For women, girls and girls with the name Apollinaria, name days are celebrated three times a year. The church name completely coincides with the secular one - Apollinaria.
The female name Apollinaria came to us from Ancient Rome. It was formed from the male name Apollinaris (in Latin Apollinaris), which in turn was formed from the name of the god Apollo, the god of arts, light and prediction. This means that the female name means "belonging to Apollo", "dedicated to Apollo." Along with this version, there is an opinion that the name could be formed from the words polyusis ("liberated") or polis ("city").
Apollinaria is an interesting person, who is characterized by responsiveness, care and kindness. Her personal qualities are formed at an early age and do not change with age. Apollinaria is a very vulnerable and sensitive nature. She reacts sharply to criticism and comments addressed to her, believing that by this she was reproached and insulted. He does everything diligently and diligently, expecting that others will appreciate it.
Apollinaria cannot be called "white and fluffy." If anyone dares to offend her or her loved ones, she will stand up without hesitation. In this situation, she can be tough and cruel. a very vindictive person and hardly goes to reconciliation. She is quite wayward, pressure from her will not achieve anything. But there is one secret. In order for her to meet halfway, you need to be affectionate and kind with her. She feels inspired when she feels warmth and care from those around her.
Apollinaria always acts with her inherent impulsiveness. Her decisions always depend on her mood. However, she has a special discipline and pedantry. It can be described as obligatory and organized. Communication with her can be very difficult at times. For her pedantry, excessive decency and punctuality, some consider her a bore.
Apollinaria has a large number of friends, to whom she treats reverently and caringly. She will always offer her help. She perceives the problems of friends as her own and tries to solve them with all her responsibility.
Polina is an excellent performer in her work. The management appreciates such a reliable employee for his commitment and responsibility. She will make a good and competent specialist - a psychologist, teacher, social worker.
The family for Apollinaria occupies a special place in life, although she is not ready to sacrifice work for the sake of the family. She perfectly manages to combine both family and profession. For a spouse, she will be both a wife, and a lover, and a friend, provided that they fully trust each other. If she finds out about her husband's infidelity, she will divorce without regrets. Polina is a caring mother, even too much. The life of children, even adults, she will keep under control. At home, she is a wonderful mistress, with everything in its place. In her house there is an atmosphere of comfort, warmth and trust.
One of the three patrons of the name was Saint Apollinaria (Dorotheus), the daughter of King Anfelius. The girl flatly refused to marry, because she wanted to devote her life to God. At first, the father was against it, but in the end he accepted the choice of his daughter and wanted to send her to a monastery. Before that, she went to Jerusalem, wanted to visit the holy places. All the gold and silver that her parents gave her with them, she distributed to those in need. She set free all the slaves accompanying her. On the way to the skete, her retinue stopped for the night. At night, she changed into monastic robes and hid in a swamp, where she lived as a hermit for the next 7 years. The Lord protected Apollinaria and helped her. Once an angel came to her and ordered her to go to the skete under the male name Dorotheus. Apollinaria implicitly obeyed. In the skete, monk Dorotheus was noted for the severity of fasting and prayers. For this, she began to have the gift of healing. In the form of Dorotheus, she even came to her home and healed her sister. The parents recognized their daughter, but did not say a word. They understood the fate and the feat that their Apollinaria performed. Only after death did everyone realize that Dorofei was actually a woman.
The martyr Apollinaria Tupitsyna (1878 - 1937) is known in Russian history. Until 1917 she lived in the Volgograd region and served as a nurse. Then she began to wander around the country, spent a lot of time at services in different churches. She made a living doing laundry, cleaning, babysitting. In 1937, she was slandered and arrested. She was considered a counter-revolutionary and shot.
After the death of the Greek king Arcadius 1, his son Theodosius 2 remained a small, eight-year-old boy and could not rule the kingdom; therefore, the brother of Arcadius, the Roman emperor Honorius 3, entrusted the guardianship of the young king and the administration of the entire Greek kingdom to one of the most important dignitaries, anfipat 4 named Anthemius 5, a wise and very pious husband. This enthipat, until Theodosius grew up, was revered by everyone as a king at that time, which is why St. Simeon Metaphrastus, starting to write this life, says: “in the reign of the pious king Anthemius,” and throughout this story he calls him king. This Anthemius had two daughters, of whom one, the youngest, had an unclean spirit in her from childhood, and the eldest from her youth spent time in holy churches and prayers. The name of this latter was Apollinaria. When she reached the age of majority, her parents began to think about how to marry her, but she refused this and told them:
I want to go to a monastery, listen to the Divine Scripture there and see the order of monastic life.
Her parents told her:
We want to marry you.
She answered them:
I don’t want to get married, but I hope that God will keep me in fear of Him pure, as He keeps His holy virgins in purity!
It seemed very surprising to her parents that she spoke so, while still so young, and that she was embraced to such an extent by love for the Divine. But Apollinaria again began to beg her parents to bring some nun to her, who would teach her the psalter and the reading of holy scriptures. Anthemius, on the other hand, grieved not a little about her intention, because he wanted to marry her off. When the girl did not change her desire and refused all the gifts that were offered to her by noble young men who were looking for her hand, her parents said to her:
What do you want, daughter?
She answered them:
I ask you to give me to God - and you will receive a reward for my virginity!
Seeing that her intention was unshakable, strong and pious, they said:
May the will of the Lord be done!
