At the very dawn of Christianity, in the 1st century, a beautiful daughter was born to the ruler of a small town in Macedonia. They called her Penelope. Her father built a separate palace for her, invited a mentor. I didn’t know that the teacher was a Christian. He told the girl about Christ, his exploit, his sacrifice. Penelope believed sincerely and deeply. One day, a pigeon flew into her window and left an olive branch on the table. Next came an eagle with a wreath of flowers. The last one was a crow with a small snake. The teacher explained to Penelope that the olive branch means the grace of God, the wreath is a sign of victory over the dark forces, the snake is a warning that the devil has prepared her trials.
At that time in the city was the apostle Timothy, the same one to whom the apostle Paul wrote letters that we read today in the New Testament. He baptized Penelope and gave her a new name, Irina.
Under this name she was recognized as a great preacher and as a submissive martyr.
Irina’s mother was not against Christianity, but her father tried all 6 persuasions and threats, as long as her daughter returned to the old religion. Irina was unwavering. In a rage, her father bound her and threw her under the hooves of horses. But the horses stood still, only one escaped from the harness and ran into Irina’s father, severely damaging his hand. Irina was untied, she prayed over her father, and his hand healed. Not only did Irina’s father, but 3,000 people believed after seeing such a miracle.
The Christian could not be the ruler of the city, and Irina’s father resigned. The new ruler did not like Christians. He ordered that Irina be brought to him. She fearlessly confessed her faith and refused to stop preaching. Then she was thrown into a ditch with snakes. After 10 days, it turned out,
Irina is alive and well.
Then the governor ordered her to be sawed with a saw. 3 saws broke without causing harm and only the 4th finally broke the skin. The governor laughed at Irene and reviled Christ in every way. At that moment, a whirlwind rose, a thunderbolt rang out, lightning flashed. Seeing such a clear sign, many people believed in Jesus.
What the torturers of Irene did, but all their tortures only increased the number of people who became followers of Christ.
Irina went to the cities of Thrace, preached the Gospel. As soon as they tried to kill her, the enemies failed. In total, Irina converted 10,000 pagans to Christianity.
Feeling the approach of death, Irina went into the cave and ordered to block the entrance. On Day 3, friends and followers rolled back the stone, but the cave was empty. An unusual life and an unusual ending glorified the Great Martyr in the centuries.
Memorial Day
May 18
The Holy Land Charitable Foundation
Lives of Saints
