Icon of Christ of Caesarea. Mts

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The holy martyr Dorothea lived in Caesarea in Cappadocia and suffered under the emperor Diocletian in 288 or 300, along with the martyrs Christina, Callista and the martyr Theophilus.

Saint Dorothea was a pious Christian girl, distinguished by great meekness, humility, chastity and wisdom given from God, which surprised many. Captured by order of the ruler Sapricius, she firmly confessed her faith in Christ and was subjected to torture. Without breaking the will of the saint, the ruler gave her to two women sisters Christina and Callista, who had previously been Christians, but, fearing torment, renounced Christ and began to lead an ungodly life. He ordered them to persuade Saint Dorothea to sacrifice to the pagan gods. However, the opposite happened: the women, convinced by Saint Dorothea that the mercy of God grants salvation to all who repent, repented and turned to Christ again. For this they were tied with their backs and burned in a tar barrel. The holy sisters Christina and Callista died painfully, offering a prayer of repentance to the Lord and atonement for the sin of apostasy.

Saint Dorothea was again subjected to torture, endured it with great joy and just as joyfully accepted the death sentence. When the saint was being led to execution, a certain learned man, (scholastic) Theophilus, mockingly said to her: “Bride of Christ, send me pink flowers and apples from the garden of Your Bridegroom.” In response, the martyr nodded to him. Before her death, the saint asked to be given time to pray. When she finished the prayer, an Angel appeared to her in the form of a beautiful young man and handed her three apples and three pink flowers on a clean linen. The saint asked to give all this to Theophilus, after which she was beheaded with a sword. Having received gifts of grace, the recent persecutor of Christians was amazed, believed in the Savior and confessed himself to be a Christian. Subjected to cruel torture for this, Saint Theophilus accepted a martyr's death by beheading by the sword.

The relics of Saint Dorothea are in Rome, in the church named after her, the head is also in Rome, in the Church of Our Lady of Trastevere.

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Christina (Christina)

The name Christina comes from the name of Christ, and the meaning of this word is quite clear - “dedicated to Christ” or simply “Christian”. Today, girls who are given the name Christina in worldly life are given this name.

One of the saints who can become the Heavenly Patroness of girls named Christina is Saint Christina of Caesarea (Cappadocia). Her life is inextricably linked with the life of the martyr Dorothea, who also lived in Caesarea and suffered at the hands of Emperor Diocletian.

Saint Dorothea was a pious Christian, very humble, chaste, meek. By order of the ruler Saprikiya, the pagans seized her and tortured her for a long time. But the torment could not break her faith, then she was given to two sisters Christina and Callista, who had also previously been Christians, but fearful of the torment, they renounced the Lord. They began to lead a life inappropriate for believers.

Sapricius ordered them to dissuade Dorothea from her beliefs and sacrifice to pagan idols. However, after the women met, a miracle happened, Christina and Callista repented of their behavior and turned to Christ again.

As soon as Sapirikiy found out about this, he ordered the sisters to be seized and tied with their backs, and then burned in a tar barrel. This is how they atoned for their sin of apostasy. Saint Dorothea also accepted martyrdom by beheading by the sword.

Another saint named by this name is Martyr Christina of Tire. She lived in the third century in the city of Tire. Her father Urvan was the ruler of this city. While still a teenager, many were already seduced by her beauty, dreaming of marrying her. But her father hoped that she would become a pagan priestess. For this, he built a special room where he settled his daughter, surrounded by pagan idols. She was served by two slaves. But Christina spent all her free time thinking about who created this world. Then she began to pray to the One God that He would reveal Himself to her.

One day, she was honored with a visit from an Angel, who revealed to her true faith in Christ. He called her the bride of Christ and told her that the feat of suffering awaited her. After this, Saint Christina smashed all the idols that had surrounded her all this time.

The slaves told their father about the changes in his daughter’s life. Urvan became angry and began to hit her on the cheeks. Christina remained silent for a long time, but then she herself revealed her Christianity.

Then the father ordered all the slaves to be killed and Christina to be tortured. The saint's mother asked her to renounce Christ, but she did not do this. Having learned that his daughter remained adamant and did not want to deviate from Christianity, he ordered the torture to continue. She was tied to a wheel, and a fire was lit under it. When it turned, Christina’s entire body was burned with fire. After this, she was again imprisoned. But the Angel of the Lord healed her of her wounds, appearing at night. When her father saw her in the morning, alive and well, he ordered her to be drowned in the sea.

And again the Angel of God brought her out of the water, and Christina again appeared to her father. The next morning, he ordered her execution, but he himself did not live to see this time. At night he died suddenly. A new ruler, Dion, was sent in his place; he asked Christina to renounce Christ once again. Having been refused, she was tortured again. Then she was in prison for a long time; local residents, having learned where she was, began to visit her. She converted many to Christianity. After some time, Saint Christina was killed with a sword.

There are few holy women bearing the name Christina in the life of the Russian Orthodox Church. Each of them stood in the faith of Christ until the very end of their earthly life. Whoever you choose as your heavenly patroness, trust in her help. Yes, the Lord God will help you through the prayers of our saints.

Below we provide a list of holy women named Christina. Dates are indicated according to the new style.

