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Saint Claudia Prokla (or Claudia Procula), the wife of Pontius Pilate
Feast Day 27 October
“And while Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: ‘Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much today in a dream because of him.'” (Matthew 27:19)
Kontakion 1
He who makes His existence known to all who wish to receive Him in their hearts, God chose you to come out of the darkness of idol worship and worship Him, Saint Claudia. And you, looking down from Heaven upon us sinners, run to our aid, for we pray to you: Rejoice, Saint Claudia, witness of the wonders and sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ on earth!
Ikos 1
You showed yourself to be equal to the Angels in feeling and experience, coming from ignorance to the true faith and gaining the trust of the heavenly ones, Saint Claudia, and we praise you:
Rejoice, faithful servant of Christ;
Rejoice, lamb with a pure mind;
Rejoice, lily whitened by the grace of divine wonders;
Rejoice, heart deepened by the Love of God;
Rejoice, defender of Christ at Pilate’s judgment;
Rejoice, you who called Him “Righteous” who directs the soul to salvation;
Rejoice, Saint Claudia, witness of the miracles and sufferings on earth of the Lord Jesus Christ!
Kontakion 2
Marrying Pontius Pilate at a very young age, immediately after the wedding you followed him to the province where he had been appointed governor, namely Judea. In Jerusalem, you met the family of Rabbi Jairus, the head of the synagogue, and became friends with his wife Salome, an example of kindness and gentleness, and especially with their twelve-year-old daughter, the beloved and beautiful Semida, all of which was arranged by God’s providence: Alleluia!
Ikos 2
You often visited Salomea’s home, where writings from the Old Testament were read, Holy Claudia, and you began to be charmed by hearing about the God of their fathers and to believe in Him yourself, because your heart grew with joy in those moments.
Rejoice, for you drew ever closer to your Heavenly Father;
Rejoice, for you felt that in Him you were at home;
Rejoice, for you kept your faith secret;
Rejoice, for Salome and Semida were your family;
Rejoice, for you listened to the words of the Lord and were nourished by His grace;
Rejoice, for you thanked Him for His care for you;
Rejoice, Saint Claudia, witness of the miracles and sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ on earth!
Kontakion 3
The God of their fathers thus became your God, and to reassure you, He arranged for servants to announce that Semida, Salomea’s beautiful daughter, had fallen ill and died during the night, and you took your child and ran immediately to their house: Alleluia!
Ikos 3
Approaching the house of Rabbi Jairus, you found a large crowd standing outside, which suddenly withdrew to make way for a group of people whom the crowd regarded with great respect.
Rejoice, for the first man was Jairus, the father of the girl;
Rejoice, for his face shone with conviction and hope;
Rejoice, for three men walked beside him;
Rejoice, for they wore simple, rough clothes;
Rejoice, for behind them walked He who clothes the heart with grace;
Rejoice, for he was a man in the prime of his youth;
Rejoice, Saint Claudia, witness to the miracles and sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ on earth!
Kontakion 4
You entered the house after them, Saint Claudia, and through the open door you saw Semida sitting on the bed surrounded by candlesticks and fragrances, still beautiful from the heavenly peace that had descended upon her, but with the traces of death on her face, and your mother’s heart was saddened: Alleluia!
Ikos 4
Semida’s father threw himself at the feet of the One unknown to you, blessed Saint, and cried out: “My Lord, my daughter is in the hands of death, but if you will, she will rise again!” and He took Semida’s hands, fixing His powerful gaze on her, and said to her, “Little girl, get up!” and the child immediately rose as if an invisible hand had helped her.
Rejoice, for your heart was pierced by the Greatness of the One you did not know;
Rejoice, for suddenly you knew Who He is;
Rejoice, for God raised you too, not just Semida;
Rejoice, for you arose from the sleep of pagan death;
Rejoice, for you set out for eternal life, for Him;
Rejoice, for you did not turn back from the path;
Rejoice, Saint Claudia, witness of the miracles and sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ on earth!
Kontakion 5
After the girl stood up, Jairus knelt before the One he called Lord, kissing the tassels at the hem of His garment and saying, “What must I do to have eternal life?” And He answered him, “Love God and people,” and then He disappeared, leaving joy behind Him: Alleluia!
Ikos 5
Your soul, which had been dead until then, suddenly awoke and entered the gate of faith, filled with light, Saint Claudia, love for the Lord blossoming in you like a field of poppies in the middle of winter, and all the ice around your heart melted when you heard His Voice and felt His power from God.
Rejoice, for we know all this from your letter to a Roman friend;
Rejoice, for you have left us the miracle of the resurrection of Jairus’ daughter;
Rejoice, for you reveal divine mysteries;
Rejoice, for through you the truth is revealed;
Rejoice, for you show us things as they are;
Rejoice, for you destroy lies and deceit;
Rejoice, Saint Claudia, witness of the miracles and sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ on earth!
Kontakion 6
You then wrote that the Jewish Passover was approaching, and Pontius, your husband, told you that there was a plot against the Nazarene, and you went to bed worried and sorrowful, praying to God: Alleluia!
Ikos 6
As soon as you laid your head on the pillow, you had a vision, Saint Claudia, seeing Jesus Christ with a shining face flying above the Cherubim, and from His Being sprang forth flames that fulfilled His will. It was revealed to you that He is the Son of God, ready to judge the peoples, and immediately He separated the righteous from the unrighteous.
Rejoice, for you saw the righteous ascend to Him filled with divine glory;
Rejoice, for the unrighteous were cast into the lake of fire;
Rejoice, for the Divine Judge pointed to the wounds that covered His Body;
Rejoice, for He cried out with a loud voice, “Give me back the blood that I shed for you!”;
Rejoice, for the wretched sinners lamented in vain;
Rejoice, for His righteous judgment was done forever;
Rejoice, Saint Claudia, witness of the miracles and sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ on earth!
Kontakion 7
The next day you ran to the courtroom and saw Pontius sitting on his throne made of elephant bones, in all the earthly glory of Rome, and before him stood Jesus of Nazareth, with his hands bound, his clothes torn, his forehead covered in blood, but calm and unyielding, being both Man and God: Alleluia!
Ikos 7
You kept hearing His words in your ears, Saint Claudia: “Give me back the blood I shed for you!” and you sent a note to your husband in which you wrote: “Do nothing to that righteous man, for I have suffered greatly today in my dream for Him.”
Rejoice, for His gentleness filled you with fear;
Rejoice, for there was neither pride nor fear on His face;
Rejoice, for you loved the Lord;
Rejoice, for you fought for His righteous judgment;
Rejoice, for people thought wrongly, driven by selfishness and hatred;
Rejoice, for only He is the Righteous Judge;
Rejoice, Saint Claudia, witness of the miracles and sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ on earth!
Kontakion 8
Although Pontius did not listen to what you asked him in writing, you called him out of the courtroom and told him not to be a party to the shedding of the blood of this Righteous One who is like the Immortal God, and then you said to him, “A single drop of this blood will cause your eternal condemnation!” But even then he did not want to yield his heart to your pleas, Holy Claudia, for he did not know God: Alleluia!
Ikos 8
Pilate washed his hands of the judgment of the Lord Christ, leaving the people to choose between His release and that of Barabbas, and so the crowd chose Barabbas, the robber who had committed many crimes, and we weep with you, Saint Claudia:
Rejoice, for the Jews took upon themselves and their children the curse of killing the Lord;
Rejoice, for you followed with your own eyes the Sacrifice that was led to be slain;
Rejoice, for you felt that your life had reached its end, dying with Him;
Rejoice, for you saw the veil of the Temple torn in two;
Rejoice, for many tombs opened before your eyes;
Rejoice, for the dead foretell the wrath of God, and His punishment spreads like a flame;
Rejoice, Saint Claudia, witness of the miracles and sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ on earth!
Kontakion 9
You knew from your own experience the Way of the Cross of the Savior, Saint Claudia, and you suffered spiritually because swords had entered your heart when you saw the traces of His spilled Blood, but you also met the centurion who had witnessed everything, who could only say: “The one we killed was truly the Son of God!” Alleluia!
Ikos 9
You watched with sorrow as a man named Joseph of Arimathea came in the great storm, at dusk, to ask for the Savior’s Body to bury Him, and Pilate answered him without being able to look him in the eye, and he left with several women dressed in mourning, who were weeping:
Rejoice, for on the third day you learned that the Triumphant One had risen;
Rejoice, for He appeared above the city;
Rejoice, for first a woman saw Him, then His disciples;
Rejoice, for He then appeared to a multitude of people among the people;
Rejoice, for they bore witness to the Lord’s Resurrection before thrones, rulers, and judges;
Rejoice, for the prophecy was fulfilled and joy came in fullness;
Rejoice, Saint Claudia, witness of the wonders and sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ on earth!
Kontakion 10
You yourself were worthy to see the Risen Christ, Saint Claudia, appearing to you like a shining sun, with a bright halo around His head like a crown of rays and His hair falling on His shoulders, and you felt the strongest emotion ever, because you saw in Him an unfathomable beauty, and His eyes inspired a secret fear that seemed to turn everything to dust: Alleluia!
Ikos 10
You followed Him, beloved Saint, without knowing where He was going, but following Him without question, and you became a disciple of His Apostles, asking for Holy Baptism.
Rejoice, for He made ignorant men skilled and renowned preachers;
Rejoice, for His teaching spread throughout the world;
Rejoice, for this is also our faith in Him;
Rejoice, for we believe that He, the Son of God, rose again for us;
Rejoice, for believing in Him is a fruitful root, to which every root submits;
Rejoice, for you remained alone for a time, searching His teachings;
Rejoice, for you suffered greatly for your love of Christ;
Rejoice, Saint Claudia, witness of the miracles and sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ on earth!
Kontakion 11
Not long after, Pilate’s only son died in your arms, Saint Claudia, but you did not mourn him because you knew that this child bore the curse of his father on his shoulders and that with his death the lineage of the one who gave the Righteous One up to crucifixion was extinguished, for he did not want to believe in the True God: Alleluia!
Ikos 11
You then witnessed Pilate’s death, and receiving your freedom, you chose to follow Christ unto death, suffering greatly for His Holy Name.
Rejoice, for you lived in mourning, weeping for your sins and those of Pilate;
Rejoice, for your tears flowed long;
Rejoice, for you then rested in the Lord;
Rejoice, for your love for Him brought you a pious end;
Rejoice, for you are called “the defender of the Righteous One” before men;
Rejoice, for you had courage and were saved;
Rejoice, Saint Claudia, witness of the miracles and sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ on earth!
Kontakion 12
You are counted among the Saints of God’s Kingdom, Saint Claudia, a star that spreads healing rays to those who honor you, defending them before unjust judges and interceding with the Lord for their forgiveness: Alleluia!
Ikos 12
The Lord Christ has you before Him in Heaven as the one who spoke out against the injustice of His condemnation to death, for He stood in judgment before your husband and you fought to do Him justice.
Rejoice, you who saw the miracles of the Lord Christ on earth;
Rejoice, for the daughter of Jairus was raised before you;
Rejoice, for you were worthy to see the Savior at His righteous judgment;
Rejoice, for you bear witness to the eternal condemnation of those who crucified Him;
Rejoice, for you strengthen God’s righteousness with your words;
Rejoice, for you defended the Righteous One;
Rejoice, Saint Claudia, witness of the miracles and sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ on earth!
Kontakion 13
Most honorable Saint Claudia, look upon us and hear these prayers, defend us at the Judgment of Christ, ask Him to look upon the righteousness of our hearts and be merciful to us, for we do not want to justify ourselves in any way, but we run to His great mercy to forgive us and judge us with His righteous judgment, so that we may sing with you: Alleluia!
This Kontakion is said 3 times.
Ikos 1
You showed yourself to be equal to the Angels in feeling and experience, coming from ignorance to the true faith and gaining the trust of the heavenly ones, Saint Claudia, and we praise you:
Rejoice, faithful servant of Christ;
Rejoice, lamb with a pure mind;
Rejoice, lily whitened by the grace of divine wonders;
Rejoice, heart deepened by the Love of God;
Rejoice, defender of Christ at Pilate’s judgment;
Rejoice, you who called Him “Righteous” who directs the soul to salvation;
Rejoice, Saint Claudia, witness of the miracles and sufferings on earth of the Lord Jesus Christ!
Kontakion 1
He who makes His existence known to all who wish to receive Him in their hearts, God chose you to come out of the darkness of idol worship and worship Him, Saint Claudia. And you, looking down from Heaven upon us sinners, run to our aid, for we pray to you: Rejoice, Saint Claudia, witness of the wonders and sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ on earth!
Prayer to Saint Claudia Procla:
Saint Claudia, the most blessed one, you who witnessed the resurrection of Jairus’ daughter, who saw in a vision how the Son of God separates the righteous from the sinners and how each receives his reward according to his deeds, who stood courageously before Pilate and fought to prevent him from harming the Righteous and innocent One, who wept bitter tears beneath His Cross and who leaped for joy when you saw Him risen, who were deemed worthy to see Christ Himself after His Resurrection and followed Him without hesitation, we call upon you and pray to you with deep sighs and much sorrow.
Behold, the enemies of our soul cry out to us: “Crucify him! Crucify him!” and we have no other escape except to the Holy Trinity and the Mother of God, except to you. Defend us from the multitude who choose Barabbas and put a stop to the power of Pilate, the devil who works for our destruction, the children of God.
Do not let the judgment be unjust, but fight for us and in our name, make God hear your prayer: “This one is righteous. I beg you, Lord Jesus Christ, let no harm come to him!” And although we are not pure as tears but sinners, we have hope in the forgiveness of Christ God, who is Good and Loving toward people.
You see, our beloved Saint, that we do not seek another God and pray only to Him to save us from this curse, hoping that through your prayers He will free us from all the devilish bonds that have been cunningly placed upon us.
We thank you, Saint Claudia, for your love, which we feel as a warm comfort, and wishing to honor you as you deserve, we glorify and love you as our protector in Heaven, where we pray that you will intercede for us to reach at the end of our lives so that we may sing with the Seraphim praises to the Most Holy Trinity, now and forever and ever. Amen.
