The prayer of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine helps in what. Why Saint Catherine is prayed for a happy marriage

Saint Catherine earned the favor of God during her lifetime. Today, every person in prayer can turn to her with their problems and get help. Before we find out what the Great Martyr Catherine helps with, we will find out the life story of this saint.

Catherine was very beautiful and smart girl, and even the daughter of the ruler of Alexandria. A huge number of men asked for her hand, but she believed that the best groom should be with her. Catherine's mother was a secret Christian, and she took her daughter to the holy elder, who said that the groom who met her requirements was Jesus. The son of God abandoned the girl because she was unworthy of him. Since that time, Catherine has changed her life: she kept chastity, was baptized and constantly prayed. One night she had a vision in which the Lord gave her a ring, betrothing her to himself. In those days, Maximilian came to Alexandria, who decided to conquer Catherine, but she refused him because of which she was thrown into prison and there she was subjected to various torments. As a result, Catherine was executed, and she died with a prayer to Jesus. The feast of the Great Martyr Catherine is usually celebrated on the seventh of December. Liturgy is held in churches on this day.

How does the Holy Great Martyr Catherine help?

Catherine, during her lifetime, showed herself to be a very smart girl, so Christians consider her the patroness of knowledge. That is why many universities consider Catherine their patroness. It is believed that teachers and students can turn to the saint to help her achieve success in the chosen business, in gaining knowledge and enlightenment. Students send petitions to Catherine before exams. Heavenly support is sought by people engaged in work that involves rational judgment, for example, judges, prosecutors, etc.

Understanding what the Great Martyr Catherine helps in, it is worth saying that among the people she was also called the Lady of the Woman, since she is the intercessor of the lonely. Young girls offer prayers before the image of the saint so that she can help them find their soul mate. Catherine is also called the intercessor of marriage, because she protects, helps to preserve feelings and saves families from quarrels and divorce. The icon of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine must certainly be in the house of a girl who wants to get pregnant. You can ask her about easy childbirth and the health of the unborn child. The icon located in the house will allow you to maintain peace and well-being.

The Holy Great Martyr Catherine of Alexandria is venerated by Eastern and Western Christians. This early Christian saint lived in Egypt when Maximinus ruled the Roman Empire. She came from a noble family and was the daughter of Emperor Konst, who, according to later sources, ruled Alexandria. Before the adoption of Christianity, the saint bore the name Dorothea. The girl was very beautiful and highly educated, knew well the works of philosophers and the works of ancient poets and historians, had the ability to medicine and languages.

How did Dorothea become a Christian?

Dorothea told her parents that she would marry only that person who would be equal to her in wisdom and position in society. After listening to her daughter, her mother, a secret Christian, introduced Dorothea to her spiritual father. From him, the girl learned about the One Who, in intelligence, wealth, nobility and beauty, surpassed all those living on earth. Dorothea, wishing with all her heart to see the Bridegroom, received an icon of the Mother of God as a gift and prayed before Her image. In a dream, the Mother of God appeared to her with the Child in her arms, who for some reason turned away from her. With this question, the girl returned to the elder, then he baptized her with the name Catherine and told about Christ. The maiden again prayed before the image Mother of God and saw the Lord in a dream. Now she was betrothed to the Heavenly Bridegroom.

Martyrdom

Being a pagan, the emperor Maximinus in 305 gathered the inhabitants of the surrounding lands in Alexandria to offer sacrifices to the pagan gods. Crowds of people in the city squares, sacrificial fires, the roar of slaughtered animals struck Catherine, and the girl came to the emperor in the palace to denounce the pagans.

The emperor was captivated by the beauty of the girl, and he wanted to convince her to abandon the Christian faith. To do this, he called 50 wise men, but after a dispute with Catherine, they themselves believed in the truth of Christian teaching. Enraged, Maximinus ordered the philosophers to be burned at the stake. When their bodies were found unburned, many people believed in Christ.

Having heard about the faith, courage and virtues of the virgin, the wife of Maximin and his soldiers believed in the Lord. All attempts by the Roman ruler to persuade the saint to paganism were in vain, and on his orders Catherine was thrown into prison. Empress Augusta came to her along with the commander Porfiry and 200 soldiers.

