Maintaining fidelity to your spouse and protecting yourself from fornication or adultery in the modern world is a very difficult task, because even the appearance of modern people is often provocative and openly provokes fornication. But prayer always helps to cope with difficulties. Saint Thomaida of Egypt, who sacrificed herself for the sake of preserving marital chastity, will give strength in the fight against temptation. The prayer to her is given to pacify the vice of carnal voluptuousness, which possesses many people and exists even in legal marriage.
Life of Thomaida of Egypt
In the 5th century, the holy martyr Thomaida of Egypt was born in the city of Alexandria. She was raised in a Christian family and loved to read the Holy Scriptures. When she reached the age of 15, her parents gave her in marriage to a fisherman who was also a Christian.
A married couple lived in their parents' house, with the husband's parents. The saint was very loved in this family for her kindness, modesty and obedience. But her father-in-law was tempted by the devil, so he was captivated by the beauty of the innocent girl, and when his son went fishing, he began to force his daughter-in-law to sin.
After she refused him, citing the Last Judgment, her father-in-law began to threaten her with death. But that hour the elder heard the answer: “If you cut my body into two parts, I will still follow the commandments of God.” During this action, Thomaida of Egypt read a prayer to God for the salvation of her soul. But the enraged old man, without thinking about the consequences, swung his sword and cut the holy woman.
God's punishment instantly overtook him, he lost his sight and was unable to leave the house to escape. The friends of the fisherman's husband found him at the scene of the murder; they were shocked by what they saw and began to ask who had done it; the elder confessed to what he had done and asked to be taken to trial. The martyr's father-in-law was sentenced to death - cutting with a sword, just as he did with his daughter-in-law.
Also read: Prayer to Tikhon of Zadonsk
The saint of God was buried in the Octodekad monastery, at the behest of the Monk Daniel. When one of the monks complained to Daniel that he was overcome by carnal passions, he sent him to pray to the tomb of the Egyptian martyr . After the prayer, the monk fell asleep, and in a dream Thomaida herself came to him and blessed him. When he woke up, he felt liberation and spiritual joy.
In subsequent times, many people came to the tomb of the deceased, praising her chastity and devotion to God.
The fight against prodigal passion. Holy Martyr Thomaida of Egypt
Martyr Thomaida of Alexandria (Egypt)
Days of remembrance: April 26 (old April 13)
Addressed: in the fight against carnal (prodigal) passion. In fear of outside violence against one's virginity or marital chastity.
LIFE
The holy martyr Thomaida was born in the city of Alexandria from pious parents, who gave their daughter a truly Christian upbringing and taught her to read books. In her fifteenth year they married her to a Christian youth. In her husband’s house, Saint Thomaida lived honestly, respected by everyone for her chastity, meekness, kindness and other good character traits. Together with them, the father of Saint Thomaida’s husband, her father-in-law, lived under the same roof. Seduced by the beauty of his daughter-in-law and inflamed by carnal lust, he, through the action of Satan, plotted evil towards her; he was looking for a convenient time for a sinful stay with her and, not finding it, limited himself to hugging and kissing her every day, under the guise of fatherly affection. Saint Thomaida, in her chastity, did not assume that her father-in-law had unclean thoughts and therefore did not find anything reprehensible in such treatment of her on his part: she was sure that it stemmed from his love for her as a daughter, and, honoring her father-in-law as a father , she behaved with him with especially strict modesty. The husband of Saint Thomaida was a fisherman, and one night his fellow fishermen came and took him with them to fish. Taking advantage of his son’s departure, his father came to Saint Thomaida and began to persuade her to sin. Such an unexpected danger terrified her, and she began to resist the crazy old man, saying: “What are you doing, father?” Make the sign of the cross and leave: your plan was inspired in you by Satan. But the elder did not heed her admonitions and tried to persuade her, resorting to shameless words and actions. Saint Thomaida, filled with the fear of God and chastity, offered firm resistance to her father-in-law: she begged and convinced him to abandon his lawless and wicked desire. But the more she resisted him, the more persistently he forced her, fueled by unclean lust like fire. A sword hung on the wall above the bed; Having taken it off and taken it out of its sheath, the elder began to frighten Saint Thomaida, addressing her with the following threats: “If you do not listen to me, then I will cut off your head with this very sword.” She answered: “Even if you cut me into pieces, I will still never agree to such a lawless deed.” The elder, having flown into a strong rage after these words, struck his daughter-in-law with such force with his sword that he killed her, cutting her in two. Blessed Thomaida surrendered her soul into the hands of God and received the glorious crown of martyrdom for her purity and chastity: she fought against sin until she shed her own blood and laid down her soul