Holy Great-Martyr Barbara

Life

The father of this glorious follower of Christ, who from her early years espoused herself to Christ, named Dioscorus, was distinguished by position and wealth in the city of Heliopolis in Egypt, but in faith an unbeliever. His only daughter, wise in mind and beautiful in appearance, Dioscorus shut up in a high tower, surrounded her with all comforts, gave her maidservants for service, set up idols for worship, and built her a bathhouse with two windows. Observing through the tower window the earth below and the starry heaven above, Barbara's mind was opened by God's grace, and she came to know the one true God the Creator, though she had no one among men as teacher in this. And when her father once went away from the city, she came out from the tower and, by God's Providence, met with some Christian women, who declared to her the truth of the Christian Faith. Barbara's heart was inflamed with love toward Christ the Lord. She commanded that a third window be cut in the bathhouse, so that three windows might be a symbol of the Holy Trinity; on a stone in the bathhouse she traced a cross with her finger and the cross was impressed into the stone as if carved with iron; from her footprint on the floor of the bathhouse there gushed forth a spring of water, which later brought healing from diseases to many. Learning of his daughter's faith, Dioscorus beat her cruelly, drove her from the tower and pursued her to kill her. A rock split open and hid Barbara from her cruel father. When she appeared again, her father took her to the governor Martianus, to whom he handed over his daughter for torture. Innocent Barbara was stripped and beaten until her whole body was covered with blood and wounds. In the dungeon the Lord Himself with angels appeared to her and healed her. Seeing this, a certain woman Juliana also desired martyrdom herself. And both were terribly tortured and led through the city with mockery. They cut off their female breasts, and much blood flowed from them. Finally they were led out to the place of execution, where the father himself slew his own daughter, and the soldiers Juliana. On that same day lightning struck Dioscorus's house and killed both him and Martianus. Holy Barbara suffered in the year 306. Her wonder-working relics are in Kiev. Glorified in Christ's Kingdom, she has appeared many times to this very day, sometimes alone, sometimes in the company of the Most Holy Theotokos.

From the Hymn of Praise

O wondrous trumpet of the Orthodox Faith.O glorious monk of a glorious monastery,John the hymnographer, champion of the Faith,Holy sufferer for the holy icons,