In the third century A.D. Tire was ruled by the pagan king Urban, who had a beautiful daughter. By an unknown coincidence with the name of the Savior, at birth she was named Christina, but, apparently, this was the will of God, and her fate was predetermined by the Lord himself to serve Him and accept the crown of martyrdom for His glory. The martyrdom of anyone who professed Christianity in those days was inevitable, for the Roman Empire covered most of the lands with its rule, and its emperors were irreconcilable persecutors and exterminators of Christians - confessors and bearers of faith in the One God, in Christ the Savior.
As stated above, Christina was exceptionally pretty, and even when she was still a teenager, many looked at her in the hope of marrying a well-born beauty. However, Urban wanted his daughter to become a pagan priestess, and for this he built a special room, placed gold and silver statues of pagan gods in it, assigned two slave girls to Christina to serve her, and at the same time look after her, and ordered his daughter to constantly burn incense incense in front of the statues of Roman gods.
But it was not for nothing that Christina bore the same name as Christ. While in captivity, being a reasonable and thinking girl, she began to think, looking from the windows of her rich chamber, which became her prison, at the world around her, and unusual thoughts began to come to her. She began to think that there must be Someone Who created the beauty and harmony of this world, and, in all likelihood, it is Someone One. The girl began to ask for it to be revealed to her, Who is He, this Almighty Creator? After all, the silent and soulless figures standing in her room were themselves the creation of human hands, and Who created the world lying around and set into motion the laws according to which the seasons changed, day gave way to night and all living things existed in harmony? She prayed to a God still unknown to her and refused food, except for the most necessary amount of it, not yet knowing that these were the most important components of Christian asceticism - fasting and prayer.
And so, after such labors, an Angel of God appeared to Saint Christ. Calling her the bride of Christ, he gave her instructions in the knowledge of God, which she accepted with all her heart, since she had already thought about it, and through these instructions she now received answers to all her questions about the Divine world order. At the same time, the Angel told her that she would receive the crown of martyrdom from the three tormentors, and strengthened her for the feat, and also, so that she would strengthen her earthly strength after fasting, gave her food.
Delighted and inspired by the angelic visit, Saint Christina continued to pray to the Lord, but already knowing to whom her pure prayers were addressed. Then she broke and crushed the statues of idols and threw them out of the window, and passers-by below collected the fragments, which were now only pieces of precious metals.
When Urban visited his daughter and did not find any statues in her chambers, he asked where they were. The young saint answered his question with silence. Then he turned to the slaves with the question of what was happening here, and they told him what Christina had done with the idols. Urban began to hit his daughter on the cheeks; she remained silent, but then told him that from now on she honors only the One God and professes Christianity.
The enraged Urban ordered the murder of the slaves who were in his daughter’s service because they had neglected it - he could not imagine that it was not human, but God’s will to accept the faith of Christ. Realizing that the father would not spare his child, Christina’s mother in tears asked her to renounce, but the saint was adamant even to her mother’s prayers. Then, in order to force the holy daughter to renounce her faith in the One God, Urban convened a court the next day to judge Christina not as his daughter, but as a criminal against the pagan faith. But neither threats nor exhortations gave the desired result, and he ordered her to be tortured by fire and then imprisoned. In prison, the Angel of the Lord again appeared to Saint Christina, healing her from her wounds, and the next morning she was again before the judgment seat completely unharmed. The father considered this to be magic and ordered Saint Christina to be drowned in the sea, tying a heavy stone to her. However, even here, at the command of the Lord, the Angel of God appeared to her, untied the stone and carried it out of the abyss, and the saint walked across the water to the shore. Urban was horrified by this and again considered the salvation of Saint Christina to be witchcraft, despite the fact that the saint constantly testified: all miraculous salvations come only from the Lord according to His holy will, and called on everyone to worship Him.