for the law of God, agreeing to die rather than anger God and desecrate her body and the bed of her husband . The murderer immediately suffered God's punishment: blinded by his soul, he lost his sight and, throwing away the sword, looked for doors, although he could leave the house and run away without a trace, but, feeling the walls, he could not find a way out and therefore was forced to stay in the room. Meanwhile, other fishermen came and knocked, calling his son to go fishing. The father answered: “My son has already left to fish; show me the doors because I can't find them. They opened the door, entered and saw an old man with bloody hands and clothes, trying to feel his way out, and his wife lying in blood on the ground, cut in two. They were horrified by this sight and asked: “What does this mean?” Who committed such an atrocity and why? Then the elder told them about his sin and asked to take him to the judge in order to accept the punishment worthy of his deeds. When the husband of Saint Thomaida returned from work and learned about what had happened, he felt inconsolable grief and shame: he mourned his chaste wife and was ashamed of his lawless father, who, without fearing God, committed a heinous crime and covered his gray hairs with shame. The elder was put on trial and punished by beheading with a sword. And many people from the inhabitants of Alexandria flocked to the body of the murdered woman; they all marveled at such an incredible and terrible event and praised the chastity of Saint Thomaida. By chance, at this time the Monk Daniel of Skit was in Alexandria; he said to his disciple: “My son, let’s go and look at the holy girl.” Having fulfilled their wish, they went to the Octodecat, i.e. eightieth, monastery. The monks of this monastery met the reverend father with honor, sincerely welcoming him. Having told them about the sufferings of Saint Thomaida, he gave them the following command: “Go and bring here her honest body, for it should not lie with worldly people, but with honest fathers.” Some of the brethren were outraged by the command to place the woman’s body with their fathers. The monk said to them: “The young woman whom you do not want to bring here is the mother of me and you: after all, she died for her chastity.” Then the monks no longer dared to resist the holy father; they went and, taking the body of Saint Thomaida, buried it with honor in the monastery tomb. After saying goodbye to all the fathers, the monk retired with his disciple to his monastery. One brother in his monastery was experiencing strong attacks from carnal temptations; Having come to the Monk Daniel, he revealed to him his strong struggle with carnal passions. The monk said to him: “Go to the Octodecat monastery and pray there in the monastery tomb: God, through the prayers of the martyr Thomaida, help me and deliver me from lust!” Trust in God and you will get rid of temptations,” added the reverend father. The brother went and did exactly everything that the Monk Daniel told him, and indeed completely freed himself from carnal temptations. Returning to the monastery, he fell at the feet of the Monk Daniel and said to him: “Through the prayers of the holy martyr Thomaida and yours, Father, God delivered me from lusts.” The elder asked: “How did you free yourself from them?” The brother answered: “Having made twelve prayers and anointed himself with oil from the lamp located at the tomb of the holy martyr, I laid my head on her tomb and fell asleep, and then a bright young woman, Saint Thomaida, appeared to me and said: Father, accept this blessing and go in peace to your cell; I accepted the blessing and woke up, feeling finally liberated from carnal passion; I don’t know what the holy blessing given to me in a dream actually means, but I am well aware of my deliverance from passions. The Monk Daniel said, after his brother finished his story: “Those who strive for chastity have such great boldness before God.” The rest of his life, the brother never experienced temptations from the flesh and glorified God and the holy martyr Thomaida, his healer. Others, troubled by similar passions, did the same: coming to the tomb of the holy martyr Thomaida, they received relief and liberation from carnal passions through her holy prayers; they glorified the holy martyr, glorifying at the same time Christ the Lord, to whom, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, be honor and worship forever. Amen.
Prayer to the Martyr Thomaida of Egypt Oh, all-praised Martyr Thomaida!
For the purity of marriage, even having labored to the point of blood, and having laid down your soul for the sake of chastity, you have found yourself worthy before the Lord, even more honorable than you in the person of the holy virgins.
Hear us praying to you, and just as Borimia of old had you as a healer from the flesh, according to the grace bestowed upon you from God, grant to those who now resort to your intercession joy and freedom from carnal warfare, and a chaste life and abiding in marriage and virginity with your God-pleasing prayers. Make every effort to intercede, for our bodies will be a temple of the Holy Spirit living in us.
Oh, most chosen among wives and faithful servant of Christ! Help us, so that we do not perish with our passions and lusts, but let us be guided by our minds and strengthened in our hearts in all piety and purity, glorifying your help and intercession, the grace and mercy of the Triune God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. . Amen.
