Nika Kravchuk

Why do they pray to Saint Catherine for happy marriage?

Saint Catherine of Alexandria is one of the most revered in the world. People turn to her with different requests, but she has gained fame all over the world as the patroness of girls. Why do they pray to the Great Martyr to find a good groom? The answer must be sought in the life of the saint.

Beautiful, smart, from a royal family

Saint Catherine was born in 287 in Alexandria. Her parents, representatives of the royal family, named her Dorothea. From childhood, the girl was brought up among famous scientists and philosophers of the time. This, combined with her natural intelligence and special beauty, made her one of the most famous contenders for a hand and heart among noble young men.

Smart, beautiful, from a royal family - but Saint Catherine decided not to get married. I even came up with an excuse for myself: “If you find a candidate who is smarter, prettier and richer than me, then please. But there are no such people.” This is what I consoled myself with.

Then Dorothea's mother, a secret Christian, decided to take her to her spiritual father, who lived in caves near Alexandria.

Wedding ring from Christ himself

The elder heard Catherine’s words and said that he knew one young man who was more beautiful than this girl in every sense. The future Great Martyr Catherine really wanted to see him. Then the elder showed her the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos with her Son in her arms and said that this was that beautiful Youth with His Mother. If a girl really wants to see Him, she must pray in front of this icon.

The girl came home and began to do what the elder taught her. After a certain time she got tired and dozed off. In a dream, the Most Holy Theotokos visited her along with Her Son. Only Christ turned his face away from Dorothea. The Mother of God asked Him why He did this, and received the answer: “I will not look at her until she changes.” Catherine received instructions to go to the elder for advice.

The same one taught her what to do to see the beautiful Youth. First, Dorothea learned a lot about the Christian faith, and then she accepted it and was baptized under the name Catherine.

After this, she returned home, prayed the whole night in tears, and when she fell asleep, she again saw the Most Holy Theotokos and Her Son. But this time Christ no longer turned away from the girl, but talked, calling her beautiful and glorious.

As a sign that He accepted her labors and efforts, He called Saint Catherine his bride, incorruptible and eternal. According to the Virgin Mary, the beautiful Youth gave Catherine an engagement ring as a symbol of her betrothal to Christ.

She woke up like that - with a ring on her hand. And after this symbolic betrothal to the source of Light, she became a sincere and courageous Christian.

How one wise girl defeated 50 philosophers

When Emperor Maximin arrived in Alexandria, Saint Catherine urged him to renounce paganism and embrace Christianity. His furious reaction to such a speech was restrained only by the beauty of the girl. He decided to gather 50 of the wisest pagan philosophers of the time and pit them against a beautiful Christian woman in a dispute about who should be worshiped.

But what harm can a person do if God is with him? The Lord gave Catherine even greater wisdom, so that her arguments in favor of Christianity smashed the attempts of the pagans to smithereens.

The girl even cited the names of respected thinkers of the pagan world at that time, who believed in the incarnation of Christ and Holy Trinity. All 50 philosophers realized the worthlessness of idolatry and accepted martyrdom as Christians.

Martyrdom of Catherine

Observing all these events, many people came to true faith. This happened with Augusta, the wife of the evil emperor. She saw an amazing dream: the Great Martyr Catherine places a golden crown on her head - a gift from Christ.

Augusta, along with the ruler’s assistant Porfiry and 200 guards, secretly came to the prison where the cruel emperor had put Catherine. After this visit, everyone present believed in God.

They openly professed their faith and everyone, including Augusta, was beheaded. The ruler himself several times asked the girl to throw the “nonsense” out of her head and worship the pagan gods, for which he even promised half the kingdom. But the Great Martyr Catherine was persistent: “Do not seduce me with the royal scarlet - I prefer martyr’s clothes to her.”

They beat her with ox sinews, and then they even came up with an instrument for especially terrible torture: a 4-wheel mechanism with many needles, two wheels should rotate in one direction, and the rest - in the other. But the Angel smashed this device to pieces.

After the Great Martyr Catherine stopped the emperor’s last flattering speech and rejected his request to become a pagan, Maximin decided to execute her outside the city. The saint turned to Christ in prayer so that he would accept Her into His hands and fulfill his promise - accept her into the Kingdom of Heaven, and meekly go to martyrdom - beheading.

Where are the relics of the saint?

After the execution they could not be found. Tradition says that angels carried the remains of the great martyr to the top of Mount Sinai.

Only in the 6th century did the monks of the Monastery of the Transfiguration receive a vision according to which they went to Sinai to retrieve the relics of the saint. Helped identify the body wedding ring, presented by the Savior himself. The monks took the righteous remains to install a shrine with relics in their temple. After some time, the monastery itself was renamed in honor of the Great Martyr Catherine.

Pilgrims who have visited Sinai and venerated the relics (head and right hand) receive as a gift a ring with an image of a heart and the inscription ΑΓΙΑ ΑΙΚΑΤΕΡΙΝA (St. Catherine).

And both Orthodox and Catholics turn to the saint. They pray that the lost will return to the Church, so that their faith will be strengthened. The Great Martyr is considered the patroness of girls. Both those who decide to take the path of virginity and those who pray to the saint for help in establishing family happiness turn to her.

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HOLY GREAT MARTYR CATHERINE (†312)

Holy Great Martyr Catherine (Greek - always clean) was the daughter of the ruler of Alexandria of Egypt, Const. The real name of St. Catherine is Dorothea. She was born in 294 in Alexandria. By the age of 18, the girl had received an excellent Hellenic education and was distinguished not only by her rare beauty, but also by her deep knowledge of rhetoric, philosophy, medicine, read the works of all famous ancient poets and historians and knew 72 languages. Young men from the most eminent families of the empire sought her hand, but in vain. Catherine said that she would marry only someone who would be similar to her in family nobility, wealth, beauty and wisdom.

Icon of St. Catherine

Saint Catherine's mother, a secret Christian, took the girl for advice to her spiritual father, a Syrian monk. The holy elder, after listening to Saint Catherine, said that he knows a Youth who surpasses her in everything, for “His beauty is brighter than the sun’s radiance, His wisdom governs all creation, His wealth is spread throughout the world, but this does not diminish Him, but multiplies, the height of His family is unspeakable.” The image of the Heavenly Bridegroom gave birth in the soul of the holy virgin to an ardent desire to see Him. At parting, the elder handed an icon to Saint Catherine Mother of God with the Infant Jesus in his arms. The elder ordered to pray with faith to the Queen of Heaven, the Mother of the Heavenly Bridegroom, for the granting of a vision of Her Son.

Saint Catherine prayed all night and was honored to see the Mother of God, who asked Her Son to look at Catherine kneeling before Them. But the Child turned His face away from Catherine, saying that he could not look at her, for she was ugly, ugly, poor and insane, like every person who had not been washed by the waters of holy Baptism and not sealed with the seal of the Holy Spirit.

In deep sadness, the girl again went to the elder. Having lovingly taught her the mysteries of the faith of Christ, he performed the sacrament of holy Baptism on her. After baptism she received the name Catherine. And again Saint Catherine had a vision of the Most Holy Theotokos with the Child. Now the Lord looked at her tenderly and, giving her a most beautiful ring, said: “Behold, I now choose you to be My bride, incorruptible and eternal. So, with great care, preserve this union inviolably and do not choose any earthly groom for yourself.” When the vision ended and the saint awoke from sleep, a ring shone on her hand - a gift from the Heavenly Bridegroom.

Giovanni di Paolo, The Mystical Betrothal of St. Catherine", Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, ca. 1460

Just at the time when Catherine was honored to become the Bride of Christ, she went to Alexandria on the big pagan holiday Emperor Maximin Daza himself (305-313), a pagan and persecutor of Christians, who recognized only life in the name of pleasure, did not think about spiritual purity and the severity of sin, arrived.

