Holy Martyr Christina of Caesarea (Cappadocia), commemoration date: February 19
Her life is inextricably linked with the life of the martyr Dorothea, who also lived in Caesarea and suffered at the hands of Emperor Diocletian.
Saint Dorothea was a pious Christian, very humble, chaste, meek. By order of the ruler Sapricius, she was captured by the pagans and tortured for a long time. But the torment could not break her faith, then she was given to two sisters Christina and Callista, who had also previously been Christians, but fearful of the torment, they renounced the Lord. They began to lead a life inappropriate for believers.
Sapricius ordered them to dissuade Dorothea from her beliefs and sacrifice to pagan idols. However, after the women met, a miracle happened, Christina and Callista repented of their behavior and turned to Christ again.
As soon as Sapirikiy found out about this, he ordered the sisters to be seized and tied with their backs, and then burned in a tar barrel. This is how they atoned for their sin of apostasy. Saint Dorothea also accepted martyrdom by beheading by the sword.
Icon of the Holy Martyr Christina of Caesareamts. Christina of Caesarea of Cappadocia
The holy martyr Dorothea, together with the martyrs Christina, Callista and the martyr Theophilus, lived in Caesarea in Cappadocia and suffered under the emperor Diocletian in 288 or 300
In the country of Cappadocia, in the city of Caesarea, there lived one pious virgin named Dorothea. She spent all her time serving God, with humility and meekness, in purity, spiritual sobriety and chastity. Moreover, she was a girl so wise that even learned people could not compare with her in this. And everyone who knew her glorified the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who had such a virgin as His servant: and her gaze was filled with reverence, and her life was holy, and her wisdom was incomparable, and her virginity was not depraved. In the love of Christ she was so perfect that she was fully worthy of the heavenly palace. But for His sake she further intensified her feat. Conquering her flesh and the devil, Saint Dorothea wove herself a special crown: the crown of virginity and the crown of martyrdom; and rejoicing, she went to her Bridegroom Christ. And how she suffered for Him - this will be conveyed in the subsequent narrative.
When the fame of Saint Dorothea spread among people, rumors about her reached the hegemon Saprikius, the persecutor of Christians. He immediately went to the city of Caesarea and, seizing the holy virgin, ordered her to be presented to his unrighteous court.
Saint Dorothea, appearing before the wicked judge, prayed in her soul to the Lord and called on God and her Savior for help.
Sapriky asked her:
- Tell me, what is your name?
The saint answered:
- My name is Dorothea.
“I called you for this,” continued Sapriky, “so that, at the command of our glorious kings, you would make a sacrifice to the great gods.”
Saint Dorothea answered:
- God, the King of heaven, commanded me that I serve Him alone. So it is in Scripture: “Then Jesus saith unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and serve him alone” (Matthew 4:10). “So say to them: the gods who did not create heaven and earth will disappear from the earth and from under the heavens” (Jer. 10:11). Therefore, we must judge: the command of which king should we obey more - the earthly or the heavenly? and who should they listen to?
- God or man? What are kings? - nothing more than mortal people; so are your gods, whose idols you worship.
“If you want to be alive, healthy and undefiled,” objected Sapriky, “leave Christianity and make sacrifices to the gods; if not, then, according to the law, you will be severely tortured, and you will serve as a terrible example for others.
The saint answered:
“I will be an example of the fear of God for all the faithful, - may they fear God, but may they not be afraid of cruel people; after all, they do what evil dogs do: senselessly and unconsciously they torment innocent people, rage, rage, bark and grab and torment those passing by with their teeth.
“As I see,” Sapriky said to this, “you have decided to remain invariably in this wicked confession and want to die an equally painful death with the others.” Listen to me, make a sacrifice to the gods, and you will be freed from severe torment.
The saint answered:
- Your torment is temporary, but the torment of Gehenna is eternal. So, in order to avoid eternal suffering, I will not be afraid of temporary suffering! I remember the words of my Lord: “And do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).
Then Sapriky said:
“That’s why you should fear the gods, so that they don’t get angry with you: if you don’t make a sacrifice to them, they will destroy both your soul and body.”
“I have already told you, Sapriky,” answered Saint Dorothea, “that you cannot in any way convince me to make a sacrifice to the demons who live in vain idols.”
Having heard this, Sapriky became very angry and, turning to the servants who had already prepared for execution, said to them:
“Place her at the place of execution, so that, fearing torment, she agrees to become a servant of our gods.”
Then the servant of God Dorothea, standing at the place of execution, courageously and fearlessly said to her judge:
- Why are you delaying in agony? do what you want to do, so that I can quickly have the opportunity to see Him, for the sake of love for Whom I am not afraid of suffering or death.