Troparion to the Martyr Thomaida of Egypt, Tone 4
Thy Lamb, Jesus, Thomaida, calls with a great voice: I love Thee, my Bridegroom, and seeking Thee I suffer, and I am crucified, and I am buried in Thy Baptism, and I suffer for Thy sake, that I may reign in Thee, and I die for Thee, that I may live with you; but as an immaculate sacrifice, accept me, offering myself to You with love. Through prayers, as the Merciful, save our souls.
Kontakion to the Martyr Thomaida of Egypt, Tone 2
Your all-honorable temple, as if you have found spiritual healing, all the faithful cry out loudly to you: virgin martyr, the great Thomaid, pray to Christ God unceasingly for all of us.
Saint Demetrius of Rostov - Lives of the Saints
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Memory of the Holy Martyr Thomaida
Memory April 13
holy martyr Thomaida was born in the city of Alexandria from pious parents, who gave their daughter a truly Christian upbringing and taught her to read books. In her fifteenth year they married her to a Christian young man. In her husband’s house, Saint Thomaida lived honestly, respected by everyone for her chastity, meekness, kindness and other good character traits. Together with them, the father of Saint Thomaida’s husband, her father-in-law, lived under the same roof. Seduced by the beauty of his daughter-in-law and inflamed by carnal lust, he, through the action of Satan, plotted evil towards her: he looked for a convenient time for a sinful stay with her and, not finding it, limited himself to hugging and kissing her every day, under the guise of fatherly affection. her. Saint Thomaida, in her chastity, did not assume that her father-in-law had unclean thoughts and therefore did not find anything reprehensible in such treatment of her on his part: she was sure that it stemmed from his love for her as a daughter, and, honoring her father-in-law as a father , she behaved with him with especially strict modesty.
The husband of Saint Thomaida was a fisherman, and one night his fellow fishermen came and took him with them to fish. Taking advantage of his son’s departure, his father came to Saint Thomaida and began to persuade her to sin. Such an unexpected danger terrified her, and she began to resist the crazy old man, saying:
- What are you doing, father? Make the sign of the cross and leave: your plan was inspired in you by Satan.
But the elder did not heed her admonitions and tried to persuade her, resorting to shameless words and actions. Saint Thomaida, filled with the fear of God and chastity, offered firm resistance to her father-in-law: she begged and convinced him to abandon his lawless and wicked desire. But the more she resisted him, the more persistently he forced her, becoming kindled like fire by unclean lust. A sword hung on the wall above the bed; Having taken it off and taken it out of its sheath, the elder began to frighten Saint Thomaida, addressing her with the following threats:
“If you don’t listen to me, then I will cut off your head with this very sword.”
She answered:
“Even if you cut me into pieces, I will still never agree to such a lawless deed.”
The elder, having flown into a great rage after these words, struck his daughter-in-law with such force with his sword that he killed her, cutting her in two. Blessed Thomaida surrendered her soul into the hands of God and received the glorious crown of martyrdom for her purity and chastity: she fought against sin until she shed her own blood and laid down her soul for the law of God, agreeing to die rather than anger God and desecrate her body and the bed of her husband .
The murderer immediately suffered God's punishment: blinded by his soul, he lost his sight and, throwing away the sword, looked for doors, although he could leave the house and run away without a trace, but, feeling the walls, he could not find a way out and therefore was forced to stay in the room. Meanwhile, other fishermen came and knocked, calling his son to go fishing. The father answered:
— My son has already gone fishing; show me the doors because I can't find them.
They opened the door, entered and saw an old man with bloody hands and clothes, trying to feel his way out, and his wife lying in blood on the ground, cut in two. They were horrified by this sight and asked:
- What does it mean? Who committed such an atrocity and why?
Then the elder told them about his sin and asked to take him to the judge in order to accept the punishment worthy of his deeds. When the husband of Saint Thomaida returned from work and learned about what had happened, he felt inconsolable grief and shame: he mourned his chaste wife and was ashamed of his lawless father, who, without fearing God, committed a heinous crime and covered his gray hairs with shame. The elder was put on trial and punished by beheading with a sword. And many people from the inhabitants of Alexandria flocked to the body of the murdered woman; they all marveled at such an incredible and terrible event and praised the chastity of Saint Thomaida.
By chance, at this time the Monk Daniel of the monastery was in Alexandria; he told his student:
“My son, let’s go and look at the holy girl.”
Having fulfilled their wish, they went to the Octodecat, i.e. eightieth, monastery. The monks of this monastery met the reverend father with honor, sincerely welcoming him. Having told them about the sufferings of Saint Thomaida, he gave them the following command:
“Go and bring her honest body here, for it should not lie with worldly people, but with honest fathers.”
