Thekla and Lavrenty are Orthodox Christians. Saint Thekla

The Holy First Martyr Equal to the Apostles Thekla was born in the city of Iconium. She was the daughter of noble and wealthy parents and was distinguished by her extraordinary beauty. At the age of 18 she was betrothed to a noble young man. Having heard the sermon of the Holy Apostle Paul about the Savior, Saint Thekla loved the Lord Jesus Christ with all her heart and firmly decided not to marry and to devote her life to the preaching of the Gospel. Saint Thekla's mother opposed her daughter's intentions and forced her to marry the groom betrothed to her. The betrothed of Saint Thekla complained to the ruler of the city against the Apostle Paul, accusing him of turning his bride away from him. The ruler imprisoned the holy apostle. Saint Thekla secretly ran away from home at night, bribed the prison guards by giving them all her gold jewelry, and entered the prisoner into the dungeon. For three days she sat at the feet of the apostle, listening to his fatherly instructions. Thekla's disappearance was discovered, and servants were sent everywhere to search for her. Finally she was found in prison and forcibly brought home.

The court sentenced the Apostle Paul to exile from the city. Saint Thekla was again persuaded for a long time to agree to the marriage, but she did not change her decision. Neither her mother's tears, nor her anger, nor the ruler's threats could separate Saint Thekla from her love for the Heavenly Bridegroom - the Lord Jesus Christ. Her mother, in a frenzy, demanded that the judge sentence her rebellious daughter to death, and Saint Thekla was sentenced to be burned. The holy martyr fearlessly ascended the fire and crossed herself. At that moment the Savior appeared to her, blessing her for the upcoming feat, and inexpressible joy filled her holy soul. The flames of the fire soared high, surrounded the martyr like a halo and did not touch her. Thunder struck, and heavy rain and hail extinguished the fire. The torturers fled in fear. Saint Thekla, protected by the Lord, left the city and, with the help of a Christian youth, found the Apostle Paul. The holy apostle and his companions, among whom was the holy apostle Barnabas, took refuge in a cave not far from the city, fervently praying that the Lord would strengthen Saint Thekla in her suffering. Together with them, Saint Thekla went preaching the Gospel to Antioch. In this city, she was persecuted by a certain dignitary Alexander, who was captivated by her beauty. Saint Thekla rejected his proposal to marry and, as a Christian, was condemned to death. Twice hungry animals were released on her, but they did not touch the holy virgin, obediently lay down at her feet and licked them. In all the tortures, the holy martyr was preserved unharmed by the Providence of God. Finally, they tied her to two bulls and began to drive them in different directions with hot rods, but the strong ropes tore apart like a spider’s web, and the bulls ran away, but Saint Thekla remained unharmed. The people cried out: “Great is the God of the Christians!” The ruler himself was afraid, finally realizing that the holy martyr was protected by the Almighty God, Whom she served. He ordered the release of Thekla, the servant of God, to freedom. With the blessing of the Apostle Paul, Saint Thekla settled in the desert surroundings of Seleucia of Isauria and lived there for many years, constantly preaching the Word of God, healing the sick with prayer. Saint Thekla converted many pagans to Christ; The Church worthily calls her Equal to the Apostles. She even punished the pagan priest who encroached on her purity for his insolence and brought him to holy Baptism. More than once the enemy of the human race tried to destroy Saint Thekla through people blinded by sin, but the power of God always preserved the faithful servant of Christ.

When Saint Thekla was already a 90-year-old old woman, the pagan magicians took up arms against her because she treated the sick without compensation. They could not comprehend that the saint healed illnesses with the power of the grace of Christ, and they believed that she was especially protected by the virgin goddess Artemis. Out of envy of Saint Thekla, they sent mercenaries to her to desecrate the saint. When the pursuers were already very close, Saint Thekla cried out for help to Christ the Savior, and the mountain parted and hid the holy virgin, the bride of Christ. Thus Saint Thekla gave up her soul to the Lord.

The Holy Church glorifies the “first-suffering” Thekla as “a woman of glory, a teacher of the sufferers, who opened the torment of the path for all.” Since ancient times, many churches were dedicated to her, one of which was built in Constantinople by Saint Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine (May 21). The name of the holy First Martyr Equal-to-the-Apostles Thekla, the prayer book for all who strive, is remembered when women are tonsured into monasticism.

