Orthodox Christians honor the memory of the martyr Photinia on November 16, 2022. On this day, you can remember the life of the saint and turn to her in prayer. Also on November 16, 2022, among other holidays, Anna Kholodnaya is celebrated.
There are a large number of holidays on tomorrow's date. So, November 16, 2021 is the International Day of Tolerance and the Fight against Anorexia. Believers also celebrate their dates. Orthodox Christians remember the martyr Photinia. But she is not the only saint who is honored on November 16, 2021.
Life of the Martyr Photinia
This is the same Samaritan woman with whom the Lord talked at Jacob's well (John 4:5-42). She suffered for Christ under Emperor Nero in Rome in 66. St. Photina lived at that time in Carthage. Having received notification from the Lord about the suffering that awaited her, she went to Rome and, together with her sons Josiah and Photin (Victor) and sisters Anatolia, Paraskeva, Kyriacia, Photo and Photis, voluntarily appeared to Nero. After many torments, which did not harm her, the saint was taken to Nero’s “Golden House,” where he converted his daughter Domnina and 100 of her slaves to Christ.
PRAYER
Oh, holy martyr Photino! Immensely inspired by love for Christ, you have shown courage, patience and great strength with your sisters, sons and those enlightened by you. She preached the Gospel of Christ with boldness, and by appearing to you and everyone who was with you, Christ strengthened and comforted everyone for the coming torment. Having come to Rome and fearlessly confessed Christ, you were imprisoned, and having endured much torment, you were thrown into a well, and you betrayed your soul to the Lord.
Hear us, Saint Photino, who shone with spiritual beauty and constantly and incessantly taught people faith in Christ, in prison and in cities. Hear us, looking at us sinners, and with the grace of Christ heal those who are sick with fever, so that the rain of sin will not sprinkle them, but in mental and physical health they will spend their lives unremittingly in good deeds and glorify the Lord of all, the Father of bounties, the Merciful God, in all ages. Amen.
Samaritan Woman from the Gospel: April 2
The most famous is Photinia the Samaritan. The episode from the Gospel where she is mentioned is read in the Church on the 5th Sunday after Easter, which is called the Week of the Samaritan Woman.
The memory of the holy martyr Photinia of Samaria is celebrated on April 2.
Briefly the story is this. During His sermon, Jesus Christ walked with His disciples through the lands of Samaria, past the city of Sychar. The disciples went into the city to buy food, and the Lord sat down to rest at the well. A woman with vessels came there for water, and He asked her for water. The Samaritan woman was very surprised at this, since their people did not communicate with the Jews, although they had the same faith.
Martyr Photina (Svetlana) Samaritan, Roman
In response she heard:
“If you knew the gift of God and Who says to you: Give Me a drink, then you yourself would ask Him, and He would give you living water” (John 4:10).
The Samaritan woman was amazed by these words; in further conversation, Jesus revealed His destiny to her - after all, the Samaritans, just like the Jews, expected the coming of the Messiah. He also revealed to her all her sinful past:
“...for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband; this is true what you said” (John 4:17)
Hearing such wondrous speeches, the Samaritan Photina left her vessels, ran into the city and began to call on its inhabitants to go to the well to see the coming Messiah. Many obeyed her call, came to Jesus, listened to His preaching, and believed in Him.
Useful materials
For some reason, they remember this event most of all, relegating Photinia’s further life, her exploits and martyrdom to the shadows. Indeed, after such a fateful meeting, Photinia completely changed her life, abandoned sinful habits and became a zealous Christian and preacher of the Word of God.
Interesting fact
According to legend, she went to Carthage and there, with her fiery preaching, she converted many pagans to Christ.
During the reign of the cruel persecutor of Christians Nero, she, at the behest of Christ, who appeared to her in a dream vision, went to Rome. Together with five fellow sisters, she was immediately captured as a preacher of a teaching prohibited by Nero - Christianity.
The wicked man ordered the women’s hands to be cut off, but the Lord showed a miracle, and the executioners were unable to do this, causing damage to themselves. The few wounds they sometimes inflicted were immediately healed miraculously.
Then the insidious fighter against Christ planned to destroy the saints through temptation, and ordered them to be locked in the palace, assigning his own daughter Domina and a hundred maids to them. They were served the best delicacies and surrounded by luxury. But when Nero came to see how the saints had renounced their faith, he discovered that all the maids and his daughter herself had converted to the Christian faith!
After this St. Photinia and her companions were subjected to terrible torture: they tore off their skin, threw them into a dry well, and rotted in prison. But nothing could shake their holy faith, and soon they surrendered their spirit to the Lord whom they confessed.