- But who is the One for whom you long for so much? - asked Sapriky.
Saint Dorothea answered:
- Christ is the Son of God.
- Where is this Christ? - asked the hegemon.
The saint answered:
- By the omnipotence of His Divinity He is everywhere, but as humanity we confess Him as existing in heaven and sitting at the right hand of His Father; with Him, with God the Father, and with the Holy Spirit, He is one Divinity. It is He who calls us to the paradise of eternal joy; there the gardens bear fruit constantly; lilies, roses and other beautiful flowers always bloom there; the fields, mountains and hills in that paradise are forever green, and the springs are sweet; the souls of the saints in Christ rejoice there unceasingly. Oh, Sapriky, if you believed my words, you would have escaped destruction and entered this paradise of ineffable bliss with God.
Then Sapricius said to her:
“You need to leave this delusion and make a sacrifice to the gods, and then get married and have fun in your life, so that you do not perish in the same way as your fathers perished because of their madness.”
Saint Dorothea answered:
“I will not sacrifice to demons, since I am a Christian, and I will not marry, for I am already the bride of Christ.” And this is my faith; she will lead me into paradise and the palace of my Bridegroom.
And then the saint was cruelly tortured.
After the torture, Sapriky ordered Saint Dorothea to be taken to certain two wives, sisters who were related to each other, named Christina and Callista; at first they were Christians, but then, fearing torment, they rejected Christ and, out of despair, began to live wickedly, spending their time in luxury and worldly vanity; for their apostasy from Christ they were enriched by idolaters. Sapriky sent the holy virgin Dorothea to these women; at the same time he ordered to tell them:
“Just as you, having abandoned Christian delusion and sorcery, made sacrifices to the invincible gods and received gifts from us, so turn this crazy woman away from Christian madness and turn to our gods; and we, if you manage to do this, will enrich you with even greater gifts.
These women, taking the holy virgin into their house, began to convince her:
- Submit to the judge and listen to his advice; like us, save yourself from torment: after all, most of all you need to take care not to destroy this temporary and beautiful life in the torments and not die before your time.
Saint Dorothea answered:
“Oh, if only you, having listened to my advice, repented of the idolatry sacrifice you made and turned to Christ again!” You would save yourself from the torment of Gehenna; for our Lord is good, rich in bounties and merciful to those who turn to Him with all their hearts.
Then Christina and Callista said to her:
- Since we have already perished, having fallen away from Christ, how can we turn to Him again?
The saint answered them:
— It is a much greater sin to despair of God’s mercy than to worship idols; Therefore, do not despair and do not doubt our merciful and skillful Physician: He can heal all your ulcers. There is no wound that He is not willing to heal. That is why He is called the Savior, because He saves everyone, because He is the Redeemer, because He redeems everyone, and that is why He is called the Liberator, because He gives freedom to everyone. And you just turn to Him with all your soul with repentance, and you, without a doubt, will be worthy of forgiveness.
Then these two sisters, Christina and Callista, fell at the feet of the saint, began to cry and began to ask her to pray for them to the merciful God, so that He would accept their repentance and grant them forgiveness.
After this, the holy virgin, with tears in her eyes, cried out to the Lord:
- God, who said: “I do not want the death of the sinner, but that the sinner should turn from his way and live. Turn yourselves, turn from your evil ways; Why should you die” (Ezek. 33:11)?2 Lord Jesus Christ, who told us that “there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance” (Luke 15 :7). Show Your goodness to these Your sheep, whom the devil wanted to kidnap and tear away from You and return them to Your fence to Your flock, and O good Shepherd, following their example, may all those who have fallen away from You be converted!
After some time had passed, Hegemon Sapriky ordered that Christina and Callista be called to him, together with Saint Dorothea, and when they arrived, he asked the two sisters in private:
- Were you able to bow Dorothea to our gods?
Then Christina and Callista answered the hegemon in a loud voice:
“We sinned and did very badly that, fearing temporary torment, we sacrificed to idols.” Therefore, we begged Saint Dorothea, and she admonished us to repent, so that we could receive forgiveness of our sins from Christ our Lord.
Sapriky, having torn his clothes, was filled with great rage; he ordered to tie the two sisters together, connecting them to each other along the back, and throw them into a tarred vat, and then, placing firewood under it, burn them.
Then the holy sisters began to pray like this:
- Lord Jesus Christ! accept our repentance and grant us forgiveness.
