Day of Remembrance of the Holy Great Martyr Barbara (17/12)

« Let us honor the holy barbarian: crush the enemies of the net, and for the bird get rid of them, I help and use the weapons of the Cross, all-honest».

On December 17, the Orthodox world celebrates the day of remembrance of the Holy Great Martyr Barbara, who suffered in 306 during the reign of Emperor Maximian.

Holy Great Martyr Barbara was born in the city of Iliopolis, into a noble pagan family. She was the only daughter of one noble and wealthy man, — Dioscorus. He was a persistent pagan and carefully protected his daughter from the influence of Christians. But Barbara's heart sought one unknown God. Her bright mind could not recognize the power of the pagan gods. Varvara did not want to think about marriage, although her father strongly wanted to marry off his daughter. Thinking that the cause of such disgust was her loneliness, he allowed her to go wherever she wanted.

This is how Saint Barbara met Christians who revealed to her the secrets of the divine teaching of Jesus Christ. Her heart, which had long sought truth, gladly received the good news of the salvation of the human race, and soon the girl became a Christian. Having learned about this, Dioscorus delivered his daughter into the hands of the tormentors.

Martianus, the ruler of that region, touched by the wonderful beauty of Barbara, tried to persuade her to renounce Christ. But the saint announced that she would gladly accept a painful death for the sake of her God and Savior. After much torment, she was thrown into prison, where at night the Lord Himself appeared to her in a vision. He encouraged her and healed her wounds.

The next day, the saint was subject to new torture, which she endured with such courage that one of the witnesses to her suffering, Juliana, suddenly came out of the people and declared herself a Christian. She was immediately captured and, hanging on a tree next to St. Barbara, subjected to terrible torment, after which both saints had their heads cut off.

On the same day, Dioscorus and Martianus were burned by lightning during a thunderstorm, so that not even bones remained of them.

The relics of the Holy Great Martyr Barbara currently rest in the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv, where they were transferred from the city of Constantinople by the Greek Princess Barbara, the wife of Grand Duke Svyatopolk, the grandson of St. Vladimir.

The Catholic Church celebrates St. Barbara's Day on December 4th.

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