May: Day 31: Holy Martyr Hermias

May: Day 31:
Holy Martyr Hermias
 
(On the Power of the Sign of the Cross)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. When the Holy Martyr Hermias, whose memory is celebrated today, emerged unharmed from the fiery furnace into which he had been thrown by the torturers, then the governor called a sorcerer and ordered that he be poisoned. Hermias took the poison, having prayed beforehand and made the sign of the cross over the cup, and remained alive. Thus the words of the Savior were fulfilled in him, Who said of believers: "And if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them" (Mark 16:18).

II. The incident from the history of the sufferings of the Holy Martyr Hermias, just related, may remind us, brethren, of the power of the sign of the cross, with which we must protect ourselves with faith, reverence and the fear of God in all cases of our life.

"An Extremist Islamic Organization Started the Issue With Mount Sinai," says Metropolitan of Messinia

On May 28th an Egyptian court’s ruling raised concerns that Saint Katherine's Monastery at the foot of Mount Sinai might be seized by the state and the monks evicted. This surprise ruling was met with universal condemnation by the Orthodox Church, with appeals to the Egyptian government that this not take place. 

 

In response to concerns among the global Greek Orthodox community and government in Athens, the President of Egypt issued a statement late Thursday, May 29th, aiming to ease fears over the status of operations of the 6th-century Greek Orthodox Monastery on Mount Sinai. 

 

The Ecumenical Patriarchate stated among other things on May 30th: 

"The Ecumenical Patriarchate appeals to the Egyptian Government, on the basis of yesterday's statements by the President of the country, His Excellency Mr. Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, to find the appropriate way to preserve the status quo of the Sacred Monastery, which has been particularly respected and preferentially secured for centuries by Islam, and to implement its recent agreement with the Monastery. Respect for the centuries-old traditions and adherence to the agreements can help the Monastery of Saint Katherine continue its religious and cultural mission from the Sinai Peninsula, where God once spoke to people."

Open Letter From the Metropolitan of Sidirokastro to Elder Dositheos

Below is an open letter to the Hieromonk Dositheos of the Sacred Monastery of the Holy Protection in Parapotamos that was sent by His Eminence Metropolitan Makarios of Sidirokastro, in whose Metropolis Elder Dositheos resides.

In his letter, His Eminence referred to the attitude of Elder Dositheos towards the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the Bishops of the Church, Archbishop George of Cyprus and the former Metropolitan Tychikos of Paphos, who recently received disciplinary action by the Holy Synod of Cyprus.

On May 22, 2025, the Holy Synod of the Church of Cyprus decided to depose the now former Metropolitan Tychikos of Paphos from the post of Metropolitan due to his choice of "walling" (Gr. “apoteichisis”) himself from being in communion with other bishops who are canonical members of the Church yet he personally considers heretical. One who does an “apoteichisis” considers himself a guardian of the Orthodox Faith and does it to protect himself from the error of heretics while remaining within the Church and not forming a schism as a means of pressure that he uses to initiate a synod that will condemn the heretics. The majority of the Holy Synod did not agree to justify his position, and therefore deposed him from his role as Metropolitan. The decision further states that he remains a Bishop of the Church of Cyprus and a member of the Holy Synod. He is placed at the disposal of the Church that will utilize him, and he will be given a title and position by the Holy Synod.

There is also the case of a priest of the Metropolis of Paphos, who was allegedly sent to Thessaloniki but instead of commemorating the relevant Metropolitan, he commemorated Metropolitan Tychikos, which is considered a great disgrace within the Church.

Many have condemned this decision of the Holy Synod of Cyprus, taking extreme positions and saying they are persecuting the former Metropolitan Tychikos. Among them is Elder Dositheos, who is popular on YouTube and put out a public video stating his position, among other things, thus prompting his Metropolitan to respond with an open letter that is also public.

Patriarchal and Synodal Encyclical Issued on the Occasion of the 1700th Anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea

+ B A R T H O L O M E W

By God’s Mercy, Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome
and Ecumenical Patriarch

To the Plenitude of the Church: May God’s Grace and Peace be with you!

We offer a hymn of thanks to the almighty, all-seeing, and benevolent God in Trinity, who vouchsafed that His people reach the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea, which bore spiritual witness to the authentic faith in divine Word born without beginning and truly consubstantial with the Father, “who for us and for our salvation descended, was incarnate and became human, suffered and arose on the third day, and ascended to the heavens, who will come again to judge the living and the dead.”

The Council of Nicaea constitutes an expression of the synodal nature of the Church, the culmination of its “earliest conciliarity,” which is inseparably linked to the eucharistic realization of church life as well as of the practice of assembling together for decisions “with one accord” (Acts 2:1) on current matters. The Council in Nicaea also signifies the emergence of a new conciliar structure, namely of Ecumenical Councils that would prove definitive for the development of church affairs. It is noteworthy that an Ecumenical Council does not comprise a “permanent institution” in the life of the Church, but an “extraordinary event” in response to a specific threat to the faith, aiming at restoring the ruptured unity and eucharistic communion.

Homily Four on the Ascension of the Lord (St. John of Kronstadt)

Homily Four on the Ascension of the Lord

By St. John of Kronstadt

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

"Magnify, my soul, Christ the Life-Giver, who ascended from earth to heaven."

Thus, our Lord and Savior ascended from the earth to heaven. – Why did He ascend to heaven, and why did He not remain visibly with us until the end of the age? Firstly, by His ascension from the earth to heaven, He demonstrated the image and path of our ascent from earth to heaven; secondly, in order to send us the consubstantial and all-powerful Holy Spirit, the Comforter; thirdly, to prepare a place for His faithful followers. 