This is interesting: Jesus and the Samaritan woman: the fate of Saint Photinia the Samaritan after meeting Christ
National holiday November 16, 2022
According to the church calendar, today believers celebrate the Day of St. Anna Vsevolodovna, the daughter of the Kyiv prince Vsevolod Yaroslavich. People called her Cold, since the weather these days began to change, cold weather set in and winter came into its own.
In 1068, the first convent was established in Kievan Rus - St. Andrew's, in which Anna became abbess.
The first school for girls in Rus' was opened there, in which, in addition to the necessary basics, various women's crafts were taught.
Palestinian saint: February 26
The Samaritan is not the only saint in whose honor girls and women with the name Svetlana are baptized. There are two more saints with this name.
St. Photinia Palestine
St. Photinia of Palestine, memorial day February 26 .
This ascetic from Caesarea lived in the 5th century. She was miraculously saved from a shipwreck, the only one of all those sailing on this ship. Grasping the board, she was able to get to the island where the hermit, Blessed Martinian, lived in fasting and prayer.
Recognizing the providence of God in such a wonderful salvation, he taught Photinia the basics of the Christian faith and turned her heart to serving Christ. The saint remained on this island to continue Martinian’s hermitage, and he himself left the island.
Several times a year the ship brought some food to the island (the land was rocky and barren). Six years later, the ascetic died peacefully, and her ashes were transported and buried in her homeland, in Caesarea.
This is interesting: Saint Photinia of Palestine
Who celebrates name day on November 16
A list of 18 men's and 3 women's name days, which are celebrated on November 16 according to the Orthodox church calendar.
Men's
- Alexander
- Bogdan
- Basil
- Vladimir
- Georgiy
- Egor
- Ivan
- Ilya
- Joseph
- Kuzma
- Nikolai
- Paul
- Peter
- Semyon
- Sergey
- Theodore
- Fedor
- Jan
Women's
- Anna
- Evdokia
- Svetlana.
The History of Saint Photinia
Memorial Day: April 2
After a significant meeting with the Savior, Svetlana began to preach Christianity in the city of Carthage, which aroused the displeasure of Emperor Nero himself, who cruelly treated the followers of the Lord. Despite this, the courageous woman openly preached the Gospel, and the emperor, who persecuted the disciples of the faith of Christ, ordered the arrest of Saint Photinia and her imprisonment.
During interrogations, Saint Photinia did not renounce her beliefs, for which the pagans tried to cut off her hands, but nothing came of it.
Having said the words of the prayer to Photinia (Svetlana), believers should remember the suffering and torment for the faith that this saint endured when the pagans tore off her skin and threw her into a well.
Congratulations to Photinia on her name day
Photinia, happy name day to you! Meet every day with a smile, lovingly, But be ready to take the blow. Value life as the most valuable gift.
Remember, you are a great fellow, You can do anything, because you are a fighter at heart. I wish you to live in a good atmosphere, to be successful in life and in your career.
***
Dear Photinia! Happy Angel Day! May your cherished wishes come true. Enjoy every day of your life. Let only positive emotions go to your head. Love to you, our beauty, and happiness!
Cyprus Hermit: August 2
Saint Photinia of Cyprus
St. Photinia of Cyprus, memorial day August 2 .
She lived a thousand years later, and in many ways repeated the exploits of her Palestinian predecessor. Unlike her, she was raised in a pious family, and from her youth devoted herself to serving Christ. Having retired to a cave, the hermit spent time in fasting and prayer, and received the gift of God in the form of miraculous healings.
The news spread throughout Cyprus and beyond. People went to the ascetic not only for physical healings, but also for spiritual advice and instructions. She also passed away in peace.
When to celebrate the name day of those who bear the name Svetlana
When those who are named Svetlana (whether an infant or an adult) are baptized with the name Photinia (Photina), they, or their successors, can choose as their patron saint the saint whose memory is closer to the day of their birth, or the one whose life and spiritual achievement is closer to them.
REVEREND PHOTINIA (SVETLANA) OF PALESTINE
Saint's Memorial Day - February 26
In Palestine, near the city of Caesarea, there is a mountain called the “Place of the Ark.” Many hermits labored on it, and among them was the blessed and praiseworthy monk, filled with Divine grace - Saint Martinian. From a young age, he loved God and began to lead a monastic life. The handsome Martinian, eighteen years old, left the city, his relatives, renounced the vanity of the world and came to this mountain for a silent and deserted life. Spending his life like disembodied Angels, he stayed here for 25 years. For his virtuous life, he was honored to receive from God the gift of healing ailments and illnesses. Many, through his holy prayers, were healed from various ailments; many possessed by an evil spirit, coming to him on the mountain, were freed from the wiles of the evil one. God performed many other miracles through the prayers of His saint. Day by day Martinian became more and more successful in his exploits; the fame of his virtuous life spread far beyond the borders of that country; everyone who heard about him came to him for spiritual benefit. But the enemy of the human race, the devil, could not tolerate such a virtuous life of a young ascetic, so adorned with spiritual exploits. At first he began to tempt Blessed Martinian in every possible way and tried to frighten him in various ways. Then the ancient envier of the human race used the weapon with which he had once expelled Adam from paradise, wanting to expel this ascetic from his silent desert and deprive him of eternal bliss.