After all that had happened, Urban decided to execute Christina the next day, but that same night he suddenly died. Another ruler, Dion, was sent in his place. At first, with affectionate appeals to her and promises, he tried to persuade Saint Christina to renounce, but he also failed and, placing a statue of Apollo in front of her, he ordered the girl to be tortured with fire, promising that as soon as she bowed to the statue, the torture would stop. But the saint prayed to the Lord to give her the strength to endure the torment and to crush the statue, and through prayer her statue was crushed, and Dion himself, seeing this collapse, fell dead. Once again Saint Christina was imprisoned, but the news of such a confrontation spread far throughout the area. She then remained in prison for quite a long time, and people began to approach her, wanting to know more about God, Whom she loved and revered, the holy virgin spoke to them about Christ, about the One God, about the Holy Spirit. Those who came to her, hearing her reasonable and kind speeches penetrating into the heart, seeing how much she endured, and at the same time, saved by God, remained unharmed, they believed in the True God, the Life-Giving One. According to Demetrius of Rostov in his “Lives of the Saints,” up to three thousand people then believed through the pious efforts of Saint Christina of Tire.
The third tormentor, Governor Julian, sent to replace the first two, also subjected her to many tortures, but none of them again harmed Saint Christina. Then Julian ordered the saint to be executed by beheading with a sword, and the holy martyr, the ascetic of Christ Christina, finally saw the Lord and was awarded the crown that was martyrdom on earth, and at His Throne a halo of the Light of Transfiguration shone around her head.
Meaning of the icon
The Holy Martyr Christina of Tire in iconography is usually depicted as a young maiden with a stern and beautiful face, framed by locks of hair freely falling on her shoulders. In her right hand, as it should be for iconographic images of martyrs, there is a cross, to which she points with her left hand, as if calling on our spirit to follow Christ, as she once followed.
Everyone has their own measure at each stage of personal knowledge of God, their own capabilities, and every priest today will advise you to take on a test of your strength - it is known that asceticism beyond your strength can lead to despondency, and despondency - to dangerous hesitations and doubts. Today we will not have to go through the trials that befell Saint Christina and other first martyrs, but what the lives of her and other martyrs of the early years of Christianity, the life examples of all our God-pleasers and confessors are an example of, is in the invariable choice of the priority of spiritual life over physical life. And in order to follow this priority, in our time it is not necessary to go to extreme measures, because only a few on earth can do this so selflessly, with such genuine and boundless love for the Lord and joy for Him, as they did.
However, in martyrdom, in hermitage, or any other ascetic self-renunciation of earthly things for the glory of God, the main thing is not suffering. This is only the brightest, paradoxical and illogical as it may seem to someone who is not a believer, evidence of unyielding, living, in spite of everything, love in response to God’s love for us, the love that was shown by Jesus Christ, who allowed Himself to be crucified for us, and about which the Apostle wrote Paul (1 Cor. 13:1–13). Without it, the suffering of sacrifice becomes unnecessary, and what is worse, meaningless. With her, any feat, even the smallest in comparison with the feat of, for example, Saint Christina of Tyre, a feat in the name of the Lord takes on a high meaning, as our Lord Himself speaks of, citing words from the Book of the Prophet Hosea (Hosea 6:6): “Go , learn what it means: I want mercy, not sacrifice?” (Matthew 9:12–13). So we too, through the lives of the saints of the Lord who lived according to His word, learn this sacred mercy as a manifestation of the saving love for our souls for God and everything created by His will and mercy.
Life
Martyr Christina (Christina) of Tire
The Martyr Christina lived in the 3rd century. She was born into a rich family. Her father Urvan was the ruler of the city of Tire. At the age of 11, the girl was distinguished by her extraordinary beauty, and many wantedto marry her. However, Christina’s father dreamed of his daughter becoming a priestess. To do this, he placed her in a special room, where he placed many gold and silver idols, and ordered his daughter to burn incense in front of them. Two slaves served Christina.
In her solitude, Christina began to think about who created this beautiful world? From her room she admired the starry sky and gradually came to the idea of the One Creator of the whole world. She began to fervently pray to the One God with tears, asking Him to reveal Himself.
One day, Christina received a visit from an Angel, who instructed her in true faith in Christ, the Savior of the world. The angel called her the bride of Christ and foreshadowed her future suffering. The holy virgin broke all the idols that stood near her and threw them out the window. Christina's father Urvan, visiting his daughter, asked her where the idols had gone? Having learned the truth, Urvan flew into a terrible rage. He ordered all the slaves who served his daughter to be killed, and Christina was severely scourged and thrown into prison. Having learned about what had happened, Saint Christina’s mother came to her daughter crying, asking her to renounce Christ and return to her father’s beliefs. However, Christina remained adamant. The next day, Urvan called his daughter to trial and began to persuade her to worship the gods and ask for forgiveness for her sin, but he saw her firm and unyielding confession.