May: Day 30: Venerable Isaac of Dalmatoi

May: Day 30:
Venerable Isaac of Dalmatoi
 
(It Is Impossible To Be Saved Outside of Union With the Church)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Venerable Isaac of Dalmatoi, celebrated today, who was named after the monastery he founded near Constantinople, lived in the fourth century, when the church was agitated by the false Arian teaching, during the reign of the Emperor Valens, a zealous champion of Arianism. At that time, famous men appeared in defense of Orthodoxy: Athanasius the Great, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian. But among the simple monks there were also many defenders of the true faith; Isaac belonged to their number. As soon as the news of the persecution of Orthodoxy reached his monastery, he left it and hastened to Constantinople, deeply grieving over the fate of the Orthodox and praying to God that He would turn the heart of the emperor to the truth and inspire him with mercy and justice. 

Historical Introduction to the Fall of Constantinople (Fr. George Metallinos)

Historical Introduction to the Fall of Constantinople

By Protopresbyter Fr. George Metallinos

It is always welcome and comforting to see texts that give Greeks an opportunity to recall the great moments of their historical journey. Especially in our time, where the new globalization, emerging through purely materialistic, authoritarian and plutocratic visions, pushes centuries-old traditions of faith and spiritual culture into the background.

This elegant volume, with its vibrant concise description of the story and its sensitive illustration, raises a voice of rebaptism to this memory.

We believe it would be appropriate to provide a rough record of the historical context within which the conditions were created that ultimately led to the "taking of the City".

Homily Three on the Ascension of the Lord (St. John of Kronstadt)

Homily Three on the Ascension of the Lord

By St. John of Kronstadt

"To this end has the most high God appeared on earth as a lowly man, because He wishes to draw heavenward all who cry aloud to Him: Alleluia!" (Akathist to the Theotokos, Oikos 8)

Although man was created from the earth in body, he was created for heaven. The earth was given to man as a temporary dwelling, as a place of preparation for a higher, heavenly life. But the pernicious violation of the first commandment by the first people inclined both soul and body to the earth and distorted the entire mental, moral and physical structure of human life. Earthly, temporary, physical aspirations, legal and illegal, took precedence over heavenly, eternal, spiritual aspirations. Human nature and human life became distorted and corrupted, and the human race corrupted its nature and ruined the divine gift - its soul, which God breathed into its nature in paradise.

In order to renew the physical and spiritual nature of man, to cleanse, sanctify and direct him to the path of salvation, it was necessary for the Son of God Himself to descend to earth, to become a man, and by His word, His life and His example to show him the true path of life, and by His blood to renew our nature corrupted by sin, in order to raise it to heaven. For this reason the high God came down to earth, that He might raise us to heaven. The Apostle says: "If you are risen with Christ, then set your minds on heavenly things, and not on earthly things" (Col. 3:1).

May: Day 29: Teaching 2: Blessed John of Ustiug

May: Day 29: Teaching 2:
Blessed John of Ustiug

(Why Did Holy Men Sometimes Choose New, Unusual Paths To Salvation?)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Blessed John (15th century), whose commemoration is today, was born near the city of Ustiug. Even from his youth he showed the virtues of a future ascetic: he spent his nights in prayer, spoke little, on Wednesdays and Fridays he did not eat at all, and on other days he ate bread and water. When his father died and his mother took monastic vows at the Trinity Monastery in Orlets, John lived with her for some time, and then settled in Ustiug, near the cathedral church. He continued to spend his nights in prayer, and during the day he walked around the city, covered only with rags. John had to endure much from the cold, and even more from the people of Ustiug, who often laughed at him and often even beat him. John endured all insults with meekness and prayed for his offenders.

The priest of the cathedral church, Gregory, seeing John often, wanted to know his exploits better. One day he happened to see John praying for a long time with his hands raised to heaven, then, having leveled the coals in the oven, he protected himself with the sign of the cross and with the words, "The light of Your face has been marked upon us, O Lord," he calmly lay down on the hot coals. The priest, considering John to be mad and fearing that he might burn, went in after him. John came out of the oven and sternly said to the priest: "Do not dare to speak of what you saw until my death." The astonished priest fulfilled his will, and from that time on he was filled with respect for the blessed one.

Blessed John died on May 29, 1494 and was buried near the cathedral church in Ustiug. His feast day was established at the Moscow Synod of 1547.

May: Day 29: Teaching 1: Holy Martyr Theodosia of Tyre

 

May: Day 29: Teaching 1:
Holy Martyr Theodosia of Tyre

(Christian Consolation at the Death of Those Dear To Us)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Holy Martyr Theodosia, who is celebrated today, was born in the city of Tyre and was raised in a pious family. She was 18 years old when the last persecution of Christians began in Caesarea in Palestine. Despite her youth, she already had firm faith in her heart. She fearlessly visited the martyrs for the faith who were languishing in prison, and once, when those who confessed Christ were in the court of the ruler Urban, she approached them, bowed down and begged them to remember her when they would be before God. For this they seized her, scourged her entire body and threw her into the sea. This was in 308.

On the night after her martyrdom, Theodosia appeared in a dream to her parents, in a blaze of glory, and consoled them, persuading them not to grieve for her, who was rejoicing in the Kingdom of God.

The relics of Saint Theodosia were subsequently transferred to Constantinople, and parts of them are located in the West in different places.

II. Saint Theodosia, who appeared after her death in the radiance of glory to console her grieving parents, whom she undoubtedly consoled, reminds us of the truth that a Christian, losing people near and dear to his heart, can have spiritual consolation in his grief.

This is the consolation we receive from the Christian faith.

Summer 2025 Updates

Dear Readers:

As we roll into the summer I wanted to provide a couple of updates and make a few requests.

First thing I wanted to address was my newsletters. Many people have been asking me why they are not getting email updates from me anymore, or those who recently signed up are asking if I am providing email updates when I make posts. For this I wanted to clarify and announce that from now on I have two newsletters you can sign up for, one is a weekly free newsletter and one is for paid members that is sent out daily. Paid members have been already getting the daily email newsletter, which will soon be getting an upgrade to include more offerings besides just my daily postings. The free newsletter I have neglected during the transition to the daily newsletter, but from now on I will be emailing a weekly newsletter for free which you can sign up for on my websites and will be different from the daily newsletter. I expect the free newsletter to be emailed once a week every Saturday beginning this June.

