Service to God and miracles of the saint
By the age of eighteen, Thekla had become famous in Iconium as the first beauty. Her betrothed was a rich and noble young man who loved her passionately and was looking forward to the wedding.
At this time, the holy apostles Paul and Barnabas came to Iconium from Antioch. They stayed in the house of Onesiphorus, which was located next to Thekla’s parental house.
Paul preached the word of God daily in the courtyard of Onesiphorus, attracting many people, including young men and women. Thekla did not have the opportunity to see the apostle and listened to his sermons, sitting by the window. The Christian faith made a deep impression on her, making her forget about time, food and drink. She was struck by Paul’s words that the chastity of a Christian woman is a special service to Jesus Christ, that a virgin will become the bride of the heavenly Bridegroom and will become like an angel after death.
Thekla, imbued with a fiery faith in Christ, decided to abandon her earthly groom and stopped meeting with him. Theoklia, having learned about her daughter’s religious views, forbade her to listen to the apostle. The mother was angry at her daughter who had become disobedient and stubborn. She either beat and starved Thekla, or caressed and persuaded with tears not to reject marriage with a handsome, rich groom.
Theoklia demanded from the betrothed that he court and seek the love of Thekla. The young man tried to win over the girl, but she did not want to hear or see him. Her mind was occupied with the most beautiful of the sons of men, with whom she mentally held conversations. Thekla, imbued with ardent faith in Christ, decided to remain a virgin, devoting herself to serving God. She was adamant in her intention and did not give in to the persuasion of her mother and groom.
The earthly groom was very upset by the indifference of the bride and complained against Paul to the governor of Iconium, accusing him of corrupting the inhabitants of the city. The saint was captured and thrown into prison. Having learned about this, Thekla ran away from home at night and entered Pavel’s cell, giving her jewelry to the guards for this. When she first saw the apostle, she threw herself on her knees before him and kissed his chains.
In the morning, Paul and Thekla were brought to the governor, who interrogated the saint. In his answers, he did not find any guilt worthy of execution, but ordered him to be punished with whips and driven out of the city. Thekla remained silent to all questions about why she did not want to get married, not taking her eyes off Pavel.
The angry mother demanded that her rebellious daughter be set on fire in order to deter other girls from following her example of celibacy. The prince fulfilled her wish by giving the order to burn Thekla at the stake. The girl herself climbed onto the fire and made the sign of the cross over herself. The set firewood flared up brightly, the flames rose like a wall, but did not harm Thekla. A sudden downpour and hail extinguished the fire, causing no burns to the girl. The divine power frightened the ruler, and he released the innocent woman.
The girl left the city and met the apostle. She begged him to take him with her and baptize him so that she could be resistant to temptation. To which Pavel promised her a font. In Antioch, where the apostle came to preach with Thekla, the governor of Syria drew attention to the young beauty and began to solicit her love. Having not received reciprocity, he began to ask the proconsul to execute her.
Thekla was placed with wild animals, but they did not touch her. The ruler decided that the girl had cast a spell on the predators that was in her clothes. The next time she was left alone with hungry lions and bears without clothes, wearing only a belt. But none of them touched the girl. An attempt to kill her by lowering her into a ditch with poisonous snakes was unsuccessful. Seeing a moat of water in which hungry seals were swimming, Thekla rushed into the pond with the words: “In the name of Jesus Christ I am baptized on my last day!” But a fiery cloud surrounded her body, covering her nakedness and protecting her from beasts.
Finally, the torturer ordered the saint to be tied between bulls so that they would tear her body into pieces. When the bulls began to be stabbed with spears so that they would run away in different directions, the fetters loosened and fell to the ground. After this, frightened by God’s protection, the priest released Thekla.
The saint received a blessing from the Apostle Paul, and spent the rest of her life on a mountain near the village of Seleucia. Thekla preached Christianity, consoled the unfortunate and treated the sick for free. Her fame spread far beyond the village. The sick began to come to her, avoiding healers and magicians. The healers' incomes fell, and they decided to take revenge on the healer. Envious people persuaded the young people to forcibly dishonor the bride of Christ. To inflame their lust and lure them in, the ill-wishers gave the young men wine and paid them money.
Driven by evil intentions, the shameless ones headed to Thekla’s home. The saint decided that they had come for healing, but heard lustful speeches. Realizing what was threatening her, the first martyr fled. But there was no strength to escape from the rapists. Thekla began to pray to God to save her from shame. The rock against which Thekla was leaning parted, and a narrow passage was formed, through which the first martyr emerged from the other side of the mountain range. Here, in a cave near the spring, she lived until she was 90 years old, baptizing into the Christian faith and healing believers.