The power of holy prayer more than once saved Thekla, who managed to maintain her dignity and moral purity throughout her long life from people obsessed with sin who tried to destroy her. Thekla preached God's word and healed people, seeing the meaning of her life in converting pagans to the Orthodox faith and healing people. According to legend, she even managed to bring an influential pagan priest to holy baptism. For this, Thekla was awarded the title of Equal-to-the-Apostles.

Zhen glory

Already by the ancient Orthodox Church, Thekla, “the mentor of the sufferers, who opened the torment of the path for everyone,” was numbered among the first martyrs. In Cyprus, Saint Thekla has a special attitude: she is considered the holy intercessor and prayer book for women, Thekla’s name is mentioned when they are tonsured into monasticism.

Thekla's homeland is the Asian Minor city of Iconium in the territory of modern Turkey. Today this city is called Konya. The meeting with the Apostle Paul, who was performing missionary service, became fateful for young Thekla: she decided to turn her gaze to heaven and devote her life to serving God. The seed of God's word fell on fertile soil, sprouted and took root firmly in the heart of the godly girl. The Apostle Paul encouraged her to learn the word of God and even considered her his “first spiritual daughter.”

Thekla begged the Almighty for her healing gift. For a long time she preached in her hometown, converting many people to Christianity, including her own mother, a hard-hearted and proud woman, an ardent champion of paganism. Then she chose the Syrian city of Seleucia to live, where she ended her days, living to the age of ninety.

The legacy of the holy healer

Information about Thekla’s life can be gleaned from a single source - the apocryphal “Acts of Paul and Thekla,” written in the 2nd century.
After the intervention by the Egyptian Mamluks, Christians managed to transport part of the relics of St. Thekla from Syria to Cyprus, where they rest in the convent of St. Thekla. Another part of the relics was miraculously saved from the ancient barbarians and until recently was in an Orthodox women's monastery in Syria, in the city of Maalula.

But it turned out to be incomparably more difficult to escape from modern barbarians. As a result of clashes in January 2014, the sarcophagus with the relics of Thekla was irretrievably lost. The militants desecrated the monastery and destroyed ancient icons. The chapel with the sarcophagus, dating back to the 4th century AD, was simply blown up, and the nuns became hostages of bandits for several months.

Since then, the relics of the first martyr have been carefully preserved only in the monastery of St. Thekla, being its main shrine and miraculously protecting the nuns.

Guardians of the Holy Relic

The monastery is located not far from Larnaca, in the vicinity of the village of Mosfiloti. The picturesque valley is surrounded on all sides by gentle green hills. The monastery of Saint Thekla lies in it, like in a precious emerald bowl, framed by olive and fig groves.

The first written mention of the monastery dates back to 1780. At first, the monastery was for men and quite sparsely populated, despite its impressive land holdings. The formation of a monastery around a small temple presumably dates back to the second half of the 15th century.

The temple is a single-nave basilica, built in the traditional ascetic style of that time. The main temple icon, located to the right of the iconostasis, dates back to the 18th century. Her rich silver frame was made later. As a sign of limited access, the icon is covered with a crimson curtain with gold embroidery. The idea of ​​building the church belonged to Equal-to-the-Apostles Helen, the mother of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine, who made a significant contribution to the spread of the Christian faith.

At the beginning of the 18th century, the monastery shared the fate of the entire rural population of the island: the years of Turkish rule were a time of decline and real poverty. But the spark of enlightenment and the Orthodox faith did not fade away under the ashes of the fires of Christian churches, and church life continued through the labors of a few, sometimes illiterate, ascetic priests who served the liturgy from memory. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, a school was located in the monastery premises, in which approximately fifty children from nearby villages studied.

Since 1956, with the blessing of Archbishop Macarius III, at that time the head of the autocephalous Cypriot Orthodox Church, services resumed in the monastery, new inhabitants began to appear in it: surviving monks came from the monasteries destroyed by Turkish fanatics.

