Saints help and patronize in a variety of matters: in personal life, at work, in illness and grief. But there are saints who patronize travelers, the lost, wives, children and even grandmothers. The patroness of the latter, Saint Lyudmila, has been known for more than a thousand years; people ask her for their children and grandchildren.
The story of the holy martyr Lyudmila of Czechia
Memorial Day: September 29
The couple, Prince Borivoy and Lyudmila, were the first rulers of Bohemia, the historical name of the Czech Republic, to receive Baptism, this happened in 882. The princely family was familiar with Saints Methodius and Cyril, educators and creators of the Slavic alphabet. Under their influence, Christianity began to spread throughout the Czech land. Lyudmila accepted the Christian faith as an adult. This was a conscious and balanced decision, so the prayer to St. Ludmila of Bohemia is read to repent of sins or unclean thoughts.
Just a few years after Baptism, the prince died, and his son Vratislav ascended the throne. Lyudmila devoted all her strength to caring for children and eradicating paganism. She prayed to God for her children and grandchildren and taught them love for the Lord. Unfortunately, paganism still lived in the West, especially in those places where Dragomira, the wife of Prince Vratislav, grew up. The new princess pretended to be a Christian, but always remained faithful to the pagan gods. After the death of her husband, Dragomira took the throne and first set about returning pagan customs and foundations. Lyudmila's influence was not enough to resist Dragomira, so she insisted on transferring the throne to the son of Vratislav and Dragomira. At the age of 18, Vyacheslav became the Prince of Bohemia, raised by his grandmother, he again called people to Christianity.
The story didn't end there. Dragomira could not bear such a blow; with all her heart she hated Lyudmila. The elderly princess went to the city of Techin, hoping to avoid the wrath of her daughter-in-law. Lyudmila’s life ended in the chapel, where she was strangled by killers hired by Dragomira. Crowds came to the grave of the martyr in Techin, where they prayed for their children and grandchildren. The people's love for the deceased caused fear in Dragomira, so she erected a chapel of St. Archangel Michael at the grave so that people would attribute miraculous properties to her. And yet they continued to come to prayer precisely to the grave of Saint Lyudmila. Some time later, Prince Vyacheslav moved his grandmother’s grave to the Church of St. George in Prague.
Murder of a martyr
Dragomira, despite the spread of the Christian faith, tried to eradicate it from the Czech people. She was able to bring all the remaining infidels in the principality closer to her and began to abolish laws and orders that contributed to the weakening of paganism, which were adopted by Borzhivoj and Bratislava. Idol temples began to be built throughout the Czech land.
Saint Lyudmila expressed her dissatisfaction to her daughter-in-law. But in Dragomira’s soul, pagan madness had long been intertwined with power-hungry ambitions, and she decided to kill her mother-in-law. The princess, obeying the word of Scripture - to avoid any evil, left the capital, then retired to Tetin, where she spent time in prayer, handicrafts, and charity. However, the daughter-in-law found her here too.
On the night of September 15-16, the killers broke into Lyudmila’s house, tearing down the doors of the palace. At this time, the princess knelt in prayer in the home chapel. “So you remember my good deeds?” she asked. Seeing that they were going to strangle her, the princess asked to be struck with a sword in order to shed blood for Christ along with other sufferers. But the killers were aware that bloodshed was a condition for recognition of martyrdom, and resorted to strangulation. Sources suggest that the weapon was a veil, which is now a symbol of Saint Lyudmila. The soul of the martyr went to eternal rest, and the body was buried without observing Christian canons under the city wall of Tetin.
The Lord glorified the burial place of the saint with miracles: burning candles appeared over it every night. The blind began to see when they touched the ground from her grave. The grandson of the princess, having heard about such signs, took the body of the murdered woman to Prague and laid him to rest in the Basilica of St. George.
