Equal-to-the-Apostles Saint Nina, educator of Georgia: icon, prayer and monastery

Virtually every country has a righteous man who is considered the patron of his land. There is your favorite and most honorable idol in Georgia. St. Nina's Day - January 27 in this region is a very important event.

Character of the person

The name of this blessed in Georgia is as popular as Tatiana in Russia. Moreover, every resident of the country knows when they celebrate the day of this person's memory. A woman is considered an enlightener and patroness of this region.

By the nature of the girls, who are called by this name, are very patient and good-natured. They have been raised and tolerant since childhood. And this is not surprising. After all, their heavenly defender, at one time, was very merciful to everyone without exception. It helped both Christians and Gentiles, regardless of religion. In youth, women with this name in all actions try to be wise. And in old age become an example for imitation. Many positive qualities were enjoyed by Saint Nina. The names of ladies with such a remarkable name are celebrated on January 27. It was on this day that the righteous left the earthly world and went to heavenly.

On the icon, the Equal of the Apostles is depicted with a cross on which the vine is curled. Also in the other hand she holds the Gospel. It was with the word of God that the blessed woman walked the world. For merits and a great mission, this woman is equated with equals.

Biography of the woman is very touching and interesting. Saint Nina lived an amazing life. But her story began long before the birth of the righteous.

The fate of being a preacher

Immediately after the ascension of Christ to heaven, his disciples gathered to cast lots: who in what direction would go to glorify the name of the Lord. For example, Andrew Primordial went to the land, where subsequently formed Kievan Rus. Together with the disciples of Jesus, there was the Mother of God. The Most Pure, when she saw that the best Christians diverge around the world in order to tell the Gentiles about the Most High, she said she also wants to preach. To refuse her such a request, the apostles did not dare. Therefore, Mary fell a distant country Iberia, where more than two centuries later lived Saint Nina. Now it is the territory of modern Georgia.

Having received its inheritance, the Mother of God was ready to set off on the road. But suddenly an angel appeared before her and told him to wait. He assured the woman that she would fulfill her destiny. But now is not the right time for this.

And about 280 years in the city of Cappadocia, which is in the territory of modern Turkey, a girl was born, who was named Nina. Near their house there were many Georgian settlements. Parents were good Christians. Father soldier and more than once helped believers to avoid death at the hands of the pagan tsars. His family was very famous and respected. From this family there was a great martyr George. Therefore, we can safely say that Saint Nina inherited the love of God.

The girl's mother was the sister of the Patriarch of Jerusalem. Their family was very respected and enjoyed the favor of the emperor himself.

A touching story

When the girl was twelve, the parents went to Jerusalem and decided to devote their lives to serving the Lord. My father went to the desert, and my mother was put in deaconesses, so that she could help the poor and the destitute in the church. It was a pity to part with an only child to parents. But they knew that a great future is waiting for her, the guide in which will be the Mother of God. The further fate of my mother and father remained unknown to history.

Saint Nina went to the righteous old woman, who was called Nianfor. Grandmother told the girl about the life of Jesus. The biography of the Son of God touched the child so much that she cried more than once. Within two years she became a true believer. Then the tutor told the disciple about the crucifixion and torment of the Savior. Nina was carried away by history. She was very interested in the fate of the Lord's tunic. This clothing was of great importance for the Christian world. Like all the things of the Messiah, she had an amazing gift of healing.

The girl asked what had happened to the Chiton of Christ. To this the woman replied that according to legend, the soldiers who were present at the crucifix threw lots. Therefore, the clothes went to the soldier. Then it was bought by a man who was a Georgian. Then he took her to Iveria.

It was very touched by this story, Saint Nina. "The Georgian land and the territories that surround it," the mentor added, "still live in ignorance, and people there obey the pagan gods."

Great mission

A lot of time the girl thought about how unfairly treated with the relic. In her prayers, the righteous woman asked the Virgin Mary to help her to go to a distant land Iberia, in order to find a chiton, and also to preach the truths of the Lord. She was burning with a desire to show the people who live there, the power of God and guide them to the right faith.

Prayers were heard. In a dream, a pious virgin Mary came. The Mother of God told the girl to go to a distant country. Also, the Mother of God explained that she would become her patroness. Then St. Nina doubted her power. The cross, woven from the vine that Maria gave her in a dream, was real and real. Handing the relic to the girl, the Mother of God said that this symbol will be her charm and will drive away trouble.

