Many people wonder what patron saints by name and date of birth they have. Our article is entirely devoted to the answer. You will find out the name of your patron saint, and information will also be provided on how best to celebrate the name day. This day is incredibly important for every person. So, read carefully the information provided below.

Nowadays, after a long break, more and more people are beginning to revive their interest in their heavenly patrons and name days. But many continue to confuse the concepts of "name day", "birthday" and "day of the guardian angel." Also, often people simply do not think about why their name day is celebrated, say, today, and not tomorrow or some other day. Even more often, having learned that there are several saints with a certain name, people begin to wonder which one of these saints is the heavenly patron for this or that person. Let's try to understand these questions and find answers to them. These concepts simply need to be distinguished.

I think everyone knows what a birthday is and loves to celebrate it, invite guests and receive gifts. Everything is simple here: a birthday is the day on which a person was born. But let's think about it, why is it quite often that a person is called a “birthday boy” on his birthday? This is because, thanks to the long atheistic period throughout the post-Soviet space, people simply began to confuse the birthday and the day of their name days, sometimes combining them into one date. However, “birthday” and “name day” are different concepts. It is worth mentioning that before the revolution in tsarist Russia, the name day for the Orthodox was a much more important holiday than the birthday. Nowadays, they are celebrated much less often. The reason for this is the ignorance of people about the significance of the name day. But every year the situation changes and more and more people show interest in them and their heavenly patrons. So what is this day? Believers also denote it with the word "namesake". Do you know the meanings of the words "namesake", "teza"? They denote a person who has the same name. So: a certain calendar day, on which one or another saint is remembered, or several saints at once, is a namesake, festive for a person who bears the name of the saint whom they remember that day. In the common people, especially in the western parts of Ukraine and Belarus, the name day is often referred to as "the day of the angel", "the day of the guardian angel (guardian angel)", which, of course, is also not entirely correct. The mistake occurs for the reason that believers sometimes refer to their saints as angels, guardian angels. But this is not a saint, it is precisely an angel, a good spirit, given to man during the baptism of God, so that he would instruct a man during his earthly life on the path of salvation. But a person cannot know his personal name, since he is invisible to a person. Therefore, for each guardian angel, a separate day is not assigned to remember him. But certain days are established in which all the heavenly angelic powers are honored.

How to find out the name of the patron saint

So how do you find out, and when is the day of veneration for your saint appointed? And what are the patron saints by name and date of birth for each of us? After all, who determines all this? So, in order: firstly, in order to find out which of the saints is our heavenly patron, we need to look into the Saints, or, as this church-folk calendar is also called, the Months. It is there that the names of all the saints and the dates for their memory are recorded. And these dates were established by the Church, which canon this or that person as a saint. Second, patron saints are usually identified by name and date of birth. Well, this is understandable, because we know our name. However, what should we do if several saints with our name are mentioned at once in the Holy Calendar? In this case, we must choose the saint whose memory is commemorated closest to our birthday. It should also be borne in mind that the list with the saints is constantly updated as more and more saints are glorified. For example, at the Council of Bishops in 2000, the new martyrs and confessors of Russia were glorified, and if a person was baptized before 2000, then the saints by name and date of birth are determined according to the publications of the Svyatsev earlier in 2000. And if after - then the saint is determined from a wider list by date of birth, according to the publications of the Svyatsev later in 2000. And what if we do not find a saint with our own name in the Holy Calendar? For example, if a person has a non-Christian name? In this case, we must choose a patron saint who is close in name to ours. So, Dina becomes Evdokia, Angelica becomes Angelina, Jeanne Joanna, and Svetlana becomes Fotinia. But Yuri is called George at baptism. Does this mean that a person in ordinary worldly life is called by this new name? No. In worldly life, he naturally remains Yuri. And in church life, during, say, confession or communion, calling himself, he must give the church name: George. When submitting notes about health or repose, the church name of the person is also written. Previously, when they decided to name and baptize a newborn, they usually looked into the Holy Calendar and looked at the memory of which saints the Church honors on that day, and chose a patron saint for the baby by name from this list. It is on the day of the baptism of the child, and not on the day of his birth. Now this is a forgotten tradition, and in our time, few people adhere to it. They are now named mainly in honor of their relatives or in honor of some favorite characters in books or films, but not in honor of the saints. This is also because many do not know which patron saints exist by date of birth and name. For example, let's see how many saints are in one name.

Patron saint named Andrew

The name Andrey is of Greek origin. Translated, it means "courageous, brave." Since this name is very common - that was the name of one of the twelve apostles of Christ - then, accordingly, there should be many saints with this name. Let's see if this is so? Let's take a look at the Svyattsy. Yes, indeed, there are many saints named Andrei. Here they are. Hieromartyr Andrew, Bishop of Ufa (January 8), Martyr Andrew of Lampsakia (May 31), Apostle Andrew the First-Called (July 3, July 13, December 13), the Monk Andrew Rublev, icon painter (July 17), the Monk Martyr Andrew of Crete (October 30).

So, as we can see, the choice is rich. This list is far from complete. Remember that in order to determine his heavenly patron, Andrei needs to choose a saint with the name Andrei from the list, which would be the closest to his birthday.

Vladimir

What is the patron saint of the name Vladimir? It is Slavic. The first part of the name goes back to the Proto-Indo-European basis and denotes the word "strength, power". The second part of the name is borrowed from the Germanic languages ​​with the meaning "great, famous". However, this second part (-measures) among the Slavs took, under the influence of the word "peace", a different meaning, corresponding to the indicated word. It turns out that the name Vladimir means the combination "owning the world"; at the same time peace in the meaning of "Universe, globe", and peace in the meaning of "silence, peace". This name was originally pagan. But after the baptism of Russia, subsequently, the name Vladimir was canonized, since Russia was baptized by Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich. There are much fewer saints with this name than in the case of Andrew. Let's take a look at the Svyattsy. Hieromartyr Vladimir, Metropolitan of Kiev and Galicia (February 1), Martyr John Vladimir, Prince of Serbia (June 4), Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir (July 28), Martyr Priest Vladimir (August 29), Blessed Prince Vladimir Yaroslavich of Novgorod (October 17) ...

Name Dmitry

Now we will find out what the patron saint of the name Dmitry is. This Greek name means "dedicated to the goddess Demeter." The established ecclesiastical form of the name is Demetrius. There are also many saints with this name, since the name Dmitry is very common to this day. What saints with the name Demetrius are mentioned by the Saints? The Monk Dimitri Skevophilax (February 7), the righteous Dimitri Yurievsky, the son of the righteous prince Svyatoslav (February 16), the martyr of the righteous Tsarevich Dimitri of Uglich and Moscow (May 28, June 5, June 16), the Martyr Dimitri Kazan (October 15) (Martyr Dimitri November 28), righteous Demetrius (December 14).

Alexandra

Let's talk about the patron saint of the name of Alexander. This is the female form named after Alexander; has a Greek origin and is translated as "protector of people", "brave". There are not many saints with this name, frankly speaking, here they are: the Martyr Alexandra of Pontus (April 2), the Martyr Alexandra of Rome, Nicomedia, the Empress (May 6), the Martyr Alexandra of Corinth (May 31, November 19), Venerable Alexandra Diveevskaya (June 26 ), Holy Passion-Bearer Empress Alexandra (July 17). In Russia, by far the most popular saint bearing this name is the Russian empress, wife of Nicholas II, the last Russian emperor.

