Saint Irina was born at the end of the 1st century in Migdonia. It was a time when Christians were persecuted and painfully dying for their faith. The future preacher of Christianity was the daughter of the Thracian ruler of Migdonia - Licinius. At first, the girl was a pagan, like her parents. But later she adopted Christianity, for which she suffered at the beginning of the II century. The Great Martyr Irina is the patroness of missionaries. Now they turn to her in prayers to strengthen faith in persecution, in temptations.
Signs of Christ
The holy great martyr Irina, before baptism, bore the name that her parents gave her - Penelope. Historical reports say that the girl was unearthly beauty. The father
did not cherish the soul in his child. When Penelope was 6 years old, he built a magnificent suburban palace for her. In it, the girl lived with the teacher, whose name was Kariya, and the ladies. The girl did not need anything: any of her whims was performed by the servants of the ruler. Every day a teacher came to Penelope - the elder Apelian. He taught the girl a variety of sciences. In addition, Apelian was a Christian (secret). He told his student about Christian virtues and the teachings of Christ.
When Penelope was 12 years old, her father decided to marry her. It was then that 3 birds flew into the girl’s room, in whose beak there was an interesting burden. The first bird was a pigeon. He left an oil branch on Penelope’s table. The second bird - an eagle - gave the girl a flower wreath, and in the crows left a small snake in her chambers. Penelope was very surprised when she discovered such "surprises." But her teacher, Apelian, immediately understood the meaning of these signs. He explained that the dove personified the virtues of Penelope thanks to which she would receive God's grace at Baptism. For this, the Creator will crown her in his Kingdom with a wreath of glory. And the raven, who brought Penelope a snake, foreshadowed her the persecution and sorrow that the girl will have to experience for her love of Christ.
Adoption of christianity
After 3 birds appeared in Penelope’s room, and Apelian explained the meaning of these signs, the girl asked her father for 7 days to think. During this time, she had to choose a groom. But instead of pondering a future family life and deciding on a spouse, Penelope decided to be baptized. The Apostle Timothy and his disciple Paul performed the rite of Holy Baptism. The girl adopted Christianity and changed her name. Now her name was Irina. After some time, she publicly called herself a Christian. Licinius - Penelope's father - was enraged by his daughter's similar behavior and ordered her to be thrown under the hooves of running
wild horses. However, not a single horse did harm to the girl. On the contrary, one of the horses trampled her father. However, Saint Irina loved Licinius very much, so she began to pray for him. Soon her father was resurrected. After this event, Licinius and all his nobles believed in Christ. They all received Baptism, becoming Christians. Licinius left the ruling post and, together with his wife, moved to his daughter’s palace to serve God.
The torment of St. Irina
After the adoption of Baptism, Saint Irina moved to the house of her teacher Apelian. There, she prayed to the Lord every day, read the scriptures, and kept
fasting. In the afternoon, the girl did not eat food at all, only in the evening she allowed herself some bread and water. Irina slept too little; the bed for her was the usual floor or earth. So Saint Irina spent 3 years in Migdonia. During this time, the girl suffered because of the persecution of the changing rulers of the city. Almost every ruler tried to force Irina to worship pagan gods. But the girl was unshakable. Then Zedekii threw her into a moat, which was filled with poisonous snakes, and left her there for 10 days. But the snakes did not bite Saint Irina, and the angel of God supported her when she was in the moat. Seeing this, Zedekiy ordered the girl to be sawed with a saw, but her point was dulled when the saw was brought to Irina. And the formidable ruler did not stop there. He ordered the girl to be attached to the mill wheel. But even then the Lord saved the life of his chosen one: under the mill wheel, water did not flow. Thousands of people, seeing such miracles, renounced paganism and adopted Christianity. And when Zedekiy once again expressed his indignation, the residents of the city stoned him with stones. The cruel ruler was replaced by his son, Savah. He decided to avenge his father and gathered a huge army against the townspeople. But the holy great martyr Irina read the prayer, and the army of Savah, along with her ruler, was blinded. After the incident, Savah began to ask the girl for forgiveness, praying for healing. Generous Irina forgave him, restored his sight. But Savah broke his promise and subjected the girl to another torment. This time he ordered to drive nails into her legs, to live on her shoulders a heavy bag of sand and in this form to lead out of town. Throughout the difficult journey, the angels accompanied and supported Irina. And Savah, to the surprise of the inhabitants of Migdonia, suddenly died.
