St. Juliana of Lazarevo

THE LIFE OF THE HOLY & RIGHTEOUS JULIANA OF LAZAREVO
Whose Memory the Holy Church Celebrates on the 2nd of January

During a moment of ardent supplication to God, the great Christian ascetic Macarius of Egypt (?390) heard a voice from heaven, saying: ?Macarius! thus far thou hast not attained the spiritual level of two women who live in the town nearby!? The elder straightway took his staff in hand and went to seek out the righteous women of whom the voice from on high had spoken. After a lengthy search, he knocked on the door of a certain house in the town, and two women admitted him with kindness. Macarius said to them: ?I have left the desert specifically to meet you, that I might acquaint myself with your works. Tell me of yourselves.? ?O man of God, ?the women answered, abashed, ?can one expect anything God-pleasing from those who are continually occupied with domestic tasks and must needs fulfill the responsibilities of marriage?? But the ascetic persisted, asking the women to disclose to him their manner of life.

And they answered him, saying: ?We are two sisters-in-law, the wives of brethren. For fifteen years we have lived together, and all throughout that time we have not spoken to each other a single word in vexation. We do not have children, but if the Lord will grant them, we will entreat Him to help us raise them in the Faith and in piety. We treat our servants with kindness. Many times we have taken counsel one with another as to whether we ought to enter a community of nuns, but our husbands have declined to give us their permission. And seeing their love for us, we have resolved not to part with them, but to serve them with diligence. Yet to make our life a little like that of the holy desert-dwellers, we have set it in our hearts to avoid loud conversations, to remain at home as much as possible, to take care of the running of our household.? To this the venerable Macarius said: ?Truly God doth not look to see who is a virgin or who is married, who is a monastic or who is in the lay state, but only looketh for the inclination of the heart toward good deeds. This He accepteth, and in accordance therewith He sendeth the Holy Spirit down upon anyone who desireth to be saved. And the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, directeth the thoughts and will of such a one to the everlasting life of heaven.?

In Russia, the merciful Juliana provided just such a example of piety and spiritual purity as the women had revealed to the venerable Macarius in the East, in Christian antiquity. Her life teaches us that even in the world, even within a family, amid cares for children, spouse and members of one's household, one may please God no less than one who withdraws from the world to a monastic cell: one only need live according to the demands of the love of Christ and the righteousness of the Gospel.

The merciful Juliana was born in Moscow, in the palace milieu, to pious and philanthropic parents named Justin and Stephanida Nedyurev. Her father served as the steward at the court of Tsar Ivan IV Vasilievich, known as the Terrible. Justin and Stephanida lived in all reverence and purity, with their sons and daughters, and a multitude of servants, possessed of great riches. Into their family the blessed Juliana was born in the 1530s.

When she was six years old, she lost her mother, and was taken to be raised by her maternal grandmother, Anastasia Lukina, n?Dubenskaya, and removed from Moscow to the outskirts of the city of Murom. Yet six years later the righteous Juliana's grandmother passed away, leaving the twelve-year old orphan to be raised by her aunt, Juliana's grandmother's daughter, Natalia Arapova, who had many children of her own: eight daughters and one son. It is well known that brothers and sisters do not always live in peace and goodly concord; and it is even more common for disputes and quarrels to arise among more distant kinfolk if they live together. The righteous Juliana honored her aunt, was obedient to her in all and unfailingly humbled herself before her cousins, the children of the household, enduring in silence their insults and reproaches. Yet throughout her life Juliana did not resemble her cousins: she had no love for the games, pastimes and pranks which are the pursuits of youth, but gave herself over to fasting and prayer. This difference in temperament between Juliana and her cousins became the cause of mockery and ridicule not only among her cousins, but also among the servants; and under the influence of her children, Juliana's aunt frequently upbraided her orphaned niece. ?O foolish one!? she would often say to Juliana, ?why art thou mortifying thy body at such an early age? Dost thou wish to ruin thy virginal beauty??

At times, they had to compel the orphan to eat and drink by force. Yet the meek, quiet and dutiful Juliana always remained steadfast and immovable when the matter concerned the salvation of her soul and the God-pleasing life. The taunts and ridicule of her relatives and servants had no affect upon Juliana: she led the same strict and ascetical life as before. The games and merry songs of her peers held no fascination for her; rather, they provoked in her only displeasure and incomprehension. Since she held herself aloof from girlish amusements and pass-times, Juliana gave herself over with intense commitment to her handiwork: the needlework which flourished in the homes of the nobility in that age, especially spinning and sewing at embroidery-frames. The righteous one spent her evenings in such pursuits.

Yet Juliana did not labor for herself: she made clothes for homeless orphans, widows and the sick of her village. And she labored for them indefatigably, without taking sufficient food, drink or rest. Word of her philanthropy spread to the outlying region, and all who heard of it marvelled at her virtuous life. What is particularly striking is that Juliana's exalted humility and boundless love for her neighbors sprang forth only from the depths of her own pure heart, full of Christian meekness. She had no guides and teachers; she was unable either to read the sacred Scriptures or to derive instruction therefrom; during the years of her girlhood she did not even attend church, for there was none nearby.

When Juliana reached the age of sixteen, she was married by the priest Patapius to George Ossorgin (Osor'in), a rich merchant of Murom, in the village of Lazarevo, which was on Ossorgin's estate. After the wedding ceremony, the priest delivered to the newlyweds a discourse on how they should live, how they should raise their children in the fear of God, how they should instill virtue in the members of their household and, in general, make of their family a little church. The words of the priest penetrated deeply into the soul of Juliana, and she followed them devoutly all throughout her life. Her father-in-law, Vasily, and her mother-in-law, Eudocia, were wealthy people well known at the court of the tsar, possessed of many servants and several commodious residences. Besides George, their only son, they had two daughters. By her calm and meek character, her personal kindness and welcoming attitude, Juliana won the love not only of her husband's parents, but even of her sisters-in-law, which was unusual for those times. Distant kinfolk of the Ossorgins and close friends of the family all fell in love with her. They asked her various questions, so as to obtain some idea of her character, but she disarmed her questioners with her constant kindness and goodness, her meek and soft replies, and little by little won the love even of those who at first were reluctant to extend their regard to her. Thus Juliana came to occupy the most visible place in the family of her husband, and became the mistress of the household.

The cares and concerns of the household and its economy did not take up all the attention of the blessed Juliana and did not occupy her soul to its detriment: rising early in the morning or resting from the day's cares and turmoil before going to sleep, she would pray long to God and make a hundred or more full prostrations; and she drew her husband to take part regularly in this continual and fervent supplication. George Ossorgin was often summoned to serve in the tsar's army in Astrakhan' and other faraway places, and he was often away from his home for as many as three years. While she was parted from her husband, under the influence of her natural sorrow, Juliana would spend whole nights in prayer, or at her spinning and sewing. The products of her handiwork she would sell, distributing to poor the moneys thus obtained. Moreover, as a skilled seamstress, the blessed one would sew shrouds and donate them to the church. She kept her benefactions a secret from her husband's parents. She would send a trusted handmaid forth at night to distribute her alms. She cared for widows and orphans like a true mother, washed them with her own hands, fed them, gave them drink and sewed clothing for them. She ran a well-ordered household, where everyone knew what tasks he was expected to perform, yet she was always kind and meek with the servants, always addressing them by their full Christian names, never employing nicknames. She never required her servants to wait on her hand and foot: no one poured the water as she washed her hands, no one helped her dress or removed her shoes, as was usual in most of the households of the nobility. If in the presence of guests, as was customary, she had to rely on such ministrations by her servants, when the guests departed she would bow down and say of herself: ?Who am I that I should be served by others, who are also created by God?? On the contrary, she was ever ready to serve others herself, and she made certain that her servants had nourishing food and proper clothing.