Secondly, it has come to my attention that some of you who ordered the booklet by Righteous Alexei Mechev which I offered and you purchased a few months back was never received. I sent out less than 200 of my 500 copies and believed I had completed all the orders, but apparently some orders never showed up on my end even though the payments were fully processed. It has taken me a few weeks to look into this and finally found out the answer, which is complicated to summarize, but the error had to do with the check out link I had used that did not properly indicate orders were made on my end. Till this day I cannot access the information (such as the address of someone who made an order) for these orders unless I manually type in the name of the person who ordered. So I am asking if you did order a booklet, please send me an email to mystagogy1@gmail.com which I set up to specifically address this issue and get all the orders out. I cannot send out these orders unless you contact me and send me your name to look up your order manually. I apologize for the delay and inconvenience, but assure everyone you will soon get your orders as long as you contact me.

Thirdly, despite the setback with some of the booklet orders, I do regret publicly offering them the way I did, which as you recall was done in haste to make up for a loss due to the person who originally commissioned the order for 500 booklets but had a medical issue that prevented him from paying and fulfilling the order. Many of you came through to help me make up for my loss, but I was in no way prepared to deal with hundreds of people and orders when I live a very busy life and work a fulltime job, which is why I had to put an end to selling them despite my desperation to get rid of them. Then when you have a setback like I described above and can't fulfill the orders, it just causes bigger problems that I need to focus on and fix. However, I was impressed that there was so much interest in this booklet by a relatively unknown author, and it made me consider after several requests to offer similar booklets in the future. It was even suggested to me to offer a booklet once a month or bi-monthly to help support my ministry, which I would love to do if I could. I am considering how to make a project like this feasible.

Lastly, as a personal request, due to some recent major financial setbacks of my own (besides the booklet issue), I wanted to appeal to your generosity to consider making a contribution to this ministry to help me continue to do what I do, if you find any benefit in what I am doing. Without your financial support, I would not be able to do anything. And with my recent financial setbacks it requires me to work more to make up for my losses, and in the summer months this is especially difficult because it is my slow season businesswise. This would dramatically decrease the time I can offer to the work of this ministry. This past year I had made a few requests to help a woman in crisis that was generously fulfilled by my readers, which made me very happy, but being such a small ministry it is unfortunate that when I do things like that it hurts me personally on a financial level and could jeopardize all my work for the Mystagogy Resource Center, which means I have to rely on my readers even more. By sending a financial gift to the Mystagogy Resource Center, you will also be qualified to be subscribed to my daily newsletter, for which I ask at least either a monthly subscription of $5 (Paypal or Patreon) or annual subscription of $60.

As I have done in the past, I will set a goal for $3500 which I will update daily towards the top of my main website page.

Thank you and have a wonderful summer!

John Sanidopoulos

Become a Patron! 

The Ontological Meaning of the Resurrection of Christ

By Archimandrite Kyrillos Kostopoulos,
Preacher of the Sacred Metropolis of Patras

It is historically confirmed that the Resurrection of the God-man Lord occurred during the spring season. This is not a random event and without a deeper semiotic meaning. Summer is the season that has good weather from all sides. In autumn, everything begins to decline and nature is heading towards a necrosis. In winter, everything hibernates. Spring, however, is the season in which the previously dead come back to life. Everything rejoices, everything blooms, everything is fragrant. For this reason, the God-man Lord chose this season to defeat death, opening the gates of eternal life.

With the Resurrection of Christ, the gates of Hades are opened and the first man and all “who received Him [the Risen Lord], to them He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). The hearts and minds of all the spiritual children of our Holy Church are also opened and filled with the joy and love of the Resurrection, expressing it to God our Creator and to our neighbor. In this way, the eyes are also opened, so that man may see the uncreated Light of the Resurrection, which will illuminate his innermost “being,” the one covered by the darkness of passions and sins.

Saint Helikonida and the Island of Symi

A century ago on the Greek island of Symi residents there erected a church in honor of the Holy Martyr Helikonida in their cemetery, which apparently reflected her popular veneration on the island, since one can observe various icons of her scattered throughout the island and female residents can be found who are named after her. For this reason, in order to celebrate the Holy Martyr properly, Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Symi commissioned from the hymnographer Metropolitan Kyrillos of Rhodes to compose a Service of Praise in her honor to be used on her feast day, which is May 28th.  This Service was first used by Metropolitan Chrysostomos in 2023. 

May: Day 28: Saint Ignatius, Bishop of Rostov

May: Day 28:
Saint Ignatius, Bishop of Rostov
 
(The True Way of Life)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Saint Ignatius, whose memory is celebrated today, was a Bishop in Rostov. In his youth he went to a monastery, and for his holy and strictly ascetic life he was first made an archimandrite, and then in 1262 a bishop. Saint Ignatius founded the first Monastery of the Holy Trinity in the Belozersk region, from where the monks, under his leadership, worked to spread Christianity among the Chud and Korelians. Twice he undertook a difficult journey to the Tatar Horde on ecclesiastical matters. In addition, he was distinguished by his peacemaking, averting disastrous princely internecine strife. Saint Ignatius died on May 28, 1288. He was the only Russian saint to become famous for the healing power of his incorrupt remains even before their burial, and therefore was not committed to the earth, since the miracles that occurred during his burial prompted the clergy and people to place the relics of Saint Ignatius openly in the cathedral at the northern gate of the altar, where they rest to this day. A silver reliquary was built for his relics in 1745. In the Chronicle of the 15th century, Saint Ignatius is called "the great Wonderworker"; in the charters of the 16th century he is called "the holy Wonderworker".

