St. Paraskevi the Great Martyr (source)
Homily II on St. Paraskevi by Metropolitan Avgoustinos Kantiotes: "A Sacrifice out of Love"
Who, my beloved, was St. Paraskevi whom we are celebrating? What was her life, her words and her miracles? It is not easy to relate these in detail. But let us reverently approach her sacred face.
St. Paraskevi was born in the capital of the ancient world, in Rome, during the reign of Emperor Antoninus (138-161AD). Her upstanding parents, Agathon and Politia, were Christians, but were childless. They promised, therefore, if they would be granted a child, to dedicate it to the Lord. God in reality granted them this girl, and because she was born on Friday, they gave her the name "Paraskevi" [Greek for "Friday", literally the "Day of Preparation", i.e. for the Sabbath]. They raised her as a Christian. But this girl had the misfortune of losing her two parents while she was still young. She had, however, the great blessing to have had the faith in Christ taken root within her at the proper time. As she grew, her love for the Lord lit a fire within her soul. This holy fire, which is not from the earth, but which is lit from Heaven, was so great, that all the waters could not quench it (Song of Songs 8:7). Blessed are all those who experience this.
She loved Christ with her whole heart. Not simply with words, but with deeds. The sign of this was how she responded to the voice of the Gospel: "Sell your goods and give to the poor..." (Matthew 19:21). If this voice were heard in our community, would there be souls that would thus respond? St. Paraskevi, the orphan who inherited a great fortune, distributed her goods to the poor.
She embraced the monastic life and began to preach Christ in Rome, and the surrounding areas. She founded a convent, in which were gathered girls who loved the Lord, and she made a missionary sisterhood, whose goal was to show mercy on the poor and to teach women. With the good example of this sisterhood, and with the fiery preaching of St. Paraskevi, many women who were idolaters came to believe in Christ.
She shown like a star at dawn, like an Angel. Other women and girls of her time were dressed in silk. The patricians of Rome and the ladies of the great families would be seen with their adornments worth more than their whole fortunes. Vain women like these were like swallows who carried their whole nests on them, and thus they would carry the whole fortunes of their husband.
St. Paraskevi did not wear silk. She had another garment, one incorrupt and eternal. She was adorned with modesty, a garment which is not corrupted by time.
Other women then and today attempted to appear beautiful externally. They would pain with makeup and lipstick on their lips, put on their cheeks, their eyebrows, their eyelashes. But if you were to ask me which woman were more beautiful, I would respond that the more beautiful woman is she who weeps when she hears the name of Christ, when she prayers, when she beholds the Epitaphios and the Holy of Holies. This was the beauty that St. Paraskevi had. She was not adorned with accessories but only with tears, which ran from her eyes, when she arose at midnight and prayed beneath the stars of Heaven. These were her very precious diamonds, which were taken by the Angels and brought to Paradise, to adorn the garment of her virginity.
Other women adorn their ears with earings, very precious and very expensive. But if you were to ask me, which woman were more beautiful, I would say: It is not those ears adorned with that kind of earings, which eventually will be destroyed or stolen. The more beautiful woman is she who readily turns to hear the voice of her husband, and this readiness had the ears of St. Paraskevi, who hearkened to the voice of the Gospel, to the voice of Christ Who said: "Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it." (Luke 11:28)
Other women of her time, like the queens of Rome, wore luxurious belts on their waist. For St. Paraskevi, her belt was the self-control which she wore. This was the adornment of St. Paraskevi, and thus all women and girls who desire to be called Orthodox Christians should be adorned.
Who, my beloved, was St. Paraskevi whom we are celebrating? What was her life, her words and her miracles? It is not easy to relate these in detail. But let us reverently approach her sacred face.
St. Paraskevi was born in the capital of the ancient world, in Rome, during the reign of Emperor Antoninus (138-161AD). Her upstanding parents, Agathon and Politia, were Christians, but were childless. They promised, therefore, if they would be granted a child, to dedicate it to the Lord. God in reality granted them this girl, and because she was born on Friday, they gave her the name "Paraskevi" [Greek for "Friday", literally the "Day of Preparation", i.e. for the Sabbath]. They raised her as a Christian. But this girl had the misfortune of losing her two parents while she was still young. She had, however, the great blessing to have had the faith in Christ taken root within her at the proper time. As she grew, her love for the Lord lit a fire within her soul. This holy fire, which is not from the earth, but which is lit from Heaven, was so great, that all the waters could not quench it (Song of Songs 8:7). Blessed are all those who experience this.
She loved Christ with her whole heart. Not simply with words, but with deeds. The sign of this was how she responded to the voice of the Gospel: "Sell your goods and give to the poor..." (Matthew 19:21). If this voice were heard in our community, would there be souls that would thus respond? St. Paraskevi, the orphan who inherited a great fortune, distributed her goods to the poor.
She embraced the monastic life and began to preach Christ in Rome, and the surrounding areas. She founded a convent, in which were gathered girls who loved the Lord, and she made a missionary sisterhood, whose goal was to show mercy on the poor and to teach women. With the good example of this sisterhood, and with the fiery preaching of St. Paraskevi, many women who were idolaters came to believe in Christ.
