Commemorated on November
25th
Also spelled as "Saint Catherine". It is proper to spell her
name either way.
The Holy Great Martyr Katherine was the daughter of Constus, the
governor of Alexandria in Egypt, during the reign of the emperor
Maximian (305-313). Living in the capital, Katherine received a most
splendid education, having studied the works of the finest
philosophers and teachers. Young men from the most worthy families
of the empire sought the hand of the beautiful Katherine, but none
of them was chosen. She declared to her parents that she would only
enter into marriage with someone who surpassed her in reputation,
wealth, beauty and wisdom.
Katherine's mother, a secret Christian, sent her for advice to
her own spiritual father -- a saintly elder pursuing prayerful deeds
in solitude in a cave not far from the city. Having listened to
Katherine, the elder said that he knew of a youth, who surpassed her
in everything, such that "His beauty was more radiant than the
shining of the sun, His wisdom governed all creation, His riches
were spread throughout all the world ". The image of the Christ
produced in the soul of the holy maiden an ardent desire to see Him.
In parting, the elder handed Katherine an icon of the Mother of God
with the God-Child Jesus on Her arm and bid her to pray with faith
to Mary to show her a vision of Her Son.
Katherine prayed all night and was able to see the Most Holy
Virgin who told Her Divine Son to look upon the kneeling of
Katherine before Them. But the Child turned His face away from her
saying that He was not able to look at her because she was ugly, of
shabby lineage, beggarly and mindless like every person -- not
washed with the waters of holy Baptism and not sealed with the seal
of the Holy Spirit. Katherine returned again to the elder deeply
saddened. He lovingly received her, instructed her in the faith of
Christ, admonished her to preserve her purity and integrity and to
pray unceasingly; he then performed over her the sacrament of holy
Baptism. And again Saint Katherine had a vision of the Most Holy
Mother of God with Her Child. Now the Lord looked tenderly at her
and gave her a ring -- a wondrous gift of the Heavenly Bridegroom.
At this time the emperor Maximian was himself in Alexandria for a
pagan feast day. Because of this, the feast was especially splendid
and crowded. The cries of the sacrificial animals, the smoke and the
smell of the sacrifices, the endless blazing of fires, and the
bustling crowds at the arenas filled Alexandria. Human victims also
were brought -- because they chose to die in the fire rather than
deny Christ under torture. The Saint's love for the Christian
martyrs and her fervent desire to lighten their fate impelled
Katherine to go to the emperor-persecutor Maximian.
Introducing herself, the saint confessed her Christian faith and
with wisdom denounced the errors of the pagans. The beauty of the
maiden captivated the emperor. In order to convince her and show the
superiority of pagan wisdom, the emperor gave orders to gather 50 of
the most learned men of the empire, but the Saint got the better of
the wise men, such that they themselves came to believe in Christ.
Saint Katherine shielded them with the sign of the cross, and they
bravely accepted death for Christ and were burnt by order of the
emperor.
Maximian, no longer hoping to convince the saint, tried to entice
her with the promise of riches and fame. Having received an angry
refusal, the emperor gave orders to subject the saint to terrible
tortures and then throw her in prison. The Empress Augusta, who had
heard much about Katherine, wanted to see her. Having succeeded in
convincing the military-commander Porphyry to accompany her with a
detachment of soldiers, Augusta went to the prison. The strong
spirit of Saint Katherine, whose face glowed with Divine grace,
impressed the empress. The holy martyr explained the teachings of
the Christians to the people and they believed and were converted to
Christ.
On the following day they again brought the her to the judgment
court where, under the threat of being tortured on a wheel of spikes
and nails, they urged that she recant from the Christian faith and
offer sacrifice to the pagan gods. The saint steadfastly confessed
Christ and she herself approached the wheel; but an Angel smashed
the sharp tools, which broke up into pieces that hit pagans who were
passing by. Having beheld this wonder, the empress Augusta and the
imperial courtier Porphyry with 200 soldiers confessed their faith
in Christ in front of everyone, and they were beheaded. Maximian
again tried to entice Saint Katherine, proposing marriage to her,
and again he received a refusal. She confessed her fidelity to the
Heavenly Bridegroom Christ, and with a prayer to Him she herself put
her head on the block under the sword of the executioner and was
beheaded.
Source:
www.antiochian.org |