When these virgins were so scorched, Saint Dorothea, looking at this, rejoiced and exclaimed:
“Come before me, oh sisters, and be convinced of the forgiveness of your sins and know that the crown of martyrdom, which you lost at first, you have now, without a doubt, acquired again; and now your merciful Father will come out to meet you, as if rejoicing at the conversion of the prodigal son. He will embrace you and, as His sincere daughters, He will glorify you and exalt you before His Angels, and place you among the host of holy martyrs.
And so the holy wives, Christina and Callista, half-sisters, died painfully in repentance, receiving from Christ, along with forgiveness, the crown of victory.
After this, Saprikiy ordered Saint Dorothea to be seized again for torture and, having hanged her, torment her as before.
The saint, amidst such great torment, was overwhelmed with such joy that it was as if she was already entering the palace of her beloved Bridegroom - Christ.
Then Sapricius said to her:
- What does it mean that joy seems to appear on your face, and you, while enduring torment, are apparently very happy?
Saint Dorothea answered:
“In all my life I have never been so happy as I am now, and first of all I rejoice for those whose souls, through you, the devil took away from God, and now Christ has taken them back again.” Now there is great joy in heaven; for the Angels rejoice over their souls, the Archangels rejoice, and with them all the holy Apostles, martyrs and prophets rejoice. So, Sapriky, hasten to quickly fulfill what you have planned, so that I too can quickly move on to the bliss of the holy virgins and rejoice in heaven with those with whom I cried on earth.
Then Sapriky ordered the holy martyr to be scorched with burning candles. She, rejoicing even more, with a bright and joyful face, called out to her judge:
“You and your idols are insignificant!”
After these words, the tormentor ordered Saint Dorothea to be taken down from the tree and beaten with his hands.
“Let him be beaten,” he said, “the face that is swearing at me.”
When they beat the saint, she did not cease to rejoice, and those who beat her were exhausted.
Then the hegemon issued the following death sentence:
“We command that the proudest maiden Dorothea, who did not want to make sacrifices to the immortal gods and be alive, but wished rather to die for an unknown person called Christ, is beheaded with a sword.”
The Holy Virgin Dorothea, hearing this, exclaimed loudly:
- I thank You, lover of souls, that You call me to Your paradise and bring me into Your most holy chamber.
And so, when they led the holy martyr to death, and she was leaving the praetor, a certain scientist and adviser to the hegemon, named Theophilus, mockingly said to her:
- Listen, bride of Christ, send me an apple and pink flowers from the paradise of your Groom.
Saint Dorothea answered him:
- I really will do it.
When they arrived at the place of execution, the martyr begged the executioner to allow her to pray a little to her Lord. And when she finished the prayer, the Angel of the Lord appeared to her in the form of a very handsome youth; on a clean board he carried three beautiful apples and three pink flowers.
Then the holy martyr said to him:
“I pray you, take all this to Theophilus and tell him: “Now you have what you asked for.”
Having said this, she bowed her holy head under the sword and, being beheaded, triumphantly departed to Christ the Lord, her Bridegroom, having loved Him from her youth, and now received from His hand, in the palace of heaven, the crown of victory.
Theophilus, mocking the promise of the holy maiden Dorothea, said to his friends:
“Now, when they were leading Saint Dorothea to death, who called herself the bride of Christ and boasted that she would enter His paradise, I said to her: listen to me, bride of Christ, when you enter the paradise of your Bridegroom, send me from there a few pink flowers and apples
And she answered:
“Truly I will send them to you.”
Having said this, Theophilus and his friends laughed. And suddenly an Angel appeared to him with three beautiful apples and three flowers, and said to him:
- According to her promise, the holy virgin Dorothea sent you all this from the paradise of her Bridegroom.
Then Theophilus, seeing the apples and flowers and taking them in his hands, loudly exclaimed:
- Christ is the true God, and there is not a single untruth in Him!
Friends and comrades said to him:
“Are you, Theophilus, raging or mocking?”
He answered them:
“I don’t rage or mock, but a sound mind makes me believe in the true God, Jesus Christ.”
- But what does this sudden change of yours mean? - they asked him.
- Tell me, what month is it now? - Theophilus asked his friends.
“February,” they answered him.
“At this time of winter,” Theophilus said then, “all of Cappadocia is covered with frost and ice, and there is not a single tree or any plant to be decorated with leaves; So, what do you think - where do these flowers and these apples with twigs and leaves come from?
Having said this, he showed them apples and pink flowers. Theophilus' friends, seeing these fruits and smelling their wonderful fragrance, said:
“Even in the usual time for fruits and flowers, we have never seen anything like this.”