And they brought an experienced nun to her, who taught her to read divine books. Then she told her parents:
I ask you to let me travel so that I can see the holy places in Jerusalem. There I will pray and worship the honest Cross and the Holy Resurrection of Christ!
They did not want to let her go, because she was their only comfort in the house, and they loved her very much, since her other sister was possessed by a demon. Apollinaria, for a long time, begged her parents with her requests, and now, against their will, they finally agreed to let her go. They gave her many slaves and slaves, a lot of gold and silver, and said:
Take this, daughter, and go, fulfill your vow, for God wants you to be his servant!
Having put her on the ship, they said goodbye to her and said:
Remember us, daughter, in prayers in holy places!
She told them:
As you fulfill the desire of my heart, so may God fulfill your petitions and deliver you in the day of sorrow!
So, separated from her parents, she set sail. Having reached Ascalon 6, she stayed here for several days because of the excitement of the sea and went around all the churches and monasteries there, praying and giving alms to the needy. Here she found companions for her journey to Jerusalem and, having come to the holy city, she bowed to the Resurrection of the Lord and the Holy Cross, praying fervently for her parents. During these days of her pilgrimage, Apollinaria also visited women's monasteries, donating large sums for their needs. At the same time, she began to set free surplus slaves and slaves, and gave them with a generous hand a reward for their service and entrusted herself to their prayers. A few days later, at the end of her prayers in the holy places, Apollinaria, visiting the Jordan, said to those who remained with her:
My brethren, I want to free you too, but first let's go to Alexandria and worship Saint Mina 7 .
They also said:
Let it be as you, mistress, command!
When they were approaching Alexandria, the proconsul 8 learned about her arrival and sent honorable people to meet her and greet her like a royal daughter. She, not wanting the honors prepared for her, entered the city at night and herself, appearing at the house of the proconsul, greeted him and his wife. The proconsul and his wife fell at her feet, saying:
Why did you do this, ma'am? we sent to greet you, and you, our lady, yourself came to us with a bow.
Blessed Apollinaria said to them:
Do you want to please me?
They also answered:
Of course, ma'am!
Then the saint said to them:
Let me go immediately, do not bother me with honors, for I want to go and pray to the holy martyr Mina.
And they, honoring her with precious gifts, let her go. The blessed one gave those gifts to the poor. After that, she remained in Alexandria for several days, going around the churches and monasteries. At the same time, she found in the house where she stayed, one old woman, to whom Apollinaria gave a generous alms and begged her to secretly buy her a mantle, a paramande, a hood and a leather belt, and all the men's clothes of a monastic rank. The old woman, agreeing, bought all this and, bringing it to the blessed one, said:
God help you my mother!
Having received the monastic robes, Apollinaria hid them at home so that her companions would not know about it. Then she released the slaves and slaves who remained with her, except for two - one old slave and the other eunuch, and, having boarded the ship, sailed to Limna. From there she hired four animals and went to the tomb of the holy martyr Mina. Having venerated the relics of the saint and made her prayers, Apollinaria in a closed chariot went to the skete to bow to the holy fathers who lived there. It was evening when she set off, and she ordered the eunuch to be behind the chariot, and the slave who was in front, ruled over the animals. The blessed one, sitting in a closed chariot and having monastic clothes with her, performed a secret prayer, asking the Lord for help in the work she had undertaken. Darkness had fallen and midnight was approaching; the chariot also approached a swamp, which was located at the source, which later became known as the source of Apollinaria. Throwing back the veil of the chariot, blessed Apollinaria saw that both of her attendants, the eunuch and the charioteer, were dozing off. Then she took off her worldly clothes and put on a monastic man's attire, addressing God with these words:
You, Lord, gave me the beginning of this image, grant me to carry it to the end, according to Your Holy will!
Then, signing herself with the sign of the cross, she quietly got down from the chariot, while her servants were sleeping, and, entering the swamp, hid here until the chariot drove on. The saint settled in that desert by the swamp and lived alone in the face of the One God whom she loved. God, seeing her heartfelt attraction to Him, covered her with His right hand, helping her in the fight against invisible enemies, and giving her bodily food in the form of fruit from a date tree.
When the chariot, with which the saint secretly descended, moved on, the servants, the eunuch and the elder woke up in the light of the approaching day, noticing that the chariot was empty, they were very frightened; they saw only the clothes of their mistress, but they did not find her herself. They wondered, not knowing when she got off, where she went and for what purpose, taking off all her clothes. They searched for her for a long time, called her with a loud voice, but, not finding her, decided to turn back, not knowing what else to do. So, having returned to Alexandria, they announced everything to the proconsul of Alexandria, and he, extremely surprised at the report made to him, immediately wrote to the enthipat Anthemius, the father of Apollinaria, with details, and sent him with the eunuch and the elder her clothes remaining in the chariot. Anthemius, having read the letter of the proconsul, together with his wife, the mother of Apollinaria, sobbed long and inconsolably together, examining the clothes of his beloved daughter, and all the nobles wept with them. Then Anthemius prayerfully exclaimed:
God! You have chosen her, You and establish her in Your fear!
When, after this, everyone wept again, some of the nobles began to console the king with these words:
This is the true daughter of a virtuous father, this is the true branch of a pious king! In this, sovereign, your virtue received evidence before all, for which God blessed you with such a daughter!
