A heroine for teen girls

Today, July 17, is the feast day of the Great Martyr St. Marina. St. Marina was 15 years old when she contested for her faith in Christ. This morning I was blessed by reading her life from the volume The Lives of the Holy Women Martyrs published by Holy Apostles Convent in Buena Vista, Colorado.

As I read, I was deeply moved by her faith and our Lord’s response to her petitions before her soul ascended to Him. In the life and martyrdom of St. Marina we have a blessed testament, worthy to be read by Christian youth, especially teen girls. This teen-aged Saint is rightly called a heroine of the Christian Faith.

Marina was a faithful Christian during the third century. She was beautiful, intelligent and maintained strong convictions. Her greatest strength may have been that she recognized her own limitations and relied completely upon Christ for His strength to confess Him before the tyrant Olymvrios, knowing that she would suffer for her Faith. Through her humility and willingness to confess Christ wholeheartedly, God was glorified in and through her life. He has, as an everlasting testimony, glorified His servant, Marina. We remember her today as a Great Martyr as her witness converted multitudes. And, even in our time, we learn about miracles wrought by St. Marina!

I came across this edifying entry about St. Marina on Full of Grace and Truth blogsite: http://full-of-grace-and-truth.blogspot.com/2008/10/great-miracle-of-st-marina.html. John Sanidopoulos’ web site, also, contains a lovely tribute to St. Marina. It, too, mentions her as a heroine for teen girls: http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2009/07/saint-marina-great-martyr-role-model.html

If you have time today, share her life with an Orthodox teen-aged girl you know. And let us remember that St. Marina continues to hear the prayers and requests of the faithful as is beautifully noted in the blogsite articles. Holy Great Martyr Marina, pray to God for us!