Yet the righteous Juliana was not satisfied merely to look after the food and vesture of her servants: she strove to see that there were no quarrels and arguments among them, so that peace and quiet, and the grace of God, reigned in her home. Whenever quarrels would arise among her servants, Juliana would frequently take the blame upon herself, and thus placate those who were at enmity. Furthermore, she was wont to say: "I often sin before God, and He, being full of loving-kindness, forgiveth me. Therefore, I will be patient with my servants' sins. Even though they are subject to my authority, yet in soul they can be better than me and more pure before God." She never complained about the faults of the servants to her husband or his parents, who scolded the righteous one for excessive leniency.

Whenever she lacked the skill and strength to cope with spoiled servants and restore peace and tranquility to the household, she would pray fervently to the all-holy Virgin and to Saint Nicholas the Wonder-worker, asking their help. During one such trying time, while Juliana stood in prayer at night, the demons struck fear into her heart. She fell senseless upon her bed and plunged into a deep sleep. In a dream she saw a multitude of unclean spirits advancing upon her with swords. ?If thou dost not stop what thou art doing,? said the demons, ?we will destroy thee forthwith!? The blessed Juliana cried out in prayer to the Mother of God and Saint Nicholas, and the holy wonder-worker appeared with a large book and drove away the dark spirits, who vanished like smoke. After this, he blessed the merciful Juliana and said: ?My daughter, be of good cheer and be strong. Fear not the wiles of the demons. Christ hath commanded me to defend thee against demons and evil men.? When she awoke, Juliana clearly beheld a radiant man, who passed through the door of her bed-chamber and disappeared. She ran after him, but the bolts and bars of her quarters had not been moved. Then Juliana understood that the Lord had indeed sent her a heavenly protector: she was strengthened in her faith and hope in the help of God, and with yet greater diligence continued her works of almsgiving and love for her neighbors.

It happened that, in the year 1570, a great famine struck the Russian land, and multitudes of people died from lack of grain. The merciful Juliana drew supplies from her mother-in-law, ostensibly for her own breakfasts and noon meals, but secretly distributed all to the starving and poor. Her mother-in-law was amazed at this, and said: ?I rejoice that thou hast begun to eat more often, yet I am astonished that thou hast altered thy usual habit. Before, when there was plenty of everything, thou didst take no food in the morning and at noon, and I was unable to prevail upon thee to do so. But now, when there is everywhere a shortage of bread, thou takest both breakfast and the noonday repast.? So as not to disclose her secret almsgiving, the blessed Juliana replied to her mother-in-law: ?While I had not yet given birth to children, I had no desire to eat those meals; but now I have become weak from birthgiving, and I wish to eat not only during the day, but also at night. But I am ashamed to ask you for food at night.? Juliana's mother-in-law was delighted that her daughter-in-law had begun to eat more, and began to send her food even at night. The merciful Juliana accepted the food and distributed it all in secret during the famine. When any of the poor of the surrounding area would die, she would purchase a shroud and provide funds to cover the cost of the funeral. She prayed for the soul of everyone buried in the village of Lazarevo, whether known to her or not.

When the famine passed, a new misfortune befell Russia: a deadly contagion descended upon the hapless land. Filled with horror, the people shut themselves up in their homes and would not allow those infected with the plague to enter; they were even afraid to come in contact with their clothing. Yet the merciful Juliana, unbeknownst to her husband's parents, would wash the sick in the bath-house, treat them as far as she was able, and besought the Lord for the restoration of their health. And whenever any orphan or pauper died, she would wash him with her own hands and hire someone to help bear him away for burial.

The parents of Juliana's husband died at an advanced age, and, according to the custom of their forebears, received the monastic tonsure on their death-beds. Juliana's husband was not at home at that time: he had been serving in the tsar's army at Astrakhan' for more than three years. The blessed Juliana buried Basil and Eudocia Ossorgin with honor, distributed lavish alms for the repose of their souls, had requiem liturgies celebrated each day for forty days, set forth tables of foodstuffs for the monks, priests, widows, orphans and the indigent, and also dispatched abundant donations to the prisons. And afterwards, every year, she kept the memory of her husband's depart parents and expended a sizeable portion of the family's revenue on this good work.

The blessed Juliana lived peaceably and quietly with her husband for many years, and the Lord gave her ten sons and three daughters. Of them, four sons and two daughters died in childhood. Her remaining children she raised, finding joy in them. But when her children grew to adulthood, the enemy of the human race sowed enmity between them and the servants of the blessed one, despite her desire to bring about peace between the disaffected. Her eldest son was even murdered by a servant; and not long afterward, her second son was killed while serving in the tsar's army. A bitter burden were these tribulations to Juliana's maternal heart, yet she did not cry aloud, she did not tear the hair from her head as other women were wont to do: unceasing prayer and almsgiving strengthened her powers. Her husband also grieved over the loss of his sons, but the blessed one consoled him. Under the influence of these familial misfortunes, Juliana began to press her husband to permit her to retire to a convent, and she even let it be known that she was prepared to depart secretly, but George reminded her of the beautiful words that the priest had spoken at their wedding, and the admonitions of other fathers: ?Black garments will not save us if we do not live monastically, and white garments will not destroy us if we do what is pleasing unto God. If anyone departeth to a monastery, not desiring to care for children, he seeketh not the love of God, but rather peace. And the children, orphaned, will often weep and curse their parents, saying: ?Wherefore, having given birth to us, hast thou left us in tribulation and suffering?' If it is commanded to feed the orphans of others, it followeth that one ought not to starve one's own children!? The husband of the righteous Juliana was a lettered man. And he read to her other passages from spiritual writers until he had persuaded her. And she said to him: ?Let the will of the Lord be done!?

After this, husband and wife began to live as brother and sister. George continued to sleep in his usual bedroom, but Juliana lay down on the stove in the evenings, spreading firewood, branches uppermost, to sleep on instead of a bed, and positioning her ring of iron keys beneath her side. Thus she would fall into a slumber for an hour or two. When the house grew quiet, the blessed Juliana would rise for prayer, and would often spend whole nights in supplication; in the morning she would go to church for matins and liturgy. After the divine services, the merciful Juliana would return home and occupy herself with the running of her household. On Mondays and Wednesdays the blessed one would eat but once a day, and on Fridays she would take no food at all, but would withdraw into a separate room, setting up in her home the semblance of the cell of a monastic recluse. And she would permit herself only a single cup of wine on Saturdays, when she fed the clergy, widows, orphans and poor.

Ten years after she and her husband suspended their marital relations, Juliana's husband died. When she had buried and commemorated him according to custom, as she had her husband's parents, the merciful Juliana gave herself over wholly to the service of God and the poor. Since her children grieved mightily over the loss of their father, she consoled them, saying: ?Be not sorrowful, my children! The death of your father is for the edification of us sinners. Seeing it, and continually expecting our own departure from this life, be ye virtuous. Above all, love one another, and give alms.?

And the blessed Juliana did not teach by means of words alone: she strove also to emulate by her manner of life the great Christian strugglers, the holy women of whom her husband and other literate people had read to her. Whenever she was free from domestic concerns, the blessed Juliana gave herself over to prayer and intensified her fasting. Yet she concerned herself most of all with almsgiving. Often she would have no money left to distribute to the poor. In wintertime she would receive money from her children to buy warm clothing for herself, but she gave it all to the poor, and she herself went about in thin garments and barefoot. In order to struggle for the Lord in ascetic labors, and, experiencing pain, to fan the flame of her prayer to God, the Bestower of joy and consolation, she placed broken nut-shells between her bare feet and her sandals, and thus walked about her house.

One year, there was an exceptionally cold winter, so that even the ground froze through and cracked. Juliana came down with a cold and did not attend church for a time, but she prayed at home. One day, the priest of the village of Lazarevo came to church early in the morning and heard a voice issuing forth from the icon of the Theotokos, saying: ?Go and ask Juliana the merciful why she hath not been coming to church. Her prayer at home is pleasing unto God, yet not as pleasing as supplication made in church. And do ye render homage to her: she hath passed the age of sixty, and the Holy Spirit resteth upon her!? Filled with awe and fear, the priest hastened to Juliana, fell at her feet, asked her to forgive him, and told her of the vision he had witnessed. The blessed one was greatly saddened and said to the priest: ?Thou hast surely fallen into temptation to say these things! How can I, a sinner before the Lord, be worthy of such a call?? The priest promised Juliana not to speak of his vision while she was alive, but declared that he would make it known after her repose. Then Juliana went to church; there she had a service of supplication offered before the icon of the Mother of God, and she kissed it and entreated the heavenly intercessor with tears.

The blessed one's widowhood lasted for ten years, during which she distributed practically all her possessions to the poor. She retained for her household only what was most necessary and arranged that her supplies of stored food not be carried over from one year to the next. All that remained from the year's stores she immediately passed on to the poor, the orphans and indigent. Then came the hapless reign of Tsar Boris Godunov (1598-1605), and the Lord punished the Russian land with a famine of unusual intensity: the starving people even had to resort to eating carrion, and in certain cases were driven to consume human corpses. Countless multitudes perished of starvation. The house of the Ossorgin family was also affected by the dearth food, for the sowers had not gone forth to plant the fields, and even the cattle died from lack of fodder. The blessed Juliana begged her children and servants not to take anything that belonged to others. Everything that remained in her house of clothing, livestock and vessels, she sold, buying grain with the money she received. With these funds she fed her household, and despite the terrible lack, she also helped the poor, so that not one of them departed from her empty-handed. When there was no more grain left, the merciful Juliana did not become discouraged, but placed all her trust on the help of God.

Eventually, the blessed one was forced to move to the village of Vochnevo, on the outskirts of Nizhni Novgorod, where some food was still obtainable. Yet even there the famine soon hit with full force, and Juliana, no longer able to feed her servants, set them at liberty. Some of them took advantage of their freedom, but others remained to endure want and grief with their mistress. Juliana ordered the servants who remained with her to gather pig-weed and to strip the bark from a certain species of elm-tree. With these she prepared a type of bread with which to feed herself, her children and servants. Through her prayers, the bread made from pig-weed and elm-bark turned out to be quite tasty, and the poor, of whom there were an extraordinarily great number because of the famine, came in multitudes to receive it from the merciful Juliana. Her neighbors asked the poor: ?Wherefore go ye to the house of Juliana? She and her children are barely alive in their hunger!? But the poor answered: ?We have travelled through many villages, and sometimes we have been given pure wheat-bread; but we have never tasted bread as sweet as that given out by this widow!? The neighbors, who had quite a store of pure wheat, sent to ask Juliana for some of her pig-weed and elm-bark bread, and they were convinced that it was indeed very sweet; yet they attributed this to the skill of the servants who prepared the dough.

While enduring grievous want for two years, the righteous Juliana was not troubled, did not resort to grumbling and complaints, did not become despondent, but was of good cheer and as joyous as was her wont. One thing alone gave her cause for sadness: there was not church in the village of Vochnev, and because of her advanced age she was unable to visit the church in the nearest village. Yet mindful of how the domestic prayer of the centurion Cornelius was pleasing to God [Acts 10: 31], the blessed one gave herself over to supplication and quickly found peace for her soul.

On the 26th of December, 1603, the merciful Juliana fell ill. Her sickness continued for six days, yet she lay in bed only during the daytime, while at night she rose and stood in prayer without any support. Her handmaidens mocked her, saying: ?What kind of a sick woman is this? During the day she lieth abed, but at night she standeth in prayer!? But the blessed one answered those who mocked her meekly: ?Why do ye laugh? Do ye not know that the Lord expecteth even the sick to pray??

On January 2nd, when day broke, the merciful Juliana summoned her spiritual father, the priest Athanasius, and received communion of the Holy Mysteries. Then she sat up in her bed and called her children and servants to her. Much did she teach them of how to live a God-pleasing life, and said also: ?When I was still a child, I had a strong desire to be tonsured and given the great angelic habit, yet I was not deemed worthy of this, because of my sins. Glory to the righteous judgment of God!? She ordered a censer prepared for her burial and incense placed in it, and having bidden farewell to her children, handmaid and friends, she stretched out upon the bed, made the sign of the Cross thrice over herself, wrapped her prayer-rope around her hands, and uttered her last words: ?Glory to God for all things! Into Thy hands, O Lord, do I commit my spirit!?

When the blessed one reposed in the Lord, everyone present saw how a splendid light formed around her head in the guise of a golden crown, such as one sees on the icons of the saints. When they washed the body of the newly-departed and had it placed in a separate storeroom, at night they saw burning candles (although no one had lit them), and sensed a sweet fragrance emanating from the room where the blessed one lay. During the night following on the day of the her repose, the merciful Juliana appeared to one of her handmaids and ordered her to see that her body was carried from Vochnev to the Murom region and buried by the church of the righteous Lazarus, next to that of her husband. The body of the blessed, which had seen so many labors, was placed in an oaken coffin and borne away to the village of Lazarevo, about three miles from Murom, and was there interred on January 10th, 1604.

In the years to come, the children and kinfolk of the merciful Juliana erected a winter church, dedicated to the Archangel Michael, over her grave-site. On August 8th, 1614, the blessed one's son George died, and as they began to prepare a burial place for him in the crypt of the Ossorgin family, they found the coffin of the blessed Juliana intact, though they were unaware of the identity of the coffin's occupant. On August 10th, after George's funeral service, when those who had taken part in the ritual went to the house of the Ossorgins to commemorate the departed, the curious women of the village opened the coffin and saw that it was full of fragrant myrrh. When the guests left the commemorative meal, the women reported what they had seen to the Ossorgin family. The children of the merciful Juliana hastened to the coffin and saw that the women's report was true. In reverent fear they took away a small vessel of the myrrh and carried it to the cathedral of Murom, probably as evidence of their report. During the daytime this myrrh was like unto the juice of beets, but at night it thickened and became like attar exuded by some purple flower. In their awe they did not dare to inspect the whole body of the righteous Juliana: they saw only that her hands and legs were intact; they did not see her head, because a beam which supported the church's furnace lay across the lid of the coffin. That night, many heard a bell ring in the church of the righteous Lazarus, and they hastened to the church, thinking that someone was sounding the fire tocsin; yet there was no conflagration to be extinguished anywhere. Those who arrived noticed that a sweet fragrance was being emitted from the coffin. Word of this happening spread quickly to the outlying areas, and many came to the saint's coffin, anointed themselves with the myrrh and received healing for their divers ailments.

