Paraskeva Friday: what are they praying for? Icon of St. Paraskeva Friday

Great is the merit of the saints before the Lord. Many of them already from an early age aspired to perfection of the Kingdom of Heaven. Such was Paraskeva Pyatnitsa, whose parents tried to educate their daughter in faith and chastity. Taking upon herself the martyr's cross, she with her spiritual feat once again witnessed the incomparable great power of God, who punished idol worshipers and their gods.

Life

Saint Paraskeva Friday was born in the 3rd century AD. E. In the Roman Empire in the city of Iconium (the territory of modern Turkey). At that time Diocletian was the ruler of the state, who persecuted those who preach Christianity. The girl's parents faithfully believed in the One Trinity, living by the Law of God. They always held fast, honored Wednesday and Friday, remembering in these days the suffering of Jesus Christ, who suffered torment as the atonement of human sins. For fear of God and unshakable faith in Him, the Most High granted his parents a daughter. They called her Paraskeva, which in translation means "Friday", since the girl was born on this day. Unfortunately, the righteous very soon moved to another world, leaving the young girl alone on a sinful land. St. Paraskeva Friday continued the work of her parents, observing the commandments of God and remaining chaste. Even then she chose for herself the heavenly Bridegroom - Jesus Christ, thinking only about being close to him.

The girl was beautiful both in body and soul. Many rich men were wooing her, but she remained adamant. Paraskevy's parents left their daughters a good inheritance. Received money, the Great Martyr Paraskeva spent Friday not on herself, but on clothes and food for the poor. All the charms of life: an expensive dress, decorations and entertainment - she considered temporary and perishable. Instead of earthly pleasures, Paraskeva prayed and preached faith in Jesus Christ.

Confessor of the Lord

Despite the fact that the Christians of those times were subjected to terrible persecutions, Paraskeva continued to preach the faith of Christ. Many young men, after seeing the holy beauty of the holy, invited her to marry and worship the idol, in order to preserve her life and not suffer severe cruelties. But the great martyr Paraskeva Friday always answered that the one God is Jesus Christ and He is her only Bridegroom. Some townsfolk, thanks to the saint, converted, while others reproached her for such preaching.

Once Diocletian ordered his subjects to go to the cities of the Roman Empire in search of Christians, who repelled others from idolatry. The eparch of Aetia was given a decree to visit the city of Iconium and find secret believers in the one Lord.

The people met the sovereign with great honors. The townspeople, without hiding, told that there is a girl named Paraskeva who confesses Jesus Christ and does not go to the temple to worship idols. Upon hearing this, Aeti demanded that she be immediately identified and presented to the court. The warriors quickly found the girl and sent her to the eparch. Aetius, seeing the beautiful Paraskeva, was fascinated by her beauty. The saint was not sad, but on the contrary, glowed with joy. Aetiy wished to know if people were slandering a beautiful girl. Paraskeva answered without fear and doubt that she was a true Christian and confessor of the Lord. Aetius invited her to worship the gods in the temple of idols. For this he promised to save her life. A subject of the emperor did not hide that Paraskeva liked him very much, and he offered the saint to marry him. But the virgin was adamant. "My only bridegroom is Jesus," she answered. Aetius threatened Paraskev with the agonizing suffering that the executioners had prepared for her. But the girl was not afraid of this, because she knew that after all the tortures the Lord would take her to her. Furious Aeti ordered the executioners to take off her clothes and beat the young body with oxen veins. Paraskeva during the terrible torments did not utter a word of mercy, but she only praised the Lord to herself. Aetius, unable to watch how they destroy the beauty of the girl, ordered the executioners to stop and once again ordered the saint to bow to idols. Paraskeva, clenching her teeth, was silent. For this Aeti insulted the whole Christian family, after which the girl spat in his face. For the eparch this was the last straw. Beside himself with anger, he ordered the executioners to hang Paraskeva upside down and tear it with iron claws.

The unfortunate prayed, and her blood stained the earth. When the executioner saw that the girl was already dying, he reported this to Aetia. He ordered to throw Paraskeva in prison, so that the destruction of the earth would be more painful for her.

Appearance of the angel

She was wounded and without strength, Paraskeva Friday lay on the floor of the prison cell, as if dead. But the Lord, seeing her all-embracing love for the Holy Trinity, directed the Angel to the girl. He appeared to Paraskeva with a cross, a crown of thorns, a spear, a cane and a sponge. Angel consoled the exhausted girl, rasterev her wounds. Christ healed Paraskeva - the body became healthy again, and her face lit up with a radiant beauty. The girl was shining like an angel. Paraskeva in gratitude for the healing began to glorify the Lord.

Unexpected discovery

In the morning of the guard, having appeared in the prison cell of Paraskeva, she discovered that the girl was completely healthy. Filled with joy, she sang prayers and praised the Lord. Frightened, the guards rushed to Aetia and reported an unprecedented miracle. The eparch summoned Paraskeva and said that her healing is a merit of idols, which the Romans worship. Aeti, taking the girl by the hand, led her to one of the temples. Paraskeva, without resistance, went into The temple. Turning to heaven, she said a prayer to the Lord, after which a terrible earthquake happened. All the statues of the gods were destroyed and turned into dust. Many who saw this turned to Christianity. And only Aetius regarded it as a ritual of strong magic, ordering to hang the saint to the pillar and burn its sides with lamps. Once again Paraskeva turned to the Lord. According to her prayers, the Almighty turned away the hot fire from the virgin, sending him to the torturers. The people who saw miracles performed by the Lord through Paraskeva believed in Jesus Christ, rejecting paganism. Aeti was afraid that he would lose his power, which was based on the belief in idols. Therefore, he ordered to cut off Paraskeva's head. Finally, the Lord takes the soul of a frazzled, fragile girl into the Kingdom of Heaven, where eternal bliss awaited her.

The fate of the eparch

Having finished with the long-suffering Paraskeva, Aeti decided to go hunting as if nothing had happened. On the way to the forest, his horse, standing on its hind legs, threw the ruler to the ground. He died on the spot, sending his soul to eternal destruction in the underworld.

After this, Christians, many of whom believed in the Lord through Paraskeva, took the body of the virgin and could bury her in the house church.

The holy relics healed the spiritual and physical illnesses of people by her prayers before the Lord.

The image of Saint

Paraskeva Pyatnitsa, whose icon is presented in this article, is portrayed as a Russian-haired girl with a crown of thorns on her head. She is dressed in red maforium and blue cover. In the left hand the Great Martyr holds a scroll with the text of the Creed, and in the right hand a cross symbolizing faith in Christ and the suffering that Paraskeva suffered Friday. Up to the 20th century, the icon of the saint was in every peasant house. The farmers especially revered her image, decorating him with elegant ribbons, flowers or a garment. On the day of the memory of the Great Martyr (November 10, according to the new style), peasants necessarily came to the church service and consecrated the fruits that were kept in the house until next year.

Also in the Russian villages on the feast of Paraskeva Pyatnitsa, it was decided to consecrate a piece of linen cloth, which was hung with the image of a saint. That is why in Orthodoxy you can find another name of the Great Martyr - Paraskeva Linnia. The peasants prayed to the saint about the preservation of livestock, especially cows.

Paraskeva Friday ... What is this saint praying for?

First of all, people who are engaged in agriculture and household life, as well as those who have a livestock population, resort to its help. Paraskeva Friday, who gave a vow of virginity, prays before the Lord for those who expect a worthy bridegroom. Those who for a long time can not conceive a child can also turn to the Great Martyr in the hope of a miracle of procreation. Paraskeva Pyatnitsa also helps to organize peace in the family, which all Orthodox Christians pray for.

The saint heals the spiritual and physical ailments of believers, especially in cases of unbearable pain, and also during diabolical temptations.

Strangely enough, in the affairs of trade also helps Paraskeva Friday, what they pray for Those who are associated with this activity. Hence the tradition to organize fairs on a Friday.

The image of Paraskeva is often set at sources and wells so that the water has healing power. In Russia it was also customary to tie flowers to her image, and then make a decoction from them, which was treated not only by physical, but also mental illnesses. The prayer of Paraskeva Pyatnitsa was so powerful that her text was hidden in a piece of cloth that was applied to a sore spot and healed.

Cut me quickly!

In Russia, people revered Paraskeva Friday as an intercessor for girls who wanted to marry. That's why she was prayed even for the Protection, asking for help in the affairs of love. Paraskeva Pyatnitsa, who never thinks about marriage and who vows to virginity, helps chaste girls make a worthy choice in their efforts to create a family.

Guardian of Friday

Saint Paraskeva was represented to our ancestors by a strict woman, who commanded them to strictly observe the post on Wednesday and Friday, namely, not to do household chores and not to bear strife with the people. She also forbade them to eat fast food these days . The saint came to many peasants in visions, so no one doubted that it was the Great Martyr herself. That is why in some parts of our country the custom to save sewing, washing clothes and other things on the day of Paraskeva Friday is still preserved.

