DYNAMIS!
A publication of St. George Orthodox Christian Cathedral
Wichita, KS
Galatians 3:23-4:5 (11/25) Epistle for the Feast of Great
Martyr Katherine of Alexandria
Great Women Martyrs: Galatians 3:23-4:5, especially vs.
28, “There is neither Jew nor
Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for
you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Saint John Chrysostom expands this
teaching of the Apostle Paul concerning the place of women as equals within the
Church. We are reminded to honor
them in memory eternal: “Many women have suffered martyrdom. She is able to practice chastity even
more than men, no such strong flame disturbing her, and to show forth modesty
and gravity and ‘holiness, without which no one shall see the Lord’
(Heb. 12:14), and contempt of wealth, if she will, and in short all other
virtues.” Yes, countless
women have witnessed unto blood for Christ. During commemorative Litia
- a word from the Greek meaning Prayers of Supplication - the Church specifically
names among “...the holy, glorious, great women martyrs, Thekla, Barbara, Anastasia, Katherine, Kyriaki,
Photeini, Marina, Paraskeva
and Irene...,” not forgetting many who remain unnamed!
The virtues and strengths of the great women
martyrs are well defined in the present reading; exemplifying what Saint Paul
describes as being justified by faith (vs. 24), sons of God, that
is, heirs of the His Kingdom (vss. 26, 29), in Christ (vs.27), and redeemed
from all bondage to the spiritual powers of the world (vs. 5). Thus, they call us to follow them in the
life in Christ, and by their prayers will surely aid us to attain His heavenly
Kingdom with them.
The great Martyr Katherine of Alexandria shows
herself wholly justified by faith (vs. 24), being “Set aflame with
divine longing for Christ...,” for she “...didst despise the
torments...” of the Emperor Maxentius in his
paganism. He thought to defeat her
wisdom before His great court philosophers; but she defeated them in reasoning,
leading them to faith in Christ. In
fury, the Emperor had his philosophers burned. Katherine’s courage before Maxentius so moved his Empress, that
she came to the martyr and found life in Christ. Maxentius then
tortured and slew his wife, and, after further tortures failed to prevail over
Katherine’s faith, he had her beheaded.
The great Martyr Barbara chose the
When we are “...baptized into Christ
[and] have put on Christ” (vs. 27), we are redeemed (vs. 5) from
every bondage by which persons and institutions in this world may seek to
enslave us to their ways or desires.
But when we know that we are free in spirit through Christ, we gain His
unconquerable detachment from whatever would enslave us. The Great Martyr Anastasia was the
daughter of a pagan senator in the city of
The hosts of the great women martyrs
“...by divers torments and fire and stripes showed forth and depicted the
saving and august Passion of Christ....Being set aflame with the fire of the
love of the Lord God, they fully disdained the fire...and thus...wholly burned
up the dead wood of error’s insolence...and, in that they poured forth
their blood in streams through their endurance and great patience, they watered
all the Church, which then blossomed forth with faith.” Let us learn from them that we may
become “...heirs according to the promise” (vs. 29).
O Great Martyrs, pray that we may attain to
the lot which we were given through mercy.
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