Saying this and much more, they somewhat calmed the bitter grief of the king. And everyone prayed to God for Apollinaria, so that He would strengthen her in such a life, for they understood that she had gone to a difficult desert life, as it actually happened.
The holy virgin lived for several years at the place where she got off the chariot, staying in the desert near the swamp, from which entire clouds of stinging mosquitoes rose. There she waged a struggle with the devil and with her body, which was previously tender; like the body of a girl who grew up in royal luxury, and then became like the armor of a tortoise, for she withered it with labor, fasting and vigil and gave it to mosquitoes to eat, and besides, the heat of the sun scorched her. When the Lord wanted her to find shelter among the holy fathers of the hermits, and for people to see about her, for their own benefit, he led her out of that swamp. An angel appeared to her in a dream and ordered her to go to the skete and be called Dorotheus. And she left her place of residence, having such an appearance that no one could say, for sure, whether in front of him was a man or a woman. When she was walking through the desert early one morning, the holy hermit Macarius met her and said to her:
Bless, father!
She asked him for blessings, and then, having blessed each other, they went together to the skete. To the saint's question:
Who are you, father?
He replied:
I am Macarius.
Then she said to him:
Be good father, let me stay with your brethren!
The elder, having brought her to the skete, took her to a cell, not knowing that she was a woman, and considering her an eunuch. God did not reveal this secret to him, so that later everyone would benefit from it and for the glory of His holy name. To the question of Macarius: what is her name? she answered:
My name is Dorotheus. Hearing about the holy fathers who are here, I came here to live with them, if only I prove worthy of it.
The elder then asked her:
What can you do, brother?
And Dorotheus answered that he agreed to do what he was commanded. Then the elder instructed her to make mats from reeds. And the holy virgin began to live like a husband, in a special cell, among husbands, as desert fathers live: God did not allow anyone to penetrate into her secret. She spent her days and nights in unceasing prayer and needlework. In the course of time, she began to stand out among the fathers by the severity of her life; moreover, she was given from God the grace of healing ailments and the name of Dorotheus was on everyone's lips, for everyone loved this imaginary Dorotheus and revered him as a great father.
Quite a while passed, and the evil spirit with which the youngest daughter of the king Anthemius, the sister of Apollinaria, was possessed, began to torment her more and shouted:
If you don't take me to the desert, then I won't leave it.
The devil resorted to this trick in order to discover that Apollinaria lives among men and to expel her from the skete. And since God did not allow the devil to say anything about Apollinaria, he tortured her sister so that she was sent to the desert. The nobles advised the tsar to send her to the holy fathers in the skete, so that they would pray for her. The king did just that, sending his demon-possessed woman with many servants to the desert fathers.
When everyone arrived at the skete, Saint Macarius came out to meet them and asked them:
Why, children, did you come here?
They also said:
Our pious sovereign Anthemius sent his daughter so that you, having prayed to God, would heal her of her illness.
The elder, having received her from the hands of the royal dignitary, took her to Abba Dorotheus, or otherwise to Apollinaria, and said:
This is the king's daughter, who needs the prayers of the fathers living here and your prayer. Pray for her and heal her, as this ability of healing has been given to you from the Lord.
Apollinaria, hearing this, began to cry and said:
Who am I, a sinner, that you ascribe to me the power to cast out demons?
And, bending down on her knees, she begged the elder with these words:
Leave me, father, to weep over my many sins; I am weak, and unable to do anything in such a matter.
But Macarius said to her:
Don't other fathers work signs by the power of God? And you are also given this case.
Then Apollinaria said:
May the will of the Lord be done!
And, taking pity on the possessed woman, she took her to her cell. Recognizing her sister in her, the reverend embraced her with tears of joy and said:
It's good that you came here, sister!
God forbade the demon to announce about Apollinaria, who continued to hide her sex under the guise and name of a man, and the saint fought the devil with prayer. Once, when the devil began to torment the girl especially hard, blessed Apollinaria, raising her hands to God, prayed with tears for her sister. Then the devil, not being able to resist the power of prayer, loudly shouted:
Trouble me! I'm being driven out of here, and I'm leaving!
And throwing the girl to the ground, he came out of her. Saint Apollinaria, taking her recovered sister with her, brought her to church, and, falling at the feet of the holy fathers, she said:
Forgive me, sinner! I sin a lot living among you.
They, having called those sent from the king, gave them the healed king's daughter and released her with prayers and blessings to the king. Parents were very happy when they saw their daughter healthy, and all the nobles rejoiced at the happiness of their king and glorified God for his great mercy, for they saw that the maiden became healthy, beautiful in face and quiet. Saint Apollinaria humbled herself even more among the fathers, taking upon herself more and more feats.
Then the devil again resorted to cunning to upset the king and dishonor his house, as well as dishonor and harm the imaginary Dorotheus. He again entered the royal daughter, but did not torment her as before, but gave her the appearance of a conceived woman. Seeing her in this position, her parents were extremely embarrassed and began to interrogate her with whom she had sinned. The maiden, being pure in body and soul, answered that she herself did not know how this had happened to her. When her parents beat her to force her to say with whom she fell, the devil said through her lips:
That Chernorizet in the cell, with whom I lived in a skete, is guilty of my fall.