One day, when blessed Martinian was singing the psalms of David, the devil took on the image of a great serpent and, approaching the wall of the saint’s cell, began to dig hard into the ground. He wanted to dig up the ground and bring down the cell on the blessed one. But Martinian, without fear or embarrassment, having finished singing, looked out the window of the cell and said to that snake:
“Truly, it is fitting for you to crawl on the ground; Why are you working in vain? Your intrigues will not frighten me. For my Lord Jesus Christ helps me: He will overcome your wiles and put to shame your strength.
Hearing this, the devil, turning into a dark whirlwind, ran away in shame, saying:
- Wait, wait; I know how to defeat you. I will make you my slave, I will dispel all your hopes. I will bring upon you such temptation as you cannot bear; I will tear you out of your cell, I will throw you like a leaf driven by the wind. Then I'll see who can help you.
Having said this, the devil disappeared. Martinian was so strong in faith that he remained without any fear or fear, as if he had not seen any ghost. He only praised the Lord, exercising himself in the thought of God and in reading and understanding the Divine Scripture.
After this the following happened. Some residents of Caesarea were once talking among themselves about the virtuous life of Martinian. They marveled at his courage and patience. A certain harlot wife accidentally overheard this conversation. At the devil’s instigation, she approached these men with the following words:
– Why are you so amazed at the life of this ascetic? Is he already so firm in virtue? If I want, I can shake it, like the wind shakes a leaf on a tree. And what did you find worthy of praise in him? Is it really that he, like a wild beast, withdrew into the desert, not being able to fight in the city with the lust of the flesh and worldly temptations? And what is surprising if he remains impassive, never seeing a single woman. You yourself know well that without fire, hay does not burn; but it would have been very surprising if the hay placed near the fire had not caught fire. This is how we should think about this man. If I go to him, and he remains just as dispassionate, and is not seduced by my beauty, then he will be great not only before people, but also before God and His Angels.
After these words, she bet money with those husbands and went to her house. Here she took off her rich clothes, put on thin and torn clothes, covered her head with rags and girded herself with a rope. And she put all her rich clothes, rings and earrings, gold rings, monista and everything that seduces the minds and eyes of young men into a bag and took it with her. In the evening she left Caesarea and at night came to that mountain in the desert where the monk lived. The night was rainy and stormy. Approaching Martinian’s cell, that wife feigned a groan and began to ask the saint:
- Have mercy on me, servant of God! do not leave me, the accursed one, to be devoured by beasts. I'm lost in the desert and don't know where to go. Have mercy, have pity on me in such trouble, and do not disdain me, a sinner, for I too am God’s creation. I pray you, holy father, do not leave me without help.
She said this and many similar things with crying and screaming. Blessed Martinian opened his window, looked, and, seeing her in such poor attire, standing in the heavy rain, thought to himself:
- Oh, woe to me, damned sinner. Now I am faced with a temptation: either I must fulfill God’s commandment, which commands me to be merciful, or I must break my monastic vow. If I do not accept this wife, who is in such a distressed state, into her cell, she will be devoured by animals, or she will die from a great cold. Then I will defile my soul and be like a murderer. If I bring her into my cell, I am afraid that temptation will befall me. Then I will defile both my body and my soul, and will be an unclean fornicator before my Lord. I don't know what to do.
And raising his hands to heaven, blessed Martinian cried:
– “To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul” (Ps. 24:1), do not allow me to fall into temptation and become a slave of the flattering devil. But save me at this hour and protect me from the slander of the enemy, for blessed are You forever.
Having prayed, he opened the doors, brought that woman into the cell and, having lit a fire, offered her to warm up, then brought date fruits, which he picked from a tree standing not far from his cell, gave them to her and said:
- Woman! Eat and warm yourself here by the fire, and in the morning leave my cell in peace.
After this, he left her in the outer half of the cell, and he went into the inner one and locked the doors behind him. At three o'clock in the morning, according to his established custom, he began to chant psalms and prayers. After this he lay down on the ground and fell asleep. But Satan confused him that night with carnal lust. At midnight the wife got up, took all her jewelry out of the bag and put it on to seduce the saint. Having put her poor clothes into a bag, she waited until Martinian came out to her. In the morning the saint left his quarters, wanting to release the woman from his cell. Seeing her in rich clothes and adorned, he did not recognize her. In horror, he stopped and was silent for a long time. Finally he told her:
-Who are you and where did you come from, and where are you wearing such demonic robes?
