Read the life of Paraskeva Friday. Holy Martyr Paraskeva, named Friday

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Every little girl dreams of a handsome prince and a beautiful wedding. And every year of her adult life, desires may change, but she will always want to find her loving soul mate, successfully marry and have a strong family, spend the rest of her life together - this is the main plan.

Some girls are lucky and they quickly find their happiness, but what about those who have problems with this. When, as they say, both a beauty and a smart girl, but with her personal life, well, it doesn’t stick at all. Girls don’t go to any tricks, but there are those who turn to Paraskeva with a prayer for marriage.

According to church legends, the family is a small church. That is why there is no need to feel uncomfortable when asking for marriage from the Lord or other saints. There are many different strong prayers for marriage. Often such a petition is addressed to St. Nicholas, St. Andrew the First-Called, St. Great Martyr Catherine, and St. Paraskeva Pyatnitsa.

It would be nice if you could visit the place where they bring the relics or miraculous icons of those saints to whom you pray.

Great Martyr Paraskeva

In ancient Rus', the Holy Great Martyr Paraskeva is recognized as the one who can:

• heal bodily and mental ailments,
• helps to keep and add family happiness and well-being,
• help in early marriage,
• assistance in finding children with marital infertility.

It is Paraskeva Pyatnitsa's prayer for marriage that helps to quickly find her betrothed and marry for love. The day of memory of this saint is celebrated on October 28 according to the old or November 10 according to the new style. This is one of the most revered icons in Christianity. That is why her face can be found in almost every temple. It was called Friday among the people because the wayside churches had such a name, in which everyone could turn to the Lord with a prayer.

Often this saint is addressed with such prayer words:

Prayer one

O holy and blessed martyr of Christ Paraskevo, beautifully virginal, praise of martyrs, purity of image, magnanimous mirror, wise surprise, Christian guardian of faith, accuser of idol flattery, champion of the Divine Gospel, zealot of the commandments of the Lord, worthy to come to the haven of eternal rest and in the devil of your Bridegroom Christ God lightly rejoicing, adorned with the crown of virginity and martyrdom! We pray to you, holy martyr, be sad for us to Christ God.

With His most blessed vision, it is always rejoicing; pray to the All-Merciful, even with a word, open the eyes of the blind, may he save us from the disease of our eyes, both bodily and spiritual; kindle with your holy prayers the dark darkness that has come from our sins, ask the Father of Light for the light of grace with our spiritual and bodily eyes; Enlighten us, darkened by sins, with the light of God's grace, and for the sake of your holy prayers, sweet sight will be given to the innocent. O great saint of God! O most courageous girl! O strong martyr Saint Paraskevo!

With your holy prayers, be our sinful helper, intercede and pray for the accursed and viciously negligent sinners, hasten to help us, for these are very weak.

Pray to the Lord, pure maiden, pray to the Merciful, holy martyr, pray to your Bridegroom, immaculate bride of Christ, and help with your prayers, the darkness of sin is gone, in the light of true faith and deeds of the Divine, we will enter into the light of the eternal day of the never-ending, into the city of joy forever, into now you shine brightly with glory and endless joy, glorify and sing with all the Heavenly Forces the Trisagionary One Deity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer two

Holy bride of Christ, long-suffering martyr Paraskevo! Vemy, as from your youth, with all your soul and with all your heart, you loved the King of glory, Christ the Savior, and you alone did not get away, distributing your property to the poor and the poor. By the power of your piety, by your chastity and righteousness, you shone like the rays of the sun, living holy among the infidels and fearlessly preaching to them Christ God.

You, from the days of your youth, taught by your parents, always reverently honored the days of the redemptive passions of our Lord Jesus Christ, for His sake you yourself voluntarily suffered. You, miraculously healed from incurable wounds by the right hand of an angel of God and perceived inexpressible lordship, amazed the unfaithful tormentors. You, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the power of your prayer in the pagan temple, cast down all the idols of the valley, crushed me into dust.

You, scorched by the candles, with your single prayer to the almighty Lord, extinguished the natural fire, and with the same flame miraculously kindled through the angel of God, burning the violent lawless, you led many people to the knowledge of the true God. You, to the glory of the Lord, accepting the beheading of your sword head from the tormentors, valiantly died of your suffering feat, having ascended with your soul to heaven, to the chamber of your longed-for Bridegroom Christ the King of Glory, joyfully meeting you with this heavenly voice: Rejoice, righteous ones, as the martyr Paraskeva was crowned !

Even so, today we greet you, long-suffering, and, looking at your holy icon, cry with tenderness to you: all-honorable Paraskeva! Vema, as a great imashi boldness to the Lord: pray for His Lover of mankind and for us from the upcoming and praying ty. May He give us, like you, patience and complacency in troubles and mournful circumstances; may He grant, by your intercession and intercession, a joyful, prosperous and peaceful life, health and salvation, and in all good haste to our beloved fatherland, may His holy blessing and peace come down, and may all Orthodox Christians give with your holy prayers affirmation in the faith , piety and holiness, and prosperity in Christian love and all virtue: may He cleanse us sinners from all filth and vice: may He protect us with His holy angels, may He intercede, preserve and have mercy on all with His holy grace and make us heirs and partakers of His Kingdom of Heaven.