To this Theophilus answered them:
“When the holy virgin Dorothea was led to her death, I considered her crazy, since she called Christ her groom and kept talking about His paradise. Then, mockingly, I told her, as if she were crazy: when you come to the paradise of your Bridegroom, send me apples and flowers from there. She answered me: “I will really do it.” Then I laughed at her words, but now, after her beheading, a little boy suddenly appeared before me, no more than four years old and of indescribable beauty; I didn’t think that he even knew how to speak, but, pushing me, this youth began to speak like a perfect man:
“The Holy Virgin Dorothea,” he told me, “as she promised, has sent you gifts from her Bridegroom’s paradise.”
Having said this, he gave me everything sent into my hands and became invisible. Having said this, Theophilus exclaimed:
- Blessed are those who believe in Christ and suffer for the sake of His holy name, for He is the true God, and everyone who believes in Him is truly wise!
After these and similar appeals from Theophilus, some came to the hegemon and said to him:
“Your adviser Theophilus, who hitherto hated Christians and tried to destroy them by cruel death, now publicly praises and blesses the name of a certain Jesus Christ, and many of those who listened to his speeches believed in this Man.
The hegemon immediately ordered Theophilus to be brought to him and asked him:
- What did you say just now in public?
Theophilus answered:
“I praised Christ, whom I had previously, until this day, blasphemed.”
The hegemon said to him:
“I am surprised at you, a reasonable man, that you are now glorifying the name of the One whose worshipers you have hitherto persecuted.”
“That’s why I believed in Christ as the true God,” answered Theophilus, “because He suddenly turned me from error to the path of truth and deigned for me to know Him, the True God.”
Then the hegemon said:
“All those inclined to wisdom are becoming more and more successful in wisdom, but you, from being wise, suddenly became insane, calling God the One whom the Jews crucified, as you heard from the Christians themselves.”
To this Theophilus replied:
“I heard that Christ was crucified, and I was mistaken, not considering Him God and blaspheming daily. Now I repent of my previous errors and blasphemies and confess Him as the True God.
“Where and when did you become a Christian,” the hegemon asked him, “if you have been making sacrifices to the gods until this very day?”
“At that very hour,” answered Theophilus, “when he believed in Christ and confessed Him, then he became a Christian; and now I, with all my heart, believe in the immortal Christ, the Son of God, I preach His true name, the holy name, the undefiled name - a name in which there is neither hypocrisy nor that delusion that reigns in idols.
Then the hegemon said:
- So, then our gods are a delusion?
“How can there not be lies in those idols,” answered Theophilus, “which the human hand made from wood, forged from copper and iron and sculpted from tin, - on which owls nest, and spiders weave their webs, but inside they are full of mice?” And if I now speak a lie, then let me be a lying man; Look for yourself, am I not telling the truth? and since I do not lie, you yourself will soon agree with the truth and turn away from lies. For you, as a judge who judges the lies of others, must also turn from lies to the truth—Christ God.
Then the hegemon said:
- So, our gods are not living beings?
“In idols we see a human likeness,” Theophilus responded to this, “but they are insensitive: God is an invisible, living being and the Giver of all life.” Idols, if they are made of expensive material, are usually guarded so that they are not stolen by thieves, but the God of Heaven is not guarded by anyone, but He protects everyone, observing His creation.
Then the hegemon exclaimed:
- Oh, damned Theophilus! I see that you want to die a cruel death.
“I strive to find a good life,” answered Blessed Theophilus.
After this, the hegemon said:
“Know that if you remain in this madness of yours, then I will give you over to great torment, and then I will order you to be put to a cruel death.”
“Now all I want is to die for Christ God,” answered Theophilus.
“Remember your house, your wife, your children and your relatives,” the hegemon said then, “and do not foolishly give yourself up to a cruel death, for it is truly madness to voluntarily give yourself up to those torments and executions with which villains are usually punished.”
To this the holy martyr replied:
- This is not madness, but great wisdom - who, for the sake of unspeakable and eternal blessings and eternal life, accepted a premature death, not paying attention to these brief and temporary torments.
Then the hegemon said:
“So, you choose torment for yourself rather than peace, and you wish for death rather than life?”
“I’m afraid of torment,” Theophilus responded to this, “and I tremble at death,” but those torments that will have no end, and I’m horrified by that death that entails eternal execution. The torment with which you can betray me will soon come to an end, but the execution prepared for idolaters will never end!
Then the hegemon gave orders to hang Saint Theophilus naked on a tree and to beat him cruelly. When they began to beat the saint, he said:
“Now I am a completely Christian, for I am hanged on a tree, and it is like a cross.” So, I thank You, Christ God, that You have granted me to be hanged on Your sign.