Christina of Caesarea

Information about the icon

Vendor code: Mer_148
Days of veneration: August 6
Gold plating degree: Gilding of the halo
Size: 22x50
Board (linden): With the ark
Materials: Chalk gesso, 995 gold leaf, tempera paints, varnish
Other icons: Board with the ArkGilding of the haloChristina of Caesarea

Biography

The Martyr Christina lived in the 3rd century. She was born into a rich family. Her father Urvan was the ruler of the city of Tire. At the age of 11, the girl was distinguished by her extraordinary beauty, and many wanted to marry her. However, Christina’s father dreamed of his daughter becoming a priestess. To do this, he placed her in a special room, where he placed many gold and silver idols, and ordered his daughter to burn incense in front of them. Two slaves served Christina.

In her solitude, Christina began to think about who created this beautiful world? From her room she admired the starry sky and gradually came to the idea of the One Creator of the whole world. She became convinced that the voiceless and soulless idols that stood in her chambers could not create anything, since they themselves were created by human hands. She began to pray to the One God with tears, asking Him to reveal Himself. Her soul flared up with love for the Unknown God, she increasingly intensified her prayer, combining it with fasting.

One day, Christina received a visit from an Angel, who instructed her in true faith in Christ, the Savior of the world. The angel called her the bride of Christ and foreshadowed her future suffering. The holy virgin broke all the idols that stood near her and threw them out the window. Christina's father Urvan, visiting his daughter, asked her where the idols had gone? Christina was silent. Then, calling the slaves, Urvan learned the truth from them. In anger, the father began to hit his daughter on the cheeks. The holy virgin was silent at first, and then revealed to her father her faith in the One True God and that with her own hands she destroyed the idols. Then Urvan ordered to kill all the slaves who served his daughter, and gave Christina a cruel scourging and threw him into prison. Having learned about what had happened, Saint Christina’s mother came to her daughter crying, asking her to renounce Christ and return to her father’s beliefs. However, Christina remained adamant. The next day, Urvan called his daughter to trial and began to persuade her to worship the gods and ask for forgiveness for her sin, but he saw her firm and unyielding confession.

The torturers tied her to an iron wheel, under which they lit a fire. The body of the martyr, turning on the wheel, was burned from all sides. She was then thrown into prison.

An angel of God appeared at night, healed her of her wounds and strengthened her with food. Her father, seeing her unharmed the next morning, ordered her to be drowned in the sea. But an Angel supported the saint, the stone sank, and Christina miraculously emerged from the water and appeared to her father. In horror, the torturer attributed this to the effect of magic and decided to execute her the next morning. At night he unexpectedly died. Another ruler, Dion, who was sent in his place, called on the holy martyr and also tried to persuade her to renounce Christ, but, seeing her unyielding firmness, he again gave her over to cruel torture. The Holy Martyr Christina was in prison for a long time. People began to approach her, and she converted them to true faith in Christ. About 3,000 people applied this way.

A new ruler, Julian, arrived in Dion’s place and began torturing the saint. After various torments, Julian ordered her to be thrown into a red-hot oven and shut up in it. Five days later the oven was opened and the martyr was found alive and unharmed. Seeing the miracles taking place, many believed in Christ the Savior, and the tormentors hacked Saint Christina to death with a sword.

Christina's birthday. Celebration dates

One of the most beautiful European female purely Christian names is the name Christina. In this article we will talk about what days and in honor of whom its bearers celebrate their name days.

About name days

As you know, every person baptized in the Catholic or Orthodox Church is named in honor of one or another saint, who is subsequently considered the heavenly patron of the believer. The day of church remembrance of this saint or saint of God becomes what people call Angel Day. Another name for this day is name day. The name Christina is especially lucky in this sense, because there are quite a lot of holy women named by it.

Nevertheless, every woman, like every man, can have only one Angel Day a year. Therefore, when baptizing, you must choose your patroness. To do this, we provide below a list of the main ones revered in the Russian Orthodox Church. Surely there are others, but the trouble is that there is no single list of all the saints in the world - there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions. And new ones are constantly appearing. For each saint on our list, we will attach the date of celebration and a brief biography so that you can decide which one you like best. But first, one more point needs to be noted - in the Eastern Christian tradition, the name Christina is usually transliterated in the Greek manner, namely as Christina. This is his church pronunciation.

February 19. Martyr Christina of Caesarea

Christina, whose name day (Angel's Day) falls during this winter time, celebrates the memory of her martyr of the same name, who came from Caesarea in Cappadocia and lived in the 3rd century. It was a difficult time for believers, when simply recognizing oneself as a Christian could result in torture, confiscation of property and death. Nevertheless, believers endured all the sorrows courageously and bravely, facing torture and death with joy, as a feat for the sake of Christ. Some, of course, out of cowardice, weakness of character and fear, fell away and renounced their faith. Christina was from the first category. She, along with a sister named Callista, was seized for her membership of the church and forced to renounce. The girls categorically refused, for which they were tied back to each other and burned alive in a barrel soaked in tar. Christina's name day in honor of this woman is celebrated on February 19.

