The holy monastic martyr Eudoxia was a Samaritan, a native of the city of Heliopolis in Phoenicia. Eudoxia awoke one night at midnight and heard singing from the house of a Christian woman next to hers. A monk was reading from a book which described the Last Judgment, the punishment of sinners, and the reward […]
Tag Archives: prayer
Feb. 28 Our Venerable Father and Confessor Basil, Fellow Ascetic of Procopius
Our venerable father Basil the Confessor was a monk and suffered during the reign of the iconoclast emperor Leo the Isaurian. When a persecution started against those who venerated holy icons, St. Basil and his companion St. Procopius of Decapolis were subjected to much torture and locked up in prison. Here both martyrs languished for […]
Feb. 27 Our Venerable Father and Confessor Procopius the Decapolite
Our venerable father and confessor Procopius the Decapolite lived during the eighth century in the region of Decapolis, to the east of Lake Galilee. There he labored for his salvation, struggling in asceticism. St. Procopius, his fellow ascetic St. Basil, and others zealous for holy Orthodoxy rose up against the Iconoclast heresy of those times. […]
Feb. 25 The First and Second Finding of the Head of the Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist John
The great and glorious Baptist John was beheaded at the wish and instigation of the wicked Herodias, the wife of Herod. When John was beheaded, Herodias ordered that his head not be buried with his body, for she feared that this awesome prophet would somehow resurrect. Therefore, she took his head and buried it deep […]
Feb. 24 Our Holy Father Tarasius, Archbishop of Constantinople
Our holy father Tarasius, Patriarch of Constantinople was of illustrious lineage. He was born and raised in Constantinople, where he received a fine education. He was rapidly promoted at the court of emperor Constantine VI (780-797) and Constantine’s mother, the holy Empress Irene, and the saint attained the rank of senator. Proceeding through all the […]
Feb. 23 The Holy Priest Martyr Polycarp Bishop of Smyrna
The holy priest-martyr Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, who was “fruitful in every good work” (Col. 1:10), was born in the first century, and lived in Smyrna in Asia Minor. He was orphaned at an early age, but at the direction of an angel, he was raised by the pious widow Kallista. After the death of […]
Feb. 22 The finding of the Venerable Relics of the Martyrs of Eugenius
During the persecution against Christians the relics of holy martyrs were usually buried by believers in hidden places. So at Constantinople, near the gates and tower in the Eugenius quarter, the bodies of several martyrs were found. Their names remain unknown by the Church. When miracles of healing began to occur at this spot, the […]
Feb. 21 Our Venerable Father Timothy of Symbola; Our Father among the Saints Eustathius, Archbishop of Great Antioch
Our venerable father Timothy of Symbola was of Italian descent. He became a monk at a young age and pursued asceticism at a monastery called “Symbola”, in Asia Minor near Mount Olympus. At that time Theoctistus was the archimandrite of the monastery. St. Timothy was a disciple of Theoctistus and also of St. Platon of […]
Feb. 20 Our Venerable Father Leo, Bishop of Catania
In the town of Catania below the volcanic Mount Ezra, lived our venerable father Leo, a good shepherd and compassionate teacher of the people. He had great concern for the sick and the poor. His zeal for the Faith was as great as his charity toward the less fortunate. A magician named Heliodorus appeared in […]
Feb. 18 Our Father among the Saints Leo, Pope of Rome
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 […]