The torturers tied her to an iron wheel, under which they lit a fire. The body of the martyr, turning on the wheel, was burned from all sides. She was then thrown into prison. An angel of God appeared at night, healed her of her wounds and strengthened her with food. Her father, seeing her unharmed the next morning, ordered her to be drowned in the sea. But an Angel supported the saint, the stone sank, and Christina miraculously emerged from the water and appeared to her father. In horror, the torturer attributed this to the effect of magic and decided to execute her the next morning. At night he unexpectedly died. Another ruler, Dion, who was sent in his place, called on the holy martyr and also tried to persuade her to renounce Christ, but, seeing her unyielding firmness, he again gave her over to cruel torture. The Holy Martyr Christina was in prison for a long time. People began to approach her, and she converted them to true faith in Christ. About 3,000 people applied this way.
A new ruler, Julian, arrived in Dion’s place and began torturing the saint. After various torments, Julian ordered her to be thrown into a red-hot oven and shut up in it. Five days later the oven was opened and the martyr was found alive and unharmed. Seeing the miracles taking place, many believed in Christ the Savior, and the tormentors hacked Saint Christina to death with a sword.
Life of the Martyr Christ.
The Martyr Christina lived in the 3rd century. She was born into a rich family. Her father Urvan was the ruler of the city of Tire. At the age of 11, the girl was distinguished by her extraordinary beauty, and many wanted to marry her. However, Christina’s father dreamed of his daughter becoming a priestess. To do this, he placed her in a special room, where he placed many gold and silver idols, and ordered his daughter to burn incense in front of them. Two slaves served Christina.
In her solitude, Christina began to think about who created this beautiful world? From her room she admired the starry sky and gradually came to the idea of the One Creator of the whole world. She became convinced that the voiceless and soulless idols that stood in her chambers could not create anything, since they themselves were created by human hands. She began to pray to the One God with tears, asking Him to reveal Himself. Her soul flared up with love for the Unknown God, she increasingly intensified her prayer, combining it with fasting.
One day, Christina received a visit from an Angel, who instructed her in the true faith in Christ, the Savior of the world. The angel called her the bride of Christ and foreshadowed her future suffering. The holy virgin broke all the idols that stood near her and threw them out the window. Christina's father Urvan, visiting his daughter, asked her where the idols had gone? Christina was silent. Then, calling the slaves, Urvan learned the truth from them. In anger, the father began to hit his daughter on the cheeks. The holy virgin was silent at first, and then revealed to her father her faith in the One True God and that with her own hands she destroyed the idols. Then Urvan ordered to kill all the slaves who served his daughter, and gave Christina a cruel scourging and threw him into prison. Having learned about what had happened, Saint Christina’s mother came to her daughter crying, asking her to renounce Christ and return to her father’s beliefs. However, Christina remained adamant. The next day, Urvan called his daughter to trial and began to persuade her to worship the gods and ask for forgiveness for her sin, but he saw her firm and unyielding confession.
The torturers tied her to an iron wheel, under which they lit a fire. The body of the martyr, turning on the wheel, was burned from all sides. She was then thrown into prison.
An angel of God appeared at night, healed her of her wounds and strengthened her with food. Her father, seeing her unharmed the next morning, ordered her to be drowned in the sea. But an Angel supported the saint, the stone sank, and Christina miraculously emerged from the water and appeared to her father. In horror, the torturer attributed this to the effect of magic and decided to execute her the next morning. At night he unexpectedly died. Another ruler, Dion, who was sent in his place, called on the holy martyr and also tried to persuade her to renounce Christ, but, seeing her unyielding firmness, he again gave her over to cruel torture. The Holy Martyr Christina was in prison for a long time. People began to approach her, and she converted them to true faith in Christ. About 3,000 people applied this way.
In place of Dion, a new ruler, Julian, arrived and began to torture the saint. After various torments, Julian ordered her to be thrown into a red-hot oven and shut up in it. Five days later the oven was opened and the martyr was found alive and unharmed. Seeing the miracles taking place, many believed in Christ the Savior, and the torturers hacked Saint Christina to death with a sword.
At the age of 11, the girl was distinguished by her extraordinary beauty, and many wanted to marry her. However, Christina’s father dreamed of his daughter becoming a priestess. To do this, he placed her in a special room, where he placed many gold and silver idols, and ordered his daughter to burn incense in front of them. Two slaves served Christina.
