The Holy GreatMartyress Marina
Commemorated on July 17
The Holy
GreatMartyress Marina was born in Asia Minor, in the city of Antioch, into
the family of a pagan priest. In infancy she lost her mother, and her father
gave her over into the care of a nursemaid, who raised Marina in the Orthodox
faith. Upon learning that his daughter had become a Christian, the father
angrily disowned her. During the time of the persecution against Christians
under the emperor Diocletian (284-305), Saint Marina at fifteen years of age
was arrested and locked up in prison. With firm trust in the will of God and
His help, the young prisoner prepared for her impending fate. The governor
Olymbrios, charmed with the beautiful girl, tried to persuade her to renounce
the Christian faith and become his wife. But the saint, unswayed, refused his
false offers. The vexed governor gave the holy martyress over to torture.
Having beaten her fiercely, they fastened the saint with nails to a board and
tore at her body with tridents. The governor himself, unable to bear the horror
of these tortures, hid his face in his hands. But the holy martyress remained
unyielding. Thrown for the night into prison, she was granted Heavenly aid and
healed of her wounds. Tied to a tree, they scorched the martyress with fire.
Barely alive, the martyress prayed: "Lord, Thou hast granted me to go
through fire for Thine Name, grant me also to go through the water of holy
Baptism".
Hearing the word
"water", the governor gave orders to drown the saint in a large
barrel. The martyress besought the Lord, that this manner of execution should
become for her holy Baptism. When they plunged her into the water, there
suddenly shone a light, and a snow-white dove came down from Heaven, bearing in
its beak a golden crown. The fetters put upon Saint Marina of themselves came
apart. The martyress stood up in the fount of Baptism glorifying the Holy
Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Saint Marina emerged from the fount
completely healed, without any trace of burns. Amazed at this miracle, the
people glorified the True God, and many came to believe. This brought the
governor into a rage, and he gave orders to kill anyone, who might confess the
Name of Christ. There then perished 15,000 Christians, and the holy Martyress
Marina was beheaded. The sufferings of the GreatMartyress Marina were described
by an eye-witness of the event, named Theotimos.
Up until the taking
of Constantinople by Western crusaders in the year 1204, the relics of the
GreatMartyress Marina were situated in the Panteponteia monastery. According to
other sources, they were located in Antioch until the year 908 and from there
transferred to Italy. Her venerable hand was transferred to Athos, to the
Batopedeia monastery.
© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos.