26 March. Martyr Christina of Persia

A little later than the previous martyr, namely in the 4th century, another Christina suffered for her faith in Christ. This time it was in Persia, where local pagans also opposed the spread of Christianity. Moreover, in the Roman Empire, faith in Christ had already been legalized and even made the state, official religion to replace the previous paganism. Therefore, Persia, which perceived Byzantium as its political enemy, saw Christians as potential traitors, agents of influence of the Roman Empire and politically unreliable people. Because of this, Christian believers were persecuted in every possible way and forced to renounce their faith. Saint Christina refused to do this and was beaten to death with whips for her faith. The name day of Christina, named in honor of this saint, is celebrated on March 26.

May 31. Martyr Christina of Lampsaki

Another martyr during the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire. By order of Emperor Diocletian, another wave of oppression and demonstrative executions broke out in the state. During this process, a resident of the city of Lampsacus of the Hellespont was also injured. She was beheaded for refusing to renounce her Christian faith. She probably had Roman citizenship, since only Romans were executed in this way, because other methods of execution were prohibited in relation to them. Christina's birthday, bearing her name in memory of this woman, is celebrated on the last day of May.

June 13. Martyr Christina of Nicomedia

It just so happens that all the saints of Christ listed in this article are martyrs. The woman we will talk about now is no exception in this sense. On the 13th of the first summer month, Christina celebrates her name day, named in her memory. But little is known about the details of the life of this saint. All we can say with certainty is that she came from the city of Nicomedia, where she was killed because she was a Christian and did not want to renounce her beliefs when it was necessary.

August 6. Martyr Christina of Tire

This holy woman was not just a Christian. She was born and lived in the 3rd century and came from the family of the ruler of the city of Tire. According to legend, her father prepared her for a career as a pagan priestess, but the daughter, contrary to the hopes of her parents, converted to Christianity and flatly refused to fulfill her parents’ will. In anger, the father, as the life of the saint says, first beat her, trying to force her to apostatize, but, having failed, he brought her to trial. In the future, no matter how her parents or judges tried to persuade the girl to return to the fold of paganism, she remained faithful to the choice she made. She was eventually hacked to death with a sword. This sufferer for her faith is commemorated on August 6th.

August 18. Martyr Christina

This is the last in our list of saints named Christina. Orthodox Christians can celebrate her name day in her memory, despite the fact that absolutely nothing is known about her, except that she once lived and was forcibly killed for her faith in God.

Orthodox icons and prayers

Information site about icons, prayers, Orthodox traditions.

Angel Christina Day according to the church calendar

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If you have been invited to Christina's Angel Day, and you want to surprise this magnificent girl with your attentiveness and an original gift, then first you need to study her tastes and character well.

Characteristics of the birthday girl

This name comes from Ancient Greece. From the ancient Greek language it is translated as “dedicated to Christ”, “Christian”, “Christian”. Since childhood, little Kristina has been showing:

The little girl perceives the whole world through her prism of kindness and tenderness. Not the kindness that you can read in a book or see in a movie. And the one that can be seen in an ordinary family, when everyone lives in harmony, does not quarrel, does not shout. But when something bad or evil happens around, Kristinka suffers, trying to reconcile everyone.

Over time, the girl begins to develop her talents, of which she has quite a lot: writes poetry, dances, sings, draws. Through all this she conveys all her feelings.

As she grows up, she begins to understand what this world really is like. Then she closes herself and no longer tries to fix anything. Christina often creates her own world around herself, a closed space where love, kindness and mutual respect reign.

What date is Christina’s name day according to the Orthodox calendar?

According to Orthodox rite, the patron saint of this name is the Martyr Christina of Persia. In the 4th century in Persia, Christians were persecuted. They were forced to reject Christ. Saint Christina refused and was sentenced to death. The date of the name day celebration is March 26. But these are not the only name days.

Angel Christina Day according to the church calendar:

On Angel's Day, it is best to give those things that are directly related to faith: beautiful candles, an icon, a book, etc.

May the Lord protect you!

Watch also the video about Christina's Angel Day:

Saint Christina of Caesarea (Cappadocia)

The Martyr Christina (Christina) of Caesarea lived, according to the holy scriptures, at the end of the 3rd - beginning of the 4th centuries in Caesarea in Cappadocia (the territory of modern Turkey) during the reign of the pagan emperor Diocletian.

She and her sister Callista were Christians who professed their faith despite the fierce persecution of believers in Christ. However, in fear of cruel torture, they first renounced the one God. And after this, the ruler of their city ordered Christina and Callista to persuade the holy martyr Dorothea to sacrifice to the pagan gods. But the strength of spirit of true believers led to the opposite: the women, convinced by Saint Dorothea of God’s mercy and His granting salvation to all who repented, repented and turned to Christ again. For this they were subjected to severe torture and burned in a tar barrel.

The name Christina comes from the name of Christ. The word has a deep meaning - “dedicated to Christ” or “Christian”.

Venerated icons and the day of remembrance of the martyr Christina of Caesarea

The celebration in honor of Saint Christina of Caesarea (Cappadocia) in the Orthodox Church takes place once a year - February 19(February 6, old style). This date coincides with the day of the death of the holy martyr.