Anna

It is worth talking about what kind of patron saint the name of Anna is. If all the previous names we are considering (with the exception of Vladimir) were of Greek origin, then this name is Hebrew, and translates as "grace, favor, mercy, dear." This name is biblical. Since the name is very common throughout the world, there are, of course, many saints with this name, unlike Alexandra: the prophetess Anna (February 16, December 22, Martyr Anna Gotfskaya (April 8), the faithful Grand Duchess Anna Kashinskaya (25 June, 3 August, 15 October), Venerable Anna of Bithinskaya (June 26, November 11), Martyr Anna (July 18).

Elena

What are the patron saints of the name Elena? It is of Greek origin. It is interesting that its etymology is still unclear. There were suggestions that it is associated with the sun god Helios or indicates the self-name of the Greeks - Hellenes. However, despite the popularity, there are very few saints with this name. Martyr Elena (January 28), Equal to the Apostles Empress Elena (June 3), Martyr Elena, daughter of the Apostle Alpheus (June 8), Venerable Elena Diveevskaya (June 10), Equal to the Apostles Olga, Grand Duchess of Russia, Elena in holy baptism (July 24), Righteous Helena, Queen of Serbia (November 12).

A little about the icons of patron saints

There are many icons depicting saints. And it is very good if a person has at home or carries with him an image of his heavenly patron saint. You can turn to the saint with any request, our patron saints hear and help us. In order to choose the right icon depicting our saint, we need to know about our patron, how he is depicted on the icons, go to the church shop and choose the right one. It will be good if the icon of the patron saint by name will always be next to you. In addition, let's say that it would be nice to know at least one prayer addressed to your saint.

How to properly celebrate the day of the patron saint?

If you understand the difference between a name day and a birthday, you certainly understand the difference between celebrations. On the day of the name day, we, first of all, remember our saints, so that they too will remember us. On the day of the name day, believers usually go to church, confess and receive communion. But there are definitely no barriers to guests, gala dinners and gifts. But this should not be noisy fun and a feast with alcoholic beverages. It is better if it is a sincere conversation filled with meaning and content. It is worth noting that if your name day falls on the time of Lent, you only need to cook meatless dishes. Follow this rule. If your name day fell on a weekday on Lent, they must be rescheduled for Sunday or Saturday.

Some people do not celebrate their name day in any way. This is extremely wrong, because, in addition to the religious overtones, this is also just a good bright day filled with joy.

It is very important from an early age to teach children to celebrate name days, to take them to church to communion, and also to give them small gifts and have a quiet feast with the family. In the future, the child throughout his life will treat this day as a festive and special one.

And further. Never forget to congratulate your relatives and friends on the birthday. Give them small gifts. They will be very pleased with your attention that day. Visit them whenever possible. Knowing which patron saints by date of birth and name your loved ones have will help you with the choice of a gift if you decide to present an icon.

We really hope this article was helpful to you. You know what patron saints are by name and date of birth, as well as how to identify them. That's not all. You found out what kind of patron saint you have by name. We also hope that you will find interesting information on how to celebrate the name day. For many people, this is another reason for a feast, which is not the right one. Now you will know what actions are best to perform on this wonderful day for everyone, his name day. How to find out the name of the patron saint? It's not that hard. You just need to show a keen interest.

12:51, 22 June 2017

Guardian Angel or Heavenly Patron?

A person is born into the world, and everyone around is rejoicing, choosing a name for the newborn and the day when, according to custom, they will carry him to church to baptize. This is the practice of Christians. It was accepted long ago, but confusion in the concepts of the Guardian Angel and the heavenly patron still exists today.

Are angels beings higher or lower than humans?

- "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Gen. 1.1)... This is how the biblical story of the creation of the world begins. The word "heaven" here means the creation of the angelic essence, the invisible world of ethereal spirits. An "angel" is a "messenger". This means that incorporeal spirits are called to communicate the will of God to people, to carry out His orders in the care of the visible world. "Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to minister to those who have inherited salvation?" (Heb. 1:14).

In the sacrament of Baptism, after forbidding prayers, the priest turns to God with a request to send an Angel to the baptized one: "touch the belly of his Angel is bright." Thus, at baptism, God gives every Christian a Guardian Angel, who invisibly guards a person throughout his entire earthly life, instructs in good deeds, warns against sins, protects in the terrible hour of death and after death guides the soul to God.

They say that angels have no names. But what about Archangel Michael?

The teaching of the Orthodox Church speaks of the existence of a Heavenly hierarchy. It consists of three triads: the first: seraphim, cherubim, "thrones", the second - "dominion", "power", "power", the third - "beginnings", Archangels, angels. But in everyday life, all Heavenly orders are called angels. We do not know the names of the countless Heavenly host, but we know from the Scriptures the names of the archangels: Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, Raphael, Selafiel, Jehudiel, Barachiel, Jeremiel. Each of them fulfills its purpose. Archangel Michael ("who is like God"), about whom we know more than other Heavenly powers, is the leader of the entire Heavenly host. Archangel Gabriel ("the man of God") is the bearer of joyful evangelism. Archangel Uriel ("the fire of God"), according to legend, was set by God to guard Paradise after the Fall and the expulsion of the ancestors. According to the teachings of the holy fathers, he is the enlightener of unbelieving hearts. Archangel Raphael ("God's help") is a doctor of human ailments. Archangel Selafiel ("prayer to God") calls people to prayer. The name of the Archangel Yehudiel ("the praise of God") is known only from legends, it is not found in the Bible. Archangel Barachiel is a blessing of God for every good deed. Archangel Jeremiel ("the height of God") - returns a fallen person to God. Thus, the Archangels are heralds of the great and glorious, they reveal prophecies, the will of God, strengthen the faith in people, enlightening their minds with the light of the knowledge of the Divine.

Not only every person has his own Guardian Angel, but also every family, every pious society, every state. Prophet Moses says to the people of Israel: "When the Almighty gave inheritance to the peoples and settled the sons of men, then he set the limits of the peoples according to the number of the Angels of God" (Deut 32: 8).

As an incorporeal spirit, the Guardian Angel has no name. In our prayers, we address him like this: "To the angel of God, my guardian."

Are the Guardian Angel and the Heavenly Patron the same?

In the strict sense of the word, no. Christians call the heavenly patron saint, whose name they bear during earthly life. According to the teachings of the Orthodox Church, everyone who enters it is given a Christian name, the bearer of which was glorified by the Church and canonized. Thus, the Christian has two invisible defenders: the Guardian Angel and the heavenly patron. The day of the Angel is the day of our baptism, and the day of the heavenly patron or name day is the day of remembrance of the saint, whose name we bear. Orthodox Christians celebrate both these days by visiting the church, confessing and communing the Holy Mysteries of Christ, with good deeds.

The more diligently we try to imitate in our lives the heavenly patron, whose name we bear, the stronger is his invisible intercession before God for us. It should be understood that if we live far from being Christian, then we needlessly demand help from the Guardian Angel and the heavenly patron, in vain we murmur against them and against God, who allegedly do not help us in our affairs.

What is the meaning of a person's name to God?

The name of a person is important first of all for himself. The Lord, one must think, knows us and everything about us without a name. But nevertheless, already the first people had names, and animals were brought to Adam so that he would give names to dumb creatures, thereby designating them in earthly life. In Christianity, it is customary to give a name to a child in honor of this or that saint, who becomes his heavenly patron. Traditionally, since the Old Testament times, the name of the baby has been named on the eighth day after his birth, following the example of Christ the Savior, and during baptism (the fortieth day and later) it is pronounced as already existing.