Testimony of a Miracle of Saint John the Russian from 1862

The following miracle is described in the Service composed in honor of Saint John the Russian from 1897 by Hieromonk Dionysios, who was an eyewitness and even a first-hand witness as a student of the Greek School mentioned in Prokopi of Asia Minor, which was located next to the Church of Saint Basil. We quote his testimony verbatim:

“In the year 1862, on Saturday, still early in the morning, when the bloodless sacrifice was being performed in the above-mentioned Holy Temple of our Holy Father Basil, a pious woman told the women present in the temple that, yesterday in a dream, she had seen Saint John, coming out of his larnax in a hurry, and holding in both hands the roof of the Greek School, which was about to collapse. While she was saying this, suddenly a great crash and noise was heard, and all the congregation immediately left the temple, and I saw indeed that the entire roof of the school collapsed and crushed the assembled former students. Everyone ran away with lamentations and cries, and immediately raised the heavy roof that had collapsed, and they pulled out the twenty students buried and crushed under it, miraculously alive and completely healthy! The students were asked how this happened to them and how they were saved from such danger? They replied that, 'suddenly hearing the severe and violent creaking of the roof beams and seeing the imminent danger to us all as if by a signal and as if led by an invisible hand, we immediately went down under the desks, in fear and terror and utter despair.' It is then written, 'The roof fell on us with a crash, and the rafters of the roof were supported with so much material, on the weak benches, and we, remaining under them, completely unharmed and unaffected, were preserved beyond expectation.' And thus, by the grace of God, and the invisible supervision of our Holy Father John, so many innocent creatures were saved at that time, who, having grown to manhood, have benefited, as they do now, the aforementioned school and our homeland.”

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.

May: Day 27: Teaching 2: Venerable Therapon of White Lake

May: Day 27: Teaching 2:
Venerable Therapon of White Lake

(Our Primary Business Should Be To Care For Our Soul)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Venerable Therapon, commemmorated today by the Church, was known as Theodore in the world, and was born in 1337 in the city of Volokolamsk to the nobles Poskochinnykh. Theodore spent his youth piously, helping the poor and acting in everything according to the commandments of God. Little by little, the desire to leave the world altogether grew stronger in him, and at the age of 40 Theodore left Volokolamsk for Moscow. Here in the Simonov Monastery Theodore took monastic vows with the name Therapon (or Therapont). Therapon carried out all the chores entrusted to him with complete obedience and was constantly present at church services.

The abbot saw Therapon's zeal in every matter and often sent him to near and far places on monastery business. Once he was sent to White Lake. Having fulfilled the abbot's instructions, the monk wanted to get to know the Belozersk country in more detail, walked around it in different directions, and fell in love with its dense forests, impassable swamps, many rivers and lakes. Therapon decided to settle in this wild nature, which so contributed to the complete solitude and silence of monastic life. His new place of solitude was surrounded by a dense forest and lay between two picturesque lakes. Here the monk cleared a place, built a cell, dug up the earth and planted vegetables.

May: Day 27: Teaching 1: Translation of the Relics of Venerable Nil of Stolobensky

 

May: Day 27: Teaching 1:
Translation of the Relics of Venerable Nilus of Stolobensk

(On the Benefits of Holy Communion)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Venerable Nil, the translation of whose holy relics is now celebrated, is called Stolobensky, because he labored on Stolobny Island of Lake Seliger, located 7 miles from the town of Ostashkov. He was born in the Novgorod region and in his youth left the world and took monastic vows at the Krypetsky Monastery in the Pskov region. Shunning fame, he left the monastery for a secluded place on the Cheremukha River in the Rzhevsky district. Here he heard a voice from above: "Nil, go to Lake Seliger, there on Stolobny Island you can be saved." The delighted Nil began to inquire about the indicated place and, having learned where the lake and the island were, went there.

Here, seven miles from the town of Ostashkov, on the island, he dug a dugout in the mountain, spent the winter in it, and the following year built a hut and a chapel. When a storm arose on the lake and Nil saw from the mountain the fishing boats carried along by the waves, he prayed to God for the salvation of the unfortunate. The fishermen, having learned about the hermit, began to bring him fish. In the summer, visitors came to him, asking for his prayers and advice; in the fall and winter, no one came here, and Nil lived completely alone.

Saint Synesios, Patron of Rizokarpaso

Saint Synesios is the patron saint of the town of Rizokarpaso (Dipkarpaz) in Cyprus, to whom the main church of the community, located in the central square of the village, is dedicated. This church is one of the Orthodox churches that have been operating continuously since 1974 in the occupied territories, without being desecrated or converted into a mosque, due to the stay of priest Zacharias Georgiou in the community and the Greek Cypriots trapped there.

The church dates back to the 12th century AD and is characterized as one of the most important ecclesiastical monuments of historical value in the community. It is built next to the cave that Bishop Synesios of Karpasia asceticized within and sanctified. The cave is still remembered in the oral memories of the community's residents as the "Cave of Saint Synesios".

May: Day 26: Holy Apostle Carpos

May: Day 26:
Holy Apostle Carpos
 
(Reasons Why Our Prayers Are Not Always Heard By God)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Holy Apostle Carpos, celebrated today, was one of the 70 Apostles. One day he asked God to punish two Christian sinners for living carelessly. Suddenly he saw a deep abyss, on the edge of which stood the two people for whose punishment he had prayed. At that moment the Lord appeared and said to him: "Do you want these people to perish?" He joyfully answered that this was what he was praying for.

But the Lord said to him: “Beat Me, torment Me again, crucify Me, I am ready to endure everything, but I cannot endure the destruction of sinners.” Thus the Lord moderated the zeal of the Apostle Carpos. Didn’t He stop the Apostle James and John in the same way, who wanted to destroy the Samaritan village for refusing to accept the Lord? He said to them: “The Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them” (Luke 9:52–58).

A true Christian should ask God not to send disasters to sinners, but to enlighten them and guide them on the path of truth.