The city was preparing for the holiday. Alexandria was filled with the noise of the crowd, the unbridled songs of the priests, the cries of sacrificial animals, sacrificial altars smoked with blood everywhere, the city was filled with stench and smoke. Human sacrifices were also made - confessors of Christ were doomed to death in fire. By order of Maximin, the eunuchs scoured everywhere and if they found a beautiful girl or married woman, then neither fathers nor husbands had power over her. He went to such an extreme that no one dared to marry without his permission, and everyone had to give him the rights to use the first night. He could not pass a single city without dishonoring women and kidnapping maidens (Eusebius: “Church History”; 8; 14).

Seeing such revelry and rooting for the souls of her fellow citizens, Catherine, accompanied by several servants, came to the pagan temple to the king and addressed him with a fiery speech, urging him to come to his senses and not destroy his soul and his subjects with bloody rituals dedicated to those who were not gods, but they were only human and not always righteous. Catherine convinced Maximin that the Roman gods were nothing more than people, and all Roman philosophers and sages saw in them people overwhelmed by passions and vices, and therefore it was impossible to shed the blood of innocent victims in their honor, but that there is God, one and the great one, by whose will things are done and kings reign, and He does not require sacrifices and offerings, but demands only the fulfillment of His commandments, peace and reconciliation of sins.

Maximin could not find how to answer the girl. The beauty of Saint Catherine captivated the ruler. To show her the triumph of pagan wisdom, the emperor convened 50 of the most learned men of the empire. A theosophical dispute took place between the highest minds of the era and Catherine, during which she smashed all the arguments of the pagan sages to smithereens. To all their arguments about the holiness of the Roman gods, Catherine found refutations from Roman books, where the wisest and most authoritative Roman thinkers and soothsayers predicted the coming and faith of Jesus. The wise men had nothing to give a worthy answer to the learned and enlightened virgin, and they humbly accepted the Truth of Christ, for which the disappointed Maximin ordered them all to be put on fire.

Maximin tried to seduce Saint Catherine with wealth and fame. Having received an angry refusal, the emperor subjected the saint to cruel tortures and then threw her into prison. Empress Augusta, wife of Maximin, having learned about the wisdom and virtues of Catherine, wished to look at her. Together with the military commander Porfiry and a detachment of 200 soldiers, the empress came to the saint in prison at night. After talking with her in the light of the radiance emanating from the girl’s face, they also believed in Christ. Catherine remained in captivity for 12 days. All this time the dove brought her food; on the 12th day Christ Himself appeared surrounded by angels.

Seeing the futility of trying to convince the saint to renounce her faith, Maximin, on the advice of a courtier, ordered the construction of an unusual instrument of torture, consisting of 4 wheels with sharp nails. Under threat of being thrown on the wheel, she was asked to make a sacrifice to the gods. The saint confessed Christ and went to the wheels herself. But the Angel crushed the instruments of execution. Seeing this miracle, Empress Augusta and courtier Porfiry with 200 soldiers confessed their faith in Christ in front of everyone and were beheaded. Maximin again proposed marriage to the holy martyr and was refused.

Catherine was sentenced to beheading by sword and executed the next day. When her head was cut off, milk came out of the wound instead of blood. After Catherine's execution, her body disappeared. According to legend, angels carried him to the top of the highest mountain in Sinai, which now bears its name.

About three centuries later, in the 6th century, the monks of the Monastery of the Transfiguration, built by Emperor Justinian, by revelation from above, climbed the mountain and found there the venerable head and left hand of the holy martyr, whom they identified by the ring that was given to her by Jesus Christ. They lowered the relics down and placed them with honors in a golden shrine in the newly created temple of the Sinai Monastery.

Monastery of Saint Catherine on the Sinai Peninsula

After the monks acquired the monastery of the Transfiguration of the relics of St. Catherine and the spread of her veneration, by the 11th century the monastery acquired its present name - .

In the altar of the main church of the monastery, the Basilica of the Transfiguration, two silver reliquaries with the relics of St. Catherine (head and right hand) are now kept in a marble shrine. The holy head of the bride of Christ is covered with a golden crown, and on one finger she wears a precious ring, in memory of the mysterious betrothal of St. Catherine with the Heavenly Bridegroom - Christ. Another part of the relics (finger) is located in the reliquary of the icon of the Great Martyr Catherine in the left nave of the basilica and is always open to believers for veneration.

Veneration of Saint Catherine

The story of St. Catherine's martyrdom was told in the West by the Crusaders, and she began to be revered in Europe as one of the main saints. The Great Martyr Catherine is considered the patroness of young students, theologians and philosophers, as well as the University of Paris.

Even some of the pagans venerate the Holy Great Martyr. For example, Transbaikal Mongol-Buryats.

In Russia, on the site of Catherine’s appearance to the Tsar in a dream, announcing the birth of her daughter, the Catherine Monastery (hermitage) was founded in 1660, “which is in the Ermolinskaya Grove” near Podolsk. The heyday of the name's popularity among aristocratic circles dates back to the 18th-19th centuries. and is undoubtedly connected with the fact that it was worn by two empresses.

Material prepared by Sergey SHULYAK

for the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity on Sparrow Hills

On December 7 (November 24, old style), the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates the day of remembrance of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine of Alexandria. In Russia, a lot is associated with this name: two empresses on the Russian throne with the name Ekaterina Alekseevna, dozens of churches erected in honor of St. Catherine, even the city of Yekaterinburg is marked on the map of the country.

Ekaterina, name meaning

Ekaterina is a very popular name in Russia. It came to us from Byzantium. The root of the word katharios (purity) is the same as in the word catharsis (purification). Hence the name, which translated from ancient Greek means “immaculate”, “pure”. In the 11th-12th centuries, in ancient Russian manuscripts the name Catherine appears in a modified form, as Katerina. And in the oral tradition, for ease of communication, this polysyllabic and unpronounceable name was completely shortened to Katya. In Europe, there were also abbreviations of the form: Katrina, Katrein, Catalina.

Today we can afford to name a child any name. But it wasn't like that in pre-revolutionary Russia. For example, there were circulars ordering not to give family members the same names that are difficult to pronounce and, in general, to try to name the child in accordance with the day of remembrance of the saint. Meanwhile, traditions of using names were developing. Parents tried to name their children in honor of especially revered saints.

The popularity of a name often directly depended on what the king was called. Thus, the All-Russian Empress Catherine II or Catherine the Great, who significantly expanded the territory of the Russian state, whose reforms affected almost all spheres of the country’s life, could not help but remain in the memory of descendants. Until the end of the 19th century, the name Catherine was one of the most beloved among the nobility.

This tradition continued into the twentieth century. According to statistics, until the 80s in the USSR the name Ekaterina was firmly among the ten most popular names. Even anti-aircraft missile launcher M-13, used during the Great Patriotic War Patriotic War, unofficially and among front-line soldiers was called “Katyusha”. The installation was classified, giving commands for battle: “fire” or “fire” was prohibited. They were replaced by “sing” and “play.” And how could the “singing” M-13 be called by any name other than Katyusha? The girls of Katyusha, who “came out and started a song” from the late thirties hit by M. Blanter and M. Isakovsky.

Life of Saint Catherine

In 287, a joyful event happened in the family of the ruler of the Egyptian city of Alexandria. A girl was born, who was given the name Dorothea at birth. We know her as the Holy Great Martyr Catherine. The city, located in the Nile Delta, was one of the centers of the then world. The best minds, outstanding scientists, philosophers, and doctors came to Alexandria. Thanks to her nobility and wealth, as well as her natural intelligence, Saint Catherine not only listened to the speeches of learned men at the Museyon: she studied foreign languages, but also practiced oratory. And the Alexandrian library, which contained thousands of unique papyri, allowed the girl to read ancient philosophers and the works of ancient physicians.