And having thus improved salvation by your holy prayers, intercession and intercession, the all-glorious bride of Christ Paraskeva, let us glorify all the most pure and magnificent name of the marvelous in His saints the true God, Father and Son and Holy Spirit always, now and ever, and forever and ever. Amen.

The most important thing in saying a prayer is not so much words as sincere faith, which must come from the very heart. And then your request will be surely heard.

May the Lord keep you!

Watch a video with prayers to the martyr Paraskeva from marriage:

The Russian Orthodox Church has many holidays and commemoration days of saints, which speaks of the great history of the Church. But there are martyrs, about whose life not much is known, and their names often cause bewilderment among people who do not often attend services. For example, the life of St. Paraskeva Pyatnitsa is not familiar to everyone, and her name surprises Christians.

Life of Paraskeva

The life of Saint Paraskeva is filled with events that make Christians not only think about their own lives and trials, but also inspire them to completely renounce everything worldly and be filled with the Holy Spirit for the Lord's work.

Icon of the Holy Martyr Paraskeva

The Miracle of Birth

In the III century in the Roman Empire, during the reign of the cruel emperor Diocletian (he was a torturer and persecutor of Christians), a rich senator lived in Iconium. This family was deeply believing Christians, they not only sincerely believed in Christ, but also tried to fulfill all the prescriptions of the Church and observe the sacraments and rituals.

In those days, Christians especially honored Friday as the day of the week on which the Lord Jesus was crucified. Therefore, the senator's family observed the fast on Friday and Wednesday. Since the senator had no children, he and his wife also made prayers on Friday so that the Lord would give them children. God heard their prayers.

One Friday, the senator's wife gave birth to a girl, whom they decided to name Paraskeva in honor of Friday.

About other Orthodox saints:

• Life of the Holy Monk Alexander Oshevensky, hegumen

Serving the Lord

Paraskeva was left an orphan at a young age, but was committed to the Christian faith and decided to become the bride of Christ. Therefore, she refused all suitors who wooed her.

She distributed the fortune left by her parents to all those in need, while praying and preaching the Gospel. She served Christ a lot, preaching Him, many of her neighbors and townspeople converted to Christianity, but at the same time there were those who envied the girl. Such people slandered her and oppressed her in every possible way. As a result of constant slander, the girl was thrown into prison.

It was a period of persecution of Christians, as the emperor decided to completely eradicate faith in the Lord and give place to paganism. The city of Iconia belonged to Laconia, where the eparch Aetius ruled, who decided to carefully fulfill the emperor's order to destroy Christianity and turned his attention to the preaching girl Paraskeva.

Despite the fact that she was accused of witchcraft, the eparch fell in love with a beautiful maiden and offered her to become his wife in exchange for renouncing Christ and worshiping pagan gods. But Paraskeva answered with a decisive refusal. The eparch was extremely angry with the refusal, and he ordered the girl to be punished - her naked had to be whipped with raw veins.

In the process of torture, Aetius stopped the executioner several times and again proposed to the girl, which she contemptuously rejected and prayed to Christ. Aetius began to blaspheme all Christians, and Paraskeva, in response, spat in his face. This angered the ruler so much that he gave the order to torture the maiden with iron claws, hanging her upside down.

The girl endured everything in silence, but her tormentors did not allow her to die right on the square, but threw her into prison so that she would die of blood loss.

Life of the Holy Martyr Paraskeva

repose

The Lord showed His mercy and sent an angel to comfort her and heal her, so when the guards came to the dungeon in the morning, they saw not a corpse, but a blooming young girl who sang hymns to her Lord. There were no traces of wounds on her body.

Aetius decided that it was the gods who healed Paraskeva and again invited her to bow to the temple. The girl asked to be taken to the temple, which was taken as consent. But in the temple, the maiden touched the statues and ordered them to turn into dust in the name of the Lord. At the same moment, the earth shook and the temple seemed to fall into the ground.

For this, the girl was repeatedly tortured again: burned with fire, hung on a rack, cut with knives. The girl accepted everything silently and with humility. This led to the fact that many people who watched the torture repented and accepted the Lord as their Savior.

In the end, Aetius decided to execute her by cutting off her head in order to avoid a popular uprising. At the moment when the head of Paraskeva separated from the body, the fragrance of flowers spread in the air, which became a symbol of the Lord's presence in that place.