When the myrrh had been almost completely distributed, the sick began to take the sand from beneath the coffin of the merciful Juliana, rubbed it on themselves and, according to the measure of their faith, received the alleviation of their infirmities. Thus, Jeremiah Chervev, a resident of Murom, went to the coffin of the merciful Juliana with his wife and two sick children. His son and daughter were afflicted with a disease which had caused blood to flow from their hands and feet for more than two years, and they were unable even to lift their hands to their mouths. Having had a service of supplication and a panikhida chanted at the coffin of the holy Juliana and rubbed some of the sand upon their children, Jeremiah and his wife returned to their home. Their children slept for a full day and night, and when they awoke they were able to make the sign of the Cross freely. Within a week their health had been completely restored.

A peasant from the village of Makarova suffered from a terrible dental affliction and had long been unable to eat, drink or work. On the advice of his wife, he went to the coffin of the merciful Juliana alone at noon-time, prayed to the blessed one, rubbed some of the sand on his teeth and returned to his home well.

One night, a fire broke out in the village of Lazarevo and consumed four lead-roofed cabins. An extraordinarily powerful wind was blowing, and the fire gradually grew closer to the church. The priest ran to the church, hurriedly took soil from beneath Saint Juliana's coffin in both hands, and cast it at the fire. The wind then changed direction, the fire died down little by little, and finally went out.

A peasant from the village of Koledino, by the name of Clement, had an abscess on his leg which gave him much discomfort. The sick man, having heard of the miracles wrought by the blessed Juliana, asked his friends to carry him to her coffin; there he had a service of supplication offered, rubbed soil from the saint's grave on his ulcer, and quickly received a cure.

Maria, a servant of the nobleman Matthew Cherkasov, who lived in a suburb of Murom, became blind. When her friends and family brought her to the shrine of the holy Juliana and had a service of supplication and a panikhida offered up for her, she sensed that her sight was returning. On the way back to Murom she was even able to pick mushrooms and berries.

A certain ten-year old boy became paralyzed and lost his sight. He was carried to the church of the Archangel Michael, where a service of supplication was offered up to the righteous Juliana, and the sick child suddenly could see a burning candle; in a short time he completely regained his health.

Agatha, the wife of Theodore, a clergyman who served in the Church of the Archangel Michael, contracted a condition of the hand which was so painful that she was unable to move it. The merciful Juliana appeared to the unfortunate woman and said: ?Go to the church of the Archangel Michael and kiss the icon of Juliana.? Then the saint identified the place where the sick woman had hidden two coins and commanded her to give them to the priest to touch to the icon. The ailing woman did all that she was told: she had a service of supplication and a panikhida offered, drank holy water, rubbed the sand on her hand, and was healed.

Joseph Kovkov, a courtier of Moscow, was grievously ill, to the point where it was expected that he would soon die. But the thought came to him to have his servant Anicius go to the shrine of the righteous Juliana. The servant had a service of supplication offered up for the health of his ailing master, and took with him holy water and sand. When Kovkov sprinkled himself with the water and rubbed himself with the sand which had been brought to him, he immediately recovered his health. The cured man then travelled to the village of Lazarevo on foot, to give thanks to the merciful Juliana.

***


Translated from the Russian by the reader Isaac E. Lambertsen, from The Lives of the Saints in the Russian Language, As Set Forth in the Menology of Saint Dmitri of Rostov, Supplemental Vol. II (January-April): The Lives of the Russian Saints (Moscow: Synodal Press, 1916), pp. 5-18. Copyright © 1991. All rights reserved by the translator.
* This article predates an important event that clarifies the word ?appears?. The family did have relics separately from those destroyed by the fire. During revolutionary times (after obtaining a blessing from his bishop) Mikhail Mikhailovitch Ossorgin left the family estate with a tiny portion of the relics encased in a small metallic opening icon that hung around his neck. He eventually fled Russia with these relics and after ultimately arriving in Paris, had the relics placed into an icon. This icon with relics is at the church dedicated to St. Juliana of Lazarevo in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

IC0N: http://www.christopherklitou.com/icon_2_jan_juliana_of_lazarevo.htm



source: http://stjuliana.com/the_saints_life.html

Life of Sts. Cyprian and Justina

The Lives of Sts. Cyprian and Justina

Christianity vs. Sorcery

THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, which began with the presumption of imagining itself the most enlightened of all ages, has in reality proceeded of imagining some of the blackest years of all human history. Symptomatic of this truly dark age is the revival in recent decades of interest and active participation in witchcraft and sorcery. Much of this interest is on the level of dilettantism and crude amateurism, but more and more often it produces real results, leads to an actual contact with demonic powers, and causes the eternal damnation of souls caught in the web of nets far more subtle and deadly than the beginning occultist imagines.

All this is not new to Orthodox Christians. In the history of the world's religions there is a whole tradition of sorcery—the service of the pagan gods, which are demons (Psalm 95:5). This is the religious tradition which Christianity replaced in all lands that accepted the Gospel, and which now comes back in power to destroy Christianity and to conduct mankind to Antichrist.

The Life of Sts. Cyprian and Justina gives one of the fullest accounts in Christian literature of sorcery and its power over men—and its final defeat by the power of Christ. It is not the product of someone's imagination, but is based on the first-hand testimony of one who was a leading servant of the demons himself.

Let Orthodox Christians read and become sober, and resolve with the more firmness and determination to work out their salvation against the powers of darkness in fear and trembling. And let him who has in his heart even a spark of repentance take courage and hope, for this Life is also the surest proof that God's mercy is stretched out even to the most lost of souls. If the sorcerer Cyprian could be saved and become a mighty intercessor for the demon possessed, then there is hope for those also who even now have fallen into the darkest and most unnatural sins of our dark age.

The Life and Sufferings of the Holy Martyrs Cyprian and Justina 

(Commemorated October 2/15)

Kontakion, Tone 1

Thou wast converted from the art of sorcery, O divinely wise one,*

to the knowledge of God,* and wast manifested to the world as a

most wise physician,* granting healing to those who honor thee, O

Cyprian together with Justina.* With her, then, entreat

the Master, the Lover of mankind,* that He may save our souls.

From The Orthodox Word  #70  September-October, 1976)

In the reign of Decius (249-251) there lived in Antioch (of Pisidia) a certain philosopher and renowned sorcerer whose name was Cyprian, a native of Carthage.  Springing from impious parents, in his very childhood he was dedicated by them to the service of the pagan god Apollo.  At the age of seven he was given over to magicians for the study of sorcery and demonic wisdom.  At the age of ten he was sent by his parents, as a preparation for a sorcerer's career, to Mount Olympus, which the pagans called the dwelling of the gods.  Here there were a numerous multitude of idols, in which demons dwelled.

