Our holy father Leo, Pope of Rome who was born in Etruria [Tuscany], first stood out as a diligent deacon of Rome. He was then elevated to the chair of Peter, where rightly and by his merit he deserved to be called “the Great.” He nourished his flock by his excellent and prudent discourse. He […]
Category Archives: Daily Devotionals
Feb. 17 The Holy Great Martyr Theodore the Recruit
The holy Great martyr Theodore the Recruit (Tyro) was a soldier in the city of Alasium of the Pontine district (a northeastern province of Asia Minor along the Black Sea), under command of a certain Brincus. They commanded him to offer sacrifice to idols. St. Theodore firmly confessed his faith in Christ the Savior in […]
Feb. 16 The Holy Martyrs the Presbyter Pamphilius, Porphyrius, and their Companions
The holy martyrs: the presbyter Pamphilius, Porphyry, and their companions, who received the crowns of martyrdom: Pamphilus the priest; Valentine, a deacon of Jerusalem; Paul, born in the city of Jamnia, who passed two years in prison; Porphyry, a servant of Pamphilus; Seleucus the Cappadocian, who was of high military rank; Theodulus, an old man […]
Feb. 15 The Holy Apostle Onesimus
The holy apostle Onesimus was one of the Seventy Apostles. He was a slave but transgressed against his master and fled to Rome. There he heard the Gospel from Apostle Paul and was baptized. Later, Onesimus was consecrated a bishop by the apostles themselves, and he accepted the episcopal throne at Ephesus at the death […]
Feb. 14 Our Venerable Father Auxentius; The Passing of Our Venerable Father Constantine, called Cyril the Apostle to the Slavs
Our venerable father Auxentius on Mount Skopa in Bithynia, priest and archimandrite, who argued the Chalcedonian faith with a strong voice in a prominent place as if established in a place of authority. The passing of our venerable father Constantine, whose monastic name was Cyril, the Apostle of the Slavs. This man from Thessalonica, along […]
Feb. 13 Our Venerable Father Martinian
At the age of 18, our venerable father Martinian retreated to a mountain in Cappadocia called the Place of the Ark, where he lived for 25 years in fasting, vigil and prayer, struggling with many temptations. When a woman came to tempt him, Martinian, perceiving that he would succumb to sin with her, jumped into […]
Feb. 12 Our father among Saints Meletius, Archbishop of Antioch
Our holy father Meletiusm archbishop of Antioch, was elected to the Patriarchal See in 360, but within a month was exiled by Emperor Constantius. Reinstated in 379, he held a council for 150 bishops and took a prominent role in the Ecumenical Council of Constantinople in 381. He was persecuted on account of the Nicene […]
Feb. 11 The Holy Martyr Blaise, Bishop of Sebaste
The holy martyr Blaise was born in the province of Cappadocia. From his early childhood, he was God-fearing and meek. Because of his great virtues, he was chosen as bishop of the city of Sebaste [in Armenia]. Blaise was a great spiritual and moral beacon in the pagan city. During a grave persecution of Christians, […]
Feb. 10 The Holy Martyr Charalampus
The holy martyr Charalampus was a bishop in Magnesia who suffered for Christ in his 113th year. When a terrible persecution began during the reign of Emperor Septimius Severus, the elderly Charalampus did not hide from the persecutors. Instead, he freely and openly perched the Christian faith. He endured all tortures as though he were […]
Feb. 9 The Holy Martyr Nicephorus
The holy martyr Nicephorus lived in the city of Syrian Antioch. In this city lived also the presbyter Sapricius, with whom Nicephorus was very friendly, so that they were considered brothers. They quarreled because of some disagreement, and their former love changed into enmity and hate. The holy martyr Nicephor took the place of Sapricius, […]