The king was very irritated and ordered to destroy that skete. The tsar’s governors came with the soldiers to the skete and angrily demanded that they hand over the monk who had so cruelly insulted the tsar’s daughter, and in case of resistance they threatened to exterminate all the sketeers. Hearing this, all the fathers were extremely dismayed, but the blessed Dorotheos, going out to the royal servants, said:
I am the one you are looking for; take me alone as guilty, and leave the rest of the fathers as innocent.
The fathers, having heard this, were grieved and said to Dorotheus: "And we will go with you!" - because they did not consider him guilty of that sin! But blessed Dorotheos said to them:
My lords! you only pray for me, but I hope in God and in your prayers, and I think that soon I will safely return to you.
Then they led him with the whole council to the church, and having prayed for him and entrusted him to God, gave him to those sent from Anthemius; Abba Macarius and the other fathers, however, were sure that Dorotheus was innocent of anything. When Dorotheus was brought to Anthemius, he fell at his feet and said:
I beg you, pious sovereign, to listen patiently and in silence to what I have to say about your daughter; but I will tell you everything only in private. The girl is pure and did not suffer any violence.
When the saint decided to go to her place of residence, her parents began to pray that she would stay with them. But they could not beg her, and besides, they did not want to break their royal word given to her that they would let her go to her place of residence, before revealing her secret. So, against their own will, they let go of their beloved daughter, weeping and weeping, but at the same time rejoicing in the soul of such a virtuous daughter who had given herself to the service of God. Blessed Apollinaria asked her parents to pray for her, and they said to her:
May the God to whom you have troubled yourself, complete you in fear and love for Him, and may He cover you with His mercy; and you, beloved daughter, remember us in your holy prayers.
They wanted to give her a lot of gold, so that she would take it to the skete for the needs of the holy fathers, but she did not want to take it.
My fathers, she said, have no need of the riches of this world; we care only about not being deprived of the blessings of heaven.
So, having prayed and wept for a long time, hugging and kissing their beloved daughter, the king and queen let her go to her place of residence. The blessed one rejoiced and rejoiced in the Lord.
When she arrived at the skete, the fathers and brethren rejoiced that their brother Dorotheos returned to them unharmed and healthy, and they arranged a feast that day, in thanksgiving to the Lord. No one ever found out what happened to her with the king, and the fact that Dorothea was a woman remained in obscurity. And Saint Apollinaria lived, this imaginary Dorotheus, among the brethren, as before, staying in her cell. Some time later, seeing her departure to God, she said to Abba Macarius:
Do me mercy, father: when the time comes for me to depart into another life, then let the brethren do not wash and do not defile my body.
The old man said:
How is this possible?
When she reposed in the Lord, 10 the brethren came to bathe her, and seeing that there was a woman in front of them, they loudly exclaimed:
Glory to Thee, Christ God, Who has many hidden saints in Himself!
Saint Macarius was surprised that this secret was not revealed to him. But in a dream he saw a man who said to him:
Do not grieve that this secret was hidden from you and that it is fitting for you to be crowned with the holy fathers who lived in ancient times.
The one who appeared told about the origins and life of the blessed Apollinaria and named her name. Rising from his sleep, the elder called the brethren together and told them about what he had seen, and everyone marveled and glorified God, marvelous in His saints. Having decorated the body of the saint, the brethren buried it with honor on the eastern side of the temple, in the tomb of Saint Macarius. Many healings were performed from these holy relics, by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Him be glory forever, amen.
________________________________________________________________________ 1 Arcadius, according to the division of the Roman Empire by his father Theodosius I the Great, reigned in the Eastern Roman Empire, or in Byzantium from 395-408. 2 Theodosius II - the son of Arcadius, named the Younger, in contrast to his grandfather Theodosius I the Great; reigned in Byzantium from 408-450. 3 Honorius - another son of Theodosius the Great - received, at the division of the empire, the West and reigned from 395-423. 4 Anfipat or proconsul (Greek dignitary in the Byzantine Empire, who held the public position of the ruler of a particular region or province. 5 Anthemius - the father of Apollinaria - was a proconsul or anthipat from 405. And he enjoyed influence at court, so that after the death of Emperor Arcadius in 408, his brother Honorius, emperor of the Western Empire, appointed this Anthemius guardian to the 8-year-old son of Arcadius Theodosius and entrusted him with the temporary rule of the entire Eastern Empire. Therefore, Anthemius in his life is called a king. Blessed Theodoret mentions him, and a letter to him from St. John Chrysostom. 6 Ascalon - one of the five main Philistine cities in Palestine on the Mediterranean coast, between Gaza and Azot. Assigned in inheritance to the tribe of Judah and conquered by him, however, after that he was independent and, like other Philistine cities, was at enmity with Israel. 7 Here, of course, St. Great Martyr Mina, whose memory is celebrated on November 11th. The martyrdom of Saint Mina followed in 304, and the believers transferred his remains to Alexandria, where a Temple was erected at the place of their burial; Numerous worshipers flocked here, since many miracles were performed here through the prayers of the saint. 8 Proconsul - the ruler of the region. 9 Paramanda, otherwise called analav, is an accessory of monastic attire. In ancient times, the paramanda consisted of two belts worn over a tunic or shirt crosswise over the shoulders, as a sign of the ascension of the yoke of the cross of Christ. Otherwise, the paramanda was arranged from double woolen bandages, descending from the neck and hugging the shoulders crosswise under the armpits and then girding the lower clothing. Subsequently, a small linen scarf on the chest depicting the sufferings of Christ was attached to these belts and bandages, girdling the ends of the belts or bandages crosswise, in the likeness of a deacon's orarion. Some of the monks put on a paramanda over monastic clothes, others not only over a chiton, or a shirt, as they wear now. At present, only hermits wear an elongated paramand or analav over their clothes. 10 Around 470. Monthly: January February March April
Saint Apollinaria, whose icon should be in every home of those who are baptized with this name, is famous for her modest ascetic life. She dedicated it to the service of God.