Life
The Holy First Martyr Equal to the Apostles Thekla was born in the city of Iconium. She was the daughter of noble and wealthy parents and was distinguished by her extraordinary beauty. At the age of 18 she was betrothed to a noble young man. Having heard the sermon of the Holy Apostle Paul about the Savior, Saint Thekla loved the Lord Jesus Christ with all her heart and firmly decided not to marry and to devote her life to preaching the Gospel. Saint Thekla's mother opposed her daughter's intentions and forced her to marry the groom betrothed to her. The betrothed of Saint Thekla complained to the ruler of the city against the Apostle Paul, accusing him of turning his bride away from him. The ruler imprisoned the holy apostle. Saint Thekla secretly ran away from home at night, bribed the prison guards by giving them all her gold jewelry, and entered the prisoner into the dungeon. For three days she sat at the feet of the apostle, listening to his fatherly instructions. Thekla's disappearance was discovered, and servants were sent everywhere to search for her. Finally she was found in prison and forcibly brought home.
The court sentenced the Apostle Paul to exile from the city. Saint Thekla was again persuaded for a long time to agree to the marriage, but she did not change her decision. Neither her mother’s tears, nor her anger, nor the ruler’s threats could separate Saint Thekla from her love for the Heavenly Bridegroom - the Lord Jesus Christ. Her mother, in a frenzy, demanded that the judge sentence her rebellious daughter to death, and Saint Thekla was sentenced to be burned. The holy martyr fearlessly ascended the fire and crossed herself. At that moment the Savior appeared to her, blessing her for the upcoming feat, and inexpressible joy filled her holy soul. The flames of the fire soared high, surrounded the martyr like a halo and did not touch her. Thunder struck, and heavy rain and hail extinguished the fire. The torturers fled in fear. Saint Thekla, protected by the Lord, left the city and, with the help of a Christian youth, found the Apostle Paul. The holy apostle and his companions, among whom was the holy apostle Barnabas, took refuge in a cave not far from the city, fervently praying that the Lord would strengthen Saint Thekla in her suffering. Together with them, Saint Thekla went preaching the Gospel to Antioch. In this city, she was persecuted by a certain dignitary Alexander, who was captivated by her beauty. Saint Thekla rejected his proposal to marry and, as a Christian, was condemned to death. Twice hungry animals were released on her, but they did not touch the holy virgin, obediently lay down at her feet and licked them. In all the tortures, the holy martyr was preserved unharmed by the Providence of God. Finally, they tied her to two bulls and began to drive them in different directions with hot rods, but the strong ropes tore apart like a spider’s web, and the bulls ran away, but Saint Thekla remained unharmed. The people cried out: “Great is the God of the Christians!” The ruler himself was afraid, finally realizing that the holy martyr was protected by the Almighty God, Whom she served. He ordered the release of Thekla, the servant of God, to freedom. With the blessing of the Apostle Paul, Saint Thekla settled in the desert surroundings of Seleucia of Isauria and lived there for many years, constantly preaching the Word of God and healing the sick with prayer. Saint Thekla converted many pagans to Christ; The Church worthily calls her Equal to the Apostles. She even punished the pagan priest who encroached on her purity for his insolence and brought him to Holy Baptism. More than once the enemy of the human race tried to destroy Saint Thekla through people blinded by sin, but the power of God always preserved the faithful servant of Christ.
Prayers
In their prayer appeals to Saint Thekla, believers ask for healing, improved health, and family relationships.
