in the field, and then came to the city again. The blessed one quietly helped the workers build a stone church at the Smolensk cemetery. At night, she tirelessly laid bricks in a row, contributing to the speedy construction of the church. For all her good deeds, patience and faith, the Lord gave Ksenia the Blessed the gift of clairvoyance. She predicted the future, and also saved many girls from unsuccessful marriages. Those people to whom Ksenia came became happier and luckier. Therefore, everyone tried to serve the saint and bring her into the house. Ksenia Petersburgskaya died at the age of 71. She was buried at the Smolensk cemetery, where the Church built by her own hands was located nearby. But even after physical death, Ksenia continues to help people. Great miracles were performed at her tomb: the sick were healed, those seeking family happiness were successfully married. It is believed that Ksenia especially patronizes unmarried women and already accomplished wives and mothers. A chapel was built over the tomb of the blessed one, to which crowds of people still come, asking the saint for intercession before God and thirsting for healing.

Holy sovereigns

The faithful include monarchs, princes and kings who have distinguished themselves

a godly lifestyle that strengthens the faith and position of the church. The first Russian saint Olga was canonized in this category. Among the faithful, Prince Dmitry Donskoy, who won a victory on the Kulikovo field after the appearance of the holy image of Nicholas, stood out to him; Alexander Nevsky, who did not compromise with the Catholic Church in order to maintain his power. He was recognized as the only secular Orthodox sovereign. Among the faithful there are other famous Russian saints. Prince Vladimir is one of them. He was canonized in connection with his great activity - the baptism of all Rus' in 988.

Empresses - God's Servants

Princess Anna was also counted among the saints; thanks to her wife, relative peace was observed between the Scandinavian countries and Russia. During her lifetime, she built it in honor because she received this very name at baptism. Blessed Anna revered the Lord and sacredly believed in him. Shortly before her death, she took monastic vows and died. Memorial Day - October 4 according to the Julian style, but in modern Orthodox calendar this date, unfortunately, is not mentioned.

The first Russian holy princess Olga, baptized Elena, accepted Christianity, influencing its further spread throughout Rus'. Thanks to her activities that contributed to the strengthening of faith in the state, she was canonized.

Servants of the Lord on earth and in heaven

Saints are saints of God who were clergy and received special favor from the Lord for their way of life. One of the first saints ranked among this rank was Dionysius, Archbishop of Rostov. Arriving from Athos, he headed the Spaso-Kamenny Monastery. People were drawn to his abode because he knew human soul and could always guide those in need on the right path.

Among all the canonized saints, Archbishop Nicholas the Wonderworker of Myra stands out. And although the saint is not of Russian origin, he truly became the intercessor of our country, always being at the right hand of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Great Russian saints, the list of which continues to grow to this day, can patronize a person if he diligently and sincerely prays to them. You can turn to the Pleasers of God in different situations - everyday needs and illnesses, or simply wanting to thank the Higher Powers for a calm and serene life. Be sure to purchase icons of Russian saints - it is believed that prayer in front of the image is the most effective. It is also advisable that you have a personal icon - an image of the saint in whose honor you were baptized.

Nika Kravchuk

Saints, saints, martyrs - what are different saints called?

It is not difficult to notice that different saints in the church are called differently: there are apostles, martyrs, saints, saints, confessors, passion-bearers... How to distinguish them? And is it necessary, if they have already been granted the Kingdom of Heaven?

All these names indicate the way these people came to God, how they used the talents given to them. The Orthodox Church honors the saints of God in various ranks: prophets, apostles, equal to the apostles, saints, saints, martyrs, great martyrs, holy martyrs, confessors, faithful, unmercenaries, fools for Christ's sake and passion-bearers.

ABOUT prophets we also know from Old Testament. These are those ascetics who received a special gift from God - to know the Will of the Creator about people and the destinies of the world. The Lord revealed the future to them.

For example, from the Old Testament we know about the so-called four Great Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel and Ezekiel. Particularly revered in our time are Saint Elijah and John the Baptist. The Church also knows the names of the wives whom God awarded such a gift (Righteous Anna belongs to them).

Apostles- followers of Christ and, in fact, the first preachers of Christianity. From ancient Greek this word is translated as ambassadors, that is, messengers of Jesus. The Church especially honors the memory of the 12 apostles, among whom Peter and Paul are considered the supreme ones.

But this is far from full list. In fact, there were much more disciples and followers of Christ, so they call the number 70 or even 72. The names of most of them are not present in the Gospel, therefore full list was compiled already in the 4th-5th centuries on the basis of Holy Tradition.

Those saints who lived several centuries after the first preachings of Christianity, but also worked to spread the teachings of the Church, are called equal to the apostles. For example, Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine and Helen, Equal-to-the-Apostles Princes Vladimir and Olga.

Saints It is customary to call representatives of the third degree of priesthood - bishops, archbishops, metropolitans and patriarchs who have pleased God with their service to the flock. There are a lot of them in the Orthodox Church, but the most revered are Nicholas of Myra, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom (also called ecumenical teachers, who expounded the Orthodox teaching on the Holy Trinity).

Reverends They call those who served God in the monastic rank. Their most important work is fasting and prayer, taming their own will, humility, and chastity.