Many noble young men dreamed of marrying the daughter of the ruler of Alexandria. However, Saint Catherine was in no hurry to make a choice. She announced to her parents and applicants for her hand and heart: she would marry only the one who surpasses her in wisdom and eminence, who outshines her in beauty and wealth.

It must be said that the mother of St. Catherine was a Christian mystery. Her spiritual father labored in a cave near Alexandria. It was there that the woman took her daughter. The monk, after listening to Saint Catherine, told her that he knew a Young Man who was superior to the girl in all these talents. "His beauty is brighter sunlight; His wisdom governs all sensory and spiritual creatures; the wealth of His treasures is spread throughout the whole world and never decreases; and the height of His race is indescribable and incomprehensible. There is no one like Him in the whole world,” said the hermit and handed the icon of the Mother of God to the ruler’s daughter.

Material on the topic

The daughter of the ruler of Alexandria, Dorothea, knew several languages, studied the works of philosophers and physicians, practiced oratory, participated in scientific debates... Now we know her as the Holy Great Martyr Catherine, whose memory the Church celebrates on December 7th.

After this, Saint Catherine had a vision twice. It was as if she was transported to heaven and stood before Christ. The first time she saw the Mother of God with the Child in her arms. Catherine tried to see His face, but He turned away. Waking up, saddened and puzzled by what she saw, she returned to the Syrian elder. It was then that he baptized her with the name Catherine, teaching her to pray. The second vision was to Saint Catherine after her baptism. She was transported to heaven again. This time, Christ not only accepted the virgin, but also gave her a ring as a symbol of betrothal.

Impressed by the vision, Saint Catherine took a vow of celibacy. She began to openly preach Christianity. When Emperor Maximian organized a wide pagan festival in Alexandria, the girl appeared at it. Here she publicly denounced the pagans and confessed Christ. “Know the true God, beginningless and infinite; to them kings reign and the world stands. He came down to earth and became a man for our salvation,” Saint Catherine said to the emperor. Maximian was absolutely captivated by the beauty and speech of the young girl. Considering her high position, he did not dare to immediately execute Saint Catherine. The cunning emperor tried to convince the princess. They invited fifty of the smartest men. With their arguments and arguments, the pagans were supposed to crush the faith of St. Catherine. The debate about faith went on for several days, but the most learned people of the empire were forced to admit defeat. However, Emperor Maximian was not going to give up. Realizing that neither gifts nor glory seduced Saint Catherine, he ordered the girl to be imprisoned during his departure from the city. It was there that the emperor’s wife, Queen Augusta, came to Saint Catherine. After talking with the girl, Augusta accepted Christ.

After some time, Maximian again called upon Saint Catherine. He hoped that imprisonment and the fear of cruel death, which he promised to subject the girl to, would change the attitude of Saint Catherine, and she would renounce her God. But the emperor was wrong again. In a fit of rage, he ordered the great martyr to be sacrificed to pagan idols and publicly wheeled, but a miracle happened. An unknown force destroyed the instrument of torture. Queen Augusta, seeing this, stood up for Saint Catherine. She was supported by the military leader Porfiry and 200 soldiers. Together they confessed Christ and were immediately beheaded by order of the emperor. Maximian tried again and again to convince Saint Catherine. He not only persuaded her to renounce her faith. He prayed to Saint Catherine to become his wife. But the girl, calling herself the bride of Christ, herself laid her head on the block and was put to death.

According to various sources, this event occurred approximately in 304-316. There is a legend that the body of the Great Martyr Catherine disappeared. It was as if angels picked up the body and carried it to Mount Sinai. There, three centuries later, it was built. The relics of the saint remain in it to this day.

Since the Holy Great Martyr Catherine was canonized even before the division of churches, she is revered by both Catholics and Orthodox. On the icons the Great Martyr is depicted wearing a royal crown, emphasizing her noble origin. The scarlet cloak testifies to the martyrdom of the saint.

Saints named Catherine

There are other Catherines known in history who became saints. There are five of them in total. On December 7 we remember the Great Martyr Catherine of Alexandria. On December 17, we honor the memory of the New Martyr Catherine of Arskaya, who was executed in 1937 along with Archbishop Gabriel (Voevodin). On February 5, the church remembers the Venerable Martyr Catherine (Cherkasova), who was shot at the Butovo training ground. February 17 is the day of remembrance of Ekaterina (Dekalina) or Ekaterina Simbirskaya, a nun who was shot in the basement of the Ulyanovsk NKVD. On March 20, 1938, for “systematic counter-revolutionary agitation,” Saint Ekaterina Konstantinova, a novice of the monastery in honor of the icon “Joy of All Who Sorrow,” was shot and buried in a common grave.

Ring of Saint Catherine

One of the stories from the life of the Great Martyr Catherine entered the annals of the world visual arts. The story of how Saint Catherine, appearing before Christ, receives an engagement ring from him, became the favorite subject of Renaissance artists. Raphael, Bartalomeo Fra, Veronese Paolo, Lorenze Lotto, Poussin, Giovanni Batista Bertucci, Parmigianino, Hans Memling and other great artists of later times painted Saint Catherine. In the history of European religious painting, a kind of canon has even developed. On the canvases “The Betrothal of St. Catherine” the martyr is depicted in royal robes. Bowing at the feet of the Mother of God sitting on the throne, Saint Catherine takes the ring from the hands of the infant Christ.

Peter I established the Order of St. Catherine in memory of the ill-fated Prussian campaign, which almost cost him his army and his life.

In the summer of 1711, on the Prut River, a small army, led by the emperor himself, was surrounded by the Turks. New attacks by the Janissaries, the desperation with which the Ottomans made forays, as well as the loss of positions, threatened the Russian army with inevitable death. Negotiations and bribery of the Turkish vizier was a decision made by the military council. They took 150 thousand rubles from the treasury. And Ekaterina Skavronskaya, who, as a faithful wife, accompanied the emperor even on the battlefield, they say, gave all her jewelry in favor of the “gift” to the pasha. The outcome of the negotiations, an honorable truce, which was concluded by Vice-Chancellor Shafirov, as expected, saved the army and the emperor.

On November 24, old style, 1714, on the day of memory of St. Catherine, Peter I presented his wife with the order established by him in honor of her patroness, the Great Martyr Catherine. The Order of Liberation was essentially a personal thank you to his wife. It was intended only and exclusively for Ekaterina Skavronskaya. But very soon the Order of St. Catherine became in Russia not only the highest award for women, but a kind of symbol of belonging to the club of selected persons. During its two-hundred-year existence, the order was issued 734 times.

The Order of St. Catherine had two degrees and was granted to members of the imperial house, as well as representatives of the highest nobility.

Order highest degree, or large cross, was worn on a white ribbon with a gold border over the shoulder. An eight-pointed star was attached to it. It was studded with many diamonds and was attached to the left side of the dress. The Cavalry Order, or the Order of the Lesser Cross, was worn on a white bow with the motto “For Love and the Fatherland” embroidered in silver.

However, in 1797, Paul I issued a new statute. Firstly, the color of the ribbons on which the order was supposed to be worn was changed from white to red. With a gold border in the case of the Order of St. Catherine of the first degree, and with a silver border for the cavalry order. At the same time, it was established to bestow the Order of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine on every Grand Duchess born. The Grand Dukes were accordingly awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. Following this establishment, immediately after baptism, the newborn child was girded: boys with a blue (St. Andrew's) ribbon, and girls with a scarlet (Catherine's) ribbon. The custom of tying babies with ribbons, reminiscent of the colors of an order, quickly took root among the nobility. The townspeople did not lag behind. The tradition associated with this story has survived to this day - when being discharged from the maternity hospital, the envelope with the newborn baby is tied with a ribbon. Boys - blue. Girls - pink.