On this mountain Cyprian studied all manner of diabolical arts: he mastered various demonic transformations, learned how to change the nature of the air, to bring up winds, produce thunder and rain, disturb the waves of the sea, cause damage to gardens, vineyards and fields, to send diseases and plagues upon people; and in general he learned a ruinous wisdom and diabolical activity filled with evil.  In this place he saw a numberless legion of demons, with the prince of darkness at their head; some stood before him, others served him, still others cried out in praise of their prince, and some were sent into the world in order to corrupt people.  Here he likewise saw in their false forms the pagan gods and goddesses, and also diverse phantoms and specters, the invocation of which he learned in a strict forty-day fast.  He ate only after the setting of the sun, and not bread or anything else, but only acorns from oak trees.

When he was fifteen years old he began to receive lessons from seven great sorcerers; from them he learned many demonic secrets.  Then he went to the city of Argos, where, having served the goddess Juno for a time, he learned many practices of deception from her priests.  He lived also in Taurapolis (on the island of Icara) in the service of the goddess Diana; and from there he went to Sparta, where he learned how to call forth the dead from the graves and to force them to speak by means of various incantations and spells.  At the age of twenty, Cyprian came to Egypt, and in the city of Memphis he learned yet greater charms and incantations.  In his thirtieth year he went to the Chaldeans, and having learned astrology there, he finished his studies.  After this he returned to Antioch, being perfect in all evil-doing. Thus he became a sorcerer, magician, and destroyer of souls, a great friend and faithful slave of the prince of hell, with whom he conversed face to face, being vouchsafed to receive from him great honor, as he himself testified.

"Believe me," he said; "I have seen the prince of darkness himself, for I propitiated him by sacrifices.  I greeted him and spoke with him and his ancients; he liked me, praised my understanding, and before everyone said: 'Here is a new Jambres, always ready for obedience and worthy of communion with us!'  And he promised to make me a prince after my departure from the body, and for the course of earthly life to help me in everything.  And he gave me a legion of demons to serve me.  When I departed from him, he addressed me with these words: 'Take courage, fervent Cyprian; arise and accompany me; let all the demonic ancients marvel at you.'  Consequently, all of his princes also were attentive to me, seeing the honor shown to me.  The outward appearance of the prince of darkness was like a flower.  His head was crowned by a crown (not an actual, but a phantom one) made of gold and brilliant stones, as a result of which the whole space around him was illuminated; and his clothing was astonishing.  When he would turn to one or the other side, that whole place would tremble; a multitude of evil spirits of various degrees stood obediently at his throne.  I gave myself over entirely into his service at that time, obeying his every command."  Thus did St. Cyprian relate of himself after his conversion.

From this it is evident what kind of man Cyprian was: as a friend of the demons, he performed all their works, causing evil to people and deceiving them.  Living in Antioch, he turned many people away to every kind of lawless deed; he killed many with poisons and magic, and slaughtered young men and maidens as sacrifices for the demons.  He instructed many in his ruinous sorcery: some he taught to fly in the air, others to sail in boats on the clouds, still others to walk on water.  By all the pagans he was revered and glorified as a chief priest and most wise servant of their vile gods.  Many turned to him in their needs, and he helped them by means of the demonic power with which he was filled: with some he cooperated in their adulteries, with others in anger, enmity, revenge, jealousy.  Already he was entirely in the depths of hell and in the jaws of the devil; he was a son of gehenna, a partaker of the demonic inheritance and of their eternal perdition.  But the Lord, who does not desire the death of a sinner, in His unutterable goodness and His mercy which is not conquered by the sins of men, deigned to seek out this lost man, to draw out of the abyss one who was mired in the filth of the depths of hell, and to save him in order to show to all men His mercy; for there is no sin which can conquer His love of mankind.

He saved Cyprian from perdition in the following way.

There lived at that time in Antioch a certain maiden whose name was Justina.  She came from pagan parents; her father was a priest of the idols, Aedesius by name, and her mother was called Cledonia.  Once, sitting at the window of her house, this maiden, who had then already reached womanhood, by chance heard the words of salvation out of the mouth of a deacon who was passing by, whose name was Praylius.  He spoke of our Lord Jesus Christ's becoming man, that He had been born of the Most Pure Virgin and, having performed many miracles, had deigned to suffer for the sake of our salvation, had risen from the dead with glory, ascended into the heavens, and sits at the right hand of the Father and reigns eternally.  This preaching of the deacon fell on good soil, into the heart of Justina, and began quickly to bring forth fruit, uprooting in her the thorns of unbelief.  Justina wished to be instructed in the Faith by this deacon better and more completely, but she did not dare to seek him out, being restrained by a maiden's modesty.  However, she secretly went to the church of Christ, and often hearing the word of God, with the Holy Spirit acting in her heart, she came to believe in Christ.

Soon she convinced her mother of this also, and then brought to the faith her aged father as well.  Seeing the understanding of his daughter and hearing her wise words, Aedesius reflected within himself thus: "The idols are made by the hands of men and have neither soul nor breath, and therefore how can they be gods?"  While he was reflecting on this, once at night he saw during sleep, by Divine consent, a wondrous vision: he saw a great multitude of light-bearing Angels, and in their midst was the Saviour of the world, Christ, Who said to him: "Come to Me, and I will give you the Kingdom of Heaven."

After rising in the morning, Aedesius went with his wife and daughter to the Christian Bishop, whose name was Optatus, begging him to instruct them in the Faith of Christ and to perform upon them holy Baptism.  At the same time he informed him of the words of his daughter and of the angelic vision which he had seen himself.  Hearing this, the Bishop rejoiced at their conversion, and having instructed them in the Faith of Christ, he baptized Aedesius, his wife Cledonia, and their daughter Justina; and then, having given them communion of the Holy Mysteries, he let them go in peace.

When Aedesius had become strengthened in the Faith of Christ, the Bishop, seeing his piety, made him a presbyter.  After this, having lived virtuously and in the fear of God for a year and six months, Aedesius in holy faith came to the end of his life.  As for Justina, she valiantly struggled in the keeping of the Lord's commandments, and having come to love her Bridegroom Christ, she served Him with fervent prayers, in virginity and chastity, in fasting and great abstinence.  But the enemy, the hater of the human race, seeing such a life, envied her virtues and began to do harm to her, causing various misfortunes and sorrows.

At that time there lived in Antioch a certain youth named Aglaias, the son of wealthy and renowned parents.  He lived luxuriously, giving himself entirely over to the vanity of this world.  Once he saw Justina as she was going to church, and he was struck by her beauty.  The devil instilled shameful intentions into his heart.  Being inflamed with lust, Aglaias by all means strove to gain the good disposition and love of Justina and by means of deception to bring the pure lamb of Christ to the defilement which he planned.  He observed all the paths by which the maiden would walk, and, meeting her, would speak to her cunning words, praising her beauty and glorifying her; showing his love for her, he strove to draw her into fornication by a cunningly-woven net of deceptions.  The maiden, however, turned away from him and fled from him, despising him and not desiring even to hear his deceptive and cunning speeches.  But the youth did not grow cool in his desire of her beauty, and he sent to her the request that she should agree to become his wife.

She, however, replied to him: "My Bridegroom is Christ; Him I serve, and for His sake I preserve my purity.  He preserves both my soul and my body from every defilement."