Aetius did not live long, the Lord's punishment also befell him - he went hunting, and the horse reared up and knocked over the ruler, who broke his neck and at the same moment expired.

pagan beginning

Many people consider Paraskeva Friday a pagan goddess, but this is not so. In fact, they confuse the saint with the goddess Makosh, who, according to pagan legends, was the patroness of water and household. There is something in common with Lada, who was the goddess of family and fertility. That is why people consider Saint Paraskeva the patroness of agriculture and the family.

In addition, people mistakenly confuse the memory of the martyr with the cult of the Week. In response to these erroneous opinions, the Holy Synod issued a ban on mixing the holy image with pagan goddesses. But folk traditions are strong, so people continue to consecrate vegetables and fruits on the day of her memory.

Read about folk beliefs and superstitions:

The image of the martyr is also reflected in the mythology of other peoples:

• Tajiks have a myth about the image of “Madam Tuesday”, who patronizes the family and agriculture, in particular the processing of cotton;
• among the Germans, this is the goddess Frigg, who helped women in childbirth and babies;
• among the Greeks, these are moira;
• Icelanders have Norns, etc.

Popular representation depicts Friday as a tall, powerful woman who has large breasts and a long braid. This representation makes her similar to the images of mermaids, Slavic goddesses and Shares. But it is wrong.

Important! Saint Paraskeva has nothing to do with pagan goddesses and is a martyr who died for the name of Christ, so she deserves veneration like any saint.

Saint Paraskeva, named Friday

customs

In ancient Russian menologions, you can find her name, written like this: “Saint Paraskeva, named Friday”, Pyatina, Petka, so you can find many temples that were named Fridays in her honor. Usually these were small roadside chapels.

The memory of St. Paraskeva among the Orthodox people is invested with special love, they venerate her with trepidation with many customs on the day of her memory - November 10th.

Icons of St. Paraskeva were also revered: on them the girl was depicted as a stern tall maiden with a crown of shining light on her head. There is a certain canon - to depict a mouse on the icon. Such images were carefully decorated and clothed in beautiful carved frames. It is believed that the image patronizes families, promotes peace and happiness in them.

Important! Church chronicles claim that Paraskeva patronizes fields and cattle breeding, therefore, on the day of her memory, people bring the fruits of the fields to churches to consecrate. She is prayed for a rich harvest, an increase in the barnyard and success in farming.

There is a custom to consecrate a linen cloth on the day of remembrance, which is then covered with an icon. It is believed that if you put such an icon near a container of water, it will become consecrated. Herbalists consecrate herbs and roots on this day, in order to then cook medicinal decoctions based on holy water from them. In village churches, on the day of memory of the holy girl, her image is usually decorated with herbs and ribbons, and the first frayed stalk of flax was dedicated to her.

Women in childbirth hang the icon of the saint on their chest before childbirth in order to give birth easily and quickly.

On Friday, the girls try to put aside needlework in memory of the saint.

But the most wonderful tradition is observed among the Finno-Ugric peoples. They believe that after Easter every 9th Friday is the day of the sick, when the image of Holy Friday heals people.

Temples and icons in honor of the saint

In honor of St. Paraskeva Pyatnitsa, many temples are called. Usually such temples stand near roads or reservoirs, some of them were also named after the martyr.

Some temples are very ancient, like the church in northern Butovo, whose construction dates back to the 16th century, and the last restoration - the 20th century. This is a unique example of church architecture, since the whole temple is made in the form of a ship and carries the idea that the Church is the flagship of the world.

Temple in honor of St. Paraskeva Pyatnitsa (Butovo)

In addition to this unique temple, there are other Pyatnitsky churches:

1. In Yaroslavl, there is the temple of Pyatnitsko-Turovsky, built in the 17th century.
2. In Suzdal - Pyatnitsky St. Nicholas Church of the 16th century.
3. In the Voronezh region, near the stream "7 Keys" (considered healing), they are building a destroyed in 1940-1945. temple of Paraskeva.
4. In the Yekaterinburg region, the temple of Pyatnitsa, in which her icon is also kept.

There is a myrrh-streaming icon of the saint - it is kept in the convent (Komi Republic). And the relics of the martyr are stored in several places:

• the temple of the prophet Elijah;
• Russian Panteleimon Monastery on Mount Athos.

You can also buy a holy image in a church shop for a home iconostasis, you can pray to a saint in a church or at home, but sincere prayer will always be heard.

Prayers and petitions to Saint Paraskeva

A sincere prayer to the Lord will always be heard by Him, no matter how it is pronounced. But people usually pray before the image of the holy virgin about:

• a pious and faithful wife;
• well-being of the born baby;
• family;
• peace in the family;
• healing of psychological illnesses;
• healing from pain and physical ailments:
• women's health;
• patronage of agriculture;
• safe road;
• soul healing and spiritual salvation.

Since the martyr is considered the patroness of the home and family, in ancient times every hut had her icon, along with the images of the Holy Trinity. And today, prayers can be read in front of them both in the temple and at home.

