Saint Martha: the life of the martyrs and what they ask for in front of the icons, texts of prayers

Saint Martha of Bethany - life and meaning in Orthodoxy

The name Marta in Russian sounds like Marfa. We know about Saint Martha of Beth from the narrations of the evangelists Luke and John about the resurrection of Lazarus. Martha was his sister and, in honor of the joyful event, invited Jesus Christ into the house. Her sister, Mary, did not help prepare the meal, choosing spiritual communion with the Savior.

Martha considered that such behavior from her sister was unacceptable when there were guests in the house, but Jesus Christ told her that everyone chooses their own path of service. The girl was among the wives who came to the tomb of Christ on the 3rd day to perform the rite of anointing.

Subsequently, Martha went with her brother to Cyprus, where she preached Christian teaching for 30 years. The Orthodox Church venerates St. Martha as the myrrh-bearing wife.

All about Saint Martha, who grants wishes

Friends, good afternoon. You probably “dropped here” in order to find a “very powerful prayer to St. Martha.” Indeed, the Internet is replete with detailed “recipes” for making wishes come true, getting rid of any adversity, with prayers to Saint Martha. Moreover, you can find sites where the authors “lumped together” two different historical figures. So who is Saint Martha, which one is which and what kind of “strong prayer to Saint Martha” is this - the topic of today’s post.

Which Martha “grants a wish”?

I want to start with the fact that in Orthodoxy the Catholic name Martha is read as Martha.

The Orthodox Church honors the memory of saints with the name Martha:

February 19 – Martha of Asia, martyrdom, virgin
March 16 – Martha (Kovrova), prmts., novice /new martyr/
April 18 – Martha of Bethany. [sister of Lazarus the Four Days]. Movable: on St. Sunday myrrh-bearing women
April 25 – Martha of Bethany. [sister of Lazarus the Fourth Day]
April 26 – Marfa (Testova), prmts. /novomuch./
June 17 – Martha of Bethany. [sister of Lazarus the Fourth Day]
June 22 – Martha of Persia, mts.
July 17 – Martha of Antioch, Edessa
July 19 – Martha the Persian, Roman, mts.
September 3 – Marfa Diveevskaya (Milyukova), St.
September 14 – Martha of Cappadocia
November 21 – Martha of Pskov, St.

In addition, many Orthodox people honor the memory of Blessed Martha of Tsaritsyn. I’ll immediately make a reservation that: “Blessed Martha of Tsaritsyn has not yet been canonized, but historical material is currently being collected for the canonization commission under the Patriarchate” (based on materials from the Volga newspaper “I Believe” (June 2002) article about Blessed Martha, prepared by Alla Chudinova).

It was Saint Martha of Bethany and Martha of Tsaritsyn that many bloggers combined into one historical figure, adding a mystical prayer of clearly non-Orthodox content to their recipe.

So which one of them “fulfills” wishes? Let's figure it out.

Since I do not have the goal of a detailed biography, I will limit myself to brief milestones of their lives.

SAINT MARTHA (MARPHA) OF BETHANY

There is very little information about Saint Martha, but still the Lord glorified her name among the saints. Let's take a quick look at what we know about this saint.

Saint Martha of Bethany is the sister of Lazarus the Four-Days (whom the Lord raised in front of many witnesses) and Mary (who loved to listen to the Lord, for which Martha once reproached her). Anyone interested in these two amazing stories, I advise you to learn about it from the Gospel of Luke and John. It is from the story of Martha and her sister Mary that we learn that there are two types of service to the Lord.

A woman named Martha received Him into her home; she had a sister named Mary, who sat at the feet of Jesus and listened to His word. Martha was taking care of a great treat and, approaching, said: Lord! or do you not need that my sister left me alone to serve? tell her to help me. Jesus answered and said to her: Martha! Marfa! you care and fuss about many things, but only one thing is needed; Mary chose the good part, which will not be taken away from her. (Luke 10:38-42)

Saint Martha, like her sister, fervently believed in Jesus Christ even before the resurrection of Lazarus, and carried this faith with honor until the end of their days.

We also know that Saint Martha, together with her sister and brother, as well as Saints Maximin, Martel and Kydonius, went to preach Christ in Gaul, where, 30 years later, she died in hermitage.

In Orthodoxy, Saint Martha is venerated in the rank of the myrrh-bearing women of the righteous saints.

MARFA TSARITSYNSKAYA

The only photo of Marfa
Marfa (there is an opinion that the woman’s real name is Medvenskaya, although even the woman’s secular name is not known for certain) was born in 1880 in Tsaritsyn (Volgograd).

The young girl, having graduated from high school, went to the city of St. Petersburg to meet with John of Kronstadt and received a blessing from him.

Father John foresaw that the girl was destined to serve the Lord and blessed her on the difficult path of foolishness for Christ's sake. The future saint told her to call herself Martha and renounce everything earthly “so that she would go and remind people of God.”

At the end of 1908, after the death of John, Martha returned to Tsaritsyn, where at first she settled in a barn in the courtyard of her parents’ house, and then began to spend the night right on the street, in the open air.

According to the townspeople, Martha visited only pious families, preferring the families of simple workers. Like Saint Xenia of Petersburg, they tried to invite Martha into their home. People began to notice that after her visit, peace reigned in the family, the sick recovered, and prosperity appeared. With spiritual advice, purity of heart and miracles of healing, Martha won the love of the townspeople. People who came to her waited for several days to receive mother.

In addition to the miracle of healing, God gave Martha the gift of foresight. She predicted: the Russian-Japanese War, the First World War, revolution, regicide, the Great Patriotic War.

Do you know that Martha Tsaritsynskaya was called a saint during her lifetime? True, she had a very negative attitude towards such statements.

Visiting wealthy families, Martha encouraged them to donate their money for the construction of temples and churches. Through her prayers and at her call, the townspeople who revered Mother found the means and strength to complete the Holy Spirit Monastery, and even, as a sign of respect, built a small cell especially for Martha.

Grigory Rasputin, arriving in the city of Tsaritsyn, tried to visit Martha, greeting her with the words: “Hello, Christ’s bride!”

