Saint Catherine of Alexandria is a Christian martyr

Among the many Christian saints, the Great Martyr Catherine of Alexandria occupies a special place. To faith in Christ, she came after a thorough study of the works of educators of their time and past centuries. This knowledge helped her to understand that only a single and all-powerful Creator could create this world, full of evidence of his presence in it. When she was the appearance of the Mother of God with the Eternal Infant in her arms, she took them into her heart without a shadow of a doubt.

Childhood and youth of the future ascetic

St. Catherine of Alexandria was born in Egypt in the second half of the third century. She came from a royal family and from an early age lived in the proper position of her luxury. However, not the games and fun seduced the mind of a young girl. Her main passion was study. The city of Alexandria, in which she lived, has long been famous for its library, which housed the works of thinkers of the past. To them Saint Catherine devoted all her time.

Hardly eighteen years old, she already knew the works of Homer, Plato, Virgil and Aristotle. In addition, having a tendency to natural sciences, she studied the works of famous doctors such as Hippocrates, Asclepia and Galin. To top it off, the learned maid comprehended the subtleties of oratory and dialectics. Discussions with learned men she easily led in many languages and dialects. Pondering everything read in the ancient manuscripts, she came to the idea that the creator of the world around her must be some great and mighty mind, and not those man-made idols that the Egyptians worshiped at that time.

Bride of the royal family

In addition to extensive knowledge and a bright mind, Catherine of Alexandria possessed an extraordinary beauty. Is it any wonder that with such dignity, and even having a noble lineage, she was among the most desired brides in the state. She constantly made offers from many enviable grooms, trying to touch her with declarations of love and deceive by promises of a happy and rich life.

However, the proud girl refused everything, and finally her family began to insist that she still made a choice and gave them an heir to all the riches that belong to her by right of kinship. But apparently, the enemy of the human race instilled pride in her heart, and in answer to them the virgin declared that she would marry only for that young man who, in equal measure with her, would be rich, intelligent, and handsome. She does not agree to anything less, since she has the most four virtues of all the girls in the world. If such an ideal is not found, then she is ready to remain in her virginity until old age, but not degrade herself to an unequal marriage.

The news of the heavenly groom

Hearing such reckless speeches, the mother of the girl decided to resort to the help of one elder hermit who, confessing the forbidden Christianity at that time, lived outside the city, in a cave. This wise man, after listening to Catherine, decided to enlighten her with the light of those truths that until now were hidden from her, despite all her learning.

He told her that there is a young man in the world who surpasses the wisdom of all living on earth, and his beauty is comparable only to the sun's rays. The whole visible and invisible world is in his power, and the wealth that he distributes with a generous hand, not only does not decrease, but increases with each time. His lineage is so high that it is incomprehensible to the human mind. After these words, the elder handed the icon to Catherine, on which was depicted the Blessed Virgin with her divine baby. Reverently pressing her precious burden to her breast, Catherine left the old man.

Vision of the Blessed Virgin

Excited by the story of the old man, Catherine of Alexandria returned home, and on the very first night in her sleep, the Mother of God appeared with the baby in her arms. It was a great joy for her to feel the gaze of the Virgin, but her Eternal Son hid her face from the girl, and in response to pleas she commanded her to return to the old man and through him to comprehend the truths that will allow her to see his divine features. Catherine silently bowed before the baby Jesus and his mother. Her soul was filled with a burning desire to be enlightened as soon as possible by the teaching that will lead her to God. She woke up from sleep, she did not close her eyes till morning, again and again experiencing what she had seen in her dream.

The Light of Christ's Faith

The next day, hardly dawn, she was again in the same cave, and the righteous husband told her the great teaching of Jesus Christ. Holding her breath, she listened to the blessedness of the righteous in paradise and the eternal torment of those who had walked the path of sin all their lives. She discovered all the indisputable superiority of the true Christian faith over pagan prejudices. The divine light shone on her soul.