After 12 days of confinement, Maximin wanted to subject St. Catherine to terrible torture, for which a device in the form of four wheels with nails was placed on the city square. The rotation of the wheels would have simply crushed the body of the saint, but when Catherine was tied to them, the mechanism collapsed, and the wheels scattered, from which many of those who came to watch the execution were crippled. This miracle also inspired the people who were in the square to believe in Christ.

Augusta wanted to prevent the torment of Catherine and personally asked her husband for admonition, but he, in anger, tortured his wife, and then ordered the execution of her, Porfiry and the soldiers.

Catherine herself suffered execution the next day - the martyr's head was cut off with a sword. Tradition says that instead of blood, milk flowed from the head of the righteous woman, and the angels lifted her body and carried it to Mount Sinai. IN Orthodox Church the memory of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine, the Martyr Augusta, the Martyr Porfiry and two hundred soldiers are celebrated on December 7 (November 24 according to the old style).

Acquisition of relics and veneration

In the 6th century, monks from the Sinai Monastery acquired the relics of the saint - the head and left hand. They transferred them to their monastery, which later began to bear the name of St. Catherine. From here, the news of the saint spread throughout the Christian world. The relics of the Great Martyr Catherine are kept in the altar of the Basilica of the Transfiguration of the Lord. The head of St. Catherine is covered with a crown. Cancer with relics from the altar is taken out after matins on the days of the Lord's holidays. For the constant worship of pilgrims, a reliquary with a particle of holy relics at the icon of the Great Martyr Catherine was installed in the basilica. When visiting Egypt in the Sinai, believers, in addition to the monastery, try to visit Mount St. Catherine, where the relics of the martyr were found.

Belarusians also have the opportunity to bow to the icon of the Great Martyr Catherine. The image of the saint with a particle of her relics is in the Elisabeth Church of the St. Elisabeth Monastery in Minsk.

December 7(November 24, old style) The Church honors Commemoration of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine. This is one of the most famous and revered Christian saints, both in the Eastern and Western churches. Catherine - " always clean”(translated from Greek), according to life - the chosen bride of Christ, to whom the Heavenly Bridegroom Himself handed His wedding ring.

Veneration of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine

The first mention of the celebration of the memory of St. vmts. Catherine belong to the VIII century. The veneration of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine is closely connected with the history of the Sinai Monastery, that is, with the earliest history of Christianity, and in Russia it goes back to the times Kievan Rus. So, already in one of the oldest November menaias (XI century) there is a service to her. The life and martyrdom of the saint were included in the Great Fourth Menaion of Saint Macarius and the prologues (collections of the lives of the saints). Particles of the relics of St. Catherine were contained in 2 reliquaries from the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin - a pectoral cross-reliquary of the 70s. 15th century and in the carved folded icon “Praise of the Mother of God” with selected saints on the reverse (3rd quarter of the 15th century).

Holy Great Martyr Catherine. Troparion and kontakion

The service to the Holy Great Martyr Catherine is not marked with a special festive sign and is sung together with the service of the afterfeast and St. mch. Mercury.

Troparion:

With virtues, like the rays of the sun, you enlightened the unfaithful sages. And like the bright moon to those who walk in the night, you drove away the darkness of unbelief, and you assured the queen, together with the tormentor of the guise, the god-called bride, blessed Catherine. Desire to flow into the heavenly chamber, to the Beautiful Bridegroom Christ, and crowned with a royal crown from Him. He is standing with angels, pray for us who create your most honorable memory.

Kondak:

Ornate today, Catherine the Martyr, and denounce the mentally harmful heresy with her ornates. An angel from heaven to that coming, bring strength from the Most High. Having received a manly speech, Christ is the praise of a martyr.

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Folk traditions on the day of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine

The name of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine was very popular among other female names, especially in our time, so the name day is a very notable event in church calendar, rightfully decorating a modest Lenten meal with rich, festive pies.

Previously, the so-called Catherine's festivities were very popular among the people. On this day, it was impossible to sit at home, it was necessary for the whole village to have fun and rejoice. In Rus', young people rode sleds from hills and horse-drawn sleighs. The grooms tried to look after themselves a good bride during the festivities in order to arrange a wedding for the winter meat-eater. The girls, in turn, asked the saint to find a good and worthy groom.

