Virgin and Martyr.
She was born around 282 viv to Egypt. She died a martyr’s death around l. 307 in Alexandria.
At the time of her martyrdom for her loyalty to Christ, she was a young woman around 25 years old. Already as a teenager, she was mystically married to Christ. According to tradition, she was a very beautiful girl from the royal family.
She suggested to the torturers to convert and accept faith in Christ.
According to legend, her body was taken by angels immediately after her death to Mount Sinai, where milk and oil with miraculous healing powers flowed from her grave. Today, the famous monastery of St. Catherine under Mojzesovo gora – Sinaim.
The oldest legend about her martyrdom is from the 6th or 7th century. This legend was brought to Europe by crusaders in the 11th century. The people included this saint alongside Barbara and Marjeta, the other two saints from the East, as helpers in times of need, and she is also a very popular and venerated saint in Slovenia.
On the spread of worship of St. The fact that there are 35 churches dedicated to her on Slovenian soil speaks for Katarina here. St. Catherine is also mentioned in Slovenian legends and folk songs.
Legend has it that the emperor Maxentius or Maximinus, upon leaving Alexandria, ordered that all the inhabitants must sacrifice bulls and birds to the gods. Catherine, who was of royal birth, went with her servants to the sanctuary to encourage the Christians to be faithful.
The emperor called her to her defense, and Catherine bravely told him: “Why do you destroy people by worshiping idols? Learn to know God, the Creator of the world, and his only Son, Jesus Christ, who saved humanity from hell with the cross!”
The emperor ordered her to be brought to his palace. He summoned wise men and orators to dissuade Catherine from Christianity. Catherine, however, knew how to speak so convincingly about the Christian faith that she converted all those emperor’s sages. The emperor had them burned alive. At the same time, he proposed to Katarina to marry him and promised her that he would divorce and marry his wife. Katarina refused his offer and told him that she was consecrated to Christ.
When the emperor could not achieve anything, he threatened her with punishments. He threw her into prison, where Christ visited her and a dove brought her food. Even the prison did not bow down to Catherine, so the emperor sentenced her to death by bicycle: the sharp knives on the bicycle were supposed to cut her. But that didn’t happen: the bike fell apart. After her miraculous rescue, the empress and the high courtier Porphyrius stood up for Catherine. Both converted to Christianity and suffered martyrdom. Katarina was also supposed to be executed by beheading. As she was being led out of the city, she prayed for all the faithful and God spoke to her from the cloud. When her head was cut off, milk spurted from her neck instead of blood. Angels quickly carried her body to Mount Sinai, where the famous monastery of St. Catherine stands today. In the vicinity of Mojzesova gora, the mountain of St. is also named after her. Katarine (Gabal Katrîne), which is the highest mountain in Egypt (2,629 masl).
St. Katarina is one of the 14 intercessors in need. She is the patroness of girls, youth, printers, ceramicists, philosophers and scholars; they are recommended to her against migraines, diseases of the tongue, for finding drowned people and for a happy last hour; unmarried girls, workers who work with wheels (potters, knife sharpeners, tanners, wheelwrights, weavers, millers), as well as archivists, painters, educators, lawyers, lawyers, librarians, booksellers, girl, mechanics, hatters, nurses, mendicants, preachers, schoolchildren, students, scribes, secretaries, old virgins, stenographers, students, theologians and theologians. Among the institutions recommended to her are the University of Paris and many other institutions around the world. More than 1,100 years later, her heavenly voice inspired St. Joan of Arc (1412-1431). St. Katarina was an adviser to St. Ivan of Orleans also during the court process. St. was also revealed. Matilda.
St. Catherine is one of the more frequently depicted saints in Slovenia. She is usually depicted with a wheel, a sword and a palm branch. In Istria, olive trees were sometimes harvested on her farm. One of the biggest farm holidays was Katarina’s dance on the evening of November 25, which was also the day when they used to be able to get married for the last time before Advent.
Among the hundred most common Slovenian names in 1980, the name Katarina was in 30th place. Besides Katarina, the most famous versions are Katja, Katica, Kati, and a little less Katka, Katika, Katinka, Katra, Katrina, Kata, Katalin, Katija, Katjuša. The root of the name Katarina is the Greek word “katara”, which means “pure”.
Historian Vojko Pavlin wrote: In her honor and with our church above Kromberk, Solkan and Nova Gorica in mind, Vinko Vodopivec wrote a mass (Missa in honorem sanctae Catharinae), which we sing in our churches on the feast of Christ the King and on the feast of St. Catherine.
In the attachment, I am attaching recordings of this mass, which was performed at some Močnik course, without the Lord’s Prayer, which is also part of the mass, but is no longer performed.
St. Katarina, pray for us!
Prayer to St. Catherine of Alexandria
St. Catherine of Alexandria, your name means that you are pure.
Fragrant heavenly flower; opponents wanted her to be a prostitute.
Be blessed for your tenacity, tenacity, wisdom and beauty!
Please ask us also for courage for purity, truth, justice, heavenly wisdom and beauty.
You bravely refused to worship pagan gods. Help us to live according to the Gospel and ask us for the intelligence of the Holy Spirit, so that in a world permeated with idolatry of things, superstition, magic, spiritism and spiritualism, we will profess faith in Jesus Christ, who was crucified but rose from the dead and the living.
They cut off your head, which was not made according to the wishes of the rulers. Many Christians today have renounced Christ and are indifferent to the Christian faith. Philosophers wanted to convert you to paganism, but the opposite happened. Great thinkers who claimed that Jesus Christ, who died on the cross, could not be God, were converted with you. Open our spiritual eyes to overcome the errors and delusions of our time. Warm us for God, for holiness and eternity.
We live in the time of a modern plague, which is not only physical, but also spiritual. Raise your sword so we can overcome moral disorder. Bless our homeland.
You died a violent death young in the best years of your life. Patron of youth and students; enlighten the souls of the young and kindle in them the desire for genuine genius and heavenly joy.
They tortured you on the bike, but only that was crushed. Patron of abused women; let our relations be imbued with mutual respect, kindness and benevolence.
Patroness of nursing mothers, grant that mothers will feed their children with tenderness and love.
Jesus says: ” Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away” (Luke 21:33). St. Catherine, your body rests at the foot of Mount Sinai. Remind us of the importance of living according to God’s word. Thank you for your overflowing love. thank you for being the protector of Goriška. Reign with St. Katarina, the hill named after you. Reign in our hearts.
Bogdan Vidmar
Nova Gorica, 25/11/2024
