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Holy Great Martyr Catherine Catherine, an Alexandrian, came from the ruling family of Consta and, having reached the age of 17, was distinguished by her beauty and rare education, but was not yet enlightened by the Christian faith, since at that time, at the beginning of the 4th century, persecution of Christians was raging and her mother, although she herself was a Christian, hid her faith even from her daughter, fearing, probably, to expose her to mortal danger. But Divine love, exceeding earthly, partial, was pleased to save the beautiful soul of Catherine and make her an instrument of salvation for many. The reason for the enlightenment of the royal pagan was the following circumstance. When the time came for Catherine to marry and many princes asked for her hand, she rejected all offers; In response to the requests and advice of her mother and relatives to choose a groom, she once expressed that if she agreed to marry, it would be with someone who was equal to her in education, and in wealth, and in beauty... But such a young man was not found, since Catherine had a rare learning at that time. Wanting, however, to persuade her daughter to marry, Catherine’s mother turned to one wise and holy elder, her spiritual father, asking for his help. Struck by the intelligence of the young girl, when he talked with her, the elder realized that the highest enlightenment was available to her, and decided to open her soul to the knowledge of Christ. “You are looking for a young man equal to you,” he said, “I know one Youth who surpasses you in everything: His beauty is brighter than the sun’s radiance... His wisdom governs all creation... His wealth spreads throughout the whole world, but this does not diminish Him, but multiplies... the height of His family is indescribable”... - “Whose son is He?” – Catherine asked in amazement. - “He has no father on earth, but was born outside the laws of human nature from the most honest birth of the Most Holy and Most Pure Virgin Mary, Who, for the sake of Her great holiness, was honored to be the Matter of such a Son... She remains immortal soul and body and is ascended to heaven, where the angels worship Her as a Queen...” - “Is it possible for me to see that young man about whom I hear such wonderful words?” – the embarrassed Catherine timidly asked. “If you do what I tell you, you will be worthy to see His bright face,” answered the elder and, handing Catherine the icon of the Mother of God with the Divine Child, he added: “Here is the image of the Mother of that Child about whom I told you; take it home, bring it to your room and, having locked the doors behind you, pray with reverence and faith to Her who is called Mary; beg Her to show you her Son, and She will fulfill your prayer." Catherine did as the elder told her. She prayed all night and fell asleep in the morning. In a dream, she saw the Mother of God with the Child, surrounded by an extraordinary radiance, but no matter how hard she tried to see His face, she could not, because He turned away from her. Then the Mother of God said to Her Son: “Look, My Child, at Your servant Catherine, how beautiful and intelligent she is!” - “No,” answered the Child, “she is mad and ugly, and I don’t want to see her”... - “Do not despise Your creation,” asked the Mother of God, “tell Your servant what she must do to see Your bright face?” “Let her go to the old man,” answered the Child, “and learn from him what she should do, and if she listens to him, she will see Me and receive My grace.” As soon as Catherine woke up from a wonderful dream, she hurried to the elder who had given her the icon and begged him to enlighten her about the meaning of the dream that had struck her. Then the elder revealed to her the wonderful secret of knowing the God-man. The wise Catherine perceived with all her heart and mind the Divine truths that were revealed to her for the first time. Illuminated by true light, she did not hesitate to accept St. baptism and, having learned to pray, she constantly remained in this communication no longer with the Unknown God... And so, when one day, tired of prayer, she fell asleep, a wonderful dream visited her again; The Mother of God with the Child appeared to her again, but now He no longer turned away from her, but looked at her with love. – Is this girl pleasing to You, My Son? – asked the Mother of God. “Now she is as wise and rich as she was before mad and wretched,” answered the Savior, “and I loved her so much that I betrothed her to Myself as my bride...” and with these words he handed the ring to Catherine. “I am not worthy, Lord, to be Your bride, but deign me to be Your servant!” - Catherine exclaimed with humility and wonderful delight, and from that moment, waking up, she was forever under