They also turn to the holy great martyr for help during pregnancy and in difficult childbirth. In the West, she is considered the patroness of students and all students, as in Russia, St. Tatyana.

Holy Great Martyr Catherine. Icons

“Icon-painting original”, compiled at the beginning of the 20th century by S.T. Bolshakov, based on the originals of the 16th century, reports that Saint Catherine is depicted as follows: “There is a royal crown on her head, her hair is simple, like a girl’s, an azure robe, cinnabar underwear (red underwear), royal barmas (precious jewelry on clothes) to the hem, both on the shoulders and on the sleeves, the sleeves are wide, in right hand A cross, and a scroll in the left, and in it he writes: “Lord God, hear me, grant remission of sins to those who remember the name of Catherine, and at the hour of his exodus, see him off in peace and give him a place of rest.”

Thus, only without a scroll, she is depicted on an icon of the beginning of the 13th century from the monastery of St. Catherine on Mount Sinai. Perhaps it was this icon that served as the main temple image and was located near the shrine with the relics of the saint.

Sometimes St. Catherine is depicted in a red cloak - the traditional attire of martyrs and a blue chiton. The head of the saint can be covered with a white veil, symbolizing chastity, spiritual and bodily purity.

In the 16th century, a new iconographic variant appeared in Russian art - “The Prayer of the Great Martyr Catherine for the People”, which is not found in Byzantine or Balkan art. The saint is depicted with a scroll in her hand containing the text of her dying prayer, behind Catherine is an executioner with a sword; sometimes a wheel and fortifications of Alexandria are depicted nearby.

Probably, this iconography arose due to the veneration of St. Catherine as an intercessor "at the end of the soul": before the execution, she prayed to the Lord to forgive all the sins of those who would remember her before her death. Sometimes kneeling believers are depicted at the saint's feet, resorting to her prayerful intercession.

Temples in honor of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine

Currently there are up to 300 temples in the name of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine, both in Russia itself and abroad: in Finland, Italy, Hungary, Romania, Cyprus, Turkey and Egypt.

Among the most ancient buildings in Rus', the Novgorod Church in honor of the Great Martyr is known, it is mentioned in the list of wooden churches that burned down in 1310, later (from the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries) it appears as a stone chapel of the Church of the Assumption at the Market.

The history of the first Moscow church of the Great Martyr Catherine begins at the end of the 16th century, when a craft settlement appeared on Vspolye (Bolshaya Ordynka Street), arranged through the efforts of Anastasia Romanovna, the first wife of Tsar Ivan the Terrible. She also built a wooden temple here, known from the chronicle sources of 1612.

The monastery of St. Catherine is one of the oldest continuously operating Christian monasteries in the world, founded in the 4th century in the center of the Sinai Peninsula. Among the abbots of the monastery, the most famous is St. John of the Ladder. Originally called the Monastery of the Transfiguration or Burning Bush. After the acquisition of the relics of St. Catherine and the spread of her veneration, the monastery acquired its real name by the 11th century - the monastery of St. Catherine.

Church in the name of the Nativity of Christ in Yekaterinburg on this day celebrates, as it were, the second throne. Due to the inability to come to Yekaterinburg on the day patronal feast, on Christmas Day, for several years now, believers from all over the area have been gathering here a month earlier, on the day of memory of St. Catherine, who gave the city its name.

The city was founded in 1723 as the capital of the mining region. The name of the city was given in honor of Catherine the Great. During the reign of Catherine II, the main road was laid through the city Russian Empire- Siberian tract. Ekaterinburg has become a key city to boundless and rich Siberia, a “window to Asia”, just as St. Petersburg was a Russian “window to Europe”.

Today Yekaterinburg is the fourth most populous city in Russia (after Moscow, St. Petersburg and Novosibirsk).

Despite the fact that the icon of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine can be seen in almost every Orthodox church Very little information about her earthly life has been preserved. Their most complete and reliable source is the memoirs of the servant and personal stenographer - Athanasius. In addition, the saint of God is mentioned in the work of the Byzantine religious figure and writer Simeon Metafrastus, as well as in the works of several medieval authors whose names have not been established. Nevertheless, due to the significance and pedagogical edification of her example, she is among the most revered Christian saints.