Apollinaria is a saint who is addressed in case of illness. It also helps to strengthen fortitude, faith, and develop humility. In front of the icon, the words of the prayer should be repeated: “Pray to God for me, holy saint, reverend Apollinaria of God, as I diligently resort to you, an ambulance and prayer book for my soul.”
Saint Apollinaria, whose life is described in this article, was the eldest daughter of the wise king Anthemius. From an early age, she loved to spend time in prayer and often visited churches. When she became an adult, she refused to marry and began to ask her parents to send her to a monastery instead. Parents refused, they dreamed that their daughter would have a good family. But Apollinaria, a saint who from a young age loved God so much that she wanted to remain blameless for life, refused all the gifts of applicants for her hand and heart. She began to ask her parents to bring a nun to her, who would teach her to read the holy scriptures. Finally, the parents gave in.
They were touched by the unshakable perseverance of the girl, and they brought the nun to her, as her daughter had asked. Having learned to read sacred books, Apollinaria began to ask her parents to let her go on a journey to holy places. She wanted to go to Jerusalem. The parents reluctantly let go of their pet. Apollinaria is a saint who was very rich in her youth. Therefore, on her first journey, the girl went, accompanied by a large number of slaves and slaves. Also, her father gave her a lot of gold and silver. Apollinaria sailed on the ship, warmly saying goodbye to her parents.
During the journey, she was forced to make a stop in Ascalon. When the sea calmed down, Apollinaria continued on her way. Already in Ascalon, she began to visit churches and monasteries, generously distributing alms. Arriving in Jerusalem, she fervently prayed for her parents. At the same time, visiting women's monasteries, Apollinaria continued to make donations. Gradually, she released her slaves and slaves, rewarding them for their faithful service. After some time, she and some of them were going to go to Alexandria.
The proconsul of Alexandria learned of the arrival of the king's daughter. He prepared a rich reception for her and sent people to meet her. Apollinaria (saint) was famous for her modesty, she did not want too much attention. Therefore, she herself went to the proconsul's house at night. This frightened his family, but Apollinaria reassured all his household, at the same time asking her not to show her extra honors that could delay her on her way to Saint Mina. But still, she received generous gifts from the proconsul, which she then distributed to the poor. In Alexandria, the Monk Apollinaria for the first time bought clothes that could be worn by male monks. She hid them with her and sailed to Limna with two slaves.
From Limne, in a chariot, Apollinaria went to the burial place of Saint Mine. On the way, she decided to carry out a long-planned plan, which was to change into the clothes of a monk and live a hermit's life, devoting herself to the service of God. When her servants fell asleep, she changed her clothes and, leaving her royal clothes in the chariot, hid in the swamp. There she lived for several years, eating dates. Under the influence of a difficult life and fasting, her appearance changed, and she became unlike a woman. One of the trials she endured in the swamp was being bitten by hordes of mosquitoes, which she did not drive away, allowing them to feed on their own blood.
A few years later, she went to the skete of the holy fathers to find shelter there and continue serving God. On the way, she met Saint Macarius of Egypt. He mistook Apollinaria for an eunuch and brought him to his skete, where he settled in a separate cell. None of the elders who lived there guessed that she was a woman. Apollinaria took up hard work - making mats. She took a name for herself, naturally, a male - Dorofey. The saint lived strictly, she devoted all her time to prayer. Soon she had the gift of healing. According to the life of the saint, the righteous life of Apollinaria did not give rest to the evil spirit that her younger sister was possessed by. He tried to do everything to reveal her secret and expel her from the monastery. By cunning, he forced his parents to take their youngest daughter to a deserted monastery.
There, Macarius of Egypt instructed Dorotheus to expel an evil spirit from the body of a woman. Apollinaria was not ready for this, but the holy elder reassured her, and she set to work. Closing herself in her cell with her younger sister, the saint began to pray. My sister recognized Apollinaria and was very happy. Soon the evil spirit left her body. The parents were very happy that their daughter had recovered, but the secret of Apollinaria was not revealed. However, the demon did not calm down. He made everyone think that her younger sister was pregnant. And then with her lips he accused the monk, with whom she spent a lot of time in the cell, of this fall. The king was very angry and ordered to demolish the skete. However, Dorotheus himself went out to the people and pleaded guilty to be taken to the king. There, alone with her father, Apollinaria confessed that it was she. Parents were very upset by the kind of life their daughter had to lead. But at the same time, they were proud of her. Therefore, they let her go back to the skete and wanted to give a lot of gold for the elders. But the Monk Apollinaria refused, declaring that they did not need anything, because they were worried about heavenly life, and not about earthly.
