january saints
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felt a warmth and a flame enter his heart from the icon. It did not burn
him, but he felt a certain sweetness and contrition within. From that
time, his heart began to repeat the Jesus Prayer of itself. In this way,
the Virgin Theotokos fulfilled his request. St. Maximus fulfilled his
obedience in the Lavra of St. Athanasius on Mt. Athos. In order to
conceal his ascetic deeds of fasting and prayer, and to avoid
celebrity, he behaved like a fool. One day, he had a vision of the
Mother of God, who told him to ascend the mountain. On the summit
of the Holy Mountain, he prayed for three days and nights. Again, the
Most Holy Theotokos appeared to him surrounded by angels, and
holding Her divine Son in Her arms. Prostrating himself, the saint
heard the All-Holy Virgin speak to him, "Receive the gift against
demons... and settle at the foot of Athos, for this is the will of My
Son." She told him that he would ascend the heights of virtue, and
become a teacher and guide for many. Then, since he had not eaten
for several days, a heavenly bread was given to him. As soon as he
put it in his mouth, he was surrounded by divine light, and he saw the
Mother of God ascending into Heaven. St. Maximus told his vision to a
certain Elder living by the church of the holy Prophet Elias at Carmel.
He was skeptical, but the saint turned his disbelief to good. He
pretended to be slightly crazy in order to conceal his prodigious
ascetic deeds, privations, his hardship and solitude. St. Maximus did
not live in a permanent abode, but wandered from place to place like
a lunatic. Whenever he moved, he would burn his hut down. Therefore,
he was called "Kavsokalyvites," or "Hut Burner." Those on the Holy
Mountain, knowing of the extreme deprivations and sorrows of St.
Maximus, for a long time regarded him with contempt, even though he
had attained the height and perfection of spiritual life. When St.
Gregory of Sinai (August 8) arrived on Athos, he encountered the holy
fool. After speaking to him, he began to call him an earthly angel. St.
Gregory persuaded St. Maximus to stop behaving like a fool and to
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live in one place so that others might benefit from his spiritual
experience. Heeding the words of St. Gregory and the advice of other
Elders, St. Maximus selected a permanent dwelling in a cave near the
renowned Elder Isaiah. Knowing of his gift of clairvoyance, the
Byzantine Emperors John Paleologos (1341-1376) and John
Kantakouzenos (1341-1355) visited him and were surprised by the
fulfillment of his predictions. Theophanes, the igumen of Vatopedi
monastery, wrote about St. Maximus: "I invoke God as my witness,
that I myself saw several of his miracles. Once, for instance, I saw
him travel through the air from one place to another. I listened as he
made a prediction concerning me, that first I would be an igumen, and
then Metropolitan of Ochrid. He even revealed to me how I would
suffer for the Church." St. Maximus abandoned his solitude only just
before his death, and settled near the Lavra of St. Athanasius, where
he surrendered his soul to the Lord at 95 years of age (+ 1354). After
his death, as in life, St. Maximus was glorified by many miracles.
TODAY IS JANUARY 14
Saint Nino, Equal of the Apostles and
Enlightener of Georgia
FEAST DAY
The virgin Nino of Cappadocia was a relative of Great-martyr George
and the only daughter of a widely respected and honorable couple.
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Her father was a Roman army chief by the name of Zabulon, and her
mother, Sosana, was the sister of Patriarch Juvenal of Jerusalem.
When Nino reached the age of twelve, her parents sold all their
possessions and moved to Jerusalem. Soon after, Nino’s father was
tonsured a monk. He bid farewell to his family and went to labor in the
wilderness of the Jordan. After Sosana had been separated from her
husband, Patriarch Juvenal ordained her a deaconess. She left Nino in
the care of an old woman, Sara Niaphor, who raised her in the
Christian Faith and related to her the stories of Christ’s life and His
suffering on earth. It was from Sara that Nino learned how Christ’s
Robe had arrived in Georgia, a country of pagans. Soon Nino began to
pray fervently to the Theotokos, asking for her blessing to travel to
Georgia and be made worthy to venerate the Sacred Robe that she
had woven for her beloved Son. The Most Holy Virgin heard her
prayers and appeared to Nino in a dream, saying, “Go to the country
that was assigned to me by lot and preach the Gospel of our Lord
Jesus Christ. He will send down His grace upon you, and I will be your
protector.” But the blessed Nino was overwhelmed at the thought of
such a great responsibility and answered, “How can I, a fragile
woman, perform such a momentous task, and how can I believe that
this vision is real?” In response, the Most Holy Theotokos presented
her with a cross of grapevines and proclaimed, “Receive this cross as
a shield against visible and invisible enemies!” When she awoke,
Nino was holding the cross in her hands. She dampened it with tears
of rejoicing and tied it securely with strands of her own hair.
(According to another source, the Theotokos bound the grapevine
cross with strands of her own hair.) Nino related the vision to her
uncle, Patriarch Juvenal, and revealed to him her desire to preach the
Gospel in Georgia. Juvenal led her in front of the Royal Doors, laid his
hands on her, and prayed, “O Lord, God of Eternity, I beseech Thee on
behalf of my orphaned niece. Grant that, according to Thy will, she
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may go to preach and proclaim Thy Holy Resurrection. O Christ God,
be Thou to her a guide, a refuge, and a spiritual father. And as Thou
didst enlighten the Apostles and all those who feared Thy name, do
Thou also enlighten her with the wisdom to proclaim Thy glad
tidings.” When Nino arrived in Rome, she met and baptized the
princess Rhipsimia and her nurse, Gaiana. At that time the Roman
emperor was Diocletian, a ruler infamous for persecuting Christians.
Diocletian fell in love with Rhipsimia and resolved to marry her, but
Sts. Nino, Rhipsimia, Gaiana, and fifty other virgins escaped to
Armenia. The furious Diocletian ordered his soldiers to follow them
and sent a messenger to Tiridates, the Armenian king, to put him on
guard. King Tiridates located the women and, following Diocletian’s
example, was charmed by Rhipsimia’s beauty and resolved to marry
her. But St. Rhipsimia would not consent to marry, and in his rage the
king had her tortured to death with Gaiana and the fifty other virgins.
St. Nino, however, was being prepared for a different, greater task,
and she succeeded in escaping King Tiridates’ persecutions by hiding
among some rose bushes. When she finally arrived in Georgia, St.
Nino was greeted by a group of Mtskhetan shepherds near Lake
Paravani, and she received a blessing from God to preach to the
pagans of this region. With the help of her acquaintances, St. Nino
soon reached the city of Urbnisi. She remained there a month, then
traveled to Mtskheta with a group of Georgians who were making a
pilgrimage to venerate the pagan idol Armazi. There she watched with
great sadness as the Georgian people trembled before the idols. She
was exceedingly sorrowful and prayed to the Lord, “O Lord, send
down Thy mercy upon this nation …that all nations may glorify Thee
alone, the One True God, through Thy Son, Jesus Christ.” Suddenly a
violent wind began to blow and hail fell from the sky, shattering the
pagan statues. The terrified worshipers fled, scattering across the
city. St. Nino made her home beneath a bramble bush in the garden of
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the king, with the family of the royal gardener. The gardener and his
wife were childless, but through St. Nino’s prayers, God granted them
a child. The couple rejoiced, declared Christ to be the True God, and
became disciples of St. Nino. Wherever St. Nino went, those who
heard her preach converted to the Christian Faith in great numbers.
St. Nino even healed the terminally ill Queen Nana after she declared
Christ to be the True God. King Mirian, a pagan, was not at all pleased
with the great impression St. Nino’s preaching had made on the
Georgian nation. One day while he was out hunting, he resolved to kill
all those who followed Christ. According to his scheme, even his wife,
Queen Nana, would face death for failing to renounce the Christian
Faith. But in the midst of the hunt, it suddenly became very dark. All
alone, King Mirian became afraid and prayed in vain for the help of the
pagan gods. When his prayers went unanswered, he finally lost hope
and, miraculously, turned to Christ: “God of Nino, illumine this night
for me and guide my footsteps, and I will declare Thy Holy Name. I
will erect a cross and venerate it, and I will construct for Thee a
temple. I vow to be obedient to Nino and to the Faith of the Roman
people!” Suddenly the night was transfigured, the sun shone radiantly,
and King Mirian gave great thanks to the Creator. When he returned to
the city, he immediately informed St. Nino of his decision. As a result
of the unceasing labors of Equal-to-the-Apostles Nino, Georgia was
established as a nation solidly rooted in the Christian Faith. St. Nino
reposed in the village of Bodbe in eastern Georgia and, according to
her will, she was buried in the place where she took her last breath.
King Mirian later erected a church in honor of St. George over her
grave.
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TODAY IS JANUARY 15
Saint John the Hut-Dweller
FEAST DAY
Saint John the Hut-Dweller was the son of rich and illustrious parents,
and was born in Constantinople the early fifth century. He received a
fine education, and he mastered rhetoric and philosophy by the age of
twelve. He also loved to read spiritual books. Perceiving the vanity of
worldly life, he chose the path that was narrow and extremely
difficult. Filled with longing to enter a monastery, he confided his
intention to a passing monk. John made him promise to come back for
him when he returned from his pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and take him
to his monastery. He asked his parents for a Gospel so that he might
study the words of Christ. John's parents hired a calligrapher to copy
the text, and had the volume bound in a golden cover studded with
gems. John read the Gospel constantly, delighting in the Savior's
words. The monk kept his promise to come back for John, and they
went secretly to Bithynia. At the monastery of the "Unsleeping"
(Akoimitoi), he received monastic tonsure. The young monk began his
ascetical labors with zeal, astonishing the brethren with his
unceasing prayer, humble obedience, strict abstinence, and
perseverance at work. After six years, he began to undergo
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temptations. He remembered his parents, how much they loved him,
and what sorrow he caused them. He regretted leaving them, and was
filled with a burning desire to see them again. St. John explained his
situation to the igumen St. Marcellus and he asked to be released
from the monastery. He begged the igumen for his blessing and
prayers to return home. He bid farewell to the brethren, hoping that by
their prayers and with the help of God, he would both see his parents
and overcome the snares of the devil. The igumen then blessed him
for his journey. St. John returned to Constantinople, not to resume his
former life of luxury, but dressed as a beggar, and unknown to
anyone. He settled in a corner by the gates of his parents' home. His
father noticed the "pauper," and began to send him food from his
table, for the sake of Christ. John lived in a small hut for three years,
oppressed and insulted by the servants, enduring cold and frost,
unceasingly conversing with the Lord and the holy angels. Before his
death, the Lord appeared to the monk in a vision, revealing that the
end of his sorrows was approaching, and that in three days he would
be taken into the Heavenly Kingdom. Therefore, he asked the steward
to give his mother a message to come to him, for he had something to
say to her. At first, she did not wish to go, but she was curious to
know what this beggar had to say to her. Then he sent her another
message, saying that he would die in three days. John thanked her for
the charity he had received, and told her that God would reward her
for it. He then made her promise to bury him beneath his hut, dressed
in his rags. Only then did the saint give her his Gospel, which he
always carried with him, saying, "May this console you in this life, and
guide you to the next life." She showed the Gospel to her husband,
saying that it was similar to the one they had given their son. He
realized that it was, in fact, the very Gospel they had commissioned
for John. They went back to the gates, intending to ask the pauper
where he got the Gospel, and if he knew anything about their son.
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Unable to restrain himself any longer, he admitted that he was their
child. With tears of joy they embraced him, weeping because he had
endured privation for so long at the very gates of his parental home.
The saint died in the mid-fifth century, when he was not quite twenty-
five years old. On the place of his burial the parents built a church,
and beside it a hostel for strangers. When they died, they were buried
in the church they had built. In the twelfth century the head of the
saint was taken by Crusaders to Besançon (in France), and other
relics of the saint were taken to Rome.
TODAY IS JANUARY 16
Veneration of Apostle Peter's Precious Chains
FEAST DAY
Herod Agrippa, the grandson of Herod the Great and king of the Jews,
grew wroth against the Church of Christ, and slew James, the brother
of John the Evangelist. Seeing that this pleased the Jews, he took
Peter also into custody and locked him up in prison, intending to keep
him there until after the feast of the Passover, so that he could win
the favor of the people by presenting him to them as a victim. But the
Apostle was saved when he was miraculously set free by an Angel
(Acts 12:1-19). The chains wherewith the Apostle was bound received
from his most sacred body the grace of sanctification and healing,
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which is bestowed upon the faithful who draw nigh with faith. That
such sacred treasures work wonders and many healings is witnessed
by the divine Scripture, where it speaks concerning Paul, saying that
the Christians in Ephesus had such reverence for him, that his
handkerchiefs and aprons, taken up with much reverence, healed the
sick of their maladies: "So that from his body were brought unto the
sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them,
and the evil spirits went out of them" (Acts 19:12). But not only the
Apostles' clothing (which certainly touched the bodies of the sick),
but even their shadow alone performed healings. On beholding this,
people put their sick on stretchers and beds and brought them out
into the streets that, when Peter passed by, his shadow "might
overshadow some of them"(Acts 5:15). From this the Orthodox
Catholic Church has learned to show reverence and piety not only to
the relics of their bodies, but also in the clothing of God's Saints.
TODAY IS JANUARY 17
Saint Anthony the Great
FEAST DAY
Saint Anthony the Great is known as the Father of monasticism, and
the long ascetical sermon in The Life of St. Anthony by St. Athanasius
(Sections 16-34), could be called the first monastic Rule. He was born
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in Egypt in the village of Coma, near the desert of the Thebaid, in the
year 251. His parents were pious Christians of illustrious lineage.
Anthony was a serious child and was respectful and obedient to his
parents. He loved to attend church services, and he listened to the
Holy Scripture so attentively, that he remembered what he heard all
his life. When St. Anthony was about twenty years old, he lost his
parents, but he was responsible for the care of his younger sister.
Going to church about six months later, the youth reflected on how
the faithful, in the Acts of the Apostles (4:35), sold their possessions
and gave the proceeds to the Apostles for the needy. Then he entered
the church and heard the Gospel passage where Christ speaks to the
rich young man: "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess
and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and
come follow Me" (Mt.19:21). Anthony felt that these words applied to
him. Therefore, he sold the property that he received after the death
of his parents, then distributed the money to the poor, and left his
sister in the care of pious virgins in a convent. Leaving his parental
home, St. Anthony began his ascetical life in a hut not far from his
village. By working with his hands, he was able to earn his livelihood
and also alms for the poor. Sometimes, the holy youth also visited
other ascetics living in the area, and from each he sought direction
and benefit. He turned to one particular ascetic for guidance in the
spiritual life. In this period of his life St. Anthony endured terrible
temptations from the devil. The Enemy of the race of man troubled the
young ascetic with thoughts of his former life, doubts about his
chosen path, concern for his sister, and he tempted Anthony with
lewd thoughts and carnal feelings. But the saint extinguished that fire
by meditating on Christ and by thinking of eternal punishment,
thereby overcoming the devil. Realizing that the devil would
undoubtedly attack him in another manner, St. Anthony prayed and
intensified his efforts. Anthony prayed that the Lord would show him
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the path of salvation. And he was granted a vision. The ascetic beheld
a man, who by turns alternately finished a prayer, and then began to
work. This was an angel, which the Lord had sent to instruct His
chosen one. St. Anthony tried to accustom himself to a stricter way of
life. He partook of food only after sunset, he spent all night praying
until dawn. Soon he slept only every third day. But the devil would not
cease his tricks, and trying to scare the monk, he appeared under the
guise of monstrous phantoms. The saint however protected himself
with the Life-Creating Cross. Finally the Enemy appeared to him in the
guise of a frightful looking black child, and hypocritically declaring
himself beaten, he thought he could tempt the saint into vanity and
pride. The saint, however, vanquished the Enemy with prayer. For
even greater solitude, St. Anthony moved farther away from the
village, into a graveyard. He asked a friend to bring him a little bread
on designated days, then shut himself in a tomb. Then the devils
pounced upon the saint intending to kill him, and inflicted terrible
wounds upon him. By the providence of the Lord, Anthony's friend
arrived the next day to bring him his food. Seeing him lying on the
ground as if dead, he took him back to the village. They thought the
saint was dead and prepared for his burial. At midnight, St. Anthony
regained consciousness and told his friend to carry him back to the
tombs. St. Anthony's staunchness was greater than the wiles of the
Enemy. Taking the form of ferocious beasts, the devils tried to force
the saint to leave that place, but he defeated them by trusting in the
Lord. Looking up, the saint saw the roof opening, as it were, and a ray
of light coming down toward him. The demons disappeared and he
cried out, "Where have You been, O Merciful Jesus? Why didn't You
appear from the very beginning to end my pain?" The Lord replied, "I
was here, Anthony, but wanted to see your struggle. Now, since you
have not yielded, I shall always help you and make your name known
throughout all the world." After this vision St. Anthony was healed of
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his wounds and felt stronger than before. He was then thirty-five
years of age. Having gained spiritual experience in his struggle with
the devil, St. Anthony considered going into the Thebaid desert to
serve the Lord. He asked the Elder (to whom he had turned for
guidance at the beginning of his monastic journey) to go into the
desert with him. The Elder, while blessing him in the then as yet
unheard of exploit of being a hermit, decided not to accompany him
because of his age. St. Anthony went into the desert alone. The devil
tried to hinder him, by placing a large silver disc in his path, then
gold, but the saint ignored it and passed by. He found an abandoned
fort on the other side of the river and settled there, barricading the
entrance with stones. His faithful friend brought him bread twice a
year, and there was water inside the fort. St. Anthony spent twenty
years in complete isolation and constant struggle with the demons,
and he finally achieved perfect calm. The saint's friends removed the
stones from the entrance, and they went to St. Anthony and besought
him to take them under his guidance. Soon St. Anthony's cell was
surrounded by several monasteries, and the saint acted as a father
and guide to their inhabitants, giving spiritual instruction to all who
came into the desert seeking salvation. He increased the zeal of
those who were already monks, and inspired others with a love for the
ascetical life. He told them to strive to please the Lord, and not to
become faint-hearted in their labors. He also urged them not to fear
demonic assaults, but to repel the Enemy by the power of the Life-
Creating Cross of the Lord. In the year 311 there was a fierce
persecution against Christians, in the reign of the emperor Maximian.
Wishing to suffer with the holy martyrs, St. Anthony left the desert
and went to Alexandria. He openly ministered to those in prison, he
was present at the trial and interrogations of the confessors, and
accompanying the martyrs to the place of execution. It pleased the
Lord to preserve him, however, for the benefit of Christians. At the
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close of the persecution, the saint returned to the desert and
continued his exploits. The Lord granted the saint the gift of
wonderworking, casting out demons and healing the sick by the
power of his prayer. The great crowds of people coming to him
disrupted his solitude, and he went off still farther, into the inner
desert where he settled atop a high elevation. But the brethren of the
monasteries sought him out and asked him to visit their communities.
Another time St. Anthony left the desert and arrived in Alexandria to
defend the Orthodox Faith against the Manichaean and Arian
heresies. Knowing that the name of St. Anthony was venerated by all
the Church, the Arians said that he adhered to their heretical
teaching. But St. Anthony publicly denounced Arianism in front of
everyone and in the presence of the bishop. During his brief stay at
Alexandria, he converted a great multitude of pagans to Christ.
People from all walks of life loved the saint and sought his advice.
Pagan philosophers once came to Abba Anthony intending to mock
him for his lack of education, but by his words he reduced them to
silence. Emperor Constantine the Great (May 21) and his sons wrote
to St. Anthony and asked him for a reply. He praised the emperor for
his belief in Christ, and advised him to remember the future judgment,
and to know that Christ is the true King. St. Anthony spent eighty-five
years in the solitary desert. Shortly before his death, he told the
brethren that soon he would be taken from them. He instructed them
to preserve the Orthodox Faith in its purity, to avoid any association
with heretics, and not to be negligent in their monastic struggles.
"Strive to be united first with the Lord, and then with the saints, so
that after death they may receive you as familiar friends into the
everlasting dwellings." The saint instructed two of his disciples, who
had attended him in the final fifteen years of his life, to bury him in
the desert and not in Alexandria. He left one of his monastic mantles
to St. Athanasius of Alexandria (January 18), and the other to St.
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Serapion of Thmuis (March 21). St. Anthony died peacefully in the year
356, at age 105, and he was buried in the desert by his disciples.
TODAY IS JANUARY 18
Saint Ephraim the Lesser
FEAST DAY
Ephraim the Lesser, is the great 11th-century writer, translator,
philosopher, and defender of the Georgian Church. His work
Reminiscences and other sources, however, provide us with the
means to speculate about the major periods of his life and labors. In
1027, when King Bagrat IV (1027–1072) ascended the Georgian
throne, many noblemen of the Tao region in southern Georgia
relocated to Greece. Among them was the honorable Vache, son of
Karichi, whom scholars believe was Ephraim’s father. After receiving
a Greek education in Constantinople, Ephraim settled in the Black
Mountains near Antioch and began his labors there. His achievements
in Georgian theological and philosophical writing are immeasurable.
The number of his works is almost one hundred, and the subjects
cover nearly every branch of theological inquiry. Ephraim even
developed his own theory of translation, which later formed the
foundation for written composition in the Georgian language. His
theory consists of three essential points: 1. A composition must be
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translated from the original, that is, from the language in which it was
first written. 2. The translation must carry the same literal meaning
as the original, but accuracy in this regard must not violate the nature
of the language into which the text is being translated. 3. A section of
commentary that examines all relevant historical, grammatical, and
literary issues should be included with the translated text. Ephraim
translated five of the works of St. Dionysius the Areopagite, The
Ascetic Rules of St. Basil the Great, the writings of St. Ephraim the
Syrian, commentaries on the Epistles and Psalms, and many other
important patristic writings. Among Ephraim the Lessor’s original
works, his most significant is An Explanation of the Reasons for the
Conversion of Georgia, a compilation of existing essays and his own
commentaries on the nation’s conversion. In the second half of the
11th century, the monks of Antioch and the Black Mountains began to
deny the independence of the Georgian Church. Among other claims,
they argued that none of the Apostles had preached the Christian
Faith in Georgia. It became necessary to prove that the Georgian
Church was indeed autocephalous, and members of the nation’s elite
accordingly called upon Ephraim to settle this issue. Ephraim studied
many patristic writings in the original Greek, gathered the ancient
sources, and succeeded in fully securing the independent existence
of the Georgian Church. St. Ephraim wrote the following about the
Apostles’ preaching: “Know that from the time the Apostles were
preaching, according to the Prophet David: Their voice was heard
through all the earth, and their words resounded in every village.” In
Georgia, Andrew the First-called preached the Gospel in Avazgia (now
Abkhazeti), and from there he journeyed to Ossetia (now Shida Kartli).
Bartholomew also preached in Georgia, in the Kartli region.” St.
Ephraim never left the Black Mountains. In 1091 he was enthroned as
the abbot of Kastana Monastery (The precise location of Kastana is
unknown, but according to modern archaeologists, it was probably in
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the Black Mountains. Our holy father Ephraim reposed in the Lord
around the year 1101. He is included in a list of the departed compiled
by the Council of Ruisi-Urbnisi in 1103, and the year of his death has
been approximated from the information given in this source. Saint
Ephraim was canonized by the Orthodox Church of Georgia because
of his God-pleasing life and the many commendable works he
performed on behalf of the Church and his nation.
TODAY IS JANUARY 19
Saint Mark, Bishop of Ephesus
FEAST DAY
The great teacher and invincible defender of the One, Holy, Orthodox,
and Apostolic Church, Saint Mark, was the offspring and scion of the
imperial city, Constantinople. Reared by most pious parents, and
instructed in secular and spiritual wisdom, he became preeminent in
both. Saint Mark lived as an ascetic on the Prince's Islands and later
in the monastery of Saint George Magana in Constantinople. He
passed through all the degrees of the priesthood, and was finally
advanced to the dignity of Archbishop and the lofty throne of the
Metropolis of Ephesus. At the insistence of Emperor John Paleologos,
the Saint was sent to the council of the Latin’s in Florence, to unite
the churches that had been divided for so many years. He astounded
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the papal teachers with the divine wisdom of his words, and was the
only one who did not sign the blasphemous decree of that false
council. Because of this, the Holy Church of Christ has ever honored
this great man as a benefactor, teacher, sole defender, and invincible
champion of the Apostolic Confession. He reposed in 1443.
TODAY IS JANUARY 20
Holy Martyrs Saints Inna, Pinna and Rimma
FEAST DAY
The Holy Martyrs Inna, Pinna and Rimma were Slavs from northern
Scythia (modern-day Bulgaria). They were disciples of the holy
Apostle Andrew the First-Called in the first century and preached the
Gospel of Christ and baptized many of those who sought the True
Faith. The women traveled with St. Andrew on many of his missions.
In present-day Kiev, they all stood on a hill and planted a cross,
prophesying that one day there would be a flowering of Christianity in
that city. Learning they were Christians, the local prince had them
seized and demanded that they offer sacrifice to the idols. However,
the women refused to denounce Christ. It was wintertime, and the
rivers were so frozen that not only people but horses with carts could
travel across the ice. The prince ordered that the women be tied to
logs. They were gradually lowered into the freezing water, and when
the ice reached their necks, they offered their blessed souls to the
Lord. The Cathedral of St. Andrew in Kiev, Ukraine, was built on the
same spot where the holy martyrs stood with St. Andrew.
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TODAY IS JANUARY 21
The Holy Martyr Saint Eugene of Trebizond
FEAST DAY
The Holy Martyrs Eugene, Candidus, Valerian and Aquila suffered for
their faith in Christ during the reign of Diocletian (284-305) and
Maximian (305-311), under the regimental commander Lycius.
Valerian, Candidus and Aquila had hidden themselves in the hills near
Trebizond, preferring life among the wild beasts to living with the
pagans. They were soon found, however, and brought to Trebizond.
For their bold and steadfast confession of faith in Christ the holy
martyrs were whipped with ox thongs, scraped with iron claws, then
were burned with fire. Several days later St. Eugene was also
arrested, and subjected to the same tortures. Later, they poured
vinegar laced with salt into his wounds. After these torments, they
threw the four martyrs into a red-hot oven. When they emerged from it
unharmed, they were beheaded, receiving their incorruptible crowns
from God. Saint Eugene became the Patron Saint of Trebizond during
the Byzantine era (orderofsteugene.com).
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TODAY IS JANUARY 22
Saint Macarius of Zhabyn
FEAST DAY
Saint Macarius of Zhabyn, Wonderworker of Belev, was born in the
year 1539. In his early years he was tonsured with the name
Onuphrius, and in the year 1585 he founded Zhabyn's Monastery of the
Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple near the River Oka,
not far from the city of Belev. In 1615 the monastery was completely
destroyed by Polish soldiers under the command of Lisovski.
Returning to the charred remains, the monk began to restore the
monastery. He again gathered the brethren, and in place of the
wooden church a stone church was built in honor of the Entry of the
Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple, with a bell-tower at the gates.
The saint spent his life in austere monastic struggles, suffering cold,
heat, hunger and thirst, as the monastery accounts relate. He often
went deep into the forest, where he prayed to God in solitude. Once,
when he was following a path in the forest, he heard a faint moaning.
He looked around and saw a weary Polish man reclining against a tree
trunk, with his sabre beside him. He had strayed from his regiment
and had become lost in the forest. In a barely audible voice this
enemy, who might have been one of the destroyers of the monastery,
asked for a drink of water. Love and sympathy surged up within the
monk. With a prayer to the Lord, he plunged his staff into the ground.
At once, a fresh spring of water gushed forth, and he gave the dying
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man a drink. When both the external and internal life of the monastery
had been restored, St. Onuphrius withdrew from the general monastic
life, and having entrusted the guidance of the brethren to one of his
disciples, he took the schema with the name Macarius. For the place
of his solitude, he chose a spot along the upper tributary of the River
Zhabynka. About one verst separated the mouth of the tributary and
the banks of the River Oka. The ascetical struggles of St. Macarius
were concealed not only from the world, but also from his beloved
brethren. He died in 1623 at the age of eighty-four, at the hour when
the roosters start to crow. He was buried opposite the gates of the
monastery on January 22, the commemoration of St. Timothy, where a
church was later built and named for him. The Iconographic Originals
has preserved a description of St. Macarius in his last years: he had
gray hair with a small beard, and over his monastic riassa he wore the
schema. Veneration of St. Macarius was established at the end of the
seventeenth century, or the beginning of the eighteenth. According to
Tradition, his relics remained uncovered, but by 1721 they were
interred in a crypt. In the eighteenth century the monastery became
deserted. The memory of his deeds and miracles was so completely
forgotten, that when the incorrupt relics of the monastery's founder
were uncovered during the construction of the church of St. Nicholas
in 1816, a general panikhida was served over them. The restoration of
the liturgical commemoration of St. Macarius of Belev is credited to
Igumen Jonah, who was born on January 22 (the Feast of St.
Macarius), and who began his own monastic journey at the Optina
monastery not far from the Zhabyn monastery. In 1875 Igumen Jonah
became head of the Zhabyn monastery. His request to re-establish the
Feast of St. Macarius was strengthened by the petition of the people
of Belev, who through the centuries had preserved their faith in the
saint. On January 22, 1888, the annual commemoration of St.
Macarius of Zhabyn was resumed. In 1889, a church dedicated to St.
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Macarius was built at his tomb. Igumen Jonah, who lived at the
monastery and actually participated in the construction, decided that
in addition to the building project, the holy relics of St. Macarius
would also be uncovered. When everything was on the point of
readiness, St. Macarius appeared to the participants and sternly
warned them that they should not proceed with their intention, or
they would be punished. The memory of this appearance was
reverently preserved among the monks of the monastery.
TODAY IS JANUARY 23
The Holy Saint Hieromartyr Clement
Bishop of Ancyra
FEAST DAY
Saint Hieromartyr Clement, who was from Ancyra in Galatia, was the
son of an unbelieving father, but a believing mother whose name was
Sophia. At first he lived as a monk, later he became the bishop of his
city. He suffered so many things in confession of the Faith in Christ,
that the time of his sufferings and struggles stretched out over a
period of twenty-eight years. Finally he and Saint Agathangelus (who
was from Rome) were beheaded together during the reign of
Diocletian and Maximian, in the year 296.
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TODAY IS JANUARY 24
Saint Xenia the Fool for Christ of St. Petersburg
FEAST DAY
Our righteous Mother Xenia of St. Petersburg was born about the year
1730. She was married to a Colonel named Andrew; when she was
twenty-six years old her husband died suddenly, having been drinking
with his friends. Left a childless widow, Xenia gave away all that she
had and vanished from St. Petersburg for eight years; it is believed
that she spent this time in a hermitage, learning the spiritual life.
When she returned to Saint Petersburg, she wore her husband’s
military clothing, and would answer only to the name Andrew, that is,
the name of her late husband. She took up the life of a homeless
wanderer, and was abused by many as insane; she bore this with
great patience, crucifying the carnal mind through the mockery she
endured, and praying for her husband’s soul. She was given great gifts
of prayer and prophecy, and often foretold things to come; in 1796 she
foretold the death of Empress Catherine II. Having lived forty-five
years after her husband’s death, she reposed in peace at the age of
seventy one, about the year 1800. Her grave became such a source of
miracles, and so many came to take soil from it as a blessing, that it
was often necessary to replace the soil; when a stone slab was
placed over her grave, this too disappeared over time, piece by piece.
Saint Xenia is especially invoked for help in finding employment,
lodging, or a spouse.
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The Gravestone of St. Xenia
The only record of "vital statistics" that has been left to us
concerning Blessed Xenia is the epitaph on her gravestone: In the
name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Here rests the body of the
servant of God, Xenia Grigorievna, Wife of the imperial chorister,
Colonel Andrei Theodorovich Petrov. Widowed at the age of 26, a
pilgrim for 45 years. She lived a total of 71 years. She was known by
the name Andrei Theodorovich. May whoever knew me pray for my
soul that his own may be saved. Amen.
Blessed St. Xenia was a "fool-for-Christ," who, for 45 years, wandered
around the streets of St. Petersburg, Russia. For the first 26 years of
her life, Xenia had lived quite comfortably. However, after her
husband suddenly died, the Holy Spirit led her to give away all her
possessions to the poor. She put on her dead husband’s clothes and
called herself by his name, saying that Xenia had died. Homeless, she
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lived in the streets all year round for 45 years, owning only the ragged
clothes on her back. The Holy Spirit also led her to give away her
mind and her heart to God. By giving everything away, she became
rich in humility, simplicity, self-denial, kindness, and deep and
profound love for all. By pretending to be insane, she showed how
insane the world and its values are. By denying herself the comforts
of a home, a bed, decent clothes, food, and the appearance of being
"normal," she helps us to examine what really is important in life, and
what really is "normal." By her self-denial, Blessed St. Xenia daily died
to her old self and daily lived only for God. She trusted totally that
God would provide for her, as He provides for the birds. During the day
she wandered the streets, dressed in rags, enduring heat and cold,
snow and rain, mocked by people. At night she went out into the
fields and prayed all night, and at other times she spent the night at
the Smolensk Cemetery. It was at this cemetery that she helped the
workmen build the Church of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God
(photo below), by secretly carrying bricks up the scaffold during the
night.
One night the workmen hid to find out who was helping them, and
discovered that it was "Crazy Xenia." Whenever someone gave her
alms, she immediately gave it to the poor. As the years passed, the
Holy Spirit filled Xenia with greater riches, and she became
increasingly blessed. After a while, some people started to notice that
"crazy Xenia" wasn’t so crazy after all, but was an instrument of
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divine grace, to whom had been given deep spiritual powers: she
could see into people’s hearts and into the past and future, and
appeared to people in visions. Anyone whom she touched was
blessed. Because she gave up living for herself, she was able to live
for others, helping those in need. She especially helped families,
children and marriages, as she continues to do today. After she fell
asleep in the Lord, around 1803, she continued to help those who
asked for her assistance. Throughout the 19th century, tens of
thousands of people came every year to her grave, and countless
miracles occurred. In 1902 a chapel was built over her grave in the
Smolensk Cemetery, located on the western end of Vasiliev Island in
St. Petersburg. This chapel has now been reconstructed (photo
below), again welcoming the pilgrims who come there every day, and
the miracles continue to occur.
For 200 years people have been turning to the Blessed one, and she
has been helping them. Her great spiritual power and her deep love
for people transcend the grave and are manifested daily. One of the
most popular of God’s "chosen ones," her canonization in 1988 was
official recognition of what the faithful had long witnessed and
experienced.
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TODAY IS JANUARY 25
Saint Gregory the Theologian
FEAST DAY
Saint Gregory the Theologian (329-390) was born in 329 AD in Arianzo,
town of Cappadocia, by Gregory, Bishop of Nazianzus and Nonnus. He
has two brothers: the Caesarea and known for piety of Gorgon sister.
Nazianzus In, taught elementary education, while the average in
Caesarea, where he meets a classmate Basil. Then go near famous
teachers of rhetoric in Palestine and Alexandria, and finally at the
University of Athens. The study lasted 13 years (from 17 to 30 years).
Following his studies in Athens Gregory returns to his homeland he
was offered seat yet overwhelming Professor. There, his father,
Bishop Nazianzus, the ordained presbyter. But St. Gregory prefers the
quiet of anachoritiriou at Sea, close to his friend Kingdom for more
exercise in spiritual life. Afterwards, however, from warm entreaties
of his own, he returns home and enters active service of the Church.
At 43 years old, God lifted the episcopal office. Headquarters was the
site of Gennadios which never poimane due Martian inhabitants. But
death comes to hurt his soul, with successive deaths of relatives.
First his brother Caesarea after his sister mermaid, after his father
and finally his mother Nonnus. After these tribulations, the divine
Providence brings him to Constantinople (378), which defends
amazing how Orthodoxy and critical hits Arians, who had flooded
Istanbul. situation was very difficult. All the temples of
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Constantinople was in the hands of the heretics. But the Saint did not
despair. Converts a room in the house that hosted a church and gives
a symbolic name. Calls the church Agia Anastasia sample that
believed in the resurrection of the Orthodox Faith. Races are
dangerous. Heretics Uploaded over the roofs of the houses throw
stones, so the Saint Gregory tested much. In the church of St.
Anastasia utters the famous five theological reasons that gave him
the title of fair Theologian. After this match, Theodosius the Great
highlights the Patriarch of Constantinople (381). The Second
Ecumenical Council recognized him as President. But a portion of the
bishops antipolitefetai for trivial reasons. Then Gregory, disgusted,
says the resignation, in leaving his native Arianzo peace and ends
with his life, in 390. Much is left of his writings. Of particular interest
are the 408 philosophical poems about 18,000 verses. They are
among the largest spirit of Christianity and of the greatest athletes of
the Orthodox faith. His skull is kept in the Monastery of Vatopedi on
Mount Athos.
TODAY IS JANUARY 26
Saint Xenophon
FEAST DAY
This Saint, a wealthy nobleman of Constantinople, was filled with
piety toward God. He had two sons, Arcadius and John, whom he sent
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to Beirut to study law. But they were shipwrecked during their
voyage; barely saved, they forsook all things and departed for
Palestine. Saint Xenophon and his wife Mary, ignorant of what had
happened, went in search of their sons. On finding them in Jerusalem,
dressed in the habit of monks, they also took up the monastic life.
During Saint Xenophon life in Jerusalem, he became a great healer
and did many miracles. And thus, having completed their lives in
holiness, they departed for the Lord about the beginning of the sixth
century. Saint Xenophon and his sons reposed at Saint Sabbas
Monastery, and Mary at the Monastery of Saint Theodosius.
TODAY IS JANUARY 27
Saint Peter, Archbishop of Voronezh
FEAST DAY
Archbishop Peter was born on February 18, 1878, On graduating from
the Kazan Theological Academy, in 1902, he served as a teacher in
the Oryol theological seminary. In December, 1917 Vladyka was
arrested for the first time by the Tver Cheka and imprisoned as a
hostage. In May, 1921, Vladyka was arrested for "arousing religious
fanaticism." During an outbreak of typhus, Vladyka fell ill and was
transferred to the hospital of the Trinity skete, where he lay for 14
days. "I do not want to live any longer. The Lord is calling me to
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Himself." And he wrote this several times. As he was writing "not" for
the last time, his hand fell, and he died. It was January 27.
TODAY IS JANUARY 28
Saint Isaac the Syrian, Bishop of Ninevah
FEAST DAY
Saint Isaac the Syrian, Bishop of Ninevah, lived during the sixth
century. He and his brother entered the monastery of Mar Matthew
near Ninevah and received the monastic tonsure. His learning, virtue,
and ascetic manner of life attracted the notice of the brethren, and
they proposed that he head the monastery. St. Issac did not want this
burden, preferring a life of silence, so he left the monastery to live
alone in the desert. His brother urged him more than once to return to
the monastery, but he would not agree. However, when the fame of
St. Isaac's holy life had spread, he was made Bishop of Ninevah.
Seeing the crude manners and disobedience of the inhabitants of the
city, the saint felt that it was beyond his ability to guide them, and
moreover, he yearned for solitude. Once, two Christians came to him,
asking him to settle a dispute. One man acknowledged that he owed
money to the other, but asked for a short extension. The lender
threatened to bring his debtor to court to force him to pay. St. Isaac,
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citing the Gospel, asked him to be merciful and give the debtor more
time to pay. The man said, "Leave your Gospel out of this!" St. Isaac
replied, "If you will not submit to Lord's commandments in the Gospel,
then what remains for me to do here?" After only five months as
bishop, St. Isaac resigned his office and went into the mountains to
live with the hermits. Later, he went to the monastery of Rabban
Shabur, where he lived until his death, attaining a high degree of
spiritual perfection. From the early eighth century until the beginning
of the eighteenth century, nothing was known about St. Isaac of Syria
in Europe except for his name and works. Only in 1719 was a
biography of the saint published at Rome, compiled by an anonymous
Arab author. In 1896, more information on St. Isaac came to light. The
learned French soteriologist Abbot Chabot published some eighth
century works on Syrian history by Iezudena, bishop of Barsa, where
the account of St. Isaac the Syrian was found.
TODAY IS JANUARY 29
Martyr Saint Ashot Curapalati
King of of Artanuji
FEAST DAY
In the year 786, St. Ashot, the son of Adarnerse, ascended the throne
of Kartli. From the very beginning of his reign he fought fiercely for
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the reunification of Georgia. His first step was to take advantage of
the Arab Muslims’ weariness and banish them from Tbilisi. Three
years passed and, under the leadership of a new ruler, the
reinvigorated Muslims began to hunt for Ashot. The king was forced to
flee after he delayed taking action against them. The enemy had
again conquered Tbilisi. Ashot was compelled to leave Kartli, and he
departed for Byzantium with his family and small army. The refugees
journeyed as far as Javakheti in southern Georgia and stopped near
Lake Paravani for a rest. But while they were sleeping, a Saracen
army assailed their camp. The king’s army was doomed, but “God
helped Ashot Kuropalates and his scant army. He bestowed power
upon them, and they defeated an enemy that greatly outnumbered
them.” The king was deeply moved by God’s miraculous intervention
and decided that, rather than journeying on to Byzantium as he had
intended, he would remain in the region of Shavshet-Klarjeti. At that
time southern Georgia was suffering great calamities. A cholera
epidemic intensified the struggles of a people devastated by a
ruthless enemy. Very few had survived, but that powerless and
wearied remnant gladly received Ashot Kuropalates as their new
leader, and the king began to restore the region at once. Ashot
Kuropalates restored Artanuji Castle, which had originally been built
by King Vakhtang Gorgasali and later ravaged by the Arab general
Marwan “the Deaf.” Ashot founded a city nearby and proclaimed it the
residence of the Bagrationi royal family of Klarjeti. He also
constructed a church in honor of Sts. Peter and Paul. As it is written,
“God granted Ashot Kuropalates great strength and many victories.”
The region of Klarjeti took on a new life, and through the efforts of St.
Grigol of Khandzta and his companions, the former wasteland was
transformed into a borough bustling with churches, monasteries, and
schools. Georgian noblemen soon began traveling to Klarjeti to forge
their nation’s future with King Ashot and the other God-fearing
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leaders. Ashot Kuropalates was not only a leader who campaigned
vigorously for the unification of Georgia—he was truly a godly-minded
man. With great honor and joy he was the host of Fr. Grigol of
Khandzta, a “heavenly man and an earthly angel.” Fr. Grigol blessed
Ashot’s kingdom and his inheritance. Upon those who labored at
Khandzta Monastery, Ashot Kuropalates bestowed the best lands,
including Shatberdi, to serve as rural estates, which would supply
food for the monastery. His children, Adarnerse, Bagrat, and Guaram,
would later contribute much of their own fortune to the revival of the
monasteries in the Klarjeti Wilderness. (Udabno in Georgian.
Translated as “wilderness,” these deserted places where hermits
made their abodes often attracted monks and pious laymen as the
fame of these holy men spread. Over the centuries, with the
foundation of numerous monasteries, these deserts became veritable
cities and only retained the name “wilderness” in a figurative sense.)
But after some time the usually virtuous King Ashot fell in love with a
certain woman. He forgot his honor, his achievements, and his loyalty
to God and the nation and took her to Artanuji Castle, an estate that
had been built for the queen. St. Grigol, however, heard about the
king’s adulterous relationship and became exceedingly sorrowful. He
confronted the king about his behavior, and the desperate Ashot
promised to leave the woman, but he could not bring himself to fulfill
his promise. So Fr. Grigol took her to Mere Monastery and turned her
over to the abbess, Mother Pebronia, without telling Ashot. Upon
hearing what had happened, King Ashot pleaded with Mother Pebronia
to return the woman, but the abbess refused. At long last Ashot
bowed his head to the nun and repented, saying, “Blessed is the man
who is no longer alive to this world.” The king rediscovered his love
for God and his country, and he prepared to return to Kartli. But his
plans were foiled when a certain Muslim warrior named Khalil
invaded, conquering the lands of Kartli, Hereti, and Kvemo Kartli.
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Ashot sent his men to assemble an army, but before the troops had
been gathered, the Saracens attacked and forced them to flee. The
king then traveled to Nigali Gorge with the intent of enlarging his
army. Some of the draftees turned out to be traitors, and when the
king discovered the betrayal, it was already too late. He hid in a
church, but the godless men found him and stabbed him to death in
the sanctuary. “They murdered him on the altar, as though
slaughtering a sacrificial lamb, and his blood remains there to this
day,” writes Sumbat, the son of Davit, in his book Lives of the
Bagrationis. Thus the first Bagrationi king, “a believer, upon whom the
inheritance of the Georgian people was established,” was also a
martyr. The Georgians took revenge on the murderers of their beloved
king. When the people of Doliskana heard that Ashot had been killed,
they pursued his murderers and killed them near the Chorokhi River.
Venerable Grigol and the Georgian people wept bitterly over the loss
of their king and hope. St. Ashot’s holy relics were buried in the
Church of Sts. Peter and Paul that he himself had built.
TODAY IS JANUARY 30
Blessed Saint Peter, the King of Bulgaria
FEAST DAY
Saint Peter, King of Bulgaria, was the son of the militant Bulgarian
prince Simeon. St. Peter was distinguished for his Christian piety, and
he often turned to St John of Rila, asking his prayers, spiritual
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guidance and advice. King Peter concluded peace with Byzantium on
terms advantageous for Bulgaria. He also gained recognition from the
Patriarch of Constantinople for the autonomy of the Bulgarian Church,
and the affirmation of a Patriarchal throne in Bulgaria, benefiting all
the Bulgarian Church. St. Peter aided in the successful extirpation of
the Bogomil heresy in his lands. He was martyred in the year 967 for
his belief in St. John of Rila, at fifty-six years of age.
TODAY IS JANUARY 31
Saint Theodota in Egypt
FEAST DAY
St. Theodota was the thirteen-year-old daughter of St. Athanasia. She
and her two sisters were arrested with their mother because they
were Christians. St. Theoctiste was fifteen, and St. Eudoxia was
eleven. Sts. Cyrus and John hastened to the prison to help them, for
they were concerned that the women might renounce Christ when
faced with torture. Sts. Cyrus and John gave them courage to endure
what lay before them. Learning of this, the ruler of the city arrested
Sts. Cyrus and John, and seeing their steadfast and fearless
confession of faith in Christ, he brought Athanasia and her daughters
to witness their torture. The tyrant did not refrain from any form of
torture against the holy martyrs. The women were not frightened by
the sufferings of Sts. Cyrus and John, but courageously continued to
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confess Christ. They were flogged and then beheaded, receiving their
crowns of martyrdom.
INSIDE AN ORTHORDOX CHURCH
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TODAY IS JANUARY 1
Saint Basil The Great, Archbishop of
Caesarea in Cappadoci
FEAST DAY
Saint Basil the Great was born about the end of the year 329 in
Caesarea of Cappadocia, to a family renowned for their learning and
holiness. His parents' names were Basil and Emily. His mother Emily
(commemorated July 19) and his grandmother Macrina (Jan. 14) are
Saints of the Church, together with all his brothers and sisters:
Macrina, his elder sister (July 19), Gregory of Nyssa (Jan. to), Peter of
Sebastia (Jan. 9), and Naucratius. Basil studied in Constantinople
under the sophist Libanius, then in Athens, where also he formed a
friendship with the young Gregory, a fellow Cappadocian, later called
"the Theologian." Through the good influence of his sister Macrina
(see July 19), he chose to embrace the ascetical life, abandoning his
worldly career. He visited the monks in Egypt, in Palestine, in Syria,
and in Mesopotamia, and upon returning to Caesarea, he departed to
a hermitage on the Iris River in Pontus, not far from Annesi, where his
mother and his sister Macrina were already treading the path of the
ascetical life; here he also wrote his ascetical homilies. About the
year 370, when the bishop of his country reposed, he was elected to
succeed to his throne and was entrusted with the Church of Christ,
which he tended for eight years, living in voluntary poverty and strict
asceticism, having no other care than to defend holy Orthodoxy as a
worthy successor of the Apostles. The Emperor Valens, and
Modestus, the Eparch of the East, who were of one mind with the
Arians, tried with threats of exile and of torments to bend the saint to
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their own confession, because he was the bastion of Orthodoxy in all
Cappadocia, and preserved it from heresy when Arianism was at its
strongest. But he set all their malice at naught, and in his willingness
to give himself up to every suffering for the sake of the Faith, showed
himself to be a martyr by volition. Modestus, amazed at Basil's
fearlessness in his presence, said that no one had ever so spoken to
him. "Perhaps," answered the saint, "you have never met a bishop
before." The Emperor Valens himself was almost won over by Basil's
dignity and wisdom. When Valens' son fell gravely sick, he asked
Saint Basil to pray for him. The saint promised that his son would be
restored if Valens agreed to have him baptized by the Orthodox;
Valens agreed, Basil prayed, and the son was restored. But
afterwards the Emperor had him baptized by Arians, and the child died
soon after. Later, Valens, persuaded by his counsellors, decided to
send the saint into exile because he would not accept the Arians into
communion; but his pen broke when he was signing the edict of
banishment. He tried a second time and a third, but the same thing
happened, so that the Emperor was filled with dread, and tore up the
document, and Basil was not banished. The truly great Basil, spent
with extreme ascetical practices and continual labors, at the helm of
the church, departed to the Lord on the 1st of January, in 379, at the
age of forty-nine. His writings are replete with wisdom and erudition,
and rich are these gifts he set forth the doctrines concerning the
mysteries both of the creation (see his Hexaemeron) and of the Holy
Trinity (see On the Holy Spirit). Because of the majesty and keenness
of his eloquence, he is honored as "the revealer of heavenly things"
and "the Great."
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TODAY IS JANUARY 2
Saint Seraphim The Wonderworker Of Sarov
FEAST DAY
Saint Seraphim was born in the town of Kursk in 1759. From tender
childhood he was under the protection of the most holy Mother of
God, who, when he was nine years old, appeared to him in a vision,
and through her icon of Kursk, healed him from a grave sickness
from which he had not been expected to recover. At the age of
nineteen he entered the monastery of Sarov, where he amazed all
with his obedience, his lofty asceticism, and his great humility. In
1780 the Saint was stricken with a sickness which he manfully
endured for three years, until our Lady the Theotokos healed him,
appearing to him with the Apostles Peter and John. He was
tonsured a monk in 1786, being named for the holy Hieromartyr
Seraphim, Bishop of Phanarion (Dec. 4), and was ordained deacon a
year later. In his unquenchable love for God, he continually added
labors to labors, increasing in virtue and prayer with titan strides.
Once, during the Divine Liturgy of Holy and Great Thursday, he was
counted worthy of a vision of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who appeared
encompassed by the heavenly hosts. After this dread vision, he
gave himself over to greater labors. In 1794, Saint Seraphim took
up the solitary life in a cell in the forest. This period of extreme
asceticism lasted some fifteen years, until 1810. It was at this time
that he took upon himself one of the greatest feats of his life.
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Assailed with despondency and a storm of contrary thoughts raised
by the enemy of our salvation, the saint passed a thousand nights
on a rock, continuing in prayer until God gave him complete victory
over the enemy. On another occasion, he was assaulted by robbers,
who broke his chest and his head with their blows, leaving him
almost dead. Here again, he began to recover after an appearance
of the most holy Theotokos, who came to him with the Apostles
Peter and John, and pointing to Saint Seraphim, uttered those
awesome words, "This is one of my kind." In 1810, at the age of
fifty, weakened with his more than human struggles, Saint Seraphim
returned to the monastery for the third part of his ascetical labours,
in which he lived as a recluse until 1825. For the first five years of
his reclusion, he spoke to no one at all, and little is known of this
period. After five years, he began receiving visitors little by little,
giving counsel and consolation to ailing souls. In 1825, the most
holy Theotokos appeared to the Saint and revealed to him that it
was pleasing to God that he fully end his seclusion; from this time
the number of people who came to see him grew daily. It was also
at the command of the holy Virgin that he undertook the spiritual
direction of the Diveyevo Convent. He healed bodily ailments,
foretold things to come, brought hardened sinners to repentance,
and saw clearly the secrets of the heart of those who came to him.
Through his utter humility and childlike simplicity, his unrivalled
ascetical travails, and his angel-like love for God, he ascended to
the holiness and greatness of the ancient God-bearing Fathers and
became like Anthony for Egypt, the physician for the whole Russian
land. In all, the most holy Theotokos appeared to him twelve times
in his life. The last was on Annunciation, 1831, to announce to him
that he would soon, enter into his rest. She appeared to him
accompanied by twelve virgins-martyrs and monastic saints; with
Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Theologian. With a body
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ailing and broken from innumerable hardships, and an unspotted
soul shining with the light of Heaven, the Saint lived less than two
years after this, falling asleep in peace on January 2, 1833, chanting
Paschal hymns. On the night of his repose, the righteous Philaret of
the Glinsk Hermitage beheld his soul ascending to Heaven in light.
Because of the universal testimony to the singular holiness of his
life, and the seas of miracles that he performed both in life and after
death, his veneration quickly spread beyond the boundaries of the
Russian Empire to every corner of the earth.
TODAY IS JANUARY 3
Saint Gordios the Martyr of Caesarea
FEAST DAY
The Martyr Gordios who was from Caesarea of Cappadocia, was a
centurion by rank. Unable to bear the impiety of the heathen, he
withdrew to the wilderness to purify himself through prayer and
fasting. After he perceived that his ascetical training had prepared
him sufficiently, he came down from the mountains when a certain
pagan festival was held in Caesarea, attended by all, and presented
himself before the multitude. Although the spectacles of the festival
continued, no one paid them any heed, but all eyes were turned upon
him. From his sojourn in the mountains, his look was wild, his beard
was long, his raiment squalid, his body like a skeleton; yet a certain
grace shone round about him. He was recognized, and a loud shout
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and tumult was made as his fellow Christians rejoiced, and the
enemies of the truth cried out for his death. He boldly professed his
faith before the Governor, and after torments was beheaded, in the
reign of Licinius in the year 314. Saint Basil the Great delivered a
homily on Saint Gordios, mentioning that some of those in his
audience had been present at the saint's martyrdom.
TODAY IS JANUARY 4
Synaxis of the Holy Seventy Apostles
FEAST DAY
After choosing the Twelve, Christ the Lord selected seventy lesser
apostles and sent them out to preach, as the holy Evangelist Luke
writes: “After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also; and
sent them two and two before His face.” The Twelve generally
remained at Christ’s side, serving as witnesses to His life; but the
Seventy preceded Him in every place He visited. We do not know the
names of all the original Seventy, for, as Saint John the Evangelist
tells us, the time came when many of His disciples went back, and
walked no more with Him. Then said Jesus unto the Twelve, “Will ye
also go away?” As the Lord’s Passion approached, the number of His
disciples decreased further: hardly any of the Seventy remained, and
one of the Twelve betrayed Him. After the Resurrection Matthias was
numbered with the Twelve, while the ranks of the Seventy were
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gradually filled with men newly converted to piety by the Twelve
Apostles and Saint Paul, who was called by heaven to preside (with
Saint Peter) over the apostolic choir.
TODAY IS JANUARY 5
SAINT THEOPEMPTOS
FEAST DAY
Saint Theopemptos teaches us how we must be champions if we win
eternal glory, not this temporary world. Saint Theopemptos was
bishop during the reign of Emperor Diocletian where on January 23,
303 signed a decree merciless persecution against Christians. Saint
Theopemptos first confessed Christ Crucified to Diocletian. Of course,
immediately after he knew what awaited him. And indeed, underwent
a series of cruel tortures, which were simultaneously accompanied by
miracles. He was first put in a lit stove to burn, but miraculously came
out alive and unharmed. Then they put out an eye, and soon after,
required him to drink deadly poisons. Because, however, he was
saved by the Grace of God, he was harmless. To assure his death, he
was decapitated.
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TODAY IS JANUARY 6
The Theophany Of Our Lord And Saviour
Jesus Christ
FEAST DAY
About the beginning of our Lord's thirtieth year, John the Forerunner,
who was some six months older than Our Savior according to the
flesh, and had lived in the wilderness since his childhood, received a
command from God and came into the parts of the Jordan, preaching
the baptism of repentance unto the remission of sins. Then our Savior
also came from Galilee to the Jordan, and sought and received
baptism though He was the Master and John was but a servant.
Whereupon, there came to pass those marvelous deeds, great and
beyond nature: the Heavens were opened, the Spirit descended in the
form of a dove upon Him that was being baptized and the voice was
heard from the Heavens hearing witness that this was the beloved
Son of God, now baptized as a man (Matt. 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke
3:1-22). From these events the Divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ and
the great mystery of the Trinity were demonstrated. It is also from
this that the present feast is called "Theophany," that is, the divine
manifestation, God's appearance among men. On this venerable day
the sacred mystery of Christian baptism was inaugurated; henceforth
also began the saving preaching of the Kingdom of the Heavens.
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TODAY IS JANUARY 7
Saint Brannock of Braunton
FEAST DAY
St. Brannock lived in the sixth century, and tutored the children of the
Welsh ruler Brychan. He went with King Brychan on a pilgrimage to
venerate the tombs of the Apostles. On the way home, he stopped in
Brittany and remained there several years where he healed the sick
and did many more miracles. Eventually, the saint returned to Wales
and settled at Braunton, where he built a church. His holy relics are
said to rest beneath the altar of the Braunton church.
TODAY IS JANUARY 8
Saint Emilian the Confessor, Bishop of Cyzicus
FEAST DAY
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Saint Emilian was a zealous defender of the holy icons during the
reign of Emperor Leo the Armenian. He suffered torture and
martyrdom on August 8th in the year 820.
TODAY IS JANUARY 9
Saint Domnica of Constantinople
FEAST DAY
Saint Domnica came from Carthage to Constantinople in the time of
the holy Emperor Theodosius the Great. She was baptized by
Patriarch Nectarius and entered a women’s monastery. Through
strict and prolonged ascetic efforts, she attained high spiritual
perfection. The saint healed the sick, demonstrated power over the
natural elements, and predicted the future. By her miracles, she
moved inhabitants of the capital towards concerns about life eternal
and the soul. Adorned by virtues, the saint departed this life a
spotless virgin in her old age.
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TODAY IS JANUARY10
Saint Gregory the Bishop of Nyssa
FEAST DAY
Saint Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa, was a younger brother of St Basil the
Great (January 1). His birth and upbringing came at a time when the
Arian disputes were at their height. Having received an excellent
education, he was at one time a teacher of rhetoric. In the year 372,
he was consecrated by St. Basil the Great as bishop of the city of
Nyssa in Cappadocia. St. Gregory was an ardent advocate for
Orthodoxy, and he fought against the Arian heresy with his brother St.
Basil. Gregory was persecuted by the Arians, by whom he was falsely
accused of improper use of church property, and thereby deprived of
his see and sent to Ancyra. In the following year St. Gregory was
again deposed in absentia by a council of Arian bishops, but he
continued to encourage his flock in Orthodoxy, wandering about from
place to place. After the death of the emperor Valens (378), St.
Gregory was restored to his cathedral and was joyously received by
his flock. In the year 381 St. Gregory was one of the chief figures of
the Second Ecumenical Council, convened at Constantinople against
the heresy of Macedonius, who incorrectly taught about the Holy
Spirit. At this Council, on the initiative of St. Gregory, the Nicean
Symbol of Faith (the Creed) was completed. In the year 383, St.
Gregory of Nyssa participated in a Council at Constantinople, where
he preached a sermon on the divinity of the Son and the Holy Spirit. In
386, he was again at Constantinople, and he was asked to speak the
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funeral oration in memory of the empress Placilla. Again in 394 St.
Gregory was present in Constantinople at a local Council, convened
to resolve church matters in Arabia. St. Gregory of Nyssa was a fiery
defender of Orthodox dogmas and a zealous teacher of his flock, a
kind and compassionate father to his spiritual children, and their
intercessor before the courts. He was distinguished by his
magnanimity, patience and love of peace. Having reached old age, St.
Gregory of Nyssa died soon after the Council of Constantinople.
Together with his great contemporaries, Sts. Basil the Great and
Gregory the Theologian, St. Gregory of Nyssa had a significant
influence on the Church life of his time. St. Gregory left behind many
remarkable works of dogmatic character, as well as sermons and
discourses. He has been called "the Father of Fathers."
TODAY IS JANUARY 11
Saint Theodosius the Great
FEAST DAY
Saint Theodosius the Great lived during the fifth-sixth centuries, and
was the founder of cenobitic monasticism. He was born in
Cappadocia of pious parents. Endowed with a splendid voice, he
zealously toiled at church reading and singing. St. Theodosius prayed
fervently that the Lord would guide him on the way to salvation. In his
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early years he visited the Holy Land and met with St. Simeon the
Stylite (September 1), who blessed him and predicted future pastoral
service for him. Yearning for the solitary life, Saint Theodosius settled
in Palestine into a desolate cave, in which, according to Tradition, the
three Magi had spent the night, having come to worship the Savior
after His Nativity. He lived there for thirty years in great abstinence
and unceasing prayer. People flocked to the ascetic, wishing to live
under his guidance. When the cave could no longer hold all the
monks, St. Theodosius prayed that the Lord Himself would indicate a
place for the monks. Taking a censer with cold charcoal and incense,
the monk started walking into the desert. At a certain spot the
charcoal ignited by itself and the incense smoke began to rise. Here
the monk established the first cenobitic monastery, or lavra (meaning
"broad" or "populous"). Soon the Lavra of St. Theodosius became
renowned, and up to 700 monks gathered at it. According to the final
testament of St. Theodosius, the lavra rendered service to neighbor,
giving aid to the poor and providing shelter for wanderers. St.
Theodosius was extremely compassionate. Once, when there was a
famine in Palestine and a multitude of people gathered at the
monastery, the monk gave orders to allow everyone into the
monastery enclosure. His disciples were annoyed, knowing that the
monastery did not have the means to feed all those who had come.
But when they went into the bakery, they saw that through the
prayers of the abbot, it was filled with bread. This miracle was
repeated every time St. Theodosius wanted to help the destitute. At
the monastery, St. Theodosius built a home for taking in strangers,
separate infirmaries for monks and laymen, and also a shelter for the
dying. Seeing that people from various lands gathered at the lavra,
the saint arranged for services in the various languages: Greek,
Georgian and Armenian. All gathered to receive the Holy Mysteries in
the large church, where divine services were chanted in Greek.
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During the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Anastasius (491-518) there
arose the heresy of Eutychius and Severus, which recognized neither
the sacraments nor the clergy. The emperor accepted the false
teaching, and the Orthodox began to suffer persecution. St.
Theodosius stood firmly in defense of Orthodoxy and wrote a letter to
the emperor on behalf of the monks, in which they denounced him and
refuted the heresy with the teachings of the Ecumenical Councils. He
affirmed moreover, that the desert-dwellers and monks would firmly
support the Orthodox teaching. The emperor showed restraint for a
short while, but then he renewed his persecution of the Orthodox. The
holy Elder then showed great zeal for the truth. Leaving the
monastery, he came to Jerusalem and in the church, he stood at the
high place and cried out for all to hear: "Whoever does not honor the
four Ecumenical Councils, let him be anathema!" For this bold deed
the monk was sent to prison, but soon returned after the death of the
emperor. St. Theodosius accomplished many healings and other
miracles during his life, coming to the aid of the needy. Through his
prayers he once destroyed the locusts devastating the fields in
Palestine. Also by his intercession, soldiers were saved from death,
and he also saved those perishing in shipwrecks and those lost in the
desert. Once, the saint gave orders to strike the semandron (a piece
of wood hit with a mallet), so that the brethren would gather at
prayer. He told them, "The wrath of God draws near the East." After
several days it became known that a strong earthquake had
destroyed the city of Antioch at the very hour when the saint had
summoned the brethren to prayer. Before his death, St. Theodosius
summoned to him three beloved bishops and revealed to them that he
would soon depart to the Lord. After three days, he died at the age of
105. The saint's body was buried with reverence in the cave in which
he lived at the beginning of his ascetic deeds.
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TODAY IS JANUARY 12
Saint Eupraxia the Elder
FEAST DAY
Saint Eupraxia the Elder was the mother of St. Eupraxia, maiden of
Tabennisi (July 25). She was the wife of the pious senator Antigonus,
who was related to the emperor Theodosius the Great (379-395).
Following the birth of their daughter, the couple decided to live from
that time forward as brother and sister. They distributed alms to the
poor, hoping to inherit the heavenly Kingdom. After she was widowed,
St. Eupraxia devoted herself completely to the service of the Lord.
After visiting several monastic establishments and bestowing liberal
alms, she came to the Tabennisi monastery in Egypt, where the
abbess was the nun Theodula, known for her strict rule. Deeply moved
by the pure way of monastic life, St. Eupraxia came often to this
monastery and always brought her eight-year-old daughter with her.
The virtues and prayers of her parents bestowed a particular grace of
God upon the child, who desired to dedicate herself to God. To her
mother's great joy, the abbess Theodula kept the younger Eupraxia at
the convent and blessed her to receive monastic tonsure. St. Eupraxia
the elder continued her works of charity, and increased her fasting
and prayer. Abbess Theodula, possessing the gift of clairvoyance, told
her of her impending end. Learning of her imminent death, Eupraxia
gave thanks to the Lord for His great mercy towards her. She bid
farewell to the sisters of the convent and to her daughter. She left her
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with these parting words: "Love the Lord Jesus Christ, and respect
the sisters. Never dare to think that they are below you and should
serve you. Be poor in your thoughts in order to profit by spiritual
treasures. Also remember your father and me, and pray for the
salvation of our souls." After three days the saint surrendered her soul
to the Lord (+ 393) and was buried at the monastery, where her
daughter continued her ascetic struggles.
TODAY IS JANUARY 13
Saint Maximus Kavsokalyvites
FEAST DAY
Saint Maximus Kavsokalyvites was educated at the church of the
Most Holy Theotokos at Lampsakos. At seventeen years of age he left
his parental home, became a monk, and passed his obedience under
Elder Mark, the finest spiritual instructor in Macedonia. After the
death of his teacher, the saint pursued asceticism under the guidance
of several desert Fathers of extremely strict life. Arriving in
Constantinople, St. Maximus was constantly at the Blachernae church
of the Most Holy Theotokos, as though he had taken up his abode at
the entrance. From his youth, St. Maximus had a great love for the
Mother of God. He persistently entreated Her to grant him the gift of
unceasing mental prayer. One day, as he was venerating her icon, he
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