It is not known for certain whether blessed Vyacheslav knew that Dragomira took part in the murder of Lyudmila. However, contemporaries report that his mother was removed from the court. The prince himself continued to live in deep Christianity and, according to his faith, organized all the affairs of the family and the lands under his control.
There is a known case when a neighboring prince, Radislav, came to the lands of Vyacheslav with an army. Grandson of St. Lyudmila, with his characteristic peacefulness, sent to ask the other side what caused the attack. The answer required a concession to Bohemia, which forced Vyacheslav to march with an army to defend his native side. However, the prince did not want to shed blood and offered a fair fight to Radislav himself, to which he agreed. As a result, the opponent was defeated and asked for forgiveness from Vyacheslav on his knees.
A little later, at the Diet in Worms, Vyacheslav asked Emperor Otto for the relics of the holy martyr Witt, for which he received his favor. The blessed prince brought them to Prague and erected a temple in his honor. It was in this sanctuary that the relics of his grandmother, Lyudmila, were placed.
Year by year, the veneration of the martyr only grew, but the church officially recognized her holiness around 1144. Then the altars of some Czech churches received particles of the relics, and St. Ludmila’s Day began to be celebrated as a church holiday. In 1197-1214, Bishop Daniel II gave his blessing to the painting of icons of the martyr, along with images of other patrons of the Czech land. During the reign of Charles the Fourth, a tombstone was erected over the shrine of the pious princess. Saint Lyudmila, whose angel (memory) day is celebrated on September 29, is still buried in this place.
In 1981, the shrine was opened, and a white silk fabric with a geometric pattern was discovered next to the holy relics. Historians believe that this is a veil (povoy) with which noble ladies covered their heads.
How does prayer to Saint Lyudmila help?
First of all, the saint is known as the patroness and intercessor of children and grandchildren. They pray to Lyudmila for their family, asking to guide their children on the true path, to help them with their choices and in troubles.
The Orthodox prayer to Saint Lyudmila should be said from a pure heart and only with good intentions. A sincere request for his grandchildren will definitely be heard by the saint, because it is not for nothing that the name of Vyacheslav is mentioned in the prayer to Lyudmila of Czechoslovakia.
The martyr is asked for repentance and mercy as a servant of Christ. The prayer of the saint will help drive away sinful thoughts and strengthen faith.
Celebration day
According to Orthodox custom, which prescribed naming a newborn only seven days after birth. The name was given by the Reverend Father, according to the church calendar. The saint in whose name the child was named was considered his patron saint. Christian believers follow this tradition in our time.
All beautiful representatives of humanity with the name Lyudmila (those who are baptized with this name) are obliged to honor their guardian angel and protector, who is considered to be the holy princess, whose memorial day is celebrated on the twenty-ninth of September. This day will be their Angel Day. It is celebrated by the church on September 16 in the old style and on September 29 in the new style.
Text of the prayer to the holy martyr Lyudmila, Princess of Bohemia
Oh, holy saint of Christ, martyr Princess Lyudmila, first saint of the Czech country and adornment of the capital city of Prague, warm prayer book for us before God! Behold, we, who have committed many sins, humbly fall down and pray to you: do not let us perish in the mire of our sins, but offer up a prayer for us to the Lord, that He may have mercy on us and grant us repentance. Oh, blessed mother Lyudmila! Do not forget to visit your children, even if you passed away from us to the Heavenly Abode, together with your grandson, the holy martyr Vyacheslav. Moreover, his holy mother, ask us, sinners, for God’s blessing on our children and on all of us, and we, who have sinned greatly, will thank the Lord for the gift of His grace and together with you, let us glorify the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and your great intercession about us forever and ever. Amen.
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Veneration of the saint
The holy mother is a canonized great martyr of her native land - the Czech Republic. The statue of St. Lyudmila, symbolizing the greatest respect from her fellow tribesmen, is majestically placed on the Charles Bridge in Prague. In this place there are many similar sculptures created in the name of certain saints of the Czech Republic.