Let's say a boy was born on the tenth of December. Parents chose a name for him according to the church calendar - Nicholas, since on December 19, according to the new style, the memory of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is celebrated. With this name he received holy baptism. From now on, Saint Nicholas the Pleasure is his heavenly patron. It is to him that parents and recipients turn to prayer, and later he himself, hoping for the intercession before God of this patron saint. “For the eyes of the Lord are turned to the righteous, and His ears are toward their prayer” (1 Pet 3:12)... In this sense, the name has a meaning for both man and God.

My name is Rimma, I was born on April 23rd. Do I have a heavenly patron and when is his day on the church calendar?

There are two male names, Inna and Rimma, which, apparently, because of the female ending, began to be given to girls at birth in Russia. So your heavenly patron is the holy martyr Rimma, a disciple of the Apostle Andrew. He lived in the 1st century, was from Lesser Scythia. For the spread of the faith of Christ, he was frozen in the river along with the martyrs Inna and Pinna. Their memory is February 2 and July 3 in a new style.

My daughter's name is Victoria. In church, the priest refused to commune her under this name, said that there is no such name in the church calendar, there is only, for example, Veronica. What do we do? Does the choice of a child's name affect his fate?

Until recently, the name Victoria was not included in the Orthodox calendar, and girls were most often given the name Nick at baptism. But since 2011, Victoria has been included in the calendar of the Moscow Patriarchate: in memory of St. Victoria of Kordubskaya - November 30 in a new style.

Our destinies are in the hands of God. Destiny is not a Christian vocabulary. The Lord created man free, and this gift never takes away, therefore Christian teaching claims that we participate in our salvation - "God does not save us without us." But we bear names, and usually these are the names of holy martyrs, saints, saints, in a word, saints of God. Sometimes (more often this happens in non-religious families) a child is called a name that is really not in the calendar, for example, Snezhana. But at baptism, if there was one, the name is still given to the Orthodox. So it turns out that a person has, as it were, two names: everyday and ecclesiastical, with which he confesses, takes communion, enters into marriage, etc.

Before the adoption of Christianity, our ancestors, the Slavs, bore pagan names, but after the Baptism of Rus they received names from the Byzantine Church, which we still have today. For a long time in Russia, especially among the lower class, there was a custom to give two names at the birth of a baby: pagan and Christian. The second name was kept secret, in order to avoid witchcraft. A relic of this custom is still alive today: some parents, out of superstition, give the baby one name at birth, another at baptism. It is clear that this superstition has nothing to do with Orthodoxy.

My friends say that my name Rufina is not Russian, but I was baptized in the Orthodox Church. What is my heavenly patron and when is his day on the church calendar?

In most cases, we all do not have purely Russian names, but Greek, Roman, Persian and so on, because Christianity came to us from the East. Your name is translated from Greek as "reddish", and your heavenly patroness is the holy martyr Rufina of Caesarea (Cappadocian). She was the mother of the holy martyr Mamas and suffered in the third century. Her memory, which means your name day - September 15 in a new style.

Can I change my name or be baptized again, since bad people buried me alive in church and put my photo in the grave?

Calm down, nothing terrible has happened for you. For us Christians "God is love" (1 John 4:16), which means that He does not do evil, although He allows its existence among people, so that we voluntarily turn to good. Bad people who ordered a church funeral service for a living person have done evil, and therefore will receive what they deserve. The Lord fulfills people's requests that are useful to them, directed for their good, but never for evil. The sacrament of Baptism is performed once and is not repeated, according to the apostle: "One God, one faith, one baptism" (Eph 4: 5).

On the very eve of Christmas, my granddaughter was born. They called her Maria. Now the Mother of God herself will be her Heavenly Patroness?

No, your granddaughter's direct heavenly patroness will be one of the holy wives named Mary, whose memory is closest to the girl's birthday (you must choose this according to the church calendar). In Orthodoxy, there is a rule that the names Jesus and Mary are never given in honor of the Savior and His Most Pure Mother. Although, of course, the Most Holy Theotokos is the Intercessor of your granddaughter, like all believing Christians.

Archpriest Vladimir Hoffman

Each of us has a Guardian Angel, given by the Lord from birth. He protects from all evil, helps in adversity, supports in difficult times. Accepting holy baptism, becoming a Christian, a person entrusts his soul to the Lord and his second guardian - the holy saint of God, the name he receives at baptism. The holy saint cares, protects and prays tirelessly for us before the Lord.

Name day is the day of remembrance of the saint, in whose honor you received your Christian name.

On their name days, Orthodox Christians attend church, receive communion and, of course, set a festive table for loved ones. The most welcome guests on this bright holiday are the godparents, because they

Your holy name

Venerable Euthymius the Great

Memorial Day January 20

The Monk Euthymios the Great came from the city of Melitina in Armenia near the Euphrates River. His parents, Paul and Dionysia, noble people, were pious Christians. For a long time they did not have children and, finally, through fervent prayers, they had a son, whose birth was preceded by a divine vision that foreshadowed a great future for the baby.

The father of the Monk Euthymius soon died, and his mother, fulfilling her vow to consecrate her son to God, gave him up to be raised by her brother, Presbyter Eudoxius. He presented the outflow to the Bishop of the Church of Melita, Otrius, who lovingly took upon himself the care of him. Seeing his good behavior, the bishop soon made him a reader. Then Saint Euthymius accepted monasticism and was ordained a presbyter. At the same time, he was entrusted with the management of all city monasteries. The Monk Euthymios often visited the monastery of Saint Polyeuktos, and during the days of Great Lent he retired into the wilderness. The position of the steward of monasteries weighed on the ascetic who sought silence, and in the 30th year of his life he secretly left the city and went to Jerusalem, where, having bowed to the holy places, he retired to the Faransk Lavra. There, finding outside the monastery, a secluded deserted hut, settled in it, earning food by weaving baskets. The Monk Theoktist asceticised nearby. Both had one striving for God, one will, one goal. Usually, after the feast of the Epiphany of Prayer, they retired to the Kutumian desert (not far from Jerichan). Once they stayed there, choosing an impassable place in the mountains, and settled in a cave. Soon, however, the Lord opened their solitude for the benefit of many people: the shepherds, driving their flocks, found their cave and told them in the village. People who were looking for spiritual benefit began to flock to the hermits. Gradually a monastic community arose, several monks came from the Faransk monastery, among them Marin and Luke. The Monk Euthymius entrusted the administration of the monastery to his friend Theoktist, and he himself became the confessor of the brethren. He admonished his brethren: "Know that those who wish to lead a monastic life should not have their own will, are always in obedience and humility, and in their minds to have a mortal fear of Judgment and eternal fire and desire the Kingdom of Heaven."

The monk commanded the young monks to combine bodily labor with the inner thought of God. "If the laity," he said, "work hard to feed themselves and their families and, in addition, give alms and offer sacrifices to God, all the more we monks must work to avoid idleness and not feed on other people's labors." Abba demanded that the monks remain silent in the church during the service and at the meal. He did not allow the young monks, who wanted to fast more than other brethren, to follow their will, but instructed them to partake of the common food at the meal with abstinence, without abstinence.

In those years, the Monk Euthymius converted and baptized many Arabs, among whom was the military leader Aspevet with his son Terevan, whom the Monk Euthymius healed from an illness. Aspevet received the name Peter in Baptism and subsequently became a bishop among the Arabs.