She answered him that she was the same woman whom he himself had let into his cell.
- Why did you change your clothes? – Martinian asked her. - In the evening you were in poor rags, but now in rich clothes.
Then she said:
– I am from Caesarea Palestine; I heard a lot about you, about your beauty, and my heart was inflamed with love for you. I have come such a long way for you. Why do you need to abstain, why should you oppress your body with such strict fasting? In what books did you find that you neither drink, nor eat, nor get married? Didn’t the Apostle Paul say: “Let marriage be honorable in all and the bed undefiled” (Heb. 13:4).
Which of the prophets lost the kingdom of heaven simply because he had a wife? Wasn't the great and wondrous Enoch married? And he was taken into heaven and did not taste death even to this day (Gen. 5:24; Heb. 11:5). Forefather Abraham had three wives, and was even called a friend of God; Moreover, he was even honored to receive in his shadow God Himself in three Persons (Gen. 18). Isaac, this type of Christ, was also married (Gen. 24:67). Jacob had two wives and two concubines, and he could fight with the Angel and was worthy to see God's glory (Gen. 22). Was not the great Moses, the supreme prophet and servant of God, married (Ex. 2)? But he talked with God, freed the Jewish people from the heavy slavery of foreigners and was honored with the kingdom of heaven. Also, David, other prophets and holy men had legitimate wives and children - and they all are installed in the Kingdom of Heaven.”
By saying this, the sinner tried to confuse the saint and shake him; she grabbed his hands and began to drag the saint to destruction.
“But if I make you my wife,” said Martinian, “how should I deal with you?” How can I support you when I have nothing? You see my life, since my youth I have not tried to acquire anything from perishable goods.
To this the wife answered:
“Sir, just stay with me and let me enjoy your beauty, and don’t worry about anything else.” I have a house, a lot of property: gold and silver, slaves and slaves. You will be master of all this.
Hearing the words spoken by this woman, or, better to say, the devil himself, the ancient murderer, through her lips, Martinian began to hesitate, thinking about committing a sin. Finally, he said to his wife:
- Wait a little: some people usually come to me for blessings. I'll go and see if there's anyone so they don't see us. We cannot hide our sin from God; let us hide it, at least from people, so that we are not blasphemed and reviled.
Having said this, he left the cell, and standing on a stone located there, he began to carefully examine the road. But God, the Lover of Mankind, does not want anyone to perish. He did not neglect the labors of Saint Martinian, which he had taken up since his youth, he remembered his prayers, provided him with His help and changed his evil thought to a good one. Coming off the stone, Martinian found withered brushwood, took it and brought it into his cell. Placing it in the middle of the cell, he lit it. When the fire flared up strongly, the saint, taking off his sandals and stepping into the fire, stood there until the fire began to scorch his entire body. After this, he came out of the flame and said, as if reproaching himself:
- What, Martinian, is this temporary fire good? Is this torment pleasant? if you can endure it, then proceed to this wife. She, or the devil through her, will prepare eternal fire for you. No, it is not she who is guilty, but the devil, who inspired this thought in her - he does this because he wants to drag you into a pernicious abyss. Think, unworthy Martinian, about the torment ahead of you, remember the eternal fire; This temporary fire can be extinguished with water. There is light in it too. Hellfire has no light; all the seas and rivers, no matter how many of them exist under the sky, cannot extinguish it. If you can endure this unquenchable fire, then approach your wife and fulfill your desire.
So he spoke to himself. When his pain began to subside a little, he again stood in the fire and stood there for a long time, as long as this was possible. Coming out of the fire, he fell to the ground and with heartfelt contrition, sighing and crying, he cried out to the Lord:
“Lord, my God, be merciful to me, a sinner, forgive the darkness of my mind and my inclination toward sin.” You, who test hearts and inner thoughts, know my heart too. You know that I loved You from early youth and for Your sake I set my body on fire. Forgive me, my Master Lord, for You alone are good and merciful, for You are blessed forever.
This is how the saint prayed, lying with his face to the ground: he could not stand due to severe burns. After this he began to sing: “How good God is to Israel, to the pure in heart! But as for me, my legs almost shook, my feet almost slipped” (Ps. 72:1-2).
