Aug. 14 The Holy Prophet Micah; Translation of the Relics of Our Father Theodosius, Hegumen of the Monastery of the Caves; Prefestive day of the Dormition of the Theotokos

The holy prophet Micah was of the tribe of Judah and from the village of Morasth. He was a contemporary of the prophets Isaiah, Amos, and Hosea. He denounced the vices of the people, foretold the fall of Samaria, and was a seer of the coming Messiah. He named Bethlehem as the birthplace of the […]

Aug. 6 The Transfiguration of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ

The Transformation of Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ in which Jesus Christ, beloved and only-begotten Son of the eternal Father, manifested his glory in the presence of the holy Apostles Peter, James, and John, with the Law and the prophets bearing witness in the persons of Moses and Elijah. This was done so […]

Aug. 5 The Holy Martyr Eusignius; Prefestive Day of the Transfiguration

The holy martyr Eusignius was a soldier under emperors Maximian, Constantine, and Constantine’s sons. Having spent sixty years in military service, he withdrew and went home to Antioch, where he lived a life of good works, prayer, and fasting. In the year 362, during the time of the emperor Julian the Apostate, he was arrested […]

Aug. 4 The Holy Seven Children of Ephesus; The Holy Venerable Martyr Eudoxia

The holy seven children of Ephesus: During the persecution of the emperor Decius, seven young soldiers refused to sacrifice to idols. Tradition says that their names were: Maximilian, Iamblichus, Martinian, John, Dionysius, Exacustodianus, and Antoninus. They concealed themselves in a cave outside of Ephesus, and the emperor sealed them into that cave to kill them […]

Aug. 3 Our Venerable Fathers Isaac, Dalmatus, and Faustus; The Holy Myrrh-bearer Salome

Our venerable fathers Isaac, Dalmatus, and Faustus: Dalmatus was an officer in the Roman army who abandoned all and entered the monastery where Isaac was abbot. His only son, Faustus, entered with him. Dalmatus followed Isaac as heguman of the monastery, and took part in the Third Ecumenical Council (431), battling against the Nestorian heresy. […]

Aug. 2 Translation of the Relics of the Holy Proto-Martyr and Archdeacon Stephen; Our Venerable Father Basil, Fool for Christ

Tradition says that the body of the archdeacon Stephen was taken by the Rabbi Gamaliel, a secret disciple of Christ, and buried in a cave in the town of Capargamala. In the year 415, Gamaliel appeared in a dream to the priest Lucian in that town, and revealed the burial place of the Protomartyr. His […]

Aug. 1 The Procession of the Wood of the Venerable and Life-creating Cross; The Holy Seven Maccabees, their Mother Solomonia, and the Elder Eleazar

 The feast of the procession of the Wood of the venerable and life-creating Cross was established in the reign of the Greek Emperor Manuel as a memorial of the Greek victory over the Saracens. The procession with the relic of the Precious Cross was made from the imperial palace to the church of Hagia Sophia; […]

July 31 The Holy and Righteous Eudocimus; The Holy Joseph of Arimathea

The holy and righteous Eudocimus lived in the time of the emperor Theophilus, the iconoclast. He was a military governor of Cappadocia, and lived a virtuous life before God and man. He died at the age of thirty-three during the 9th century.  The holy Joseph of Arimathea was a secret disciple of our Lord Jesus […]

July 2 The Deposition of the Venerable Robes of our most holy Lady, the Theotokos at Blachernae Constantinople 

During the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Leo the Great (457-474), the brothers Galbius and Candidus, associates of the emperor, set out from Constantinople to Palestine to venerate the holy places. In a small settlement near Nazareth they stayed in the home of a certain old Jewish woman. In her house they noticed a room […]

July 1 The Holy Unmercenary Healers and Wonderworkers Cosmas and Damian of Rome

The holy martyrs, wonderworkers, and unmercenary healers Cosmas and Damian were brothers born in Rome, and physicians by profession. They led strict chaste lives and were granted by God the gift to heal the sick. By their generosity and exceptional kindness, the brothers converted many to Christ. Their spiritual influence attracted the attention of the […]