She shown like a star at dawn, like an Angel. Other women and girls of her time were dressed in silk. The patricians of Rome and the ladies of the great families would be seen with their adornments worth more than their whole fortunes. Vain women like these were like swallows who carried their whole nests on them, and thus they would carry the whole fortunes of their husband.
St. Paraskevi did not wear silk. She had another garment, one incorrupt and eternal. She was adorned with modesty, a garment which is not corrupted by time.
Other women then and today attempted to appear beautiful externally. They would pain with makeup and lipstick on their lips, put on their cheeks, their eyebrows, their eyelashes. But if you were to ask me which woman were more beautiful, I would respond that the more beautiful woman is she who weeps when she hears the name of Christ, when she prayers, when she beholds the Epitaphios and the Holy of Holies. This was the beauty that St. Paraskevi had. She was not adorned with accessories but only with tears, which ran from her eyes, when she arose at midnight and prayed beneath the stars of Heaven. These were her very precious diamonds, which were taken by the Angels and brought to Paradise, to adorn the garment of her virginity.
Other women adorn their ears with earings, very precious and very expensive. But if you were to ask me, which woman were more beautiful, I would say: It is not those ears adorned with that kind of earings, which eventually will be destroyed or stolen. The more beautiful woman is she who readily turns to hear the voice of her husband, and this readiness had the ears of St. Paraskevi, who hearkened to the voice of the Gospel, to the voice of Christ Who said: "Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it." (Luke 11:28)
Other women of her time, like the queens of Rome, wore luxurious belts on their waist. For St. Paraskevi, her belt was the self-control which she wore. This was the adornment of St. Paraskevi, and thus all women and girls who desire to be called Orthodox Christians should be adorned.
St. Paraskevi the Great Martyr (source)
Her activities, however, brought about a backlash; this is the law of
life. Whoever is struggling, will be fought against. Only the dead do
not fight. Those who struggle in the world "fighting the good fight" (I
Timothy 6:12) will face all kinds of backlash from the enemy. Evil
children don't throw rocks at fruitless, but at fruitful trees. And St.
Paraskevi, who was a tree full of fruit, was next to receive the stones
thrown by the instruments of Satan. She was fought first by Hebrews who
were fighting Christianity. Two of them condemned her to the King
Antoninus, that there was a woman who was stirring up his kingdom, and
if she were to continue thus, there would remain no one who would not
believe in Christ. According to the command of Antoninus, St. Paraskevi
was seized, and led before the Emperor. He remained astonished before
her physical beauty, and suggested to her: "Deny Christ and I will make
you the Queen." She responded: "I would be very senseless to deny the
light and to accept the darkness, to deny Christ and to worship the
devil, because the idols are the devil."
He tried again with sweet words and promises to shake her, but she stood immovable. "I will give you three days to think properly and to decide, either to become Queen or to suffer martyrdom."
"O King, do not think that three days, or thirty days or thirty years that you might give me could change my mind. Whatever you have to do, do it immediately."
Do you see, my beloved, how this woman stood unshaken? Whoever believes in truth and loves Christ, either a woman or a man, does not fear neither seduction nor threats, neither men nor the devil, nor this whole world. The true Christian is a hero, because the Gospel brings forth heroes. A heroine and an unshakable rock of the faith was St. Paraskevi shown to be.
Her martyrdom is one of the most moving. I will only offer a small detail. Antoninus ordered that she be placed in a large cauldron, in which was boiling pitch. And even though the pitch was boiling over, St. Paraskevi was swimming in the cauldron. Many don't believe this, it is their right. We believe in Christ and in the wonders of the Saints. As soon as the Saint entered the cauldron, she made the sign of the Cross, and boiling was transformed into refreshment, as if in soothing water! Antoninus was astonished. He wondered whether this were a trick: "Throw me some of that", he said. She threw some into his face, and the Emperor was blinded, his whole face was burned, and he began to entreat the Saint. And she, with her prayer, healed him, and all the people cried out: "Great and true is the God of the Christians!" Thousands of people believed on the day of her martyrdom.
Ultimately, Antoninus believed, but his successor continued the persecution against the Christians, and because of this, the Saint was later martyred. A soldier led her to the place of her execution, and with the lightning strike of his sword, her precious head was cut off, but her holy soul flew like a dove to the Heavens, to be together with the Most-Holy Theotokos, the Saints and the Angels, and to pray on behalf of us sinners.
See, my beloved, what one woman accomplished! She astonished the whole world. And what are we doing today, clergy and laity? In comparison to her, we have not accomplished anything. On the occasion, however, of her memory, let us honor her with love, and be taught by her example, and let us live as true Christians, and work in our social circles with philotimo.
Let us entreat St. Paraskevi. And let us light a candle not just for our family and for our children, but for our homeland, that we might continue to walk the path of Christ, because only then there will be blessedness. May the Lord be with us. Amen.
(+) Bishop Avgoustinos
(Homily delivered at the Holy Monastery of St. Paraskevi, Milochoriou, Eordaias, on Wednesday July 26th, 1967, Source)
St. Paraskevi the Great Martyr (source)
Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!