Lyudmila's compatriots built a luxurious Catholic church in the neo-Gothic style in 1888. The church is active and belongs to the Vatican; services are held here daily.
The icon of the Venerable Lyudmila of Bohemia is the patron saint of all women with this name. It also helps to overcome the difficulties of material existence and take the righteous path of Christian teaching. The image shows the princess in a long dress and with her head covered; in the eyes of the venerable great martyr one can see the sorrow of inevitable losses, turning into the all-consuming joy of finding Christ.
Cathedrals in Prague
The Catholic Church of the Venerable Princess Lyudmila the Great Martyr was built at the end of the eighteenth century. It is located on the central Mira Square, which is located in the Vinogradsky district. This beautiful neo-Gothic building is distinguished by the presence of two high, completely uniform bell towers.
The church was built in such a way that it seems to hang in the air above the city center. The towers with a spire reach a height of more than fifty meters. The Church of St. Lyudmila is considered the main highlight of the square and attracts not only pilgrims, but also ordinary travelers. Tall long staircases lead to the main entrance, and the oak doors and entrance have a strict ornamentation.
Saint Galina of Corinth
The Holy Martyr Galina was born in Corinth, Greece, at the beginning of the 3rd century AD. Righteous Galina and many other Christians - Leonid, Nika, Vasilisa, Theodora, Hariessa, Kalisa, Nunekhia - were disciples of the holy martyr Kondrat. They all suffered for the faith of Christ.
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But not one of them renounced Christ, despite the terrible torment and execution ahead of them. Like Saint Kondrat, they were all tortured to death, and several people, along with Saint Galina, were thrown into the sea near the Gulf of Corinth. But they did not drown, but walked on the water, singing spiritual hymns.
The angry tormentors caught up with them on a boat and, hanging stones on their necks, drowned the martyrs.
Galina of Corinth is the heavenly patron and intercessor of all women who bear her name. They pray to the holy martyr for calm on the water, strengthening in faith and piety.
They pray to the Holy Martyr Galina of Corinth for consolation, standing in faith, spiritual purity and the gift of piety. Saint Galina, who by the grace of God walked on water along with other martyrs, is also addressed to calm the sea elements; People traveling on water pray to her.
O holy martyr! Extend your favorable prayers to our Lord and Creator and beg His goodness to grant us (names) everything necessary for eternal salvation, and also necessary for this temporary life: we believe without a doubt that everything is possible for you, as His true saint. Hey, holy wonderworkers! Do not disgrace our hope, but through your prayers make us heirs of being the Kingdom of Christ, so that we glorify the love of mankind in the Trinity of the glorified and worshiped God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and your holy intercession, forever and ever.
Prayerful invocation of the holy martyr Galina of Corinth
Pray to God for me, holy saint of God Galina, as I diligently resort to you, an ambulance and prayer book for my soul.
Troparion to the Holy Martyr
Your Lamb, Jesus, Galina calls with a great voice: I love You, my Bridegroom, and seeking You I suffer and am crucified, and I am buried in Your baptism, and I suffer for Your sake, so that I reign in You, and I die for You, and I live with You ; but as an immaculate sacrifice, accept me, offering myself to You with love. Through prayers, as the Merciful, save our souls.
The holy martyr Galina lived in the 3rd century AD, in the Greek city of Corinth. During the life of the righteous Galina, Corinth was the second most important Greek city, after Athens. In the first century, this is where the Apostle Paul lived and preached.
By the providence of God, Galina of Corinth became a follower of Saint Kondrat, to whom she came for many years with his other righteous disciples, and who converted her to the faith of Christ. Saint Kondrat lived for a long time in the desert and gave instructions to all Christians who came to him.
The military leader Jason came to Corinth to punish Christians, on whose orders Saint Kondrat and his disciples were captured and thrown into prison.
They were tortured for a long time, trying to force them to renounce the faith of Christ, but the righteous steadfastly endured all the torture.