“You damned one,” said the hegemon, “spare your body!”
- Damned one, have mercy on your soul! - Theophilus answered. “I do not spare my temporary life, but for this my soul will be saved forever.”
Then the tormentor, becoming even more angry, ordered the martyr to be whittled with iron claws and scorched with candles. The saint, as if not feeling suffering, rejoiced in his torments and only said:
- Christ, Son of God, I confess You - number me among Your saints!
His face was joyful at the same time.
After the torturer’s servants were exhausted from their labor, hegemon Sapriky issued the following death sentence against the saint:
“We order Theophilus, who has not yet made a sacrifice to the immortal gods, and who has now become corrupted and even deviated from our gods to the Christian host, to behead his head with a sword.”
Saint Theophilus, hearing this, exclaimed:
- Thank you, Christ my God!
And, rejoicing, he bowed his holy head under the sword. Having been beheaded, he was crowned with the crown of martyrdom and, coming to the Lord at the eleventh hour of his life, accepted a reward equal to the first (Matthew 20:1-16) - in the kingdom of Christ our God, to Him with the Father and the Holy Spirit be honor and glory in eyelids, amen.
Holy Martyr Christina of Tire, commemoration date: August 6
She lived in the third century in the city of Tire. Her father Urvan was the ruler of this city. While still a teenager, many were already seduced by her beauty, dreaming of marrying her. But her father hoped that she would become a pagan priestess. For this, he built a special room where he settled his daughter, surrounded by pagan idols. She was served by two slaves. But Christina spent all her free time thinking about who created this world. Then she began to pray to the One God that He would reveal Himself to her.
One day, she was honored with a visit from an Angel, who revealed to her true faith in Christ. He called her the bride of Christ and told her that the feat of suffering awaited her. After this, Saint Christina smashed all the idols that had surrounded her all this time.
The slaves told their father about the changes in his daughter’s life. Urvan became angry and began to hit her on the cheeks. Christina remained silent for a long time, but then she herself revealed her Christianity.
Icon of the Holy Martyr Christina of Tire
Then the father ordered all the slaves to be killed and Christina to be tortured. The saint's mother asked her to renounce Christ, but she did not do this. Having learned that his daughter remained adamant and did not want to deviate from Christianity, he ordered the torture to continue. She was tied to a wheel, and a fire was lit under it. When it turned, Christina’s entire body was burned with fire. After this, she was again imprisoned. But the Angel of the Lord healed her of her wounds, appearing at night. When the next morning her father saw her, alive and well, he ordered her to be drowned in the sea.
And again the Angel of God brought her out of the water, and Christina again appeared to her father. The next morning, he ordered her execution, but he himself did not live to see this time. At night he died suddenly. A new ruler, Dion, was sent in his place; he asked Christina to renounce Christ once again. Having been refused, she was tortured again. Then she was in prison for a long time; local residents, having learned where she was, began to visit her. She converted many to Christianity. After some time, Saint Christina was killed with a sword.
Holy Martyr Christina
Christina lived at the turn of the 2nd–3rd centuries in Tire of Phoenicia under the emperor Septimius Severus (194–211).
Her father was a powerful pagan military leader named Urvan. Jealously guarding the dazzling beauty of his daughter, he imprisoned her in a high tower, where she was served by many slaves and she could enjoy all the benefits of luxury and wealth. In this tower, Urvan placed statues of the gods, decorated with jewels, so that his daughter could worship them. Although the virgin remained locked up, without any connection with the world, the grace of God visited Christina and gave birth in her soul to a desire to know the truth. With her truthful mind, she realized that soulless statues - the creation of human hands - cannot in any way be deities, and, contemplating in the window the beauty of the sky, earth and all the wonders of nature, she came to the conclusion that such a beautiful harmony can be the creation of only one God and Creator, infinitely wise. Then an angel of the Lord was sent to the virgin, instructing her in what she vaguely felt in her heart - in the secrets of the Divinity and creation. Thus, having acquired the light of truth and filled with zealous love for God, Christina devoted her life to fasting and prayer.
When her parents came to visit her and offered to worship idols, she responded with a firm refusal, declaring that she was now following Christ, the true Light who had come into the world. She rejected all her father’s entreaties and asked to give her a snow-white shirt in order to make a spiritual sacrifice to God, the One in Three Persons. Urban fulfilled his daughter’s request without understanding its essence. When Christina was immersed in prayer, an angel appeared, greeting her as the bride of Christ, and announced the trials ahead of her, with which she would glorify the Lord. Before leaving, he marked the virgin with the seal of Christ, blessed her and filled her with heavenly bread.
