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St Marina was born in Antioch 230 A.D. Turkey, in the city of Pyssidya
in the middle of Asia Minor. Marina was the only daughter of 2 pagan parents (Idol Worshippers)
her fathers name was Dacious the high priest of the Idol temple. Her mother died while Marina was
5 years old. While Marina was at an early age she needed a lot of attention after her mother
passed away, especially while her father was busy worshipping Idols in the temple. Her father
decided to bring a teacher to look after his only daughter Marina. The teacher was a Christian
lady, who lived, in a very small village next to the city of Antioch Pyssidya. This lady had
great faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Marina felt in this holy atmosphere great content and
happiness which would make her forget her parents in her early age of life, and when she reached
15 years old, her father passed away. Marina continued in loving and obeying her righteous
teacher and the teacher also considered Marina's life with her, as one of the Lord's gifts and
blessings for Marina was a beautiful righteous youth. The teacher planted the seeds of the sound
and right Christian faith in the heart of young Marina in her early age. Marina entered into a
new period of her life, which she had to face severe punishment and persecutions because of her
love and dedication to the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord Jesus Christ had made a very big heart for
Marina, which is able to endure so many persecutions with patience and thanks, so that the Governors
were unable to break this big heart in which the Love of Jesus Christ had filled. A new Government
came to the city whose name was "Wali-Farnos". This evil governor accompanied his troops looking for
Christians to persecute, he spotted Marina walking out with her companions. When he saw her beauty
he decided to take her as a wife if she was a free woman, but if she was a slave he wanted to
free her and pay the price to her master. When the soldiers tried to arrest her she called on the
Lord Jesus Christ her heavenly bridegroom to save her. So the soldiers went back to the governor,
"we couldn't arrest this young woman because she was Christian". The Governor started to panic
after hearing this news, then he ordered his soldiers to bring Marina in chains to stand in front
of him and answer his questions. He started asking her where she came from, she said "I am Christian
and not a slave". Then the governor asked "from which tribe do you come from?" and "what is your
name?" Marina said, "I am from the tribe of Jesus Christ", and "I am Marina". The Governor
ordered Marina to be tortured he tied her up with rope and started beating her with sticks
and whips, then he ordered too comb her body with an Iron comb, sawed her body with an iron saw,
cut her skin to little pieces with knifes, dragged her and hanged her and burned her body with
torches. But every time after these tortures the Archangel Michael came and healed her with the
sign of the cross. Marina also overcame the devil with the sign of the cross while she was in prison.
In the morning the Governor order Marina to be placed in a tub of boiling water, but the Lord made
the water warm, and she received the holy baptism, at this point all the people shouted their belief
in Jesus. The governor ordered their beheading, then he ordered the beheading of St Marina and she
received the crown of martyrdom. Many miracles have also occured through the prayers
and intersessions of Saint Marina till this day.
May her prayers be with us all, and glory be to God
forever. Amen.
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