Troparion of the Great Martyr Paraskeva Friday

Wise and all-praiseful Christ’s martyr Paraskeva, / accepting male strength, / rejecting female weakness, / defeat the devil and shame the tormentor, / crying out and saying: / come, cut my body with a sword and burn it with fire, / for, rejoicing, I’m going to Christ To my bridegroom. / Through prayers, O Christ God, / save our souls.

Another Troparion of the Holy Great Martyr Paraskeva

Even believing and with courage of the soul, the name of the name, / thou hast shamed the devil / and valiantly conquered the tormenting punishment and wounds, / martyr Paraskevo, crying out: / suck with a sword and burn my body with fire, / like yes, I rejoice, I will come to my Bridegroom Christ God. / Pray to him that our souls be saved.

Prayer to the Holy Great Martyr Paraskeva, named Friday

Holy bride of Christ, long-suffering martyr Paraskevo! Vemy, as from your youth, with all your soul and with all your heart, you loved the King of Glory, Christ the Savior, and you only missed Him, distributing your property to the poor and the poor. By the power of your piety, by your chastity and righteousness, you shone like the rays of the sun, living holy among the infidels and fearlessly preaching to them Christ God. You, from the days of your youth, taught by your parents, have always reverently honored the days of the redemptive passions of our Lord Jesus Christ, for His sake you yourself voluntarily suffered. You, miraculously healed from incurable wounds by the right hand of the Angel of God and assuming inexpressible lordship, amazed the unfaithful tormentors. You, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the power of your prayer in the pagan temple, cast down all the idols of the valley, crushed me into dust. You, scorched by the candles, with your single prayer to the almighty Lord, extinguished the natural fire, and with the same flame miraculously kindled through the Angel of God, burning the violent lawless, you led many people to the knowledge of the true God. You, to the glory of the Lord, accepting the beheading of your sword head from the tormentors, valiantly died of your suffering feat, having ascended with your soul to Heaven, to the chamber of your longed-for Bridegroom Christ the King of Glory, joyfully meeting you with this heavenly voice: “Rejoice, righteous ones, like the martyr Paraskeva crowned!" The same day we also greet you, long-suffering, and, looking at your holy icon, cry with tenderness to you: all-honorable Paraskevo! Vema, as a great imashe boldness to the Lord: implore him, the Lover of mankind, and for us who are coming and praying. May He give us, like you, patience and complacency in troubles and mournful circumstances; may He grant, by your intercession and intercession, a joyful, prosperous and peaceful life, health and salvation, and in all good haste to our beloved fatherland, may He send down His holy blessing and peace, and may all Orthodox Christians give with your holy prayers affirmation in the faith, piety and holiness, progress in Christian love and every virtue; may it cleanse us sinners from all filth and vice; may He protect us with His holy angels, may He intercede, preserve and have mercy on all with His holy grace and make us heirs and partakers of His Kingdom of Heaven. And thus, having improved salvation with your holy prayers, intercession and intercession, the all-glorious bride of Christ Paraskevo, let us glorify all the honorable and magnificent name of the wondrous in His saints the true God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, always, now and forever, and forever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion of the Great Martyr Paraskeva Pyatnitsa

You brought the all-holy and immaculate torment, / like a most honorable vein, to the immortal Bridegroom Christ, / You rejoiced at the angelic standing / and defeated the demonic machinations. / For this sake, we honestly honor by faith, / the long-suffering martyr Paraskevo.

Another prayer to the holy great martyr Paraskeva, named Friday

Oh, holy and blessed Paraskevo, the martyr of Christ, beauty of a virgin, praise of the martyrs, purity of image, magnanimous mirror, wise surprise, Christian faith guardian, accuser of idol flattery, champion of the Divine Gospel, zealot of the commandments of the Lord, worthy to come to the haven of eternal rest and in the devil of the Bridegroom your Christ God, lightly rejoicing, adorned with the crown of virginity and martyrdom! We pray to you, holy martyr, be sorrowful for us to Christ God, and with His most blessed sight, be glad; pray to the All-Merciful, even with a word, open the eyes of the blind, may he save us from the disease of our eyes, both bodily and spiritual; kindle with your holy prayers the dark darkness that has come from our sins, ask the Father of Light for the light of grace with our spiritual and bodily eyes; Enlighten us, darkened by sins, with the light of God's grace, and for the sake of your holy prayers, sweet sight will be given to the innocent. Oh, great saint of God! Oh, most courageous girl! Oh, strong martyr Saint Paraskevo! With your holy prayers, be our sinful helper, intercede and pray for the accursed and negligent sinners, hasten to help us, for we are very weak. Pray to the Lord, pure maiden, pray to the Merciful, holy martyr, pray to your Bridegroom, immaculate bride of Christ, and help with your prayers, the darkness of sin is gone, in the light of true faith and deeds of the Divine, we will enter into the light of the eternal day of the never-ending, into the city of joy forever, into now you shine brightly with glory and endless joy, glorify and sing with all the Heavenly Forces the Trisagionary One Deity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever and ever. Amen.

