The Holy Martyress Juliania, daughter of an illustrious
pagan named Africanus, was born in the city of Nicomedia. In her
adolescent years she was betrothed to a certain Eleusios. Saint
Juliania was endowed with a profound intellect and an inclination
to goodness of soul, and she saw through the delusion and deception
of the pagan faith. She secretly accepted holy Baptism. When the
time of the wedding approached, Juliania resolutely refused to
be married. Her father began to urge her not to break the long
engagement but, not getting his wish, he began to beat her viciously.
Then Africanus handed his daughter over to the magistrate of the
city, which was that very Eleusios, the former fiancee of Juliania.
Eleusios heatedly asked Juliania to marry him, promising not to
require of her a change of faith. Saint Juliania refused and preferred
the torture. They beat the saint both long and harshly, but after
each beating she received from God healing and new strength. Her
beating was done before a large number of people. Of these, 500
men and 150 women came to confess Christ -- having witnessed the
steadfastness and courage of the holy virgin miraculously healed
from her wounds. They were beheaded, having been baptised in their
own blood. Convinced finally of his own hopeless attempt to tear
the holy virgin away from her Heavenly Bridegroom, Eleusios sentenced
Juliania to death. She accepted the sentence with joy and glorified
the Lord for permitting her to receive a martyr's crown. The execution
of the holy Martyress Juliania was done in the year 304.
Saint Peter, Metropolitan of Moscow, was born in Volhynia
of the pious parents Feodor and Evpraksia. Even before the birth
of her son, the Lord revealed to Evpraksia the blessed pre-chosenness
of her son. At 12 years of age, young Peter entered a monastery.
He successfully studied the book sciences of those times and eagerly
fulfilled his monastic obediences. The future saint devoted much
time to an attentive study of the Holy Scriptures and he learned
iconography. The icons, written by the Monk Peter, were distributed
to the brethren and to Christians visiting the monastery. Because
of his virtuous and ascetic life, the hegumen of the monastery
had the Monk Peter ordained to the dignity of priestmonk. After
some number of years of ascetic deeds at the monastery, the priestmonk
Peter, having gained the blessing of the hegumen, left the monastery
in search of a solitary place. At the Rata River he made a cell
and began to pursue asceticism in silence. Afterwards at this
place of his ascetic exploits was formed a monastery, called the
Novodvorsk. A church in the Name of the Saviour was built for
the arriving monks. Chosen as hegumen, Saint Peter guided his
spiritual children, never becoming angry with a guilty monk, but
rather by word and by example he instructed the brethren. The
virtuous hegumen and ascetic became known far beyond the bounds
of the monastery. The prince of Galich Yuri L'vovich came frequently
to the monastery to hear spiritual guidance from the holy ascetic.
One
time the Vladimir Metropolitan Maxim visited the monastery, in
his travels through the Russian land with words of instruction
and edification. Having received the Saint Maxim's blessing, Saint
Peter offered him as a gift in return an image written by him
of the Uspenie (Dormition) of the MostHoly Mother of God -- before
which Saint Maxim until the end of his days prayed for the salvation
of the Russian land entrusted him by God.
When
Metropolitan Maxim died, the Vladimir cathedra-chair remained
for a certain time unoccupied. The Greatprince of Vladimir --
at this time it was Saint Michael of Tver (commemorated 22
November) -- dispatched to the Patriarch of Constantinople
his chosen like-minded associate the hegumen Gerontii with a petition
that he be elevated to Metropolitan of Russia.
On
the suggestion of the Galich prince Yuri, hegumen Peter also set
out to the Constantinople Patriarch for consideration to the hierarch
cathedra. God chose Saint Peter for the nourishing of the Russian
Church. The Mother of God appeared to Gerontii, sailing amidst
the Black Sea by night during a storm, and said: "In vain dost
thou endeavour, the hierarchical dignity is not allotted thee.
That one, who hath written Me [upon icon], the Rata hegumen Peter,
shalt be elevated to the throne of the Russian metropolitan."
The words of the Mother of God were fulfilled in full: the Patriarch
of Constantinople Athanasias (1289-1293) with a council elevated
Saint Peter to Russian metropolitan, bestowing upon him the hierarchical
vestments, staff and icon, brought by Gerontii. Upon his return
to Russia in 1308, Metropolitan Peter after the course of a year
arrived at Kiev, and then proceeded on to Vladimir.
The
chief hierarch was tested by many trials during his first years
of guiding the Russian metropolitanate. In its suffering beneath
the Tatar (Mongol) Yoke the Russian land was in turmoil, and Saint
Peter was obliged often to change the place of his residence.