Interesting facts related to the name Ekaterina

Catherine I, Ekaterina Alekseevna Mikhailova, wife of Peter the Great, actually bore the name Marta Skavronskaya. This name was given to her at birth. She became Catherine only in 1704, having been baptized and converted to Orthodoxy. Alekseevna received her patronymic from her godfather, Tsarevich Alexei. And the surname Mikhailov was given to her by her husband, Peter I. The Emperor, wanting to remain incognito, regularly introduced himself as Peter Mikhailov.

Catherine II the Great was actually called Sophia Augusta Frederica. She also received the name Catherine after converting to Orthodoxy in 1744. At the request of her future relative, Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, she was baptized with the name Catherine. At the same time, Alekseevna also received a middle name, becoming the full namesake of her predecessor.

Catherine's festivities - the first sleigh rides

The day of remembrance of the Great Martyr Catherine falls on December 7th. By this time in Russia, winter was already coming into its own and the ground was covered with snow. That's why the first sleigh rides were called Catherine's festivities. It was believed that if November 24th is a day clear weather, then the winter will be frosty. On this day, those who got married in the fall also went out for festivities. The newlyweds' sleigh, decorated with gold and painted with "colors with conclusions", opened the sleigh races. Saint Catherine was revered by the people as the patroness of brides and an assistant in childbirth. There was even a proverb: A princess deserves a book, a cat deserves a kitten, but Katerina loves her child.

Orthodox churches in honor of St. Catherine

Saint Catherine was revered as the patroness of women and an assistant in childbirth. Therefore, churches in honor of the great martyr were consecrated throughout Russia. Such churches were also erected at almshouses, hospitals, and orphanages. The largest churches are located in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Alapaevsk, Novokuznetsk, Petrozavodsk, Smolensk, Tver, and Chelyabinsk. Today in Moscow the Church of St. Catherine on Vspolye operates and is available for visiting.

Church of St. Catherine in St. Petersburg

In St. Petersburg there is greatest number churches consecrated in honor of St. Catherine. Catholic, Lutheran, Orthodox.

On Vasilievsky Island there is the largest Orthodox Catherine Cathedral near the Tuchkov Bridge. The temple stands on this site in the mid-18th century. In 1809, the wooden church completely burned down. Only the image of St. Catherine was taken out of the temple. New Temple consecrated in 1823. Almost a hundred years later, in 1917, it was looted and closed.

The building was seriously damaged during the siege of Leningrad, when a shell hit the chapel. After the war, the Catherine Church was transferred to the use of a geological exploration institute. Divine services resumed only in 1996, when the complex of buildings was returned to the St. Petersburg diocese. The cathedral is currently undergoing restoration. Regular services are held in the bell church.

Catholic Church of St. Catherine in St. Petersburg

The first church of St. Catherine in Russia appeared by order of Peter I. The Emperor, wanting to attract foreigners to St. Petersburg, declared freedom of religion. Thus, the Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria became a symbol of religious tolerance. However, in 1737, the wooden church of St. Catherine burned down.

Anna Ioannovna allowed the stone church, one of the oldest Catholic churches in Russia, to be built on Nevsky Prospekt. During the construction of the Church of St. Catherine from 1739 to 1783, as many as three rulers changed. It was completed during the reign of Catherine II. Consecrated in honor of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, patroness of the Empress, by Papal Nuncio Giovanni Arqueti. The temple became one of the centers of Catholic influence in Russia. The number of parishioners here by the middle of the 19th century reached three thousand people. Striving for originality, many Russians became parishioners of the temple and even converted to Catholicism. Peter Chaadaev visited the temple. And Georges Dantes got married here to Ekaterina Goncharova.

Orthodox parish in honor of St. Catherine in Rome

In Rome, at Via del Lago Terrione, 77/79, there is an Orthodox Church of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine. The temple was built on the territory of the embassy villa Abamelek. Since October 2006, a liturgy has been celebrated every Sunday in the church, which was still under construction. In 2009, the rite of great consecration was performed in the Church of St. Catherine. The rector of the Church of St. Catherine in Rome is Archimandrite Anthony (Sevryuk). The church is located on a green hill and is surrounded by a garden. A long marble staircase leads to it. From the platform in front of the entrance to the Church of St. Catherine there is a panorama of St. Peter's Cathedral.

Temple-tomb in Stuttgart

Some Orthodox churches Europe in honor of St. Catherine, for example in the cities of Kiel and Amsterdam, were abolished.

However, in Stuttgart (Baden-Württemberg) there is still a tomb church of St. Great Martyr Catherine. The temple-tomb was consecrated in 1824. It was intended for the burial of Queen Catherine of Württenberg, daughter of Paul I, who died in 1819 from blood poisoning. Catherine Pavlovna became famous for her charitable activities and care for the population devastated by the Napoleonic wars.

The temple was built on the site of a razed medieval castle on Mount Rotenberg. It is designed like an antique rotunda. The architect used local red sandstone as a building material. The interiors of the Church of St. Catherine are modest. Several icons in gold frames, strewn with precious stones, were brought from Russia. This is also where wedding icon St. Great Martyr Catherine. The sarcophagus of Catherine Pavlovna is installed in the crypt. Orthodox services in the Church of St. Catherine are performed only on Spiritual Day. The rest of the time it operates as a museum.

Troparion to the Great Martyr Catherine

With virtues, like the rays of the sun, / you enlightened the unfaithful sages, / and, like the bright moon, you drove away the darkness of unbelief, / and you convinced the queen, / and you also exposed the tormentor, / the god-called bride, blessed Catherine, / with desire You ascended into the Heavenly palace / to the beautiful Bridegroom Christ, / and from Him you were crowned with a royal crown: / To him, with the angels present, / prayed for us, / / ​​creating your most honorable memory.

Kontakion to the Great Martyr Catherine

The honorable face of the Divine, martyr-lovers, / erect now, / in reverence to the all-wise Catherine, / for this sermon was preached at the funeral feast of Christ and the serpent was trampled, / / ​​having tamed the minds of the rhetoricians.

Prayer to the Holy Great Martyr Catherine

O Saint Catherine, virgin and martyr, true bride of Christ! We pray to you, for you have received the special grace that your Bridegroom, Sweet Jesus, has preceded you to: just as you have put to shame the temptations of the tormentor with your wisdom, you have overcome fifty revolutions, and having given them heavenly teaching, you have guided them to the light of the true faith, so ask us for this Godly wisdom, Yes, and we, having broken all the machinations of the hellish tormentor, having despised the temptations of the world and the flesh, will be worthy to appear of Divine glory, and for the expansion of our holy Orthodox faith we will become worthy vessels, and with you in the heavenly tabernacle of our Lord and Master Jesus Christ with the Father and the Holy Spirit Let us praise and glorify to all ages of ages. Amen.

On the screensaver: Marco Bazaiti. Saint Catherine of Alexandria. 1500 (fragment)

December 7 (November 24, old style) is a day of remembrance, equally revered by both the Orthodox and Catholic Churches.

About the life of Catherine, as well as about the lives of the overwhelming majority of martyrs of the first centuries of Christianity, we know offensively little. The lives of the saints were compiled more than one century later on the basis of the so-called martyrias (“martyrdoms”), which were also not written in hot pursuit. This genre of church literature developed in and combined hagiography and fiction. The authors of the martyriums adhered to a certain plot scheme and, of course, paid the main attention to the martyrdom of the saints, while simultaneously paying attention to their dreams, thoughts and experiences. However, the chronology and historical realities of most martyriums are so vague or contradictory that scientists do not consider them to be serious sources.

