St. Veronica Orthodox Saint History and Name Day Information
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It is true that knowing about the lives of the saints are an important part of being an Orthodox Christian. In many ways, we look up to these saints. Through their actions, we also learn about how to be a faithful and devoted Christian. For those of us who are named after a saint, we celebrate our name day on the saint’s feast day. In fact, in some instances, an individual may choose to not celebrate his or her own birthday and honor their name day instead.
Saint Veronica is one of these individuals, and we know about her because of the role she played during Jesus Christ’s journey to Golgotha after he was sentenced to die not the cross. Her feast day is celebrated each year on July 12th. Here’s more information about who she was:
Who Saint Veronica Was
Saint Veronica was alive during the time of Jesus Christ. It is said that she was a relative (a great nice) of Saint Herod the great and that Jesus cured her of an illness. The specifics of the illness aren’t quite known, but it is said to have related to her blood. It is thought that she suffered from this illness for around twelve years prior to the healing. It is after the healing that she cam to believe in him.
When Jesus was sentenced to death, he was ordered to march to Golgotha while carrying the cross. His body battered and fatigued, this wasn’t an easy task. Saint Veronica saw him during his procession and noticed that he was tired and worn down. Out of pity for him, she handed Him a cloth, which was possibly a handkerchief, and allowed him to wipe his face on it. Legend states that when he gave her back the cloth, an imprint of his face was left behind.
However, few actual details of her life are known. We don’t know exactly when or where she was born. We also do’t know when she died. It is thought that she and her husband, Zacchaeus, spent a considerable amount of time traveling preaching about Jesus.
Hymn of Saint Veronica
There are some hymns that can be found in the Orthodox Christian church service that celebrate Saint Veronica. Typically, the hymn is sung on her feast day. Here are the details:
Troparion (Tone 8)
- The image of God was truly preserved in you, O Mother,
- For you took up the Cross and followed Christ.
- By so doing, you taught us to disregard the flesh, for it passes away,
- But to care instead for the soul, since it is immortal.
- Therefore your spirit, O Holy Mother Veronica, rejoices with the Angels!
- The image of God was truly preserved in you, O Mother,
- For you took up the Cross and followed Christ.
- By so doing, you taught us to disregard the flesh, for it passes away,
- But to care instead for the soul, since it is immortal.
- Therefore your spirit, O Holy Mother Veronica, rejoices with the Angels!
Saint Veronica’s feast day is celebrated each year on July 12th. Check the Name Day page for more information about other Orthodox Christian name days.
Source:
Orthodox Wiki – Saint Veronica (Source for Photo Credit for Image Above)
Categorized in: Ancient Greek History, Greek Orthodox Religious Information
This post was written by Greek Boston
