Martyr Athanasia and her daughters at Canopus in Egypt

Commemorated on January 31


The Christian woman Athanasia and her three young daughters were arrested because they were Christians. Theoctiste was fifteen; Theodota, was thirteen; and Eudoxia, was eleven. Sts Cyrus and John hastened to the prison to help them, for they were concerned that the women might renounce Christ when faced with torture.


Sts Cyrus and John gave them courage to endure what lay before them. Learning of this, the ruler of the city arrested Sts Cyrus and John, and seeing their steadfast and fearless confession of faith in Christ, he brought Athanasia and her daughters to witness their torture. The tyrant did not refrain from any form of torture against the holy martyrs. The women were not frightened by the sufferings of Sts Cyrus and John, but courageously continued to confess Christ. They were flogged and then beheaded, receiving their crowns of martyrdom.


Troparion - Tone 4
Your holy martyr Athanasia, O Lord,Through her sufferings has received an incorruptible crown from You, our God.For having Your strength, she laid low her adversaries,And shattered the powerless boldness of demons.Through her intercessions, save our souls!

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Hieromartyr Hippolytus the Pope of Rome

Commemorated on January 30


The Hieromartyr Hippolytus, and the Martyrs Censorinus, Sabinus, Chryse the Virgin and 20 Others suffered during the third century.


When St Hippolytus, Bishop of Rome, learned of the suffering of the martyrs, he appeared before the governor despite his advanced years and rebuked the torturers for their inhumanity. The enraged governor sentenced the holy bishop to be tortured. After long torments, they tied him hand and foot and threw him into the sea.


St Censorinus was a high-ranking magistrate during the reign of the Roman emperor Claudius II (268-270). He was arrested and thrown into prison for his faith in Christ. By the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ he raised up a dead man. As a result, twenty soldiers and prison guards were converted to Christ. They were beheaded with St Censorinus. Then the virgin Chryse was brought for interrogation. She bravely confessed herself a Christian and was subjected to torture. After horrible torments, she was drowned in the sea.


Saint Sabinus had heavy rocks tied around his neck, and then they hung his body on a tree and burned his sides with torches. In his torments, he gave up his holy soul to the Lord.


With St Chryse suffered the martyrs Ares, Felix, Maximus, Herculianus, Venerius, Stiracius, Mennas, Commodus, Hermes, Maurus, Eusebius, Rusticus, Monagrius, Amandinus, Olympius, Cyprus, Theodore the Tribune, Maximus the Presbyter, Archelaus the Deacon, and Cyriacus the Bishop.


All these Roman martyrs suffered in the year 269. The relics of the Hieromartyr Hippolytus were put in the church of the holy Martyrs Laurence and Pope Damasus at Rome. St Hippolytus was a disciple of St Irenaeus, Bishop of Lugdunum (Lyons in France), and he is also renowned as a Christian theologian who wrote many treatises against the heretics.


St Hyppolitus compiled a Paschal Canon, the famous Apostolic Tradition, "On Christ", and a "Treatise on the Antichrist." St Hippolytus also wrote many commentaries on Holy Scripture, on the Biblical Books: Genesis, Exodus, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, the Song of Songs, and on the Gospels of Matthew, Luke and John, and on the Prophets Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Zechariah, on the Psalms of David and on the Apocalyse. Part of his works are preserved only in fragments. His discourses, devoted to the Theophany and the Prophet Daniel, are preserved in full. His discourses demonstrate his masterful style of preaching. He was one of the last Western Fathers to write in Greek.

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Martyr Ashot Curapalati, King of of Artanuji

Commemorated on January 29


In the year 786, Ashot, the son of Adarnerse, ascended the throne of Kartli. From the very beginning of his reign he fought fiercely for the reunification of Georgia. His first step was to take advantage of the Arab Muslims’ weariness and banish them from Tbilisi.


Three years passed and, under the leadership of a new ruler, the reinvigorated Muslims began to hunt for Ashot. The king was forced to flee after he delayed taking action against them. The enemy had again conquered Tbilisi.


Ashot was compelled to leave Kartli, and he departed for Byzantium with his family and small army. The refugees journeyed as far as Javakheti in southern Georgia and stopped near Lake Paravani for a rest. But while they were sleeping, a Saracen army assailed their camp. The king’s army was doomed, but “God helped Ashot Kuropalates and his scant army. He bestowed power upon them, and they defeated an enemy that greatly outnumbered them.” The king was deeply moved by God’s miraculous intervention and decided that, rather than journeying on to Byzantium as he had intended, he would remain in the region of Shavshet-Klarjeti.


At that time southern Georgia was suffering great calamities. A cholera epidemic intensified the struggles of a people devastated by a ruthless enemy. Very few had survived, but that powerless and wearied remnant gladly received Ashot Kuropalates as their new leader, and the king began to restore the region at once.


Ashot Kuropalates restored Artanuji Castle, which had originally been built by King Vakhtang Gorgasali and later ravaged by the Arab general Marwan “the Deaf.” Ashot founded a city nearby and proclaimed it the residence of the Bagrationi royal family of Klarjeti. He also constructed a church in honor of Sts. Peter and Paul. As it is written, “God granted Ashot Kuropalates great strength and many victories.”