Miracles of Christ
During her stay in Migdonia, Saint Irina preached the Christian faith and performed many miracles. Through prayer, she healed the sick, chased away demons, and cleansed lepers. And once a girl did a real miracle: she resurrected a dead young man, whom her parents mourned. Irina later moved from Migdonia to Kalliope, and from there to Mesemvria. In every city of Thrace where Irina was, she preached Christianity. But here it was not without torment. City rulers were aggressive towards the teachings of Christ and his follower. They tried to burn the girl on a hot grill. But the Lord saved his chosen one from death. The greatest miracle with St. Irina happened in the city of Messemvria. The ruler of the city, Prince Savory, ordered the girl to be cut off. And his order was executed. And after they buried the holy martyr outside the city. But the Lord wished Irina to continue to preach Christianity, so he resurrected her. The Almighty ordered his follower to return to Messemvria. The inhabitants of the city could not believe their eyes: before them was the deceased Irina. After what happened, Prince Savory and his people believed in the Lord God Christ, having received Baptism. So hard the great martyr Irina had to introduce people to the true faith.
The last days of St. Irina
Saint Irina of Macedonia died in the city of Ephesus. The girl foresaw her demise. A few days before her death, Irina, together with her teacher, the elder Apelian, went out of town to one of the mountain caves. Upon entering there, Irina ordered her companions to close the cave entrance with the help of a heavy stone. Here she died in prayer. It happened on May 5th. On the 4th day, Christians came to the cave to pick up the body of Saint Irina. But when they rolled off the stone, they saw that there was nobody there. People realized that the girl’s body was taken to heaven by the Almighty. During her stay in Ephesus, the follower of Christ did not stop preaching Christianity. Thanks to her, many people believed in the Lord God and received Baptism. By the way, in Ephesus the girl was transferred from Migdonia on a cloud. Some sources say that Saint Irina preached the Gospel among the Slavic people, and was burned in Soluni.
Temples
In Constantinople, several beautiful temples were built in memory of the follower of Christ. In Pokrovsky (Russia, Moscow) you can find the temple of St. Irina. The chapel of the holy martyr was added in 1635 to the parish church of St. N. the Wonderworker. In 1790-1792, a church was erected with chapels of the holy martyrs Irina and Catherine. The people began to call the temple "Pokrovskaya Irina the Martyr." In 1891, the church was rebuilt and significantly expanded. During the revolution of 1917, the church was closed, and the building itself was partially destroyed. And only in 1992 the church was returned to the holy building. Now the temple is the only one in Moscow consecrated in honor of St. Irina. Now it is
full of life. A Sunday school has been opened at the church, where theology is taught, a library, computer classes, and a film library are being created. But not by this is famous for the Intercession Church of St. Irina, but a wonderful incense, which is called "Irinin." Here the father was able to create a laboratory where he studies the ancient recipes for the preparation of incense compounds. The aroma of "Irinin" incense simply fascinates the parishioners. The church in honor of St. Irina can also be found in Volgovo (40 km from St. Petersburg). This village is small, as, however, is the church itself. Now in Volgovo, work is underway on its reconstruction and restoration. In the future, it is planned to open a museum of Orthodox culture, there are plenty of exhibits and materials for which.