At night, the saint chopped up all the statues in the tower with an ax and went to distribute the fragments of silver and gold to the poor. Seeing this the next morning, Urvan became terribly angry and ordered Christina’s slaves to be beheaded and her daughter to be scourged. Twelve soldiers flogged the maiden to the point of exhaustion, but Christina, by the power of grace, remained unshakable, confessing Christ and accusing her father. Urvan ordered her to be thrown into prison, shackled in heavy chains, and left. His wife visited the prison in tears to beg Christina to submit and thereby save her life. But these persuasion did not bring results.
The next day, Christina was again tortured. First they tore her flesh, and then tied her to a wheel and hung her over a blazing hearth, but through her prayer the Lord extinguished the flame. Sent back to prison, she received a visit from three angels who brought her food and healed her wounds.
At night Urvan sent five slaves. They grabbed the saint, tied a heavy stone around her neck and threw her into the sea. But even here the angels came to the aid of the martyr: they untied the stone, and Christina walked on the waters as if on dry land. A shining cloud descended from heaven - and Christ appeared, dressed in precious royal robes and surrounded by a host of angels who glorified the Lord with songs and filled the air with the delicate fragrance of incense. Fulfilling the saint’s desire, Christ Himself baptized her in the waters of the sea, and then entrusted her to the Archangel Michael, who escorted Christina to land and to her parental home.
Having discovered that the girl had survived despite all the attempts to kill her, Urvan ordered her to be beheaded the next day. But that same night he died in a tragic manner.
The post of Urvan was taken by the new magistrate Dion. Having familiarized himself with the case, he called the saint and ordered her to be tortured. She stood firm. Then he ordered her hair to be cut off and paraded naked throughout the city to cover her with shame. The next day, the martyr pretended to agree to fulfill Dion’s demand and wanted to bow to the statue of Apollo. Arriving at the temple, she prayed to the true God and ordered the statue to walk forty steps. However, even such a miracle did not convert Dion. Then the saint, calling on the name of God, overturned the statue and broke it into pieces. Three thousand pagans, witnesses of the miracle, turned to Christ.
Dion did not survive such a defeat and soon died, and his place was taken by a new ruler, Julian. He imprisoned the saint in a red-hot furnace. The martyr spent five days there, during which she sang hymns of praise to the Lord along with the angels. Then the ruler ordered her to be thrown into a ditch full of wild animals and poisonous reptiles, but even there no evil touched the servant of God: the asps curled up at her feet, as if wanting to bow to her, and the snakes gently wiped the sweat from her forehead. Only Julian turned out to be more ferocious than the predatory creatures, and persisted in hatred of the martyr. He ordered her breasts to be cut off, from which blood and milk gushed out, and then her tongue to be torn out. After all the torment, two warriors pierced the saint’s heart and side with spears, giving her the crown of incorruptible victory and eternal bliss in the contemplation of the Heavenly Bridegroom.
After the imminent death of the tyrant, one of Christina’s relatives, who was converted thanks to her miracles, laid to rest the saint’s body in a church erected in memory of her.
From the book “Synaxarion: Lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church,” published by the Sretensky Monastery Publishing House.
Compiled by Hieromonk Macarius of Simonopetra, adapted Russian translation by Sretensky Monastery Publishing House
Orthodox holy wives with the name Christina
Dates are indicated according to the new style.
- Christina, MC. August 18
- Christina of Caesarea (Cappadocia), MC. February 19
- Christina of Lampsaki, mts. May 31
- Christina of Nicomedia, MC. June 13
- Christina of Persia, mts. 26 March
- Christina of Tire, mts. August 6
In church language this name is pronounced as “Christina”, but in modern pronunciation it sounds like “Christina”.
Christina's name day is celebrated at different times according to the church calendar. This is the best time to celebrate the name day of girls and women with this beautiful name.
Christina's upcoming name day
Christina of Caesarea (Cappadocia), martyr
How to correctly determine the spiritual patron and the day of Christina’s name day according to the Orthodox calendar? Options you can consider:
- by birthday;
- on the day of naming (the eighth day of life);
- on the day of baptism (fortieth day of life);
It happens that on a specific day the names of saints are not indicated or Christina’s birthday does not coincide with the day of commemoration of “her” saint. Then they look through the calendar three days ahead from the day of birth or baptism, and make a choice - Christina’s name day according to the church calendar will be considered the nearest memorial day of St. Christina.
Christina's birthday in February
Christina's birthday in March
Christina's birthday in May
Christina's birthday in June
Christina's birthday in July
Christina's birthday in August
Traditionally, Christians named their children strictly according to the church charter, so there was no confusion between Name Day and Angel Day. Today, not everyone distinguishes between these two memorable dates.