The region of Klarjeti took on a new life, and through the efforts of St. Grigol of Khandzta and his companions, the former wasteland was transformed into a borough bustling with churches, monasteries, and schools. Georgian noblemen soon began traveling to Klarjeti to forge their nation’s future with King Ashot and the other God-fearing leaders.


Ashot Kuropalates was not only a leader who campaigned vigorously for the unification of Georgia—he was truly a godly-minded man. With great honor and joy he was the host of Fr. Grigol of Khandzta, a “heavenly man and an earthly angel.” Fr. Grigol blessed Ashot’s kingdom and his inheritance.


Upon those who labored at Khandzta Monastery, Ashot Kuropalates bestowed the best lands, including Shatberdi, to serve as rural estates, which would supply food for the monastery. His children, Adarnerse, Bagrat, and Guaram, would later contribute much of their own fortune to the revival of the monasteries in the KlarjetiWilderness. (Udabno in Georgian. Translated as “wilderness,” these deserted places where hermits made their abodes often attracted monks and pious laymen as the fame of these holy men spread. Over the centuries, with the foundation of numerous monasteries, these deserts became veritable cities and only retained the name “wilderness” in a figurative sense.)


But after some time the usually virtuous King Ashot fell in love with a certain woman. He forgot his honor, his achievements, and his loyalty to God and the nation and took her to Artanuji Castle, an estate that had been built for the queen. St. Grigol, however, heard about the king’s adulterous relationship and became exceedingly sorrowful.


He confronted the king about his behavior, and the desperate Ashot promised to leave the woman, but he could not bring himself to fulfill his promise. So Fr. Grigol took her to Mere Monastery and turned her over to the abbess, Mother Pebronia, without telling Ashot. Upon hearing what had happened, King Ashot pleaded with Mother Pebronia to return the woman, but the abbess refused. At long last Ashot bowed his head to the nun and repented, saying, “Blessed is the man who is no longer alive to this world.”


The king rediscovered his love for God and his country, and he prepared to return to Kartli. But his plans were foiled when a certain Muslim warrior named Khalil invaded, conquering the lands of Kartli, Hereti, and Kvemo Kartli.


Ashot sent his men to assemble an army, but before the troops had been gathered, the Saracens attacked and forced them to flee. The king then traveled to Nigali Gorge with the intent of enlarging his army. Some of the draftees turned out to be traitors, and when the king discovered the betrayal, it was already too late. He hid in a church, but the godless men found him and stabbed him to death in the sanctuary. “They murdered him on the altar, as though slaughtering a sacrificial lamb, and his blood remains there to this day,” writes Sumbat, the son of Davit, in his book Lives of the Bagrationis.


Thus the first Bagrationi king, “a believer, upon whom the inheritance of the Georgian people was established,” was also a martyr. The Georgians took revenge on the murderers of their beloved king. When the people of Doliskana heard that Ashot had been killed, they pursued his murderers and killed them near the Chorokhi River. Venerable Grigol and the Georgian people wept bitterly over the loss of their king and hope. St. Ashot’s holy relics were buried in the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul that he himself had built.

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Venerable Theodosius the Abbot of Totma, Vologda

Commemorated on January 28


Saint Theodosius of Totma was born at Vologda about the year 1530. In his youth he was raised in a spirit of Christian piety and the fear of God. At the insistence of his parents he married, but family life did not turn him away from God. He went fervently to church and prayed at home, particularly at night. After the death of his parents and his wife, he withdrew to the Priluki monastery not far from Vologda.


At the monastery Theodosius passed through the various obediences: he carried water, chopped fire-wood, milled flour and baked bread. He went to Totma on the igumen's orders to search for a salt-works for the monastery. He sought the permission of Tsar Ivan Vasilevich and the blessing of Archbishop Nicander to found a monastery at Totma. Theodosius was appointed head of this newly-formed Totma monastery, which in a grant of 1554 was declared free of taxation.


The saint founded the Totma Ephraimov wilderness monastery and brought brethren into it. Eventually becoming the head of two monasteries, Theodosius continued to lead an ascetic life. He wore down his body by wearing chains and a hairshirt, and beneath his monastic cowl he wore an iron cap. Fond of spiritual reading, he acquired many books for the monastery. St Theodosius reposed in the year 1568 and was buried in the monastery he founded, and miracles occurred at his grave.


On September 2, 1796 during the reconstruction of the Ascension church, his relics were found incorrupt, and their glorification took place on January 28, 1798, on the day of his repose.

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Translation of the relics of St John Chrysostom the Archbishop of Constantinople

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Translation of the relics of the Venerable Theodore the Abbot of Studion

Commemorated on January 26


The Transfer of the Relics of Saint Theodore, Igumen of the Studion Monastery, from Akritian Cherson to Constantinople occurred in the year 845. The Life of St Theodore the Studite is to be found under November 11.

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St Moses the Archbishop of Novgorod

Commemorated on January 25


Saint Moses, Archbishop of Novgorod (1325-1330, 1352-1359), in the world Metrophanes, was born at Novgorod. In his youth he secretly left his home and entered Tver's Otroch monastery, where he became a monk. His parents found him, and at their insistence he transferred to a monastery near Novgorod. At this monastery he was ordained as a hieromonk, and later he was appointed archimandrite of the Yuriev monastery.


After the death of Archbishop David of Novgorod, St Peter (December 21) consecrated Moses as Archbishop of Novgorod in 1325. This was the first episcopal consecration to be performed in Moscow. St Moses did not guide his Novgorod flock for long, however. The quarrels and contentious factions, the conflagrations and other misfortunes weighed heavily on his soul, which sought monastic solitude. After four years, he petitioned to be allowed to retire and live in asceticism. He was succeeded by St Basil.


In 1330 the saint withdrew to the Kolmov monastery for tranquillity. He did not remain here very long, either. He found a desolate spot at Derevyanitsa, where he built the stone church of the Resurrection of Christ. At this place the monk spent more than twenty years at monastic deeds. After Basil's death, St Moses yielded to the requests of the Novgorod people to be their archpastor once again. The ancient chronicler describes St Moses in this way: "He shepherded his flock as a good pastor; he defended the downtrodden, and protected destitute widows; he employed a company of copyists, and because of him many books were written, and he confirmed many in piety by his guidance."


In the year 1354 Patriarch Philotheus of Constantinople (1354-1355, 1364-1376), as a token of his deep respect for St Moses gave him permission to wear polystavrion vestments ("many crosses"), and even sent him a set. He also permitted St Moses to deal directly with the Patriarch of Constantinople without intermediaries.


Archbishop Moses continued as hierarch for seven years, a period marked by the building of many churches in Novgorod and its environs. In 1352 the saint built a stone church in honor of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos at Volotova; in 1355 a monastery was built in a place named Skovorodka, with a stone church in honor of the holy Archangel Michael. In 1357, churches were also built at three monasteries: at Radogovitsa near the Volotov Dormition church, and at the Holy Spirit monastery and at a women's monastery, churches named for St John the Theologian (the first and third of these monasteries were founded by St Moses).


In 1359, feeling weak and sick, the saint withdrew into the Monastery of the Archangel Michael in Skovorodsk which he had founded. St Moses labored here in asceticism until his death on January 25, 1362. He was buried at the cathedral church.


Archbishop Sergius of Novgorod, who came there from Moscow in 1484, ordered to a priest to open the grave of St Moses. "I dare not be so bold as to open up the relics of the hierarch. It is your task as hierarch to open the grave of a hierarch," he answered. "Look what is on this corpse," said the infuriated archbishop, but he was soon punished. He went insane, and was not able to govern the diocese and did not become well until he took the schema at the Khutyn monastery. He died in 1504 at the Trinity-Sergiev monastery).


The Feast of St Moses on April 19 commemorates the uncovering of his incorrupt relics in 1686.

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Martyr John of Kazan

Commemorated on January 24


The Martyr John of Kazan suffered for Christ in the city of Kazan on January 24, 1529. During the reign of Great Prince Basil the Tatars swooped down upon Nizhni Novgorod. Many of the inhabitants were taken into captivity and brought to Kazan. Also among their number was the fearless John.


When the captives were distributed to their new owners, he was given to Alei-Shnura, who was related to the Khan. By day John honestly served his master, but at night he went without sleep and prayed, patiently enduring insults and abuse. The master resolved to force his servant to become a Moslem, but John firmly declared that he worshiped Jesus Christ as God.


In the winter the Tatars tied him up and led him to a Russian cemetery, mortally wounded him with swords, and threw him into the snow. That night, St John reached the door of some Russians living in Kazan, and he asked them to summon a priest. He received the Holy Mysteries and prayed all night, then died the following morning.


Troparion - Tone 4
Your holy martyr John, O Lord,Through his sufferings has received an incorruptible crown from You, our God.For having Your strength, he laid low his adversaries,And shattered the powerless boldness of demons.Through his intercessions, save our souls!

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Venerable Gennadius of Kostroma

Commemorated on January 23


Saint Gennadius of Kostroma and Liubimograd, in the world Gregory, was born in the city of Mogilev into a rich family. He early displayed love for the church, and his frequent visits to monasteries evoked the dismay of his parents. Gregory, however, was firmly resolved to devote himself to God, and changing into tattered clothing, he secretly left his parental home and journeyed to Moscow.


He visited the holy places in Moscow, but he did not find it suitable in spirit and so set out to the Novgorod region. The destiny of the future ascetic was decided by an encounter with St Alexander of Svir (August 30). With his blessing, Gregory went to the Vologda forest to St Cornelius of Komel (May 19), and was tonsured by him with the name Gennadius. Together with St Cornelius, Gennadius moved on to the Kostroma forest. Here, on the shores of Lake Sura, in about the year 1529, there emerged the monastery of the Transfiguration of the Lord, afterwards called "the Gennadiev monastery". Having become igumen, St Gennadius did not slacken his monastic efforts, and together with the brethren he went out to the monastery tasks: he chopped wood, carried firewood, made candles and baked prosphora. He also wore heavy chains. One of his favorite tasks was the painting of icons, with which he adorned his new monastery.


For his holy life St Gennadius received from the Lord the gift of clairvoyance and wonderworking. Journeying to Moscow on monastic affairs, at the house of the nobleman Roman Zakharin, the saint predicted to his daughter Anastasia that she would become Tsaritsa. Indeed, Tsar Ivan the Terrible chose her as his wife.


The Life of St Gennadius was written by his disciple, Iguman Alexis, between the years 1584-1587. In it was inserted his spiritual testament, dictated by St Gennadius himself. In it he commands the monks to observe the monastery Rule, to toil constantly, to be at peace with everyone, and to preserve the books collected at the monastery, while striving to understand their meaning. He said, "Strive towards the light, and shun the darkness."


St Gennadius died on January 23, 1565, and was glorified by the Church on August 19, 1646.

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Monkmartyr Anastasius the Persian

Commemorated on January 22


The Monk Martyr Anastasius the Persian was the son of a Persian sorcerer named Bavi. As a pagan, he had the name Magundates and served in the armies of the Persian emperor Chozroes II, who in 614 ravaged the city of Jerusalem and carried away the Life-Creating Cross of the Lord to Persia.


Great miracles occurred from the Cross of the Lord, and the Persians were astonished. The heart of young Magundates was inflamed with the desire to learn more about this sacred object. Asking everyone about the Holy Cross, the youth learned that upon it the Lord Himself was crucified for the salvation of mankind. He became acquainted with the truths of the Christian Faith in the city of Chalcedon, where the army of Chozroes was for a certain while. He was baptized with the name Anastasius, and then became a monk and spent seven years in one of the Jerusalem monasteries, living an ascetical life.


Reading the Lives of the holy martyrs, St Anastasius was inspired with the desire to imitate them. A mysterious dream, which he had on Great and Holy Saturday, the day before the Resurrection of Christ, urged him to do this.


Having fallen asleep after his daily tasks, he beheld a radiant man giving him a golden chalice filled with wine, who said to him, "Take this and drink." Draining the chalice, he felt an ineffable delight. St Anastasius then realized that this vision was his call to martyrdom.


He went secretly from the monastery to Palestinian Caesarea. There he was arrested for being a Christian, and was brought to trial. The governor tried in every way to force St Anastasius to renounce Christ, threatening him with tortures and death, and promising him earthly honors and blessings. The saint, however, remained unyielding. Then they subjected him to torture: they beat him with rods, they lacerated his knees, they hung him up by the hands and tied a heavy stone to his feet, they exhausted him with confinement, and then wore him down with heavy work in the stone quarry with other prisoners.


Finally, the governor summoned St Anastasius and promised him his freedom if he would only say, "I am not a Christian." The holy martyr replied, "I will never deny my Lord before you or anyone else, neither openly nor even while asleep. No one can compel me to do this while I am in my right mind." Then by order of the emperor Chozroes, St Anastasius was strangled, then beheaded. After the death of Chozroes, the relics of the Monk Martyr Anastasius were transferred to Palestine, to the Anastasius monastery.


Troparion - Tone 4
Your holy martyr Anastasius, O Lord,through his suffering has received an incorruptible crown from You, our God.For having Your strength, he laid low his adversaries, and shattered the powerless boldness of demons.Through his intercessions, save our souls!

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Martyr Neophytus of Nicea

Commemorated on January 21

The Holy Martyr Neophytus, a native of the city of Nicea in Bithynia, was raised by his parents in strict Christian piety. For his virtue, temperance and unceasing prayer, it pleased God to glorify St Neophytus with the gift of wonderworking, while the saint was still just a child!
Like Moses, the holy youth brought forth water from a stone of the city wall and gave this water to those who were thirsty. In answer to the prayer of St Neophytus' mother, asking that God's will concerning her son might be revealed to her, a white dove miraculously appeared and told of the path he would follow. The saint was led forth from his parental home by this dove and brought to a cave on Mt. Olympus, which served as a lion's den. It is said that he chased the lion from the cave so that he could live there himself. The saint remained there from the age of nine until he was fifteen, leaving it only once to bury his parents and distribute their substance to the poor.
During the persecution by Diocletian (284-305), he went to Nicea and boldly began to denounce the impiety of the pagan faith. The enraged persecutors suspended the saint from a tree, they whipped him with ox thongs, and scraped his body with iron claws. Then they threw him into a red-hot oven, but the holy martyr remained unharmed, spending three days and three nights in it. The torturers, not knowing what else to do with him, decided to kill him. One of the pagans ran him through with a sword (some say it was a spear), and the saint departed to the Lord at the age of sixteen.
Troparion - Tone 4
Your holy martyr Neophytus, O Lord,through his suffering has received an incorruptible crown from You, our God.For having Your strength, he laid low low his adversaries, and shattered the powerless boldness of demons.Through his intercessions, save our souls!
Kontakion - Tone 4
You shone forth from the mount like lightning,glorifying Christ through your struggles and death as a martyr.Therefore, you have received an unfading crown, Great-martyr Neophytus.

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Venerable Euthymius the Schemamonk

Commemorated on January 20


The Schemamonk Euthymius of the Kiev Caves imposed upon himself a vow of silence, opening his mouth only for church services and for prayer. The silent schemamonk ate only herbs. He was buried in the Far Caves of St Theodosius at the Kiev Caves monastery. His memory is also celebrated on August 28 and on the second Sunday of Great Lent.

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St Mark the Archbishop of Ephesus

Commemorated on January 19


Saint Mark Eugenikos, Archbishop of Ephesus, was a stalwart defender of Orthodoxy at the Council of Florence. He would not agree to a union with Rome which was based on theological compromise and political expediency (the Byzantine Emperor was seeking military assistance from the West against the Moslems who were drawing ever closer to Constantinople). St Mark countered the arguments of his opponents, drawing from the well of pure theology, and the teachings of the holy Fathers. When the members of his own delegation tried to pressure him into accepting the Union he replied, "There can be no compromise in matters of the Orthodox Faith."


Although the members of the Orthodox delegation signed the Tomos of Union, St Mark was the only one who refused to do so. When he returned from Florence, St Mark urged the inhabitants of Constantinople to repudiate the dishonorable document of union. He died in 1457 at the age of fifty-two, admired and honored by all.


Troparion - Tone 4
By your profession of faith, O all-praised MarkThe Church has found you to be a zealot for truth.You fought for the teaching of the Fathers;You cast down the darkness of boastful pride.Intercede with Christ God to grant forgiveness to those who honor you!


Kontakion - Tone 3
Clothed with invincible armor, O blessed one,You cast down rebellious pride,You served as the instrument of the Comforter,and shone forth as the champion of Orthodoxy.Therefore we cry to you: "Rejoice, Mark, the boast of the Orthodox!"

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Venerable Athanasius the Abbot of Syandemsk, Vologda

Commemorated on January 18


Saint Athanasius of Synadem and Vologda was a disciple of St Alexander of Svir (August 30). After the death of his mentor, he established the Dormition hermitage in the forests of Karelia, not far from the city of Olonets, on an island of Lake Synadem.


The slander and pettiness of the local inhabitants compelled St Athanasius to move back to the Svir monastery, where they chose him as igumen. Later returning to the Dormition hermitage, St Athanasius died in about the year 1550 in great old age, and was buried on one of the promontories of Roschinsk island. Afterwards, a church was built over his grave, named for Sts Athanasius and Cyril of Alexandria. The incorrupt relics of St Athanasius were placed in this church in 1720.

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Venerable Anthony of Dymsk, Novgorod

Commemorated on January 17


Saint Anthony of Dymsk was born at Novgorod in about the year 1157. Once in church he heard the words of Christ: "If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me" (Mt.16:24), the saint resolved to leave the world and receive monastic tonsure under St Barlaam of Khutyn (November 6) at his monastery.


When he was dying, St Barlaam appointed St Anthony as igumen in his place; but Anthony, shunning glory, left the monastery and settled at the shores of Lake Dyma, on the outskirts of the city of Tikhvin. Here he founded a monastery and struggled there until the end of his own life.


According to Tradition, St Anthony made a journey to Constantinople, and returned to his monastery on the day that the igumen Barlaam died. St Anthony fell asleep in the Lord on June 24, 1224. In the year 1330 his relics were found incorrupt, and from that time they were glorified by many miracles.

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Blessed Maximus the Fool-for-Christ of Totma, Vologda

Commemorated on January 16


Blessed Maximus, Priest of Totma, was for a certain time, a priest in the city of Totma in the Vologda diocese. For forty years he undertook the difficult exploit of foolishness for Christ, constantly in fasting and in prayer. St Maximus died in great old age on January 16, 1650 and was buried at the Resurrection church in which he served. The local veneration of the saint began in 1715, because of the numerous miracles occurring at his grave.

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Venerable John Calabytes "the Hut-Dweller"

Commemorated on January 15


Saint John the Hut-Dweller was the son of rich and illustrious parents, and was born in Constantinople the early fifth century. He received a fine education, and he mastered rhetoric and philosophy by the age of twelve. He also loved to read spiritual books. Perceiving the vanity of worldly life, he chose the path that was narrow and extremely difficult. Filled with longing to enter a monastery, he confided his intention to a passing monk. John made him promise to come back for him when he returned from his pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and take him to his monastery.


He asked his parents for a Gospel so that he might study the words of Christ. John's parents hired a calligrapher to copy the text, and had the volume bound in a golden cover studded with gems. John read the Gospel constantly, delighting in the Savior's words.


The monk kept his promise to come back for John, and they went secretly to Bithynia. At the monastery of the "Unsleeping" (Akoimitoi), he received monastic tonsure. The young monk began his ascetical labors with zeal, astonishing the brethren with his unceasing prayer, humble obedience, strict abstinence, and perseverance at work.


After six years, he began to undergo temptations. He remembered his parents, how much they loved him, and what sorrow he caused them. He regretted leaving them, and was filled with a burning desire to see them again.


St John explained his situation to the igumen St Marcellus (December 29) and he asked to be released from the monastery. He begged the igumen for his blessing and prayers to return home. He bid farewell to the brethren, hoping that by their prayers and with the help of God, he would both see his parents and overcome the snares of the devil. The igumen then blessed him for his journey.


St John returned to Constantinople, not to resume his former life of luxury, but dressed as a beggar, and unknown to anyone. He settled in a corner by the gates of his parents' home. His father noticed the "pauper," and began to send him food from his table, for the sake of Christ. John lived in a small hut for three years, oppressed and insulted by the servants, enduring cold and frost, unceasingly conversing with the Lord and the holy angels.


Before his death, the Lord appeared to the monk in a vision, revealing that the end of his sorrows was approaching, and that in three days he would be taken into the Heavenly Kingdom. Therefore, he asked the steward to give his mother a message to come to him, for he had something to say to her. At first, she did not wish to go, but she was curious to know what this beggar had to say to her.


Then he sent her another message, saying that he would die in three days. John thanked her for the charity he had received, and told her that God would reward her for it. He then made her promise to bury him beneath his hut, dressed in his rags. Only then did the saint give her his Gospel, which he always carried with him, saying, "May this console you in this life, and guide you to the next life."


She showed the Gospel to her husband, saying that it was similar to the one they had given their son. He realized that it was, in fact, the very Gospel they had commissioned for John. They went back to the gates, intending to ask the pauper where he got the Gospel, and if he knew anything about their son. Unable to restrain himself any longer, he admitted that he was their child. With tears of joy they embraced him, weeping because he had endured privation for so long at the very gates of his parental home.


The saint died in the mid-fifth century, when he was not quite twenty-five years old. On the place of his burial the parents built a church, and beside it a hostel for strangers. When they died, they were buried in the church they had built.


In the twelfth century the head of the saint was taken by Crusaders to Besançon (in France), and other relics of the saint were taken to Rome.


Troparion - Tone 4
From your early youth,you longed with fervor for the things of the Lord.Leaving the world and its pleasures,you became an example of monastic life.Most blessed John, you built your hut at the door of your parents' house and overcame the devil's guiles.Therefore Christ Himself has worthily glorified you.


Kontakion - Tone 2
Longing for poverty in imitation of Christ, you abandoned your parents' wealth, wise Father John;grasping the Gospel in your hands, you followed Christ God, unceasingly praying for us all.

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Leavetaking of the Theophany of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

Commemorated on January 14


The Leavetaking of the Feast of Theophany takes place on January 14. The entire office of the Feast is repeated except for the Entrance, festal readings, Litya, Blessing of Loaves at Vespers, and the Polyeleos and festal Gospel at Matins. The festal Antiphons are not sung at Liturgy, and the Epistle and Gospel of the day are read.



Troparion - Tone 1
When You, O Lord were baptized in the Jordan The worship of the Trinity was made manifest For the voice of the Father bore witness to You And called You His beloved Son. And the Spirit, in the form of a dove, Confirmed the truthfulness of His word. O Christ, our God, You have revealed Yourself And have enlightened the world, glory to You!

Kontakion - Tone 4
Today You have shown forth to the world, O Lord, and the light of Your countenance has been marked on us. Knowing You, we sing Your praises. You have come and revealed Yourself, O unapproachable Light.

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Afterfeast of the Theophany of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

Commemorated on January 13


The seventh day of the Afterfeast of Theophany falls on January 13. Many of the Church's hymns during this period rejoice in the manifestation of God (Theophany) at Christ's baptism in the Jordan. The voice of the Father is heard, the Son enters the water, and the Holy Spirit appears in the form of a dove.


Troparion - Tone 4
Of old, the river Jordanturned back before Elisha's mantle at Elijah's ascension.The waters were parted in twoand the waterway became a dry path.This is truly a symbol of baptismby which we pass through this mortal life.Christ has appeared in the Jordan to sanctify the waters!


Kontakion - Tone 4
Today the Lord enters the Jordan and cries out to John:"Do not be afraid to baptize me.For I have come to save Adam, the first-formed man."

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Afterfeast of the Theophany of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

Commemorated on January 12


The sixth day of the Afterfeast of Theophany falls on January 12. Divine grace shines forth so that we might be freed from the power of the devil, and cleansed of our sins in Baptism.


Troparion - Tone 4
Of old, the river Jordanturned back before Elisha's mantle at Elijah's ascension.The waters were parted in twoand the waterway became a dry path.This is truly a symbol of baptismby which we pass through this mortal life.Christ has appeared in the Jordan to sanctify the waters!


Kontakion - Tone 4
Today the Lord enters the Jordan and cries out to John:"Do not be afraid to baptize me.For I have come to save Adam, the first-formed man."
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Afterfeast of the Theophany of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

Commemorated on January 11


The fifth day of the Afterfeast of Theophany falls on January 11. Many of the hymns of this period glorify Christ as God Who sanctifies the waters of Jordan by being baptized in them.


Troparion - Tone 4
Of old, the river Jordanturned back before Elisha's mantle at Elijah's ascension.The waters were parted in twoand the waterway became a dry path.This is truly a symbol of baptismby which we pass through this mortal life.Christ has appeared in the Jordan to sanctify the waters!


Kontakion - Tone 4
Today the Lord enters the Jordan and cries out to John:"Do not be afraid to baptize me.For I have come to save Adam, the first-formed man."
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Afterfeast of the Theophany of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

Commemorated on January 10


The fourth day of the Afterfeast of Theophany falls on January 10. Some of the hymns of this period compare the streams of the Jordan to the life-giving waters of Baptism.

Troparion - Tone 4
Of old, the river Jordanturned back before Elisha's mantle at Elijah's ascension.The waters were parted in twoand the waterway became a dry path.This is truly a symbol of baptismby which we pass through this mortal life.Christ has appeared in the Jordan to sanctify the waters!


Kontakion - Tone 4
Today the Lord enters the Jordan and cries out to John:"Do not be afraid to baptize me.For I have come to save Adam, the first-formed man."

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Afterfeast of the Theophany of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

Commemorated on January 9


The third day of the Afterfeast of Theophany falls on January 9. The hymns of this period invite us to purify our minds in order to see Christ.


Troparion - Tone 4
Of old, the river Jordanturned back before Elisha's mantle at Elijah's ascension.The waters were parted in twoand the waterway became a dry path.This is truly a symbol of baptismby which we pass through this mortal life.Christ has appeared in the Jordan to sanctify the waters!


Kontakion - Tone 4
Today the Lord enters the Jordan and cries out to John:"Do not be afraid to baptize me.For I have come to save Adam, the first-formed man."

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Venerable George the Chozebite, Abbot

Commemorated on January 8


Saint George the Chozebite was born on the island of Cyprus toward the end of the sixth century. After the death of his parents, he went to Palestine to worship at the holy places. Here he entered into the monastic community of Chozeba between the River Jordan and Jerusalem, and he later became head of this monastery. St George presented the monks example in fasting, vigil and physical efforts. Having lived as an angel upon the earth, he died in peace.


Troparion - Tone 5
God-bearing Father George,you cultivated the word of grace and gathered the splendid fruits of righteousness,having chosen the way of godliness.Therefore, you partook of the glory of Christ;intercede with Him unceasinglythat He may have mercy on our souls.


Kontakion - Tone 4
Podoben: "Today You have shown forth..."You have appeared as a brilliant lightand have illumined with divine rays those who cry to you, O George.Pray for us to Christ the Master,Who appeared in the watersto illumine those born on earth.

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Afterfeast of the Theophany of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

Commemorated on January 7


On the first day of the Afterfeast of Theophany, the Church extols St John the Baptist as the greatest man born of a woman. He surpasses all the ancient prophets because he baptized the Messiah, Whose coming he foretold.


Troparion - Tone 1
When You, O Lord were baptized in the Jordan The worship of the Trinity was made manifest For the voice of the Father bore witness to You And called You His beloved Son. And the Spirit, in the form of a dove, Confirmed the truthfulness of His word. O Christ, our God, You have revealed Yourself And have enlightened the world, glory to You!


Kontakion - Tone 4
Today You have shown forth to the world, O Lord, and the light of Your countenance has been marked on us. Knowing You, we sing Your praises. You have come and revealed Yourself, O unapproachable Light.

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Venerable Macarius of Mt. Athos

Commemorated on January 6


Saint Macarius was born in Thessalonica during the reign of Emperor Manuel II Paleologos, and went to Vatopedi Monastery on Mt. Athos when he was young. Later, he went to Constantinople and became igumen of the Monastery of the Pantokrator, and chaplain to the Emperor.


He died in 1431 during an epidemic in Chalke.


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Eve of the Theophany of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

Commemorated on January 5


The fourth day of the Forefeast of Theophany falls on January 5. If January 5th falls on a weekday, the following order is observed:


Vespers on the evening of the 4th, then Matins. The First Hour is not read after Matins.


On the 5th we read the Royal Hours, followed by Vespers and the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great.


If the Eve of Theophany falls on Saturday:


The Royal Hours are read on Friday, but there is no Liturgy. Vespers on the evening of the 4th, followed by Matins. The Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is celebrated on Saturday morning.


If the Eve of Theophany falls on a Sunday:


The Royal Hours are read on Friday, but there is no Liturgy. Vigil is served on Saturday evening, and the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is celebrated on Sunday.


There are thirteen readings at Vespers on the Eve of Theophany, and the entrace is made with the Gospel. There is fasting today, whatever day of the week it may be.


Troparion - Tone 4
Of old, the river Jordanturned back before Elisha's mantle at Elijah's ascension.The waters were parted in twoand the waterway became a dry path.This is truly a symbol of baptismby which we pass through this mortal life.Christ has appeared in the Jordan to sanctify the waters!


Kontakion - Tone 4
Today the Lord enters the Jordan and cries out to John:"Do not be afraid to baptize me.For I have come to save Adam, the first-formed man."

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Forefeast of the Theophany of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

Commemorated on January 4


The third day of the Forefeast of Theophany falls on January 4. The hymns compare the Feast of the Nativity with the coming Feast. "There shepherds saw the Child and were amazed; here the voice of the Father proclaims the only-begotten Son."


Troparion - Tone 4
Today the Lord enters the Jordan and cries out to John:"Do not be afraid to baptize me.For I have come to save Adam, the first-formed man."


Kontakion - Tone 4 Prepare, O Zebulon,and adorn yourself, O Naphtali;River Jordan, cease flowingand receive with joy the Master coming to be baptized.Adam, rejoice with our First Motherand do not hide yourself as you did of old in Paradise;for having seen you naked,He has appeared to clothe you with the first garment.Christ has appeared to renew all creation.

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Forefeast of the Theophany of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

Commemorated on January 3


The second day of the Forefeast of Theophany falls on January 3. Today's hymns invite us to go in spirit to the Jordan River where the Creator comes to be baptized. He is the Light which shines in the darkness (John 1:5), and today He begins to overcome that darkness.


Troparion - Tone 4
Today the Lord enters the Jordan and cries out to John:"Do not be afraid to baptize me.For I have come to save Adam, the first-formed man."


Kontakion - Tone 4
Prepare, O Zebulon,and adorn yourself, O Naphtali;River Jordan, cease flowingand receive with joy the Master coming to be baptized.Adam, rejoice with our First Motherand do not hide yourself as you did of old in Paradise;for having seen you naked,He has appeared to clothe you with the first garment.Christ has appeared to renew all creation.

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Forefeast of the Theophany of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

Commemorated on January 2


The first day of the Forefeast of Theophany falls on January 2. Like the hymns for the Nativity, many of the Church's hymns of this period are slightly modified versions of the hymns of Holy Week.


One of the hymns at Matins today says that the coming Feast of Theophany will be "even more radiant" than the Feast of the Nativity.


Troparion - Tone 4
Today the Lord enters the Jordan and cries out to John:"Do not be afraid to baptize me.For I have come to save Adam, the first-formed man."


Kontakion - Tone 4
Prepare, O Zebulon,and adorn yourself, O Naphtali;River Jordan, cease flowingand receive with joy the Master coming to be baptized.Adam, rejoice with our First Motherand do not hide yourself as you did of old in Paradise;for having seen you naked,He has appeared to clothe you with the first garment.Christ has appeared to renew all creation.

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The Circumcision of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

Commemorated on January 1


On the eighth day after His Nativity, our Lord Jesus Christ was circumcised in accordance with the Old Testament Law. All male infants underwent circumcision as a sign of God's Covenant with the holy Forefather Abraham and his descendants (Gen. 17:10-14, Lev. 12:3).


After this ritual the Divine Infant was given the name Jesus, as the Archangel Gabriel declared on the day of the Annunciation to the Most Holy Theotokos (Luke 1:31-33, 2:21). The Fathers of the Church explain that the Lord, the Creator of the Law, underwent circumcision in order to give people an example of how faithfully the divine ordinances ought to be fulfilled. The Lord was circumcised so that later no one would doubt that He had truly assumed human flesh, and that His Incarnation was not merely an illusion, as certain heretics (Docetists) taught.


In the New Testament, the ritual of circumcision gave way to the Mystery of Baptism, which it prefigured (Col. 2:11-12). Accounts of the Feast of the Circumcision of the Lord continue in the Eastern Church right up through the fourth century. The Canon of the Feast was written by St Stephen of the St Sava Monastery (October 28 and July 13).


In addition to circumcision, which the Lord accepted as a sign of God's Covenant with mankind, He also received the Name Jesus (Savior) on the eighth day after His Nativity as an indication of His service, the work of the salvation of the world (Mt.1:21; Mark 9:38-39, 16:17; Luke 10:17; Acts 3:6, 16; Phil 2:9-10). These two events, the Lord's Circumcision and Naming, remind Christians that they have entered into a New Covenant with God and "are circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ" (Col. 2:11). The very name "Christian" is a sign of mankind's entrance into a New Covenant with God.


Troparion - Tone 1
Enthroned on high with the Eternal Father and Your divine Spirit, O Jesus, You willed to be born on earth of the unwedded handmaid, your Mother. Therefore You were circumcised as an eight-day old Child. Glory to Your most gracious counsel; glory to Your dispensation; glory to Your condescension, O only Lover of mankind.


Kontakion - Tone 3
The Lord of all accepts to be circumcised, thus, as He is good, excises the sins of mortal men. Today He grants the world salvation, while light-bearing Basil, high priest of our Creator, rejoices in heaven as a divine initiate of Christ.

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