Marfa died at the age of 45. She was buried in the Holy Spirit Monastery. Martha’s prophetic words came true that she would be buried 3 times. And indeed, after the Soviet authorities set up a prison for kulaks in the holy monastery, Martha’s grave was moved to the Alekseevskaya Church, and after the church was closed, the grave was moved to the Central Cemetery. And Martha’s words also came true that suffering people would come to her grave for help, and she would listen and help everyone who came.

As I wrote above, materials are currently being collected for the glorification of Blessed Martha.

A FEW WORDS ABOUT “PRAYER TO SAINT MARTHA FOR THE FULFILLMENT OF WISHES”

Now that you have learned about the earthly lives of both Marthas (March), it’s time to talk about the amazing “prayer with recipes for the fulfillment of desires,” which I talked about at the beginning of the post.

As you probably already understood, this is not a prayer, but a pure conspiracy. Moreover, a conspiracy that slightly resembles a Catholic prayer to St. Martha of Bethany. Of course, no saint responds to a text of dubious content. Yes, the saints help us, they pray to God for us and through their prayers miracles happen, but this does not mean at all that, for example, Saint Martha fulfills wishes, and Saint Spyridon of Myra helps us get rich.

LOOK WHAT FRATE SAYS ABOUT THIS

SO WHAT IS THERE NO STRONG PRAYER?

Of course there is. And let me repeat myself, but: “The most powerful prayer is the one that comes from the depths of the heart, the one that is supported by the strongest power of love and a selfless, sincere desire to help another.” Saints help us not because of a combination of certain words spoken to them, but help us by looking at our hearts and aspirations, for our good and according to the Will of the Lord.

If you understand me correctly, then believe and pray with all the strength of your soul to Saint Martha. And this prayer will be truly “strong.”

PRAYER TO HOLY MARTHA AND MARY

O holy and all-praised disciples of Christ, God-loving Martha and Mary! Pray to the Sweetest Jesus, whom you have loved and loved, Whom you have confessed to be Christ, the Son of God, to give us sinners the remission of sins and to stand unfeignedly and firmly in the right faith.

Instill in our hearts the spirit of the fear of God, humble trust in God, patience and mercy towards our neighbors. Deliver us with your prayers from the temptations of everyday life, troubles and misfortunes, yes, having lived a quiet and peaceful life here, with immaculate thoughts and a pure heart, with the boldness of faith and hope, we will stand at that Last Judgment and, having given a good answer to it, eternal joys in the Kingdom Let us be worthy of heaven.

Amen.

That's all. God bless everyone.

Oleg P.

Categories:With God
Keywords:Prayers,Saints

Oleg Plett 8:33 am
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Martha Tsaritsynskaya - life and meaning in Orthodoxy

A young girl, whose name remains unknown, was born and graduated from high school in the city of Tsaritsyn (Volgograd) at the end of the 19th century. Wanting to take the path of serving the Lord, she went to St. Petersburg, where she met with John of Kronstadt, rector of St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Kronstadt.

The preacher, a spiritual writer, canonized after his dormition as a holy righteous man, blessed the young girl on the path of the foolishness of Christ for the sake of (renunciation of the usual blessings of life in order to testify to people about Christ) and ordered her to call herself Martha.

In 1908, after the death of Father John, the girl returned to Tsaritsyn, where she began serving the Lord, as the future saint predicted to her. For the sake of Christ, the holy fool lived in the open air, visiting families who observed Orthodox norms of behavior. Her visit was a good sign:

conflicts stopped in the house;
the sick were cured;
material well-being improved.

Orthodox believers were glad to see Martha in their home. Wealthy townspeople, at her call, donated money for the construction of the Holy Spirit Monastery. As a sign of respect for blessed Martha, a cell was built where she received people who came for advice and consolation.

Martha of Tsaritsyn had the gift of healing and prophecy. She died in 1925, having predicted that she would be buried 3 times. Her first burial was in the Holy Spirit Monastery, then the remains were reburied next to the Alekseevskaya Church. After the temple was closed, the grave was moved to the Central Cemetery.

Even during her lifetime, Martha was called a saint, but she rejected such veneration. The Russian Orthodox Church has not canonized Blessed Martha, but people go to her grave to receive help and healing.

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After her death, the righteous Martha the Blessed Tsaritsyn continues to do good deeds.

There is a place in Volgograd where the folk trail truly does not become overgrown. This is the grave of Blessed Martha Tsaritsynskaya at the Central Cemetery. People come here from all over Russia. Eighty years have passed since the death of Blessed Martha, but her fame among the people is only growing year by year...

Martha the Blessed was born in Tsaritsyn in 1880 into a family of wealthy people. Already from childhood she was very devout. As a very little girl, she went alone to the wonderworker and archpriest John of Kronstadt in St. Petersburg. It was he who told Martha about her purpose - to go from house to house to remind ordinary people about God. Returning to Tsaritsyn, Martha told about the elder’s parting words to her parents, who were looking for an enviable groom for their beloved daughter. However, at that time Russia was a pious country, and no one began to contradict the will of the elder. Martha settled in a barn next to her parents' house and abandoned her wealthy life. She walked around the city, fulfilling the mission assigned to her. Soon the people dubbed her “blessed.” People began to notice that after communicating with her, the sick were healed, peace came to families, prosperity came, and prodigal husbands returned home.

She was often invited by wealthy residents of Tsaritsyn. But the blessed one, as she was ordered by John of Kronstadt, preferred to communicate with ordinary people. According to contemporaries, people considered it an honor to host her. Like all blessed ones, she was a seer. She spoke in parables, the meaning of which, as a rule, became clear much later. So, they say that Martha did not order one young girl to marry. One day, suddenly, take care of her braid and start pulling her by the braid. “Yes, here she is, a whole braid,” her ward could not understand anything... A few years later, the girl got married, but then her husband left her with her young children and left forever. Then they remembered Martha’s prophecy...

Blessed Martha called on all townspeople to help in the construction of the Holy Spirit Monastery. And people really made generous donations and participated in its construction themselves. They even built a small cell there especially for Martha.

They say that in 1910, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (wife of Nicholas II) communicated with Marfa. And that even then Martha predicted the death of the entire royal family. And the blessed one said about herself that she would be reburied three times, which actually happened. She died at the age of 45. She was buried in the Holy Spirit Monastery. When the Bolsheviks set up a prison for kulaks in it, Martha’s relics were transferred to the Alekseevskaya Church, and then to the Central Cemetery.

Nowadays, not only older people, but also young people come to the blessed one’s grave to share their troubles. Believers ask for her prayerful intercession before the Lord. According to the testimony of the workers of the temple in the name of the Hieromartyr Joseph, Metropolitan of Astrakhan, located on the territory of the cemetery, priests, monastics and laity come to Blessed Martha’s grave every day. Every Saturday and Sunday after the liturgy, memorial services are held at the grave of the ascetic. Temple workers often have to add new sand to the grave, since believers, having visited the grave of the righteous woman, try to take a pinch of sand with them as a shrine. Many people faithfully apply sand to sore spots at home and receive long-awaited healing. There is plenty of evidence of the grace-filled help received after a prayerful appeal to Blessed Martha.

From the story of the servant of God Elena M.: “My arm hurt a lot, neither massages nor injections helped. This year it started getting worse again. I went to the grave of Blessed Martha and in the evening I began to apply sand from her grave to my sore hand. At the same time, she asked for recovery. This morning I woke up without pain in my arm. My gratitude knows no bounds."

The servant of God Elvira Sh. says: “At my mother’s grave, she complained about fatigue and a desire to rest. But due to financial problems, the vacation did not work out. A week after the request, I was offered a free trip to the Mother and Child sanatorium on the Black Sea coast.”

From the story of the servant of God Nina Z.: “In October 2003, I was laid off. From friends I learned that there is a grave of Blessed Martha in the central cemetery. I went to the grave and asked her to help me find a job. Only two weeks passed - they called me and offered me a very good job, which I had never dreamed of. I am very grateful to Blessed Martha for her help. I always go to her grave.”

The servant of God Galina says: “Blessed Martha of Tsaritsyn helped my grandchildren. When the eldest, Andrey, was 9 years old, he was “obsessed” with theft. It was impossible to leave anything at home, in his pockets, he carried everything. Both his parents and his father talked to him, but nothing helped. The poor child said, “I can’t help myself.” We celebrated a memorial service with him three times at the blessed one’s grave. After a while he says: “I don’t want to steal anymore.” Three years later, the same misfortune befell the youngest grandson. And again they turned to blessed Martha for help. She didn't leave us in trouble. I strongly advise anyone who has problems with children to come to Mother Martha (at the grave). Serve a memorial service at her grave, she will help you. May God save you through her holy prayers!”

Material is being prepared for the glorification of Blessed Martha of Tsaritsyn.

The grave of Blessed Martha is located in the Central Cemetery of Volgograd. At the train station you need to take trolleybus 7 or 10, stop

"Technological College".

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Details on the website: www.blagie.ru

Martha of Moscow - life and meaning in Orthodoxy

It is known about Martha of Moscow that she lived at the end of the 16th and beginning of the 17th centuries, bore the name Daria in the world and was a nun of the Ivanovo nunnery. When she was tonsured she received the name Martha. The nun was so zealous in serving the Lord that she was awarded the great schema.

The Great Schema is a complete renunciation of earthly life, an ascetic retreat. But Martha went further in her ardent love for the Heavenly bridegroom: she became a holy fool for Christ’s sake. The voluntary suffering to which the schema-nun doomed herself - hunger, cold, heat - was reinforced by humble humiliation before people.

The head of the blessed one was a stone. She walked barefoot and half-dressed in winter and summer. On summer nights, Martha left the monastery on the Sparrow Hills, where she prayed to the Savior until the morning. Returning in the morning, I stood through all the services in the monastery church.

Despite external foolishness and crazy actions, people felt inner piety in the blessed one. The Holy Fool for Christ enjoyed special honor among the rulers of the Russian state, the Romanovs. Tsarina Evdokia Lukyanovna (1608-1645) often visited the schema-nun and asked her to pray for a safe birth and healthy babies.

The royal custom of serving a prayer service at her tomb with a request for help in childbirth was adopted by women of high birth and commoners. The holy fool for Christ died on March 1 (old style) 1638. By order of the tsar, the coffin with the remains of the blessed one was placed in the church of the Ivanovo Monastery, lined with bricks and covered with a tombstone made of white stone. The date and name of the deceased elder before tonsure and as a monk (Daria and schema-nun Martha the Holy Fool) were engraved on the tombstone.

Mikhail Fedorovich and Evdokia Lukyanovna continued to honor the memory of Martha: they visited her tomb, served memorial services, and handed over a cover embroidered with gold to decorate the tombstone. The descendants of the first Romanov couple considered her the patroness of the clan; the queens continued to visit the monastery and serve memorial services during pregnancy and before childbirth.

The nuns of the Ivanovo Monastery carefully preserved the tradition of the spiritual exploits of the holy fool for Christ, schema-nun Martha. Her name was included in the monastery calendar as a holy righteous woman.

In 1860, reconstruction of the old temple began. During the reconstruction, the remains of the blessed one, by decision of Metropolitan Philaret, were transferred to the monastery chapel. For this purpose, a wooden box was made, into which, after serving a prayer service, the coffin was carefully moved.

For 200 years, the lower boards of the wooden frame have been preserved. The bones were light yellow in color, untouched by decay, and retained the position of the body during burial. While the Trisagion was chanted, the box was moved to a temporary location. 15 years later, upon completion of construction, the remains were solemnly returned to the temple, where they were placed in a marble tomb.

Prayer services in honor of the blessed one resumed. The flow of believers increased every year due to miraculous healings from drunkenness and relief from labor pain. Evidence of Martha's appearances to nuns has been preserved. The first time she was seen was by the elders who remained in the Ivanovo Monastery, devastated by the French. Martha prayed at night in a temple illuminated by a wonderful light. Soon the monastery was restored with donations from the laity.

In 1878, the temple builder of the Ivanovo Monastery spoke with the blessed one. In her room, she saw an old woman in a monastic robe, lifting the icons standing on the floor for the iconostasis. Having answered the question that she was Martha from the Ivanovo Monastery, the nun disappeared. The temple creator took this as a sign that icons, even unconsecrated ones, must be treated reverently.

In the 20s the monastery was closed. In 1927, the saint’s relics were reburied at the Vagankovskoye cemetery, location unknown. Since 2001, the blessed one has been included in the list of Moscow saints; the day of remembrance is not marked in the general church calendar.

Blessed Martha of Tsaritsyn

The Russian land has revealed many saints, many devotees of piety to the world, and the Russian Orthodox Church has nurtured and educated them. I would like to talk about one such ascetic, very revered in Volgograd, about Blessed Martha of Tsaritsyn. Tsaritsyn is the original name of the city of Volgograd. Now material is being prepared for the glorification of Blessed Martha of Tsaritsyn. And our story is based on the book “Orthodox Women of the Twentieth Century” (author-compiler Svetlana Devyatova). The future ascetic was born in 1880 in Tsaritsyn (Volgograd) into a pious, wealthy family. Unfortunately, we do not know what name she received in holy baptism, and her last name is not known. It is only known that when she graduated from high school, her parents decided to send her to St. Petersburg to Father John of Kronstadt, and the perspicacious shepherd blessed her on the path of foolishness for Christ’s sake, ordering her to be called Martha.

Martha went home, said goodbye to her parents and returned to St. Petersburg, where she lived until the death of Father John of Kronstadt. At the end of 1908, Blessed Martha returned to her homeland, Tsaritsyn. At first, the ascetic lived in a barn that stood in the courtyard of her parents’ house.

Blessed Martha was often invited by the townspeople, many gladly received her, it was noticed that through the prayers of the righteous woman the sick were healed, peace and tranquility reigned in the house, and the well-being of families improved. When visiting wealthy people, she always reminded the owners of the need to donate to churches, said that the Lord loves merciful people, and asked them to help suffering, sick people.

Blessed Martha called on all townspeople to help in the construction of the Holy Spirit Monastery. Believers who deeply revered Blessed Martha made generous donations and themselves participated in the construction of the monastery. Through the prayers of the righteous woman, the monastery was completed by 1911.

According to the stories of cab driver Vladimir Klimovich Inin, who lived not far from the monastery, he often had to carry building materials and other donations to the monastery at the request of Blessed Martha. Vladimir Klimovich, together with other believers, built a small cell in the monastery especially for Mother Martha.

Mother Martha often came to the Inins’ yard, sometimes spending the night in the barn with the goats. She refused to go into the house, saying: “Straw and goats are what I need.” The owners recalled that when mother stayed overnight, there was some kind of unusual silence in the yard.

Mother loved flowers and birds. She said that all this is the wisdom of God. The blessed one loved to feed birds and animals. She taught everyone who listened to her words to take care of every crumb of bread, advised them to give everything to the birds, and said: “The birds will pick up everything and pray for you.”

Believers often listened to the spiritual advice of the old woman, they knew that the blessed one’s predictions always come true, and if the blessed one does not advise doing something, it is better not to do one’s will.

Let us give just a few evidences of the blessed old woman’s foresight. The Inin family had four daughters: Lusha, Grusha, Anna and Evdokia. Mother Martha did not advise Evdokia to get married. One day after a service in the monastery, Mother Martha grabbed a broom and began chasing Evdokia around the monastery, shouting: “Who told you to cut off your braid?” Evdokia, almost crying, justified herself: “Mother Martha, here is my braid. I have it whole.” When Evdokia got married a few years later, and her husband soon abandoned her with small children, Evdokia remembered the seer’s warning.

Evdokia Ivanovna’s eldest daughter, Lusha, was once crossed by Mother Martha three times, kissed and said: “And you will soon go to Moscow.” Lusha answered her that they had no relatives in Moscow. Mother answered: “There will be relatives and quite a few.” (Mother spoke in parables.) Lusha asked: “How can I leave, but what about my husband and son?” Mother reassured her that they would all see each other in Moscow. Three weeks after this conversation, Lusha had a heart attack and died suddenly. A month after that, her husband died, then her son.

Mother Martha blessed Anna to live with God and predicted that her life would be difficult, but she would endure everything. That's how it was. Anna married a wealthy man, Mikhail Vasilyevich Guryev. Mother Martha told Mikhail Vasilyevich to build a new temple with his own money. The time was alarming, so he asked mother: “The time is like this, how long will the temple stand?” The blessed one answered: “How long he stays on earth does not matter, but in heaven he will be forever.” At this time, Mikhail Vasilyevich’s brother was in Moscow. He wrote to his mother about his request, and through his brother he received a blessing from the clergy to build a temple in honor of the Monk Alexy, the man of God. Soon the temple was built.

From the memoirs of contemporaries: “Blessed Martha predicted that Mikhail Vasilyevich would lie on the same field with her, and he would be the first on this field. Mikhail Vasilyevich Guryev died in 1933 and was buried in the new cemetery. The land for the cemetery had just been allocated, and his cross was the first on it. During the funeral, someone, remembering the words of Blessed Martha, said: “That’s right, Mikhail Vasilyevich, Mother Martha said that you will be the first on the field.”

Not only residents of Tsaritsyn turned to Blessed Martha for prayer help; people came from surrounding villages and villages, and came from other cities.

In 1910, the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna came to the perspicacious Tsaritsyn Blessed. In the book “Letters of the Royal Family from Imprisonment,” church historian Evgeniy Evlampievich Alferyev (1908–1986) described the empress’s meeting with blessed Martha as follows: “When the holy fool found herself in the presence of the queen, she unwrapped eight dolls wrapped in newspaper. Throwing them forcefully to the floor, she screamed: “It’s you, it’s you, all of you!” Then she poured red liquid over the dolls from a teapot and set them on fire with a match. When all the dolls flashed, she exclaimed: “This is your future!” You will all burn! I see blood! A lot of blood …"

Antonina Antonovna Melnikova (1895-1975) said that in adolescence she suffered from dropsy. Knowing the power of the ascetic’s prayers, she began to beg her father to take her to Mother Martha. The father did not agree to take her for a long time (Probably, as a pharmacist, he believed that blessed Martha would not be able to help her daughter, since the swelling was severe). Then Antonina wrapped her swollen legs in rags and said that she would walk herself, her father reconciled, and in the morning the two of them went to the blessed one. They found Mother Martha only at noon (believers told where she was that day). When Antonina saw her mother, she burst into tears and said: “I feel so bad, I’ll probably die soon.” “If you die, you will die,” agreed Mother Martha. Then she sat Antonina down, put her head on her lap and began to quietly pray over her. A few hours later, Antonina, through the prayers of Mother Martha, was completely healed: the liquid that had caused the young woman so much suffering came out naturally. The grateful young woman became attached with all her soul to blessed Martha, visited her often, and then began to walk with her as a novice.

Antonina Antonovna recalled that they always went with full bags: “Mother collected everything for the monastery.” Antonina soon learned to understand the language of Blessed Martha. If mother said: “Headless people live here,” it means that the owners were not very kind people. When she said: “The Austrians live here,” it means that the owners are non-believers. “There are a lot of houses, a lot of houses, but nowhere to spend the night,” this meant that the owners would not accept a place to spend the night. If mother, coming to the house, said: “Soon we will bake pancakes.” This means she warned that soon someone would die in this house. Many believers revered Blessed Martha as a saint and placed her portrait in the red corner next to the icons. The blessed one did not like this, she asked that they not do it.

Blessed Martha slept very little, poured some crackers behind her back, took a little nap and got up (you can’t sleep on crackers for long). When the blessed one walked around the city, she often threw pebbles at passers-by (she always had small pebbles in her pockets). People were angry, some even cursed. Later, people began to notice that if a pebble hit a sore spot, the pain subsided and the disease receded.

The death of the ascetic was unexpected for everyone. Blessed Martha departed to the Lord in 1925. Shortly before her death, Blessed Martha said that everyone should come to her grave, she would listen to everyone and help.

The blessed one predicted that she would be buried three times. And so it happened. For the first time, Blessed Martha was buried in the Holy Spiritual Monastery behind the altar of the summer church. After the monastery was closed, they began to rebuild the church. The nuns reburied Mother Martha in the cemetery. Her grave was near the entrance to the Alekseevskaya Church (Golubinskaya St.). At the end of the 40s, the Alekseevskaya Church was also closed. Then they moved Mother Martha to the Central Cemetery and held a burial. Thus, the words of blessed Martha were fulfilled that she would be buried three times, and with Mikhail Vasilyevich Guryev they would lie on the same field.

An endless stream of people walked to the blessed one’s grave. In 1942, they said that it was necessary to take the coffin of Saint Martha of Tsaritsyn from the grave, carry it around the city, and the city would be saved.

More than eight decades have passed since the death of Blessed Martha Tsaritsyn, but the memory of her lives in the hearts of people, stories about the ascetic are passed on from generation to generation. Nowadays, not only older people, but also young people come to the blessed one’s grave to share their troubles. Believers ask for her prayerful intercession before the Lord. According to the testimony of the workers of the temple in the name of the Hieromartyr Joseph, Metropolitan of Astrakhan, located on the territory of the cemetery, priests, monastics and laity come to Blessed Martha’s grave every day. Every Saturday and Sunday after the liturgy, memorial services are held at the grave of the ascetic. Temple workers often have to add new sand to the grave, since believers, having visited the grave of the righteous woman, try to take a pinch of sand with them as a shrine. Many people faithfully apply sand to sore spots at home and receive long-awaited healing. There is plenty of evidence of the grace-filled help received after a prayerful appeal to Blessed Martha.

From the story of God’s servant Nina: “...For five years I went to apply for a pension based on active service (45 years). There are all sorts of obstacles: either they don’t give you a certificate, or they don’t answer at your former place of work (from Kazakhstan). After the prayers at the grave of Blessed Martha, they called from Kazakhstan and said that everything was ready, everything was done. God help you all, and the kingdom of heaven to Martha!”

Material is being prepared for the glorification of Blessed Martha of Tsaritsyn. We ask all Orthodox people who, having learned about blessed Martha, mentally turned to her for prayerful help, and soon received what they asked for, to provide recorded evidence to the rector of the cemetery church, Hieromonk Leonid (Isaev). God save you through the prayers of Blessed Martha!

The grave of Blessed Martha is located in the Central Cemetery of Volgograd. At the train station you need to take trolleybus 7 or 10, stop “Tekhnikum”. Workers of the Shchmch Temple. Joseph Metropolitan of Astrakhan. will always tell you how to find the grave of blessed Martha. Address of the cemetery and Temple: Volgograd, st. Karl Liebknecht 2a, cemetery, church of Sschmch. Joseph Metropolitan of Astrakhan.

Iconography

Saint Martha of Bethany is depicted among the myrrh-bearing women, either with her sister Mary, or in an individual image. She is wearing a blue scarf/veil, and in her hands is a vessel with incense. The Cappadocian Martha in the icon stands next to the pillar on which her son, the righteous Simeon, sits.

The miraculous mosaic image of Martha of Moscow on her marble tombstone has been preserved. Located in the church of St. John the Baptist Monastery. The blessed one, dressed as a schema-nun, holds a cross in her right hand and blesses the believers with her left.

Blessed Martha of Tsaritsyn is not canonized; her image is absent in iconography.

Ioannovskaya family

21.08.2018

From the research work “Stay of John of Kronstadt in the Tsaritsyn district of the Saratov province”

Always seek the good - both for each other and for everyone.

John of Kronstadt.

First visit to Tsaritsyn

The most popular newspaper at that time, “Volzhsko-Donskoy Listok”, No. 1460 dated July 3, 1894, detailed the circumstances of the stay of Archpriest John Ilyich Sergiev (Kronstadt) off the coast of Tsaritsyn.

The Rybinsk merchant Lipovskaya, in the same year 1894 or a year earlier, turned to Father John with a request to heal her sick son. After the prayers of the great Russian ascetic, the child became healthy, and in gratitude, the merchant’s wife hired a separate steamer from the Samolet society (as nosy journalists discovered, for 300 rubles a day) and invited John of Kronstadt to relax on it in the summer during a trip down the Volga.

All Orthodox Christians who have ever read the life of St. John of Kronstadt know how intense the work of the righteous man was. Every day he celebrated the Liturgy, during which the temple, designed for five thousand parishioners, could not accommodate everyone who wanted to pray. One communion lasted two to three hours - there were so many eager to be united with Christ. “Without Communion I die,” said Father John, and after him these words were repeated by his disciples and comrades.

Pilgrims flocked to Kronstadt from all over Rus'. Thousands of people came every day; a special office had to be opened at the post office for the miracle worker’s correspondence. The Russian ascetic did not forget anyone, he provided help to everyone, gave advice, and answered questions. Of course, he needed at least a short rest. But the priest decided that he would still stop in some cities on the Volga to serve the Liturgy.

The steamer “Brave”, on which Father John and his entourage set off from Yaroslavl along the Volga (among them was the merchant Lipovskaya and her son), slowly sailed from one Volga city to another. Soon he arrived in the provincial center of Saratov, where John of Kronstadt went ashore and served the Liturgy in the cathedral, together with Bishop Nikolai (Nalimov) of Saratov and Tsaritsyn. On June 30, a telegram was sent from Saratov that the priest was heading to Tsaritsyn, where he would also serve.

On the morning of July 1, the steamer “Brave” makes a stop in Dubovka. From the story of Archpriest Sergius Ermakov, rector of the Church of the Intercession in Dubovka, we learned that the local city government had been preparing for the arrival of the famous Kronstadt shepherd for a long time. The embankment was covered with carpets, and a sumptuous dinner was prepared. The city population lined up according to rank: the mayor, merchants, merchants, and the poorest were at the end of this long line. When the priest came down from the deck of the ship, he, without deigning the city authorities with his attention, walked along Moskovskaya Street to the very end of the crowd, to a poor widow with 6-7 children and handed her a bag of money, and then returned to his ship, still not without saying a word to anyone.

The next stop of the ship was Tsaritsyn. The telegram arrived late, but the good news spread quickly throughout the city. The next morning, masses of people filled the shore near the pier of the office of the Airplane Society. At about 10 a.m. on July 1, the Brave appeared. He immediately landed at the Salt Pier, next to the current panorama museum “Battle of Stalingrad”. There was a barge for loading oil, and the steamer with Father stopped near it. Immediately, the small steamer Cheremis departed from the aircraft pier, on board of which were the mayor A. M. Shlykov, the chairman of the board of the House of Diligence V. F. Lapshin, the priest Pyotr Strokov and some other Tsaritsans. They turned to Father John with a request to go ashore here, but received a categorical refusal. Perhaps the mention in the newspapers of this categorical attitude later served as the basis for the assumption that the Kronstadt shepherd was unwilling to meet with the residents of our city at all.

When the "Cheremis" returned to the pier of the "Airplane" society and the news that Father John did not go ashore was received by the people gathered there, representatives of the Tsaritsyn clergy and children boarded the ship, wanting to receive a blessing from the Kronstadt ascetic. “Cheremis” was overcrowded: on it were the dean of the city of Tsaritsyn, Archpriest Andrei Phlegmatov, priests Arseny Sokolov, Semyon Kuzmin, Ioann Elensky, the abbess of the Balashov monastery's monastery, Maria, and wards from the shelter at the Intercession Church. They also brought the sick priest Ioann Drozdov, the former regent of the bishop's choir, lying almost motionless, onto the ship.

While this entire delegation was boarding the "Cheremis", while it took off from the shore and began moving up the Volga, the steamer "Brave" had already set sail from Solyanaya Pier and moved south. Soon both ships met, slowed down, brought their sides closer together, and members of the Tsaritsa delegation moved from the Cheremis to the ship to visit Father John. It seems that the shelters did not transfer to Brave, so one can understand the content of the article in the newspaper. The correspondent of the Volzhsko-Donskoy Leaflet noted that the paralytic priest Drozdov was transplanted with great difficulty, but John of Kronstadt immediately approached him, laid his hands on the sick man and prayed for his healing.

Among the members of the Tsaritsyn delegation was the assistant bailiff of the second part of the city of Arkadyev, who turned to Father John with words of gratitude for the healing, which apparently occurred during this man’s trip to Kronstadt or as a result of an appeal by mail.

Meanwhile, Father Andrei Phlegmatov again turned to the Kronstadt archpriest with a request to visit Tsaritsyn, but Father John replied that he could not do this. Realizing that the decision was final, the dean decided, in the short time he would be on the ship, to introduce the ascetic to the life of Orthodox Tsaritsyn. Father John began the conversation. He said that he noticed among the city residents respect for pastors and high religiosity. Father Andrei confirmed that there are few sectarians in Tsaritsyn. This news pleased the Kronstadt miracle worker.

Archpriest Phlegmatov was a famous local Church historian and preacher. It was in 1894 that his book “Teachings for different days, speeches and notes” was published in the Tsaritsyn printing house of Mrs. E. G. Zhigmanovskaya, but, most likely, it appeared after the departure of Father John, since in the note about his stay off the coast Tsaritsyn does not mention this publication. But the dean had a good command of the material, so he said that there were many ancient churches in the city. Having listened carefully to the story, Father John said: “In my homeland on the Sura River there is a church that is 300 years old, but now they no longer serve in it.”

Mother Superior Maria entered the conversation. She complained that the Tsaritsyn authorities refused to provide her with the land necessary to build the monastery’s fence. John of Kronstadt said that only patience is needed; only the city can resolve the matter.

One of those who arrived said that there were many sick people in Tsaritsyn who were thirsty for healing. To this the priest said: “The Lord will heal them. You need to have faith and pray with diligence.”

It was necessary to say goodbye. The members of the delegation came under the blessing of the Kronstadt shepherd, he handed them small icons. Four icons went to the Tsaritsyn police chief P.N. Podyapolsky. The guests left Father John's ship.

The steamer made a turn at the aircraft pier and passed slowly past those gathered on the shore. Father John of Kronstadt stood on the deck with his head open and blessed the queens. Many who came cried, threw themselves on their knees, and asked to go ashore. But “Brave” gradually began to gain momentum and soon moved away from the city. Thus ended the first acquaintance of the great Russian righteous man with our city and its inhabitants.

In the early 1990s of the last century in our city one could hear a story that pre-revolutionary Tsaritsyn was a sinful and unworthy place, which is why Saint John of Kronstadt did not want to visit here, while he stayed in neighboring cities and met with clergy , townspeople, mayors and served the liturgy in churches. This was partly explained by the Kronstadt priest himself in 1901.

Second visit to Tsaritsyn

In 1901, Astrakhan merchants Egor Stepanovich Kulikov, Stepan Vasilyevich Noskov and S.I. Zakharov, using their own funds, built a temple in the village of Nikolskoye (Besputnoye) 25 versts from Astrakhan. They turned with a request to consecrate the church to John Ilyich Sergiev, the rector of the Kronstadt St. Andrew's Cathedral, then known throughout Russia for his righteous life, wonderful sermons, books, and miracles. He never refused people who helped strengthen the Orthodox faith, and this time he went from St. Petersburg to distant Astrakhan.

At that time there was no direct connection between the capital and the Lower Volga region. Father John reached Orel, took the train to Gryazi station, and then proceeded to Tsaritsyn. The train from Gryazi arrived on the night of October 5-6, old style. The merchants tried to ensure that the journey was not too burdensome for the priest; they ordered a special carriage for him.

City officials arrived at the station when the Gryazi-Tsaritsyn train arrived. The carriage was uncoupled and sent with a special locomotive through the Solyanaya station to the landing stage of the Volga Society, since Father John had to make the further journey to Astrakhan by steamship. City mayor F. S. Semenov, police chief N. V. Pototsky, cathedral archpriest Fr. V. D. Volkovsky, priest Fr. S.I. Kuzmin and some other persons. While the locomotive was transporting the carriage to the Volga bank, a friendly conversation was taking place inside. Father John promised that on his way back he would definitely come to our city and celebrate mass in the cathedral.

On the Volga bank, despite the deep night, many queens gathered. They learned about the arrival of the venerable shepherd from newspapers and, perhaps, from priests in churches and wanted to see him at least from afar. As the Tsaritsynsky Vestnik reported, thanks to the assistance of the military, the transition from the carriage to the ship took place safely, without causing unrest. From the board of the Empress Alexandra, Father John blessed the townspeople standing on the shore and catching his every glance, every gesture. At 3 o'clock in the morning the ship set off south. E. S. Kulikov accompanied the priest from Tsaritsyn.

The ship arrived in Astrakhan on October 7 at half past seven in the morning. Father John consecrated a new church in Nikolskoye, returned to Astrakhan, visited the churches of this city, talked with the priests, and at 9 pm on October 8, he set off on his return journey on the small steamer “Lovets”.

Immediately after sailing from Astrakhan, the priest asked the fishery and seal fishery manager D.F. Khomutov, who was accompanying him, when he could hope for the arrival of the “Catcher” in Tsaritsyn. Having learned that this would not be earlier than one o'clock in the afternoon on October 10, he became worried, saying that he had promised to celebrate mass in the Tsaritsyn Cathedral that day and it would be regrettable for him not to keep his word. Then, at about 12 o’clock at night, D. F. Khomutov stopped the faster steamer “Nekrasov” near Petropavlovka, which belonged to, on which Father John moved along with the merchants Kulikov and Noskov accompanying him. Saying goodbye to the manager, the venerable shepherd said to him: “I feel very good and calm with you, I would most willingly go with you to Tsaritsyn, but if you say that we won’t make it in time for mass on Wednesday, then there is nothing to do: we need to change seats.”

On the way from Black Yar, a telegram was given about the arrival of Father John of Kronstadt in Tsaritsyn. Again he came to our city late at night. "Nekrasov" arrived at the Tsaritsyn pier at 3 am on October 10. The priest spent the night in the apartment of the cathedral archpriest, and at 8 o’clock in the morning, together with Father Vladimir Volkovsky and other priests, he served Matins and Mass in the cathedral. He himself read the canon, as he always did in the Kronstadt Cathedral.

The cathedral was filled with worshipers; an atmosphere of love and splendor reigned in it. Father John preached a sermon on the passage from the Gospel read that day about the Lord’s taming of the storm. Addressing the Tsaritsans, he said that several years ago, due to the great heat in July, he did not have the opportunity to visit the city itself, but now the Lord brought him to serve in this temple. The believers hung on every word of the shepherd, some wept with joy and tenderness.

After the service, Father John visited the apartments of the Tsaritsyn priests. At Archpriest Fr. Volkonsky drank tea, and then visited Fr. Simeon Kuzmin and Fr. Alexey Lebedev. In the courtyard, a woman suffering from epilepsy was brought to him: as she approached, she uttered loud screams. The priest blessed her several times, pressed her head to his chest, prayed, exclaiming: “Go away! Get out!” Then he ordered her to cross herself, which the unfortunate woman, after several unsuccessful attempts, finally succeeded in doing. She left the yard visibly calmed down.

Father Simeon gathered not only family members, but also psalm-readers, who also received a blessing from the shepherd. Father was affectionate with the children, joyfully blessed them, kissed their heads, and gave them tea.

At about 12 noon, Father John with Archpriest Fr. Vladimir went to the girls' gymnasium. All teachers, class matrons, and students of all classes were located in the gymnasium hall. The headmistress of the gymnasium greeted the guests. The Kronstadt priest said a short pastoral word in which he called on the schoolgirls to study diligently and keep their souls pure. He blessed everyone present.

Next the path lay to the shelter. Father John was greeted here with bread and salt. The choir of pupils sang the prayer “It is worthy to eat.” Father blessed those present. The bride and groom Serebryakov fell to their knees in front of him and received a blessing for marriage from the Great Shepherd. In the assembly hall of the shelter, priest Fr. Arseny Sokolov served a prayer service with the blessing of water, Father John put his stole on him. The mayor, some members of the council, councilors, and many queens were present at the prayer service.

The city leadership gave a dinner in honor of the Kronstadt archpriest, but even during it, Father John continued his pastoral ministry. Many sick people were brought to him, whom he blessed and prayed over. Relatives with great difficulty led the woman, who was writhing and breaking, she was fighting and screaming. Leaving Father, the woman crossed herself, after which he said to her loudly: “Go, you are healed!” With a firm gait she approached the icons, made three prostrations, kissed the icons and left.

The shelter girls, as the orphanage girls were called, sang spiritual chants. While lunch was going on, the stream of healthy and sick, adults and children, hurrying under the blessing of Father John, did not dry up. And he did not refuse anyone, he greeted everyone with love and joy...