Icons, sculptures and places of worship of the saint

The icon of Saint Christina of Caesarea is very rare. She is usually depicted with a bowed face as a sign of humility and atonement for the sin of apostasy before God.

One of the few icons of this saint known to us is located in the chapel of St. Seraphim of Sarov in the Sergius Lavra. It is a fragment of an icon painted in 1957, dedicated to the appearance of the Mother of God to Seraphim of Sarov.

There is another icon in the Roman church, consecrated in honor of Dorothea of Caesarea, with whom the fate of the martyr Christina was so closely connected.

You can also pray to Saint Christina of Caesarea in front of the icon of All Saints, which is found in almost every Orthodox church.

What helps and what to pray for in front of the icon of Saint Christ of Caesarea and Cappadocia?

They pray to Saint Christ to strengthen the Christian faith and give courage in the face of difficulties and dangers.

The Martyr Christina is the heavenly patroness and God's intercessor of all women bearing the names Christina or Christina.

Troparion to the Holy Martyr Christina

Your Lamb, Jesus, Christ, calls with a great voice: I love You, my bridegroom, and those who seek You suffer, and are crucified and buried in Your baptism, and I suffer for Your sake, that I may reign in You, and I die for You, that I may live with By You: but as an immaculate sacrifice, accept me with love, sacrificed to You. With your prayers, as if you are merciful, save our souls.

We magnify you, the passion-bearer of Christ, and honor your honest suffering, which you endured for Christ.

Life of Christina (Christina) of Caesarea and Cappadocia

Very little information has survived to this day about the life of Saint Christina of Caesarea (Cappadocia). It is known that she lived in the 3rd-4th century in Cappadocia during a difficult time for Christian believers. Caesarea was then part of the Roman Empire, ruled at that time by the pagan emperor Diocletian. During his reign, simply for recognizing oneself as a Christian one could be subjected to terrible torture, long imprisonment in prison and execution.

The name of Saint Christina is inextricably linked with her sister Callista, with whom she was raised in the spirit of Christian commandments and love for one God. Despite the dangers awaiting them, both girls professed their faith openly, and one day they were reported to the local ruler Sapricius. By his order, they were immediately captured and brought for questioning to the ruler of the town. This time, Christina and her sister showed weakness of faith and character, renouncing their faith in Christ due to fear of bodily suffering.

Along with them, a certain Christian woman named Dorothea was also captured, who could not be forced to renounce her faith. Then the ruler resorted to a trick and ordered Christina and Callista to try to dissuade Dorothea from her Christian beliefs and make a sacrifice to the pagan gods. However, instead, after long conversations, Saint Dorothea, on the contrary, was able to convince Christina and Callista of God’s mercy and His granting of salvation to all who repent. Then Christina of Caesarea and Callista bitterly repented of their apostasy and again turned to Christ, announcing this to everyone and not being afraid of retribution.

Having learned about this, the angry ruler immediately ordered all three to be subjected to severe torture, and after that the sisters were tied together and burned alive.

During torture, the women constantly prayed to God, asking to ease their suffering and forgive their sins. In the end, Saint Christina of Caesarea and her sister Callista died painfully.

Thus, thanks to the faith and courage of Saint Dorothea of Caesarea, the martyr Christina, together with her sister, returned the Christian faith to their soul and heart.

The holy martyr Dorothea, together with the martyrs Christina, Callista and the martyr Theophilus, lived in Caesarea in Cappadocia and suffered under the emperor Diocletian in 288 or 300

In the country of Cappadocia, in the city of Caesarea, there lived one pious virgin named Dorothea. She spent all her time serving God, with humility and meekness, in purity, spiritual sobriety and chastity. Moreover, she was a girl so wise that even learned people could not compare with her in this. And everyone who knew her glorified the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who had such a virgin as His servant: and her gaze was filled with reverence, and her life was holy, and her wisdom was incomparable, and her virginity was not depraved. In the love of Christ she was so perfect that she was fully worthy of the heavenly palace. But for His sake she further intensified her feat. Conquering her flesh and the devil, Saint Dorothea wove herself a special crown: the crown of virginity and the crown of martyrdom; and rejoicing, she went to her Bridegroom Christ. And how she suffered for Him - this will be conveyed in the subsequent narrative.

When the fame of Saint Dorothea spread among people, rumors about her reached the hegemon Saprikius, the persecutor of Christians. He immediately went to the city of Caesarea and, seizing the holy virgin, ordered her to be presented to his unrighteous court.

Saint Dorothea, appearing before the wicked judge, prayed in her soul to the Lord and called on God and her Savior for help.

Sapriky asked her:

Tell me, what is your name?

The saint answered:

My name is Dorothea.

“I called you for this,” Saprikiy continued, “so that, at the command of our glorious kings, you would make a sacrifice to the great gods.

Saint Dorothea answered:

God, the King of heaven, commanded me to serve Him alone. So it is in Scripture: “Then Jesus saith unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and serve him alone” (Matthew 4:10). “So say to them: the gods who did not create heaven and earth will disappear from the earth and from under the heavens” (Jer. 10:11). Therefore, we must judge: the command of which king should we obey more - the earthly or the heavenly? and who should they listen to?