The young Egyptian Dorothea

Today, while offering prayers before the icon of the Great Martyr Catherine and perceiving it as an integral part of Russian Orthodoxy, we sometimes forget that the saint depicted on it is a legacy of ancient Christian Egypt, or rather, of that period in the history of this state, when all who professed the teachings of the Savior were subjected to the most severe persecution. However, this is exactly the case.

The city of Alexandria became the birthplace of the future saint, and her birth coincided with the reign of the Roman emperor Maximin, who ruled from 235 to 238. More exact date failed to install. It is known that at birth she was named Dorothea, but the name indicated on the icon of the Great Martyr - Catherine - was given to her only after receiving holy baptism.

The intractable bride

It is known that the childhood of young Dorothea, who grew up in a family of rich and respected pagans, was happy and truly cloudless. Parents tried not to refuse her anything and to indulge the slightest whims. When the girl grew up, and it was time to study, the best teachers were invited to her, who later noted her outstanding mind and ability to absorb the material she had studied.

A sharp mind and a wonderful memory were combined in a girl with outstanding beauty, which can sometimes be seen on the icons of the Great Martyr Catherine, so familiar to most believers. This peculiarity of her, which was very advantageously combined with the wealth of her parents, and, consequently, with her future dowry, attracted the most enviable suitors to Dorothea. The bride, who knew her own worth, refused everyone under the simple pretext that she did not see a worthy chosen one among them.

Comprehension of the basics of Christianity

The icons of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine, whose photos are presented in the article, show us the image of an adamant follower of Christ's teachings, however, such a high spiritual growth of the young virgin was preceded by a certain period. It began with a visit by Dorothea to a Syrian desert monk who was hiding from his pagan persecutors in one of the remote caves.

Dorothea was brought to him by her mother, who secretly confessed the teachings of Christ. Since the icons of St. The Great Martyr Catherine is usually depicted against the backdrop of a hilly and lifeless desert landscape, it can be assumed that this is exactly what the area looked like, surrounded by which her spiritual growth took place. A similar example is shown above.

The hermit taught the young virgin the basics of true teaching and told that there is only one groom in the world - Jesus Christ, who should open his heart. Saying goodbye, he presented his student with an icon depicting the Queen of Heaven and taught her how to prayerfully ask for intercession from Her Eternal Son.

holy baptism

On one of the following nights, Dorothea was able to see a wondrous vision: barely thin dream clouded the eyes of the young maiden, as the tender gaze of the Queen of Heaven warmed her, but the Infant Jesus, who was in the arms of the Mother, turned away from her and refused to show her His Most Pure Face until she washed her sins in the baptismal font.

The next morning, the virgin hurried to see her teacher again and, telling him about the night vision, asked him to immediately perform the rite of baptism on her. He willingly agreed and in the holy sacrament gave her the name of Catherine. The icon of the Holy Great Martyr shows us her already washed in the font and entered the bosom of Christ's Church.

Gift of the Heavenly Bridegroom

Returning home and feeling tired from the long journey, Catherine sank down on the bed and barely closed her eyes, when again the Queen of Heaven appeared to her with Her Eternal Son. But this time, turning His face to her, Jesus with a gentle smile handed the virgin a ring, or rather, a wedding ring, symbolizing that from now on she is his bride. What were her amazement and joy when, waking up from a dream, Catherine saw on her hand the tangible gift of the Heavenly Bridegroom.

Godly Intention

In those ancient pagan times that preceded the establishment of Christianity as the state religion of the Roman Empire, Egypt was part of it as one of the many provinces. According to the existing tradition, every year in its largest cities, among which was Alexandria, religious festivities were held with the participation of the emperor himself.

In anticipation of one of them, the newly converted Christian woman was filled with the desire to speak with the crowned bearer and, having revealed to him the true teaching of Christ, convince him of the perniciousness of pagan errors. On most icons, the Great Martyr Catherine is depicted holding a palm branch or flowers in her hands, and this is no coincidence - both one and the other are a symbol of love and peace, on which the teachings of the Savior are based. It was them that the young Christian woman intended to present as a gift to the pagan emperor.

wise maiden

When Catherine tried to carry out her plan and turned to the emperor, he was somewhat puzzled by the highly philosophical meaning of her words and, not having the habit of discussing such topics, resorted to the help of the priests who accompanied him. However, no matter how they tried to refute the statements of their opponent, they were defeated by the weight of the arguments given to her. It is characteristic that on some icons the Great Martyr Catherine (the photo is presented in the article) is depicted holding an unfolded scroll in her hands, which is traditionally a symbol of wisdom.