Returning home, St. Catherine prayed for a long time and, when her dream was over, she saw the Holy Virgin again, but this time the divine Son graciously looked at her. He put a ring on the finger of a newly converted Christian and ordered her not to enter into an earthly marriage. When Catherine woke up, when she saw this gift of God on her hand, she realized that from now on she was engaged to the Christ himself.

Christian preaching in the pagan temple

In those years when the light of Christianity shone in the soul of the young virgin, all of Egypt was still drowned in the darkness of paganism, and adherents of the true faith were subjected to severe persecutions. It so happened that the ruler of the country came to Alexandria - the wicked Tsar Maximin, devoted to idol worship to fanaticism. He ordered a grand feast in their honor and sent messengers to all the ends of the country with the demand to convoke the inhabitants for universal sacrifice.

Catherine of Alexandria, together with all, came to the temple, where they were to honor the stone and bronze idols, but instead of taking part in the general madness, she boldly turned to the king with the words in which she denounced these demonic delusions. She not only tried to turn him and all those present from paganism, but spoke to them about the One Creator of the world and the great doctrine that he brought to people.

Philosophical debate and promises of wealth

Angered by anger, the ruler ordered her to be taken to prison, but, sparing youth and beauty, did not rush to extreme measures. He sent his wise men to her to persuade the girl and return her to the path that Maximin thought was right. For a long time his envoys were eloquent in eloquence, but Catherine so wisely and weighedly answered them that they left shameful.

Then the king resorted to the most important, in his opinion, means - the promise of innumerable earthly goods for the renunciation of Christianity hated to him. However, this did not help either. What did all earthly riches and honors mean to her in comparison with the eternal bliss that she sought to find in the Kingdom of the heavenly groom. All the promises were just an empty sound for her.

Sacrifice for the triumph of truth

And then the eyes of the ruler were covered with a veil of anger. He gave the innocent virgin to the hands of his most skillful executioner and ordered by torture to make her renounce Christ. But a miracle happened. All his terrible tools fell into the dust in the blink of an eye, as soon as he took them into his hands. It ended with the horror of him and all the helpers, and they informed the king that the Higher Powers protect the captive and clearly demonstrate the truth of her words.

But the wicked king was deaf to their arguments, not wanting to back away from their delusions, ordered immediately to execute Catherine. This Christian martyr was beheaded in 304, and her blood was irrigated by a fertile field on which the living fruits of Christianity ascended. She and thousands of such devotees with their lives laid the mighty foundation of the temple of a new faith, which soon embraced the entire civilized world.

Monastery at Sinai and the Basilica in St. Petersburg

After a while the holy relics of Catherine of Alexandria were transferred to Sinai and settled in a monastery bearing its name. The Russian sovereign, Peter I, paying tribute to St. Catherine, the heavenly patroness of his wife Empress Catherine I, ordered them to make and send silver to Sinai.

In the very Northern Capital of Russia, on its main thoroughfare - Nevsky Prospekt, the Catholic Church of Catherine of Alexandria was built.

He opened his doors in 1783 in the reign of another empress who bore her name, Catherine II, who was also under the heavenly protection of this saint. The temple, or, as it is called, the basilica, has survived to this day, and its photo is presented above. The parish of Catherine of Alexandria is one of the other Catholic communities of St. Petersburg. This building was included in the number of architectural masterpieces of the city.

Among the host of Orthodox saints, Catherine of Alexandria also takes a worthy place. Icon with the image of this saint is found in most of the temples of Russia. As a rule, it can be represented in a royal apparel, crown and with a cross in hand. Sometimes a wheel with teeth is also depicted - a weapon of torment, crushed by divine power. The Great Martyr Catherine of Alexandria prays at the throne of the Most High about the sending down of eternal life to all who for the sake of His Kingdom rejects the corruptible earthly blessings. The day of her memory is celebrated on December 7.