God or man? What are kings? - nothing more than mortal people; so are your gods, whose idols you worship.

“If you want to be alive, healthy and undefiled,” Sapriky objected, “leave Christianity and make sacrifices to the gods; if not, then, according to the law, you will be severely tortured, and you will serve as a terrible example for others.

The saint answered:

I will be an example of the fear of God for all the faithful - may they fear God, but may they not be afraid of cruel people; after all, they do what evil dogs do: senselessly and unconsciously they torment innocent people, rage, rage, bark and grab and torment those passing by with their teeth.

“As I see,” Sapriky said to this, “you have decided to invariably remain in this wicked confession and want to die an equally painful death with the others.” Listen to me, make a sacrifice to the gods, and you will be freed from severe torment.

The saint answered:

Your torment is temporary, but the torment of Gehenna is eternal. So, in order to avoid eternal suffering, I will not be afraid of temporary suffering! I remember the words of my Lord: “And do not fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).

Then Sapriky said:

This is why you must fear the gods, so that they do not become angry with you: if you do not make a sacrifice to them, they will destroy both your soul and body.

“I have already told you, Sapriky,” answered Saint Dorothea, “that you cannot in any way convince me to make a sacrifice to the demons who live in vain idols.”

Having heard this, Sapriky became very angry and, turning to the servants who had already prepared for execution, said to them:

Place her at the place of execution so that, fearing torment, she agrees to become a servant of our gods.

Then the servant of God Dorothea, standing at the place of execution, courageously and fearlessly said to her judge:

Why are you delaying in agony? do what you want to do, so that I can quickly have the opportunity to see Him, for the sake of love for Whom I am not afraid of suffering or death.

But who is this One for whom you long for so much? - asked Sapriky.

Saint Dorothea answered:

Christ is the Son of God.

Where is this Christ? - asked the hegemon.

The saint answered:

By the omnipotence of His Divinity He is everywhere, but as humanity we confess Him to be in heaven and seated at the right hand of His Father; with Him, with God the Father, and with the Holy Spirit, He is one Divinity. It is He who calls us to the paradise of eternal joy; there the gardens bear fruit constantly; lilies, roses and other beautiful flowers always bloom there; the fields, mountains and hills in that paradise are forever green, and the springs are sweet; the souls of the saints in Christ rejoice there unceasingly. Oh, Sapriky, if you believed my words, you would have escaped destruction and entered this paradise of ineffable bliss with God.

Then Sapricius said to her:

You need to leave this delusion and make a sacrifice to the gods, and then get married and have fun in your life, so that you do not perish in the same way as your fathers perished because of their madness.

Saint Dorothea answered:

I will not sacrifice to demons, since I am a Christian, and I will not marry, for I am already the bride of Christ. And this is my faith; she will lead me into paradise and the palace of my Bridegroom.

And then the saint was cruelly tortured.

After the torture, Sapriky ordered Saint Dorothea to be taken to certain two wives, sisters who were related to each other, named Christina and Callista; at first they were Christians, but then, fearing torment, they rejected Christ and, out of despair, began to live wickedly, spending their time in luxury and worldly vanity; for their apostasy from Christ they were enriched by idolaters. Sapriky sent the holy virgin Dorothea to these women; at the same time he ordered to tell them:

Just as you, having abandoned Christian delusion and sorcery, made sacrifices to the invincible gods and received gifts from us, so turn this crazy woman away from Christian madness and turn to our gods; and we, if you manage to do this, will enrich you with even greater gifts.

These women, taking the holy virgin into their house, began to convince her:

Submit to the judge and listen to his advice; like us, save yourself from torment: after all, most of all you need to take care not to destroy this temporary and beautiful life in the torments and not die before your time.

Saint Dorothea answered:

Oh, if only you, having listened to my advice, would repent of the idolatry you have made and turn to Christ again! You would save yourself from the torment of Gehenna; for our Lord is good, rich in bounties and merciful to those who turn to Him with all their hearts.

Then Christina and Callista said to her:

Since we have already perished by falling away from Christ, how can we turn to Him again?

The saint answered them:

It is a much greater sin to despair of God’s mercy than to worship idols; Therefore, do not despair and do not doubt our merciful and skillful Physician: He can heal all your ulcers. There is no wound that He is not willing to heal. That is why He is called the Savior, because He saves everyone, because He is the Redeemer, because He redeems everyone, and that is why He is called the Liberator, because He gives freedom to everyone. And you just turn to Him with all your soul with repentance, and you, without a doubt, will be worthy of forgiveness.

Then these two sisters, Christina and Callista, fell at the feet of the saint, began to cry and began to ask her to pray for them to the merciful God, so that He would accept their repentance and grant them forgiveness.

After this, the holy virgin, with tears in her eyes, cried out to the Lord:

God, who said: “I do not want the death of the sinner, but that the sinner should turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways; why should you die” (Ezek. 33:11)?2 Lord Jesus Christ, who told us, that “there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance” (Luke 15:7). Show Your goodness to these Your sheep, whom the devil wanted to kidnap and tear away from You and return them to Your fence to Your flock, and O good Shepherd, following their example, may all those who have fallen away from You be converted!