New life for old walls

Already in 1991, the appearance in Mosfiloti of two sisters, nuns Eulogia and Constantia, marked the beginning of the revival of the monastery as a convent. Currently, Constantia is the abbess of the monastery, which has seven nuns.

In the old days, the monastery was built around an early Christian cave church, the remains of which can still be seen today. It is located on the site of one of the miraculous springs. Thus, the place from which the water flows is located exactly under the altar of the temple. The aquifer mixed with clay inclusions and formed a viscous substance that has the healing properties of water. This healing clay (or mud) has long been used to treat skin diseases. Access to the well is provided from outside the temple. The level of clay rises and falls from time to time, but it is always within reach.

The second source is perfectly equipped on the territory of the monastery compound. The mosaic panels decorating it depict birds and animals drinking the precious moisture. But the main miracle of the monastery is the reverently preserved parts of the relics of St. Thekla. Everyone who had the honor of kissing them notes their amazing warmth.

Territory of beauty

The monastery courtyard is a well-groomed territory divided into zones, very similar to the courtyard of a large rich villa. Flower beds arranged with love and care, lush crowns of trees, a courtyard paved with stone, climbing plants and palm trees in huge clay pots - everything bears the imprint of the care and tireless work of the nuns of the monastery. Canopies, gazebos, and galleries entwined with vines are amazingly beautiful and provide shelter from the hot sun.

The cell monastery buildings that can be seen today date back to the end of the 18th century. The tranquil courtyard is framed by covered two-tier galleries of residential premises. Unfortunately, most of them are still empty. Despite this, absolutely all buildings are maintained in exemplary order.

The monastery buildings are designed in the same style - the same wooden trim, metal door fittings - and form a cozy harmonious ensemble.

The memory of the great Orthodox saint is carefully revered in all corners of the island, so the monastery of St. Thekla is well known to every Cypriot. The memory takes place on September 24 and becomes a real patronal holiday, the guests of which are thousands of pilgrims.

Everyone who comes to the monastery with an open, repentant heart leaves it comforted, with a feeling of peace and grace. The incredible silence that reigns in this place of spiritual power encourages you to listen to your conscience, cleanse your soul and thoughts, and help you find humility and peace of mind.

Photo album

Maaloula is the most famous surviving corner of the world where the population still speaks Aramaic - the language of our Lord Jesus Christ. (At the beginning of our era, Aramaic, which belongs to the group of Semitic languages, was the main language of communication in several areas of the Eastern Mediterranean).

The city of Maaloula is located in the Qalamon mountains at a distance of 56 kilometers northeast of Damascus. Here is one of the main Christian shrines of Syria - the cave in which the holy first martyr Thekla, a disciple of the Apostle Paul, lived and was buried.

Holy First Martyr Equal to the Apostles Thekla born in the city of Iconium. She was the daughter of noble and wealthy parents and was distinguished by her extraordinary beauty. At the age of 18 she was betrothed to a noble young man. Having heard the sermon of the Holy Apostle Paul about the Savior, Saint Thekla loved the Lord Jesus Christ with all her heart and firmly decided not to marry and to devote her life to the preaching of the Gospel. Saint Thekla's mother opposed her daughter's intentions and forced her to marry the groom betrothed to her. The betrothed of Saint Thekla complained to the ruler of the city against the Apostle Paul, accusing him of turning his bride away from him. The ruler imprisoned the holy apostle. Saint Thekla secretly ran away from home at night, bribed the prison guards by giving them all her gold jewelry, and entered the prisoner into the dungeon. For three days she sat at the feet of the apostle, listening to his fatherly instructions. Thekla's disappearance was discovered, and servants were sent everywhere to search for her. Finally she was found in prison and forcibly brought home.

