Bucolus was a disciple of St. John the Evangelist, who consecrated him Bishop of Smyrna. In Smyrna there were few that were baptized. In the darkness of paganism, St. Bucolus shone as bright as a candle. He distinguished himself with every virtue, especially meekness and humility. Before his death, Bucolus consecrated the glorious Polycarp as […]
Category Archives: Daily Devotionals
Feb. 05 The Holy Martyr Agatha
Agatha, the glorious virgin and martyr for Christ, was born in the Sicilian town of Palermo to noble and wealthy parents. When the emperor Decius began the persecution of Christians, St. Agatha was arrested and brought to trial before the judge Quintian. The judge, seeing Agatha beautiful in countenance, desired to have her for […]
Feb. 04 Our Venerable Father Isidore of Pelusium
Our venerable father Isidore of Pelusium, in Egypt, priest, who, notable in his teachings, spurning the world and riches, preferred to imitate the life of John the Baptist in the desert, having taken up the monastic state, founded a monastery in Pelusium in the 5th century, and was held in much esteem as a theologian […]
Feb. 03 Synaxis of the Holy and Just Simeon, Who received God, and the Prophetess Anna
The synaxis of the holy prophet Simeon and the prophetess Anna, who, the one a righteous and devout old man, and the other a widow and prophetess, were worthy to hail the infant Jesus as the Messiah and Savior, the blessed hope and redemption of Israel, when he had been brought to the temple to […]
Feb. 02 Meeting of our Lord with Simeon and Anna
The encounter of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ with Simeon and Anna, celebrated 40 days after the Nativity of the Savior on Dec. 25, is one of the most ancient of all feasts established in Jerusalem in the 4th century. St. Sophronius of Jerusalem wrote about this feast: “Let us all hasten to […]
Feb. 01 The Holy Martyr Tryphon
The holy martyr Tryphon was born in Phrygia, one of the districts of Asia Minor. From his early years, the Lord granted him the power to cast out demons and to heal various maladies. He once saved the inhabitants of his native city of Lampsacus from starvation. He was condemned to death by beheading with […]
Jan. 31 The Holy Wonderworkers and Unmercenaries Cyrus and John.
Saint Cyrus was a noted physician in the city of Alexandria, where he had been born and raised. He was a Christian and he treated the sick without charge. Preaching the gospel, the holy physician converted many pagans to Christ. During the persecution of Diocletian (284-305), St. Cyrus withdrew into Arabia, where he became a […]
Jan. 30 The Three Holy Hierarchs and Great Archbishops: Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom
The three Holy Hierarchs: Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom. All three of these saints have their own feast days. This celebration began in 1100 in the days of the Emperor Alexis Comnenus. A great quarrel arose in Constantinople as to which of these three was the greatest theologian. They appeared in […]
Jan. 29 The translation of the Relics of the Holy Bishop and Martyr Ignatius of Antioch
The translation of the Relics of the Holy Priest Martyr Ignatius the God-bearer, Bishop of Antioch. Ignatius was martyred in Rome at the beginning of the second century. His remains were later translated to Antioch, his birthplace and his episcopate. During the invasion of the Persians, the relics were once again taken from Antioch to […]
Jan. 28 Our Venerable Father Ephrem the Syrian
Our venerable father Ephrem the Syrian, Bishop of Nineveh, who, first in his own hometown of Nisibis, exercised the office of preaching and of handing on holy teaching. Then, when the Persians invaded Nisibis, he fled with his disciples to Edessa in Syria, where he set down the fundamentals of a school of theology, fulfilling […]