Hearing such a reply from the chaste maiden, Aglaias, being instigated by the devil, became yet more inflamed with passion.  Not being able to deceive her, he intended to seize her by force.  Having gathered to his aid some foolish youths like himself, he waylaid the maiden in the path along which she usually walked to church for prayer; there he met her and, seizing her, began dragging her by force to his house.  But she began loudly to scream, beat him in the face, and spat on him.  The neighbors, hearing her wails, ran out of their houses and took the immaculate lamb, St. Justina, from the hands of the impious youth as from the jaws of a wolf.  The disorderly youths scattered, and Aglaias returned with shame to his house.  Not knowing what more to do, he decided, with the increase of impure lust in him, upon a new evil deed: he went to the great sorcerer and magician Cyprian, the priest of the idols, and having informed him of his sorrow, begged his help, promising to give him much gold and silver.  Having heard out Aglaias, Cyprian comforted him, promising to fulfill his desire.  "I will so manage," he said, "that the maiden herself will seek your love and will feel passion for you even stronger than that which you have for her."

Having thus consoled the youth, Cyprian let him go, full of hope.  Then, taking the books of his secret art, he invoked one of the impious spirits who, he was sure, could soon inflame the heart of Justina with passion for this youth.  The demon willingly promised to fulfill this and proudly said: "This deed is not difficult for me, because many times I have shaken cities, crumbled walls, destroyed houses, caused the shedding of blood and patricide, instilled hatred and great anger between brothers and spouses, and have brought to sin many who have given a vow of virginity.  In monks who have settled in mountains and were accustomed to strict fasting and have never even thought about the flesh, I have instilled adulterous lust and instructed them to serve fleshly passions; people who have repented and turned away from sin, I have converted back to evil deeds; many chaste people I have thrown into fornication.  Will I really be unable to incline this maiden to the love of Aglaias?  Indeed, why do I speak?  I will swiftly show my powers in very deed.  Take this powder" (here he gave him a vessel full of something) "and give it to this youth; let him sprinkle the house of Justina with it, and you will see that what I have said will come to pass."

Having said this, the demon vanished.  Cyprian called Aglaias and sent him to sprinkle the house of Justina secretly with the contents of the demon's vessel.  When this had been done, the demon of fornication entered the house with the flaming arrows of fleshly lust in order to wound the heart of the maiden with fornication, and to ignite her flesh with impure lust.

Justina had the custom every night to offer up prayers to the Lord.  And behold, when, according to custom, she arose at the third hour of the night and was praying to God, she suddenly felt an agitation in her body, a storm of bodily lust and the flame of the fire of gehenna.  In such agitation and inward battle she remained for quite a long time; the youth Aglaias came to her mind, and shameful thoughts arose in her.  The maiden marveled and was ashamed of herself, feeling that her blood was boiling as in a kettle; now she thought about that which she had always despised as vile.  But in her good sense Justina understood that this battle had arisen in her from the devil; immediately she turned to the weapon of the sign of the cross, hastened to God with fervent prayer, and from the depths of her heart cried out to Christ her Bridegroom: "O Lord, my God, Jesus Christ!  Behold how many enemies have risen up against me and have prepared a net in order to catch me and take away my soul.  But I have remembered Thy name in the night and have rejoiced, and now when they are close about me I hasten to Thee and have hope that my enemy will not triumph over me.  For thou knowest, O Lord my God, that I, Thy slave, have preserved for Thee the purity of my body and have entrusted my soul to Thee.  Preserve Thy sheep, O good Shepherd; do not give it over to be eaten by the beast who seeks to devour me; grant me victory over the evil desire of my flesh."

Having prayed long and fervently, the holy virgin put the enemy to shame.  Being conquered by her prayer, he fled from her with shame, and again there came a calm in Justina's body and heart; the flame of desire was quenched, the battle ceased, the boiling blood was stilled.  Justina glorified God and sang a song of victory.

The demon, on the other hand, returned to Cyprian with the sad news that he had accomplished nothing.  Cyprian asked him why he had not been able to conquer the maiden.  The demon, even against his will, revealed the truth: "I could not conquer her because I saw on her a certain sign of which I was afraid."

Then Cyprian called a yet more malicious demon and sent him to tempt Justina.  He went and did much more than the first one, falling upon the maiden with great rage.  But she armed herself with fervent prayer and laid upon herself yet a more powerful labor: she clothed herself in a hair shirt and mortified her flesh with abstinence and fasting, eating only bread and water.  Having thus tamed the passions of her flesh, Justina conquered the devil and banished him with shame.  And he, like the first one, returned to Cyprian without accomplishing anything.

Then Cyprian called one of the princes of the demons, informed him about the weakness of the demons he had sent, who could not conquer a single maiden, and asked help from him.  This prince of demons severely reproached the other demons for their lack of skill in this matter and for their inability to arouse passion in the heart of the maiden.  Having given hope to Cyprian and promised to seduce the maiden by other means, he took on the appearance of a woman and went to Justina.  And he began to converse piously with her, as if desiring to follow the example of her virtuous life and her chastity.  Conversing in this way, he asked the maiden what kind of reward there might be for such a strict life and for the preservation of purity.

Justina replied that the reward for those who live in chastity is great and beyond words, and that it is very remarkable that people do not in the least concern themselves for such a great treasure as angelic purity.  Then the devil, revealing his shamelessness, began with cunning words to tempt her, saying: "But then how could the world exist?  How would people be born?  After all, if Eve had preserved her purity, how would the human race have increased?  In truth marriage is a good thing, being established by God Himself; the Sacred Scripture also praises it, saying: Let marriage be had in honor among all, and the bed undefiled (Heb. 13:4).  And many saints of God also did they not enter into marriage, which God gave them as a consolation, so that they might rejoice in their children and praise God?"

Hearing these words, Justina recognized the cunning deceiver, the devil, and, more skillful than Eve, conquered him.  Without continuing this conversation, she immediately fled to the defense of the Cross of the Lord and placed its honorable sign on her forehead; and her heart she turned to Christ her Bridegroom.  And the devil immediately vanished with yet greater shame than the first two demons.

In great disturbance, the proud prince of the demons returned to Cyprian, who, finding out that he had not managed to do anything, said to him: "Can it be that even you, a prince powerful and more skillful than others in such matters, could not conquer the maiden?  Who then among you can do anything with this unconquerable maiden's heart?  Tell me by what weapon she battles with you, and how she makes powerless your mighty power?"

Being conquered by the power of God, the devil unwillingly acknowledged: "We cannot behold the sign of the Cross, but flee from it, because it scorches us like fire and banishes us far away."

Cyprian became angry at the devil because he had put him to shame, and reproaching the demon, he said: "Such is your power that even a weak virgin conquers you!"

Then the devil, desiring to console Cyprian, attempted yet another undertaking: he took on the form of Justina and went to Aglaias with the hope that, having taken him for the real Justina, the youth might satisfy his desire, and thus neither would the weakness of the demons be revealed, nor would Cyprian be put to shame.  And behold, when the demon went to Aglaias in the form of Justina, the youth leaped up in unspeakable joy, ran to the false maiden, embraced her and began kissing her, saying: "How good it is that you have come to me, fair Justina!"