Of course, for a believer, the main thing in the life of a saint is not so much his biography as an indication of ardent faith, love for the Lord and readiness to give his life for Him. These are role models, moral guidelines. And yet I want to know as much as possible about my favorite saints. So what do we know about the life of St. Catherine?

How do we know about her?

The main sources of the saint's biography are the martyrdom attributed to a certain Athanasius (Anastasius), who called himself a stenographer and servant of Catherine, the martyrdom compiled by Simeon Metaphrastes, three anonymous martyrias, as well as Anastasius Protasikritos's "Eulogy to Catherine". The earliest of them dates back to the VI-VII centuries. On their basis, numerous hagiographic works were later written dedicated to the great martyr, and her biography varied and was supplemented with new details (for example, the description appeared in her lives only in the 14th century).

It is indicated that Catherine suffered for Christ between 305 and 312. Since it is known that she was 18 years old at that time, the year of her birth is between 287 and 294. Place of birth: Alexandria of Egypt. It is believed that Catherine came from a noble family; her father is called a certain Konsta, the ruler of Alexandria. However, among the Roman proconsuls of the late 3rd - early 4th centuries. There is no person with that name. However, it is possible that among the ancestors of the great martyr there were Greek kings. Her name is also Greek - literally “always pure.”

However, some sources indicate the possible pagan name of Catherine - Dorothea. No reliable evidence of this has been found. However, Eusebius of Caesarea, a contemporary of the saint, in his “Ecclesiastical History” mentions an unnamed martyr, whose story coincides exactly with the biography of Catherine. In addition to the circumstance that the unknown martyr was not executed, but sent into exile. IN Latin translation Rufina Turania, this woman appears under the name Dorothea. Church historian of the 16th century. Caesar Baronius assumed that Saint Catherine could indeed have suffered martyrdom after returning from exile.

Catherine's life before her conversion

Catherine's life before baptism confirmed: you can have everything, but not be happy man. Noble origin, wealth, extraordinary beauty, deep intelligence, brilliant education - she possessed all this in abundance. According to the life written, Catherine “studied the works of all the pagan writers and all the ancient poets and philosophers... Catherine knew well the works of the sages of antiquity, but she also studied the works of the most famous doctors, in addition, she learned all the oratory and dialectical art and also knew many languages ​​and dialects "

Catherine’s parents were in a hurry to get their daughter married, suitors one after another asked for her hand, but the girl declared that she would agree to become the wife only of someone who surpassed her in everything - in nobility, wealth, beauty and intelligence. It is unlikely that this was a manifestation; most likely, the smart girl understood that an unequal marriage would not bring her happiness, and chose to preserve herself in the purity of virginity.

The mystical betrothal of St. Catherine

Catherine's mother, a secret Christian, brought her to her spiritual father, a Syrian monk. After talking with the girl, the elder decided to reveal her faith in Christ. He told Catherine that he knew a Young Man who was superior to her in everything. The elder gave her an icon depicting the Mother of God with the Baby Jesus in her arms, and taught her a prayer in which Catherine was to ask the Virgin Mary to show her the wonderful Youth - Her Son. The girl’s request was fulfilled: that same night, Catherine saw in a dream the Virgin Mary with the Baby in her arms. However, the Infant turned away from Catherine, not wanting to look at the person, according to Him, poor, ill-born, ugly and insane - like any person not washed by the waters.

Waking up, the saddened Catherine went to the elder for advice. Having enlightened her in the faith, the monk performed the sacrament of baptism over Catherine. Later editions of the saint’s life say that after this she again saw in a dream the Mother of God and the Child, who now looked at Catherine tenderly and handed her a ring as a sign of betrothal to the Heavenly Bridegroom. After waking up, the girl found a ring on her finger.

Witness to Faith

After some time, the emperor arrived in Alexandria for a pagan festival. Which one exactly is unknown. This was the time of tetrarchy - the rule of four emperors at the same time, and during the period from 305 to 312 the Roman Empire was ruled by no less than nine emperors. The most commonly named are Maximinus, Maximianus and Maxentius (perhaps this confusion stems from the similarity of names), but it is most likely that it was Maximinus II Daza (or Daia). Firstly, he was Caesar, and later Augustus of the eastern part of the empire, which included Egypt, and secondly, he went down in history primarily as an unbridled and cruel persecutor of Christians.

Catherine decided to convince the emperor of the falsity of the pagan faith and convey to him the truth about Christ. With this she came to the palace - for a noble person this was possible. The emperor was amazed by her beauty and intelligent speeches, and since he himself was not ready for such a dispute, he invited fifty of the wisest philosophers and rhetoricians to the palace, who were supposed to convince the girl to renounce Christianity. However, Catherine easily defeated them, proving the insignificance of the Roman gods. After losing the dispute, the scientists were sentenced to be burned at the stake. Before execution, they accepted the Christian faith, and their remains were discovered untouched by fire, after which many more believed in Christ.

Martyrdom

The Emperor persuaded Catherine to renounce her belief in the One God and make a sacrifice to the pagan gods. After a categorical refusal, the martyr was tortured for a long time and then imprisoned. For twelve days a dove brought her food, and then Christ Himself appeared, surrounded by angels, to strengthen her before the upcoming torment.

The emperor's wife, having learned about the wisdom and virtues of Catherine, together with the military leader Porfiry and a detachment of soldiers, secretly visited her in prison at night. After talking with Catherine, they all also believed in Christ.

An instrument of torture was made especially to intimidate Catherine: four wooden wheels studded with iron points were mounted on an axle. Rotating in different directions, the wheels were supposed to tear apart the body of the martyr standing between them, who remained firm and did not renounce Christ. The life tells how an invisible force destroyed this structure, the wheels scattered in different directions, killing many onlookers who came to watch the execution.

After this, the emperor’s wife denounced her husband in front of everyone and confessed herself to be a Christian, and with her so did Porfiry and his soldiers. All of them were subjected to terrible torture and then beheaded. The Empress is known to us as the martyr Augusta, although this is not a name, but only the title of the wife of Augustus. However, this fact is another indication of Emperor Maximin, since Maxentius was not Augustus, and Maximian’s wife Eutropia successfully survived her husband.

The wicked emperor made another attempt to seduce Catherine - this time with affection. In exchange for renouncing Christ, he promised to make her his concubine or even legal wife. Maximin was indeed famous for his extreme debauchery, and Catherine remained beautiful even after all the torture. The martyr indignantly rejected his claims, and the angry emperor ordered her head to be beheaded with a sword.

Reverence

Three centuries later, the monks of the Transfiguration Monastery, built by Emperor Justinian, obeying a vision, climbed the mountain, found the head and left hand there, identified them by the ring that was given to her by Jesus Christ, and transferred the relics to the monastery. Currently, the relics of the great martyr are preserved in a small marble shrine in the altar of the Catholicon, the main church of the monastery of St. Catherine (as the Sinai monastery began to be called after the transfer of the holy remains there), on right side throne. Another part of the relics (finger) is located in the reliquary of the icon of the Great Martyr Catherine in the left nave of the temple and is always open to believers for veneration.

Sinai. Monastery of St. Catherine

The first surviving images of Catherine date back to the 8th-9th centuries. On Orthodox icons the martyr is traditionally depicted in royal attire, with a crown on her head and a cross in right hand. There are known images of the saint leaning on a wheel, with a palm branch in her hand. The iconography of the “Betrothal of the Great Martyr Catherine” developed in the 18th century. influenced by Western models.

For the first time, the memory of St. Catherine is celebrated in the “Typikon of the Great Church” of the 9th-11th centuries. Her hymnography dates back to the 9th century. It was then that the Monk Theophan of Nicea and a monk named Babyl created several wonderful hymns in honor of the Great Martyr Catherine, which are still sung on the day of her repose. Also, the Monk Theophan wrote a canon in honor of the Great Martyr, the border of which reads: “I sing songs to Catherine of ever-memorable songs...”

