Holy Great Martyr Catherinewas the daughter of the ruler of Alexandria of Egypt, Constus, during the reign of Emperor Maximin (305–313). Living in the capital - the center of Hellenic learning, Catherine, who had rare beauty and intelligence, received an excellent education, having studied the works of the best ancient philosophers and scientists. Young men from the most eminent families of the empire sought the hand of the beautiful Catherine, but not one of them became her chosen one. She announced to her parents that she agreed to marry only someone who surpassed her in nobility, wealth, beauty and wisdom.
Catherine's mother, a secret Christian, took her for advice to her spiritual father, a holy elder, who performed a feat of prayer in solitude in a cave not far from the city. After listening to Catherine, the elder said that he knew a Youth who surpassed her in everything, for “His beauty is brighter than the sun’s radiance, His wisdom governs all creation, His wealth is spread throughout the world, but this does not reduce it, but multiplies it, the height of His family is indescribable.” The image of the Heavenly Bridegroom gave birth in the soul of the holy virgin to an ardent desire to see Him. The truth to which her soul was yearning was revealed to her. At parting, the elder handed Catherine an icon of the Mother of God with the Infant Jesus in her arms and ordered her to pray with faith to the Queen of Heaven, the Mother of the Heavenly Bridegroom, for the granting of a vision of Her Son.
Mosaic icon of Saint Catherine. © RIA Novosti. Sergey Startsev
Catherine prayed all night and was honored to see the Most Holy Virgin, who asked Her Divine Son to look at Catherine kneeling before Them. But the Child turned His face away from her, saying that He could not look at her, because she was ugly, ugly, poor and insane, like every person who had not been washed by the waters of holy Baptism and not sealed with the seal of the Holy Spirit. In deep sadness, Catherine again went to the elder. He accepted her with love, instructed her in the faith of Christ, commanded her to maintain purity and chastity and to pray unceasingly, and performed the sacrament of holy Baptism over her. And again Saint Catherine had a vision of the Most Holy Theotokos with the Child. Now the Lord looked at her tenderly and gave her a ring, betrothing her to Himself. When the vision ended and the saint awoke from sleep, a ring shone on her hand - a wondrous gift from the Heavenly Bridegroom. At this time, Emperor Maximin himself arrived in Alexandria for a pagan festival. On this occasion the holiday was especially magnificent and crowded. The cries of sacrificial animals, the smoke and stench of the altars, which burned incessantly, and the hubbub of the crowds on the lists filled Alexandria. Human sacrifices were also made - confessors of Christ who did not retreat from Him under torture were doomed to death in fire. Holy love for the Christian martyrs and a heartfelt desire to alleviate their lot prompted Catherine to go to the chief priest and ruler of the empire, the persecuting emperor Maximin.
Having identified herself, the saint confessed her faith in the One True God and wisely exposed the errors of the pagans. The beauty of the girl captivated the ruler. To convince her and show the triumph of pagan wisdom, the emperor ordered to convene 50 of the most learned men of the empire, but the saint prevailed over the wise men, so that they themselves believed in Christ. Saint Catherine made the sign of the cross over the martyrs, and they courageously accepted death for Christ and were burned by order of the emperor.
Maximin, no longer hoping to convince the saint, tried to seduce her with the promise of wealth and fame. Having received an angry refusal, the emperor ordered the saint to be subjected to cruel torture and then thrown into prison. Empress Augusta, who had heard a lot about Saint Catherine, wished to see her. Having persuaded the governor Porfiry with a detachment of soldiers to accompany her, Augusta came to the dungeon. The Empress was amazed by the strength of spirit of Saint Catherine, whose face shone with Divine grace. The holy martyr revealed Christian teaching to those who came, and they, believing, turned to Christ.
The next day, the martyr was again brought to the trial seat, where, under the threat of being thrown on the wheel, she was asked to renounce the Christian faith and make a sacrifice to the gods. The saint adamantly confessed Christ and herself approached the wheels, but an Angel crushed the instruments of execution, and they scattered into pieces, killing many pagans. Seeing this miracle, Empress Augusta and courtier Porfiry with 200 soldiers confessed their faith in Christ in front of everyone and were beheaded. Maximin again tried to seduce the holy martyr by offering her marriage, and again received a refusal. Saint Catherine firmly confessed allegiance to her Heavenly Bridegroom - Christ, and with a prayer to Him she herself laid her head on the block under the executioner's sword. The relics of Saint Catherine were transferred by Angels to Mount Sinai. In the 6th century, by revelation, the venerable head and left hand of the holy martyr were found and transferred with honors to the newly created temple of the Sinai Monastery, built by the holy Emperor Justinian (527-565; Comm. November 14).