Orthodox Calendar 24 October Great-martyr Arethas The Martyr Arethas and with him 4299 Martyrs suffered for the Lord Jesus Christ in the sixth century. Arethas was prefect of the Christian city of Negran in Arabia. The Arabian (or Omirite) king, Dunaan, who was Jewish, decided to eliminate Christianity from the land. He issued an edict…
Orthodox Calendar, October 23 Holy Apostle James the Brother of the Lord Holy Apostle James, the Brother of God (Adelphotheos) was the son of Righteous Joseph the Betrothed of the Most Holy Theotokos (December 26). From his early years James was a Nazarene, a man especially dedicated to God. The Nazarenes vowed to preserve their…
Orthodox Calendar, October 22 Saint Abercius Saint Abercius, Bishop and Wonderworker of Hieropolis lived in the second century in Phrygia. The city of Hieropolis was inhabited by many pagans and very few Christians. The saint prayed to the Lord for the salvation of their souls and that they might be numbered among God’s chosen flock.…
Orthodox Calendar, October 21 Saint Bessarion Saint Bessarion (Sarai) was a Serb who was born in Bosnia in 1714. Longing for the monastic life, he was tonsured at the Monastery of Saint Sava in the Holy Land in 1738. He returned to Serbia and lived in a cave for several years as a hesychast, and…
Orthodox Calendar, October 20 Great-martyr Artemius at Antioch Great-martyr Artemius at Antioch was a prominent military leader during the reigns of the emperor Constantine the Great (May 21), and his son and successor Constantius (337-361). Artemius received many awards for distinguished service and courage. He was appointed viceroy of Egypt. In this official position he…
Orthodox Calendar, October 19 Prophet Joel He predicted the desolation of Jerusalem. He also prophesied that the Holy Spirit would be poured out upon all people, through the Savior of the world (Joel 2:28-32). The hymnographer Anatolius links Joel’s prophecy to the Nativity of the Lord. In the Praises at Matins on the Sunday following…
Orthodox Calendar, October 18 The Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke He was a native of Syrian Antioch, a companion of the holy Apostle Paul (Phil.1:24, 2 Tim. 4:10-11), and a physician enlightened in the Greek medical arts. Hearing about Christ, Luke arrived in Palestine and fervently accepted the preaching of salvation from the Lord Himself.…
Orthodox calendar, October 17 Holy Prophet Hosea The first of the minor prophets belonged to the tribe of Issachar. He lived during the 8th Century before Christ, in the kingdom of Israel. He was a contemporary of the holy Prophet Isaiah, Micah and Amos. During this time, many of his fellow Israelites had forgotten the…
Orthodox Calendar, October 16 Martyr Longinus the Centurion The Holy Martyr Longinus the Centurion, a Roman soldier, served in Judea under the command of the Governor, Pontius Pilate. When our Savior Jesus Christ was crucified, it was the detachment of soldiers under the command of Longinus which stood watch on Golgotha, at the very foot…
Orthodox Calendar, October 15 Saint Magdalena of Malajnica Saint Magdalena was born on November 22, 1895 (Old Style), the day after the Feast of the Entry of the Mother of God into the Temple, into a devout Christian family in the village of Šćiubic. Her father, Milenko Ilić, was of Serbian origin, and her mother,…
Orthodox Calendar, October 14 Saint Paraskeva the New She was born into a pious family, living during the eleventh century in the village of Epivato (Epibatimna), between Silistra and Constantinople. Her older brother Euthymius became a monk, and later he was consecrated as Bishop of Matidia. One day, while attending the divine services, the words…