Troparion to the Holy Great Martyr Catherine

With virtues, like the rays of the sun, you enlightened the unfaithful sages, and like the bright moon, you drove away the darkness of those walking in the nights of unbelief, and you convinced the queen, and you also exposed the tormentor, O blessed Bride of God to Catherine; With desire you ascended into the heavenly palace to the beautiful Bridegroom Christ, and from Him you were crowned with a royal crown: He and the angels ahead prayed for us, creating your most honorable memory.

Kontakion to the Holy Great Martyr Catherine

Raise up an honest face now, lovers of Divine martyrdom, in reverence to the all-wise Catherine: this is the sermon at the funeral feast of Christ, and trampled upon the serpent, taming the minds of the rhetoricians.

She was remarkably beautiful and famous for her wisdom. Being only eighteen years old, Catherine perfectly studied the works of all pagan writers and all ancient poets and philosophers, such as Homer, Virgil, Aristotle, Plato and others. And not only did Catherine know well the works of the sages of antiquity, but she also studied the works of the most famous doctors, such as Asclepius, Hippocrates and Galina; In addition, she learned all the art of oratory and dialectic and also knew many languages ​​and dialects, so that everyone marveled at her learning and knowledge. Many rich and noble people wooed her and for this purpose came to her mother, a secret Christian who hid her faith due to the cruel persecution erected at that time against believers by Maximin. Relatives and mother often advised Catherine to get married so that her father's royal inheritance would not pass into the hands of someone else, through which they would be completely deprived of this inheritance. But Catherine, like a wise girl, firmly decided in her heart to preserve the purity of virginity throughout her life and really did not want marriage. When her relatives began to strongly persuade Catherine to marry, she told them:

“If you want me to get married, then find me a young man who would possess those four talents with which I, as you know, surpass all other girls; and then I will agree to choose him as my wife; and I don’t want to marry a man who in any way would be worse and inferior to me. So, look everywhere, if you will find a young man who would be like me in the nobility of the family, in wealth, in beauty and in wisdom; Every young man who does not have at least one of these gifts is unworthy of me.

Catherine's household, seeing that it was impossible to find such a young man, noticed to her that the royal sons and other noble seekers of her hand could become even nobler and richer if they married her, but in beauty and wisdom no one could compare with her. And Catherine said to them:

“I want to have as my groom no other than someone equal to me in learning.”

Seeing her daughter’s inflexibility, the mother decided to try another remedy. She resorted to the advice of her spiritual father, a pious and holy man who lived in a secret place outside the city. She took Catherine with her and went with her to that righteous husband. He, seeing the beautiful young woman and hearing her wise, albeit modest speeches, had the intention of teaching her the knowledge of Christ, the King of Heaven.

“I know,” he told her, “one wonderful Youth, who incomparably surpasses you in all your talents.” His beauty is brighter than sunlight; His wisdom governs all sensory and spiritual creatures; the wealth of His treasures is spread throughout the whole world and never decreases, but, as it is distributed, it increases more and more; and the height of His race is indescribable and incomprehensible. There is no one like Him in the whole world.

Listening to these words of the elder, Catherine thought that he was telling her about some earthly prince - she became embarrassed, her face changed and asked the elder:

- Is everything he tells her true?

He replied that all this was true, and added that that Young Man had other great talents that were impossible to list. The young woman asked him:

- Whose son is the Youth you praise?

The elder answered her:

- He has no father on earth, but was born inexpressibly and supernaturally from one of the most honest birth Most Holy and Most Pure Virgin. She was honored to give birth to such a Son for Her greatest purity and holiness; She remains immortal in soul and body and is exalted above heaven, where all the holy Angels worship Her as the Queen of all creation.

Catherine asked the elder:

- Is it possible for me to see that Youth about whom you report so many wonderful things?

“If you do what I tell you,” the elder answered her, “then you will be worthy to see His most radiant Face.”

Catherine said to him:

“I see that you are a reasonable man and a respectable old man, and therefore I believe that you are telling the truth.” I am ready to do everything that you command me, just to see the One whom you praise so much.

Then the elder gave her an icon of the Most Holy Theotokos holding the Divine Child in Her arms, and said to her:

- Here is an image of the Virgin and Mother of the One about Whom I told you so many wonderful things. Take this image to your home and, having closed the doors of your room, with reverence offer up a fervent prayer to this Virgin, whose name is Mary; beg Her that She would deign to show you Her Son. I hope that if you pray to Her with faith, She will hear you and make you worthy to see the One for whom your soul strives.

Then the youth Catherine, taking the holy icon, returned home and at night, secluded in her room, began to pray as the elder taught her. During a long prayer, Catherine fell asleep from fatigue and saw in a vision the Queen of Heaven in the form as She was depicted in the icon along with the Holy Child, surrounded by a radiant radiance. Catherine could not see His face, for He turned it away from her and turned it to His Mother. Trying to see Him, Catherine came from the other side, but Christ turned His face away from her from there too. This happened three times. After that, Catherine heard that the Mother of God said to Her Son:

- Look, my Child, at Your servant Catherine, how beautiful and kind she is.

And the God-Infant answered Her:

“No, this young woman is very darkened and so ugly that I cannot look at her.”

Then the Most Holy Theotokos again said to the Lord:

“Isn’t this girl wiser than all the philosophers?” Doesn't she surpass all the maidens in her wealth and nobility?

But Christ answered her to this:

“Again I will tell you, My Mother, that this girl is crazy, poor and ill-born, and I will not look at her until she leaves her wickedness.”

To this, the Most Blessed Mother of the Lord said to Him:

“I pray to You, My sweetest Child, do not despise Your creation, but enlighten her and teach her what she needs to do in order to enjoy Your glory and behold Your most bright and most beloved Face, which all the Angels desire to look upon.”

Then Christ answered:

“Let her go to the elder who gave her the icon, and let her do what he commands her, and then she will see Me and find grace before Me.”

Seeing and hearing all this, Catherine woke up from sleep and marveled at the vision. When morning came, she went with a few of her slaves to the cell of the holy elder and, falling with tears at his feet, told him about her vision and begged him to tell him what she needed to do in order to see the Bridegroom-Christ she desired.

Reverend Elder He taught her in detail all the secrets of the true Christian faith, starting from the creation of the world and the creation of the forefather Adam and until the second coming to earth of the Lord Christ, and also told her about the indescribable heavenly glory of the righteous and the painful, endless torment of sinners. Like a wise maiden, enlightened by God and thirsting for truth and salvation, Catherine soon understood all the Christian teachings, believed with all her heart in Jesus Christ and accepted from the same elder holy baptism. After that, the elder commanded her to pray again with much zeal to the Most Pure Mother of God, so that She would appear to her once again, as on the first night.

Thus, having put off the old (cf. Col. 3:9) person and putting on the robe of renewal of the spirit, Catherine returned to her house and spent the whole night in tearful prayer, without food, until she fell asleep. And now she again sees the Queen of Heaven with the Divine Child in her arms. The baby looked at Catherine with great kindness and meekness. The Mother of God asked Her Son:

- Is this girl pleasing to You, My Son?

The Lord answered His Most Pure Mother:

- Very pleasing, for now she is beautiful and glorious, and not ugly and dishonest, as before; Now she is rich and wise, and not poor as she was at first; Now I have loved her, and she pleases Me so much that I want to betroth her to Myself as an incorruptible bride.

Then Catherine fell to the ground and exclaimed:

“I am not worthy, O glorious Lord, to see Your Kingdom, but grant me at least to be with Your servants.”