During this period particularly important were the labours and
concerns of the saint to affirm the true faith and morality in
the realm. During this time of constant journeying throughout
the diocese he incessantly instructed the people and clergy about
strict preservation of Christian piety. T he quarrelsome princes
he summoned to love of peace and unity.
In
the year 1312 the saint made a journey to the Horde, where he
received from khan Uzbek an edict, guarding the rights of Russian
clergy.
In
1325 Metropolitan Peter, at the request of Greatprince Ivan Kalita
(1328-1340), transferred the metropolitan cathedra-chair from
Vladimir to Moscow. This event had very great significance for
all the Russian land. Saint Peter prophetically predicted deliverance
from the Tatar Yoke and the future emergence of Moscow as the
centre of all Russia.
By
his blessing, in August 1326 in the Moscow Kremlin was put down
the foundation of the cathedral in honour of the Uspenie [Dormition]
of the MostHoly Mother of God. This was a profoundly symbolic
blessing by the chief-hierarch of the Russian land. On 21 December
1326 Saint Peter expired to God. The holy body of the saint was
buried in the Uspensk cathedral in a stone crypt, which he himself
had prepared. Many miracles were done through the prayers of the
saint. Many healings even were done secretly, which testifies
to the deep humility of the saint even after death. The deep veneration
of the Chief-hierarch of the Russian Church was affirmed and spread
throughout all the Russian land. In 1339, 13 years later under
Sainted Theognost (commemorated 14
March), Saint Peter was enumerated to the ranks of the saints.
And at the tomb of the saint, princes kissed the cross as a symbol
of fidelity to the Greatprince of Moscow. As a particularly venerated
protector of Moscow, Saint Peter was called on in witness in the
drawing up of government treaties. The Novgorod people, formerly
having the right to choose their own bishop of Saint Sophia, after
their annexation to Moscow under Ivan III, gave promise with an
oath to establish their archbishops only at the grave of Sainted
Peter the Wonderworker. And it was at the grave of the saint that
Russian chief-hierarchs were named and chosen.
The
Russian chronicles make mention about him constantly, and no significant
state undertaking was initiated without prayer at the grave of
Saint Peter. In 1472 and 1479 was made a transfer of the relics
of Saint Peter. In memory of these events feastdays were established
for 5 October and 24
August.
Nobleborn Juliania, Princess of Vyazemsk and Novotorzh, a
daughter of the boyar-noble Maksim Danilov, was glorified by a
deep marital prudence. Her spouse, the Vyazemsk prince Simeon
Mstislavich, and also the Smolemsk prince Yuri Svyatoslavich,
were compelled to flee their native lands, which the Lithuanian
prince Vitovt had seized. Then the Moscow prince Vasilii Dimitrovich
bestowed the exiled princes the Tver city of Torzhok. Prince Yuri
Svyatoslavich became captivated by the beauty of Juliania and
tried every which way to persuade her to adultery, but Juliania
strictly kept her marital fidelity. One time during a feast, prince
Yuri killed the husband of Juliania, in the hope of taking her
by force. Saint Juliania resisted the ravisher. The enraged prince
Yuri gave orders to cut off her hands and feet, and to throw her
body into the Tvertsa River. The martyrdom of Saint Juliania was
done in the winter of 1406. From pricks of conscience prince Yuri
fled to the Tatars, but even there he did not find peace. He then
settled in the Ryazan wilderness (where also he died in 1408)
. In the spring of 1406 they saw the body of the blessed princess
floating in the far current. A certain paralytic heard a voice
from above, commanding to bury the body of Saint Juliania at the
south gate of the cathedral in Torzhok. A tomb with the body was
afterwards built at the Saviour-Transfiguration cathedral, where
many received healing from her. In connection with the glorification
of Saint Juliania on 2 June 1819 was built a chapel at the right-hand
side, dedicated to her name. At the cathedral of the Transfiguration
of the Lord, where earlier there was a chapel over the grave of
the saint, a church was built and also dedicated to the name of
Saint Juliania in 1906.
Blessed Prokopius, Fool-for-Christ, of Vyatsk, was the son
of pious peasants. When Prokopii reached age 20, they wanted him
to marry, but he secretly went off to the city of Khlyn and took
upon himself the feat of foolishness. The fool-for-Christ endured
hunger, cold, mocking and insults. The Lord glorified him with
the gift of perspicacity. Blessed Prokopii died in his 49th year
from birth in the year 1627.
The Holy Martyr Themistokles lived in the city of Lycian
Myra during the reign of the persecutor of Christians, Decius
(249-251). Themistokles was a shepherd. During the time of persecution
he concealed within his home a certain Christian named Dioskorides,
while he himself went out to the pursuers. They tortured him cruelly,
and he accepted a martyr's crown for Christ in the year 251.