New Christian Martyrs

Having witnessed the fiasco that his wise men suffered, the emperor became very angry and immediately ordered them to be sent to the fire (in those days, although they were not fired under the article “on incomplete official compliance,” work among the “staff” was carried out very seriously). By the way, from the records of Catherine's servant - Athanasius, who was mentioned at the beginning of the article, it is known that, standing on the verge of death, the disgraced priests spiritually received their sight and, having announced publicly that they were convinced of the truth of the teachings of Christ, expressed a desire to die for him. Of course, the executioners did not have to be persuaded for a long time.

In particular, the following detail is noted: when the fires went out, all those present were amazed that the dead bodies of newly converted Christians were not touched by fire, and their faces expressed unearthly bliss. In the future, their burial places became centers of universal pilgrimage, where many miracles happened.

Dungeon as the last argument in the dispute

As you know, at all times the rulers, not finding verbal arguments, resorted to the help of brute force. It happened this time as well. The emperor ordered the fearless maiden to be sent to prison and, with the help of an experienced executioner, forced to renounce her beliefs. The meaning of the icon of the Great Martyr Catherine, on which she is depicted next to the cogwheel, which became one of the instruments of her torment, lies precisely in the glorification of her spiritual firmness and readiness for suffering for the sake of the Heavenly Bridegroom, who relentlessly supported her in those tragic days.

Under the protection of the Heavenly Bridegroom

Literary monuments, and first of all, the life compiled after the canonization of the saint, tell that, wanting to break Catherine's strength with hunger, the jailers did not give her food for 25 days, but every night a dove - the messenger of the Lord, brought food to the prisoner. The Heavenly Bridegroom did not leave her even in the days when the executioners tried to resort to other methods of their gloomy "art". Falling from fatigue and replacing each other, they were unable to shake the will of the fragile girl, kept from torment by Divine grace. Even when she was brought to the very wheel that is depicted on the icon, it suddenly overturned and crumbled to dust, defeated by an unknown force.

Having lost hope of forcing Catherine to renounce Christianity, the emperor ordered that her head be cut off, but even bending over the chopping block, the great ascetic remained firm. When the executioner carried out the order, to everyone's amazement and fear, not blood, but milk flowed from the open wound. And at the same moment two angels descended from heaven and in front of everyone carried the lifeless body to the top of Mount Sinai.

Miracle at the top of Sinai

The acquisition of the incorruptible relics of the Great Martyr Catherine took place after 300 years. The abbot of the monastery, located at the foot of the mountain, on which the angels once carried the body of God's saint, an unknown voice ordered, together with the brethren, to climb to the top, where the shrine rests. Without delay, the monks set off on their journey and, rising up among the clouds, found the body of the great martyr, untouched by corruption for the entire period that had passed since the day of execution. It was not difficult to identify him by the ring preserved on his hand.

Having gone down, the monks transferred the relics they had acquired to their monastery. Today they rest in the marble shrine of the Sinai Monastery, founded and named in her honor (photo above). There, pilgrims can also bow to the main icon of the Great Martyr Catherine of Alexandria, in which a reliquary (a special capsule for storing the relics of saints) with her finger is mounted.

Miraculous icon from a Moscow church

When the light of Christianity shone in Rus', the custom of worshiping all the saints inherited from the Byzantine church was established. Among them was the Great Martyr Catherine. In Moscow, the icon of this saint of God, revered as miraculous, was traditionally kept in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, although her drawings - other samples, made in accordance with the established canon, could be found very often. And today they can be seen not only in churches, but also in the home iconostases of most believers.

Holy intercessors before God

In 2009, the relics of the saint were brought from the Sinai Monastery to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, once destroyed and rebuilt in the 90s of the last century, for general worship. This undoubtedly served to further popularize it among the people, who had barely overcome the period of godlessness imposed during the years of communist rule. And today, millions of believers offer prayers before the icon of the Great Martyr Catherine. What to ask this saint, and in what cases can her help be most effective?