Some of the brethren were outraged by the command to place the woman’s body with their fathers. The monk said to them:
“The young woman whom you do not want to bring here is the mother of me and you: after all, she died for her chastity.”
Then the monks no longer dared to resist the holy father; they went and, taking the body of Saint Thomaida, buried it with honor in the monastery tomb. After saying goodbye to all the fathers, the monk retired with his disciple to his monastery.
One brother in his monastery was experiencing strong attacks from carnal temptations; Having come to the Monk Daniel, he revealed to him his strong struggle with carnal passions. The monk told him:
- Go to the Octodecat monastery and pray there in the monastery tomb: God, through the prayers of the martyr Thomaida, help me and deliver me from fornication! “Trust in God and you will get rid of temptations,” added the reverend father.
The brother went and did exactly everything that the Monk Daniel told him, and indeed completely freed himself from carnal temptations. Returning to the monastery, he fell at the feet of the Monk Daniel and said to him:
“Through the prayers of the holy martyr Thomaida and yours, Father, God delivered me from fornication.
The elder asked:
- How did you get rid of them?
The brother answered:
“Having made twelve prayers and anointed myself with oil from the lamp located at the tomb of the holy martyr, I laid my head on her tomb and fell asleep, and then a bright young woman, Saint Thomaida, appeared to me and said: Father, accept this blessing and go in peace to your cell; I accepted the blessing and woke up, feeling finally liberated from carnal passion; I don’t know what the holy blessing given to me in a dream actually means, but I am well aware of my deliverance from passions.
The Monk Daniel said, after his brother finished his story:
“Those who strive for chastity have such great boldness before God.”
The rest of his life, the brother never experienced temptations from the flesh and glorified God and the holy martyr Thomaida, his healer. Others, troubled by similar passions, did the same: coming to the tomb of the holy martyr Thomaida, they received relief and liberation from carnal passions through her holy prayers; they glorified the holy martyr, glorifying at the same time Christ the Lord, to whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be honor and worship forever. Amen.
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According to St. Dimitry Rostovsky:
Sschmch. Artemon, presbyter of Laodicea;
Mch. Criscenta, from Myra Lycia;
Mts. Thomaida of Egypt.
Memory of the Holy Martyr Thomaida
WITH
The holy martyr Thomaida was born in the city of Alexandria from pious parents, who gave their daughter a truly Christian upbringing and taught her to read books. In her fifteenth year they married her to a Christian young man. In her husband’s house, Saint Thomaida lived honestly, respected by everyone for her chastity, meekness, kindness and other good character traits. Together with them, the father of Saint Thomaida’s husband, her father-in-law, lived under the same roof. Seduced by the beauty of his daughter-in-law and inflamed by carnal lust, he, through the action of Satan, plotted evil towards her: he looked for a convenient time for a sinful stay with her and, not finding it, limited himself to hugging and kissing her every day, under the guise of fatherly affection. her. Saint Thomaida, in her chastity, did not assume that her father-in-law had unclean thoughts and therefore did not find anything reprehensible in such treatment of her on his part: she was sure that it stemmed from his love for her as a daughter, and, honoring her father-in-law as a father , she behaved with him with especially strict modesty.
The husband of Saint Thomaida was a fisherman, and one night his fellow fishermen came and took him with them to fish. Taking advantage of his son’s departure, his father came to Saint Thomaida and began to persuade her to sin. Such an unexpected danger terrified her, and she began to resist the crazy old man, saying:
- What are you doing, father? Make the sign of the cross and leave: your plan was inspired in you by Satan.
But the elder did not heed her admonitions and tried to persuade her, resorting to shameless words and actions. Saint Thomaida, filled with the fear of God and chastity, offered firm resistance to her father-in-law: she begged and convinced him to abandon his lawless and wicked desire. But the more she resisted him, the more persistently he forced her, becoming kindled like fire by unclean lust. A sword hung on the wall above the bed; Having taken it off and taken it out of its sheath, the elder began to frighten Saint Thomaida, addressing her with the following threats:
“If you don’t listen to me, then I will cut off your head with this very sword.”
She answered:
“Even if you cut me into pieces, I will still never agree to such a lawless deed.”
The elder, having flown into a great rage after these words, struck his daughter-in-law with such force with his sword that he killed her, cutting her in two. Blessed Thomaida surrendered her soul into the hands of God and received the glorious crown of martyrdom for her purity and chastity: she fought against sin until she shed her own blood and laid down her soul for the law of God, agreeing to die rather than anger God and desecrate her body and the bed of her husband .
