Holy liturgy in the church of St. Nicholas in Kotor's Old Town, tomorrow, July 30, on the feast of the Holy Great Martyr Marina (Fiery Mary), will be served at 8 a.m.

Like the feasts of the saints that follow her: Blessed Mary (August 4) and Friday of Thorns (August 8), the Fiery Mary does not have a "red letter" in the church calendar either. However, all three are highly respected holidays among the people, especially among women, so on these three days nothing is done with the hands or in the field.

The fiery Mary, the holy Martyr Marinus, was born in Antioch of Pisidia, of pagan parents. It was only at the age of 12 that Marin heard about the Lord Jesus Christ, how he was born from the Most Pure Virgin, how he created many miracles, received baptismal death and was gloriously resurrected. Her young heart burned with love for the Lord, and she vowed never to marry, and she still wanted to suffer with all her soul for Christ and be baptized in the blood of martyrdom.

Her father hated her because of her faith and did not consider her a daughter. The imperial governor, Olimvrije, having learned from Marina that she is a Christian, wants her first to be his wife. And when Marina refused, he ordered her to worship the idols, to which St. Marina answered: "I will not bow down or make sacrifices to breathless and dead idols, who neither know themselves nor whether we honor them or dishonor them; I do not give them the honor that belongs only to my Creator".

Then Olimvrije put her to the bitter torment, and threw her all wounded and bloody into the dungeon. In the prison, Marina prayed to God, and after the prayer, the devil first appeared to her in the form of a terrible snake, which bit her head. But when she crosses herself, the snake splits open and disappears. Then the heavenly light shone, and it seemed to her that the walls of the dungeon disappeared, together with the roof, and the cross appeared, bright and high, and on the top of the cross a white dove, from which came a voice: "Rejoice, Marina, intelligent dove of Christ , daughter of Zion on high, because the day of your joy has arrived." And Marina was healed by the power of God from all wounds and pains. The mindless judge of Muchaše is in fire and water for the second day, but Marina suffers everything as if in someone else's body. Finally, he sentenced her to be cut with a sword. Just before death, the Lord Jesus appeared to her with angels. It was cut down in the time of Emperor Diocletian, but with soul and strength it remained alive in the heavens and on earth.

One hand of St. The marina is located in Man. Vatopedu in Sv. It's burning. On the other hand, in Albania, on Mount Langa more than Ohrid lake, there is the monastery of St. Marine with a part of her miraculous relics. Numerous miracles happened and are happening in this monastery, witnessed not only by Christians but also by Muslims. The Turks have so much respect for this shrine, that they never wanted to donate either to the shrine or to the property of this monastery. At one time, Turkin was the tutor of this monastery.

 Akathist to Saint Mary:

"To you, brave bride of Christ, who was chosen to announce the ineffable glory of God to all magnificent creatures, we offer a fervent prayer and ask you to look at us unworthy, and to help us to cleanse ourselves from sin, to clothe our souls with virtues and to enter the Kingdom We enter heaven, so that we can shout: Rejoice, Saint Martyr Marina, inflame our hearts with the fire of divine love!