Seeing this, the wife was surprised how the saint, for the sake of his salvation, exposed himself to the fiery flame. And she herself remembered her sins and perked up, as if awakening from a dream. She tore off her clothes and all her jewelry, threw them into the fire and, putting on poor rags again, fell at the feet of Saint Martinian and began to say to him with tears:
- Forgive me, accursed and sinful, servant of God; You, sir, know how powerful and varied the intrigues and charms of the devil are. He also inspired me with the idea of tempting you. Pray for me, holy father, so that through your prayers I, a great sinner, can receive salvation. Know, father, that I will no longer return to the city, I will not enter my house, I will not see my relatives and friends. No, I firmly decided to leave my bad deeds, I will only care about the salvation of my damned soul. Know this, my lord: in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I will fight the devil in the same way that he inspired me to rebel against you. And I hope to put him to shame: this ancient flatterer, turning me against you, turned me against himself. He wanted to defeat you through me, but with the help of our Lord, Who calls harlots to repentance, he himself will be defeated by me.
She said this, shedding tears. The blessed one answered her:
- May my Lord and God forgive you, wife, your sin. Go in peace and take care, as you said, about the salvation of your soul. Fight your passions, imposing repentance on yourself, and in this way you will be able to put the evil one to shame.
In response to this, she said to the blessed one:
“I ask and beseech you, father, guide me on the path of salvation; tell me how can I get salvation?
He answered:
- Go to Bethlehem, find there a holy virgin named Paul, who built a holy church there. When you come to her, tell her everything that happened and save yourself from her.
The wife stood up, bowed to him and said:
- Pray, Father, for me, a sinner!
The saint, oppressed by severe pain, could get up from the ground with great difficulty. He gave the woman some dates for the road, took her out of her cell and, showing her the way to Jerusalem, said:
- Go in peace and save your soul and strive in repentance. Be careful not to turn back: “no one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). Watch yourself so that you do not again be scolded by the enemy; remain relentless in repentance, for God accepts those who repent.
Hearing this, the wife began to cry even more and said:
“And I trust in Him in whom the nations trusted and were not put to shame.” I firmly believe and hope that from now on the devil will not find a servant in me.
Blessed Martinian, marking her with the sign of the cross, said:
- May the Lord my God preserve your soul and keep you to the end.
This woman, having bowed to the saint, left, and the saint returned to his cell, where with tears he began to pray to the Lord. Meanwhile, that woman walked, tearfully praying to God to guide her on the path of salvation. Night had already fallen, and she was still walking in the desert. Here she stopped for the night. Getting up in the morning, she again continued her journey, praying and shedding tears. Only late in the evening the next day did she come to Bethlehem. Entering the monastery built by Blessed Pavla, she bowed to her and told her about everything that had happened. Hearing her story, Blessed Paula glorified God, the lover of mankind, joyfully accepted her into her monastery and taught her every day and guided her on the path of salvation. This woman began to struggle and fast so much that Blessed Paula said to her many times:
- Spare your flesh, child, so that it does not become exhausted, try so that you can strive to the end in fasting.
But she did not weaken her exploits. Shortly before her death, blessed Zoya - that was the name of that woman - asked the Lord to reveal to her whether her repentance was accepted. In recognition of His mercy, the humane God gave her the gift of healing. One woman, who suffered greatly from her eyes, came to that monastery, hoping to receive healing. Blessed Pavla, wanting to know Zoe’s repentance, told her:
“Pray, child, for this wife: perhaps through your prayer the Lord will give her healing.”
A short time later, when Zoya prayed for the sick woman, she received healing. In gratitude for her healing, that woman took monastic vows in that monastery and began to strive with great zeal in monastic deeds.
For twelve years blessed Zoya labored in fasting and in peace gave up her soul to the Lord. During the entire time of her repentance, she did not eat wine, oil, or vegetables, but only a little bread and water. She ate food only once a day in the evening, and sometimes even after two days; her bed was bare earth. Such was the ascetic life of the saint, such was her death.
But let us turn again to the story of Blessed Martinian.
The Monk Martinian was healed from his burns only after seven months. After that he began to think like this:
“If I do not leave here for some other place, the evil enemy will not leave me and will not give me peace.” Yes, and I should live in a place where women have no access at all.
Having thought this, he stood up and prayed to God:
- Lord of heaven and earth, and Creator of the sea! do what will benefit me, do not leave me, do not let me perish to the end, be my helper and protector. Lord of strength! show me the way of salvation.
Having marked himself with the sign of the cross, the blessed one left his cell and headed towards the sea. Seeing that the ascetic had left this place, the devil cried out:
- May my name be glorious, for I expelled you, Martinian, from your cell, burned your body, made you a fugitive and my captive. So, Martinian, are you running away from here? But know that wherever you go, I will follow you everywhere; just as I drove you out of this place, so I will drive you out from everywhere, wherever you settle; I will not leave you before I completely overcome you and make you my slave.” The blessed one answered:
- Weak and damned! Do you really, having no power yourself, think that you expelled me from this cell or do you think that I left it in despair? No, I came out of here so that I could better fight you and defeat you. If the two temptations that you brought upon me are not enough for you, then try to tempt me again. With the help of my God, I destroyed your evil deceit and suffered not for you, but for the sake of the name of the Lord my God. After all, even that same wife with whom you inspired the idea of tempting me, even she now knows your insignificance and compares you to smoke: she trampled your wicked and evil machinations, so that you do not dare to approach even her shadow.
