Today, not every Christian is ready to lay down his life for his faith. However, there was a time when hundreds of thousands of Christians were martyred with the name of Jesus Christ on their lips. It was an example of courage, fortitude, nobility and true faith. Surprisingly, few people know that Larisa, the Holy Martyr of Gotha, was one of those who showed their fearlessness before the enemies of Christians - the pagans.
Life
The Holy Martyr Larisa was a very beautiful girl who lived with her parents in Gotthia in the 4th century. This country mainly consisted of Germanic tribes with their rulers. Larisa belonged to the Ostrogoth tribe (the territory of modern Romania). Her parents were Christians, so love for the Lord was instilled in her from childhood. She grew up as a modest and kind girl, faithful to the Lord with all her soul. Larisa tried not to refuse people in need of help. At one time, Gotthia maintained good relations with the Roman Empire, and therefore there were no obstacles to the worship of Christians. They quietly built their churches and monasteries. But when toA new ruler Atanarih (363-381) came to power, he immediately began to massively destroy believers in Christ. This merciless tyrant issued his malicious and criminal orders throughout the country. With ardent and furious speeches, he sowed fierce hatred for Christians in the hearts of the pagans.
Larisa - holy martyr
By 375, it became very dangerous for Christians to attend church, they had to pray at night at home. But St. Larisa decided not to hide, as she was not afraid of anything. She came to the church for a Sunday service, where there were more than three hundred people, stood at the entrance, knelt down and indulged in a deep and fervent prayer to God, so that he would send hope and peace to all the righteous suffering from the wild atrocities of the pagans of Gotthia.
But suddenly the doors flew open, turning around, the girl saw that the warriors had brought a statue of the pagan idol Wotan to the church on a wagon. The voice of the chief leader shouted for everyone to come out and bow to Wotan, otherwise they would be killed. One warrior noticed a young and beautiful girl, it was Larisa, and warned her to get out of here as soon as possible, as the church was about to be burned down.
Fire
Before Larisa was the open door of the church, and she saw that none of the three hundred Christians who were in it had even moved. She shook her head and began to pray before the holy images. The door slammed shut, the church was set on fire, and everything went up in flames.
Larisa - the holy martyr - prayed untilthe latter, until the acrid smell of burning filled the room and she lost consciousness. Everything around was burning and crashing, from a strong crack no one heard either groans or screams. The church covered the charred bodies of the martyrs under its rubble.
The widow of Emperor Gratian (375-383) Alla (sometimes her name is confused with Gaafa) with her daughter Duklida came to look at this terrible place and collect the burnt remains of Christians, then to transport them to Syria. When Alla returned from a trip home, she and her son Agathon were stoned to death.
The relics of the holy martyrs after some time Duklida transported and handed over to the consecration of temples in the city of Asia Minor Cyzicus. They were laid at the foundation of the thrones of the newly built churches and became a place of worship and prayer. Now the holy martyrs of Goth are praying for help and healing.
Information about St. Larisa is very scarce, sometimes there may be inaccuracies in the names, but this is not so important. The important thing is that she, like many other faithful Christians, has become an example of great love for the Lord Jesus Christ.
Prayer to Saint Larissa
This saint became the patroness of women named Larisa. It protects against rash acts and disappointments, being a clear and imperishable guideline that illuminates the right path of life and gives the ability to pass it with dignity.
There is an assumption that Larisa, the Holy Martyr of Gotha, was an immaculate virgin, and therefore she is depicted on icons with her hair loose.
- Words of a prayer to the most holy patronessLarisa: “Pray to God for me, holy servant of God Larisa.”
- Magnificence: “We magnify you, the passion-bearer of Christ Lariso, and honor your honest suffering, which you endured for Christ.”
- Troparion to Martyr Larisa: “Your Lamb, Jesus, Larisa calls with a great voice.”
St. Larisa of Gotfskaya The Orthodox Church celebrates April 8.