Despite the fact that the unusual name of the martyr and her life are not familiar to all Christians, she has always been loved and revered by Russian Orthodox. Temples are named in her honor, many rituals and sacraments are held.

Life of the Holy Great Martyr Paraskeva

The reigning Diocletian, impious and law-criminal, and Aitius the tormentor, began the persecution of the Christians. There was one girl in the city of Iconium, the daughter of a certain nobleman, her name was Paraskeva. She was truly beautiful in her piety, rich and of a very good family. Her parents were Christians. They died and left her all their wealth, teaching her the commandments of our Lord Jesus Christ.

She, having remained young after her parents with full well-being, believed in our Lord Jesus Christ, keeping His Commandments according to the Holy Gospel, and gave all her possessions to those in need and received any stranger into her house.

Living in prosperity, Paraskeva unceasingly, every day, confessed her faith in our Lord Jesus Christ before people, telling that He is the true God, the Son of the Living God, our Lord Jesus Christ, crucified for us by His will and suffered and rose from the dead on the third day and ascended to Heaven before his disciples and wants to come to his second and glorious coming to judge the living and the dead.

And she reproached the pagans and said: “Those whom you call gods are idols, insensitive and deaf, they have eyes and do not see, and they do not hear with their ears, and they do not feel with their hands, and having legs, they do not walk. You are indeed deceived by serving demons with your prayers.

And many of them believed in our Lord Jesus Christ, left their ungodliness and became chosen vessels and a habitation of the Holy Spirit.

The idolaters, hearing all this, were greatly indignant and beat her.

She, who did not stop speaking the word of God to everyone, taught the true path.

Hegemon Aitiy soon approached those places.

The townspeople heard that the hegemon was coming to the city and came to Iconium.

Having Saint Paraskeva with them, they came to the city and first of all gave praise to the rulers of the city according to custom.

And the hegemon entered the pagan temple, sacrificed to idols, after which he rested on the first day.

In the morning, having sat down at the court, he ordered to read the royal decree.

After listening to him, the townspeople unanimously answered: "The command is worthy and the court of the autocrat is just."

And the hegemon said to them: “Having shown your diligence and served our gods before, you will be true friends to the autocrat and me. And therefore, tell me about those who do not want to sacrifice to the gods, who are called Christians.

And they all unanimously answered: “Blessed hegemon, a maiden lives in our city, the daughter of a certain adviser. Her Christian parents are deceased. She, like her parents, believes in the Crucified One and preaches Him, and she has bewitched our city and turned many away from sacrifice and from the gods, and does not cease to condemn our gods and the autocrat.

Hearing this, hegemon Aitiy immediately ordered the holy maiden to be presented at the judgment seat, and when the holy martyr of Christ Paraskeva was going to the court, the Holy Spirit overshadowed her, and her face became like light.

Everyone who saw her was surprised and said: “How long she has been mourning, but the appearance of her face has not changed, it is not dull, but from grief it becomes even more enlightened.

But one of them, a certain priest, said: "Such is the Christian race, which is more jealous of death than of life."

When Saint Paraskeva appeared at the trial, the hegemon looked at her and was surprised at the beauty of her face and said to those around him: “Why are you slandering this girl, is it possible to destroy such sunny beauty?”

And then, looking at her, he said: “What is your name?”

The maiden, the holy Paraskeva of Christ, answered: “I am a Christian, a servant of Christ.”

Hegemon said: “The sight of your beauty touches me. But your bad words revolt, anger rises in me at the confession of the Crucified, because I cannot hear about Him.

The holy maiden answers: “Every prince who judges righteously, when he hears the truth, rejoices, but becomes angry at lies. But when you hear the truth, you get angry.”

The hegemon said: "I asked about your name, but I did not receive an answer, and therefore I am angry with you."

The saint says: “I told you the name of eternal life, and as for the temporary, I am Paraskeva, I was called Friday by my parents.”

Hegemon says: “Why were you called Friday, just like the sixth day (of the week)?”

The saint answered: “Listen to me, hegemon. Since my parents were Christians, they knew that on the sixth day our Lord Jesus Christ accepted a free death for the salvation of the world. Understanding this, my parents honored that day, Friday, with great fear and love. When I was born on this day, they gave me the name Paraskeva.

The Hegemon asked: “What does it mean by fear and love?”

The saint answered: “Fear, for the sake of the sufferings of Christ, but love, because on this day our Lord was crucified for the salvation of the world. Honoring the Saints of His passion and that day with fear and love, they fasted until evening and did not touch each other out of carnal desire. By the command of the philanthropic God, on that day my mother gave birth to me and named me after Paraskeva.

The hegemon said: “Stop talking about this girl, but listen to me and offer a sacrifice to our gods. Then I will take you as my wife and you will be the mistress of much good, and all women on earth will glorify you.

The saint answered: “I already have a real bridegroom, Christ, and I don’t need another husband.”