In her solitude, Christina began to think about who created this beautiful world? From her room she admired the starry sky and gradually came to the idea of the One Creator of the whole world. She became convinced that the voiceless and soulless idols that stood in her chambers could not create anything, since they themselves were created by human hands. She began to pray to the One God with tears, asking Him to reveal Himself. Her soul flared up with love for the Unknown God, she increasingly intensified her prayer, combining it with fasting.
One day, Christina received a visit from an Angel, who instructed her in true faith in Christ, the Savior of the world. The angel called her the bride of Christ and foreshadowed her future suffering. The holy virgin broke all the idols that stood near her and threw them out the window. Christina's father Urvan, visiting his daughter, asked her where the idols had gone? Christina was silent. Then, calling the slaves, Urvan learned the truth from them. In anger, the father began to hit his daughter on the cheeks. The holy virgin was silent at first, and then revealed to her father her faith in the One True God and that with her own hands she destroyed the idols. Then Urvan ordered to kill all the slaves who served his daughter, and gave Christina a cruel scourging and threw him into prison. Having learned about what had happened, Saint Christina’s mother came to her daughter crying, asking her to renounce Christ and return to her father’s beliefs. However, Christina remained adamant. The next day, Urvan called his daughter to trial and began to persuade her to worship the gods and ask for forgiveness for her sin, but he saw her firm and unyielding confession.
The torturers tied her to an iron wheel, under which they lit a fire. The body of the martyr, turning on the wheel, was burned from all sides. She was then thrown into prison.
An angel of God appeared at night, healed her of her wounds and strengthened her with food. Her father, seeing her unharmed the next morning, ordered her to be drowned in the sea. But an Angel supported the saint, the stone sank, and Christina miraculously emerged from the water and appeared to her father. In horror, the torturer attributed this to the effect of magic and decided to execute her the next morning. At night he unexpectedly died. Another ruler, Dion, who was sent in his place, called on the holy martyr and also tried to persuade her to renounce Christ, but, seeing her unyielding firmness, he again gave her over to cruel torture. The Holy Martyr Christina was in prison for a long time. People began to approach her, and she converted them to true faith in Christ. About 3,000 people applied this way.
A new ruler, Julian, arrived in Dion’s place and began torturing the saint. After various torments, Julian ordered her to be thrown into a red-hot oven and shut up in it. Five days later the oven was opened and the martyr was found alive and unharmed. Seeing the miracles taking place, many believed in Christ the Savior, and the tormentors hacked Saint Christina to death with a sword.
) - holy martyr of Tire or Bolsena. Days of remembrance - July 24, August 6.
Encyclopedic YouTube
1 / 1
09_Holy Martyr Christina.
Subtitles
Tradition
Christina was the daughter of a pious pagan, a resident of the city of Tire named Urban (her place of birth is indicated either Tire, Persia or Uzbekistan [ ]). Her father prepared her for initiation into a pagan priestess, setting up a small temple in his house, and isolated her from the world in order to preserve her purity.
In this isolation, according to legend, St. Christina, talking about faith and turning to idols in prayer, at the age of 11 experienced an epiphany, discovering faith in the One God the Creator. Moreover, almost immediately faith in Jesus Christ came to her - tradition indicates that through an angel. The girl broke the gold and silver figurines of deities and sold them, and distributed the proceeds to the poor. When her mother began to ask her to behave like a human being, Christina declared that from now on she would only become a “child of God.”
After this, her father, according to legend, began to torture her so that she would renounce her faith. Options for torture differ in different versions: among them are torture with hot hooks, throwing into a fire, into a pit with snakes, into the sea or lake, an oven, a millstone, being thrown on the wheel, being showered with arrows, and so on. However, after all these tortures she survived, while her tormentors and witnesses often suffered themselves. After the death of her father, as the legend says, a certain Dion continued to torture her. In all versions of the tradition, Christina eventually dies (usually by drowning or being shot with a bow), but does not renounce her faith, and her tormentors are ultimately punished by God.
It is believed that the life story of St. Christina is exceptionally legendary. A similar theme of the legend (a beautiful Christian girl who will be tortured to death by pagan men, who in turn themselves will then suffer the wrath of God) is repeated in many [
