Saint Catherine of Alexandria, is also known as Saint Catherine of the Wheel, and The Great Martyr Saint Catherine, she was born in 287 as the daughter of the Alexandrian governor, according to tradition, Catherine is considered to be a Christian saint and a virgin, who was martyred at the age of 18 under the instructions of Emperor Maxentius (Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maxentius) who was a Roman emperor from 306 to 312. Before Catherine died she had converted hundreds of people to Christianity.
Catherine was a princess of noble birth and learned in the sciences, at the age of 14 she became a Christian. When she was only eighteen years old, she presented herself to the Emperor Maximinus who was violently persecuting the Christians and she scolded him for his cruelty, and endeavoured to prove it to him how sinful it was to worship false gods, the Emperor was astounded at this young girl's audacity, and he had her scourged and then imprisoned. Catherine was scourged so cruelly and for so long, that her whole body was covered with wounds, from which the blood flowed in streams. The spectators wept with pity, but Catherine stood with her eyes raised to heaven, without giving any signs of suffering or fear. Maxentius then ordered her to be imprisoned without food, so she would starve to death. It is said that during the confinement, angels tended her wounds with salve, and that Catherine was fed daily by a dove from Heaven and that Christ also visited her, encouraging her to fight bravely, and promised her the crown of everlasting glory.
The Empress Valeria Maximilla was so eager to meet such an extraordinary a young woman, that she asked the head of the troops to escort her to visit Catherine in her dungeon, on leaving the dungeon both the Empress and the head of the troops had converted to Christianity, then twelve days later, when the dungeon was opened, a bright light and fragrant perfume filled it and Catherine came forth even more radiant and beautiful.
Soon afterwards Catherine, whose faith had increased with all the cruelty, converted many people. The Emperor was furious and condemned Catherine to death on a spiked breaking wheel, but, at her touch the cruel instrument of torture miraculously shattered. The emperor, was enraged beyond control, and had Catherine beheaded, Christians believe that the angels carried her body to Mount Sinai and it is here that the fortress style monastery was built in her honour.
St. Catherine’s Monastery is a Greek Orthodox Church dating to the 6th century and located in one of Earth’s holiest places: the valley below Mount Sinai, where the Prophet Moses is believed to have spoken with God and where he received the Ten Commandments. St. Catherine's Monastery was built between 548 and 565 it was constructed by the Byzantine Emperor, Justinian I, and was built to protect the monks who were living in caves and simple huts in the wilds of this sacred area, the monks regularly faced attacks from marauding Bedouins. The monastery in the valley below Mt. Sinai became known as St. Catherine’s after the saint’s remains were found by resident monks, in or around the year 800. The architect, Stephanos of Aila (Elath), constructed the monastery in the style of a fortress of such monumental design that its walls have stood for over fourteen centuries with little changes, it is located on the Sinai Peninsula, and it ministers to all who come to the site as pilgrims, seeking spiritual consolation and an increase of their faith, it is sacred to Christians, Jews and Muslims. The monastery sits on the mouth of a gorge at the foot of Mount Sinai, near to the town of Saint Catherine, Egypt. The monastery is named after Catherine of Alexandria and is now protected as a UNESCO World Heritage site, it is the place where God called to Moses and instructed him to take off his sandals as he was in a holy place
From early Christian times to the present day, prayer and spiritual dedication have existed at Sinai, it was this area of the desert where God manifested himself as a burning bush and where he gave instructions to Moses, this sacred area gives a special aura to the monastery, and is a destination for pilgrims.
I dedicate this BLOG to my dear friend Deena Younis, an exceptional young woman and friend
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