The fact that a disguised woman lives in the skete with the men remained a mystery. Apollinaria continued her righteous life for a long time. However, after some time she was going to stand before the Lord. She began to ask Elder Macarius not to wash her body, because she did not want anyone to know who she really was. But he did not agree with this. Therefore, after her death, the elders came to wash the monk Dorotheus and saw that this was in fact a woman. They were very surprised and amazed at the mystery of God. Father Macarius was perplexed that this secret had not been revealed to him before everyone else. In response, the Lord sent him a dream in which he explained that there was nothing wrong with that, and Macarius would also become a saint. The relics of St. Apollinaria have a healing effect.
Pre-pre-added Apol-li-na-riya was-la to-che-ryu An-fe-miya, former-she-go-great-vi-te-la Greek im-pe-rii during the little-years of Fe-o-do-this Younger (408-450). From-ka-zav-shis from marriage, she you-pro-si-la at your-their b-go-che-sti-ro-di-te-lei raz-re-she-nie-clo -thread to the holy places Vo-hundred-ka. Arriving from Ieru-sa-li-ma to Aleksandria, she secretly from the servants dressed in the clothes of an ino-ka and hid in one-but-bo-lo- a ti-stoe place, where for several years it hung in a strict order and prayers. From above, she went to the skete to the saint, calling herself a foreigner Do-ro-fe-em. The venerable Ma-ka-riy accepted her among his brethren, and there she soon became famous for her own movement life. The ro-di-te-lei Apol-li-na-rii had another daughter, suffering from demon-but-va-ni-em. They sent her to the skete to the pre-good Ma-ka-riy, someone brought the sick to the monk Do-ro-fey (bla- wives Apol-li-na-rii), according to the mo-lit-ve of someone-ro-go de-vi-tsa in-lu-chi-la is-tse-le-nie. Upon returning to my devi-tsa, it was again subjected to the dia-vo-la, someone gave her the appearance of a woman, but - cabbage soup in the womb. This case brought her ro-di-te-lei into a strong anger, someone-rye went to the skete in-and-new and tre-bo-wa-whether you give ve -new-no insult-le-niya to-che-ri.
The holy Apol-li-na-riya took a vi-nu on herself and went with the messengers to the house of her ro-di-te-lei. There she opened-la-ro-di-te-lyam her tai-nu, is-tse-li-la sister-ru, returned to the monastery, where soon the world-but died in the year 470. Only after the death of the foreign Do-ro-fairy did it open that it would be a woman. The body of the saint would have been in a gre-be-but in a pe-sche-re, in the church of the obi-those of the holy Ma-ka-ria Egi-pet-sko-go.
Events from the life of the holy venerable Apollinaria of EgyptWhen the Greek king Arcadius, who ruled at the turn of the 4th-5th centuries, passed away, he left behind a son, Theodosius, who, by age, could not yet rule. The brother of the deceased ruler, the Roman emperor Honorius, assigned the boy to be brought up by the temporary ruler of Hellas, the trusted and high dignitary Anthemius, famous for his wisdom and Christian piety.
The virtuous qualities of Anthemius were so unconditional and highly valued by everyone that St. Simeon Metaphrastus, in describing the life of Apollinaria, everywhere calls him "King Anthimius." Anfimy had two daughters, the eldest and the youngest, but both girls were the exact opposite of each other. The eldest - the beautiful Apollinaria - grew up as a model of Christian piety, spent all her free time in the temple, in prayers. The youngest - her name has not been preserved - was possessed, as the saint writes, "had an unclean spirit in her."
When Apollinaria reached the age of majority, many worthy young men began to ask her hands, but the girl in every possible way asked her parents to release her from this fate and allow her to retire to the monastery to study the Divine Scripture, following all the labors and hardships of monastic life. To all the persuasions of her father and mother, she only answered that she wanted, following the example of the holy virgins, to preserve her purity for the Lord. Disappointed, they realized that due to the mental illness of their youngest daughter, which was a serious obstacle to her marriage, they could be left without heirs.
With perseverance surprising for her youth, Saint Apollinaria tearfully asked her relatives that they would allow her, under the supervision of some nun, to learn to read the Psalter, the writings. She rejected all the gifts of the suitors, temptations, promises, firmly standing on her desire to devote her innocent life to God, while saying that they would have a special reward from God for this sacrifice.
The daughter remained adamant, and seeing this, Anthemius gave in to his daughter's prayers - a wise nun was brought to Apollinaria, who began to teach the girl all the wise books containing the spiritual knowledge that she so needed. When the training of the young saint, in which she quickly succeeded, came to an end, she began to ask her parents to let her go to Jerusalem to worship the holy places - the honest Cross and the place of the Holy Resurrection of Christ.
This desire of the girl again led her parents to sadness - parting with her daughter, who was their joy, was a heavy loss for them, the future of the second did not promise any hope. But the stubbornness of Apollinaria was still unbreakable. Sighing sadly, they provided her with gold and silver, gave her a whole detachment of slaves and slaves to accompany her, and with tears blessed her on the pilgrimage, suspecting that they might never see their beloved daughter again. At parting, the father and mother asked Saint Apollinaria to pray for them in the Promised Land, and she replied that for the fulfillment of their desire after sorrows, they would be rewarded with joy.
On the sea route, the ship reached the city of Ashkelon, which exists to this day and is located near Tel Aviv. There was bad weather on the sea, the travelers had to linger. Saint Apollinaria took advantage of a break in her journey and went around all the monasteries and churches of the city, where she prayed and distributed rich alms from the treasure that her parents had given her with them. Further by land, she reached Jerusalem with her companions, bowed to the holy places there, as she wished. Then she set free most of the slaves and slaves, providing them with gold and silver for good service with a request to pray for her.