Our ancestors also told us that Villages of Little Russia went to the holy martyr, whose body was pinched by needles because of the sins of women who did not observe a strict fast in the days allotted for her. In honor of Paraskeva, 12 Friday days were set in Russia, which were timed to coincide with some great holiday, such as the Annunciation, Easter, the beginning of Lent, etc.

Pagan origins

In ancient Russia, the image of Paraskeva Pyatnitsa was often confused with the pagan goddess Mokosha, who was revered as the keeper of the family hearth. Therefore, the Orthodox saint is credited with protecting the agriculture and home life.

Some believe that the veneration of Paraskeva by traders is due to the fact that since ancient times Friday was a fair day.

Similar disputes about the patronage of the saint were debunked by the Holy Synod, who forbade mixing the image of the martyr with the pagan goddess. But the tradition of consecration of fruits and sources has survived to this day.

At the crossroads of Rus' roads, previously there were special pillars or logs, in which the pedestrian was to sacrifice. With the adoption of Christianity, similar structures were removed, and in their place towers and chapels were built. Many of them are built in honor of Paraskeva Friday.

For example, one of the famous buildings is the chapel of Paraskeva Pyatnitsa, located in Krasnoyarsk on the Guard mountain. This tower is considered a symbol of the city. Her image can be found on the ten-ruble note of 1997. Similar chapels are also erected in other cities of Russia.

Temples and churches in honor of the saint

In memory of the martyr built many Orthodox complexes, the central figure of which was Paraskeva Friday. In Butovo, a church was built, which dates from the 16th century. The wooden temple was burned during the invasion of Lithuanians. Stone version was built by the end of the XVII century. The church was restored in the XX century. Paraskeva Pyatnitsa temple is built in the form of a ship - a spiritual guide for the Orthodox. Crowned with golden domes, it seems as if he is calling people into a long and difficult, but worthy sailing along the river of life and faith.

The church of Paraskeva Pyatnitsa is also built in Yaroslavl. Its official name is Pyatnitsko-Tugovsky temple. It was built in the late 17th century. One of its chapels is dedicated to the feast of the Annunciation. Paraskeva Pyatnitsa experienced special hardships in the 30s of the XX century. Then, on the orders of the Soviet authorities, the bell tower and one of the domes were demolished. To restore the church of Paraskeva Friday was possible only towards the end of the XX century, when the church was transferred to the Yaroslavl diocese.

How to address a saint?

Paraskeva Pyatnitsa's prayers are very effective. After all, all saints are mediators between the Lord and people. The petitions of martyrs and saints in the face of the Most High are always fulfilled. Therefore, prayer is an obligatory component of the life of an Orthodox person. Paraskeva Pyatnitsa became an assistant to the Russian people in domestic affairs, as well as in love affairs. What are they praying for and what are the young girls asking? Of course, about a worthy groom. For such cases, there is a special prayer addressed to Paraskeva. In her, the virgins ask the saint to help them find their husband, just as the great martyr acquired her Bridegroom.

Many churches dedicated to Paraskeva Pyatnitsa are in small villages and towns. One of these is the church in Khvoshchevatke, Voronezh region. In this relatively small village (population not more than 300 people), people are trying to build a temple that was once destroyed during the bombings of the Great Patriotic War. Not far from this church there is a holy spring called "Seven streams", known for its healing power not only in the Voronezh region, but all over Russia.

You can also visit the Pyatnitsky temple in Suzdal, the official name of which is the St. Nicholas Church. On the site of the now standing stone building was a wooden complex, named after Paraskeva Pyatnitsa. And although in 1772 it was consecrated in honor of Nicholas the Wonderworker, the locals still call him Pyatnitsky. Originally, the church was intended for winter worship. That is why it was built in the style of the town's architecture. This type of temples are characterized by elongated shapes along the "east-west" axis and semicircular apses. A distinctive feature of the Suzdal Pyatnitsky temple is the octagon located in the middle of the structure, placed on a quadrilateral and crowned with a dome in the form of a vase. Such a structure is not typical for Suzdal architecture.

Thus, St. Paraskeva Friday for her spiritual deeds was honored and will be honored by Orthodox Christians. For many of them, this martyr is an example of great spiritual strength and courage, unshakable faith and all-embracing love for the Lord, as well as the main intercessor of the people before the Most High.