There are a lot of saints who shone in this face, because it is difficult to find a monastery that has its own history, but does not have saints of God. Another question is that time must pass for the saints to be canonized. Kiev Pechersk Lavra is famous reverend fathers Pechersky. Famous and especially glorified are Seraphim of Sarov and Sergius of Radonezh.

The greatest number of saints came to the Kingdom of Heaven as martyrs. They endured terrible suffering and death for their faith. There were especially many such confessors during the time of persecution of Christians.

Those who have suffered particularly severe torment are called great martyrs. For example, the healer Panteleimon, Varvara and Catherine. There is also holy martyrs(accepted death in holy orders) and venerable martyrs(they suffered while in monastic vows).

Confessors are those who openly recognized themselves as Christians (confessed), but did not die a martyr’s death. Many confessors appear during persecutions for the faith.

The faithful are called saints of Christ, who were monarchs in the world (for example, princes or kings) and pleased God with their righteous lives. For many, they are associated with Alexander Nevsky, Andrei Bogolyubsky, Dmitry Donskoy and others, glorified in the Russian Church. In fact, this image of saints arose in the Church of Constantinople (they glorified the Byzantine emperors and their wives).

Unmercenary had a special gift from the Almighty - they could heal from physical and spiritual illnesses, but they did not take money for their help (for example, Kosma and Damian).

For Christ's sake holy fools- perhaps one of the most interesting and difficult paths to God. These people deliberately put on the guise of madness, although they had nothing to do with clouding of reason. They lived on the street, led a very modest and unpretentious life: they endured the hot sun and scorching frost, ate small portions of alms, dressed in rags, that is, they did not take care of themselves at all. For this, God gave them a special gift - to see the spiritual illnesses of other people.

Therefore, the holy fools engaged in denunciation, they could even directly tell the king if they saw that he was getting bogged down in vices. In addition, they hid their virtues, and for revealing the iniquities of others they often suffered insults or even beatings (although, for example, in Rus' they were considered “God’s people”, therefore beating a holy fool was considered a great sin, but human malice violated this unwritten rule). A striking example of such a path to salvation is Ksenia of Petersburg.

Sometimes fools for Christ's sake are also called blessed (for example, St. Basil the Blessed), but this word has different shades of meaning.

Passion-bearers they call those people who did not die a natural death, but, being Christians, suffered not for their faith, but for a righteous way of life, or gave their own lives for the well-being of others. Princes Boris and Gleb were considered the first passion-bearers in Rus'. Representatives of the family of the last emperor of Russia, Nicholas II, who led a truly Christian life, but were killed as representatives of the monarchy, were also canonized in this rank of saints.

We also know the names of some saints who are called righteous. Usually these are laity (also representatives of the white clergy) who led a righteous life and kept the commandments. This includes the forefathers (these include the Old Testament patriarchs) and the godfathers (primarily the parents of the Virgin Mary - Joachim and Anna), as well as the righteous John of Kronstadt, Simeon of Verkhoturye and others.

The example of all these saints indicates that the paths to God can be very different, but one thing is fundamental: the presence of boundless faith and its reinforcement with good deeds, following the Gospel commandments.

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Orthodox names. Choosing a name. Heavenly patrons. Saints Pecherskaya Anna Ivanovna

Holy saints of God and guardian angels

The fervent prayer of the righteous can accomplish much.

The Baptism Certificate, as a rule, indicates the heavenly patron of the person being baptized and the day of his memory, or name day. The patron saint, in whose honor a person receives a name, is often confused with the Guardian Angel. This is not true. Angels differ from people, even the most holy ones, in that they were never people, but were immediately created by God as spirits.

A Guardian Angel is given to a person at baptism as a companion and assistant in spiritual life. A saint is a person who once really lived, as evidenced by references in historical documents, but for his piety and various deeds performed in the name of the Church and Christ, he was elevated to the rank of saint. The saint after whom a person is named can also be called an angel or messenger, conveying the will of God to man.

Saint Theodore, Bishop of Edessa (IX century), taught: “The Lord gives each of us two angels, one of which – the Guardian Angel – protects us from all evil, from various misfortunes and helps us do good, and the other angel is a holy saint. God, whose name we bear, intercedes for us before God, prays to God for us. His prayers, as more worthy and pleasing to God, are more likely to be accepted than our sinners. Angels, being servants of love and peace, rejoice over our repentance and success in good deeds, try to fill us with spiritual contemplation (according to our receptivity) and assist us in all good.”

The belief that behind every person stands his holy intercessor before the face of God, both during life and after death, who does not leave those who suffer and ask without help, is very strong in people.

“The saints,” wrote the Monk Silouan of Athos, “see our life and our deeds in the Holy Spirit. They know our sorrows and hear our fervent prayers... The saints do not forget us and pray for us... They also see the suffering of people on earth. The Lord gave them such great grace that they embrace the whole world with love. They see and know how exhausted we are from sorrows, how our souls have dried up, how despondency has bound them, and, without ceasing, they intercede for us before God.”

According to Orthodox faith saints cannot perform miracles with their own power, but only in the name of the Holy Trinity, God the Father, the Holy Spirit and Christ the Savior.

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