It is known that the saints themselves cannot influence people's lives, but the Lord granted them the right to intercede before Him for those who are still making their earthly journey. He is especially sensitive to requests relating to those areas of life in which this or that saint himself once succeeded. Thus, in the life of any saint, you can get an answer to the question of which of our petitions through prayers to him is most likely to be fulfilled.

How does the icon of the Great Martyr Catherine help?

So, given the extraordinary ability of the Great Martyr Catherine to assimilate knowledge, believers have the right to expect from her a successful intercession before God for help in their studies. In addition, her wisdom in her days on earth is a compelling reason for prayer when an important decision needs to be made.

Further, it should be noted that St. Catherine is considered one of the patronesses of marriage, since she was chosen as her bride by the best groom in the world - our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, before her image, it is customary to offer prayers for the upcoming marriage, and those who have already found this happiness ask for its preservation for long years. And, finally, it is to the mediation of this Great Martyr Catherine that they resort, asking the Lord for strength and courage to overcome worldly hardships and hardships, since she herself was abundantly filled with these virtues.

December 7 is the day of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine. The biography of this Alexandrian princess is amazing, who, having experienced a meeting with Christ, completely changed her life and was not afraid to accept martyrdom for Him. In history, Catherine also remained known for her beauty and wisdom: in a verbal dispute, she defeated one of the most educated philosophers of her time.

Saint Catherine was born in Alexandria. She came from a royal family, received an excellent education even by today's standards. Already at the age of 18, she knew how to speak several languages, she perfectly knew the works of ancient poets and philosophers - Homer, Virgil, Aristotle, Plato and others, was interested in medicine, read the works of Asclepius and Hippocrates, mastered the art of rhetoric.

Catherine firmly decided not to marry and remain a virgin for the rest of her life. Her life does not say what were the reasons for such a decision, but at that time the girl was not yet a Christian and, despite her education, she did not know Christianity.

Relatives insisted on marriage, and Catherine said that she would marry only that young man who would surpass her in nobility, beauty, wisdom and wealth. That is, by the qualities in which she surpassed the rest of the girls.

“I want to have a groom only equal to me. Any young man who does not have at least one of these talents is not worthy of me, and I do not want to be his wife, ”said Catherine.

The answer sounded very proud, but it gave Catherine the opportunity to remain unmarried: they really could not find a husband who would fit on all these points.

But the mother took Catherine to her spiritual mentor, a Christian elder, and he, after talking with the girl, decided to teach her Christianity and began to talk about the young man who surpassed her in all qualities. In fact, he was talking about Christ, and the girl decided that about some earthly young man and wanted to see him.

The elder gave her an icon of the Mother of God and said that this was the Mother of the Young Man, about whom he had spoken to her. If Catherine prays to Her and asks to show her Son, she will see an extraordinary Young Man.

Education did not prevent Catherine from believing the words of the elder, she innocently took the icon, brought it home and began to pray. In a dream, the Mother of God really appeared to her with the Child in her arms. But the Child turned away and did not want to look at Catherine, called her crazy, poor and thin, and in the end said that Catherine should go to the old man and learn from him.

In the morning Catherine went to the elder. He taught her the secrets of faith, told about Adam, Eve, the fall and death on the cross Christ. After that, Catherine again prayed to the Mother of God, and the Infant Christ not only looked at her, but when Catherine exclaimed that she was not worthy to be near Him, he gave her a ring and said that he had chosen her as His bride, incorruptible and eternal.

Of course, this was not an earthly marriage, which Catherine or her relatives used to talk about. It was the highest, mysterious union with God, the beginning of church, Christian life.

Soon the pagan emperor Maximian arrived in Alexandria, and celebrations began in honor of the pagan gods. The emperor and his courtiers slaughtered cattle and performed sacrifices. The cries of animals, blood, cruel rites - all this was unbearable for Catherine to see. She came to the pagan temple to convince Maximian not to do this and stop believing in false gods altogether.

The beauty of Catherine surprised and attracted the emperor, and the words caused great irritation. He tried to convince the girl, and then decided to call 50 smartest philosophers and wise men to defeat her in a verbal argument. The sages hoped to shame the impudent girl, but for each of their answers she cited quotes from ancient authors who refuted the words of the sages and proved her right. She told them about Christ, and the philosophers believed in Catherine's God and asked her to pray for them when the angry emperor ordered them to be executed for not defeating Catherine.