The next day the righteous woman went to the Patriarch. When he heard about the dream and saw the cross, he blessed Nina for the journey. She went along with other virgins who fled from the Roman pagan king. However, their journey was short-lived. The enemies caught up with the Christians and brutally dealt with them. It was only Nina who managed to escape the evil fate. Then she hid in the bush of a rose. It was led by a higher power. It was hard to watch the brutal pagans straighten out with the Christians. But not only the picture of death was seen by Saint Nina, the educator of Georgia. A miracle was revealed to her. She watched as the souls of innocent girls admire God. Memorial Day for these maidens is September 30th.

The Power of Prayer

The girl went on alone. Many dangers and troubles awaited her on the way. But miraculously the righteous always escaped. On the way she got acquainted with Georgian families and studied their traditions. When the Christian finally reached the city, where the tunic was believed to have been hidden, she saw a terrible picture. The heathen sacrificed idols. This ritual so unpleasantly struck the girl that she at the same moment began to pray to the Lord that he would deprive these people of false belief. At the same moment, thunder and lightning struck, and the heathen idols burned to the ground. Then the people realized that God is stronger than their idols.

Nina lived in the house of the king's gardener. He and his wife had no children and adopted a foreigner as a sister. In the corner of the park St. Nina settled. The prayer was pure and sincere. Very soon people began to contact her for knowledge and help. The first one she healed was the gardener's wife. After this miracle, the woman became the mother of many wonderful children. More and more people accepted the faith of Christ and were healed.

One of the converts told Nina an amazing story. It turned out that a certain man from Georgia bought a tunic from a warrior who was in the execution of Jesus. His mother, a Jewish woman, predicted the death of Jesus and was very worried about this. She felt the death of the Messiah and died herself, for a thousand kilometers from the center of events. When the son returned home, his sister, hearing the story of Christ, pressed her clothes to her, bitterly wept and fell down dead. No matter how hard they tried, they could not wrest a holy relic from strong hands. Therefore, the girl was buried with the tunic. However, the place of burial was unknown. But they said that the body was hidden in the royal garden. Therefore, Saint Nina of Georgia began her own searches. Then she often stopped at a large cedar and prayed there.

Gift of the healer

Only King Mirian did not stop worshiping idols. He even intended to destroy all Christians on his land. But then his eyes darkened, and he lost his sight. The lord of his gods long asked to help him, but in vain. Only when he asked the Christian Lord for salvation, he again began to see. Immediately after this event, he fell at the feet of Nina and asked him to teach him to be a true believer.

Continued to reveal the secrets of religion to blessed people. The righteous woman spoke of true faith. The king asked the priests to come from Greece, who also taught the people. Therefore, step by step, the Orthodox Georgia became. Saint Nina, meanwhile, continued to work miracles.

The king decided to set up a church in his garden. The place chose an unusual one. There then grew a huge cedar, under which people were healed many times. And before that blessed dream had a dream, in which she saw that it was under this tree that the tunic was hidden. Therefore, the desire of the righteous man fulfilled. From six branches of cedar they made poles for the temple, and they could not raise the seventh. Since it, as Nina supposed, miro has gone. It treated even hopelessly sick people.

A lot of people believed in the Most High and was baptized over the years. However, in the mountains there were tribes that still lived in the dark. Therefore, refusing honor and glory, Nina decided to go to those distant lands to help the Gentiles accept the true God. The inhabitants of the mountains listened to the words of the righteous and began to believe in Christ.

Glory, through the ages

A lot of goodness was made foreign. Because of her great strength and boundless faith, the Orthodox world celebrates the day of Saint Nina. A woman lived 65 (67 - according to other sources) for years. Of these, 35 held in Georgia, preaching the word of God.

Her death she felt earlier, so she asked friends to take her from the mountains to the royal garden. With a light heart, a woman went to the heavenly world. Near the bed of the dying crowd gathered. One of her disciples, Nina, the Equal-to-the-Apostles, told about her life. It is from these records that the history of the patroness of Georgia is known to us today.

Bequeathed the benefactor to bury the body in the place of a modest tent, at the end of the garden where she spent all these years. After the death of the healer, the king decided that the infallible should be buried in the capital's church. But no matter how hard they tried, they could not lift the body of the deceased. Therefore, the ruler decided to build a church around this place. The king's case was completed by his son.

The temple of St. Nina is located in the eastern part of Georgia - Kakheti. Repeatedly the building was renovated. But for all the years of existence there has been a whole tomb of the preacher. There is a legend that when the barbarians and the Mongol-Tatars approached the tomb, even with a finger they were afraid to touch it. Such a beautiful and at the same time she was radiant. Over time, the building expanded. The church was consecrated in honor of the famous relative of the woman - St. George.

Georgians in all ages revered this saint. Therefore, for a long time even coronations took place on the grave.

Memory of the Equal-to-the-Apostles Virgo

The church of St. Nina at one time turned into a monastery. And this building played a deeper role than just spiritual. Here worked the theological school, the largest library in the country, taught humanities and exact sciences.

