On December 4, name day is celebrated by all who bear the name Barbara.
The most original wishes for a name day
During the reign of Emperor Maximian, a rich and noble man named Dioscorius lived in Iliopolis. His wife died. He loved and cared for his only daughter, Varvara, like his own eyes. He took great care of her pagan upbringing because he was a pagan himself. The girl was extraordinarily beautiful. Until she came of age, her father kept her a part of every society. In her rich rooms, built on a high tower, Barbara saw no one but her educators and maids. From her high abode there was a magnificent view of the mountains, forests and plains in the distance, of the bright azure sky.
Once the girl, gazing at the natural beauty, began to think:
“Whose hand,” she thought, asking her mentors, “created this beauty?”
Her educators replied that the gods had created the universe. But the girl answered them:
“It can’t all be created by the gods we worship!” They themselves are creations of human hands, made of gold, silver and stone and have no sense or reason. Perhaps there is a true God who created the heavens, who founded the earth, who illuminated the whole universe by the rays of the sun, by the radiance of the moon, by the radiance of the stars, and adorned the earth with trees and flowers and sprinkled it with rivers and springs. There is probably a God who sustains everything, animates everything and rules everything.
In this way, contemplating the beauty of nature, the girl ascended with her thoughts and heart to the Creator, trying to know Him. She had no teacher. But Lord, by His grace, inspired these aspirations and prepared her for understanding the truth.
Years later, the girl grew up and Dioscori was already thinking of marrying her. Many candidates applied, because everyone knew both Barbara’s beauty and her father’s wealth. Dioscorius revealed his wish to his daughter. But she asked him not to tell her about it. Dioscorius did not want to force his beloved daughter, hoping that in time she would want to marry herself. He even accused himself of raising her in such loneliness and remoteness from people. Dioscorius had to go somewhere for a while. On his departure, he ordered the educators to allow Varvara to see other young girls and allow her to go wherever she wanted. He hoped that seeing his peers marry and enjoy the pleasures of the world, Barbara would want to follow their example.
Another came out. Among the young girls with whom Barbara associated were Christians. From them she heard the name of the Lord, Who created heaven and earth; from them she learned that the Only Begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ, came down to earth, became man, and suffered and died to save men from eternal damnation. The heart of the girl, who has long longed for the truth and has already been prepared through the secret suggestions of St. A spirit with indescribable joy received the good news of salvation and was filled with faith and ardent love for God. Now she thought and wanted only one thing – to become a Christian. This wish was soon granted. A Christian priest came to Iliopolis from Alexandria. When he learned of Barbara’s wish, he explained Christian law to her, prepared her to receive Holy Baptism, and baptized her.
Barbara was happy and worked hard to become a Christian. She spent more of her time praying and meditating on God. In such a mood, she once came to the place where a bathroom with two windows was being built on her father’s orders. Observing how the will, power and thoughts of the invisible Creator are expressed in the visible world, the girl also wanted God’s secrets to be expressed in human affairs. That is why she ordered that three or three windows be made in the bathroom instead of two. Trinity. Another time, Varvara entered the building of the bathroom, where the marble bathroom was located. She bent down and was busy thinking about the Savior, drawing a picture of the Crucifix on the marble with her finger. This image was carved into the marble as if it had been carved with iron. In addition, according to the holy men who described the life of St. Barbara, the footprint of the girl was imprinted in the bath and a spring appeared, the water of which became healing for the believers.
Dioscorius returned and soon after went to inspect the building. To his surprise, he saw three windows instead of the two he ordered them to make. When he learned that this had been done at his daughter’s request, he called her to him and asked her why she had changed the plan of the building. Barbara boldly pointed out to her father that she was already a Christian and that the three windows in the bathroom building were a symbol of the three Persons in one Deity, which is an inaccessible and inexpressible Light, enlightening every person who appears in the world. She also showed her father the life-saving cross sign with which she wanted to illuminate the building under construction. Dioscorius was terribly angry. The pagans considered the Christian faith to be madness and dishonor, and could not understand that man, despising the riches and greatness of this world, could worship the One who died of what they considered to be a shameful death on the cross. Dioscorius brutally beat his daughter. Then he locked her in a dark room for a few days. But seeing that the threats and punishments remained fruitless, he became fierce and decided to finally take her to the country’s governor, Martian.
“My daughter,” he told the governor, “has renounced our gods.” She believes in the Crucified One, and I reject her. If she does not repent and worship the gods, she is no longer my daughter and I am no longer her father. Do with her as you know!