The court sentenced the Apostle Paul to exile from the city. Saint Thekla was again persuaded for a long time to agree to the marriage, but she did not change her decision. Neither her mother's tears, nor her anger, nor the ruler's threats could separate Saint Thekla from her love for the Heavenly Bridegroom - the Lord Jesus Christ. Her mother, in a frenzy, demanded that the judge sentence her rebellious daughter to death, and Saint Thekla was sentenced to be burned. The holy martyr fearlessly ascended the fire and crossed herself. At that moment the Savior appeared to her, blessing her for the upcoming feat, and inexpressible joy filled her holy soul. The flames of the fire soared high, surrounded the martyr like a halo and did not touch her. Thunder struck, and heavy rain and hail extinguished the fire. The torturers fled in fear. Saint Thekla, protected by the Lord, left the city and, with the help of a Christian youth, found the Apostle Paul. The holy apostle and his companions, among whom was the holy apostle Barnabas, took refuge in a cave not far from the city, fervently praying that the Lord would strengthen Saint Thekla in her suffering.

Together with them, Saint Thekla went preaching the Gospel to Antioch. In this city, she was persecuted by a certain dignitary Alexander, who was captivated by her beauty. Saint Thekla rejected his proposal to marry and, as a Christian, was condemned to death. Twice hungry animals were released on her, but they did not touch the holy virgin, obediently lay down at her feet and licked them. In all the tortures, the holy martyr was preserved unharmed by the Providence of God. Finally, they tied her to two bulls and began to drive them in different directions with hot rods, but the strong ropes tore apart like a spider’s web, and the bulls ran away, but Saint Thekla remained unharmed. The people cried out: “Great is the God of the Christians!” The ruler himself was afraid, finally realizing that the holy martyr was protected by the Almighty God, Whom she served. He ordered the release of Thekla, the servant of God, to freedom. With the blessing of the Apostle Paul, Saint Thekla settled in the desert surroundings of Seleucia of Isauria in a small cave near a spring and lived there for many years, constantly preaching the Word of God, healing the sick with prayer. Saint Thekla converted many pagans to Christ; The Church worthily calls her Equal to the Apostles. More than once the enemy of the human race tried to destroy Saint Thekla through people blinded by sin, but the power of God always preserved the faithful servant of Christ.

When Saint Thekla was already a 90-year-old old woman, the pagan magicians took up arms against her because she treated the sick without compensation. They could not comprehend that the saint healed illnesses with the power of the grace of Christ, and they believed that she was especially protected by the virgin goddess Artemis. Out of envy of Saint Thekla, they sent mercenaries to her to desecrate the saint. When the pursuers were already very close, Saint Thekla cried out for help to Christ the Savior, and the mountain parted and formed a narrow passage and hid the holy virgin. The word "Maaloula" means "passage" or "entrance" in Aramaic. Thus Saint Thekla gave up her soul to the Lord.

The Holy Church glorifies the “first-suffering” Thekla as “a woman of glory, a teacher of the sufferers, who opened the torment of the path for all.” The name of the holy First Martyr Equal-to-the-Apostles Thekla, the prayer book for all who strive, is remembered when women are tonsured into monasticism.

A temple was built near the cave of St. Thekla. From the 4th to the beginning of the 19th century. The episcopal see was located in Maaloula.

Now there is a women's Orthodox monastery belonging to the Antiochian Orthodox Church. The church in the monastery was consecrated in honor of John the Baptist as a sign that St. Thekla, the first in these places, baptized newly converted Christians.

September 24 / October 7 - Feast of St. Thekly. On this day there were especially many guests in the monastery. On September 14/27, on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, bonfires were lit on the peaks in Maaloula in memory of the way in which in 325 AD the news of the discovery of the Life-Giving Cross on which the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified was transmitted from Jerusalem to Constantinople.

The city has been deserted since it was captured by terrorists in 2014 during the ongoing Syrian civil war. The militants unexpectedly broke into the quiet peaceful town, took the nuns of the monastery hostage, tore crosses from the domes, threw down bells, destroyed monuments with a thousand-year history and set fire to icons. The sisters of the monastery were held captive by militants for about 100 days, then they were released through an exchange of prisoners of war. Now they are in Damascus, since they still have nowhere to live in the plundered monastery of St. Thekla.

“You see these icons. This is all we managed to collect after the militants were driven out of here. They are priceless, and the terrorists beat them with axes and sledgehammers, burned them, scratched the faces of saints,” said the rector of the Church of St. Elias in Aleppo, Ilyas Ades.