The fame of the miracles performed by the Monk Euthymios quickly spread. People began to flock from everywhere, bringing with them the sick who were receiving healing. Unable to endure human rumor and glory, the monk secretly left the monastery, taking with him only the closest disciple Dometian. He retired to the Ruva Desert and settled on the high mountain of Marda, near the Dead Sea. In search of solitude, the monk went deep into the wilderness of Ziph and settled in a cave in which the holy king David once hid from the persecution of King Saul. There the Monk Euthymius founded a monastery, and in the very cave of David he built a church. At that time, the Monk Euthymius converted many desert monks from the Manichean heresy, worked miracles, healed the sick and demon possessed.

The only saint who is prayed for help when there is no money is St. John the Merciful

Life of St. John the Merciful, Patriarch of Alexandria - was born in Cyprus in the 6th century into the family of a noble nobleman Epiphanius. At the age of fifteen, he had a vision that influenced his entire subsequent life.

In the image of a beautiful maiden in light-colored clothes with an olive wreath on her head, the highest virtue - mercy appeared to him, and said: "If you make me your friend, then I will seek great grace from the King and I will bring you to Him, for no one has with Him such strength and boldness as I. I clothed his candle from heaven in human flesh. "

Saint John the Merciful

This virtue was the companion of his whole life, for which Saint John was nicknamed among the people - the Merciful. “He who trusts in the mercy of God must first of all, first of all, be merciful to all,” said St. John.

By the will of his parents, he got married and had children. The saint's wife and children died, but he accepted monasticism and became a strict fasting man, a prayer book and a brother-lover.

Spiritual exploits and virtue acquired fame for Saint John, and when the patriarchal see in Alexandria became widowed, the emperor Heraclius and all the clergy begged him to take the patriarchal throne.

The zealous saint worthily carried out his archpastoral service, caring for the spiritual education of the flock. During his patriarchate, he denounced the heresy of the Monophilite-Antiochian Fulon and expelled his followers from Alexandria. But the saint considered alms and good deeds to be his main duty.

The name Igor (earlier it sounded like Ingvar) appeared in Russia thanks to the Varangians. The Varangians worshiped many gods, one of which was Ing, who was considered the god of health and fertility. Accordingly, Igor means "guarded by Ing". This name was borne by one of the first Russian princes even before the adoption of Christianity by Russia. In the first centuries after the baptism of Russia, until Orthodox names and customs were established in the Russian land, boys in princely and boyar families were called by this name.

Nevertheless, it was glorified by the deeds of the martyr and entered the calendar.

That was a long time ago ... After the baptism of Russia by the holy Prince Vladimir, Equal to the Apostles, the Russian land gradually turned from a union of pagan tribes and cities into a single, strong and prosperous state. Everywhere - in the West, and in the kingdoms of Europe, and in the East, in Byzantium and in the Baghdad Caliphate, they started talking about a new state. Warlike nomads - the Polovtsy and the Pechenegs - were pushed back from the Russian borders. The entrepreneurial spirit of Russian merchants, the wisdom of the boyars-messengers, the glorious deeds of the princes forced the entire world of that time to respect Russia. The rulers of the West and the East considered it an honor to become related with the Russian princes.

The Russian state was becoming strong and glorious. But one grave trouble remained in Russia: the princely strife. At that time there was no single order of inheritance of power in Russia. The holy prince Vladimir, dying, divided the land between his sons, and soon they already came together in a bloody war, unable to decide which of them should be the first in Russia. Since then, it has become a tradition: for the right to own this or that city, the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Saint Vladimir organized battles, ravaging their own Russian lands. The biggest feuds flared up because of the Kiev table. After all, Kiev was considered the first city in Russia, and the Kiev prince from ancient times was the main one among other princes.

The most dishonorable and desperate of the princes did not hesitate to bring to Russia old enemies - Polovtsy and Pechenegs, so that they would fight for them; and wild nomads burned cities to the ground, devastated volosts. And then, having lost respect for the Russian princes and fear of their squads, they again began to raid Russia.

In vain did the wisest and most far-sighted of the princes tried to end the strife. No matter how much the princes gathered, agreeing to "have peace with each other," no matter how much they swore in this, kissing the cross, there was still someone desperate or envious, who waged war against rivals.

In such a dashing time, Igor was born, in holy baptism he took the name George. He was the son of Prince Oleg of Chernigov, whom his contemporaries called Gorislavovich - and indeed he brought a lot of grief to himself and to the Russian land with his irrepressible thirst for power and might. He did not disdain anything in order to take the Kiev throne. For this, not only princes in Russia did not like him, but also ordinary people who suffered from the cruelties they committed.

Igor's mother was a famous lady from Byzantium, Theophania Muzalon. An educated and pious woman, she suffered from the cruel nature of her husband and tried to instill in little Igor meekness and love of knowledge.

Igor grew up as a young man, humble and pious. From childhood, he understood all the danger and unrighteousness of princely strife, and reading the chronicles and studying the Holy Scriptures further strengthened him in this. From his youth he decided that he would not follow the example of his father, and with his life and actions he would try to atone for his sins.

Igor inherited the small town of Novgorod-Seversky, which stood on the southern borders of the then Rus. In summer, the sun was unbearably blazing here, in winter blizzards swept snowdrifts higher than human height. From the wooden city wall, in clear weather, the feather-grass Great Steppe was visible in the distance, from where the Polovtsians came with raids. Polovtsian horsemen on short, shaggy horses, armed with crooked sabers and long-range bows, carried death and destruction. Igor more than once had to repel their attacks, or even go to war in the Polovtsian lands himself. So, in 1111 he took part in a large campaign in the steppe. Many princes then gathered under the banner of Vladimir Monomakh, the great-grandson of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, forcing the Polovtsians to remember the times of the glorious heroes Ilya Muromets and Dobrynya Nikitich, and for a long time to forget the road to the Russian lands.

The harsh life on the border hardened Igor's character, making him a real warrior-prince and defender, honest and just.

Taking care of bodily well-being, he did not forget about spiritual improvement. Igor spent a lot of time in prayer and pious reflections before the icon of the Mother of God. Would be gone long ago

HOLY MARTYR MARINA

The Holy Martyr Marina lived during the reign of the emperor Claudius (c. 270). She was born in Pisidian Antioch (in Asia Minor) and was the daughter of the pagan priest Edesias. Her mother died when her daughter was 12 years old, and her father believed in the care of her daughter to the village wet nurse. Her fellowship with local Christians and Marina's natural inclinations favored the growth of the seed of true faith in her heart. When she was 15 years old, her love for Christ was so strong in her that Marina wanted only one thing and thought of only one thing - to partake of martyrdom and shed her blood in the name of love for Christ. Without hiding her desire, Marina was not afraid to declare publicly that she was a Christian, and ridiculed the cult of idols. By this, she aroused the hatred of her father, who deprived her of her inheritance.

Once the perfect Asia Olibrius, heading to Antioch, saw the saint who was herding along with other women of the village. Fascinated by the beauty of Marina, he wished to marry her and ordered his men to bring the girl. Arriving at the palace, she appeared before the magistrate, who asked her to give her name. The Virgin answered in a confident voice: "My name is Marina, I am the daughter of free parents from Pisidia, but I am a servant of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who created heaven and earth." Then she was imprisoned in anticipation of a great pagan holiday, which was to take place the next day.

When she was brought to trial and commanded to bring sacrifices to the gods along with everyone, Marina replied: “I will offer a sacrifice of praise to my God, but never to your deceitful idols, deprived of life!” Olibrius begged her to keep her youth and beauty. But she objected that all bodily beauty fades, while the torments endured for the name of Christ adorn the soul and prepare it for eternal bliss. The magistrate, angry with such insolence, ordered the maiden to be stretched on the ground, beaten with rods with thorns, and tore her flesh with iron hooks. The saint's blood poured in an abundant stream and stained the ground, but Marina did not utter a single cry of pain and remained unperturbed, as if someone else was suffering in her place. After several hours of torture, they threw her into prison, where she prayed to the Lord not to leave her in the trial and confession of faith.