the impression of a wonderful vision. Her heart was filled with love for Christ; she renounced all earthly thoughts and soon, through her martyrdom, she testified to her faith in the true God. Appearing at a pagan sacrifice, at which the emperor, who had arrived in Alexandria at that time, was present, Catherine began to denounce the abomination of idolatry, began to convince the king of the existence of the one true God, beginningless and infinite, by whom kings reign and the world stands, who came to earth and became man for the salvation of people, who does not require sacrifices, but calls for the fulfillment of the commandments that He proclaimed to the world. The king was not convinced, but the words of the courageous confessor aroused his anger. He ordered the sacrifices to continue, and after the celebration he ordered that a bold defender of the teaching of Christ, which he was persecuting, be brought to him. She responded to all his convictions and threats with an unshakable confession of faith in Christ. Captivated by her intelligence and beauty, the pagan emperor all the more did not want to see a Christian in her. He called on the scientists, hoping that they would defeat her in the competition about faith, but, having listened with amazement to the eloquent and reasonable arguments of the highly educated Christian woman, the pagan scientists refused to object to her in defense of paganism. After new vain convictions, promises and threats, Catherine was given over to the most severe tortures; the torturers, having exposed her, beat her mercilessly with ox sinews; blood flowed from her torn body. In this position, she was thrown into prison, where she was tortured with hunger in anticipation of new tortures. After that, the exhausted martyr - bound - was placed between four wheels - with sharp teeth, so that, turning the wheels - two to the right and two to the left - they would crush her body into parts. But the instruments of torture were crushed by an invisible hand and the martyr stood up unharmed. Then they cut off her head with a sword. Many, seeing the suffering of St. Catherine and the manifestation of the wonderful Divine power in protecting her, they believed in Christ. Among them was the wife of King Augustus and the military leader Porfiry with 200 soldiers, who, the day before the death of St. Catherine also suffered martyrdom. There is historical evidence that the relics of St. The Great Martyr Catherine was discovered in the 13th century by Egyptian Christians and transferred to Arabia, to a monastery on Mount Sinai. Since that time, information has often been found about the celebration of her and her relics 393. “The divinely called bride, blessed Catherine,” praises the Church of St. great martyr, - with your virtues, like the rays of the sun, and with your wise words, you enlightened the unfaithful sages and, like the bright moon, you drove away the darkness of unbelief walking in the night, you brought many martyrs to Christ and convinced the queen, and denounced the tormentor, and reached the beautiful Bridegroom. The Lord saves those who call the name of the Great Martyr by faith from temptation and gives them good health.” † Memory of St. much Mercury Smolensk St. Mercury was born somewhere in the West, probably in Moravia, of noble parents 394. “Fenced by the orthodox faith, and not by the half-belief of pain” and, therefore, not a German, but a Slav, he, out of love for orthodoxy, which had no room in the West, entered the service of the Smolensk prince. Tall, courageous and strong, he was a warrior in full power of speech: but he led the life of an ascetic in secret, was a strict faster, spent his nights in prayer - and kept virgin purity; He not only professed the Orthodox faith in words, but was ready to die for it 395. In 1238, hordes of Tatars approached Smolensk, destroying everything on the way and brazenly scolding the shrines of Christianity; they stopped 25 miles from the city, at a place called Dolgomostye; this place, still known by the same name, with its many graves indicates a bloody battle 396. “The Tatars were led by a giant, proud of his gigantic height and strength. - It was hard, bless you. Mercury to see that pure, holy faith is brazenly insulted by happy paganism; his soul suffered, he burned with the desire to lay down his life for St. faith, but in such a way that as much glory as possible comes out of it for St. faith and more shame for wickedness. He prayed about it fervently. In the Smolensk Cathedral, where the miraculous icon of the Mother of God stood, a reverent sexton at night during prayer heard a voice: “Go to My servant Mercury in Podolia - you will see him in the middle of the courtyard, and tell him quietly: Mercury! go to the military battle, the Lady is calling you.” The sexton