Hearing these words of the saint, the devil disappeared. The blessed one began to sing the psalm: “Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered, and let those who hate Him flee from before Him” (Ps. 67:2). Singing this psalm, he headed towards the sea. Having reached one pier, he found a certain God-fearing shipbuilder and said to him:
- Brother! Do you know of any small and uninhabited island off the sea?
The owner of the ship answered him:
– Why are you asking about this? why do you need this?
“I want to move away from this vain world and impose on myself the feat of silence,” answered Martinian, “but I don’t know a place convenient for this.”
That husband said:
“There is one such place, but it is scary: in the middle of the sea there is a high stone cliff, from where you cannot even see the land.
“Such a place is convenient for me,” answered the blessed one, “I wish to settle there, because there cannot be access for wives there.”
- But who will supply you with food? – the shipman asked him.
Martinian said:
– I want to ask you about this. You will bring me food, and I will pray for you. If you bring palm branches, then I will do weaving; when you arrive, you will take my handicrafts and sell them; and with this money you will buy me bread; Bring me also water in a vessel. I ask you to come to me with bread and water two or three times a year.
Hearing this, the shipbuilder realized that a holy man was standing before him; he promised to fulfill everything that the blessed one asked for. Entering the ship, they sailed to that deserted place. With a favorable tailwind, they reached that stone cliff in the evening. Seeing her, the blessed one rejoiced in spirit and praised God. Having blessed the shipbuilder, he entered the rock and began to chant: “I firmly trusted in the Lord, and He bowed down to me and heard my cry; He brought me out of the terrible pit, out of the miry swamp, and set my feet on a rock and established my steps” (Ps. 39:2). (The ditch of passions is, according to the explanation of St. Athanasius, vice and ignorance. And from the mud of mud, for in sins, as in mud, those caught by them get bogged down).
Having finished the psalm, he prayed and said to the shipbuilder:
“Go in peace, brother, and bring me bread, water and branches so that I can make baskets.”
“If you wish,” answered the shipman, “I will bring trees too.” Here we will build a small hut for you.
But the blessed one did not want this: he remained to live on this stone in the open air, patiently enduring both the heat of the day and the cold of the night. Every year two or three times the shipowner brought him bread and water, as the saint asked him. Living on a rock, Blessed Martinian was very glad that he had escaped the vanity of the world. He praised God day and night and constantly studied the thought of God. But the crafty devil did not want to leave the saint here either and tried to annoy him in every possible way. One night he raised a great storm at sea and raised a huge wave over the head of the blessed one. It rose fifteen cubits above the rock. At this the devil cried:
“Now I’ll drown you, Martinian!”
The blessed one answered without embarrassment:
“You, weak and damned, are working in vain: your intrigues will not frighten me, your forges will not confuse me.” I trust in my Lord Jesus Christ and in His name I will put you to shame.
Having said this, the blessed one began to chant: “Save me, O God, for the waters have reached [my soul]. I am mired in a deep swamp, and there is nothing to stand on; I have entered into the depths of the waters, and their swift current carries me away” (Ps. 69:2).
Having finished this psalm, Martinian began to pray:
“Lord Jesus Christ,” he cried, “the Only Begotten Son of the invisible Father, you came to earth for our salvation, you rule over the sea, you command the winds.” Everything listens to you with fear. Hear me, Master, at this hour and stop this storm, disgrace the devil, who wants to destroy me; all things are possible to You, Lord; everything is in Your power.” At these words of the saint, the devil disappeared. The storm stopped without causing any harm to the saint. After this, the saint remained on that rock for another six years, enduring rain, cold, and heat for the sake of his salvation. But the devil did not stop his wiles. He led the saint into another, even graver temptation and subjected him to even greater misfortune.
One day the devil saw a ship floating at sea, where there were both husbands and wives. He raised a storm, and a strong wind, driving the ship to one stone, broke it. All those who were on it drowned, only one girl managed to grab a board and sailed on it to the rock where Martinian lived. Grabbing the stone, the girl began to cry out:
- Have mercy on me, servant of God, give me your hand, save me and do not leave me to perish.
Seeing that no one but him could save the young woman, the blessed one said:
“And these are the wiles of demons, but now, devil, you cannot defeat me.”
Reflecting on this, the blessed one said:
- Woe to me, a sinner, for again I am faced with temptation: what should I do? If I don’t give the girl my hand and take her out of the water, she will drown, and then a grave sin will lie on my soul, for then I will be her murderer. If I take her out, then I can’t stay here with her. Then there will be trouble for me, a big one. Previously, being on earth, I could run, but now - where can I run? After all, there is only one small rock here, around which the sea is everywhere.