Sunday of the Blind Man: The Clay (Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Mani)

Sunday of the Blind Man:
The Clay
 
By Metropolitan Chrysostomos III of Mani

“He made clay.” And with it Christ healed the blind man. Why did it say “clay”? What does this action of Christ mean? He could have done it with a word of His. With a touch of His. From afar. In another way. However, “He made clay.” From the dust of the earth.

*

This action of Christ is intended to commemorate the creation and shaping of man by the Creator God. It refers directly to “ And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground” (Gen. 2:7). It is the reminder that “we are dust.” It is about the material component of man, the material nature of man with all the special idioms that come and express the perishable, the fragile, the transient, the finite. That is why the human physical element is also attributed with other terms and words, such as "earth", "dirt", "soil", "grass", "flower of the field", "shadow", "earthen house". Very enlightening, in this regard, are the words addressed by God to the fallen first-born Adam: “You are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Gen. 3:19), Abraham’s confession: “I am dust and ashes” (Gen. 18:27), Job’s: “All dust returns to the ground, from where it was taken” (Job 34:15). And the Prophet’s: “He knows our frame; he remembers that we are made” (Ps. 103:14). Indeed, in Isaiah God is represented as the “potter,” and man as the “clay” in the hands of the Divine Creator. Thus: “Shall the potter be esteemed as the clay; for shall the thing made say of him who made it, 'He did not make me?' Or shall the thing formed say of him who formed it, 'He has no understandin?'" (Is. 29:16).

Homily on the Sixth Sunday After Pascha: The Blind Man (Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov)

Homily on the Sixth Sunday After Pascha: The Blind Man

By Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov

(Delivered in 1962)

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit!

Dear brothers and sisters, today during the service the Gospel was read about the healing by the Lord of the man born blind, and you heard how the Lord, moved by a feeling of compassion, took pity on the man blind from birth, and by His almighty power granted him sight. Look, dear ones, how loving and merciful the Lord is. Marvel at His immeasurable and ineffable love for mankind and mercy.

As He passed by, He saw a man who had been blind from birth. This man did not know and did not suspect that the Divine Miracle Worker was passing by, who could grant him sight, and therefore he was silent, did not ask for mercy for himself, like others. The merciful Lord, who knows all that is hidden and secret in the human soul, Himself approached the unfortunate blind man and, having anointed his eyes with clay from spittle, granted him sight. O the great mercy of God! O His ineffable love! He does not wait for prayers from the unfortunate man for help, but Himself comes to him with His mercy and grants him healing.

Homily on the Sunday of the Blind Man (Righteous Alexei Mechev)

Homily on the Sunday of the Blind Man*

By Righteous Alexei Mechev

“And Jesus, as He passed by, saw a man blind from birth” (John 9:1).

Thus begins the Gospel, telling of the miracle of the Lord's healing of the man blind from birth. Of course, this unfortunate man was not the only one on the Lord's path. At that time, with the lack of care and shelter, the suffering and sick of various kinds usually gathered in the squares, along the roads, at the doors of the Temple, where more people gathered and where they could find more sympathy and help. But of all these unfortunates, the man blind from birth attracted the attention and mercy of the Lord, and moreover on the Sabbath day, a day of rest, when the violation of the lawful rest was allowed for him. Then the very way of performing the miracle is remarkable: the Lord, having mixed spittle with mud and anointed his eyes, tells the blind man to go to the revered well, called Siloam. His eyes have not yet opened, but the encouraged blind man feels the awakened strength, movement, labor. Finally, the Gospel describes in detail the trial that took place over the blind man regarding the healing and contrasts the clear, true, and convinced speech of the blind man with the intricacies, pretensions, bias, and false interpretation of the scribes and Pharisees. You listen and marvel, as if you see how this blind man is gradually reborn, he is given physical sight, and then he shows such strength of spirit, such sound and wise reasoning, that he became higher than those who were called teachers of the people. It seems to us that the Lord, through the whole story of this miracle, had the goal of changing people's views on the blind and, in general, on the unfortunate of all kinds. After all, there are many unfortunates, but only a few are given the ability to perform miracles, and not everyone can be healed. But to encourage the unfortunate, to awaken spiritual strength in him, to help him, despite his illness, to live, work and be useful - this is what the unfortunate, possessed by blindness, deafness, and dumbness, can expect from us.

May: Day 25: Teaching 1: The Third Finding of the Head of the Holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John

May: Day 25: Teaching 1:
The Third Finding of the Head of the Holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John
 
(Why Does the Lord Grant Incorruptibility to the Bodies of the Saints?)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Today the Third Finding of the Head of the Holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John is celebrated. During the times of unrest in Constantinople on the occasion of the exile of Saint John Chrysostom, the Head of the Forerunner of the Lord was taken back from Constantinople to Emesa in Syria. When the persecution from the Saracens intensified (in the 8th century), it was transferred from Emesa to Comana (the place of exile of John Chrysostom) and on the occasion of the persecution of the holy relics from the iconoclasts, they were hidden in the ground.

But by God’s arrangement, the Head of the Forerunner was found for the “third” time in Comana and brought to Constantinople after the restoration of icon veneration under Emperor Michael and Patriarch Ignatios around 850 and placed in the court church.

On the day of the third discovery of the Honorable Head of the Forerunner, the church cries out: "As a divine treasure, hidden in the earth, Christ revealed your head to us, Prophet and Forerunner. Therefore, having all come together at this discovery, let us sing to the Savior with God-inspired songs, who saves us from corruption by your prayers."

Pope Francis and His Admirers

Pope Francis and His Admirers

By Protopresbyter Fr. Thomas Vamvinis

It is very beautiful to speak of love, but it is more beautiful to connect it with truth, not the vague and indefinite truth, but with the truth that is the God-man Christ, the one ascended to the Throne of the Father, the Head of the Church, One of the Holy Trinity.

