The MonasticMartyress Paraskeva
Commemorated on July 26
The
MonasticMartyress Paraskeva was the only daughter of Christian parents and
from the time of her early years she dedicated herself to God. Living in her
parental home, she spent much of her time at prayer and the study of the Holy
Scriptures. After the death of her parents Saint Paraskeva distributed all of
her inheritance to the poor, took on monasticism, and emulating the holy
Apostles she began to preach to the pagans about Christ, converting many to
Christianity.
A denunciation about
her activity was made to the emperor Antoninus Pius (138‑161), and Saint
Paraskeva was brought to trial. She fearlessly confessed herself a Christian.
Neither enticements of honours and material blessings, nor threats of torture
and death shook the firmness of the saint nor turned her from Christ. She was
given over to beastly tortures. On her head they put a red-hot helmet and threw
her in a cauldron with boiling tar. But by the power of God the holy martyress
remained unharmed. When the emperor peered into the cauldron, Saint Paraskeva
threw him in the face a droplet of the red-hot tar, and he was burned. The
emperor began to ask her for healing, and the holy martyress healed him. After
this the emperor sent Saint Paraskeva free.
Traveling from one
place to another preaching the Gospel, Saint Paraskeva arrived in a city, where
the governor was named Asclepius. Here again they tried the saint and sentenced
her to death. They took her to an immense serpent living in a cave, so that it
would devour her. But Saint Paraskeva made the sign of the Cross over the snake
and it died. Asclepius and the citizens in seeing this miracle and believed in
Christ and set free the saint. She continued her preaching. In a city, where
the governor was a certain Tarasius, Saint Paraskeva received a martyr's death.
After fierce tortures they beheaded her.
© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos.