In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Today the Church commemorates 
Great Martyr Barbara
“>Saint Barbara the Great Martyr. Many women bear this name. Recently, we also commemorated another martyr, 
Holy Great Martyr Catherine of Alexandria“>Saint Catherine, particularly in connection with the arrival of her holy relics from Mount Sinai to Moscow. These two martyrs share much in common—they were contemporaries and suffered martyrdom under the same emperor, Maximinus, who, in the early fourth century, at the tail end of the terrible persecutions of Christians, unleashed his fury upon them.
Under the emperor’s orders, many local governors not only persecuted Christians but sought to eradicate them with cruelty. However, the story of Saint Barbara contains something especially striking. Barbara was an exceptionally beautiful young woman. Her father, Dioscorus, a wealthy and influential man, desired to raise his daughter as a paragon for others, distinguished by her education and exemplary conduct. He surrounded her with special care, assigning numerous tutors to educate her in the traditions of pagan society.
From her high tower, where she was isolated at her father’s command to shield her from worldly corruption, Barbara gazed upon the beauty of God’s creation. She began to ponder in her heart and mind that such beauty could not have arisen by the will of man-made idols; rather, a great and unseen power must have created the world around her.
Gradually, Barbara’s heart inclined toward seeking the Creator of the universe. When she was finally able to leave her confinement and associate with others, she encountered Christians who revealed to her the truth: the great Triune God had created this beautiful world. Barbara wholeheartedly embraced this teaching and was secretly baptized by a priest who had come to her city disguised as a merchant.
Soon, her father learned that she had become a Christian. What followed defies imagination. Dioscorus was consumed with terrifying rage toward his daughter. His initial desire was to kill her with his own hands. She narrowly escaped by hiding in a cave on a mountainside, but local villagers revealed her whereabouts to her father. Dioscorus then handed her over to the local governor, who had received orders from the emperor to torture and execute Christians.
Before her father’s very eyes, and with his consent and instigation, Barbara endured unimaginable torment. Her body was torn with iron claws, cut into pieces, flogged with ox sinews, and her wounds were rubbed with rough cloth. The pain she suffered was indescribable. To break her spirit and humiliate her further, the governor ordered her to be paraded through the city naked.
Yet nothing could break Barbara’s spirit or her steadfast faith. Moreover, those who witnessed her suffering began to openly confess their faith in Christ. Among them was a young woman named Juliana, who, inspired by Barbara’s courage and faith, confessed her belief in Christ and was martyred alongside her.
Finally, Barbara and Juliana were executed. However, God’s judgment swiftly followed: both Dioscorus and the cruel governor were struck dead by lightning.
Reading these ancient accounts of the spiritual triumphs of martyrs, one cannot help but wonder where they found the strength to endure such suffering. How could a young woman withstand what even the strongest of men might not bear? The answer is clear: no human strength or will could sustain such endurance—it was the will and power of God that supported and inspired Barbara and the countless martyrs.
This truth is profoundly instructive for modern people, many of whom strive to be strong. While this desire is good, we must remember that true strength lies in the human spirit. Without God, this strength remains hidden from us. Without Him, we can only rely on our limited human abilities, which pale in comparison to the power of God. The strength of the martyrs was unattainable through human effort alone. Anyone who desires strength, victory, or great achievements in life must understand that these are only possible when our spirit is strengthened and guided by God’s power.
The tragedy within Barbara’s family is also deeply thought-provoking. Her father, Dioscorus, became a beast and a tormentor of his own daughter. What led this man to such reckless actions? Yes, he held a different faith from his daughter. His convictions were different from hers. But could any belief or conviction justify the horrific cruelty he inflicted upon her?
Reflecting on this family catastrophe (for it truly was a catastrophe), we are reminded of the calamities within our broader family—our nation. Recently in Moscow, events unfolded that deeply disturbed us, exposing cruelty within our larger communal family. While these events may outwardly appear as conflicts between people of different religions or worldviews, a closer examination reveals a deeper issue: the loss of faith. Like Dioscorus, who rejected the true God, what we see is not a clash of faiths but a confrontation between belief and pagan godlessness.
And when we are told today that the conflicts occurring among our youth are caused by differences in faith, this is a profound misconception and untruth. Only godless paganism can divide people; only godless paganism can inspire newcomers, regardless of what believers they claim to be, to commit acts of cruelty against the local population, resulting in the loss of lives; and only godless paganism can provoke a reaction from the local population that once again leads to the suffering and death of innocent people.
What is happening to us is not a conflict of faiths. What is happening to us is a vivid illustration of what a person becomes when he loses all faith and lives as a pagan—like Dioscorus, who tormented his own daughter.
Today, as I address you for the first time since those events during our common prayer, I wish to express my deepest condolences to the parents and loved ones of those who lost their lives or were injured. We will remember the young man Egor Sviridov, whose name was unknown to most but is now known throughout the nation, and all others who suffered in this fratricidal violence.1
What lies ahead? This is what lies ahead. If our people fail to realize that living by the laws of a pagan world is unsustainable, then chaos and crime will prevail. No law enforcement or legislation can restrain a person who lacks conscience, faith, and moral conviction. And I am addressing everyone—the Orthodox and the Muslim, and people of other faiths. Only religious life can prevent people from committing such crimes.
And here is something else I wish to say on this day, as we remember those who have been killed and injured, and as we address a special word to their families and loved ones. I wish to emphasize that violence and malice cannot achieve one’s goals. When our fellow citizens with different cultures and religions come to Moscow or other Russian cities, they must strive to live peacefully, integrating into the spiritual and cultural life of the majority population. They should pave their way in life not through force, clannishness, ethnic solidarity, or crime, but through honest interaction with others, obtaining education and employment, building family lives, and contributing to the shared homeland. Likewise, local residents must not respond to recklessness with violence, brute force, or cruelty. Instead, they should act with solidarity and express their protest in a way that does not provoke further outbreaks of violence but is sufficient to awaken the authorities, law enforcement, and the instigators of interethnic discord to reason.
Dioscorus, the cruel father, and the local ruler who issued the horrific orders to tear apart the body of the martyr Barbara were struck down by God. Let this example also help everyone understand that living by the pagan law of the flesh brings no joy, happiness, or prosperity to a person but only draws the wrath of God upon them.
Let us pray to Holy Great Martyr Barbara, asking that through her holy intercessions, family conflicts may be healed, divisions among our people overcome, and the pagan spirit of idolatry, cruelty, and hatred eradicated from our society. We trust that she, along with the host of saints who have shone in the land of Russia, will incline the mercy of God toward us and our homeland. Amen.