went to Podolia and in the middle of the courtyard stood a warrior with his hands raised to the sky. The sexton quietly declared the heavenly will to him and they both went to the church. Here Mercury is told to go to Longitude and fight the giant - he is promised heavenly help. Mercury mounted his horse and hurried to the indicated place 397. He passed the military guard, unnoticed by anyone, and among the enemy camp he saw a giant. Having protected himself with the sign of the cross, calling for help from the One who called him to the feat, Mercury killed the proud Murza and with him many other Tatars. Embittered enemies rose up against the city and the giant's son killed St. Mercury. Before his death, the martyr prayed for the city and the steppe inhabitants, horrified by the death of the best of their army, hastened to leave the borders of Smolensk. The grateful residents of Smolensk reverently buried the body of Mercury in the Smolensk Cathedral. It was Nov. 24th 1238 398 . His weapon was hung over the burial place of the warrior of faith. His iron helmet and iron shoes, whose simplicity of decoration indicate their antiquity, are now kept in the cathedral sacristy. In the 16th century, Smolny residents still knew the place of blood where St. was killed. Mercury; it's outside the city, in field 399. Smolensk sings St. To Mercury: “As a pillar and a solid wall, Christ gave you, Mercury, to this city; here now you exude a stream of healing and help defeat the wicked” 400. Now the relics of St. Mercury rests in the Smolensk Avramiev Monastery, where there is a church in his name, consecrated in 1755 401. † Repose of Rev. Simon Soiginsky A native of Solvychegodsk, Simon began his monastic life in the Cornelius Monastery. After the death of the great mentor († 1587), he left the Komel monastery and in his native land he helped (in 1540) Rev. Loggin to found a desert monastery on the river. Koryazhma. He then departed 60 miles from Koryazhma and, at the mouth of the river. Soiga, flowing into the Vychegda, in the then wild desert, built the Church of the Savior, consecrated on May 17, 1541. E Blessed. lovers of the desert gathered together with the hermit. A strict faster and zealous man of prayer led them by the example of St. life to blissful eternity. The Rev. lived as an ascetic for twenty years. Simon in his monastery and died on November 24, 1562; his relics rest hidden in one of the three churches of the abolished (1791) monastery 402. “Monthly. East." archim. Serg. vol. II, part 2, p. 371. Oh St. Mercury: a) praise and canon; about the latest in the RKP. “wrote by command of the blessed one. Bishop of the same Smolensk, Kir Barsanuphius" (1509); b) a church story written later than the praise, as can be seen from the language; c) a folk story in the Flower Garden in 1656. Praise was also placed in Russian. temporary It says here: “Mercury was a Roman by birth, pious by the faith of the Greek law, glorious by birth.” Word: "Roman" in memory. ancient means a native of the West, subordinate to Rome. dad. Buslaeva words. and art 2, 182. 189. 352. Is. and stat. op. Smolensk 1772 in the north. arch. 1828 No. 3. pp. 11, 12. About the fact that St. Mercury went to the Tatar camp on horseback, only the folk story says; but the very distance of Dolgomost from the city shows that otherwise on the same night St. Mercury would not have had time to arrive at the camp on foot. Russian times. 1, 114–116. Menaion of Macarius and Demetrius on November 24. Tolstoy 1. No. 171: “Nov. 24 story about St. much Mercury, what a freedom hail in l. 6746. According to the RCP. Saints of St. Mercury reposed in L. 6747 Nov at 24 days." In follow. psalt. death is attributed to 1247. But then the Tatars did not disturb a single corner of Russia; on the contrary, in 1238 they ravaged Tver and were 100 versts from Novgorod. So according to all chronicles. Mixed. about monas. and churches Art. 550. M. 1852 Nikitina ist. mountains Smolensk p. 69. M. 1847 Church service in the menaion. M. 1646 in the RKP. Tsarsky 1592 1563. East. Hier. 3, 65. Mater. stat. p. 32. St. Petersburg. 1841 In words. Saint, St. Petersburg 1784 it is said: “holy relics are found in Kyiv.” According to the RCP. holy calendar in description Saints of Kyiv we read: “St. Great Martyr Mercury of Smolev, those who sailed in the grave.” This is a mistake: St. sailed to Kyiv. Merisurius, bishop. Smol. (see Sep. 21. d.). In the RKP. 16th century "to remember St. Mercury, who has his tomb in our city of Smolensk, and the miracles that came from him.” Tolstoy 2. No. 254. RKP. saint: "St. Simon, chief Spassk. mon. Soysk., like the Vychegda River, a new miracle worker, reposed 7049.” Here the year of the founding of the monastery is shown by the year of the death of the monk. East. Hier. 6, 170–172. Swedish about mon. 79.