At this time, the Most Holy Theotokos took the right hand of the young woman and said to Her Son:

“Give her, My Child, an engagement ring as a sign of Your betrothal to her, to take her to Yourself, in order to make her worthy of Your Kingdom.”

Then the Lord Christ gave the most beautiful ring to Catherine and said:

“Behold, I now choose you to be My bride, incorruptible and eternal.” So, with great care, preserve this union inviolably and do not choose any earthly groom for yourself.

After these words of Christ the Lord, the vision ended. The young woman woke up and clearly saw a wonderful ring on her right hand. She felt such joy and such joy in her heart that from that hour her heart was completely given over to Divine love. And such a great change took place in her that she no longer thought about anything earthly, but only incessantly day and night thought about her beloved Bridegroom, and she desired Him alone, she studied about Him alone in reality and in dreams.

Soon after Catherine converted to Christianity, the wicked Tsar Maximin arrived in Alexandria, having a zeal beyond reason for his soulless gods, being himself seemingly insensitive and dumb. Wanting to arrange a solemn holiday in honor of these gods, he sent an order to the surrounding countries and cities to gather all his subjects to make sacrifices in order to honor the gods publicly. Countless people gathered, and everyone brought what they could for the sacrifice: some oxen, some sheep, and those who were unable, brought birds, or something else similar. When the day of the vile celebration arrived, the king sacrificed one hundred and thirty calves - princes and nobles less, and each sacrificed what he could. The whole city was filled with the cries of slaughtered animals and the stench of sacrifices; everywhere there was terrible crowding and confusion, and the air was saturated with stinking smoke. When this happened, the pious and most beautiful Catherine, at the sight of such a destructive temptation of human souls, was cruelly wounded in her heart, grieving over their death. Burning with Divine jealousy, she took several slaves with her and went to the temple where the madmen made sacrifices. When she stood at the door, everyone turned their gaze to her: for she shone with her extraordinary beauty, which testified to her inner spiritual beauty. She ordered the king to be informed that she had something very important to tell him. the right word. The king ordered her to come to him. Standing before the king, Catherine first bowed to him, giving him the due honor, then said:

- King, understand the temptation into which you are drawn by demons. You worship corruptible and insensitive idols as gods and serve them. It is a great shame to be so blind and crazy as to worship such abominations. Believe your sage Diodorus, who says that your gods were once people and died their lives wickedly, but for the sake of some of the deeds they committed during their lives, people built monuments and statues for them. Subsequent generations, not knowing the thoughts of their forefathers, who only for the sake of remembrance erected these monuments to them, but, thinking that the thing itself was pious and decent, began to worship them as gods. And the famous Plutarch of Chaeronea abhorred these gods and despised them. Believe, king, though these teachers, and do not be the culprit of the death of so many souls, for which you will be subjected to eternal torment. Know the One True God, ever-present, pre-existent and immortal, Who in the last years took upon Himself human flesh for the sake of our salvation. By him kings reign, countries are governed, and the whole world is held together. By His single word everything was created and maintains its existence. This all-powerful and all-good God does not require sacrifices like yours, and is not pleased by the slaughter of innocent victims, but only demands that we keep His commandments firmly and unshakably.

Hearing this, the king was inflamed with strong anger and at first remained silent for a long time. Then, unable to answer her words, he said:

“Leave us these days to perform the sacrifice, and then we will listen to your speeches.”

Having completed his ungodly celebration, the wicked king ordered Saint Catherine to be brought to his royal chambers and said to her:

“Tell us, girl, who are you, and repeat what you told us before?”

“I am the Tsar’s daughter,” answered the saint, “I am called Catherine.” Before I'm with great love I studied various sciences: I studied works of rhetoric, philosophy, geometry and other sciences, but now I despise all this as a vain and useless occupation, and became the bride of the Lord Christ, Who through His Prophet Isaiah said:

— “The wisdom of his wise men will perish, and his understanding will be lost among those who have understanding.”(Isa. 29:14).

The king was amazed at her speeches, at her extraordinary mind, but was even more amazed at her remarkable beauty and thought that she was not born to mortal parents, but to the gods whom he revered. Hardly agreeing to believe that a girl of such indescribable beauty was born from earthly beings, he, struck by her beauty and looking at her with a shameless gaze, began to speak seductive words. The saint, penetrating his lawless thoughts, said to him:

- The demons, whom you consider to be gods, seduce you and drag you into senseless lusts; I consider myself earth and dust; God created me in His image and likeness and endowed me with such beauty so that people would marvel at the wisdom of the Creator, Who could bestow such wisdom and beauty on such an insignificant and mortal face.

The king became embittered by these words and said:

“Don’t speak so badly about the gods who have immortal glory.”

But the saint objected to him:

“If you want to dispel the darkness and darkness of loveliness even a little, then understand the insignificance of your gods and know the true God. One utterance of His name alone, or one cross depicted in the air, drives away your gods and crushes them; and if you want, I will clearly prove to you the truth of my words.

The king, seeing her free speech and fearing to be defeated and disgraced by her words, said to her:

“It is indecent for a king to talk to women.” But I will gather the wisest philosophers to talk with you, and you will recognize the insignificance of your opinions, and you will believe in our teachings.

Having said this, he ordered the holy maiden to be guarded with all severity. He himself immediately sent the following order to all subject cities:

- I, King Maximin, the wisest philosophers and I wish to rejoice in the vitii in my regions. All who serve the wisest god Hermes, and who call upon the muses as teachers of reason, gather to me in order to block the lips of one wise maiden who has appeared in these days and mocks the great gods, calling all their deeds fables and idle talk. So, come to show all your wisdom, for which people will glorify you, and from me you will receive a reward for your work.

And so gathered, in the number of fifty people, the chosen and wisest leaders, distinguished by great acuity of mind and with great power in a word. The king addressed them with these words:

- Prepare with all care and attention for a valiant competition with one girl so that you can overcome her with your evidence in a dispute about the gods; do not neglect the fact that you will have a conversation with a young maiden, but make all your efforts and show your wisdom as if you had to confront a courageous opponent and the wisest speaker; because she, as I carefully elicited, surpasses in wisdom the great Plato himself. Therefore, I beg you, show in a dispute with her the same diligence that you would have if you were competing with this sage himself. If you win, I will reward you with great gifts; if you are defeated, then you will have great shame, and instead of gifts you will accept a painful death.

To these words of the king, one, the most glorious and wisest, Vitia replied:

“Don’t be afraid, king: perhaps our opponent is unusually smart, but as a woman, she cannot have wisdom in full perfection, and be completely skilled in eloquence; Just tell her to come to us, and you will see that as soon as she sees so many philosophers and speakers, she will immediately be ashamed.

Hearing this boastful speech of the philosopher, the king calmed down and rejoiced, hoping that the wicked and arrogant tongue of the scientists would defeat the maiden full of meekness and Divine wisdom. He immediately ordered her to be brought to him. Many people also gathered to listen to the dispute between the Christian maiden and the pagan sages. But before the messengers had time to come to Catherine, Archangel Michael appeared to her from heaven and said:

- Do not be afraid, virgin of the Lord! Your Lord will add more wisdom to your wisdom, and you will win the debate of those fifty revolutions. And not only they, but also many others will believe through you and receive the crown of martyrdom.

Having said this, the Angel departed.

Meanwhile, the king's messengers came to Catherine and, taking her, brought her to the king and the philosophers for everyone to see. And immediately that arrogant philosopher, who had previously boasted so much, proudly turned to Saint Catherine:

“Is it you who condemn our gods with such impudence and madness?”

“I,” the saint meekly answered him, “but not with insolence and not with madness, as you said, but with meekness and love for the truth, I say that your gods are nothing.”