The autonomy of love from the truth/Christ and its use to dramatize heresy and generally error in faith or life, is an anti-ecclesiastical, anti-spiritual act.

The death of Pope Francis has exposed such divisions of love from the underlying truth. It has given rise to the expression of many subjective opinions, which show either unjustified ignorance of basic elements of Orthodox theology and ecclesiology, or (worse) a deliberate and knowing choice of heresy and justification in a climate of emotional love, vague and unsupported, of ecclesiological deviation.

The New Pope Leo XIV (Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos)

The New Pope Leo XIV

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

The Conclave of Cardinals, in a secret ballot, behind closed doors, elected the new Pope, the American Cardinal Robert Prevost, who belongs to the Order of Saint Augustine.

In the Latin tradition, there are various orders, which were founded in the West. These are organized monastic communities of Roman Catholics and have the purpose of spreading Christianity, combating heresies, organizing education, missionary work, etc. The well-known monastic orders are the Benedictines, the Franciscans, the Dominicans, the Jesuits, the Augustinians, the Cistercians, the Trappists, etc.

These monastic orders were created in an effort to support the “Church” from heresies, that is, they were used against heresies, just as the Dominicans were instruments in the Holy Inquisition. They were not created to save their members, living within the Church, but to “save” the Church, as if the Church needed saviors!

May: Day 24: Venerable Symeon of the Wondrous Mountain

May: Day 24:
Venerable Symeon of the Wondrous Mountain
 
(It Is Necessary To Remember About Death and Prepare For It)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Venerable Symeon, whose memory is celebrated today, was born in the year 521 in Antioch. Even in his infancy he was distinguished by strict abstinence, avoiding milk and meat. In the fifth year of his life he lost his father, who perished during an earthquake that took place in Antioch; two years later his mother also died. A few days before her death, Symeon’s mother, pondering the fate of her son, had a miraculous vision. It seemed to her that wings had grown on her, with the help of which she flew up to the heights, holding her son in her arms, and said to the Lord: “I give you my child as a gift, and you let me go in peace.” Soon after the death of his mother, Symeon also had a vision. The Lord appeared to him, surrounded by a multitude of angels and the righteous. The Lord judged people, and paradise was visible in the east, and hell in the west; and the voice of the Lord came to Symeon: “You see what is prepared for those who love virtue, and what is intended for the wicked; please God, so that you may receive the blessings which He has prepared for those who love Him." This vision had a strong effect on young Symeon, and he, always remembering death and the afterlife, was completely imbued with the desire to serve God and receive a reward with the righteous.

Saint Eumenios and the Myrrhgushing Conch of the Sanctuary Wall

The late Elder Father Eumenios Saridakis (1931–5/23/1999) was a modern clairvoyant and wonderworking saint, who worked with great love and self-denial at the Anti-Leprosy Station of Agia Varvara in Athens, where he stood constantly beside human suffering. He himself was a disciple and for years a supporter of another Saint of our Church, Saint Nikephoros the Leper (1887–1/4/1964). Saint Nikephoros was sent into the responsible hands of the love and ministry of Elder Eumenios by another modern saint, Saint Anthimos (Bagianos) of Chios (1869–1960), with a personal letter of recommendation from him.

The Elder, as a liturgist who served in the Church of the Holy Unmercenaries, did not let anyone into the sanctuary. The Divine Liturgies of this Holy Elder were accompanied by the extremely rare and extraordinary “sign” of the blessing and favor of our Holy God: the fragrant and abundant myrrhgushing of the wall of the conch of the sanctuary, where he officiated. The sanctuary apse has its own vault, known as a conch (κόγχη) due to its resemblance with the shell of a snail.

May: Day 23: Teaching 1: Venerable Euphrosyne, Princess of Polotsk

May: Day 23: Teaching 1:
Venerable Euphrosyne, Princess of Polotsk
 
(On the Need to Donate to the Work of the Church)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Venerable Euphrosyne, Princess of Polotsk, whose memory is celebrated today, was known by the people with the name "Predslava", and was the granddaughter of the Polotsk prince Vseslav Bryachislavich and great-granddaughter of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir; she was raised in the fear of God and was distinguished by her beauty. Having rejected the groom proposed to her, she retired to a women's monastery, where she took the name Euphrosyne. Living in seclusion, she was engaged in copying books and distributing the money she received for this to the poor. Then, following instructions from above, she founded a women's monastery of the Holy Savior on the site given by the bishop. Here her sisters came to her, named Eudokia and Eupraxia. Zealous for the splendor of the house of God, the holy princess built a stone church in her monastery, which exists to this day. For the new church she prepared an altar cross with precious decorations. It is also intact to this day.

May: Day 23: Teaching 2: Saint Leontius the Wonderworker, Bishop of Rostov

May: Day 23: Teaching 2:
Saint Leontius the Wonderworker, Bishop of Rostov
 
(The Greatest Must Be the Servant of All)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Where Saint Leontius, whose memory is celebrated today, was born is unknown; some consider him a Greek who came from Constantinople; others, with greater certainty, think that he was ordained Bishop of Rostov from among the monks of the Kiev Caves, around the year 1050.

A difficult task lay before him. The inhabitants of Rostov, having expelled two bishops, did not greet the third with joy. Strongly attached to paganism, they began to insult the holy preacher of the word of God in every way and, finally, expelled him; but Leontius decided not to retreat from the good deed. Despite the danger threatening him, he began to live near the city, near a stream. On this site he subsequently built a church in the name of the Archangel Michael. Here he cooked kutia and distributed it to small children, trying in this way to attract them to himself with the power of love and Christian meekness. He told them about the Lord Jesus Christ, and the children began to willingly come to him and listen to him. Then several adults came.

