On Great and Holy Wednesday, the hymns of the Bridegroom Service remind us of the sinful woman who poured precious ointment on Christ’s head at Simon the leper’s house (Mt. 26:7). The disciples complained about the wasteful extravagance, for the myrrh could have been sold and the money…

The Holy Prophet Jeremiah, one of the four great Old Testament prophets, was son of the priest Helkiah from the city of Anathoth near Jerusalem, and he lived 600 years before the Birth of Christ, under the Israelite king Josiah and four of his successors. He was called to prophetic service at the…

Saint Paphnutius of Borov was born in 1394 in the village of Kudinovo, not far from Borov, and at Baptism he was named Parthenius. His father John was the son of a baptized Tatar, a “baskak” (“tax-collector”) named Martin, and his mother was named Photina. At the age of…

This holy New Martyr of Christ was born in Demitsana in the Peloponnesos. His parents were Panagiotes and Maria, and he was given the name Eleutherius in Baptism. Eleutherius was the youngest of five children (the others were George, Christos, John, and Katerina). After attending school in…

The holy New Martyr Ignatius was born in the village of Eski Zagora in the Trnovo region of Bulgaria, and was named John in Baptism. While he was still a young child, his parents George and Maria moved to the city of Philippopolis and enrolled him in a school there. Although he did well at school,…

The holy New Martyr Acacius was born at Neochorion, Macedonia near Thessalonica in the eighteenth century. The oldest son of Bulgarian peasants, he was named Athanasius at his baptism. When he was nine years old, his family moved to the city of Serres. Athanasius was apprenticed to a cobbler, who…

The Hieromartyr Macarius, Metropolitan of Kiev, was earlier the archimandrite of the Vilensk Holy Trinity monastery. In 1495, after the death of Metropolitan Jonah of Kiev, Macarius was chosen and ordained in his place by an assembly of hierarchs; Vassian of Vladimir, Luke of Polotsk, Vassian of…

The Martyr Bata, a monastic, lived during the fourth century in Persia and labored there in one of the monasteries. The holy martyr was killed in the city of Nisibis for confessing the Christian Faith during a time of persecution against Christians initiated by the Persian emperor.

In 1166 a daughter, Tamar, was born to King George III (1155-1184) and Queen Burdukhan of Georgia. The king proclaimed that he would share the throne with his daughter from the day she turned twelve years of age. The royal court unanimously vowed its allegiance and service to Tamar, and father and…

Saint Nikēphóros, the “most luminous star of the Church of Christ,” who delighted the hearts of the faithful “with divinely inspired teachings,” was born around 1750 at Kardamyla on the Greek island of Chios, and his family name was Georgios, or Georgos. When he was still…

The “Unexpected Joy” Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, is painted in this way: in a room is an icon of the Mother of God, and beneath it a youth is kneeling at prayer. The tradition about the healing of some youth from a bodily affliction through this holy icon is recorded in the book of…

The “Myrrh-Bearing” Icon of the Mother of God of Tsarevokokshaisk (in the province of Kazan) appeared to the peasant Andrew Ivanov on May 1, 1647 near Bolshaya Kuznetsa, fifteen versts from the city of Tsarevokokshaisk in the Kazan region. Working in the field, Andrew noticed an icon…

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Saint Gerasimus of Boldino, whose secular name was Gregory, was born in 1490 at Pereslav-Zalessk. In his early childhood, he often went to church to attend the divine services. When he heard about the holy life of Saint Daniel of Pereyaslavl (April 7), the thirteen-year-old Gregory tearfully begged…

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Saint Zosimas of Kumurdo lived and labored from the end of the 15th century through the first half of the 16th century. To the world he was known as Zebede. He was raised by Princess Ketevan, the daughter of King George VIII (1446-1466). In 1515 Zebede was tonsured a monk and given the new name…