Description

Oil Dedicated to St Marina

The St Marina healing oil is dedicated to the patron saint for kidney problems sometimes known as St Marina the monk.

Marina, born Mariam, was the daughter of wealthy Christian parents. Marina’s mother died when the saint was very young, and thus Marina was raised in devout Christian life by her father Eugenius. As Marina’s age of marriage drew near, Marina’s father wished to retire to the Monastery of Qannoubine in Lebanon after he had found his child a husband.

Marina’s determination

When Marina learned of her father’s plan, she asked why her father intended to save his own soul “and destroy mine.” When asked by her father, “What shall I do with you? You are a woman”, Marina answered that she would renounce women’s clothing and live as a monk. She then immediately shaved the hair from her head and changed her clothes. Her father, seeing his child’s strong determination, gave all his possessions to the poor and traveled with Marina to the Kadisha Valley to live in monastic community life, sharing a cell with her under the name Marinos.

After ten years of prayer, fasting and worship together Marina’s father died, leaving her alone. Marina increased her level of asceticism and continued to conceal the fact that she was a woman. The other monks attributed her soft voice to long periods of prayer and strict ascetic life.

Marina sent on a mission

One day, the abbot of the monastery sent her with three other monks to attend to some business for the monastery. As the journey was long, they were forced to spend the night at an inn. Also lodging there was a soldier of the eastern Roman front. Upon seeing the beauty of the inn keeper’s daughter the soldier seduced her and defiled her virginity, instructing her to say, “It was the monk, Father Marinos, who has done this to me” should she conceive a child.

After some time, it was discovered that the inn keeper’s daughter was pregnant and, as was agreed, she told her father that Marina was to blame. On hearing the story, the man went furiously to the abbot of the monastery. The abbot calmed the man and told him that he would see to the matter. He called for Marina and reprimanded her severely. When Marina realized what was happening she fell to her knees and wept, confessing her sinfulness (without explicitly stating how she had sinned) and asking forgiveness.

Marina is expelled

The fact that there was no attempt to deny the fault made the abbot so furious that he told Marina to leave the monastery. She left at once and remained outside the gates as a beggar for quite a long time. When the inn keeper’s daughter gave birth, he took the child and gave him to Marina. She fed the child with sheep’s milk, provided by the local shepherds, and remained caring for him outside the monastery for ten years. Finally the monks convinced the abbot to allow Marina to return; he accepted but he also imposed heavy penalties upon Marina. She was to perform hard labour in cooking, cleaning and carrying water in addition to her regular monastic duties.

At the age of forty, Marina became ill. Three days later she died. The abbot ordered that Marina’s body be cleaned, her cloths changed and that she be transferred to the church for funeral prayers. While fulfilling these tasks, the monks discovered that she was in fact, a woman. This made them very distressed. The monks informed the abbot, who came to Marina’s side and wept bitterly for the wrongs done. The abbot then called for the inn keeper and informed him that Marina was actually born a woman. The inn keeper went to where the body lay and also wept for the pain and suffering which he had unjustly brought upon Marina.

First miracle

During the funeral prayers, one of the monks, who was blind in one eye, received full sight again after he touched the body. God also allowed a devil to torment the inn keeper’s daughter and the soldier. This caused them to travel to where the saint was buried. There they both confessed their iniquity in front of everyone and asked for forgiveness. Today, Coptic Orthodox say that Marina’s body is kept at St Mary Church and has not decomposed. It is displayed to the public on Marina’s feast day, on Mesra 15

Tradition of oils/St Marina healing oil

The tradition of anointing with sacred oil is very old indeed. It is used in sacraments and also as a devotional practice. The sick person applies the oil and blesses themselves.  As they do so, they are asked to pray to whomever the oil is dedicated to. The Irish blessings oils do not have miraculous power.  It is God who has the power to heal.  Applying the oil while praying are important ways for us to express our faith in God’s power. Moreover, by doing so we place our trust in God.