May: Day 22: Holy Martyr Basiliskos at Comana

May: Day 22:
Holy Martyr Basiliskos at Comana
 
(Proof of the Truth That Bodily Death Serves For Us Only as a Transition to Immortality)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Holy Martyr Basiliskos, whose memory is now celebrated, was the nephew of Saint Theodore the Tiro; he suffered together with Eutropios and Kleonikos (commemorated on March 3), but was put to death by the sword after them in the reign of Maximilian, in 308. The tortures to which he was subjected were accompanied by the most astounding miracles, as attested by their eyewitness, the Holy Martyr Eusignios (commemorated on August 5). This Martyr Basiliskos, as many historians attest, appeared to Saint John Chrysostom after his death. This was in the city of Comana, where Saint Basiliskos suffered, where a church was built in his name and his relics lay, and where Saint John Chrysostom died on the way to the place of his exile. Here, before his death, the Holy Martyr Basiliskos appeared to the great Saint and said: “Do not be discouraged, brother John, tomorrow we will be together.”

May: Day 21: Teaching 2: Saints Constantine and Helen, Equal to the Apostles

May: Day 21: Teaching 2:
Saints Constantine and Helen, Equal to the Apostles
 
(Lessons From Their Lives: Christians Must Turn To the Power of the Honorable and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord and Contribute To the Spread of the Christian Faith)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Under Saint Constantine the Great, whose memory is celebrated today with his Holy and Equal-to-the-Apostles mother Helen, the Christian faith, persecuted before his time, became dominant in the Roman Empire. The father of Constantine the Great, Constantius Chlorus, respected Christians and gave them honorary positions at his court. His son Constantine, born of Helen, learned the Christian faith in his father's house and from his youth was accustomed to respect it. When his father died in Britain (present-day England) in 306, Constantine was proclaimed Western Emperor. He was then 32 years old. He ruled his subjects with love and meekness. But in other regions of the West, the evil and self-interested Maxentius ruled. In 312, the subjects of Maxentius, unable to endure his oppression, began to ask Constantine to deliver them from the tyrant. Constantine marched against Maxentius, and as he approached Rome, suddenly, in the middle of the day, he and his army saw in the heavens a cross shining with stars, with the inscription: "By this conquer." That same night, Christ Himself appeared to Constantine in a vision and commanded him to make a banner in the likeness of a cross and to depict the cross on the weapons, shields and helmets of the soldiers. Under the banner of the cross, he defeated Maxentius, who, fleeing, drowned in the Tiber River.

May: Day 21: Teaching 1: Feast in Honor of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God

May: Day 21: Teaching 1:
Feast in Honor of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God
 
(Whoever Wants To Be Under the Protection of the Mother of God Must Distance Himself From All Sin)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The present feast was established on the occasion of the deliverance of Moscow from the attack of Mehmed Giray, the Khan of Kazan. In 1521, the Crimean and Nogai Tatars led by him, in conjunction with the Kazan Tatars, moved towards the Moscow borders with such haste that the Grand Prince Vasily Ivanovich barely had time to send his troops to the banks of the Oka to restrain their efforts. Having defeated the Russian commanders, they set fire to the villages from Nizhny Novgorod to the Moscow River, captured countless residents, sold slaves in droves, starved the weak and the elderly, and desecrated the sanctity of the temples of God. On July 29, Mehmed, amid clouds of smoke, under the glow of burning villages, was already standing several miles from Moscow, where the defenseless inhabitants of the surrounding areas flocked with their families and property. The streets were blocked with carts; strangers and citizens, wives, children, old men, sought refuge in the Kremlin, crowded at the gates and pressed each other. Metropolitan Barlaam prayed fervently with the people, and God heeded the prayers of the distressed. The Moscow boyars, forced by the extremeness of their situation, in the name of the Grand Prince pledged to pay tribute to the Kazan Khan according to the charter of ancient times, and thus persuaded him to retreat from the capital.

May: Day 20: The Finding of the Honorable Relics of our Holy Father Alexis, Metropolitan of Moscow and all Russia, the Wonderworker

May: Day 20:
The Finding of the Honorable Relics of our Holy Father Alexis, Metropolitan of Moscow and all Russia, the Wonderworker
 
(Lessons From His Life:
a. One Must Be Attentive To The Voice of Conscience, and
b. One Must Walk Worthy of One’s Calling)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The life of Saint Alexis, celebrated today, was rich in various exploits. But history depicts it to us only in general features, with some details dwelling only on particularly remarkable cases, of which one relates to the youth of Saint Alexis, others to mature age, and one, finally, to the hours before his death.

The twelve-year-old youth Eleutherius, the future Saint Alexis, the son of rich and noble parents, who had learned to read and write and was always pious, by the special providence of God, once set a net to catch birds. There was no catch, and the youth Eleutherius, from the deep silence, long waiting and boredom, fell asleep. Suddenly in a dream he heard a voice: “Alexis! Why do you labor in vain? Behold! from now on you will catch men.” In surprise and horror, the youth Eleutherius wakes up and sees no one around him. His first thought was what this new name, Alexis, meant, what this whole vision meant. Good seed fell on good soil: hearing the heavenly voice calling to feats of piety, Eleutherius followed his calling with all his soul. From that hour he began to be “in much sorrow and contemplation.” The parents' lamentable remarks were in vain: "Why do you indulge in such sadness, you are always silent, always have books in your hands, but for us you have not a word? Who taught you to live a monastic life? Why did you dry yourself out so much with fasting and thirst? Enough, do not crush yourself, otherwise you will fall into illness and plunge us into sorrow and grief." Eleutherius, as much as he could, consoled them, asked them not to worry, but, despite this, continued to adhere to his abstinence: he did not go to spectacles, did not play with the youths, ran away from all blasphemies and mockery, but in silence he was diligent in reading the Divine Scriptures and always walked in his sorrow. And having reached the age of nineteen and having loved God with all his soul, he left his father and mother and brothers and sisters, neighbors and friends, and having hated every worldly attachment, he went to a monastery, saying to himself, from a heart full of divine love: “I chose rather to dwell in the house of God than to live in the villages of sinners.”