Father Ilyas, the only Orthodox priest remaining in Maaloula, assures that the icons were destroyed selectively. The bandits sold many of the relics on the black market. The priest collected what was left after the barbaric attack in a small room. Now the service also has to be held here. The temple complex is still under reconstruction, as is the entire territory of the monastery.

“It will be very difficult to restore the cave. She was badly hurt. Apparently, it will be difficult with the temple. After all, it is necessary to restore in such a way as to preserve historical artifacts. And we will have to recreate some architectural monuments anew,” explained engineer Ilyas Hilal.

Restoration work is currently underway in liberated Maaloula.

Based on materials from open sources

The Apostle Paul, going around countries preaching about Christ, reached Iconium. It so happened that among his listeners was a young girl named Thekla, the daughter of a rich pagan widow. Sitting at home by the window, she unexpectedly heard the Divine sermon of Paul, who at that time was with his neighbor Onesiphorus, a pious follower of the teachings of the apostles. And the more Thekla listened, the more she became eager to understand the meaning of words that were new to her, which suddenly illuminated her soul with a wonderful light. And from that hour, her entire former pagan life suddenly became alien to her. She even distanced herself from her fiancé, the noble and richest pagan in the city, Famir, to whom her mother betrothed.

But Thekla’s mother, Theoklia, was horrified when she found out what had influenced her daughter so much. Having misinterpreted her daughter’s attention to the stranger’s words, she hastened to report her fears to her fiancé. Alarmed Famir began to hotly persuade the bride not to pay attention to the unworthy stranger and not to listen to his words. Thekla continued to listen to Paul and became more and more immersed in thoughts about the one God - Christ.

Realizing that persuasion would not help the matter, Thamir hurried to the proconsul and declared that Paul was a blasphemer of pagan gods and a preacher of the hated Christian teaching. The Apostle was immediately thrown into prison until the final discussion and sentencing.

Having learned about this, Thekla set out to join Pavel in order to be able to listen to him. Leaving home secretly, she bribed the prison guard and joined the teacher. Here, forgetting about everything in the world, Thekla greedily listened to his every word and folded the “good news” in her heart.

Meanwhile, the proconsul, not finding sufficient grounds to condemn Paul to execution, limited himself to expelling him from the city.

Thekla, at the insistence of her embittered mother, was summoned to court. Here they tried to persuade the adamant girl not to heed the teachings of the Christian stranger and not to renounce her marriage. But Thekla didn’t even want to hear about it. And then the enraged Theoclinia shouted to the judge:

- Why are you delaying? Why don’t you punish this lawless girl, this rebellious daughter? Let them burn and destroy the one who refused to enter into a brilliant marriage and arbitrarily ran away to a deceiver and a foreigner, disgracing her family and me, who gave birth to this fiend of hell!

Touched by the mother’s grief, and also fearing the wrath of the rich man Famir, the embarrassed proconsul ordered Thekla to be burned. But when Thekla herself, making the sign of the cross, threw herself into the kindled fire, professing faith in Christ, God miraculously saved her: a sudden torrential rain extinguished the flame, and such a thunderstorm broke out over the city that all the people fled home in fear. Thekla ran away from the city and, finding Pavel, joined him. Having left Ionia, they went together to the cities and villages in which the Apostle Paul was to continue his gospel.

Upon arrival in Antioch, Thekla had the misfortune to attract the attention of the mayor Alexander, who was ready to achieve her favor by any means. Resisting the dishonest intentions of the official, the girl, in a fit of indignation, tore Alexander’s magnificent clothes and threw off the golden wreath from his head. This happened in the presence of witnesses. The proud man could not bear such an insult, and rage began to boil within him. Wanting revenge, Alexander brought Thekla to trial for professing Christianity, and she was condemned to be torn to pieces by wild animals. Imagine the surprise of the executioners when, when the lions and bears released from their cages, instead of pouncing on the victim, quietly approached Thekla and calmly lay down at her feet, and when the bear nevertheless rushed at her, the lioness rushed at him and, as if protecting the girl, she began to fight with him until both animals died in a fierce battle. Thekla remained unharmed. In the same miraculous way, she was saved from other executions that her tormentors tried to inflict. Fear fell upon all the witnesses of these miracles, but Alexander, horrified by what he saw, decided that Thekla was a witch, and the governor of the region began to expel her from the city.