Hegemon says: "I admire your beauty and your beautiful youth."

The saint answered: “Do not admire, O hegemon, my temporary beauty, blooming today and fading tomorrow. It is better to have pity on your soul, as eternal and endless torment awaits you.

The hegemon said: “It seems to me that they called you Paraskeva because they inexorably predicted many torments for you.”

Saint Paraskeva answered: I was named, hegemon, in order to destroy all the intrigues arranged by you at the instigation of your father the devil.

Hearing this, the hegemon became like a madman and ordered to tear her clothes and beat her mercilessly with beef sinews.

In response to the beating, the saint did not utter a single sound and only looked at the sky and praised our Lord Jesus Christ.

The hegemon still admired her beauty and, pitying her, ordered the servants to stop.

And when they stopped, he said to her: "Believe, girl, in our gods and you will live."

She didn't say a word.

Then the hegemon became angry, saying: “Aren’t you answering me, slave?”

She answered: "Shut up, accursed." And she spat in his face.

Then the enraged hegemon ordered to hang her on a pole and plan her ribs.

They whittled her until her flesh, shed from the very bones, began to fall to the ground with blood.

And those who tormented her said to the hegemon: “Mr. hegemon, after all, the maiden died, why are you forcing us to work more?”

Then the hegemon ordered her lifeless to be thrown into prison, saying to himself: “When will he come to life again?”

The holy martyress, thrown into prison, lay as if dead from the ulcers and diseases she had received. The prison guards locked the doors and calmly left.

By midnight, the earth in the dungeon trembled, and two angels appeared, and a great light shone.

And in the midst of the angels appeared a woman in light clothes, girded with a cross. In her right hand she held a crown of thorns, and in her left a spear, a lip and a cane.

And she said to the holy martyr: “Arise, namesake, I have come here, carrying with me the tools of the Lord’s suffering. Stand up and look at the honest weapon of the cross, at the crown of thorns and at the spear that pierced the life-giving ribs of the Lord, at the cane that wrote renewal to the world, and at the lip that wiped away the sin of Adam. Arise, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, heals you.

And immediately the holy martyr arose, as if from a dream.

The woman, bearing the passions of the Lord, came up and wiped away all her sores with her lip.

And at the same hour she became healthy with her whole body, as if she had not suffered.

The beauty of her body and face became even purer and brighter than before.

Then, approaching, the martyr of Christ kissed the one who carried the instruments of Christ's suffering, and with her two angels.

They said to her: “Do not grieve for anything, but rejoice more. The Lord our God Jesus Christ is with you. He will deliver you and keep you from all evil."

They kissed the holy martyr and disappeared.

The holy martyr of Christ remained in prayer and singing until morning.

In the morning, the guards came and found her praying and singing, as if she had not received a single ulcer.

They were very frightened, and fled with fear, and told everything to the hegemon.

Hearing this, the hegemon was very surprised and immediately ordered her to be brought to the court.

As the holy martyr came, the hegemon saw her and marveled at her beauty.

And hoping to seduce her, he said: “You see, Paraskeva, how our gods healed you, taking pity on your beauty and youth, and restoring you the health of your body and life.”

Saint Paraskeva answered: “Show me, hegemon, the one who gave me life.”

Hegemon says: "Enter the temple and you will see our gods."

The holy martyr of Christ Paraskeva listened to the hegemon and entered their temple.

And there were altars of idols and a great multitude of people who thought that she wanted to sacrifice to their gods.

Entering the temple, the martyr of Christ knelt on the ground and prayed for many hours, until the whole temple began to shake.

Then, getting up, she took Apollo by the leg and said: “I tell you, the flattering one, and together with you all the gods! My Lord Jesus Christ gave me power and strength and commanded: let all idols fall to the ground and turn into sand!

And along with the word of the saint, at that hour a great earthquake began, and all the idols fell to the ground and crumbled like sand.

Then fear seized everyone, and they all fled out of the temple, shouting: “Great is the Christian God!”

And everyone who was in the church with the holy martyr believed in the Savior Jesus Christ.

The priests saw the death and destruction of their gods and came to the hegemon, crying: “Mr. hegemon, we told you: order them to kill this sorcerer, as she confused and deceived the whole city! Look: she crushed all our gods!”

Then the hegemon became very angry and ordered her to be brought to the judgment seat. And when they brought the saint, he said to her: “Tell me, girl, what kind of magic do you do such things?”

The holy martyr of Christ answered: “In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I entered your pagan temple and prayed: “Lord God my Savior, who gave me life, show mercy!” The Lord, as almighty, heard my prayer and came to me to visit me, His servant. But your gods, seeing this, trembled, fell to the ground and crumbled like sand, and became nothing. So it became clear that they couldn't even help themselves. How can they help others? All of you are deceived by serving deaf idols and unclean demons.

Hegemon, having heard this from the saint, could not endure the reproach of his gods, and became even more angry, ordered to bring fiery candles and burn her ribs.