Holy Great Martyr Irina

Memorial Day: May 5

The Holy Great Martyr Irina lived in the 1st century and bore the name Penelope before her baptism. She was the daughter of the pagan Licinius. Licinius built a separate luxurious palace for his daughter, where she lived with her teacher Caria, surrounded by her peers and servants. Every day, a mentor named Apelian came to Penelope, who taught her the sciences. Apelian was a Christian; while teaching, he spoke to the girl about Christ the Savior and instructed her in Christian teaching and Christian virtues. When Penelope grew up, her parents began to think about her marriage. During this period of her life, the Lord enlightened her in a miraculous way: three birds flew into her window one after another - a dove with an olive branch, an eagle with a wreath and a raven with a snake. Penelope's teacher Apelian explained to her the meaning of this sign: the dove, which signified the virgin's virtues - humility, meekness and chastity, brought the olive branch the grace of God received in baptism; the eagle - a sign of the height of the spirit achieved through divine contemplation - brought a wreath for the victory over an invisible enemy as a reward from the Lord; the raven brought a snake as a sign that the devil will take up arms against her and will get sorrow, sorrow and persecution. At the end of the conversation, Apelian said that the Lord wanted to betrothed her to Himself and that Penelope would endure many sufferings for her Heavenly Bridegroom. After that, Penelope refused to marry, received Baptism from the hand of the Apostle Timothy, a disciple of the holy Apostle Paul, and was named Irene. She began to persuade her parents to accept the Christian faith. The mother rejoiced at her daughter's conversion to Christ; the father at first did not interfere with his daughter, but then began to demand from her the worship of pagan deities. When Saint Irene firmly and decisively refused, the enraged Licinius ordered her daughter to be tied up and thrown under the hooves of fierce horses. But the horses remained motionless, only one of them broke off the leash, rushed to Licinius, grabbed his right hand with his teeth, pulled it out of the shoulder, and Licinius himself knocked down and began to trample. Then they untied the holy virgin, and through her prayer, Licinius, in the presence of eyewitnesses, stood up unharmed, with a healthy hand. Seeing such a miracle, Licinius with his wife and a multitude of people, numbering about 3000 people, believed in Christ and renounced the pagan gods.

Having left the management of the region, he settled in the palace of his daughter, intending to devote himself to the service of the Lord Jesus Christ. Saint Irene began to preach the teaching of Christ among the pagans and turned them on the path of salvation. She lived in the house of her teacher Apelian. Learning of this, Zedekiah, the new ruler of the area, summoned Apelian and asked about Irina's lifestyle. Apelian replied that Irina, like other Christians, lives in strict abstinence, in unceasing prayer and reading of Divine books. Selekia summoned the saint to him and began to persuade her to stop preaching about Christ and offer sacrifice to the gods. Saint Irene fearlessly confessed her faith before the ruler, not fearing his threats and preparing to endure worthy suffering for Christ. By order of Zedeka, she was thrown into a ditch filled with snakes and reptiles. The saint stayed in the pit for ten days and remained unharmed, for the Angel of the Lord kept her and brought her food. Zedekiah attributed this miracle to magic and gave the saint to terrible tortures: he ordered her to be sawed with an iron saw. But the saws broke one after the other and did not harm the body of the holy virgin. Finally the fourth saw stained the body of the martyr with blood. Zedekiah with a laugh said to the martyr: "Where is your God? If He has strength, let Him help you." Suddenly a whirlwind arose, a dazzling lightning flashed that struck many of the martyrs, there was a strong thunder and a heavy rain poured down. Seeing such a sign from heaven, many believed in Christ the Savior. Zedekiah did not understand by the obvious manifestation of the power of God and betrayed the saint to new tortures, but the Lord kept her unharmed. Finally, the people rebelled, looking at the suffering of the innocent virgin, rebelled against Zedeka and drove him out. The rulers who replaced Zedekiah also subjected Saint Irene to various cruel torments, during which by the power of God she continued to remain unharmed, and the people, under the influence of her preaching and the miracles performed, increasingly turned to Christ, abandoning the worship of idols. In total, over 10,000 pagans were converted by Saint Irene. From her hometown of Migdania, the saint moved to the city of Kallipolis and there she continued to preach about Christ. The governor of the city, named Vavadon, subjected the martyr to new executions, but when he saw that the saint remained unharmed, he came to his senses and believed in Christ. Together with him, a large number of pagans believed, all of whom received holy Baptism from the Apostle Timothy.

After that, Saint Irene visited other cities - Constantine, Mesembria with a sermon about Christ, working miracles, healing the sick and enduring suffering for Christ. In the city of Ephesus, the Lord revealed to her that the time of her death was approaching. Then Saint Irene, accompanied by her teacher, Elder Apelian and other Christians, withdrew outside the city to a mountain cave and, overshadowing herself with the sign of the cross, entered it, instructing her companions to close the entrance to the cave with a large stone, which was done. When on the fourth day after that the Christians visited the cave, the body of the saint was not found in it. Thus the Holy Great Martyr Irina died.

Name of Elena, Alena, day of the angel Elena, Alena

While the pagan world, armed against Christianity with fire and sword, thought at the end of the 3rd and the beginning of the 4th centuries to completely wipe out the very name of Christians from the face of the earth, the Providence of God prepared for the Church of Christ, among the Caesars-persecutors of Christianity themselves, her royal patron in the person of Constantine the Tsar, who during his lifetime received a name that was forever consolidated behind him in Christian history, Equal to the Apostles, in the world history of the Great.

Born in the year 274 to his parents, although not a Christian, but familiar with Christianity and patronizing him, Constantine from childhood was alienated from pagan superstitions and approached Christ the true God. The right hand of the Lord herself gradually prepared him and purified him in many different ways, as the chosen vessel of the glory of God.

Constantine's father Constantius Chlorus, Caesar in the Western half of the empire, being an outwardly official idolater, was far from pagan superstition in his soul; internally, he renounced serving many false gods and recognized the One true God - he alone worshiped and his whole house, together with his children and household, he dedicated to one King-God. How far from the superstitious service of idols by sacrifices and incense, Constantius wished one day to test the true dispositions of his courtiers; he pretended to want to perform superstitious pagan rites, and said to his courtiers:

Who wants to take advantage of my favor and love and stay

MARTYRES FAITH, HOPE, LOVE AND SOPHIA

Memorial Day: September 17

In the II century, during the reign of Emperor Hadrian (117-138), the pious widow Sophia lived in Rome (the name Sophia means wisdom). She had three daughters who bore the names of the main Christian virtues: Faith, Hope and Love. Being a deeply religious Christian, Sophia raised her daughters in love for God, teaching them not to become attached to earthly goods. The rumor about the Christianity of this family reached the emperor, and he wished to personally see the three sisters and the mother who raised them. All four appeared before the emperor and fearlessly confessed their faith in Christ, who was resurrected from the dead and gives eternal life to all who believe in Him. Surprised by the courage of the young Christians, the emperor sent them to a pagan woman, whom he ordered to convince them to renounce their faith. However, all the arguments and eloquence of the pagan teacher turned out to be in vain, and the Christian sisters who were fiery with faith did not change their convictions. Then they were again brought before the emperor Hadrian, and he began to insistently demand that they offer sacrifice to the pagan gods. But the girls indignantly rejected his order.