After lunch, the Kronstadt shepherd was invited to the houses of the townspeople. He immediately visited the cathedral elder E. S. Falomeev, served a prayer service, and blessed many visitors who were freely allowed into the house. Then they waited for him in the houses of the merchants Lebedev, Rysin, Pirogov, Khokhlov, the widow Tarakanova, Nikonov, V. A. and K. Ya. Ivanov. Everywhere Father served prayer services. The crew transporting Father John around Tsaritsyn was followed by many people, he blessed everyone, gave everyone a kind look and a kind word. In the house of the widow Maslova there were many children who received a blessing from Father. Among them were a hunchbacked girl and a deaf boy, whom the shepherd looked at with special kindness.

Father John stopped for the night with the merchant K. Ya. Ivanov. In the morning, the elder of the Sorrow Church, merchant A. N. Serebryakov, Ya. A. Pirogov, the hospitable host K. Ya. Ivanov, and many townspeople came to see him off at the station. As local newspapers wrote, the farewell was “delicate and in perfect order.” Early in the morning, the Great Shepherd set off on his way back from the South-Eastern Railway station. The train left at 5:08, at 15:34 it arrived in Aleksikovo, where it stood for 10 minutes. We do not know whether Father John got off at this station or communicated with residents of the Cossack region, but judging by the Tsaritsyn events, he would not have refused a blessing to the Novonikolaevites who came to the train. Then the train went to Povorino, Borisoglebsk and arrived in Gryazi at 1:23 am.

Of course, there was a certain amount of dexterity involved. The name of Father John of Kronstadt was so popular among the people that it served as a source of income for the Tsaritsyn swindlers. Before he had time to drive through the city, large quantities of crosses, “holy” belts, leaflets, cords for crosses and other items began to be sold on the streets and in pubs, supposedly blessed by the righteous man and therefore healing from illnesses. The newspapers wrote about the dark ignorance of the Tsaritsans and ridiculed people who believed that Father John could bless whole bales of crosses, laces, belts and leaflets, thereby contributing to the profit of the dodgers.

The visit of Father John of Kronstadt to Tsaritsyn was short but eventful. Almost every family has a memory of him: someone received a blessing from him, someone attended divine services or numerous prayer services, someone saw Father in a carriage driving through the city. And subsequently the Tsaritsans caught the living word coming from Kronstadt, read the books of Father John. “The Russian kingdom is tottering, wavering, close to falling,” he warned 10 years before the October coup. “The Lord entrusted us, Russians, with the great saving talent of the Orthodox faith. – he wrote. “But who taught us disobedience and senseless rebellion?”

16 years after Father John’s visit to Tsaritsyn, such a senseless rebellion bloodied the Russian land. In the Tsaritsyn families, they forgot the covenants of the holy father, lost the memory of his blessing, and those who did not forget were afraid to remember him. A cruel time has come, erasing the memory of the general joy that reigned in the city on October 10, 1901.

The great righteous man predicted: “We need general cleansing, deep national repentance... Let us be reconciled with God, and He will be reconciled with us.” Years have passed. At the end of the twentieth century, the Church of St. John of Kronstadt appeared in our city as a symbol of repentance, the memory of whose presence should return to our homes.

Authors: Marina Loseva, N. A. Andreishina, V. S. Dolobeshkin.

Source: Educational portal “Slovo”.

Photo: Monastic Bulletin.

Research sources:

1. Materials from the personal archive of the press secretary of the Volgograd diocese Ivanov S. M.

2. Newspaper “Volzhsko-Donskoy leaf” No. 1460 dated July 3, 1894.

Literature:

1. Prot. John Sergiev (Kronstadt) My life in Christ. M., 2012.

2. Ivanov S. M., Suprun V. I. Temples of Tsaritsyn-Stalingrad-Volgograd. Volgograd, 2003.

3. Zarnitsky Ya. I. O. John of Kronstadt on the Volga in the summer of 1894. St. Petersburg, Printing house of I. I. Soikin, 1895.

4. Markov A. S. Under the banner of Christ. Volgograd. 1970.

5. Abbot Lazar (Kulikov) Interview with Archpriest Sergius Ermakov // Orthodox Word 2012 No. 6, June.

6. Scourgetail N. F. John of Kronstadt in Tsaritsyn // https://www.proza.ru/2011/06/28/918.

7. Lukashuk V. John of Kronstadt in Tsaritsyn // Regional News https://oblvesti.volgorik.ru/?issue=851&rub=life&art=8.

8. History of our temple (history of the temple of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in the Volga-Caspian region, Astrakhan region) // https://www.nikolay.prihod.ru/istorija_khrama.

9. Revenko S. CHAPTER 8. Father John in Tsaritsyn // I.K. Sursky. Father John of Kronstadt. Volume II. https://theme.orthodoxy.ru.

Oral sources:

1. Interview with the press secretary of the Volgograd diocese S. M. Ivanov.

2. Interview with the head of the Volgograd branch of the Russian Cultural Foundation, Doctor of Philological Sciences Suprun V.I.

3. Interview with local historian N. F. Bechekhvost.

4. Interview with the rector of the Intercession Church in Dubovka, Archpriest Sergius Ermakov.

5. Interview with the rector of the Archangel Michael Church p. Erzovka by Archpriest Vladislav Sologub.

Tell:

What is asked of Saint Martha?

Saint Martha (of Bethany, Moscow) helps if people turn to her with a request:

recover from a serious, chronic illness;
find a good husband;
get pregnant;
solve material problems.

It is believed that the prayer to Saint Martha of Moscow helps to fulfill any desire if it is precisely indicated in the prayer address.

Prayer text

Prayer to the holy image of Martha of Moscow:

“Oh, Saint Martha, you are miraculous, I resort to you for help and completely rely on you that you will help me in my needs and be an assistant in my trials... I humbly, tearfully ask you to console me in my care and burden. For the sake of the great joy that filled your heart when you gave refuge to the Savior of the world in your home in Bethania, I beg you to worry about me and my family, so that we keep our God in our hearts. and thus we have earned the Saved Almighty mediation in our need, first of all, with the anxiety that worries me (indicate desire). Mother of God, I ask you to help me as a helper in every need, so that through the mediation of Saint Martha I can overcome my burden and care, which I named/named as you defeated the ancient serpent and laid it at your feet.”