Category Archives: Daily Devotionals

St. James, Bishop and Confessor, was inclined toward the ascetic life from his early years. St. James left the world and entered the Studite monastery, where he was tonsured. He led a strict life, full of works, fasting, and prayer. Pious and well versed in Holy Scripture, St. James was elevated to the bishop’s throne […]

Saints John, Sergius, Patrick and others slain in the Monastery of St. Sabbas. During the eighth century the area around Jerusalem was subjected to frequent incursions of the Saracens. On March 13, 796 the Saracens broke into the monastery and demanded all the valuables. The monks told them that there was nothing in the monastery […]

St. Chrysanthus came from a pagan family who moved from Alexandria to Rome in the third century. He received a fine education, and among the books he read were those in which pagans discussed Christianity. The young man, however, wanted to read books written by Christians themselves. He finally managed to get a copy of […]

St. Cyril, Archbishop of Jerusalem, was born in Jerusalem in the year 315 and was raised in strict Christian piety. Upon reaching the age of maturity, he became a monk, and in the year 346 he became a presbyter. In the year 350, upon the death of Archbishop Maximus, he succeeded him on the episcopal […]

St. Alexis was born in Rome to the pious and poverty-loving parents Euphemianus and Aglais. The couple was childless for a long time and they constantly prayed to the Lord to grant them a child, so the Lord consoled them with the birth of their son Alexis. After he moved to Edessa, Alexis sold everything […]

The Holy Martyr Sabinus was administrator of the Egyptian city of Hermopolis. During a persecution of Christians under the emperor Diocletian, St. Sabinus and some like- minded companions hid in a remote village. His hiding place was revealed by a certain ungrateful beggar who had brought him food. The saint used to feed him and […]

The holy martyr Agapius and his companions: the holy martyrs Timolaus, Dionysius, Pausis, Romulus, Alexander, and another Alexander. They all suffered in Caesarea in Palestine at the hand of Prince Urban during the reign of the Emperor Diocletian. All seven were extremely young men, and none of them were Christians except Agapius. Neither were they […]

Benedict was born in the Italian province of Nursia in the year 480, to wealthy and distinguished parents. He did not remain long in school for he realized himself that through book-learning he could lose “the great understanding of his souls.” He left school “an unlearned wise man and an understanding fool.” He retreated to […]

St. Nicephorus, Patriarch of Constantinople, died while in exile on the island of Prochonis in the year 827. After the death of the last iconoclast emperor, the relics of the holy father were brought back to Constantinople, first to the church of Hagia Sophia and then finally to the Church of the Holy Apostles in […]

Our venerable father and confessor Theophane of the Sygrian Mountains in Bithynia in the monastery of Ager Magnus. He was called the Chronographer. Having been a very wealthy man, he became a poor monk. He was held in prison for two years by the emperor Leo the Armenian on account of his defense of the […]