After some time had passed, Hegemon Sapriky ordered that Christina and Callista be called to him, together with Saint Dorothea, and when they arrived, he asked the two sisters in private:

Were you able to bow Dorothea to our gods?

We sinned and did very badly that, fearing temporary torment, we sacrificed to idols. Therefore, we begged Saint Dorothea, and she admonished us to repent, so that we could receive forgiveness of our sins from Christ our Lord.

Sapriky, having torn his clothes, was filled with great rage; he ordered to tie the two sisters together, connecting them to each other along the back, and throw them into a tarred vat, and then, placing firewood under it, burn them.

Then the holy sisters began to pray like this:

Lord Jesus Christ! accept our repentance and grant us forgiveness.

When these virgins were so scorched, Saint Dorothea, looking at this, rejoiced and exclaimed:

Come before me, O sisters, and be convinced of the forgiveness of your sins and know that the crown of martyrdom, which you lost at first, you have now, without a doubt, acquired again; and now your merciful Father will come out to meet you, as if rejoicing at the conversion of the prodigal son. He will embrace you and, as His sincere daughters, He will glorify you and exalt you before His Angels, and place you among the host of holy martyrs.

And so the holy wives, Christina and Callista, half-sisters, died painfully in repentance, receiving from Christ, along with forgiveness, the crown of victory.

After this, Saprikiy ordered Saint Dorothea to be seized again for torture and, having hanged her, torment her as before.

The saint, amidst such great torment, was overwhelmed with such joy that it was as if she was already entering the palace of her beloved Bridegroom - Christ.

Then Sapricius said to her:

What does it mean that joy seems to appear on your face, and you, while enduring torment, seem to be very happy?

Saint Dorothea answered:

In all my life I have never rejoiced as much as I do now, and first of all I rejoice for those whose souls, through you, the devil took away from God, and now Christ has taken them back again. Now there is great joy in heaven; for the Angels rejoice over their souls, the Archangels rejoice, and with them all the holy Apostles, martyrs and prophets rejoice. So, Sapriky, hasten to quickly fulfill what you have planned, so that I too can quickly move on to the bliss of the holy virgins and rejoice in heaven with those with whom I cried on earth.

Then Sapriky ordered the holy martyr to be scorched with burning candles. She, rejoicing even more, with a bright and joyful face, called out to her judge:

You and your idols are insignificant!

After these words, the tormentor ordered Saint Dorothea to be taken down from the tree and beaten with his hands.

“Let him be beaten,” he said, “the person who curses at me.”

When they beat the saint, she did not cease to rejoice, and those who beat her were exhausted.

Then the hegemon issued the following death sentence:

The proud maiden Dorothea, who did not want to make sacrifices to the immortal gods and be alive, but wished rather to die for an unknown person called Christ, we command to be beheaded with the sword.

The Holy Virgin Dorothea, hearing this, exclaimed loudly:

I thank You, lover of souls, that You call me to Your paradise and bring me into Your most holy chamber.

And so, when they led the holy martyr to death, and she was leaving the praetor, a certain scientist and adviser to the hegemon, named Theophilus, mockingly said to her:

Listen, bride of Christ, send me an apple and pink flowers from the paradise of your Bridegroom.

Saint Dorothea answered him:

I will actually do this.

When they arrived at the place of execution, the martyr begged the executioner to allow her to pray a little to her Lord. And when she finished the prayer, the Angel of the Lord appeared to her in the form of a very handsome youth; on a clean board he carried three beautiful apples and three pink flowers.

Then the holy martyr said to him:

I pray you, take all this to Theophilus and tell him: “Now you have what you asked for.

Having said this, she bowed her holy head under the sword and, being beheaded, triumphantly departed to Christ the Lord, her Bridegroom, having loved Him from her youth, and now received from His hand, in the palace of heaven, the crown of victory.

Theophilus, mocking the promise of the holy maiden Dorothea, said to his friends:

Now, when they were leading Saint Dorothea to death, who called herself the bride of Christ and boasted that she would enter His paradise, I said to her: listen to me, bride of Christ, when you enter the paradise of your Bridegroom, send me from there a few rose flowers and apples .

And she answered:

Verily I will send them to you.

Having said this, Theophilus and his friends laughed. And suddenly an Angel appeared to him with three beautiful apples and three flowers, and said to him:

According to her promise, the holy virgin Dorothea sent you all this from the paradise of her Bridegroom.

Then Theophilus, seeing the apples and flowers and taking them in his hands, loudly exclaimed:

Christ is the true God, and there is not a single untruth in Him!

Friends and comrades said to him:

Are you, Theophilus, raging or mocking?

He answered them:

I do not rage and do not mock, but a sound mind makes me believe in the true God, Jesus Christ.

But what does this sudden change of yours mean? - they asked him.

Tell me what month is it now? - Theophilus asked his friends.

February, they answered him.

“At this winter time,” Theophilus said then, “all of Cappadocia is covered with frost and ice, and there is not a single tree or any plant to be decorated with leaves; So, what do you think - where do these flowers and these apples with twigs and leaves come from?

