Orthodox Calendar – The Ascension of our Lord I ascend unto My Father and your Father, and to My God, and Your God (John 20:17). In these words the Risen Christ described to Mary Magdalene the mystery of His Resurrection. She had to carry this mysterious message to His disciples, “as they mourned and wept”…
Orthodox Calendar April 17 Great and Holy Thursday Two events shape the liturgy of Great and Holy Thursday: the Last Supper of Christ with His disciples, and the betrayal of Judas. The meaning of both is in love. The Last Supper is the ultimate revelation of God’s redeeming love for man, of love as the…
Orthodox calendar April 12 Martyr Sava the Goth The Martyr was a Goth who lived during the fourth century. At this time the Arian bishop Wulfilas preached Christianity among the Goths, and Saint Sava was among those who were baptized. Saint Sava led a virtuous life, devout, peaceful, temperate, simple, and quiet. He avoided women,…
Orthodox Calendar, April 5 Holy Martyr Victorinus and those with him Troparion of Saints Claudius, Diodoros, Victor, Victorinus, Pappios, Serapion, and Nikephoros — Tone 4 Your holy martyrs, O Lord, / through their sufferings have received incorruptible crowns from You, our God. / For having Your strength, they laid low their adversaries, / and shattered…
Orthodox Calendar, December 11 Saint Daniel the Stylite He was born in the village of Bethara, near the city of Samosata in Mesopotamia. His mother Martha was childless for a long while and in her prayers she vowed that if she had a child, she would dedicate him to the Lord. Her prayers were heard,…
Orthodox Calendar, November 5 Martyr Galacteon and his wife Episteme at Emesa There was a rich and distinguished couple named Kletophon and Leukippe, who lived in the Syrian city of Emesa, and for a long time they were childless. They gave much gold to the pagan priests, but still they remained childless. The city of…
Orthodox Calendar, October 11 Apostle Philip, one of the 7 deacons He is not to be confused with St Philip one of the Twelve Apostles (November 14). This Philip was born in Palestine, was married and had children. After the Descent of the Holy Spirit, the Twelve Apostles made Philip a deacon in the Church…
Saint Simon was from Cana in Galilee, and was known to the Lord and His Mother. Tradition says that he was the bridegroom at the wedding where the Savior performed His first miracle. After witnessing the miracle of the water which had been turned into wine, he became a zealous follower of Christ. For this…
Saint Eudocimus, a native of Cappadocia (Asia Minor), lived during the ninth century during the reign of Emperor Theophilus (829-842). He was the son of the pious Christians Basil and Eudokia, an illustrious family known to the emperor. They raised their son “in discipline and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6: 4), planting in his…
The service of St. Elijah Iorest, Simeon Stephan and Sava Brancovici, metropolitans of Transylvania, and St. Joseph the Confessor of Maramureș is celebrated on the Bright Tuesday.
Holy Martyr Eupsychius He was born in the city of Caesarea in Cappadocia and received a Christian upbringing by his illustrious parents. During the reign of Julian the Apostate (361-363), Saint Eupsychius entered into a Christian marriage. At Caesarea there was a pagan temple to the goddess Fortuna, whom Julian the Apostate revered. As Eupsychius…