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 […]
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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. 8 The Holy Great Martyr Theodore the Recruit; The Holy Prophet Zechariah the Sickle
The holy great martyr Theodore, a Roman commander in the army of emperor Licincius and the governor of the town of Heraclea, scorned his youth, his handsome appearance, his military rank, and the good grace of the emperor; he was martyred in the year 318. His miracle-working relics were translated from Euchaita to Constantinople and […]
Feb. 7 Our Venerable Father Parthenius, Bishop of Lampsacus
Our venerable father Parthenius was the son of a deacon from the town of Melitopolis. As a child he remembered well the words of the Gospel and endeavored to fulfill them. He settled near a lake, where he fished. Then he sold the fish and distributed the money to the poor. By God’s providence he […]
Feb. 6 Our Venerable Father Bucolus, Bishop of Smyrna; The Holy Martyr Silvanus, Bishop of Emesa, and his Companions
Our venerable father 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 […]
Feb. 5 The Holy Martyr Agatha
The holy martyr 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 […]