"We have a Heavenly God," they replied, "We wish to remain his children, but we spit on your gods and are not afraid of your threats. We are ready to suffer and even die for the sake of our dear Lord Jesus Christ."

Toda, an angry Adrian, ordered the children to be tortured in various ways. The executioners started with Vera. In front of the mother and sisters, they began to mercilessly beat her, tearing parts from her body. Then they put her on a hot iron grate. By the power of God, the fire did no harm to the body of the holy martyr. Maddened by cruelty, Adrian did not understand the miracle of God and ordered to throw the young woman into a cauldron of boiling resin. But by the will of the Lord, the boiler cooled down and did not cause any harm to the confessor. Then she was sentenced to beheading with a sword.

Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker

The great Saint Nicholas the Pleasant did many great and glorious deeds on earth and at sea. He helped those in trouble, saved them from drowning and carried them to dry land from the depths of the sea, freed them from captivity and brought the freed home, delivered them from bonds and dungeons, protected them from being cut with a sword, freed them from death and gave many different healings, the blind insight, the lame walking , deaf hearing, dumb gift of speech.

He enriched many in poverty and extreme poverty, gave food to the hungry, and appeared to everyone in every need as a ready helper, a warm intercessor and quick intercessor and protector. And now he also helps those who call him and delivers them from troubles. It is impossible to count his miracles in the same way, it is impossible to describe all of them in detail. This great miracle worker is known to the east and west, and his miracles are known in all ends of the earth.

May the Triune God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and his holy name be glorified in him, may he be praised with the lips for ever. Amen.

Homeland of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker

For many tens of centuries, on two peninsulas - Anatolian and Thracian - where Europe connects with Asia, peoples replaced each other, Greeks, Thracians, Arabs, Byzantines, Lycians, Seljuk Turks came and disappeared. And, finally, the Republic of Turkey was finally established on the site of the former Ottoman Empire. Eighty thousand mosques in this country. Thousands of them were erected on the site of once Christian Byzantine churches. But neither a thousand years, nor war and destruction, nor earthquakes touched the Church of St. Nicholas, the Wonderworker, which stands in the modern city - Demre - ancient World.

The ancient city of Myra, founded before our era, was part of the Lycian union of cities, minted its own coin and was of great strategic importance. In 61 AD, one of Jesus' apostles, Saint Paul, met here with the rest of the apostles for the last time, before going to Rome.

But the glance does not notice the ancient beauties, and the heart rushes to the place where the small Byzantine church is visible behind the trees, in which Archbishop Nicholas of Lycia served all his life and where he was buried after his death.

Lines already familiar from the holy scriptures

his biographies acquire here, in his homeland, at the entrance to his temple, a completely different sound - not abstract and distant, but close and living - so he walked on this land, on these steps, touched these walls, served behind this ancient altar ...

Saint Nicholas was born in 234 AD in the city of Patara, 60 kilometers west of Demre. Grew up in a wealthy family, received a good education and devoted his life to people. As a young man, he set out on a journey to worship the holy places of distant Jerusalem. The sea voyage almost ended in tragedy - a storm threatened to smash the ship on the rocks. And then the saint began to pray. People were saved, and since then he has become the patron saint and saint of sailors and all travelers. Returning from Jerusalem to Demre, Saint Nicholas - this educated man, an expert in history, foreign languages ​​and theology, a preacher - became the Bishop of Myra, where he preached until his death, giving all his knowledge and strength for the good of people.

Miracles, with the help of which he helped people during his lifetime, were transmitted in stories from person to person, passed from century to century and have survived to this day.

Just as the temple of the Prelate has miraculously survived to this day. The church was discovered in the current Demre shopping center during excavations in 1956.

THE LIVING OF SAINT NICHOLAS OF THE ARCHBISHOP

Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker was born in 234 AD in the city of Patara in Lycia. From the very birth he amazed his pious parents: at baptism, - not yet knowing how to walk and stand on his own legs - he stood in the font for three hours, giving this honor to the Most Holy Trinity.

His parents, Theophanes and Nonna, were pious, noble and wealthy, but for a long time they did not have children and no longer hoped to have children, but with many prayers, tears and alms they asked for a son from God. This pious couple, for their pious life, many alms and great virtues, were worthy to grow a holy branch, "like a tree planted by streams of water, which bears its fruit in its season." (Ps. 1: 3)

When this blessed youth was born, he was given the name Nikolai, which means the conqueror of nations. And he, with the blessing of God, truly became the conqueror of malice, for the good of the whole world.

After his birth, his mother Nona immediately freed herself from the disease and from that time until her death remained barren. By this, nature itself, as it were, testified that this wife could not have another son like Saint Nicholas, he alone had to be the first and last. Consecrated even in the womb of his mother, inspired by grace, he showed himself to be an eccentric worshiper of God before he saw the light, began to work miracles before he began to eat his mother's milk, and to be fasting before he got used to eating food.

It was possible to recognize the future miracle worker in him even because he ate the milk of one right breast, signifying his future standing at the right hand of the Lord with the righteous. He showed his fair fasting in the fact that on Wednesdays and Fridays he ate his mother's milk only once, and then in the evening, after the parents had completed their usual prayers. His father and mother were greatly amazed at this and foresaw what a strict fasting their son would be in his life. Accustomed to such abstinence from infant swaddling, Saint Nicholas all his life

Martyr Photina (Svetlana) Samaritan, and her sons martyrs Victor, named Photin, and Josiah

Memorial Day: March 20

The Holy Martyr Photina was the very Samaritan woman with whom the Savior talked at the well of Jacob (John 4.5-42). During the time of the emperor Nero (54-68), who displayed extreme cruelty in the struggle against Christianity, Saint Photina lived in Carthage with her youngest son Josiah and there fearlessly preached the Gospel. Her eldest son fought bravely in the Roman army against the barbarians and for his services was appointed chief in the city of Attalia (Asia Minor).

At a meeting with Saint Victor, the mayor of Attalia Sebastian said to him: “I know for certain that you, your mother and your brother are followers of the teachings of Christ. to us. I will write to your mother and brother so that they do not preach Christ openly. Let them secretly confess their faith. " Saint Victor replied: "I myself want to be a preacher of Christianity, like my mother and brother." To this Sebastian replied: "O Victor, we all know well what disasters await you, your mother and your brother." After these words, Sevastian felt a sharp pain in his eyes, changed in his face and became numb.

For three days he lay blind without uttering a word. On the fourth day, unexpectedly, he loudly said: “Only the faith of Christians is true, there is no other true faith!” To Saint Victor, who was next to him, Sebastian said: “Christ is calling me”. Soon he was baptized and immediately received his sight. The servants of Saint Sebastian witnessed the miracle, were baptized following the example of their master.

Rumors of what had happened reached Nero, and he ordered the Christians to be brought to him for trial in Rome. Then the Lord Himself appeared to the confessors and said: "I will be with you, and Nero will be defeated, and all who serve him." The Lord announced to Saint Victor: "From this day on, your name will be Fotin -" Radiant ", for many who have been enlightened by you will turn to Me." The Lord encouraged Saint Sebastian: "Blessed is he who accomplishes his feat to the end." Saint Photina, informed by the Savior of the forthcoming sufferings, accompanied by several Christians, set off from Carthage to Rome and joined the confessors.