Having achieved nothing, Jason's servants threw the martyrs into a cage with wild animals, but the animals did not touch them. After which the angry tormentors tied the righteous by the legs to chariots and dragged them throughout the city, past crowds of people throwing stones at them.
Then some of the martyrs were sentenced to beheading with a sword, forcing them to approach the executioner one by one and bow their heads under the sword. Soon, at the site of the execution of the Corinthian martyrs, a source of the purest holy water appeared, as if a reminder of the torment of the holy righteous and the blood shed for Christ.
The remaining martyrs - righteous Galina, holy martyr Leonidas and the holy women Chariessa, Nunekhia, Kalisa (Kalida), Vasilisa, Nike and Theodora - also suffered a cruel death for Christ.
All of them could have hidden from their tormentors, but did not do this, imitating their teacher, Saint Kondrat. Their persecutors decided to throw them into the sea near the current Gulf of Corinth, but to everyone’s amazement the righteous did not drown, but walked on the water as if on dry land, chanting Christ.
The enraged tormentors caught up with them on the ship and, tying heavy stones to their necks, finally drowned the holy martyrs.
According to some sources, the holy martyr Galina, together with other disciples of Kondrat, suffered for faith in Christ in 250-251, and according to others, in 258. According to some sources, all this happened on March 10, old style, according to others - on April 16, Easter.
Image of a saint
On holy paintings, the Reverend Mother appears in a long dress, her head is always covered with a princely cap or a warrior (an ancient headdress for married women), the tail of which descends to her neck.
Holy Martyr Ludmila of Czechia
- Sometimes icon painters depict a rope on their shoulders, symbolizing the torment of the Venerable Lyudmila. In rare copies, the godly mother holds a bowl of grapes in her hands.
- There are icons in which little Vyacheslav appears before believers, listening to the teachings of the Holy Scriptures.
- On other canvases, the Monk Lyudmila holds a scroll in her left right hand, and an Orthodox cross in her right hand. On the sides of the main face, within frames, are the Heavenly Messengers, personifying the support from the Lord given to pious people.
- Glancing at the image of the divine Lyudmila, Orthodox believers intuitively understand that she lived a humble life within the framework of Orthodox Christianity. In the eyes of the martyr we see traces of the sorrow she experienced and the joy of accepting Christian teaching. The icon of St. Lyudmila helps ordinary lay people overcome individual difficulties and cultivate love in their hearts.
To personally touch the holy image of the great martyr, pilgrims come to the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, located in Moscow Kotelniki. On Memorial Day, a piece of the relics of the blessed mother is solemnly brought here. You can also pray to the image in the Cathedral of Vyacheslav the Czech, located in Odintsovo.
Important! Girls who received the name Lyudmila at baptism should venerate the image of the reverend martyr and ask her for strength to overcome the path of life. The blessed mother, responding to prayer requests, mercifully appears as a divine intercessor for man
Church tradition remembers the life story of Blessed Lyudmila and gives her praise every year on September 29.
Gave Christian education to grandchildren
For several decades, while the Czech Republic was ruled by her sons, Lyudmila, who retired from government affairs, devoted herself to her grandchildren, the children of Vratislav (judging by the sources, Spytignev had no children). That is why she is still considered the heavenly patroness of grandmothers. It was not so much the wisdom, the words of the saint, but, obviously, the example of her Christian life that quietly, inconspicuously raised Vaclav (Vyacheslav) and Boleslav as Christians. Especially the first of them, who deeply fell in love with the Church, prayer, and the priesthood. They said about the young prince that he lived “like a monk” (monk). Who spoke? Vratislav’s own mother, Dragomira’s wife, apparently was desperately jealous of her son’s mother-in-law, dissatisfied with her influence.
St. Lyudmila raised a worthy grandson: Vaclav (Vyacheslav) was later glorified among the saints
