Forefeast of the Nativity of our Lord
The Forefeast of the Nativity of the Lord
begins on December 20. From now on, most of the liturgical hymns will be
concerned with the birth of the Savior. Many of the Church’s hymns of
this period are slightly modified versions of the hymns of Holy Week.
From the 20th to the 23rd we sing the…
Hieromartyr Ignatius the God-Bearer the Bishop of Antioch
The Hieromartyr Ignatius the God-Bearer, was a
disciple of the holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian, as was
also Saint Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna (February 23). Saint Ignatius was
the second bishop of Antioch, and successor to Bishop Euodius, Apostle
of the Seventy (September 7).…
Venerable Ignatius the Archimandrite of the Kiev Caves
Saint Ignatius, Archimandrite of the Kiev
Caves: In the general service to the Kiev Caves saints, it says of him:
“Ignatius, monastic pastor and healer of the sick, in our infirmities
you help us by your reverence, therefore let us offer song of praise
unto your memory” (Ode 1 of the…
St. Philogonius the Bishop of Antioch
Before becoming a bishop, Saint Philogonius
was a laywer who defended the poor, the widowed and the orphaned. When
his wife died, he was chosen as Bishop of Antioch. Distinguished by
profound theological knowledge, Saint Philogonius successfully defended
Orthodoxy against the Arian heresy and by…
St. Daniel II the Archbishop of Serbia
Saint Daniel of Serbia, the only son of rich
and renowned parents, was a close associate of the Serbian king Stephan
Urosh Milutin. Having renounced a secular career, he received monastic
tonsure from the igumen of the Saint Nicholas monastery at Konchul near
the River Ibar. Saint Daniel’s…
Repose of St John of Kronstadt
Saint John of Kronstadt was born in the
village of Sura in Archangel province on October 19, 1829, and was
called John in honor of Saint John of Rila (August 18). His parents were
very poor but were very devoted to the Church. Even though he was poor,
as a young boy John learned to feel compassion…
Icon of the Mother of God the “Rescuer of the Drowning”
In the village of Lenkov on the bank of the
Desno River near Novgorod, Russia, there was a dangerous whirlpool,
which made the river difficult to cross. Often, the powerful swirling
waters would cause the demise of ships and their passengers. It was at
that dangerous site that an Icon of the…
New-martyr John of Thasos
The New Martyr John of Thasos was from the
village of Marias on the island of Thasos. In his youth he was brought
to Constantinople and apprenticed to a tailor. One day he was seized by
the Turks and accused of insulting the Moslem religion. They tried to
force him to accept Islam, but he would not…
Icon of the Mother of God of Novgorod
The Novgorod Icon of the Mother of God was
painted by Saint Peter, Metropolitan of Moscow (December 21), during his
stay as igumen of a monastery on the River Rata at the boundary of the
Malyi Dvorets. During a time of persecution, the Uniates plundered the
Novgorod monastery, and the icon was…
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