The holy great-martyr Panteleimon’s Christian mother passed away when he was just a child. His pagan father sent him to study the medical sciences. He became such a skilled physician that he was invited to become the doctor to the royals in Nicomedia. His curiosity for Truth, Goodness and Beauty was not satiated by his […]
Category Archives: Daily Devotionals
July 26 The Holy Priest-Martyr Hermolaus and His Companions; The Holy Venerable Martyr Paraskevia; Our Venerable Father Moses the Carpathian of the Monastery of the Caves
The holy priest-martyr Hermolaus was a priest in Nicomedia in the time of the Emperor Maximian, and was with the 20,000 martyrs condemned to be burned in their church. He and two other priests escaped. They were caught, tortured, and martyred. The holy venerable Paraskevia was born in Rome, to Christian parents. She preached Christ […]
July 25 The Dormition of the Holy Anna, Mother of the Most Holy Theotokos; The Memory of the Holy Women Olympiada and Euphraxia; Commemoration of the Fifth Ecumenical Council
The Holy Anna was the daughter of the priest Matthan and his wife Mary. She was of the tribe of Levi and the lineage of Aaron. According to Tradition, she died peacefully in Jerusalem at age 79, before the Annunciation to the Most Holy Theotokos. During the reign of Saint Justinian the Emperor (527-565), a […]
July 24 The Holy Martyr Christine; The Holy Martyrs Boris and Gleb
The holy great martyr Christine lived during the 3rd century. She was born into a rich family, and her father was governor of Tyre. By the age of 11 the girl was exceptionally beautiful, and many wanted to marry her. Christina’s father, however, envisioned that his daughter should become a pagan priestess. […]
July 23 The Holy Martyrs Trophimus and Theophilus and their companions; The Holy Martyrs Apollinaris and Vitalis, Bishops of Ravenna
The holy martyrs Trophimus, Theophilus, and thirteen martyrs with them, suffered during the persecution against Christians under the emperor Diocletian (284-305). Brought to trial, they bravely confessed themselves Christians and refused to offer sacrifice to idols. After many fierce tortures, they broke the legs of the holy martyrs and threw them into a fire. […]
July 22 The Holy Myrrh-bearer Mary Magdalene, Equal to the Apostles; Translation of the Relics of the Holy Bishop Martyr Phocas
The holy myrrh-bearer Mary Magdalene, equal to the apostles, who, freed by the Lord of seven demons and made a disciple, followed him even to Mount Calvary. At the break of dawn on the first Pascha, she was found worthy to see the Savior risen again from the dead and to bear the news of […]
July 21 Our Venerable Father Simeon, Fool for Christ, and his Fellow Ascetic John; the Holy Prophet Ezekiel
Our venerable father Simeon, fool for Christ, and his fellow ascetic John: Simeon, called Salus [i.e., of the sea; he lived for 29 years next to the Dead Sea], at Emesa in Syria. Moved by the divine Spirit, Simeon desired to be considered a Fool for Christ and ignoble among people. Likewise the commemoration of […]
July 20 Feast of the Holy and Glorious Prophet Elijah
The holy and glorious prophet Elijah the Tishbite was a prophet of the Lord in the days of Ahab, the king of Israel and defended the rights of the one God against the unfaithful people with such a strength of spirit that he prefigured not only John the Baptist but even Christ himself. Written prophecies […]
July 19 Our Venerable Mother Macrina, Sister of Basil the Great; Our Venerable Father Dios
Our venerable mother Macrina was sister of St. Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa, and Peter of Sebaste. She was learned in Sacred Scripture and led a solitary life. She provided a wonderful example of those possessing the desire for God, who had forsaken the vanity of the world. Our venerable father Dios was called […]
July 18 The Holy Martyr Hyacinth of Amastris; The Holy Martyr Emilian; The Passing of the Venerable Martyr Tarsykia Matskiv
The holy martyr Hyacinth was born into a pious Christian family in the city of Amastridea (now Amastra in Anatolia). An angel that appeared gave him his name. As a three-year-old boy, St. Hyacinth asked God that a dead infant might be resurrected. The Lord hearkened to his childish prayer, and the dead one arose. […]