On September 24, name day is celebrated by everyone who bears the name Vladislav, Vladislava, Vlad, Vlada, Vladena, Vladilen, Vladilena, Vlada, Vladan, Vladi, Vladka, Vladin, Vlado, Vladoslav, Vladun.
The holy apostles Paul and Barnabas preached the Gospel in Iconium, a city in Asia Minor. They lived in the home of a pious man named Onesiphorus. St. Apostle Paul speaks of him in the Second Epistle to Timothy as follows: "May the Lord give mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, because he comforted me many times and was not ashamed of my chains.
In the house of Onesiphorus gathered all those who wanted to listen to the sermons of the apostles. Many were converted to the true path. Among the frequent visitors of this home was an 18-year-old girl named Thekla, a beautiful daughter of rich and noble parents. She was engaged to a young man named Famir, also among the first in the city in terms of nobility, wealth and beauty. The words of the holy apostle had a strong effect on the girl. She secretly accepted the Christian faith. She loved God with all her heart. She refused to marry. She decided to dedicate her whole life to God. Her mother, who was a heathen, became very worried when she saw that her daughter was constantly communicating with Christians. When she found out that Thekla also accepted the Christian faith, she got very angry.
She called Famir to her and said to him: - Why don't you take care of your fiancée? Don't you see that she was carried away by the words of these frauds who lie to the people with stories? Can't you see that she has completely forgotten herself and her family? The fiance became bitter. He tried gently to draw his fiancée to him again. But she remained indifferent and cold. The mother was sometimes angry and treated her cruelly, then she begged her with tears not to give up the marriage, which promised her nobility, wealth and all the joys of the world. Thekla remained adamant. She regretted that she could not fulfill her mother's will. But it was no longer possible for her to return to pagan superstitions. She knew the true faith, she knew the true God. It was also impossible for her to marry a heathen, when her heart aspired to another life, wanting to give herself entirely to God. Seeing that everything was in vain, Famir filed a complaint with the city governor against the apostle Paul.
- That foreigner – he said – deceives the people through magic, turning them away from worshiping the gods and preaching to them about a certain Christ crucified by the Jews. By this he seduced also my betrothed, Thecla, who loved me until now, and now she does not want to marry me. The chief summoned St. Paul the Apostle and ordered him to be imprisoned until he was brought to trial. When Thecla heard that the apostle was imprisoned because of her, she decided to go to him. One night she went to the dungeon, bribed the guard to let her in to the apostle, and remained with him to serve him as a daughter serves her father. Her escape alarmed all her relatives. They searched for her for a long time everywhere. They asked about her. They finally found her in prison.
They immediately reported this to the city chief, who ordered her to be brought to him. The chief persuaded her to return to her former faith and marry Famir. She did not agree. She was sentenced to be burned alive at the stake. They brought dry wood, hay, and hay to a certain place. The stake was raised. The chief's servants were preparing to put the young Christian woman on the stake. But she didn't wait for that. She crossed herself and climbed the stake herself calmly, without fear. They lit the pyre. At that moment, God himself appeared to Thecla. This is what St. Cyprian of Carthage said in a prayer: "Appear to us, Lord, as you appeared to the apostle Paul in chains and to Thecla in the fire!"
The flame had already risen high. Suddenly a torrential rain fell with such heavy hail that the chief and all the people who had gathered there fled in great fear to their homes. The fire went out. Thekla got off it unharmed and left the city freely. She heard that the apostle Paul had been released from prison and expelled from the city, she wanted to find him to continue serving him. Outside the city, she met a disciple of Paul, whom she had previously seen often at the home of Onesiphorus. He was going to town to buy bread. Thecla stopped him and questioned him about the apostle. He took her to him. Having joyfully thanked God for the great miracle by which Thekla was saved, the apostles Paul and Barnabas, Paul's disciple and Thekla set off on an apostolic journey. They went through Lystra and Derbia to Antioch. When they arrived in Antioch, one of the city officials named Alexander saw the beautiful Thecla and asked to marry her. In Tekla, the intention to dedicate her life to God became even stronger. That's why she didn't accept his offer. The chief's love turned into intense hatred. He decided to destroy her. He informed the chief superior that Thecla was a Christian. Thus the equally apostolic Thecla was condemned to be eaten by the beasts in the circus. The sentence was to be carried out the next day. Thecla was taken to a woman whose name was Tryphena. Tryphena was known to be of royal birth. She was supposed to influence Thecla to renounce her faith and become the chief's wife. But the opposite happened: Tryphena accepted the Christian faith. St. the apostle Paul mentions it in his letter to the Romans (16:11). Thecla spent the whole night in prayer and conversation with Tryphena. In the morning she was taken to death. A lot of people gathered. The beasts were unleashed against her. But these wild animals did not touch the holy virgin. Many in the crowd began to praise the true God whom Thecla preached. Others said that she was a sorceress and worked magic on the beasts. The chief commander ordered Thecla to be taken back to Tryphena. He also ordered that the beasts should not be fed until the next day. The next day Thekla was brought back to the arena. She was accompanied by Tryphena, who was weeping bitterly. Tryphena had already loved the holy virgin and her faith became her faith. They released a bear and a lion. Exasperated with hunger, the beasts burst furiously from their cages. But when they saw the virgin equal to the apostles, they came meekly to her and lay down at her feet. Amazed by the miracle, the people shouted: - Great is God whom Thekla preaches! The head chief, surrounded by the other chiefs, did not submit to the Lord's power. He ordered the girl to be thrown into a pit full of snakes and poisonous vipers. She got out of there unharmed. There were tortures that did not break the will of the holy Thekla. The head chief was finally frightened by the power that guarded her. He called Thecla to him and asked her:
- Who are you? What power is keeping you? - I am a servant of the eternal God – answered Thekla. Frightened even more, he set her free with the words:
- Thekla, the servant of God, I set free! Thecla returned to Tryphena and lived with her for some time, constantly preaching the word of God and converting the pagans to Christ the Lord. Later she wished to accompany app again. Paul in his travels. But he did not agree. He said: - He who goes to war should not take a maiden with him. With the blessing of St. Apostle Paul, Thekla went to Seleucia.
She settled in a desert place on a mountain. She thought of spending her life in solitude, fasting and prayer. Many came to her to learn and brought their sick, whom Thekla, with God's help, healed. Converted many pagans to faith in Christ God. And here evil people raised a persecution against her. But God miraculously protected her and saved her from all troubles and dangers. So she spent many more years in prayer and good works. Died in old age. Saint Thecla was the first Christian female martyr. Because of this, the Holy Church called her the "primordial martyr". Because of her apostolic activity, she was also called "equally apostolic".
© Lives of the Saints. Synodal Publishing House, Sofia, 1991, edited by Parthenius, Bishop of Levki and Archimandrite Dr. Athanasius (Bonchev).