Mort Barbara and Mort Yuliana, martyrs

Mort Barbara and Mort Yuliana, martyrs

The commemoration of the dukhrono of St. Barbara & St. Juliana +303 according to the Liturgical Calendar of the Syriac Orthodox Church.Mort Barbara was born at Nicomedia in Bithynia, modern Isnik, Turkey. She was the daughter of King Dioscorus. Barbara was very beautiful, so her father kept her hidden in a tower. She would secretly leave the tower, changing her appearance with a costume & go out to pray with the Christians. Once Dioscorus went for a long journey. When he returned Barbara testified that she become a Christian. Dioscorus got angry with this & he wanted to kill her. However, Barbara escaped the attempt to kill her with a sword. She ran through the fields, as she passed by the wheat fields grew to hide her from her captors. The king wanted to give her in marriage to another pagan king. Barbara resisted the decision. He threatened Barbara & took her to Marcian, the chief of the town. These efforts did not succeed so he ordered for her to be brutally tortured in agonizing ways. She was later beheaded. Thus, St. Barbara attained the crown of martyrdom. On his way back after the beheading of his daughter, King Dioscorus was struck by lightning & died. Mort Yuliana, a close friend of Barbara shared her persecutions. She watched St. Barbara while she was being tortured & wept for her. Juliana saw the Lord Christ strengthening & comforting St. Barbara; she was enlightened & believed in the Lord Christ. Juliana was also imprisoned then later executed by beheading. Thus St. Juliana attained the crown of martyrdom.A monastery dedicated to the martyrs used to exist in the mountains Edessa. It we built in the 5th century. Faithful Syriacs especially seek their intercession during heavy thunder & lightning storms. On their feast day, Syriac children dress up in various costumes just like St. Barbara did, & they also eat a special wheat meal comprised of boiled wheat grains, pomegranate seeds, raisins, anise & sugar. Biography adapted from, 'Martyrs, Saints and Prelates of the Syriac Orthodox Church'Oh Mort Barbara & Mort Yuliana! Plead for us before God's throne of grace. Amen.Malayalam biography: https://tinyurl.com/2x7f5nkx BL14504