The holy martyr of Christ, cruelly burned, looked at the sky and, sighing, said: “Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God, You are the Lord of all, Creator, Creator and Provider. You cooled three youths in a fiery furnace, and burned the Chaldeans. You, God, saved Thekla from the fire, and now I pray You, Lord my God, may Your great power come upon me, unworthy of Your servant, and deliver me from the lawless hands of this tormentor, since wicked people brought great evil on my soul.

She prayed like this, and immediately the fire bounced off her body, increased and burned everyone who tormented her.

And the fire went towards the city, and everyone fled from fear, even the hegemon himself fled in horror and great trembling.

The people saw all this and shouted: “Great is the Christian God! From now on, we also believe in her God.”

At that time, many people and armies believed in the Savior Christ, in His Church.

Seeing that many believed in Christ, the hegemon was afraid of the people and did not dare to torture her further, fearing that people would rise up and kill him, but gave the command to cut off the holy head.

The holy martyr of Christ came to the place of execution and, standing to the east, she prayed to God: “I will bless your many-sung name, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Lord my God, I thank You now and forever. You had mercy on my humility and did not reject my prayer and Your mercy from me. Now I beseech You, Master Lord, remember me at this hour and bless me, and give grace to Your Holy Name, so that everyone who calls on You by me, Your servant, will remember Your Holy Name or who fasts on the day of the appointed Friday, or in purity abides, deliver him from every trouble and forgive him his sins, bless his house and fulfill every good. And guide sinners who have strayed from Your righteous path, because you do not want to perish for anyone, but for everyone to be saved and come to true understanding. Thou art our God, and to Thee be glory forever. Amen".

The saint said this and a voice was heard from the clouds: “Be of good cheer, Paraskeva, my martyr; whatever you ask, I will give you, and even more. In your name I will deliver you from all troubles and sorrows, and where the memory of your torment will be performed, there will be blessing, joy and all kinds of blessings in that house. You come to me and rest in the good abodes of my Father in Heaven. The hall has been prepared for you, paradise has opened, the Kingdom of Heaven is waiting for you. Come and rest with the wise virgins forever."

Hearing this, the martyr rejoiced, glorified God and, rejoicing, bowed her head. The executioner cut it off.

And immediately a great fragrance came out on all those who were present. And from heaven a voice was heard: "Rejoice, all the righteous in the Lord, as the martyr of Christ is getting married today."

The people, hearing this, glorified God, seeing what grace He bestows upon His servant.

In the morning, the criminal hegemon went hunting, and suddenly his horse was raised into the air and from there he was thrown to the ground, and his whole body crumbled, and his soul departed with evil.

The holy glorious and victorious martyr of Christ Paraskeva died in the month of October on the 28th day.

Her honest and holy body was accepted by the people who believe in Christ, and they buried her honestly in her house.

In it, many healings and signs are performed for the glory and honor of our Lord Jesus Christ. He deserves glory and worship always and now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.

Holy Great Martyr Paraskeva suffered at the beginning of the 4th century under Diocletian (284-305).

The pious parents of Saint Paraskeva lived in the 3rd century in the city of Iconium (Asia Minor). They especially honored Friday - the day of the week on which the Lord Jesus Christ completed His redemptive feat on the Cross. Rejoicing that it was on such a day that God sent them a daughter, they named her Paraskeva, which in Greek means Friday, predetermining from birth, thus, to be her "communion of the Passion of Christ." The word "paraskeva" in Greek also means "preparation" (Friday is the preparation of Saturday). So the whole life of Saint Paraskeva was her preparation for the feat of martyrdom in the Name of the Crucified and Risen Lord.

Despising earthly glory and riches, Saint Paraskeva also renounced "corruptible suitors", loving the one Heavenly Bridegroom. "Devs - praise," she remained in purity and chastity and devoted her whole life to serving God and neighbors, helping the needy, enlightening the lost and strengthening the weak. She brought many fellow citizens out of the darkness of pagan wickedness to the light of true knowledge of God, but there were also those who hated her and persecuted her for the Name of Christ.

When the persecution of Christians began, the pagans immediately handed over Saint Paraskeva to be judged by a commander sent to their city. With firmness and joy she stood before the persecutor in order to fully drink the cup of the martyrs. “The namesake of the Passion of Christ,” Paraskeva, in fact, “became like a more honest and blessed Passion of the Immortal on the Cross.” The meek maiden courageously endured all the horrors of torture and torment to which her body was subjected, “seeking to destroy her soul,” and won this unequal duel.

Thrown into prison after terrible torments, barely alive, the martyr remained firm in spirit and prayed: “I will never leave Thee, O Lord.” At midnight, an angel was sent to the saint, bringing her the instruments of the Passion of Christ: the Cross, the crown of thorns, a spear, a cane and a lip. Saint Paraskeva reverently venerated them and received healing of her wounds, which strengthened her for achievement.