In Rome, the emperor ordered the saints to be brought to him and asked them if they really believed in Christ. All the confessors resolutely refused to deny the Savior. Then the emperor gave orders to crush the hands of the holy martyrs on an anvil. But during the torture, the confessors did not feel pain, and the hands of the martyr Photina remained unharmed. Nero ordered Saints Sebastian, Photin and Josio to be blinded and imprisoned, and Saint Fotina with her five sisters - Anastasia, Photo, Photida, Paraskeva and Kyriakia - to be sent to the imperial palace under the supervision of Nero's daughter Domnina. But Saint Photina converted Domnina and all her slaves to Christ, who received holy baptism. She also converted the sorcerer to Christ, who brought poisoned drink to kill the confessor.

Three years passed, and Nero sent to prison for one of his servants, who was in prison. The messengers informed him that Saints Sebastian, Photius and Josiah, who were blinded, became completely healthy, and they are constantly visited by people who listen to their sermon; the dungeon itself has turned into a bright and fragrant place where God is glorified. Then Nero ordered to crucify the saints upside down for three days, hitting them on their naked bodies with belts. On the fourth day, the emperor sent his servants to see if the martyrs were still alive. But, having arrived at the place of torture, the sent ones immediately became blind. At this time, the Angel of the Lord freed the martyrs and set them free. The saints took pity on the blind servants and, with their prayers to the Lord, restored their sight. Those who were clear believed in Christ and were soon baptized.

In impotent rage, Nero gave orders to rip off the skin of Saint Photina and throw the martyr into the well. They cut off the legs of the Martyrs Sebastian, Photin and Josiah, threw them to the dogs, and then flayed them. The sisters of Saint Photina also suffered terrible torments. Nero ordered to cut off their nipples, and then peel off their skin. The emperor, sophisticated in torture, prepared a cruel execution for Saint Photida: she was tied by her legs to the tops of two inclined trees, which, straightening up, tore the martyr to pieces. The rest of the emperor ordered to behead. They dragged Saint Photina out of the well and imprisoned them for 20 days.

After that, Nero called her to him and asked if she would submit now and if she would offer sacrifices to idols. Saint Photina spat in the face of the emperor and, laughing at him, said: "An unholy blind man, a lost and insane man! Do you really consider me so unreasonable that I would agree to renounce my Master Christ and sacrifice to blind idols like you ?!"

Hearing such words, Nero again ordered to throw the martyr into the well, where she gave up her spirit to the Lord (+ c. 66)

A patron saint and patron saint is a saint of the same name, to whom you can pray as your patron.

Your name day will be the day of remembrance of the saint in whose honor you are named in Baptism. In addition, you can independently choose your patron saint, if you have not yet been baptized or do not know after whom they are named.

Saint - what kind of person is this

Every Orthodox Christian knows and reveres many saints. Prayer to the Lord Jesus Christ and His Most Pure Mother is a common petition that accompanies the life of a believer. But often it seems to us that for God our requests are shallow, and doubts overwhelm: will He hear us, will He have mercy ... In such cases, they pray to the spiritual patrons - the saints. Traditionally, it is customary to pray to different saints in different spheres of life, for example, for the healing of serious illnesses - Panteleimon the Healer, for animals - to Saints Florus and Laurus.

In addition, every Christian has his own patron - the same-named saint. The patron saint is usually found by date of birth.

Saints and Angels - intercessors before God

Such saints are also called “our Angels,” but this is not entirely true. "Your Angel" is a Guardian Angel that protects you from the moment of Baptism, a Heavenly being. Each baptized Orthodox Christian has his own Guardian Angel, but his name is unknown to us. Angels are individuals, but their nature is different from human and animal. They are taller, more perfect than people, although they also have limitations. The angel is usually depicted in ancient clothes - a cloak and tunic with gold edging around the collar and around the wrists, with golden wings.

And a patron saint is an ascetic or martyr person who lived a holy life on earth and shone forth in the Kingdom of God for his exploits.

Dates of the holy names

It will be a saint or saint (for girls and women), whose memory is celebrated in the days following the birthday. For example, if you were born on October 6 and bear the name Sergei, then your patron will be the Monk Sergius of Radonezh (his memory is October 8), and if on October 10 - the martyr Sergius (commemorated October 20).

Parents can be given advice at the birth of a child to check the holy calendar - the Orthodox calendar. Try to name the child after the saint whose memory is celebrated on this day or the next. For example, do not neglect the patronage of the great saints for children born on their holidays:

St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is perhaps the most revered saint in the whole world. Both Catholics and Orthodox Christians pray to him. It is not for nothing that he bears the name of the Wonderworker. Both during his life and after death, he became famous for many wondrous deeds, showing the power of God's grace: through his prayers, the sick were healed, those who perished in the sea were saved, and justice was restored.

The saint lived in the 4th century, but today he remains dear and beloved for many people: he continues to hear prayers, help those who turn to him, save from death, poverty, longing and many troubles, turning to the Lord Jesus Christ. It was not for nothing that huge queues lined up for the relics of the saint, the rib of which was brought to Russia from Italy for the first time in 900 years.

The saint has the grace to help in many areas of life.

As a child, a miracle happened to the Monk Sergius. The future Saint Sergius, who was called Bartholomew in his childhood - before his name was changed in monasticism - was the son of a local prince and therefore had to learn to read and write. But he did not understand the teaching in any way. Classmates laughed at him, teachers "taught" with rods, he himself was very worried.

Once, not far from the house, the youth Bartholomew met a monk. Being pious and hospitable, the boy invited the monk to visit his parents' house and rest. The monk turned out to be an angel who appeared to the child: thanking Bartholomew for his hospitality, he offered to pray to God for the fulfillment of the boy's cherished desire. Bartholomew asked for "the understanding of the letter." The angel monk blessed Bartholomew, went out the gate of his house and disappeared. The boy immediately began to understand literacy, learned to read and write. Everyone understood that a miracle had happened, and Bartholomew eventually took monastic vows and, having received the blessing of the monastery authorities, went into the forests, he himself founded the monastery. Today it is the Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius - one of the largest monastic cloisters in Russia.

The saint has great grace to help in studies and, of course, in spiritual life, in all needs.

The image of the young martyr, Saint Tatiana reminds us of the heavenly reward for all who remained faithful to God, and the heavenly punishment for the cruel theomachists: the face of the martyr who brought many people to the Lord is bright and joyful. She is portrayed young, because it was in her youth that she took a painful death. Saint Tatiana lived in the 1st-2nd centuries AD. The formation of the Church of Christ in the world passed through the labors and martyrdom of the apostles and first disciples of Christ. Tatiana, a young girl, had to endure death for Christ during the years of persecution of the first Christians. Saint Tatiana is revered in Russia as an assistant to students. She was not a student herself and did not help students during her lifetime, but it was on her day, in 1755, that the Russian Empress Catherine II signed a decree on the construction of the first University of Russia. Today it is called the Lomonosov Moscow State University.

The image of the holy great martyr Demetrius of Thessaloniki is one of the most beautiful icons. It is often confused with the image of St. George the Victorious, but in the icon Dmitry Thessaloniki strikes a wicked person with a spear. This is a miracle from his life. The saint is also called Dmitry the Myrrh-streaming: his relics exuded myrrh, a special wonderful liquid, the composition of which no one on earth knows. Day of celebration of the memory of St. Dmitry Thessaloniki - October 26. The saint was especially honored on this holiday in Russia: the battle on the Kulikovo field in 1380 was fought shortly before the memory of the holy warrior-defender, through prayers to him the Russians won.

Among the apostles, the apostles Peter and Paul, who are called the supreme ones, stand out. Peter was one of the witnesses of the earthly life of Christ, his closest disciple, but when Christ was arrested he denied Him. And Paul at first was even a persecutor of Christ - during His earthly life, he did not meet with Christ. However, these two apostles are most famous, they worked for the sake of the Lord and for the enlightenment of people, they were able to ascend to the height of holiness, despite their previous deeds.