After she had visited the Jordan, Saint Apollinaria gathered the remaining slaves and said that she was now letting them go, but before they parted, she asked to be accompanied to Alexandria in order to bow to the holy great martyr Mina Kotaunsky (Phrygian), and they happily agreed . They loved Apollinaria, who never behaved with them like a hostess and mistress.
The proconsul of Alexandria somehow learned in advance about her arrival and wanted to arrange a meeting with royal honors for her, but the saint, in order to avoid a magnificent meeting, entered the city at night and herself came to the house of the proconsul with a greeting to him and his wife. The proconsul and his wife fell on their knees before her and asked how it happened that she avoided meeting the respectable people sent to meet her, and came to bow to them like a simple townswoman. But the saint asked them not to perform honors in her honor and not to hinder her pilgrimage to Saint Mina. The proconsul did as the saint asked, but in response he asked her to accept precious gifts from him and his wife. The saint accepted, but as soon as she left them, she immediately distributed everything given to her by the poor, donated to churches and monasteries.
With the few funds that she had left, she asked a pious elderly woman to buy monastic clothes, but not for women, but for men. She hid her clothes so that no one would know about her special plans, let go of all the other slaves, only two servants remained with her - an old man and a eunuch. On the ship, she arrived at the tomb of Saint Mina, bowed to his holy relics, prayed, and, having hired a closed chariot, moved to the skete to pray there and bow to the holy elders who labored there.
She was going to go to the skete already at night. Sitting in a closed chariot, she prayed that the Lord would give her the opportunity to fulfill her plans. By midnight, the travelers approached the swamp, which arose near the spring, later called the spring of Apollinaria. The chariot stopped, and Apollinaria, who got out of it, saw that both servants had dozed off.
She took off her secular maiden clothes, and changed into men's monastic clothes with a prayer to God that He would give her the strength to endure the monastic labor that she had chosen for herself to serve Him. The saint crossed herself, quietly moved away from the chariot and went into the depths of the swamps, where she hid until the chariot left. Here she spent some time living in prayer to God, whom she loved more than anything in the world. He, seeing her sincere love for Him, led her to a date tree, the fruits from which she ate all the time of her hermit life.
And both servants, waking up in the morning, discovered the absence of a young woman, her clothes, they were looking for her, calling her, not daring to go far into the swamps. Then, realizing that the search was useless, they took the clothes left by Apollinaria and returned to Alexandria. The proconsul was surprised by the incident and immediately sent a detailed report to her family. Anthemius, when he received the report, realized that all his and his wife's fears that they would not see their beloved daughter soon, and most likely they would not see them at all, were justified. They mourned separation, crying out to God to confirm their child in His fear, and many of Anthemius's retinue consoled him with the words that such a daughter is a blessing to parents and evidence of their virtue and her pious upbringing by them. It was clear to everyone that she had retired to the desert for monastic life.
For several years the saint lived near the swamps, where there were a cloud of mosquitoes, and fogs and unhealthy vapors rose from the stagnant water. There she lived out all the needs of her pampered physical nature, overcoming the temptation to leave this hard, almost impossible life, but faith and love for the Lord were stronger than carnal weakness. Her body of a girl who grew up in bliss and luxury became dry and strong, like armor, mosquito bites, heat and cold, fasting and daily prayerful vigil tempered it and nurtured in her tremendous fortitude.
The moment came when the Lord, in whose prayers she was constantly, through an angel who appeared to Saint Apollinaria, commanded her to leave her hermitage, go to the skete and stay there with the name Dorotheos.
She was wearing men's clothing, after the voluntary hardships she endured, it was no longer possible, looking at her, to say for sure, a man or a woman in front of us, and therefore, when she, walking through the desert, met the holy hermit Macarius, he asked her blessing, turning to her as to a man.
She asked him for blessings in return and, having blessed each other, they went to the skete together.
The elder brought her to the skete, determined for her a cell to live in, not realizing that in front of him was a woman, and believing that this was a male eunuch. By the will of God, the mystery of her true position and origin was hidden for the time being, so that later, when everything is revealed, everyone would see His deeds in all His holy glory. She told Elder Macarius her male name, Dorotheos, and asked permission to stay in the skete and do any work. The elder gave her the obedience to weave reed mats.
Thus Saint Apollinaria began to live like a monk among the elders, doing her work and constantly offering prayers to God. The severity of her life set her apart from others, over time the Lord granted her the ability to heal from various ailments, and everyone fell in love with this strict and pious monk, never seeing that she was an amazing holy woman.
Time passed, and in the Anfemia family, the condition of the youngest daughter worsened. The unclean spirit that lived in her demanded through her that the girl be taken to the skete, and he named exactly the one where Apollinaria labored, in order to reveal her secret. At the same time, he promised that if they took her to the skete, he would leave her body. Court dignitaries advised the king to do this, and Anthemius sent his sick daughter to the skete, accompanied by a large retinue and servants, so that the elders would pray for her there.