But no sooner had the youth pronounced the word "Justina" than the demon immediately disappeared, being unable to bear even the name of Justina.  The youth became greatly afraid and, running to Cyprian, told him what had happened.  Then Cyprian by his sorcery gave him the form of a bird and, having enabled him to fly in the air, he sent him to the house of Justina, advising him to fly into her room through the window.  Being carried by a demon in the air, Aglaias flew on the roof.  At this time Justina happened to look through the window of her room.  Seeing her, the demon left Aglaias and fled.  At the same time, the phantom appearance of Aglaias also vanished, and the youth, falling down, was all but dashed to pieces.  He grasped the edge of the roof with his hands and, holding on to it, hung there; and if he had not been let down to the ground by the prayer of St. Justina, the impious one would have fallen down and been killed.

Thus, having achieved nothing, the youth returned to Cyprian and told him of his woe.  Seeing himself put to shame, Cyprian was greatly grieved and thought himself of going to Justina, trusting in the power of his sorcery.  He turned himself into a woman and into a bird, but he did not manage to reach as far as the door of the house of Justina before his false appearances disappeared, and he returned with sorrow.

After this Cyprian began to gain revenge for his shame, and by his sorcery he brought diverse misfortunes on the house of Justina and on the houses of all her relatives, neighbors and friends, as once the devil had done to righteous Job (Job 1:15-19, 2:7).  He killed their animals, he struck down their slaves with plagues, and in this way he brought them to extreme grief.  Finally, he struck with illness Justina herself, so that she lay in bed and her mother wept over her.  Justina, however, comforted her mother with the words of the Prophet David: I shall not die, but live, and I shall tell of the works of the Lord (Psalm 117:17).

Not only on Justina and her relatives, but also on the whole city, by God's allowance, did Cyprian bring misfortune as a result of his untamable rage and his great shame.  Plagues appeared in the animals and various diseases among men; and the rumor spread, through the activity of the demons, that the great sorcerer Cyprian was punishing the city for Justina's opposition to him.  Then the most honorable citizens went to Justina and with anger tried to persuade her not to grieve Cyprian any longer, and to become the wife of Aglaias, in order to escape yet greater misfortunes for the whole city because of her.  But she calmed them by saying that soon all the misfortunes which had been brought about with the help of Cyprian's demons would cease.  And so it happened.  When St. Justina prayed fervently to God, immediately all the demonic attacks ceased; all were healed from the plagues and recovered from their diseases.  When such a change occurred, the people glorified Christ and mocked Cyprian and his sorcerer's cunning, so that from shame he could not show himself among men and he avoided meeting even friends.

Having become convinced that nothing could conquer the power of the sign of the cross and the name of Christ, Cyprian came to his senses and said to the devil: "O destroyer and deceiver of all, source of every impurity and defilement!  Now I have discovered your infirmity.  For if you fear even the shadow of the cross and tremble at the name of Christ, then what will you do when Christ Himself comes to you?  If you cannot conquer those who sign themselves with the sign of the cross, then whom will you tear away from the hands of Christ?  Now I have understood what a non-entity you are; you are not even able to take revenge!  Listening to you, I, wretched one, have been deceived, and I believed your tricks.  Depart from me, accursed one, depart!  For I must entreat the Christians that they might have mercy on me.  I must appeal to pious people, that they might deliver me from perdition and be concerned over my salvation.  Depart, depart from me, lawless one, enemy of truth, adversary and hater of every good thing!"

Having heard this, the devil threw himself on Cyprian in order to kill him; attacking him, he began to beat and strangle him.  Finding no defense anywhere, and not knowing how to help himself and be delivered from the fierce hands of the demon, Cyprian, already scarcely alive, remembered the sign of the cross, by the power of which Justina had opposed all the demons' power, and he cried out: "O God of Justina, help me!"

Then, raising his hand, he made the sign of the cross, and the devil immediately leaped away from him like an arrow shot from a bow.  Gaining courage, Cyprian became bolder, and calling on the name of Christ, he signed himself with the sign of the cross and stubbornly opposed the demon, cursing and reproaching him.  As for the devil, standing far away from him and not daring to draw near to him out of fear of the sign of the cross and the name of Christ, he threatened Cyprian in every manner, saying: "Christ will not deliver you out of my hands!"  Then, after long and fierce attacks on Cyprian, the demon roared like a lion and went away.

Then Cyprian took all his books of magic and went to the Christian Bishop Anthimus.  Falling to the feet of the Bishop, he entreated him to have mercy on him and to give him holy Baptism.  Knowing that Cyprian was a great sorcerer, feared by all, the Bishop thought that he had come to him with some kind of trick, and therefore he refused him, saying: "You do much evil among the pagans; leave the Christians in peace, lest you speedily perish."  Then Cyprian with tears confessed everything to the Bishop and gave him his books to be burned.  Seeing his humility, the Bishop instructed him and taught him the holy faith, and then commanded him to prepare for Baptism; and his books he burned before all the believing citizens.

Leaving the Bishop with a contrite heart, Cyprian wept over his sins, sprinkled ashes on his head, and sincerely repented, calling out to the true God for the cleansing of his iniquities.  Coming the next day to church, he heard the word of God with joyful emotion, standing among the believers.  And when the deacon commanded the catechumens to go out, declaring: "Ye catechumens depart," and certain ones were already going out, Cyprian did not wish to go out, saying to the deacon: "I am a slave of Christ; do not chase me out of here."  But the deacon said to him: "Since you have not yet been given holy Baptism, you must go out of the church."

To this Cyprian replied: "As Christ my God liveth, Who has delivered me from the devil, Who has preserved the maiden Justina pure, and has had mercy on me—you will not chase me out of the church until I become a complete Christian."

The deacon related this to the Bishop, and the Bishop, seeing the fervor of Cyprian and his devotion to the faith of Christ, called him up and immediately baptized him in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Finding out about this, St. Justina gave thanks to God, distributed much alms to the poor, and made an offering in church.  And Cyprian, on the eighth day after his Baptism, was made a reader by the Bishop; on the twentieth day he was made subdeacon, and on the thirtieth day a deacon; and in a year he was ordained priest.  Cyprian completely changed his life; with every day he increased his struggles, and constantly weeping over his previous evil deeds, he perfected himself and ascended from virtue to virtue.  Soon he was made Bishop, and in this rank he led such a holy life that he equaled many great saints.  At the same time he zealously took care of the flock of Christ which had been entrusted to him.  St. Justina the maiden he made a deaconess, and then entrusted to her a convent, making her abbess over other Christian maidens.  By his conduct and instruction he converted many pagans and acquired them for the Church of Christ.  Thus, idol worship began to die out in that land, and the glory of Christ increased.

Seeing the strict life of St. Cyprian, his concern for the faith of Christ and for the salvation of human souls, the devil ground his teeth against him and inspired the pagans to slander him before the governor of the eastern region, saying that he had put the gods to shame, had converted many people away from them, and was glorifying Christ, Who was hostile to their gods.  And so, many impious ones came to the governor Eutolmius, who was then governing those regions, and made slanders against Cyprian and Justina, accusing them of being hostile to their gods and to the emperor and to all authorities, saying that they were disturbing the people, deceiving them, and leading them in their footsteps, disposing them to worship the crucified Christ.  At the same time they asked the governor to give Cyprian and Justina over to death for this.  Having heard their request, Eutolmius commanded that Cyprian and Justina be seized and placed in prison.  Then, setting out for Damascus, he took them with him in order to make judgment upon them.

