The holy martyrs Cyprian and Ustinha are depicted on Orthodox icons together. Of course, this is not an accident. These people lived in the same city, and according to one version, they were spouses, although the essence of their relationship is not known for certain. There is also a version according to which Ustinha took the tonsure, but she also has no confirmation. Whatever it was, but through martyrdom in the name of faith, these people passed together. Saint Cyprian depicted on such an icon is called Antioch. It is also important to know.
If the icon of Cyprian is not complemented by a female image, then on it believers see already a completely different saint. Alone portrayed is the namesake - Carthage, bishop, Christian theologian and philosopher. However, in Orthodox churches his image is a rarity. The saint is better known in the West than ours. Which is logical, because the bishop adhered to the Latin rite, although nominally he is revered in Orthodoxy.
Another saint with this name is also depicted alone. The icon of Cyprian of Kiev is present in many churches. However, he is not as famous among believers as his namesake, a former early Christian martyr.
Who were you in life?
The holy great martyrs Cyprian and Ustinha received a terrible death in 304 in Nicomedia. This is a small city located near Constantinople. This is known to almost all believers who read prayers in front of their icon. But how did these people live? What did they do? Not every parishioner can answer these questions. Meanwhile, the meaning of the icon-painting image and what it is customary to pray about before it is largely determined by the life of the saints represented on it.
At the time of the adoption of martyrdom, Cyprian was bishop of Antioch, the city in which he was born and lived. He was a highly educated and respected man. Before becoming a Christian, Cyprian was one of the most influential priests and a city sorcerer, who was addressed by locals with various needs. This man was educated in Babylon, Argos, Memphis and Targopol. Of course, it was directly related to the witchcraft. It also indicates that he came from a very wealthy family.
Ustinya was the daughter of one of the city priests. She accidentally heard a Christian street sermon and became interested in this creed. Ustinha soon accepted the sacrament of baptism and was able to convince her parents to do the same. And after meeting Cyprian, she also contributed to his conversion to the Christian faith.
History of the Holy Great Martyr Ustinha
The Cyprian icon depicts not only the saint himself, Ustinya is also represented on it. However, this woman's name was Justina. Ustinia it is called exclusively in Russia, among the people. In worship, priests pronounce the name correctly. This woman was a Christian, and it was thanks to her, her influence, Cyprian turned to the Lord, rejecting paganism.
What is known about her? Unfortunately, not so much. Only fragmentary descriptions of the individual stages of her life have survived to our time. But thanks to this woman many people learned about Christ, it is unlikely that her missionary work was limited to family members.
After Ustinha and her parents became Christians, matchmakers from one of the local rich men, whose name was Aglaid, came to their house. He was refused, but the man was not going to give up. He turned to the local magician for help, ordering a love spell for the girl. This sorcerer was none other than Cyprian.
He did not refuse the "suffering bridegroom" and began to charm. But, to his great bewilderment, the girl was able to contrast prayers with all the spells. At the same time, an epidemic of an incomprehensible disease broke out in Antioch. Rumors circulated around the city that the pestilence and the sorcerer sent a pestilence. People came to the home of Ustinyaโs parents to beg her to come to terms with fate and accept the marriage proposal. The future saint reassured them, promising to pray for an end to the disaster. The Lord heeded this plea, the epidemic stopped.
After this miracle, many citizens, including the loser mage Cyprian himself, adopted the Christian faith.
On the martyrdom of saints
These events took place during the reign of Emperor Diocletian, known for his cruel attitude to Christians. Despite the fact that future saints lived far from the capital, the fame of their deeds came to Rome.
Of course, the reaction of the authorities followed immediately. The future martyrs were captured and given a terrible death through "beheading with a sword." That is, they simply chopped their bodies into small pieces. During the execution, one of the soldiers dropped his weapon and declared himself a Christian. This man was called Theoctist. The Legionnaire was executed right there, along with future saints.
The execution took place in Nicomedia, where Cyprian and Ustinya were delivered on purpose. This happened because the emperor Diocletian himself was in this city at that moment in time. The governor of the province Yevtolmiy tried in this way to earn the mercy of the ruler, to get into favorites.
About the burial of the remains
The martyrdom of these people continued after death. The remains for a long time remained unburied. Local residents were simply afraid to get closer to what was left of the bodies.
However, a few days later, the bodies were picked up by sailors who professed the Christian faith. And by an incredible combination of circumstances, they were brought secretly from the shipowner not to anywhere, but to Rome. Here the remains were handed over to a certain Rufina, a Christian. She buried them, of course, without sharing.
Where are the relics of the saints?
Many of those whom the icon of Cyprian and Ustinha helped to cope with the trouble are interested in the whereabouts of their relics. The remains of the saints were solemnly reburied in 1001. The new place of their resting was the Italian city of Piacenza. But the bones of the martyrs did not stay there long.
Nowadays, bones are divided. Part of the relics is in a church in the village of Menico in Cyprus. The other part is in Greece, in the monastery of Saints Cyprian and Justina. In 2005, the ark with the relics of the martyrs was available for worship in Moscow, the bones were brought to the Zachatievsky monastery.
What is appealing to the face?
What does the icon "Cyprian and Ustinha" look like? What are they praying for before this image? These questions are usually interesting to people who are not particularly versed in the intricacies and nuances of Orthodoxy. That is, those who were not brought up in accordance with religious traditions.
The icon of St. Cyprian and Ustinha, or rather, a prayer in front of her, helps people to cope:
- with witchcraft;
- with corruption or evil eye;
- with diseases;
- with the machinations of ill-wishers.
That is, the meaning of this image is fully consistent with the life of the saints represented on it.
How to handle?
Prayer to Cyprian from corruption and witchcraft can be pronounced both in his own words and with the help of ready-made texts. The most important thing when asking is not what words are spoken, but how this is done. That is, one should turn to the saints in the presence of a sincere and unshakable faith in the power of the Lord and with full hope for his help and protection, with humility in the heart and without any hidden intentions.
The text of the prayer may be:
โHoly Martyr Cyprian! Martyr Ustinha! Hear my prayer, for I trust in you and ask for protection and help. May I, slave (proper name), be protected by your intercession from all the machinations of the wicked, slander, and other evil, we preserve it. I ask you about the protection from the eyes of evil and human envy, from unknown diseases, from ailments big and small, from human wiles and intrigues of demons. Save, holy martyrs, and my relatives, friends and all good people, from small to great. Amen".
What should the icon look like? When do churches remember these saints?
Memorial Day of Cyprian and Ustinha - October 15. As for how the icon-painting looks, the unified canon is not adhered to when representing these saints.
As a rule, their figures are depicted side by side, written out in equal proportions. The background can be simply gold or partially filled with fragments with scenes of the lives of the saints. Often in online stores you can find solitary images of St. Cyprian of Antioch. Before acquiring such an image, one needs to go to church and consult with a priest, since both in the Orthodox tradition and in Western Christianity these saints are represented on icons only together.