Angel Christina Day
- This is the day of her baptism. It is called so because after the Sacrament a Guardian Angel appears at the baptized person, who accompanies and protects the ward.
And the Name Day named after Christina
- This is the day of veneration of one of the saints named Christina.
The name Christina appeared in Rus' after the adoption of the Orthodox faith. It literally means “Christian” in Greek. Initially, the name sounded like “Christina”. Gradually adapting to the pronunciation features of our language, the variant “Christina” appeared.
In the old days, this name was common only among commoners. Noblewomen were not called by the name Christina. After the revolution, the name was forgotten for a long time. And only from the middle of the 20th century the name Christina, which already had a connotation of aristocracy and sophistication, began to come into fashion. The old form “Christina” is still used in church rites: at baptism, in prayer, funeral services. This is a church version of the name.
The Russian Orthodox Church knows many holy women who bear the name Christina and honors their memory on certain days marked in the calendar.
When is Christina's name day according to the church calendar?
The name “Christina” itself translates as “Christian.” This name has Greek roots and gives its owner softness, playfulness, responsiveness and kindness.
Christine's name day is celebrated according to the church calendar:
- February 19 – this day marks the day of remembrance of Christina of Caesarea;
- March 26 and 31 are days in honor of Christina of Persia and Christina of Lampsaki;
- June 13 – Christine’s summer name day in honor of Christina of Nicomedia;
- August 6 is the day of Christ of Tire;
- August 18 is the day of the Martyr Christ.
Christina's name day is not celebrated in the fall.
But this does not mean that the name day of Christine, born in the fall, cannot be celebrated - it is better to choose the day of baptism and celebrate it as your name day.
What date is Christina’s name day according to the Orthodox calendar?
According to Orthodox rite, the patron saint of this name is the Martyr Christina of Persia. In the 4th century in Persia, Christians were persecuted. They were forced to reject Christ. Saint Christina refused and was sentenced to death. The date of the name day celebration is March 26. But these are not the only name days.
Angel Christina Day according to the church calendar:
On Angel's Day, it is best to give those things that are directly related to faith: beautiful candles, an icon, a book, etc.
May the Lord protect you!
Watch also the video about Christina's Angel Day:
In church language this name is pronounced as “Christina”, but in modern pronunciation it sounds like “Christina”.
Christina's name day is celebrated at different times according to the church calendar. This is the best time to celebrate the name day of girls and women with this beautiful name.
Christina's Angel Day
It is believed that this day is celebrated cheerfully, if possible, visit temples and do good deeds. Girls with the name Christina are distinguished by their good disposition and cheerful character, which allows them to cope well with all life's difficulties.
During the cold season, you can have a bachelorette party with a pie. If the name day falls on Maslyanitsa, then they bake pancakes with different fillings and treat them to relatives and friends. Red fish and caviar on the festive table are considered a good omen.
Summer Christinas can celebrate their name days outside the city, in the country or in nature, weaving wreaths of daisies and dandelions, swimming in the river, singing songs and taking stunning photographs. The main thing is that this day should be fun and give everyone a great mood.
The name Christina in Orthodoxy
The name “Christina” is literally translated as “Christian, admirer of Christ.” In a modern way, it sounds like Christina and remains the most fashionable name in different countries, including abroad.
In pagan times, for any Christian woman this name was associated with feat. After all, calling oneself publicly a Christian meant throwing oneself to pieces for one’s faith. It is for this reason that the Christinas died a martyr’s death for the faith, which is why the church considers them great ascetics and greatly values those who give their daughters this name Christina.
There is an opinion that the church is preparing a name reform. This means that babies can be baptized with any name they like at any time. Therefore, Christinas born in autumn can also take this Christian name for themselves, even though the day of their angel is celebrated in the summer and at the end of winter.
About name days
As you know, every person baptized in the Catholic or Orthodox Church is named in honor of one or another saint, who is subsequently considered the heavenly patron of the believer. The day of church remembrance of this saint or saint of God becomes what people call Angel Day. Another name for this day is name day. The name Christina is especially lucky in this sense, because there are quite a lot of holy women named by it.
Nevertheless, every woman, like every man, can have only one Angel Day a year. Therefore, when baptizing, you must choose your patroness. To do this, we provide below a list of the main ones revered in the Russian Orthodox Church. Surely there are others, but the trouble is that there is no single list of all the saints in the world - there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions. And new ones are constantly appearing. For each saint on our list, we will attach the date of celebration and a brief biography so that you can decide which one you like best. But first, one more point needs to be noted - in the Eastern Christian tradition, the name Christina is usually transliterated in the Greek manner, namely as Christina. This is his church pronunciation.