The Holy Apostle Andrew is called the First-Called because he became the first disciple of Christ. His Lord was the first of the people who invited him to follow Him, learning His teaching. And after the Resurrection and Ascension of the Lord into Heaven, together with the other apostles, Saint Andrew worked and preached the teaching of Christ. His path was longer and longer than that of other missionaries. It was the Apostle Andrew who brought Christianity to the lands of the future Russia. But he did not die among the barbarians, but ended his life as a martyr not far from his homeland, by his very death preaching the Cross of Christ and His teachings.

In Russia, many churches were dedicated to Saint Elijah: he was widely revered thanks to his help in growing crops. Awe seized people at his name: it was believed that he commands the thunder and can incinerate a sinner with lightning. Perhaps this is the most revered of the saints and righteous of the Old Testament. In modern Russia, the prophet Ilya is revered as the patron saint of the landing troops - after all, he ascended to heaven alive in a chariot.

George the Victorious is the great patron saint of Moscow, the capital of Russia, and therefore of every Russian. For a long time he was revered as the patron saint of all unjustly offended and powerless to justify themselves, an assistant in the struggle for truth, in any good deed

Empress Helena is canonized as an equal to the apostles saints, that is, the Church, thanks to the missionary and educational activities of Helena, equated the saint with the apostles themselves, the first disciples of Christ. On the icon she is depicted with a large Cross, because she found the Cross, on which Christ himself was crucified, and in royal clothing. Often her son is depicted next to her - also famous among the Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine the Great. He was the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity and to stop the persecution of Christians.

Baptism by another name

We have listed the most common names of the most famous saints in Russia. However, you can baptize a child in honor of your beloved saint and even in honor of your relative, making any namesake saint the patron saint of the child. This does not require any special customs. It is only necessary before Baptism, for example, Alexander, to warn the priest that the heavenly patron of the child will be the faithful Prince Alexander Nevsky or the Monk Alexander Svirsky.

You cannot baptize a child in honor of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Most Holy Theotokos, the Virgin Mary. Their names have long been in awe. The names of Mary are given in honor of the martyrs, and Jesus - this is a rare monastic name - in honor of the Old Testament righteous man Joshua.

In addition, you can baptize a person with a different name than the name in the passport. This is necessary when the name you have chosen for the child is not in the calendar - for example, Amelia or Svetozar. Therefore, your girl named, for example, Aramin, you can baptize with the name Irina. But this can be done simply at will. Then, in church notes for the commemoration of the Liturgy, for example, it will be necessary to write this name.

You cannot baptize a person because of a name change or for the sake of it.
If you do not know how to choose a name for a child whom you named not according to the calendar (Orthodox calendar), take a baptized name that is close in sound to yours.

Prayer to your beloved patron

About the saint in whose honor we are named and who patronizes us, we should remember not only on the day of the name day. In the daily morning and evening prayer rule there is a short general prayer to the same name of the praying saint.

People should turn to their patron saints for all their needs. It is known that there are no unimportant prayers for the saints: it seems to us that the loss of some things is not worth prayer, but if this plunges you into despair, it is better to pray to your saint and calm down, she will not refuse help.

A prayer to the saint in all needs for every day, if you bear this name, you can read online according to the text below:

"Pray to God for me, holy saint of God (holy saint of God) (name), because I diligently ask for your intercession, helper (s) in everything and prayer book (s) for my soul."

A donated or acquired icon of the patron saint is placed in your home iconostasis. It can be found in any room in the house. The place where the images stand in the room is called the "red corner" - usually it is located opposite the door, by the window, in any clean and bright place. You need to be comfortable with taking pictures in front of the icons during prayer, it was convenient to read the prayer book and there were no distractions nearby.

On a special shelf for icons, which can be bought in shops at churches, in the center there is an image of the Lord Jesus Christ, on the left - the Most Holy Theotokos, and on the right - a revered saint, usually the same name for you or your loved ones. Icons can be placed on a shelf with books, they are better than spiritual content.

It may turn out that you bear a rare name and cannot find an icon of your heavenly patron in the church shops. Then purchase and put in your home iconostasis an icon of All Saints, where absolutely all Orthodox saints are symbolically depicted.

Angel day, name day, birthday

On the day of the celebration of the memory of the patron saint, name days are celebrated, or the Day of the Angel - this is one and the same thing. Previously, name days were celebrated simultaneously with a person's birthday.

Orthodox believers on name days visit the church, prepare for the sacraments of Confession and Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. You can at least visit the temple on this day if you cannot proceed to the Holy Sacraments. In the evening or in the afternoon, you can invite relatives and friends for a festive meal (lunch or dinner). If the name day falls on a fast day, then the treat should be made lean.

If your name day falls on a weekday during fasting time (in one of the large seasonal fasts: Veliky, Petrov, Uspensky, Rozhdestvensky), it is better to postpone their celebration to Sunday.

A gift for a birthday person should be appropriate, have a religious context.

• Gift editions of the book of the life of the saint or about the time in which he lived;
• The Bible is a family book that can even be inherited;
• Paid pilgrimage to holy places in your region;
• A modest but elegant gift - a bottle of church Cahors with interesting glasses;
• A beautiful icon lamp for the "red corner" - the home iconostasis of the house;
• Pendant cross chain;
• Ring "Save and Preserve" with a cross and a prayer;
• Bracelet with a prayer or a cross (now there are both men and women on sale);
• The most traditional option is a beautiful, hand-written or self-embroidered icon of the patron saint;
• A vessel for holy water;
• Audio and video discs of spiritual content.

Patron help

The Fathers of the Church themselves, the priests, while still on earth, said that heavenly patrons, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, see our life and our deeds. “The saints embrace the whole world with their love,” said the Monk Strong of Athos. "They see and know how we are exhausted from sorrow ... and, without ceasing, they intercede for us before God."

How, then, not only to ask the saint for help, but also to please him? Imitate his earthly deeds and deeds, his great faith in God - otherwise we only use his or her prayers.

Even Saint Ambrose of Optina, a reverend elder of the 19th century, said: "By name, let your life be." The patron saint should not only be a prayer book for us, but also, most importantly, a role model.

You need to know well the life and deeds of your patron: we cannot sincerely love our saint if we do not know him. Many lives of the saints are described in fiction: for example, in the book "Paterik" by Nikolai Leskov, the life of many ancient saints is described; in the book of Archpriest Nikolai Agafonov "Myrrh-Bearing Wives" - the life of the patron saints of all Mary, Jeanne, John, all bearers of the names of the apostles.

Think about how you could follow the example of your saint. By the nature of Orthodox exploits, the saints are traditionally divided into faces (classifications, categories): apostles, equal to the apostles, saints, prophets, martyrs (great martyrs, monastic martyrs, holy martyrs), righteous, reverend, holy fools, faithful, confessors, etc.

Try to pay attention to their exploits and imitate them a little in your life.

• Women who bear the names of myrrh-bearing wives can serve God and people by preaching, teaching the Law of God.
• If you bear the name of a confessor or a martyr, think about how to tell people about the Orthodox faith. Endure harassment and ridicule.
• If you bear the name of a saint, help your loved ones find the way to salvation by your own example and by telling about the books you have read.

Monks, monks can be imitated in asceticism, independence from earthly pleasures, special efforts to protect themselves from the sins of the flesh and in keeping the purity of thoughts.

Through the prayers of all the saints, may the Lord protect you!