Upon their arrival at the skete, Elder Macarius met them and asked why they had come. They told, and the elder accepted her and brought her to Dorotheus, presenting the unfortunate woman as a royal daughter who needed healing through prayer. Dorotheus, who is also Apollinaria, at first began to beg the elder to save him from this matter, since the exorcism of demons is a very difficult matter, and for this you need to have a special gift and strong prayer. In modesty, Dorotheus believed that there was no such power in his prayers.
But Macarius, insisting on his own, said that since other elders work miracles with God's sign, then Dorotheus can do it too.
The merciful heart of the hermit could not refuse the help that was necessary for the manifestation of God's glory, she brought the mentally ill woman to her cell. And when she recognized her sister in her, while remaining unrecognized herself, she offered up prayers to God, and the illness left her younger sister. She fell unconscious at the same moment, and when she came to herself, Apollinaria brought her to the church to the holy fathers and, kneeling before them, asked everyone to forgive her for the sin that she lives among them. But no one could understand what great sins she was talking about, seeing in front of her only an old man, in whom everyone recognized a model of ascetic life.
The elders handed over the healed daughter to the royal servants, they rejoiced, because her face was no longer distorted by suffering, and she turned out to be no less beautiful than her older sister, and gained a quiet and pleasant disposition.
But the enemy of the human race, who did not calm down, again began to look for opportunities to reveal the secret of Apollinaria and thereby dishonor her, and the skete, and the very name of God. And so it turned out that the youngest daughter, remaining an innocent girl, outwardly acquired the image of a future mother. The parents began to look for someone who could dishonor their daughter, but an evil force spoke in her again, and she said that she was dishonored by the monk in whose cell she was.
The enraged Anthemius ordered the destruction of the monastery and sent a detachment of soldiers there. When they came to the skete, Dorotheus went out to them and told them to take him, but not to touch the skete, for only he was guilty, and among the other brethren there were no guilty ones. The contrite elders wanted to go with him, but Dorotheus asked them not to do this, but only to pray for him and believe that he would return soon.
Everyone together prayed for Dorotheus and sent him to Anthemius with the soldiers sent for him. When Dorotheus - and in fact Apollinaria - appeared before the king, he said that let him know that his daughter was innocent, and he would present evidence of this to the king and his wife in private. Thus, alone, Saint Apollinaria revealed herself to her relatives, telling her amazing story of the whole time of separation from them.
It was time to say goodbye, parents, of course, asked Saint Apollinaria not to leave them. But it was impossible. They promised to keep her sacred secret, asked to pray for them, wept, saying goodbye, and at the same time rejoiced at what a virtuous daughter they had raised and what wonderful spiritual gifts the Lord had bestowed upon their child. They wanted to give her gold with them, so that she would give it to the skete, but Saint Apollinaria refused to accept it, saying that one who lives in heavenly blessings does not need surpluses of earthly blessings.
She safely returned to the skete, where everyone was glad to see her. On the same day, in order to give thanks to God, a feast was arranged, and the skete life of the imaginary Dorotheus continued in the multiplication of his spiritual exploits for the glory of God.
Years passed, and Saint Apollinaria felt that the time had come for her to prepare for a meeting with the Lord. She called Elder Macarius to her cell and asked him that when she went to God, her bodies would not be washed and dressed as it should be, otherwise everyone would know her true state. Nevertheless, when Saint Apollinaria departed, the elder sent some of the brethren to wash the newly deceased, and they saw that she was a woman. But, remembering how she lived among them and excelled in spiritual exploits the most strict and devoted to God, there was no confusion in their souls, but only sacred awe, and Elder Macarius offered up glory to Christ for how many hidden saints He had, but was surprised, why this secret was not revealed to him. According to church historians, this happened around 470 after the birth of Christ.
But soon, in a dream, Someone appeared to him, who said that the elder did not need to worry about the fact that for so many years the secret of Father Dorotheus had been hidden from everyone, including him. For this, Macarius himself would be honored with holiness in the future, and then he told the elder the whole story of the eldest daughter Anthemius - the holy reverend Apollinaria.
The next morning, Elder Macarius woke up, remembered everything he had seen and heard at night, and hurried to the church, where he gathered all the brethren and told her everything that he had learned at night. All were amazed and glorified God, who is truly marvelous in His saints.
Then the body of the saint was decorated and buried in a cave on the eastern side of the temple in the skete of Saint Macarius of Egypt, and after burial many healings took place from the relics of Saint Apollinaria.
The meaning of the icon
On the icon of St. Apollinaria, despite the history of her feat, which she went through in a male guise, she is depicted in women's clothing. Her face is raised to heaven, and from the radiance of heaven the Lord's right hand is extended to her, blessing her for such a spiritual feat, unique in the history of the church.
Her icon is a marvelous radiant face, when we look at it, we recall that selflessness, that dedication with which Christians believed more than five centuries ago. Now there is no such faith, and it is difficult to expect it from a modern person, but the example of St. Apollinaria is one of the highest examples that we need so that at least a spark of THAT Love and Faith and Hope in Him ignites in us, which will make our prayer sincere, heartfelt and grateful.
What miracles happened
The whole life of Saint Apollinaria of Egypt is one great miracle, starting from the first days when she made the decision to serve the Lord and only Him. And this miracle lasted all the time of her earthly journey and did not stop even after she appeared before God. And it will not stop to this day, because when reading her biography, a believer will not experience anything but an astonished and admiring awe, which will change his soul, raise his Spirit in him and, perhaps, strengthen his prayer to God, making it more purposeful and heartfelt ...