At first, Martian did not allow Barbara to be tough. He hoped to be kind to her. So he began to praise her beauty and meekly advised her not to deviate from the ancient paternal customs, not to upset her father with her disobedience, and not to reject his love and the wealth he had amassed for her. But the girl also confessed and glorified before him the name of Christ, Who was more precious to her than all the goods, riches and worldly joys.
The manager persuaded her for a long time. “Do not ruin your youth,” he said, “have mercy on yourself, do not force me to torture you!”
“I praise my God,” replied Barbara, “and I am ready to sacrifice for His name, for He alone is the true God, Who created heaven and earth!” And your gods are false, and your hope in them is vain.
Then Martian became convinced that the advice was useless and ordered to beat the girl with ox-veins. She was tortured for a long time, but nothing could shake her firm faith, and she was barely transported to prison.
Exhausted by her wounds, Barbara prayed with tears to God not to allow her to waver in her faith, but to support her with His help and strength. Her prayer was heard. At night the dungeon was illuminated by a wonderful light and the girl, feeling the presence of God’s glory, saw the King of Glory Himself – the Lord Jesus, Who looked at her with inexpressible benevolence and heard His words: “Dare and do not be afraid! I, Lord God Almighty , I keep you and watch over your deed. I will alleviate your sufferings and prepare a reward for them. Endure to the end and you will receive eternal blessings in My kingdom! ” The miraculous vision ended, filling the girl’s heart with unspeakable joy. The pain from the wounds diminished and the martyr spent the whole night in fervent prayer to God, Who strengthened her and gave her heavenly consolation in the midst of suffering and sorrow.
The next day, Barbara was brought back to the manager, who was surprised to see that there was no sign of her wounds left, that she was perfectly healthy, and that her face shone with unspeakable beauty. “Here, do you see, girl,” he told her, “how merciful our gods are? They took pity on you and restored your strength and health. So, bow to them and offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to them!”
“It was not your gods who healed me,” said Barbara. “I was healed by the Lord Jesus Christ, who heals every disease and gives life to the dead.” I gratefully worship him and sacrifice myself!
Then the governor tortured her again, but she, strengthened by faith, endured everything with patience.
On the day Barbara was first tortured, a Christian named Juliana was standing in the crowd. She watched the martyr’s suffering with heartache. When Barbara was taken to the dungeon, she followed her and stayed by the window all night, thinking all the time about Barbara and her fervent faith, which prompted her to leave her father and all the joys of the world at such an early age to confess Christ. and to suffer for His name. These thoughts aroused in Juliana’s heart a fervent love for God. With tears she begged Him to give her such faith, to put in her heart firmness and readiness to suffer for Christ.
When Barbara was taken out of the dungeon and tortured again, Juliana watched her suffer, shedding hot tears. Suddenly, she began to loudly glorify the true God and rebuke the governor for his cruelty. She was immediately caught and brought to the manager. Juliana said she was a Christian. She was tortured along with Varvara. St. Barbara kept praying.
– God, Who tests the hearts of men! You know that I love You alone and I keep Your holy commandments; that I surrendered to You and I hope in Your strong right hand! Do not leave me, Lord, but look mercifully on me and on the suffering Juliana! Strengthen us to perform our feat to the end, because the spirit is cheerful, but the flesh is powerful!
God answered her prayer. Both martyrs, with patience and firmness, endured the most horrible torments, crying out to the Lord:
– Do not turn your face away from us, Christ, and Your St. Don’t take your spirit away from us! Give us the joy of Your salvation and with the mighty Spirit confirm us in Your love!
Finally, Martian, seeing that even the most severe tortures did not force them to deny Christ, sentenced them both to death.
The death penalty was to be carried out behind the walls of the city. The cruel Dioscorius himself, holding a sword in his hand, led his daughter. Soldiers led Juliana. They both prayed. In response to their prayer, a voice was heard from heaven promising to grant their request. The two martyrs happily bowed their heads under the sword. Dioscorius himself executed his daughter.
Dioscorius and Martian achieved the wrath of God on the same day. A terrible storm arose and they were both struck by lightning and burned by lightning so that even their remains could not be found. And the bodies of the holy martyrs were taken and buried by a Christian, who built a temple over them. Here the believers found healing from their infirmities.
Now the relics of St. Barbara the Great Martyr rest in Kiev, and a small particle is in the St. Transfiguration Church in Sofia (Lozenets district).
© Lives of the Saints. Synodal Publishing House, Sofia, 1991, edited by Parthenius, Bishop of Lefkada and Archimandrite Dr. Athanasius (Bonchev).
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