The young foreigner was freed and released. Without staying in the city for a minute, she hastened to join her teacher, the Apostle Paul, whom she found in Lycia. Paul soon became convinced that she was ripe for high spiritual achievement, and released her from him, admonishing her:

- Go teach the Word, walk the pious path and be a participant in my work for Christ.

- Entrust me to Christ!- Thekla said goodbye to the apostle and first went to her hometown - Iconium. She no longer found Famir, her former fiancé, alive. Having started preaching, she tried to convert her mother to Christ, but soon realized that she was unable to dissuade the inveterate pagan of her errors. Having left the city, Thekla went to Seleucia. Here, having settled on the top of the mountain, she completely devoted herself to the gospel of the Word of Christ and successfully spread it, especially since her preaching was accompanied by numerous miracles, especially healings of all kinds of diseases. Thekla lived to a ripe old age and died peacefully in her cave.

The First Martyr Thekla, whose memory is celebrated on September 24 according to the Julian calendar, is an early Christian saint, revered among the Equal-to-the-Apostles. Her name is remembered when women are tonsured into monasticism. A place of pilgrimage for people begging for healing in Cyprus is the early Christian cave church of St. Thekla and the convent of the Equal-to-the-Apostles saint, where a healing spring flows, and from where the afflicted take away clay that heals skin diseases.

Cave Church of St. Thekla

The only source of information about Thecla's life is the apocryphal "Acts of Paul and Thecla", written in the second century.

The Holy First Martyr Equal to the Apostles Thekla was born in Iconium in the 30s of the 1st century. She was the daughter of noble and wealthy parents and was distinguished by her extraordinary beauty. At eighteen she was betrothed to a noble young man.

One day, having heard the sermon of the Holy Apostle Paul about the Savior, Saint Thekla loved the Lord Jesus Christ with all her heart and firmly decided not to marry and to devote her life to the preaching of the Gospel. Saint Thekla's mother opposed her daughter's intentions and forced her to marry the groom betrothed to her. And Thekla’s fiancé complained to the city ruler about the Apostle Paul, accusing him of turning his bride away from him.

The governor imprisoned the holy apostle, but Saint Thekla secretly ran away from home at night, bribed the prison guards, giving them all her gold jewelry, and entered the prisoner. For three days she sat at the feet of the apostle, listening to his fatherly instructions. Thekla's disappearance was discovered, and servants were sent everywhere to search for her. Finally she was found in prison and forcibly brought home, and the court sentenced the Apostle Paul to exile from the city.

Neither her mother’s tears, nor her anger, nor the ruler’s threats could force Thekla to change her mind and separate her from her love for the Heavenly Bridegroom - the Lord Jesus Christ. The girl’s mother, in a frenzy, demanded that the judge sentence her rebellious daughter to death, and Saint Thekla was sentenced to be burned.

When the girl fearlessly climbed onto the fire, the Savior appeared to her, blessing her for the upcoming feat. The flames of the fire surrounded the martyr, but did not touch her, and a sudden downpour quickly extinguished the fire. The torturers fled in fear.

Saint Thekla left the city and, having found the Apostle Paul, went with him preaching the Gospel to Antioch. In one city, Saint Thekla rejected the proposal of a certain dignitary, captivated by her beauty. For this she was sentenced to death. Twice hungry animals were released on her, but they did not touch the holy virgin, but obediently lay down at her feet and licked them. The ruler himself was afraid, finally realizing that the holy martyr was protected by the Almighty God, whom she served. He ordered the release of Thekla, the servant of God, to freedom.

Saint Thekla settled in the desert surroundings of Seleucia of Isauria and lived there for many years, constantly preaching the Word of God and healing the sick with prayer.

When Saint Thekla was already a ninety-year-old old woman, the pagan magicians took up arms against her because she treated the sick without compensation. Out of envy of Saint Thekla, they sent mercenaries to her to desecrate the saint. When the pursuers were already very close, Saint Thekla cried out for help to Christ the Savior, and the mountain parted and hid the holy virgin, the bride of Christ. Thus Saint Thekla gave up her soul to the Lord.