Having said this, he showed them apples and pink flowers. Theophilus' friends, seeing these fruits and smelling their wonderful fragrance, said:

Even in the usual time for fruits and flowers, we have not seen anything like this.

To this Theophilus answered them:

When the holy virgin Dorothea was led to her death, I considered her crazy, since she called Christ her bridegroom and kept talking about His paradise. Then, mockingly, I told her, as if she were crazy: when you come to the paradise of your Bridegroom, send me apples and flowers from there. She answered me: “I will really do it.” Then I laughed at her words, but now, after her beheading, a little boy suddenly appeared before me, no more than four years old and of indescribable beauty; I didn’t think that he even knew how to speak, but, pushing me, this youth began to speak like a perfect man:

“The Holy Virgin Dorothea,” he told me, “as she promised, has sent you gifts from the paradise of her Bridegroom.”

Having said this, he gave me everything sent into my hands and became invisible. Having said this, Theophilus exclaimed:

Blessed are those who believe in Christ and suffer for the sake of His holy name, for He is the true God, and everyone who believes in Him is truly wise!

After these and similar appeals from Theophilus, some came to the hegemon and said to him:

Your advisor Theophilus, who hitherto hated Christians and tried to destroy them by cruel death, now publicly praises and blesses the name of a certain Jesus Christ, and many of those who listened to his speeches believed in this Man.

The hegemon immediately ordered Theophilus to be brought to him and asked him:

What did you say now publicly?

Theophilus answered:

I praised Christ, whom I had previously, until this day, blasphemed.

The hegemon said to him:

I am surprised at you, a wise man, that you are now glorifying the name of the One whose worshipers you have hitherto persecuted.

That’s why I believed in Christ as the true God,” answered Theophilus, “because He suddenly turned me from error to the path of truth and deigned for me to know Him, the True God.”

Then the hegemon said:

All those inclined to wisdom are more and more successful in wisdom, but you, from being wise, suddenly became insane, calling Him God whom the Jews crucified, as you heard from the Christians themselves.

To this Theophilus replied:

I heard that Christ was crucified, and I was mistaken, not considering Him God and blaspheming daily. Now I repent of my previous errors and blasphemies and confess Him as the True God.

“Where and when did you become a Christian,” the hegemon asked him, “if you have been making sacrifices to the gods until this very day?”

At that very hour,” answered Theophilus, “when he believed in Christ and confessed Him,” then he became a Christian; and now, with all my heart, I believe in the immortal Christ, the Son of God, I preach His true name, the holy name, the undefiled name, a name in which neither hypocrisy nor the delusion that reigns in idols is found.

Then the hegemon said:

So, then, our gods are a delusion?

“How can there not be lies in those idols,” answered Theophilus, “which the human hand made from wood, forged from copper and iron and sculpted from tin, - on which owls nest, and spiders weave their webs, but inside they are full of mice? And if I now speak a lie, then let me be a lying man; Look for yourself, am I not telling the truth? and since I do not lie, you yourself will soon agree with the truth and turn away from lies. For you, as a judge who judges the lies of others, must also turn from lies to the truth - Christ God.

Then the hegemon said:

So, our gods are not living beings?

In idols we see a human likeness,” Theophilus responded to this, “but they are insensitive: God is an invisible, living being and the Giver of all life. Idols, if they are made of expensive material, are usually guarded so that they are not stolen by thieves, but the God of Heaven is not guarded by anyone, but He protects everyone, observing His creation.

Then the hegemon exclaimed:

Oh, damned Theophilus! I see that you want to die a cruel death.

“I strive to find a good life,” answered Blessed Theophilus.

After this, the hegemon said:

Know that if you remain in this madness of yours, then I will give you over to great torment, and then I will order you to be put to a cruel death.

“Now I only wish that I should die for Christ God,” answered Theophilus.

Remember your house, your wife, your children and your relatives,” the hegemon said then, “and do not foolishly give yourself up to a cruel death, for it is truly madness to voluntarily give yourself up to those torments and executions with which villains are usually punished.”

To this the holy martyr replied:

This is not madness, but great wisdom - who, for the sake of unspeakable and eternal blessings and eternal life, accepted a premature death, not paying attention to these brief and temporary torments.

Then the hegemon said:

So, do you rather choose torment for yourself than peace, and wish for death rather than life?

“I am afraid of torment,” Theophilus responded to this, “and I tremble at death,” but those torments that will have no end, and I am horrified by that death that entails eternal execution. The torment with which you can betray me will soon come to an end, but the execution prepared for idolaters will never end!

Then the hegemon gave orders to hang Saint Theophilus naked on a tree and to beat him cruelly. When they began to beat the saint, he said:

Now I am a completely Christian, for I am hanged on a tree, and it is like a cross. So, I thank You, Christ God, that You have granted me to be hanged on Your sign.

Damned one,” said the hegemon, “spare your body!”

Damned one, have mercy on your soul! - Theophilus answered. “I do not spare my temporary life, but for this my soul will be saved forever.”

Then the tormentor, becoming even more angry, ordered the martyr to be whittled with iron claws and scorched with candles. The saint, as if not feeling suffering, rejoiced in his torments and only said:

Christ, Son of God, I confess You - number me among Your saints!

