Every year on April 8, the Orthodox Church commemorates the great martyr Larisa Gotfskaya. This young virgin, through her courage and unlimited faith in Christ, found the crown of holiness and, along with other saints of God, was awarded eternal life. On this day, all women bearing the name of Larisa accept congratulations - Orthodox Christians celebrate name day on the day of memory of their heavenly patroness.
Young Christian from the country of the Gentiles
In the IV century, Germanic Goths lived on the territory of modern Romania, and their entire country was called Gothia. They were under the rule of the Roman Empire, in which Christianity had already triumphed. Despite the fact that the majority of the Goths were ready, the Christians who lived among them enjoyed sufficient freedom to build churches and worship in them.
However, the hidden hatred of pagan fanatics at times erupted. Difficult times for Christians began with the coming to power of the Gothian king Atanarich. He hated everyone who believed in Christ, and subjected them to all kinds of persecution. At this time, a young beautiful Christian girl who was named Larisa lived in Gothia. The birthday of October 8th is celebrated on the day of her memory.
The threat to the life of Christians
Larisa's parents were Christians, and from childhood instilled in her love for the true God and the idea that for the sake of Him you can sacrifice everything in the world, even life itself. When in 375 the persecution of Christians took on a particularly severe form, it became dangerous to attend services. However, Larisa, rejecting fear, continued to regularly go to church.
And then one day, when she came to the temple and, standing at the very entrance, gave herself up to prayer, the doors suddenly opened. Turning around, Larisa saw a warrior standing on the threshold. Behind him was a wagon in which stood the figure of the pagan idol Wotan. The warrior shouted to the whole temple that everyone who went out to bow to the idol would survive, and all those who refused would immediately die.
Death in the name of God
Seeing Larisa and marveling at her beauty, he invited her to leave the church freely without any conditions. However, the courageous Christian, seeing that none of those present in the temple did not move, chose to die with all the glory of the name of Jesus Christ. An angry warrior slammed the door, after which the church was set on fire. Three hundred Christians inside were killed in the fire, and Larisa herself.
The Holy Orthodox Church honors the memory of all who gave their lives for the glory of Christianity. Larisa's birthday - April 8. This is one of the days on which their bright names are commemorated during the service. The Holy Great Martyr, having gained eternal life at the Throne of God, became a guardian angel for those who received her name in holy baptism. Therefore, Larisa's birthday (angel's day) is celebrated on the day of her memory. This is a tradition spanned by centuries.
Celebrating Larisa’s name day, it’s impossible not to pray to the heavenly patron herself, and not to ask for her blessings and help in everyday affairs. It is generally believed that St. Larissa protects from the commission of rash acts, and thereby relieves of many disappointments in life. In addition, as the servant of God, standing at the Holy See, she can pray to the Lord for the sending of all that will be for the benefit of people.
History of the name of Larisa
The origin of this name itself is known to be derived from the name of the city of Larissa, which was once located in Greece. From mythology it is known that this was the name of one of the nymphs - the granddaughter of the god of the seas Poseidon. There is a legend that once she played a ball and, having stumbled, fell into the Peny River. At the place where this happened, and the city was built, named after her.
This name is translated from Greek means "swallow". It is known that in Russia, Larisa’s name days, as well as the owners of all other names, began to be celebrated only in the 17th century. Statistics over the past two centuries show that in Moscow at birth, approximately three girls from every thousand newborns were called that way, in other cities a little more - about seven, and in rural areas their number increased to ten.
Qualities inherent in Larisa
Speaking about what qualities are most characteristic of Larisa, it should be noted that the owners of this name, as a rule, are distinguished by a submissive nature. Often it helps to avoid conflicts in family life and in the production team, but at the same time it often becomes the cause of actions that later have to be regretted, which could have been avoided by showing firmness. This primarily relates to matters of personal life.
Women with the name Larisa are often accompanied by success in areas such as philology, linguistics and programming. This is explained by their outstanding creative talent. Another characteristic feature is their love for children, to whom they are able to devote their whole lives. In this case, it is important to note that we are talking not only about our own children, but also about strangers.
Due to this quality, women with this name often become good teachers and educators. And although Larisa’s birthday is celebrated only once a year, their heavenly patroness abundantly sends them love and patience, which are so necessary for working with children and for personal happiness.