Hard times waited for a shrine in the Soviet period. She was plundered and almost destroyed. After the collapse of the USSR, the temple again earned. Nuns here are not only engaged in ordinary work with the household, but also rewrite the sacred texts, embroider and draw pictures.

Today the relics of the preacher are kept in the Bodbe monastery.

This convent remains one of the largest in Georgia. In addition, that the temple has an aesthetic value, it also has tremendous energy. Everyone who comes here feels a good trend. Many people come here and for advice and for salvation. The monastery of St. Nina joyfully accepts good guests, regardless of the time of the year.

However, those who want to see the cross of the righteous will need to visit another shrine. The relic, in the course of historical events, was in the main cathedral in Tbilisi. This cross was handed to Nina by the Mother of God. It should be noted that it is very different from other symbols. His ends are lowered down, he is gossiped from the vine and entangled in the hair of the righteous. Especially a lot of people have a relic on the day of Saint Nina.

But near the monastery remained a cave, where a woman once prayed. There she was preparing for a difficult mission in the mountains. Because of the requests and tears, water began to stand out from the stone. Today, this source gives healing to people.

I fulfilled the task that the Mother of God trusted her, the preacher is perfect. Since her teachings and science have been successful, the Church calls the righteous - the Equal-to-the-Apostles. Because this woman, like other disciples of Jesus, contributed to the fact that all the people of the country were baptized. That is why Georgia, like the whole world, celebrates the day of Saint Nina - January 27.

Foreign healer

Blessed one can pray for the healing of children. History shows that the righteous often helped unhappy kids. As soon as she settled in the royal garden, one of the first patients was the son of an unhappy woman. Mother walked the streets with a crumb on her hands and begged passers-by for help. But none of the people could help her dying child. Then the poor woman went to the saint. The righteous woman ordered to put the baby on the bed of the leaves. Then she began to pray over him. After a while, the boy recovered and began to play joyfully.

This is not the only case when Saint Nina helped the child. The Equal-to-the-Apostles virgin had no prejudices and treated everyone, both pagans and Christians. When the cedar began to drain the ointment, a woman came to the tree, whose son was ill for seven years. She told the righteous that she sincerely believes in the Lord and His Son. Then Nina laid her hand on the trunk, and then on the child - and that miracle cured.

Therefore, everyone can pray to the saint. It helps children whose illnesses are considered hopeless. To ask the blessed is sincere and frank. The power of prayer does not depend on the place where the text is read. If the request is good, then it will come true.

Not only the children worked as a Christian. He treats those who have lost sight of Saint Nina. Equal-to-the-Apostles still had a gift to heal this ailment. Legends say that when the cedar began to let out a miro, then an old Jew came to him. He did not see him from birth. Sensing the miracles that the Christian faith does, he laid his hopes on the Son of God and the mercy of the Most High. Feeling good intentions in the man, Nina wet her hands in miraculous mira and anointed them with grandfather's eyes. At the same moment the Jew received his sight. The old man saw the light.

Defender of travelers

You can ask the healer about the birth of children. As it was said in the history, the stranger helped the gardener's wife first. After the miracle, the woman became the happy mother of many wonderful children. Therefore, if one of the couple suffers from infertility, Saint Nina will help him in trouble. The icon, the cross or the tomb of the Orthodox righteous have the same power.

Another reason to turn with prayers to a benefactress is the despondency of the native person. If a friend or relative lost faith in the Lord or converted to a sect, the preacher can help. During her life she fought against the darkness of other religions. Often could become a victim of pagans. But, thanks to faith in the Most High, she escaped. Therefore, even after her death, Nina will be able to reason with a person and return his faith.

On the day of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Nina, one should pray to the righteous. You can address the heavenly resident by saying: "Miraculous and good-natured defender of Georgia. We come to you and ask for your help. Drive away evil and evil spirits from us, take away evil thoughts and grieve vain. Ask for us in our Most High. Give us the power that was given to you. Take from our homes and the hearts of evil demons. Let our faith grow stronger, how your pure word grew. "

Also, this righteous person is prayed by those who go on a long journey or are about to do some important, great thing. The maiden apostle left her land to help other people to know the Lord. Therefore, she became the patroness of travelers. For those who often wander, one must pray to the preacher on the feast day of Saint Nina.

To ask for help from the blessed one must be without reproach, from the heart. Words pure and sincere will surely be heard by a righteous woman. A merciful and kindly preacher will never leave a person in distress. For her earthly life, she has not denied anyone a warm word and treatment.

The Orthodox faith is very strong. But it reveals the true secrets to those who know the history. The life of this woman is amazing. Upon learning of this person, a person begins to look at religion differently.