His face was joyful at the same time.

After the torturer’s servants were exhausted from their labor, hegemon Sapriky issued the following death sentence against the saint:

Theophilus, who has not yet made a sacrifice to the immortal gods, and who has now become corrupted and even turned away from our gods to the Christian host, we command that his head be beheaded with a sword.

Saint Theophilus, hearing this, exclaimed:

Thank you, Christ my God!

And, rejoicing, he bowed his holy head under the sword. Having been beheaded, he was crowned with the crown of martyrdom and, coming to the Lord at the eleventh hour of his life, accepted a reward equal to the first (Matthew 20:1-16) - in the kingdom of Christ our God, to Him with the Father and the Holy Spirit be honor and glory in eyelids, amen.

The Holy Mu-che-ni-tsa Do-ro-fairy lived in Ke-sa-ria Kap-pa-do-ki-skaya and in str-da-la at im-pe-ra-to- re Dio-kli-ti-ane in 288 or 300 together with mu-che-ni-tsa-mi Christina, Kal-li-sta and mu-che-ni-kom Fe-o -fi-lom.

Holy Do-ro-fairy was a bla-go-che-sti-voy de-vi-cei-chris-sti-an-koy, with great gentleness, smi-re-ni-em, whole-wise-ri-em and pre-wisdom given from God, surprising many. Captured by the right of Sa-pri-kiya, she firmly believed in Christ and was under-over-well-that is-for-no-yam. Without breaking the saint’s will, the ruler gave it to two sister-wives, Christina and Kal-li-ste, who had previously -li-Christian-ka-mi, but, having slain as a torment, they renounced Christ and began to lead an ungodly life. He ordered them to persuade the holy Doro-fairy to make a sacrifice to the pagan gods. One day, the opposite happened: women, convinced of the holy Do-ro-fe-ey, that the sweet-ser-di-em Bo- May we all live with peace and joy, and have turned to Christ again. For this they were tied up and burned in a tar barrel. The holy sisters Christina and Kal-li-sta passed away at the last prayer of the State -doing and having atoned for the sin of stepping away from something.

Holy Do-ro-fairy was again subjected to the mu-che-ni-yam, with great joy she endured them and also ra -It’s worthy to receive a death sentence. When the saint was being led to execution, a certain learned man (sho-la-stick), Fe-o-phil, told her with a laugh: “The bride Christ, send me your rose flowers and apples from Zhe-ni-ha’s garden.” In response, the mu-che-ni-tsa nodded to him. Before her death, the saint asked to give her time to pray. When she finished praying, an Angel appeared to her in the form of a beautiful young man and gave her three apples on a clean linen. lo-ka and three pink flowers. The saint-pro-si-la re-give all this to Fe-o-fi-lu, after which she used the sword. Having received the blessed gifts, the recent Lord Christian was married, believed in the Savior and is-by-ve-gave himself a chri-sti-a-ni-nom. Subjected to the same punishment for this, Saint Fe-o-phil received a much-needed end through truncated with a sword.

The relics of Saint Do-ro-fairy live in Rome, in the church named after her, the head is also in Rome, in the church of God -ma-te-ri in Trust-ve-re.

See also: "" in the text of St. Di-mit-ria of Ro-stov.

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Life

The holy martyr Dorothea lived in Caesarea in Cappadocia and suffered under the emperor Diocletian in 288 or 300, along with the martyrs Christina, Callista and the martyr Theophilus.

The relics of Saint Dorothea are in Rome, in the church named after her, the head is also in Rome, in the Church of Our Lady of Trastevere.

One of the most beautiful European female purely Christian names is the name Christina. In this article we will talk about what days and in honor of whom its bearers celebrate their name days.

About name days

As you know, every person baptized in the Catholic or Orthodox Church is named in honor of one or another saint, who is subsequently considered the heavenly patron of the believer. The day of church remembrance of this saint or saint of God becomes what people call. Another name for this day is name day. The name Christina is especially lucky in this sense, because there are quite a lot of holy women named by it.

February 19. Martyr Christina of Caesarea

26 March. Martyr Christina of Persia

A little later than the previous martyr, namely in the 4th century, another Christina suffered for her faith in Christ. This time it was in Persia, where local pagans also opposed the spread of Christianity. Moreover, in the Roman Empire, faith in Christ had already been legalized and even made the state, official religion to replace the previous paganism. Therefore, Persia, which perceived Byzantium as its political enemy, saw Christians as potential traitors, agents of influence of the Roman Empire and politically unreliable people. Because of this, Christian believers were persecuted in every possible way and forced to renounce their faith. Saint Christina refused to do this and was beaten to death with whips for her Christina, named after this saint, celebrated on March 26th.

May 31. Martyr Christina of Lampsaki

Another martyr of the times By order of Emperor Diocletian, another wave of oppression and demonstrative executions broke out in the state. During this process, a resident of the city of Lampsacus of the Hellespont was also injured. She was beheaded for refusing to renounce her Christian faith. She probably had Roman citizenship, since only Romans were executed in this way, because other methods of execution were prohibited in relation to them. Christina's birthday, bearing her name in memory of this woman, is celebrated on the last day of May.