As a symbol of conjugal love and fidelity, the Orthodox venerate the early Christian Saint Natalia of Nicomedia. An icon with its image, with worthy and sincere prayer and faith, will help strengthen family relationships and protect a loved one from various oppressions and troubles. The feast of Saints Natalia and her husband Adrian is celebrated on September 8th. The relics of the saint are now kept in Milan, in the Basilica of San Lorenzo Maggiore.
Life
The Holy Martyr Natalia of Nicomedia, together with her husband Adrian, lived at the beginning of the 4th century in Nicodemia, in Asia Minor. Adrian was a pagan and served as an official under the emperor Maximian Galerius, who was a hated persecutor of Christians. This ruler especially severely punished those who hid Christians, and promised rewards and honors to those who denounced them. Therefore, endless denunciations began. One day, the wicked reported to the commander that Christians were hiding in one of the caves, who spent their nights in prayer singing to their God.
Fearless Christians
The soldiers immediately caught all the Christians who were in it, of which there were twenty-three people. They were put on iron fetters and sent for interrogation to the emperor. Maximian ordered them to be beaten mercilessly with sticks, then with stones on their mouths. However, the executors did not so much strike at Christians as they crushed themselves in the jaw. The saints told the lawless emperor that incomparably greater torments await him than theirs. And all because he obviously did not think that all people have the same bodies, with only one difference: his is unclean and filthy, and theirs is cleansed by Holy Baptism.
Saint Adrian
Then the king ordered the prisoners to be put in iron chains and sent to prison. Their names and speeches were to be recorded in court books. When they were brought into the judicial chamber, one of the noble men (Adrian), who watched the terrible torment of the Christians, asked them what reward they expected to receive from their God for such torment? They answered him with words from the Holy Scriptures, which say that the eye did not see, the ear did not hear, and it did not enter the heart of a person, what the Lord has prepared for those who love Him. When Adrian heard these words, he went out to the scribes and told them to write down his name next to the names of these martyrs and for Christ he was ready to die with them.
The king heard about this, got angry and wished him to repent immediately. But Adrian said that he would repent before the true God for the sins committed when he was a pagan. Then Hadrian was bound in iron chains and sent to prison to those martyrs.
To her husband in prison
When his wife was told what had happenedNatalia, she tore her clothes. But when she learned that he had become a Christian, she rejoiced in spirit. Natalia of Nicomedia had long been a Christian, like her holy parents, but the girl kept this secret, and now she firmly decided to declare it. She put on her best clothes and went to her husband in the dungeon. There, the wife fell at Adrian's feet, began to kiss his chains and beg him not to be afraid of torment, for everything will end soon, and from Christ in Heaven he will receive an eternal reward.
Saint Natalia of Nicomedia
She went to her home, and a few days later Adrian asked to go home to call his Natalya to be executed. Seeing Adrian in the courtyard, Natalya closed all the doors and sobbed bitterly. She thought that he became an atheist and renounced the faith of Christ, and therefore he was released.
Adrian reassured her and said that he had come to say goodbye to her, that the saints in prison had vouched for him, and now he needed to return as soon as possible. Hearing such speeches, she opened the door and embraced her husband. And then they went to the dungeon together. There, Natalia of Nicomedia began to kiss the fetters of the martyrs, whose wounds festered, and worms fell from them. Then she sent for a maid to bring dressing sheets.
Torture
Adrian was still strong, and he was the first to be executed. Natalia of Nicomedia encouraged him in every possible way. Maximian, on the other hand, demanded a sacrifice to the pagan gods. And then they began to beat the martyr in the womb, and so hard that his insides began to fall out. Adrian was young, he wasonly 28 years old, after being tortured he was again sent to prison. Natalya was always there, encouraging her husband, wiping his blood and wounds. With her were other wives who looked after the holy martyrs and applied healing herbs to their wounds. Upon learning of this, the authorities forbade women to enter the prisoner. Then Natalia shaved her head, put on a man's dress and continued to look after the saints and her husband, whom she prayed to intercede when she appeared before God about her chaste imminent death. The pious women also followed the example of Natalya, shaved, changed into men's dresses and looked after the martyrs.
Holy martyrs
The wicked king, having learned about this, ordered the shins and hands of the martyrs to be broken. They immediately proceeded to Adrian. Natalya was afraid that Adrian would not stand it, she was there and reassured him, and then she lifted his legs and arms and laid him on the anvil. Adrian could not endure such suffering and surrendered his soul to the Lord. Other prisoners were tortured just as brutally, then their bodies were thrown into the oven. Natalya also wanted to throw herself into it after her husband, but lightning flashed, it began to rain, and the stove went out, and many of the tormentors fell dead. The fire did not take the bodies of the martyrs. One pious husband and wife took the bodies of the saints on a ship to take them to Byzantium.
Rescue Ship
Natalya stayed at home, she left the hand of her holy husband, anointed her with myrrh and wrapped her in purple. Soon the commander of the thousand began to woo her, since she was still young and beautiful in appearance. Natalya askedthree days to escape to Byzantium during this time. Once she tearfully prayed to the Lord and, exhausted, dozed off. In a dream, Natalia saw one of the holy martyrs. He ordered her to immediately board the ship and sail to where their relics are, - there the Lord will appear to her and lead her to them. At this time, the devil was sailing on a ship, he wanted to lead them astray and destroy them. Many ships died because of him, but the ship with Natalia remained unharmed, as St. Andrian appeared in shining clothes and warned them of the dangers.
Holiness
They swam safely to the place. Martyr Natalia of Nicomedia came to the church to the bodies of the martyrs, knelt down, laid the hand of Saint Andrian on his body and prayed for a long time. Tired from the journey, she fell asleep and had a dream in which her master Saint Andrian appeared to her and warned her of an imminent reward. Natalia woke up and told her dream to the nearby Christians and asked them to pray for her. Then she went back to sleep and didn't wake up. A little later, she was found dead. This is how Saint Natalia of Nicomedia ended her martyrdom without shedding blood and appeared before Christ in the guise of martyrs.