Christina the Persian martyr life
Christina of Persia lived in the 6th century AD in Persia among the pagans. Imbued with Christian teaching, she fiercely preached it in Persia. At that time the country was full of pagans and actively fought against Christians. At that time, she was at enmity with Christian Byzantium and considered Christians to be traitors to their homeland, was against them and waged a political struggle with them.
For adopting a Christian name - Christina of Persia called herself that, in the pagan world she had a completely different name - she was tortured and died during torture with steel rods. But the church recognized Christina of Persia as a saint and began to venerate her on an equal basis with other saints.
Congratulations to birthday people, gifts
We send congratulations to the birthday people Alexandra, Andrey, Vasily, Denis, Ivan, Julia, Makar, Matryona, Mikhail, Peter, Semyon, Bogdan, as well as with the rare names Vakhtisiy, Venedim, David, Euphrasia, Irakliy, Isaac, Claudia, Pavlin, Tarichan, Tekusa, Faina.
Saint Christina of Lampsaki, martyr
Icon
Brief Life The holy martyrs Peter, Dionysius, Andrew, Paul, and Christina suffered under the emperor Decius (249–251). The first of them to suffer was the young man Peter in the city of Lampsacus (Hellespont). Brought to the court of the ruler of Opitimin, he fearlessly confessed his faith in Christ. The pious young man was forced to renounce the Lord and bow to the idol of the goddess Venus, but the martyr refused to fulfill the command, declaring publicly that a Christian would not bow to the idol of a prodigal woman. Saint Peter was subjected to cruel torture, but valiantly endured the torment, thanking the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave him His all-powerful help, and was beheaded by the sword. At the same time, Dionysius, Nicomachus and two soldiers brought from Mesopotamia, as well as Andrew and Paul, were put on trial. They all confessed their faith in Christ and refused to sacrifice to idols, for which they were given over to torture. To the great sorrow of all Christians, Nicomachus could not resist and renounced the Lord Jesus Christ, went to the temple and made a sacrifice. He was immediately subjected to a terrible madness and died in terrible agony. Nicomachus’s renunciation was heard by a 16-year-old girl, Christina, standing in the crowd, who exclaimed: “Cursed and perishing man! So, because of just one hour, you have now acquired eternal and unspeakable torment for yourself!” The ruler heard these words. He ordered the holy virgin to be seized and, having learned from her that she was also a Christian, he gave her to be desecrated by fornicators. An angel appeared in the house where the holy virgin was brought. Frightened by his menacing appearance, the young men began to ask for forgiveness from the holy virgin with tears and begged her to pray for them, so that the Lord’s punishment would not befall them. The next morning, Saints Dionysius, Andrew and Paul again appeared before the ruler. For confessing their faith in Christ, they were handed over to a crowd of pagans to be torn to pieces. The saints were tied by their feet, dragged to the place of execution and there they were stoned. During the execution, Saint Christina came running to die along with the martyrs, but, by order of the ruler, she was beheaded with a sword.
Prayer Pray to God for me, holy servant of God Christina, as I diligently resort to you, an ambulance and prayer book for my soul.
A gift to the birthday girl Christina - an icon of St. Apollinaria or a handwritten icon of St. Christina (you can choose an icon at agios-icon.ru/agios/muchenitsa_hristina_lampsakiyskaya/937/?utm_term=E937).
This and other gifts in the Agios charity online market agios-icon.ru/product/54482/54482/?utm_term=E937
Holy Martyr Christina of Tire
This girl accomplished a real feat for the sake of Christianity. She was born into a noble and noble family of the king of Tire. She was supposed to become an honorary priestess of a pagan temple, but against the wishes of her parents, she converted to Christianity.
No amount of beatings or cruelty from her own father could return her to the path of paganism. As a result, Christina was hacked to death with a sword. But the memory of her was preserved for many years and Christina of Tire became a saint.
The day of her death is celebrated on August 6 and she is considered the conqueror of all Christines born in September and August.
Christina of Caesarea of Cappadocia
Her memorial day is celebrated on February 19, in the midst of winter. This saint lived in the 3rd century, when the most fierce struggle was waged with Christianity. Even the name Christina was shameful among the pagans, and girls who called themselves that sometimes doomed themselves to certain death.
Together with their sister, the girls did not renounce Christianity and began to preach the faith. Then they were put in a barrel of tar and burned alive. So Christina became a holy martyr along with her sister. The memory of this feat is revered at the end of winter - February 19.