About strengthening faith
O heavenly flower of chastity, o the first martyr of the New Testament, O Theklo, the bride of Christ, equal to the angels, purified by suffering and infused with the apostolic preaching, shone with purity, prosperous with many deeds and fragrant with glorious miracles! To whom let us liken you, O God-called one, who has trampled on every soul-destroying deception, pouring out the Holy Spirit into a vessel, a reservoir of wisdom, a source of healing, which cools the flames of all passions! Like a bright cloud, come and wash us with the rain of your prayer from mental and physical defilements. I have kindled a fire of love on my skin, make our hearts chaste and ignite love for Christ. As a sign of unyielding courage in suffering, strengthen our wavering hearts with the saving power of the Cross of the Lord; as our strong champion, I will take out those who are at enmity against us, the weak, and give us an invincible fiery shield, so that the cold demons, scorched by your prayers, may flee from us, and our bodies will be like temples of the Holy Spirit. To her, Theklo, wise and virtuous, turn away our eyes from the lusts of this world, so that we may betroth ourselves to Christ with an immaculate conscience; May our lamps be filled with the oil of chastity; we have sinned greatly by not maintaining fidelity to the Bridegroom Christ, and for this reason the imams have shut themselves outside the Bridal Chamber. Otherwise, do not reject your children who are praying to you, but, like a compassionate helper, clothe us in the vestments of the faith of strength, gird our loins with purity for the mortification of passions and the renewal of the spirit; Moreover, adorn our souls with meekness and humility, so that as children of God, like the lambs and sheep of Christ, we may pass through the temptations of this wicked world without restraint, and may we reach the longed-for Palace of Paradise, where all the wise virgins stand before the Throne of the Bridegroom of Christ, chanting the venerable Name of the Father and the Son , and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.
About healing from burns and illnesses
O blessed holy first martyr, virgin equal to the apostles, the most praiseworthy Theklo, the true bride of Christ, the beauty of the firmament of the church, the mental morning star of Heaven, the most luminous bead of purity and chastity, the fragrant blossom of the garden of Eden! You, who loved the very life of the only Lord more than all the good things, who suffered well for His Name, who was wondrously crowned by Him with the crowns of virginity, martyrdom and apostleship, who were included in the face of Heaven, even though you now rejoice in eternal glory, but did not abandon us who honor you, as a vigilant intercessor and merciful intercessor before God. And since your Bridegroom, sweetest Jesus, has given you the great grace, we humbly pray to you: heed the request of our hearts, do not leave us orphans in this world; visit us in the prison of existing sin, quickly raise us to vigorous repentance, teach our souls and bodies to maintain purity, direct us to the path of good deeds, inhale zeal towards the Gospel, infuse prayers with holy fire and lead us to Divine love. She, the kindly victorious first sufferer, since you can ask for many benefits from the Most Merciful Jesus our Savior, be a quick helper in this life. Intercede for us with angelic protection, heal the wounds and ulcers of the sick, send down grace-filled joy to those who mourn, protect youth and adolescence with purity, assist monks in labor and obedience, maintain indissoluble marriage, create invincible warriors in battles, and waste enemies of the faith and the Holy Church.
Pour out, O chosen one of Christ, your prayer for us to the Lord, that He may grant us a blameless course of life, a painless, comfortable, and peaceful old age; I am not ashamed of my death, the Mysteries of the Most Holy, the Body and Blood of His Divine One, I am a participant in the Kingdom of Heaven, and may we abide there with the ranks of Angels, and sing together with the saints in the Trinity of the glorified God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, to endless ages centuries. Amen.
About healing from illnesses of soul and body
O holy servant of God, equal to the Apostles to the First Martyr Theklo! Having fought a good fight on earth, you have received in Heaven the crown of righteousness, which the Lord has prepared for all who love Him. In the same way, looking at your holy image, we rejoice at the glorious end of your life and honor your holy memory. You, standing before the Throne of God, accept our prayers and bring them to the All-Merciful God, to forgive us every sin and help us against the wiles of the devil, so that, having been delivered from sorrows, illnesses, troubles and misfortunes and all evil, we will live piously and righteously in the present We will be worthy through your intercession, even though we are unworthy, to see good on the earth of the living, glorifying the One, in His saints glorifying God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Fighting skin diseases
Health is not something to joke about, so you should pay attention to even minor skin irritations. For the baptized, there are many ways to fight, for example, reading an Orthodox prayer to get rid of acne on the face. The prayer appeal can be read both in church and at home in front of the icon of the saint. It wouldn’t hurt to light a candle in church and ask for blessings for the treatment of skin diseases.
Many miraculous healings are associated with Artemy Verkolsky, so a strong prayer is read to him for acne on his face. The result of reading prayers to Artemy Verkolsky will only be if you turn to the saint sincerely and with faith. Prayer does not tolerate lies, you can confuse the words or read not a prayer at all, but say your own thoughts, it is important to do this with concentration. Therefore, it is advised to look at the icon, it helps to tune in to the request to the saint, to feel his presence.
Parents turn to the saint when they read a prayer for skin diseases in children. Kids cannot take care of themselves on their own, so they, like no one else, need the protection and support of their parents and the Lord.