Temple of St. Irina in Istanbul
But the most magnificent church of St. Irina is located in Istanbul (Turkey). However, it is dedicated not to Irina of Macedonia, but to the great martyrs Sophia and Irina of Egypt. This is not only the oldest and most beautiful temple in the city, but also the hallmark of a major metropolis. The Byzantine church is located in the center of Istanbul - Sultanahmet district. The church was erected in the IV century on the site of the
ancient temple of Aphrodite. Initially, the holy building was considered the main church of Constantinople. In 532 the church was burned, and in 548 it was rebuilt under the holy emperor Justinian. In 740, the church of St. Irina was hit hard by the earthquake. In 1453, Constantinople was conquered by the Ottomans, but they decided not to remodel the temple into a mosque. From the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries, the Byzantine church was used to store weapons, and in 1846 it was turned into the Archaeological Museum. In 1869, the temple was transformed into the Imperial Museum, and in 1908 - into the military. Today, the Byzantine temple serves as a concert hall due to its impressive size and excellent acoustics. In 2000, Farouk Saras - a famous Turkish couturier - organized a model show there, which devoted the history of the Ottoman Empire. The Istanbul Temple of St. Irene is unique in that it has been preserved in almost unchanged condition. Thousands of tourists come to see it, a large percentage of whom are Christians.
What does Saint Irina help
Over the years of her missionary work, the holy martyr Irina was able to convert more than 10,000 pagans to Christians. Their number included not only ordinary people, but also the rulers of different cities. The icon of St. Irina of Macedonia is located in almost every Orthodox church. They turn to her to ask for health, vitality, family well-being and confidence. The memory of the holy Great Martyr Irina is celebrated on May 5 (the day of her death). According to the new style - May 18. In honor of the icon of St. Irina, a manor was built in Moscow, which later went to Naryshkin. Many are patronized by Saint Irina. What helps
she? The Holy Great Martyr protects from various kinds of misfortunes. Prayer to Saint Irina helps strengthen family relationships. The saint also helps to gain confidence and achieve career success.
Icon of Saint Irina of Egypt
The first Christian missionaries had a hard way. Saint Irina of Egypt, along with other followers of Christ, carried the good news to the Egyptian people. She preached the Christian faith and worked miracles. A lot of Egyptians in those days were baptized and believed in the true God. However, the preaching of St. Irina did not last long. In one of the Egyptian cities she was captured with another missionary - Saint Sophia. After numerous tortures, the girls were beheaded. Years passed, and only during the reign of Emperor Constantine the Great, the relics of saints Sophia and Irina were transferred to Constantinople. Subsequently, a temple was built in Byzantium in honor of the Great Martyrs.
The icon of Saint Irina of Egypt helps a person throughout his life. The Holy Great Martyr intercedes for people in their sorrows, thanks the Most High for the revealed joy. Prayer to Saint Irina of Egypt keeps from troubles, troubles, helps to avoid sinful acts. The patron saint protects people from evil, disease. For all Orthodox people, the holy martyr Irina prays before the Lord God. Its icon is a great value for man. Priests recommend having her in the house to those whom she patronizes. An Orthodox holiday in memory of St. Irene of Egypt is celebrated on September 18 (new style - October 1).
The meaning of the name Irina
Translated from the ancient Greek language, the name means "peace, peace." A girl with the name Irina has such qualities as independence, mobility, determination, firmness, cheerfulness. The name Irina “bestows” her owner with an analytical mindset and an excellent sense of humor. In adulthood, Irina devotes much time to her career. Often they become excellent leaders through a combination of inner poise, judgment and a sense of humor. Irins are good diplomats and psychologists. They feel the interlocutor well and know how to "tune in to his wave." As a rule, girls named Irina are not limited to household chores. They prefer to combine career and family.
Orthodox birthday of Irina
- October 1 is a holiday in memory of St. Irina of Egypt. On the same day - the celebration of the icon of the Mother of God “Healer”, which helps seriously ill patients.
- May 18 - a feast in memory of the holy great martyr Irina of Macedonia. On the same day - the celebration of the icon of the Mother of God “The Inexhaustible Chalice”, which heals from alcoholism, drug addiction.