The murderer immediately suffered God's punishment: blinded by his soul, he lost his sight and, throwing away the sword, looked for doors, although he could leave the house and run away without a trace, but, feeling the walls, he could not find a way out and therefore was forced to stay in the room. Meanwhile, other fishermen came and knocked, calling his son to go fishing. The father answered:
— My son has already gone fishing; show me the doors because I can't find them.
They opened the door, entered and saw an old man with bloody hands and clothes, trying to feel his way out, and his wife lying in blood on the ground, cut in two. They were horrified by this sight and asked:
- What does it mean? Who committed such an atrocity and why?
Then the elder told them about his sin and asked to take him to the judge in order to accept the punishment worthy of his deeds. When the husband of Saint Thomaida returned from work and learned about what had happened, he felt inconsolable grief and shame: he mourned his chaste wife and was ashamed of his lawless father, who, without fearing God, committed a heinous crime and covered his gray hairs with shame. The elder was put on trial and punished by beheading with a sword. And many people from the inhabitants of Alexandria flocked to the body of the murdered woman; they all marveled at such an incredible and terrible event and praised the chastity of Saint Thomaida.
By chance, at this time the Monk Daniel of the monastery was in Alexandria; he told his student:
“My son, let’s go and look at the holy girl.”
Having fulfilled their wish, they went to the Octodecat, i.e. eightieth, monastery. The monks of this monastery met the reverend father with honor, sincerely welcoming him. Having told them about the sufferings of Saint Thomaida, he gave them the following command:
“Go and bring her honest body here, for it should not lie with worldly people, but with honest fathers.”
Some of the brethren were outraged by the command to place the woman’s body with their fathers. The monk said to them:
“The young woman whom you do not want to bring here is the mother of me and you: after all, she died for her chastity.”
Then the monks no longer dared to resist the holy father; they went and, taking the body of Saint Thomaida, buried it with honor in the monastery tomb. After saying goodbye to all the fathers, the monk retired with his disciple to his monastery.
One brother in his monastery was experiencing strong attacks from carnal temptations; Having come to the Monk Daniel, he revealed to him his strong struggle with carnal passions. The monk told him:
- Go to the Octodecat monastery and pray there in the monastery tomb: God, through the prayers of the martyr Thomaida, help me and deliver me from fornication! “Trust in God and you will get rid of temptations,” added the reverend father.
The brother went and did exactly everything that the Monk Daniel told him, and indeed completely freed himself from carnal temptations. Returning to the monastery, he fell at the feet of the Monk Daniel and said to him:
“Through the prayers of the holy martyr Thomaida and yours, Father, God delivered me from fornication.
The elder asked:
- How did you get rid of them?
The brother answered:
“Having made twelve prayers and anointed myself with oil from the lamp located at the tomb of the holy martyr, I laid my head on her tomb and fell asleep, and then a bright young woman, Saint Thomaida, appeared to me and said: Father, accept this blessing and go in peace to your cell; I accepted the blessing and woke up, feeling finally liberated from carnal passion; I don’t know what the holy blessing given to me in a dream actually means, but I am well aware of my deliverance from passions.
The Monk Daniel said, after his brother finished his story:
“Those who strive for chastity have such great boldness before God.”
The rest of his life, the brother never experienced temptations from the flesh and glorified God and the holy martyr Thomaida, his healer. Others, troubled by similar passions, did the same: coming to the tomb of the holy martyr Thomaida, they received relief and liberation from carnal passions through her holy prayers; they glorified the holy martyr, glorifying at the same time Christ the Lord, to whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be honor and worship forever. Amen.
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The life story of the saint
Memorial Day: April 26
Thomais comes from a devoted Christian family living in Alexandria. Then no one could have imagined that the young woman would accept the death of a martyr, and people would begin to pray to St. Thomas of Egypt.
At 15, she married a Christian man who caught fish for her bread. In the family of the couple, Thomaida was loved for her gentle character, comeliness and piety.
However, the father-in-law was inflamed with a sinful passion for the girl. At the instigation of the devil, he began to convince his daughter-in-law to sin when his son went night fishing. Thomaida tried to reason with the elder, remembering God's punishment, but the sinner in a frenzy raised his sword and wounded the girl.
At the same time, God's punishment overtook the murderer: he became blind. Until the morning, until the fishermen found him, he burst into the room, trying to find a way out. Hearing human voices, the attacker confessed to the terrible act and asked to be sentenced to death.
The body of the martyr was buried in the tomb of the monastery by order of the Monk Daniel.