And when they had brought the prisoners of Christ, Cyprian and Justina, to him, he asked Cyprian: "Why have you changed your earlier glorious way of life, when you were a renowned servant of the gods and brought many people to them?"

St. Cyprian related to the governor how he had found out the infirmity and the deception of the demons and come to understand the power of Christ, which the demons feared and before which they trembled, disappearing from before the sign of the precious cross; and likewise he explained the reason for his conversion to Christ, for Whom he declared his readiness to die.  The torturer did not accept the words of Cyprian in his heart, but being unable to reply to them, he commanded that the Saint be hung up and his body scraped, and that St. Justina be beaten on the mouth and eyes.  For the whole time of the long torments they ceaselessly confessed Christ and endured everything with thanksgiving.  Then the torturer imprisoned them and strove by kind exhortation to return them to idol worship.  When he was unable to convince them, he commanded that they be thrown into a cauldron; but the boiling cauldron did not cause them any harm, and they glorified God as if they were in some cool place.  Seeing this, one priest of the idols, by name Athanasius, said: "In the name of the god Aesculapius, I also will throw myself into this fire and put to shame those sorcerers."  But hardly had the fire touched him than he immediately died.

Seeing this, the torturer became frightened, and not desiring to judge them further, he sent the martyrs to the governor Claudius in Nicomedia, describing all that had happened to them.  This governor condemned them to be beheaded with the sword.  When they were brought to the place of execution, Cyprian asked a little time for prayer, so that Justina might be executed first; he feared that Justina would become frightened at the sight of his death.  But she joyfully bent her head under the sword and departed unto her Bridegroom Christ.  Seeing the innocent death of these martyrs, a certain Theoctistus, who was present there, greatly pitied them and, being inflamed in his heart towards God, he fell down to St. Cyprian and, kissing him, declared himself a Christian.  Together with Cyprian he also was immediately condemned to be beheaded.

Thus they gave over their souls into the hands of God; their bodies, however, lay for six days unburied.  Certain of the strangers who were there secretly took them and brought them to Rome, where they gave them to a certain virtuous and holy woman whose name was Rufina, a relative of Claudius Caesar.  She buried with honor the bodies of the holy martyrs of Christ: Cyprian, Justina, and Theoctistus.  At their graves many healings occurred for those who came to them with faith.  (Their martyrdoms occurred toward the end of the third century—according to some, in about the year 268, but according to others, in 304.)

By their prayers may the Lord heal also our afflictions of body and soul!  Amen.

Some miracles of Saints Cyprian and Justina

In 19th-Century Russia

The devout maiden R. was subjected to the same temptation as was once the holy Martyr Justina: she was pursued by a certain man who, seeing that all his efforts to arouse in her a mutual love for him remained futile, turned to a sorcerer, and with his help began to direct magic spells against her.  Being forewarned about this through a faithful servant-woman, and beginning to feel in herself the action of the enemy's power, this maiden had no one from whom to seek help except God, for she had no acquaintance with anyone of spiritual life.  One night the above-mentioned servant-woman saw a dream wherein a tall monk entered her lady's room and led her out in a monastic garment.  Soon after this, Elder Anthony of Optina visited this family, although he had not known them before.  In this important visit was clearly expressed the providence of God for this family, as well as the manifest activity of demons ...  When he entered the house (as he later wrote this maiden), "at first I encountered a whole crowd of demons who with abusive language forbade me to enter, but the Lord drove them away ...  Even though I did not know the history of your last two years, it was not for nothing that I advised you to pray to the holy Martyr Justina the virgin, for your situation then was very similar to hers, as I recently found out, and with my whole soul I thank God with tears that your holy soul has been delivered from the nets which had caught it!"  The servant-woman, when she saw Father Anthony, recognized that it was precisely he that she had seen in her dream.

The Elder understood that the only salvation for this maiden was to go to a convent.  But her relatives did not wish even to hear of this, and Father Anthony did not find it possible or profitable to persuade them; and therefore he only prayed for her deliverance from the enemy's nets that surrounded her, and by his letters strengthened her in her torment from the invisible power of demons, which had been brought against her by the sorcerer ...  By the prayers of Father Anthony, R.'s mother unexpectedly gave her consent for her to enter a convent ...  However, the sorcerer boasted that he would drag her even out of the convent.  And indeed, the young novice continued to feel within herself the action of the enemy's power, having repose neither day nor night; and again she found strength in the prayers and counsel of Father Anthony.  The young sufferer received final deliverance from the temptation of the enemy that tormented her through the prayers of the great contemporary hierarch, now reposed, Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow.  Once he appeared to her in a dream, read the 60th Psalm, ordered her to repeat after him all the verses of it, and then gave her the command to read this Psalm daily.  On awakening, she felt that the temptation which had been tormenting her for many years had completely departed from her.

(Elder Anthony concludes his letter to this maiden, who was then still suffering the effects of her experience:) "Be full of hope.  You and I, even lying flat in bed, will be saved by the prayers of the saints for us; for if the prayer of even a single saint can give much help, then when all the saints start to pray for us, without any doubt the Kingdom of Heaven will be ours!"

In 20th-century Greece

From the time when, by the grace of God, our monastery was founded in 1961, our protectors, Saints Cyprian and Justina, have worked many miracles through their intercession, especially for those suffering from satanic influence or the effects of black magic.

A few years ago, after the Sunday Liturgy, while the abbot was still in the altar taking off his vestments, a young man, about 30 years old, came to one of the side doors of the iconostasis and in tears said: "Father, save me, help, my home is falling apart.  I have been married 25 days now, but they have done something to me and I can't get close to my wife.  We live as brother and sister, and now we're so much in the hold of nerves and quarrelling, that if it continues, we will separate."

The abbot tried to calm him, and advised him that when he and his wife had repented of their sins, they should confess, and after fasting three days, they should come to the monastery so that a Vigil and Divine Liturgy could be served in their name.

They did as instructed, prepared and came; the Vigil was celebrated and prayers of exorcism were read over them, and in the morning they left for home.  Next Sunday the young man came to the monastery again, but this time full of joy, and he told with great emotion what had happened.  "When we left here on Thursday morning, we returned home and found my father very disturbed.  When I asked him what was wrong, he said: 'Something fearful happened last night.  While I was sleeping, there appeared before me a tall old man with gray hair and beard, who woke me up and said: "Get up, my child, and dig there (he showed me the exact place) to find your son's magic charm."  After that he disappeared.  I was so frightened that I stayed in bed waiting for it to get light.'"  (It is evident that the tall old man who appeared was St. Cyprian, who went, while the Vigil was being celebrated and the prayers being read, to the couple's house to reveal to his father this demonic business.)

The young man continued: "I asked my father where the old man told him to dig.  He showed me, and forty centimeters down I found these strange things."  He gave the abbot a white handkerchief with a large knot, which proved when opened to contain the dust of a dead body and the couple's initials.  Exorcisms were read over it, and the young man left again.  Two days later the abbot saw an old woman kneeling and weeping before the icon of St. Cyprian and St. Justina.  When asked what had happened, she replied that she was the mother of the young man from Aspopyrgo, and from the day they had come to the monastery, they had been completely well, and were living in great happiness.  She had come to thank the Saints, full of gratitude for the great gift they had given.