Sometimes, there comes along a person who makes you sit back and just go “wow”. In the Orthodox Faith, Saint Thekla is pretty much the patron saint of “wow” - her story is nothing less than amazing.

Thekla came from the Iconium city in Turkey around A.D. 16, making her a contemporary of the apostles of Christ. At age 18, Saints Paul the Apostle and Saint Barnabas came to her town to preach, but Thekla was forbidden to go listen to them speak. Sitting at her window, however, she found that she could hear Saint Paul’s sermons, and listened to him enraptured for three days.

Though her family was pagan, Thekla felt a stirring of faith, and was incredibly impressed with Saint Paul. At the same time, Saint Paul had made quite the impression on the government of Iconium, and he was thrown into jail. Sneaking away from her parents, and bribing the guards with some gold bracelets, she sat at Saint Paul’s feet and listened further as he spoke the Good News to her.

Thekla decided after hearing Paul’s words to remain pure as a bride of Christ. Her decision to forgo marriage to be bonded to the Lord infuriated her wealthy and worldly parents, who demanded that the governor punish her. It’s hard to imagine not just dealing with the stress that comes from defying your parents, but when they call the authorities on you and demand your corporal punishment, it’s a severe and intense experience. It does, however, lay the groundwork for some of the amazing feats of grace performed by Thekla as her relationship to Christ deepened.

Thekla’s first punishment was a trial by fire. The governor lit a fire at her feet, tied her to a stake, and waited for the torture to begin. Instantly, a thunderstorm blew up and extinguished the flames. Flummoxed, the governor had her untied and banished her from Iconium.

This would be incredible enough, and would most likely be qualifying grounds for Thekla’s sainthood. But it still doesn’t end there.

Thekla left the city of Iconium and immediately set out to find her mentor, Saint Paul. Upon meeting up with him, she requested that he baptize her. To her surprise (and to mine), Saint Paul REFUSED to baptize her at that time, saying that it would be done at God’s will at the appropriate time.

This reminds me of when I approached Father Andrew to tell him I was ready to convert fully into Orthodoxy. Though I felt that I was ready, Father made me be patient, and I had to wait almost a full year to be Chrismated. I learned a lot of lessons in that year, about myself, and my faith, and what I really wanted out of my faith. I still have a lot to learn. There is no rush in faith; it is comforting to know that someone as zealous and holy as Thekla was made to wait as well!

Thekla set off to Antioch with Saint Paul to continue preaching. A young, attractive woman traveling alone was irresistible to to a local nobleman, who entreated Thekla with worldly seduction. Defying him, Thekla once again infuriated the local government with her choice of remaining a devoted virgin rather than giving into the whims and lusts of the men in power (hear hear Thekla!) And once again, she was sentenced to corporal punishment for her defiance.

Thekla clearly ticked off the powers that be in Antioch, because she was sentenced to death. Historically, young women who did not behave like the willing property of men were not quite as respected as they are today. Thekla asked that her virginity be preserved to death, a request that was actually granted of her.

Here’s where Thekla’s story continues to make you go “wow”. First she was sentenced to death by lionness. When the lionness was released into the arena, however, it calmly laid at her feet like a kitten. Next, they sent in a bear to maul her, and to their surprise the lionness rose up and killed the bear. Thekla remained unscathed. Thirdly, a larger, more violent lion was released into the arena, but the lionness rose up again and fought the lion; both lions perished, but again, Thekla remained calm and continued to pray.

Frustrated and desperate, the executioners released a whole flotilla of wild animals into Thekla’s arena. Thekla prayed for courage, and then noticed a nearby tank of water filled with aquatic animals. Diving into the water, Thekla also asked that God now baptize her (Saint Paul was RIGHT!) and protect her from the beasts.

Thekla was removed from the water and tied to ropes which were then tied to two bulls. The bulls were enraged, and then prompted to run in opposite directions in the hopes of tearing her in half. But Thekla slipped out of the ropes and again was spared. The authorities had to give up. They tried fire, water, lions, bears, bulls and a whole army of ravenous beasts - but Thekla could not be killed. Throwing their hands up, and declaring rare defeat, the Antiochian authorities released her to the home of Tryphaena.

Thekla converted her friend Tryphaena, who gave Thekla a small fortune of gold and jewels so she might live comfortably as she continued to wander. However, once Thekla left the home of Tryphaena, she met up once more with her mentor Paul, and told him the story of her near martyrdom. Saint Paul blessed her baptism, and gave her his blessing to live the remaineder of her life as an ascetic. She gave Saint Paul the jewels that Tryphaena gave her, and asked that they be distributed to the poor. With that, Thekla went off to the mountains where she lived until the old age of 90, devoting her life to prayer, solitude, and peace.

Though Thekla was not actually killed for her faith, and in fact felt very little pain (if any) during her many torture attempts, she is considered a Protomartyr in the Orthodox faith. For her many conversions over her many years of peaceful asceticism, she is also considered Equal-to-the-Apostles.

Thekla is just amazing. A friend of Saint Paul the Apostle, a rebellious teenager and young adult devoted to God, defying not just the will of her pagan parents, but the patronistic government of Iconium and Antioch, and one of the first protomartyrs for Christ…she embodies everything that makes her a truly Awesome woman.

Holy Saint Thekla, pray unto God for us!

O Glorious Thekla, companion of Paul the divine, thou wast inflamed with the love of thy Creator. By the teaching of the divine Preacher thou didst despise the passing earthly pleasures and offered thyself to God as an acceptable and pleasing sacrifice, disregarding all suffering. Intercede with Christ, thy Bridegroom, to grant us his great mercy.

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