Then stretching out his hands to heaven, the blessed one began to pray:
- Lord, do not let me perish, but arrange everything for the benefit of my soul.
Having said this, he gave the girl his hand and led her out of the sea onto a rock. Seeing that she was very beautiful, Martinian said:
– Truly, hay and fire cannot exist together; It's impossible for you and me to live here together. Stay here and don’t be afraid of anything: there is bread and water here: a certain shipman delivers them here. In two months he will come here. Tell him everything that happened, and he will take you across the sea.
After this, the saint marked the sea with the sign of the cross and said:
- Lord Jesus Christ! You forbade the winds, which listen to You with trepidation; look down and have mercy on me and do not let me perish. In Your name I will plunge into the sea, for it is better for me to die in the waves than to be inflamed by bodily passion for a woman.
Turning then to the young woman, Martinian said:
- Save yourself, girl; God will protect your soul from all enemy slander and protect you to the end!
With these words he threw himself into the sea and swam. According to God's providence, two dolphins lifted him onto their ridges and carried him. Seeing this, the girl looked at him until he disappeared from sight. The dolphins carried the blessed one to solid ground. Coming onto land, Martinian began to thank the Lord:
“I praise You, Lord my God, for You have wonderfully shown Your mercy on me, a sinful and unworthy servant of Yours. Don't leave me until the end.
After that he began to think like this:
- I do not know what to do? The enemy does not leave me either in the mountains or in the deserts. He didn’t leave me at sea either. But I must always carry in my heart the words of the Gospel: “When they persecute you in one city, flee to another. For truly I say to you, before you have gone around the cities of Israel, the Son of Man comes” (Matthew 10:23).
Having said this, the blessed one began to move from one place to another, from one city to another and said this:
- Run, Martinian, so that no misfortune befalls you.
So, constantly wandering, he spent his life. At the same time, he did not carry with him either a staff, or a bag, or bread, or two clothes, or money - in a word, nothing that is necessary for our life. When he entered a city or any village, he asked which of the inhabitants was distinguished by his piety, and he lived with him and took food. He spent the night where night overtook him: in the desert or in the field; at the same time, he went to rest only for a very short time. Wandering in this way, in two years he visited one hundred and sixty-four cities and finally came to Athens .
God deigned to reveal everything about Blessed Martinian to the bishop of that city. Here, feeling the approach of his death, the saint, already ill, entered the church, lay down on the ground and said to those around him:
- Call the bishop here quickly!
People around him thought he was crazy. When Martinian began to ask them again, they obeyed him, went to the bishop and said to him:
- A certain man is lying in the church; we don't know if he's crazy or what. He asked us to call you to him.
The bishop answered them:
- It’s in vain that you call this man crazy: he is much better and taller than me!
Having risen, the bishop went to church. The blessed one, seeing the bishop, could not get up. Stretching out his hands to him, he wanted to give due honor to God to the bishop. The bishop also tried to honor him and said:
– God once promised to show me His servant. Now His promise has been fulfilled. When you are worthy of the heavenly Kingdom, then remember me too.
The blessed one answered:
“Bless me, Father, and pray to the Lord for me, so that I may not appear condemned before His righteous court.”
Having said this, the saint raised his eyes to heaven and said:
- Lord Jesus Christ! I commend my spirit into Your hands!
And having crossed himself, he said to the bishop:
“Give me burial, father, for the Lord’s sake!”
At this, the face of the blessed one lit up with a smile, and so he gave up his soul to the Lord. Thus Saint Martinian ended his earthly career with honor, preserved his faith and was worthy to receive the crown prepared for him in the Kingdom of Heaven. The bishop with great honor buried his holy body in that church.
Who wouldn’t be surprised by this ascetic, who wouldn’t bless his memory! He struggled until the end of his days to save his soul. And he even voluntarily subjected himself to torture. At that time there was no persecution against Christians yet, but the saint arranged martyrdom for himself. He defeated the devil and thwarted all his wiles. He himself was a persecutor and voluntarily imposed suffering on himself. Truly, he should be called a martyr and a good sufferer; with temporary fire he overcame eternal fire. The devil raised him up against his wife, and this blessed one turned her to the right and good path.
But let us turn to that girl left by Martinian on the rock, and we will see that the prayer of the blessed one greatly contributed to her.
Remaining on the rock, Photinia - that was the name of this girl - ate bread and water, as the blessed one had instructed her. According to custom, two months later the shipbuilder headed to the rock, carrying bread and water for the monk. Approaching the rock, he saw a girl instead of a monk and thought that it was a ghost. In horror, he began to swim away from the rock. Photinia began to shout to him:
– Don’t be afraid of anything, I am truly a woman and a Christian; do not leave me, but come and listen to what I tell you.
