This saint, known as Juliana of Lazarevo or Juliana of Murom, earned these appellations from her birthplace and the location of her ascetic struggles. This remarkable woman, a true servant of God, glorified the Lord within the heart of her family. She achieved holiness amidst the distractions of everyday life, caring for her thirteen children. Her life exemplifies the truth that it is not our surroundings but our own free will that draws us closer to God or distances us from Him.
Juliana was born into a family of landed gentry. Her childhood was marked by hardship. At the tender age of six, she became an orphan, raised by her grandmother. Six years later, her grandmother also passed away. Juliana then found a home with her aunt’s large family.
Even as a child, Juliana displayed remarkable piety. She eschewed the boisterous games of other children, preferring prayer and needlework. From an early age, she observed strict fasts. The other children often mocked her for her piety, which seemed beyond her years, and adults worried about her health. Yet, Juliana remained steadfast in her devotion. She would rise at night to pray, performing numerous prostrations. She also sewed clothes for orphans and widows, earning money through her handiwork to help the poor. She took great joy in visiting the sick, providing them with food and attending to their needs.
Juliana’s virtue caught the eye of Yuri Osorin, a landowner from a village near Murom. He married the 16-year-old Juliana, and her gentle and welcoming nature quickly endeared her to her husband’s family. She showered her elderly in-laws with care and affection, managed the household and the extensive estate, and never neglected her spiritual life. She remained constant in her practice of the Jesus Prayer.
Each day was an act of service to her Creator, expressed through small acts of kindness. A warm and welcoming smile perpetually graced her face.
During the Time of Troubles, under Boris Godunov’s reign, Juliana, like many others, faced severe hunger. Alongside her servants, she gathered wild herbs and tree bark, baking them into bread to feed her family and those in need. This unusual bread, seasoned with love, compassion, and prayer, tasted even better than regular bread, as both the poor and her neighbours attested.
Seven of Juliana’s children died in infancy, and two of her adult sons perished while serving the Tsar. Following their tragic deaths, Juliana resolved to enter a monastery. However, at her husband’s request, she remained at home to raise their remaining children.
She began to live a monastic life within the world, intensifying her fasting and sleeping only two hours a night, using a log as a pillow.<//p>
When her husband passed away, she distributed the remainder of their possessions to the needy, leaving herself with barely enough for warmth. Juliana possessed not a shred of miserliness. She lived in poverty, continuing to praise and thank God, while constantly reciting the Jesus Prayer, even in her sleep. She greeted everyone with a kind smile and a gentle word. One day, while praying in church, she was granted a vision of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker and the Theotokos.
Saint Juliana’s inner spiritual life bore abundant fruit for those around her. Through her fervent prayers, she warmed the hearts of her neighbours, inspiring them to follow her example. Without any coercion, they voluntarily embraced the path of virtue and became bearers of the Holy Spirit. Juliana’s children were particularly influenced by her example. One of her daughters became a nun and was later glorified as a locally venerated saint.
For Saint Juliana, true happiness did not lie in the pursuit of comfort or luxury. She learned to be content with little and offered thanks to God for all things. Her true joy resided in her life in Christ. In Him, she found health, wisdom, and an unshakeable inner peace. This peace became the foundation of her salvation, the wings that carried her immortal soul to the heavenly mansions in 1604.
To this day, people invoke the name of Saint Juliana of Lazarevo, of Murom, when praying for the health of children or for the resolution of family conflicts. They believe that she remains an angel of mercy, not only for the Murom region but for all who seek her intercession.