The girl herself was imprisoned in a dungeon and left without food and water. A dove sent from God brought her food. And when Maximian left the city, his wife Augusta came to her, accompanied by the commander Porfiry. The Empress saw Catherine in a dream and now she was glad that God had honored her with a meeting with the saint. Catherine predicted to her and Porfiry martyrdom for Christ. Naturally, Augusta began to fear the coming torment, but Catherine reassured her and said that Christ Himself would be the assistant to the empress.

Soon the emperor returned and was angry that Catherine, even after the dungeon, did not want to worship his gods and become his wife. He was preparing a painful execution for her, and the Empress Augusta dared to argue with him and dissuade him from torturing Catherine. Maximian vented his irritation on her and gave Augusta a painful execution.

“He ordered to bring a large box and fill it with tin so that it would not move, to stuff nails into the lid of the box and, pinching his wife's nipples between the box and the lid, squeeze them. And the tormentors, inflicting unspeakable suffering on the saint, squeezed her nipples until they came off. Blessed Augusta, enduring terrible pain, rejoiced that she was suffering for the True God, and prayed to Him: may He grant her His grace-filled help. When the nipples came off, the blood flowed like a river, and all around were filled with pity for her, enduring such a terrible and unbearable torment. But the merciless tormentor did not pardon his wife and ordered her to cut off her head with a sword. She, having listened to the verdict with joy, said to Saint Catherine:

Slave of the True God, pray for me!”

So it is told in the Life of Catherine.

Maximian wanted to place Catherine herself between wooden wheels with iron points. The wheels were supposed to turn different sides and just crush Catherine's body. As it is said in the Life, “as soon as we started this torment, an angel suddenly descended from heaven, freed the saint from the bonds, and crushed the wheels to pieces; moreover, the wheels, broken with force, flew to the sides and struck many unbelievers to death. Seeing such a glorious miracle, all the people exclaimed:

Great is the Christian God!

The appearance of the Angel did not convince Maximian, he was extremely annoyed and again tried to convince Catherine to bow to the pagan gods and share the kingdom with him, become an empress. The commander Porfiry and the soldiers tried to object to the emperor, but he ordered that their heads be cut off.

After that, Maximian tried for the last time to convince Catherine, and when he realized that it was useless, he ordered her head to be cut off. Before her execution, the saint had time to thank God for giving her patience and strength, and to ask Him to hear the prayers of those who would call on His name through her.

When Catherine's head was cut off, it was not blood that flowed from the wound, but milk. According to legend, the angels immediately took her body and carried it to Mount Sinai.

For a long time, the holy relics of Catherine remained in obscurity in the ground and were discovered only after more than 200 years. In the 30-40s of the VI century, the monks of the Sinai monastery, founded by the Byzantine emperor Justinian, were miraculously informed from above that the relics of the Great Martyr Catherine rest incorruptibly not far from them, and received an order to transfer them to the newly created temple of the Sinai monastery. The monks really found the holy relics in the indicated place, incorruptible and fragrant. True, they were not fully acquired - only the head and left hand. These parts of the incorruptible body of the martyr of Christ were then solemnly transferred to the Sinai monastery and are now located there.

At present, the holy relics of the Great Martyr Catherine are preserved in a small marble reliquary in the altar of the great temple of the Sinai monastery in the name of the Transfiguration of the Lord, on the right side of the throne. The holy head of Catherine is covered with a golden crown, and a precious ring is put on her finger in memory of the solemn betrothal of Saint Catherine with the Heavenly Bridegroom - Christ. In the shrine, parts of the holy relics rest on a silver tray, under which lies a large layer of fragrant cotton wool. When parts of the relics are taken out for veneration by the brethren, they are placed in the middle of the temple, along with other relics of the shrine, on a table specially prepared for this. The relics of St. Catherine are opened for a distant pilgrim at any time, but for the brethren and near strangers - only at the end of Matins on the Lord's feasts.

In 1689, Emperor Peter the Great donated a silver forged shrine to the Sinai Monastery for the relics of St. Catherine. “Fear from the greed of Muslims, from the publicity of travelers,” notes the famous bishop Porfiry, who was in Sinai, “accustomed the Sinai to hide this jewel.”

In the West, the Great Martyr Catherine is considered the patroness of students.