By Metropolitan Augustounos (Kantiotes) of Florina
(Delivered at the Monastery of Saint Paraskevi, Milochoriou, Eordaia, on Wednesday 26 July 1967)
(Delivered at the Monastery of Saint Paraskevi, Milochoriou, Eordaia, on Wednesday 26 July 1967)
Who, my beloved, was Saint Paraskevi whom we are celebrating? What was her life, her words and her miracles? It is not easy to relate these in detail. But let us reverently approach this sacred figure.
Saint Paraskevi was born in the capital of the ancient world, in Rome, during the reign of Emperor Antoninus (138-161 AD). Her wealthy parents, Agathon and Politeia, were Christians, but were childless. They promised, therefore, that if they would be granted a child, it would be dedicated to the Lord. God indeed granted them a girl, and because she was born on Friday ("Paraskevi" in Greek), they gave her the name Paraskevi. They raised her as a Christian. This girl, however, had the misfortune of losing both of her parents while she was still young. She had, on the other hand, the great blessing to have had faith in Christ take root within her at the proper time. As she grew, her love for the Lord lit a fire within her soul. This holy fire, which is not from the earth, but which is lit from Heaven, was so great, that all the waters could not quench it (Song of Songs 8:7). Happy are all those who experience this.
She loved Christ with her whole heart. Not simply with words, but with deeds. The sign of this was how she responded to the voice of the Gospel: "Sell what you have and give to the poor..." (Matthew 19:21). If this voice were heard in our community, would there be souls that would respond likewise? Saint Paraskevi, the orphan who inherited a great fortune, distributed her goods to the poor.
She embraced the monastic life and began to preach Christ in Rome and the surrounding areas. She founded a convent, in which were gathered girls who loved the Lord, and she made a missionary sisterhood, whose goal was to show mercy on the poor and to teach women. With the good example of this sisterhood, and with the fiery preaching of Saint Paraskevi, many women who were idolaters came to believe in Christ.
She shown like a morning star, like an angel. Other women and girls of her time were dressed in silk. The patricians in Rome and the ladies of the great families were seen carrying their entire fortune with their jewels. For there are women who are vain; as a tortoise carries its entire house upon itself, so they carry with them all their husband's property.
Saint Paraskevi did not wear silk. She had another garment, one incorrupt and eternal. She was adorned with modesty, a garment which is not corrupted by time.
Other women, both then and to this day, try to look beautiful on the outside. They paint their lips, cheeks, eyebrows, eyelashes with crayons and powders. But if you ask me: which woman's eyes are the most beautiful? I will answer you that the most beautiful women's eyes are those that shed tears when they hear the name of Christ, when they pray, when they see the Epitaphios and the Holy of Holies. Saint Paraskevi had such beauty. She never used any cosmetics other than the tears that flowed from her eyes when she rose at midnight and prayed under the stars of heaven; these became precious diamonds, which were taken by angels and carried to heaven to adorn the crown of virginity her.
Other women put precious, very expensive earrings in their ears. But if you ask me: which woman's ears are the most beautiful? I will tell you that they are not the ears of those who adorn themselves with such earrings, which can be destroyed or stolen; the most beautiful woman's ears are those which turn willingly to hear the voice of their husband, and above all those who are willing, like the ears of Saint Paraskevi, to obey the voice of the Gospel, the voice of Christ who said: "Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it" (Luke 11:28).
Other women of her time, such as the empresses of Rome, wore a luxurious belt around their waists. For Saint Paraskevi, the belt was the restraint she lived by. These were the adornments of Saint Paraskevi, and this is how all women and girls who want to be called Orthodox Christians should adorn themselves.
However, her actions caused a reaction; such is the law of life. Whoever fights will be fought. Only the dead do not fight. Those who in this world fight "the good fight" (1 Tim. 6:12), will definitely meet the reaction of the enemy. Bad children do not throw stones at fruitless trees, but at fruit-bearing trees; and Saint Paraskevi, who was a tree full of fruit, was next to receive the stoning of the instruments of Satan.
She was primarily fought by the Jews, who have always viewed Christianity as the enemy. Two of them complained to Emperor Antoninus that a woman was disturbing his empire and that, if she continued like this, there would not be a person left who did not believe in Christ. By order of Antoninus, Saint Paraskevi was arrested and led before the emperor. He was amazed at her natural beauty and proposed to her:
"Deny Christ and I will make you empress."
She answered: "I would be very foolish to deny the light and accept the darkness, to deny Christ and worship the devil, because the idols are devils."
He tried again with sweet words and promises to win her over, but it was impossible. "I am giving you a deadline of three days, to think more maturely and to decide, either to become empress or you will suffer martyrdom."
"Emperor, don't bother," she told him, "for if you were to give me not three, but thirty days or thirty years, I won't change my mind; whatever you have to do, do it immediately."
Do you see, my beloved, how a woman stood fearless? Whoever truly believes and loves Christ, whether a woman or a man, is not afraid of allurements or threats, nor people, nor the devil, nor the whole world. The true Christian is a hero, because the gospel highlights heroes. Saint Paraskevi proved to be a heroine and an unshakable rock of faith.
Her martyrdom is one of the most moving. I will mention only one detail of it. Antoninus ordered a cauldron to be set up and tar to be boiled in it. And while the tar was boiling, he cast the Saint into the cauldron. Many do not believe this; it is their right. We, however, believe in Christ and the miracles of the saints. As soon as the Saint entered the cauldron, she made the sign of the cross and that which was boiling turned into dew, as if it were cool water! Antoninus was amazed. He wondered if this was a trick? "Sprinkle me with it," he told her. She threw a handfull into his face, and the Emperor was blinded, his whole face was burned, and he began to entreat the Saint. And she, with her prayer, healed him, and all the people cried out: "Great and true is the God of the Christians!" Thousands of people believed on the day of her martyrdom.
Finally, Antoninus believed, but his successor continued the persecution against the Christians and the Saint was martyred. A soldier led her to the place of execution; his sword flashed, her honorable head was cut off, but her holy soul flew like a dove to the heavens, to be with the great Theotokos, the Saints and the Angels, to entreat on behalf of us sinners.
See, my beloved, what one woman accomplished! She astonished the whole world. And what are we doing today, clergy and laity? In comparison to her, we have not accomplished anything. On the occasion, however, of her memory, let us honor her with love, and be taught by her example, and let us live as true Christians, and work in our social circles with philotimo.
Let us entreat Saint Paraskevi. And let us light a candle not just for our family and for our children, but for our homeland, that we might continue to walk the path of Christ, because only then there will be blessedness. May the Lord be with us. Amen.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
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