The Holy Great Martyr Barbara Dec 17/4

Liudmilla · Post by **Liudmilla** » Fri 19 December 2003 12:10 pm

The Holy Great Martyr Barbara

(December 17, December 4 old calendar).

The Great Martyr Barbara was a fervent follower of Christ, betrothed to Him from her early years. Her father, Dioscorus, was a pagan in the city of Heliopolis in Egypt and was famed for his wealth and standing. Dioscorus shut up his only daughter, who was both intelligent and beautiful, in a high tower, surrounded her with all possible comforts, gave her a host of attendants, set up idols for worship and built her a bathroom with two windows. As she gazed through the windows of the tower upon the earth below and the starry sky above, Barbara's mind was opened by the grace of God, and she came to know Him as the one, true God and Creator, although she had no human teacher to bring her to the knowledge of Him. Once, when her father was away from the city, she came out of the tower and, by God's providence, met some Christians who told her about the true Christian faith. Barbara's heart was set on fire with love for Christ. She had a third window cut in the bathroom as a symbol of the Holy Trinity, and traced a Cross with her finger on one wall of it, which etched itself deep in the stone as if cut by a chisel. A spring of water gushed forth from the bathroom floor from her footprint, and it later gave healing from sickness to many. When Dioscorus found out about his daughter's faith, he beat her harshly and drove her from the tower, chasing after her to kill her, but a cliff opened and hid Barbara from her irate father. When she appeared again, Dioscorus took her to Marcian, the governor of the city, who handed her over for torture. The innocent Barbara was stripped and beaten until her entire body was covered in bloody wounds, but the Lord Himself appeared to her in the prison with many angels, and healed her. A certain woman, Juliana, beheld this and conceived a desire for martyrdom herself. Both of them were fearfully tortured and taken around the city to be mocked, then their breasts were cut off and much blood flowed from them. They were finally led out to the place of execution, and Juliana was slain by soldiers while Barbara was killed by her own father. On the same day, lightning struck Dioscorus's house, killing both him and Marcian. St. Barbara suffered in 306, and her wonderworking relics are preserved in Kiev. Greatly glorified in the Kingdom of Christ, she has appeared many times down to our own days, sometimes alone and sometimes in the company of the most holy Mother of God.

Troparion, Tone 4

Let us praise holy Barbara who has broken the snares of the enemy./ By the help of the weapon of the Cross/ she has escaped as a bird and flown Godwards.

Kontakion, Tone 4

Great Martyr Barbara, thou didst follow Him Who is praised in Trinity,/ having abandoned the idols' shrines./ Thou didst strive in the midst of the arena, not shrinking from the tyrants' threats./ Thou didst cry out in a strong voice:/ I worship the Trinity, the One Divinity.

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Sun 20 June 2004 3:00 am

The ridiculous part is that the roman catholics have erased her name form their calendar! The defy the Holy Church and the Saints and say that she "wasn't historical". How do they know? We know that all the saints actually existed, because the Church is inspired by God through the Saints. God reveals His saints to the Church. Anyway, Eusebius(4th century AD) the ecclesiastical historian says that a great number of women martyred in Egypt(Ecclesiastical History 8.8 ) The holy virgin-martyr Barbara was one of them!

romiosini · Post by **romiosini** » Sun 20 June 2004 2:25 pm

How disturbing for the Catholics to do that. There is proof that Saint Barbara existed. Hello! Her relics still exist (Not fully, just in particles) in Syria, and around the World of Orthodoxy. That is just ugly for the Pope to "Erase" a Saint. Blasphemy!

George · Post by **George** » Fri 2 July 2004 12:42 am

I understand the the Roman Catholic church also says that St George didn't exist. :ohvey:

romiosini · Post by **romiosini** » Fri 2 July 2004 9:22 am

Saint George of all people? That is litterate blasphemy and heresy. HELLO, Saint George's relics are in Palestine. Just become the True Faith, Orthodox Christians have his relics, it doesn't mean that heretics should suddenly pretend that the Saint never existed. GOOD LORD HAVE MERCY!

Mor Ephrem · Post by **Mor Ephrem** » Fri 2 July 2004 1:15 pm

It's been a while since I've posted here, so I think here is an appropriate place to add my two cents.

No, the RC's don't teach that Saints Barbara and George and other early martyrs didn't exist. What they say is that it is hard to discern facts from pious legends, and so there are some saints they have removed from the post-Vatican II "Universal Roman Calendar" (it wasn't just early saints with a lot of legend surrounding them that got taken off the calendar...many other saints, while remaining saints, were taken off, and others officially added, to make the saints more "universal" in scope and appeal). They are still listed in their lists of saints, however, and remain on the calendar officially in those parishes, monasteries, and other places where the Tridentine Mass may be celebrated. Other than these, there are also parishes named for these saints which may celebrate their feasts as their patronal feasts, as well as different groups of people who have special devotion to them, and for whom liturgical services in their honour can be celebrated. Catholic religious goods stores have plenty of statues of Barbara, George, Christopher (PLENTY of merchandise around this one), etc. Even if their memory is not liturgically observed or emphasised, they are still kicking in the RCC among a number of their members. I personally don't care for a lot of what the RCC did to its calendar (there used to be a time when every day had a saint on the Roman calendar, but now up to a week can go by without commemorating one in the "Novus Ordo"), and I think some of the popular traditions RC's have surrounding certain saints border on pure superstition. However, it is one thing to say they have taken their celebrations off the calendar, and another thing to say that they reject them as having not existed.

Saint George, by the way, remains on all Roman calendars, pre- and post-Vatican II, the latter on 23 April, an optional memorial. While this technically means it is not necessary to commemorate him (and other saints whose feasts only rank as an optional memorial), my experience is that almost all churches will observe these feasts, the only exception being the chapel from which services are broadcast by EWTN, which seems only to celebrate the feasts of saints whose memorials are obligatory, with an exception here and there. There are many saints who don't even have the rank of optional memorial, so the fact that they let him stay says something.

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Fri 30 July 2004 12:58 pm

Hey guys! Of course, most early martyrs are surrounded by a bunch of legends. But the martyrs are all real. The Holy Church is the pillar and the base of TRUTH(1 Timothy 3:15). The Bible, the 7 Ecumenical Councils, the texts of the Holy Fathers approved by the 7 Ecumenical Councils, the Hymns and the Prayers of the Church and the Liturgical texts are CORRECT. Concerning the Holy Martyrs, we accept what the Troparia, Kontakia etc. say. Not every little legend.

Even if there aren't any early references, the Lord reveals His saints to the Church. As for St. George, there is one very early reference to him(mid 4th century):

"Immediately on the publication of the decree against the churches in Nicomedia, a certain man, not obscure but very highly honored with distinguished temporal dignities, moved with zeal toward God, and incited with ardent faith, seized the edict as it was posted openly and publicly, and tore it to pieces as a profane and impious thing; and this was done while two of the sovereigns were in the same city, - the oldest of all, and the one who held the fourth place in the government after him. But this man, first in that place, after distinguishing himself in such a manner suffered those things which were likely to follow such daring, and kept his spirit cheerful and undisturbed till death."(Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 8.5)

This is St. George. There are many similarities with the heretical legendary "Acts" of the Saint:

1)He was an official

2)He was killed by the emperor Dadianus/Diocletian

3)He appeared before the emperor himself, i.e. in Diocletian's capital(Nicomedia)

3)He turned himself in and spoke against paganism

4)This happened right after the emperor issued an anti-Christian edict.