Then the philosopher said to her:

Troparion, tone 4:

With virtues, like the rays of the sun, you enlightened the unfaithful sages, and like the bright moon you walked in the night, you drove away the darkness of unbelief, and you convinced the queen, and you also exposed the tormentor, the divinely called bride, blessed Catherine: with desire you ascended into the heavenly chamber, to the beautiful Bridegroom Christ, and from him you were crowned with a royal crown: to Him, with the angels who are present, pray for us, creating your most honorable memory.

Plutarch of Chaeronea is a famous Greek historian. Chaeronea is a city in Central Greece.

Hermes (Hermias) or Mercury was considered the messenger of the gods, the patron of trade and speakers, and was one of the most popular pagan gods. Thus, the ignorant population of the cities of Lystra and Lycaonia was so amazed by the miracles of the Apostles Paul and Barnabas that they called Barnabas Zeus, and Paul Hermias, because he was in charge of the word. (Acts 14:12).

Goddesses who were considered the patroness of sciences and arts.

Plato is a famous Greek philosopher of the 4th century BC, a contemporary and teacher of the famous Greek philosopher Aristotle. Plato is a student of the famous and glorious philosopher Socrates. It is remarkable that in his philosophical views Plato, especially in the doctrine of God, the creation of the world in afterlife, comes close to Christian teaching.

Here we mean Homer, Virgil and other poets. In general, the pagans mainly drew tales about their gods from poetic works.

Homer is one of the most learned and famous Greek poets, who lived long before Christ. He wrote the famous poems: “Iliad” and “Odyssey”.

Zeus (or Jupiter) is a Greco-Roman god, revered by pagans as the ruler of heaven and earth, the father of all gods and people.

Orpheus is a legendary figure who enjoyed special respect among the pagans.

Apollo or Phoebus, the son of Zeus and Latona, is one of the most revered Greco-Roman pagan gods. He was revered as the god of the sun and mental enlightenment, as well as the well-being of society and order, the guardian of the law, and the deity of predicting the future.

It seemed especially wild to the pagans that Christians worshiped the Crucified One, since execution on the cross was considered shameful. Therefore, the Apostle Paul says that preaching about the crucified Christ is madness for the Greeks (i.e., pagans) (1 Cor. 1:23).

Hera (Juno) was revered by the ancient Greeks and Romans as the sister and wife of their main god Zeus, the most revered among the goddesses; was considered the goddess of earth and fertility and the patroness of marriages. Poseidon was considered the god of the seas. Athena was considered the goddess of wisdom, mainly military. The above passage is borrowed from the Metamorphoses of the Roman poet Ovid. In general, the gods of the Romans and Greeks, according to their beliefs, were distinguished by the same passions and criminal inclinations as people.

In ancient times, soothsayers were called sibyls by the Romans. Their predictions were combined into three books, which were kept in the Temple of Zeus (Jupiter) Capitoline, and then in the Temple of Apollo on the Palatine Hill. These "Sibylline Books" were deeply respected in the pagan world. Christian writers also paid attention to their predictions, finding in them some hints of the coming of the Kingdom of Christ.

Apollonius of Tyana - pagan sage who performed false miracles and attracted many followers (3rd century). His sayings, recorded in a special book, especially enjoyed deep respect in Alexandria, where such a book was kept in the most secret, sacred place of a pagan temple.

Crimson is a long, purple, blood-colored garment that was very highly valued in ancient times and was considered a part of the royal rank.

Artemis - otherwise Diana - was a well-known pagan goddess among the Greeks and Romans, who enjoyed special worship among them (she was considered the goddess of the moon, and was portrayed as a beautiful, bright maiden-hunter).

Memory of St. Queen Augusta (or Vasilisa) is celebrated by the Church on November 24; At the same time, the Church remembers Porfiry and 200 soldiers, beheaded for confessing Christ.

Adamant (diamond) is a stone that is so strong that it cuts and cuts other stones without being harmed. This name in church literature is given to many saints (especially the fathers and teachers of the Church), famous for the firmness of their faith and character.

And to this day in Alexandria they show pious travelers the place of the murder of the Great Martyr Catherine, which has always enjoyed special reverence from local Christians. Some of the citizens of Alexandria, illuminated by faith in the crucified Lord, have even preserved to this day a small marble column on which, according to legend, the venerable head of the holy great martyr was truncated. This column is now reverently kept in the Alexandria Orthodox monastery of St. Sava and stands in the left aisle of the temple dedicated to the name of this saint.

For a long time, the holy relics of Catherine remained unknown in the ground, and were discovered only after 200 years. It happened like this. Once, approximately in the 30-40s of the 6th century after the Nativity of Christ, the brethren of the Sinai monastery, founded by the Byzantine emperor Justinian, 800 miles from Alexandria, were miraculously informed from above that the relics of the holy Great Martyr Catherine rested incorruptible not far from them, and at the same time they received a command transfer them to the newly created temple of the Sinai Monastery. The pious elders joyfully hurried to the mountain indicated to them not far from the monastery. This elevation reached up to 1200 fathoms; but the hermits, driven by religious inspiration and assisted by the grace of God, overcame all the difficulties of the path and soon reached its peak, where they found the holy relics of the Great Martyr Catherine incorrupt and fragrant. Only the Angels could have put them here. - The relics of St. Catherine were not completely recovered, but only her head and left hand. These parts of the incorrupt body of the praiseworthy martyr of Christ, then solemnly transferred to the Sinai monastery, still rest in this monastery, remarkable in its antiquity. In 1689, Russian Emperor Peter the Great donated a silver-plated shrine to the Sinai monastery for the relics of St. Catherine. But this gift is kept in the sacristy. “Fear from the greed of Muslims, from the publicity of travelers,” notes the famous Bishop Porfiry, who was in Sinai, “taught the Sinaiists to hide this treasure.” Currently St. The relics of the Great Martyr Catherine are preserved in a small marble shrine in the altar of the great temple of the Sinai monastery in the name of the Transfiguration of the Lord, on the right side of the throne. The holy head of the bride of Christ is now covered with a golden crown, and on one finger she wears a precious ring, in memory of the mysterious betrothal of St. Catherine with the Heavenly Bridegroom - Christ. In the reliquary, the holy parts of the relics rest on a silver tray, under which lies a thick layer of cotton wool, imbued with the fragrance of the shrine. When parts of the relics are taken out for veneration by the brethren, they are placed in the middle of the temple, along with many other remains of the shrine, on a table specially prepared for this purpose. Relics of St. Catherine's Church is revealed to a distant admirer at any time, but to the brethren and nearby strangers - only at the end of Matins on the Lord's holidays.

The memory of Saint Catherine is honored in everything Orthodox world with special reverence and solemnity. Churches are built in her honor, many monasteries are named after her; very many Orthodox and non-Orthodox Christians bear her name. The glory of this martyr was great in ancient times. Paula, the famous Roman woman who founded the monastery in Bethlehem in 386, dedicated a temple to the martyrs in it. Catherine, about whom St. Epiphanius told Pavle that Catherine was born on the island of Cyprus, in the mountains. Salamis, in its bishopric, from there it moved to Alexandria, was in St. places in Jerusalem, before a manger in Bethlehem, she took a vow of virginity and received a ring from Christ. In the West, she is considered the patroness of young students, especially philosophy. The Holy Great Martyr is revered even by some of the pagans, for example, the Mongol-Buryats of Transbaikal.

That is, Augusta, wife of Maximin.

As for the service to the Great Martyr and the church hymns composed in honor of her, they relate to ancient times. In the 9th century, Theophanes of Nicaea, a famous Christian hymnist, and the unknown monk Babyl wrote many songs in honor of the Great Martyr Catherine, which are now Orthodox Church and are sung on November 24, the day of her repose. The Monk Theophan wrote in honor of St. Great Martyr canon, the outline of which concludes with the following thought: “I sing songs to Catherine of ever-memorable songs.”