Afterfeast of the Theophany of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
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.
Lives of the Saints
Martyr Polyeuktos of Melitene in Armenia
Saint Polyeuktos1 (Polу́euktos)was the first to be martyred for Christ in the Armenian city of Melitene (Melitēnḗ). He was a soldier during the reign of Emperor Decius (249-251), and he later suffered martyrdom in the reign of Valerian (253-259). He was a friend of Nearkhos…
Hieromartyr Philip, Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia
Saint Philip, Metropolitan of Moscow, in the world Theodore, was descended from the illustrious noble lineage of the Kolichevi, occupying a prominent place in the Boyar duma at the court of the Moscow sovereigns. He was born in the year 1507. His father, Stephen Ivanovich, “a man enlightened…
Prophet Shemaiah (Samaia or Semeias)
The Prophet Shemaiah (Samaia) lived under King Solomon and his son Rehoboam. At that time, the kingdom of Israel in the north was divided from the southern kingdom of Juda. Israel was comprised of ten loosely united tribes, and Juda of two tribes. The prophet ordered Rehoboam not to make war…
Saint Peter, Bishop of Sebaste, in Armenia
Saint Peter, Bishop of Sebaste, was a brother of Saint Basil the Great and Saint Gregory of Nyssa (January 1 and January 10). His older sister, Saint Macrina (July 19) played a large role in his upbringing. Saint Basil the Great ordained Saint Peter as presbyter, and later he was made Bishop of…
Saint Eustratius the Wonderworker
Saint Eustratius came from the city of Tarsus. At twenty years of age he secretly left his parents’ home and settled in the Abgar monastery (on Olympos in Asia Minor). There he lived a strict ascetic life, eating only bread and water, and spending his nights at prayer. After a certain while…