“With Christ, my Bridegroom, I will crucify!” exclaimed the holy martyr in prayerful boldness. And the Lord granted her wish. After countless torments, the saint "with a truncation sword, wearing a crown, ascend to Heaven."

With a cross in her hand, an invincible weapon, the holy virgin, the conqueror of sin and death, is depicted on holy Orthodox icons. Through her prayers, ailments are healed, "bleeding and lepers are cleansed", "the stench of passions is driven away." Through her prayers, believers receive the light of Divine knowledge, preparing themselves for ascent to the Chamber of Heaven.

Orthodox Christians believe in the help of saints, offering their prayers for various needs. Who is Paraskeva Friday, what do the saints pray for and how can she help? My niece could not give birth to a child for a long time, although she had lived with her husband for 5 years. One day, an old woman advised her to turn to Paraskeva, taking pity on the tear-stained girl.

Less than a year later, the niece received a positive result in a pregnancy test. Joy knew no bounds. In gratitude for the help and assistance, the icon was presented with a gold chain with an amethyst pendant. In the article, I will briefly retell the life of the saint and share the Orthodox prayer.

Brief Life of Saint Paraskeva

The saint was born into a Christian family, her parents were pious people. They revered the holy day on which Christ was crucified so much that they named their newborn daughter in honor of Friday - Paraskeva. In Rus', the name Paraskeva turned into Praskovya, one of the most common female names.

These were the first centuries of early Christianity, when persecution for the faith took the most monstrous forms. People were tortured, tortured in every way, burned alive and chopped to pieces with a sword. In the city of Iconium (modern Türkiye), Diocletian, an ardent hater of Christianity, ruled. On his conscience are tens of thousands of tormented bodies.

Paraskeva lost her parents early, but continued to lead a pious life and devoutly believed in the Savior of human souls. The girl did not want to marry an earthly youth, preferring to remain the bride of Christ. She spent the inheritance inherited from her parents for the needs of the poor, leaving herself very little - only what was necessary.

The girl knew about the persecution of Emperor Diocletian, but was not afraid of cruel reprisals. One day, an imperial messenger arrived in the city of Iconium on a mission to identify Christians among the population. Having learned about Paraskeva, he ordered the girl to be delivered to his palace. Struck by the beauty of the young Christian woman, the imperial envoy proposed to her in marriage. But with the condition of renunciation of Christ.

Paraskeva refused to sacrifice to idols, for which she was severely tortured. Her body was tortured with ox sinews, causing incredible suffering. When the imperial envoy again asked her consent to marriage, the girl spat in his face. For this, she was subjected to new cruel tortures and, tormented to a pulp, was thrown into prison to die.

However, in the dungeon, Paraskeva was visited by an Angel, who healed her wounds completely. The imperial envoy declared that pagan idols healed the wounds and led Paraskeva to the temple to bow. But the girl began to loudly praise Christ, from which all the idols fell to the ground and broke. This brought the ruler into indescribable horror, and he again ordered Paraskeva to be tortured. For a long time the soldiers tortured the body of the girl, but they could not break her spirit. After a long torment, Paraskeva's head was cut off. Since then, the holy relics of Paraskeva began to heal suffering Christians, and Paraskeva herself received the rank of great martyr for the faith of Christ.

What are they praying for

Paraskeva Pyatnitsa and its icon are revered by the Orthodox Church, the day of remembrance according to the new style is November 10. The saint is considered the intercessor and patroness of all those who suffer, who with faith turn to her with prayers for help. Paraskeva helps in many household chores and issues. Previously, the peasants consecrated the flax collected in the fields on this day in the church. Therefore, Paraskeva in Rus' was also called Flaxen Girl. Together with flax, the fruits of the land of the new harvest were consecrated in the church, some of which were kept behind the icons until the next autumn.

Prayers to Paraskeva were offered:

• peasants - about the well-being and health of livestock, especially the cow-nurse;
• merchants - about good trade and protection from robbery and robbery;
• patients - about healing from serious ailments;
• girls - about a successful marriage;
• women - about the birth of a child.

At the wells, the peasants installed the icon of the saint, so that it would bless the source and make the water healing. In those difficult times, when there was still no high-quality medicine, people could only rely on the help of saints and intercessors. The icon helped with severe pain: headache, dental, bodily.

For many years, women sacredly honored Friday and did not touch the household: on this day it was considered a sin to mess with dirt and dust. Therefore, peasant women did not wash, did not sew, and did not work around the house. In some areas, this custom is honored to this day.

Young girls with faith fell to the holy icon, hoping for help in marriage. In the old days there was no practice of divorce, so the husband was chosen once and for all. The girls asked the patron saint to bless their marriage or send a good groom. Married women asked for blessings for the birth of a child, because in those days there were no midwives or pediatricians. The women believed that Saint Paraskeva would hear their request and would certainly intercede before Christ himself.

Prayer of Saint Paraskeva Friday: