Orthodox Calendar, November 17 Saint Gregory the Wonderworker, Bishop of Neocaesarea He was born in the city of Neocaesarea (northern Asia Minor) into a pagan family. Having received a fine education, from his youth he strived for Truth, but the thinkers of antiquity were not able to quench his thirst for knowledge. Truth was revealed…
Orthodox Calendar, November 16 Holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew Also named Levi (Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27), he was one of the 12 Apostles (Mark 3:18; Luke 6:45; Acts 1:13), and brother of Apostle James Alphaeus (Mark 2:14). He was a publican, or tax-collector for Rome, in a time when the Jews were under the rule…
Orthodox Calendar, November 15 Venerable Paisius (Velichkovsky) of Moldavia and Mt. Athos Saint Paisius Velichkovsky was born in Poltava in Little Russia on December 21, 1722, and was the eleventh of twelve children. His father John was a priest, who named him Peter at his Baptism, in honor of Saint Peter the Metropolitan of Moscow,…
Orthodox Calendar, November 14 Holy Apostle Philip He was a native of the city of Bethsaida in Galilee. He had a profound depth of knowledge of the Holy Scripture, and rightly discerning the meaning of the Old Testament prophecies, he awaited the coming of the Messiah. Through the call of the Savior (John 1:43), Philip…
Orthodox Calendar November 13 †) St. John Chrysostom, archbishop of Constantinople, and his mother, St. Anthusa Saint John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople, one of the Three Hierarchs [January 30], was born at Antioch in about the year 347 into the family of a military commander. His father, Secundus, died soon after the birth of his…
Orthodox Calendar, November 12 Martyrs and Confessors of Nasaud: The Holy Martyr Athanasius Todoran He was born in Bichigiu village, Sălăuţa valley, Năsăud region of Transylvania, to a family of Orthodox Christians. Few things are known about his childhood; it is only known that he was an outstanding person in his community, an educated…
Orthodox Calendar November 11 Holy Great Martyr Menas of Egypt An Egyptian by birth, was a military officer and served in the Kotyaeion region of Phrygia under the centurion Firmilian during the reign of the emperors Diocletian (284-305) and Maximian (305-311). When the emperors began the fiercest persecution against Christians in history, the saint refused…
Orthodox Calendar November 10 The Holy Apostles of the Seventy: Olympas, Erastus, Rodion, Sosipater, Quartus and Tertius They lived in the first century. Saint Rodion, or Herodion (April 8), was a kinsman of the Apostle Paul (Romans 16:11), and left the bishop’s throne at Patras to go to Rome with the Apostle Peter. Saint Olympas…
Orthodox Calendar November 9 Saint Nektarios The great wonderworker of modern times, was born Anastasius Kephalas in Selebria, Thrace on October 1, 1846. Since his family was poor, Anastasius went to Constantinople when he was fourteen in order to find work. Although he had no money, he asked the captain of a boat to take…
Orthodox Calendar November 8 †) Synaxis of the Archangel Michael and the other Bodiless Powers The Synaxis of the Chief of the Heavenly Hosts, Archangel Michael and the Other Heavenly Bodiless Powers: Archangels Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Selaphiel, Jehudiel, Barachiel, and Jeremiel was established at the beginning of the fourth century at the Council of Laodicea,…
Orthodox Calendar November 7 Holy 33 Martyrs of Melitene Holy martyr Hieron was born in the city of Tiana in great Cappadocia. Raised by a pious mother, he was a kindly and good Christian. The co-ruling emperors Diocletian (284-305) and Maximian (284-305) sent a large military detachment headed by Lysias to Cappadocia to eradicate Christianity there,…
