Our holy father Gregory the Theologian, archbishop of Constantinople, the friend of St. Basil; bishop of Sebaste, and then Constantinople, and finally Nazianzus. He defended the divinity of the Word with great ardor, for which reason he is also named “the Theologian.” During his time as patriarch of Constantinople, he presided over the Second Ecumenical […]
Category Archives: Daily Devotionals
Jan. 24 Our Venerable Mother Xenia of Rome
Our venerable mother Xenia was of a noble and famous Roman family. As her parents were planning her marriage, she escaped from her bridegroom and fled with two handmaidens to Alexandria for refuge. There she founded a convent for virgins, where she lived an ascetic life until her death. At the time of her death […]
Jan.23 The Holy Martyr Clement, Bishop of Ancyra; The Holy Martyr Agathangel
St. Clement, Priest-Martyr, Bishop of Ancrya, lived in exile for 28 years under several persecutors and died by the sword in the year 296. St. Agthangel, Martyr, suffered death also in the reign of emperors Maximian and Diocletian. Troparion O most holy Clement, you are a vineyard of holiness for the faithful, a rod […]
Jan. 22 The Holy Apostle Timothy; The Venerable Martyr Anastasius the Persian
The Holy apostle Timothy who, disciple of St. Paul the Apostle and his assistant in his apostolate, was the leader of the church at Ephesus. Two epistles were written to him that offer wise counsels on the ordering of pastors and the faithful. The venerable martyr Anastasius the Persian from Bethsaloe in Persia, monk. After […]
Jan. 21 Our venerable father Maximus the Confessor; the Holy martyr Neophyte; the Holy martyrs Eugene, Candidus, Valerian, and Aquila
Our venerable father Maximus the confessor, noted theologian and writer who resigned hid post as secretary to the Emperor Heraclius and entered the monastery of Chrysopolis, of which he eventually became hegumen. He headed the opposition to the Monothelite heresy. For this he was banished, imprisoned, and lost his tongue and right hand. The […]
Jan. 20 Our Venerable and God-bearing Father Euthymius the Great
Our venerable and divinely inspired father, Euthymius the Great, Hegumen-Abbot, lived in the fifth century in Melitene in Armenia. His parents were devout Christians of noble birth. However, even after many years of marriage, they were childless. In their sorrow, they entreated God to give them a child. They had a vision and heard a […]
Jan. 19 Our Venerable Father Macarius of Egypt
St. Macarius the Great of Egypt was born in the early fourth century in the village of Ptinapor in Egypt. At the wish of his parents he entered into marriage, but was soon widowed. After he buried his wife, he withdrew to the wilderness. He spent sixty years in labor and struggle, both inwardly and […]
Jan. 18 Our Holy Fathers, Athanasius and Cyril, Archbishops of Alexandria
St. Athanasius is one of the four great doctors of the Byzantine Church, called the Father of Orthodoxy. He opposed the Arians with admirable zeal and endured exile for 46 years. He died in 373. St. Cyril opposed the Nestorians and taught that the divine and human natures in Christ are united in oneness […]
Jan. 17 Our Venerable Father Anthony the Great
Our venerable and divinely inspired father, Anthony the Great, was Egyptian by birth, who went into the desert during the reign of Constantine the Great, in the year 312. Living to the age of 105, he died in 356. He was a friend of St. Paul the Hermit and was one of the founders of […]
Jan. 16 The Veneration of the Precious Chains of the Holy and All-Praiseworthy Apostle Peter
Jan. 16 The Veneration of the Precious Chains of the Holy and All-Praiseworthy Apostle Paul In about the year 42 the apostle Peter was thrown into prison for preaching about Christ the Savior. In prison he was bound by two iron chains. The night before his trial, an angel of the Lord came to Peter, […]