But the shipbuilder did not believe her. Then she, conjuring him, began to say:
– I swear to you by Christ that I am a Christian; come here without fear and listen to my story.
Then the shipman, landing on the rock, said to her:
-Where is the black man who was here? how and where could he leave from here? Who brought you and left you on this stone?
Having crossed herself, Photinia began to talk about everything that happened to her. Hearing her story, the man was greatly amazed and said to her:
“Go, I’ll take you from here to the ground so you can go to your city.”
“No, brother,” she answered him, “I ask you, do not take me away from here, but show me a favor: go to the village, bring me men’s clothing made of hair shirt; Bring me bread and water, as you did for the blessed man, and you will receive God’s blessing promised to him. For there is no difference between the male and female sex, as the Apostle said: “There is no longer Jew, nor Gentile; there is neither slave nor free; there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28). Do not disdain me, a sinner, for I also want to receive salvation. Perhaps God, wanting to save me, deigned to settle me on this rock with His wise discernment. Don't leave me just because I'm a woman; remember that God created Adam and Eve, and that He Himself deigned to be born of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Serve me as you served that righteous man and bring me everything I asked you for. Bring some wool too, so I can do my handicrafts. Let your wife come here with you: she will clothe me in men's clothing, and I will do what she orders me to do. May the Lord and my God be with you throughout your entire life, and give you grace, mercy and remission of sins both in this and in the future life.
The shipowner answered her:
“I will do everything you ask of me, just be strong and take courage, and God will fulfill your desire.”
With these words he sailed home; two days later, he came here again with his wife, taking everything that the girl asked for. Coming out of the ship, his wife climbed the rock to Blessed Photinia. She kissed her and bowed to the ground. Then she brought her clothes and bread from the ship. Having asked the shipbuilder to move away a little, blessed Photinia took off her women's clothes, putting aside women's weakness along with this, and put on men's attire and girded herself with wisdom and manly strength. At the same time she prayed, calling:
- Lord God! From time immemorial You have listened to the prayers of all Your saints, listen to me, a sinner, help me in this place in a man’s attire to live quietly and piously; save my soul, strengthen my heart, strengthen my body and guide me on the path of salvation; give a worthy reward to these people who will serve me. For You are blessed and glorified forever. Amen.
After this she said to her wife:
“My lady, I ask you to provide me with wool along with bread and water, so that I do not eat your bread without reward, and take these clothes of mine for yourself in remembrance of my humility.”
After this, she released them in peace. In the third month, the shipbuilder and his wife again came to Photinia and brought her bread with them.
While on the island, the blessed virgin praised the Lord for her life. Every day she offered 12 prayers to God, and every night she intensified this pious deed and prayed to the Lord twenty-four times. A pound of bread provided her with food for two days. Thus, with the help of God, she reached the end of her life. When she settled on this rock, she was twenty-five years old, and on the rock she labored for six years; Therefore, in peace, she gave up her pure and holy soul to the Lord. Already two months after her death, when the shipman and his wife arrived at the appointed time, they found blessed Photinia deceased; her hands were folded crosswise, her face was light: she looked as if she were sleeping. Having bowed to her holy body and taken it, they put it in a ship and sailed to the city of Caesarea in Palestine. Here the shipbuilder went to the Bishop of Caesarea and told him everything about the virtuous life of Saint Photinia. With all the clergy, the bishop honorably buried her body, singing divinely inspired psalms and chants, giving honor and glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Saint Demetrius of Rostov, “Lives of the Saints”
How do the prayers of Saint Photinia help Svetlana?
The Holy Martyr Svetlana is the patroness of all women with this name. When praying for the health of Photinia (Svetlana), all believers ask the monk for health and longevity for themselves and their loved ones. It also helps maintain mental balance and relieves fever.
By turning to the face of this heroic woman, Christians pray for peace and happiness in their personal lives. The Great Martyr supports and gives hope to those who doubt their faith and are subject to temptation. Many mothers ask Saint Photinia to help them resolve misunderstandings with their children.
Prayer
Photinia had two sons - Josius (Joseph) and Victor. The first helped his mother in preaching the Gospel, the second was a Roman military commander. They also had hardships and temptations of faith in their lives. However, their mother’s wise guidance and prayer helped them overcome all this. Today, turning with sincere faith to the image of the great martyr, many mothers find consolation and resolution of problems with their children. Saint Photinia (prayer to her inspires believers and gives them confidence in their own abilities) teaches not to be afraid of difficulties. Therefore, you can turn to her with prayer not only on the days of remembrance, but every day:
“Pray to God for me, holy saint of God, great martyr Photinia, as I diligently resort to you, an ambulance and prayer book for my soul.”