Sunday of the Samaritan Woman: The Pitcher (Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Mani)

Sunday of the Samaritan Woman:
The Pitcher
 
By Metropolitan Chrysostomos III of Mani

She came to Jacob's well with her pitcher to draw water. The water from which, whoever drinks, will thirst again. However, the Samaritan woman, in the depths of her existence, seeks some other water to quench her thirst. But she does not know it. She thirsts. "The well is deep." She begs the unknown, the great Unknown: "Lord, give me this water." What water?

May: Day 19: Teaching 2: Venerable Cornelius of Komel

 

May: Day 19: Teaching 2:
Venerable Cornelius of Komel
 
(We Are All Wanderers On Earth)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Venerable Cornelius, who we commemorate today, was born in 1445 in Rostov, from the wealthy Kryukov family, who served in the chambers of Maria, the wife of the Grand Prince Vasily the Dark. When Cornelius's parents died, he retired to the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery and at the age of thirteen accepted obedience. The abbot appointed him to be in charge of the bakery, and Cornelius worked willingly. In his free time from this work and prayer, he copied books for the monastery. But Cornelius did not remain long in the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, but "wished to become a wandering monk." After spending some time in his homeland, in Rostov, he went to Novgorod and lived for some time with Archbishop Gennady. Seeing the high life of Cornelius, Gennady wanted to ordain him as a priest, but the Saint considered himself unworthy of this rank and settled in solitude near Novgorod. When word spread about the strict desert life of Cornelius, and people began to come to him from everywhere, the Saint withdrew first to the Savvatievskaya Hermitage (now Tver province), then to the Vologda Komelsky Monastery. Having chosen a remote place 45 versts from Vologda, Cornelius settled there and lived alone for some time; then monks began to flock to him there too. Then Cornelius received ordination as a priest from Metropolitan Symeon and built a wooden church in the name of the Entry of the Mother of God and several cells. Here he had to endure many griefs from robbers, who attacked him more than once, beat him and once almost took his life. The monk was also distressed by the displeasure of some of the monastery brethren, who were dissatisfied with the strictness of the rule that Cornelius had introduced (in its main features this rule was similar to the rule of Pachomios the Great); there were even attempts on the life of the monk, fortunately unsuccessful.

May: Day 19: Teaching 1: Holy Blessed Prince John of Uglich, in Monasticism Called Ignatius, the Wonderworker of Vologda

May: Day 19: Teaching 1:
Holy Blessed Prince John of Uglich, in Monasticism Called Ignatius, the Wonderworker of Vologda
 
(Temporary Misfortunes Are God's Blessings)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Our Russian saint, Prince John of Uglich, who is commemorated today, lived more than three hundred years ago. The Grand Prince of Moscow Vasily suspected his relative, Prince Andrei of Uglich, of treason and ordered him to appear in Moscow. Although the treason was not proven, Andrei was put in chains and imprisoned, where he soon died. Because of their father, his children, Demetrius and John, completely innocent, were also taken into custody, on only one unfounded suspicion. They were transferred from prison to prison until, finally, the prison in the city of Vologda was chosen as their permanent place of imprisonment; here, in severe confinement, the innocent sufferers spent more than thirty years.

Homily on the Fifth Sunday After Pascha: The Samaritan Woman (Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov)

 

Homily on the Fifth Sunday After Pascha: The Samaritan Woman

By Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov

(Delivered in 1964)

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit!

Christ is Risen!

Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, our Lord Jesus Christ came to earth, taught people goodness and truth, gave us His gospel, showed the example of His life and promised not to leave us orphans without help and instruction. And therefore we must believe that there is no occasion in our life, no matter in which the Lord Himself, either by the Gospel commandment, or by the Apostolic commandment, or by the example of His life, does not teach us how to act. On the contrary, He teaches us daily and hourly how we should live in order to please God.

Thus today's Gospel reading serves as the greatest edification and guidance for us in our spiritual life, teaching us how to manage our path to salvation. The Gospel we read today contains a conversation between the Lord and the Samaritan woman. The reason for this conversation was the following circumstance. Our Lord Jesus Christ, after the Passover feast, was walking from Jerusalem to Galilee through the Samaritan region. Tired from the long journey and the midday heat, the Lord sat down to rest at a well near the city of Sychar. And at that time a Samaritan woman came for water. It was at the sixth hour, or according to our reckoning at the twelfth hour of the day.

Homily on the Sunday of the Samaritan Woman (Righteous Alexei Mechev)

 

Homily on the Sunday of the Samaritan Woman*

By Righteous Alexei Mechev

Our Lord Jesus Christ tirelessly taught His disciples and listeners. Therefore, huge crowds of people constantly followed Him, thirsting to listen to His holy teaching.

And now He preaches at the well. He is tired after a long journey and a hot day. A Samaritan woman comes to the same well for water. The Lord enters into a conversation with her about true prayer, about where one should pray to God, gives her instructions about eternal life, and convicts her of secret sins.

The Samaritan woman, hearing a reminder of her intemperate life, dissolute and with an unlawful husband, was touched by this to the depths of her conscience and heart, did not justify herself, but from an excess of grateful feeling exclaimed: “Lord! I perceive that You are a Prophet” (John 4:19), and led the whole city to meet the Lord.

Saint Athanasios of Christianopolis and the Lake Full of Frogs

While touring his Metropolis, Saint Athanasios the New, the Wonderworking Bishop of Christianopolis (+ 18th cent.; feast day May 17), arrived in Megalopolis.* There was the Church of the Transfiguration near which was a large lake full of frogs.

After Vespers, the Saint stayed there to spend the night in the open air, as he was accustomed to do in the summer to find peace.

Throughout the night, however, he was unable to close his eyes because the large number of frogs croaked, making a great noise. Therefore, he barely managed to close his eyes for a moment.

May: Day 17: Holy Apostle Andronikos and Junia His Helper

May: Day 17:
Holy Apostle Andronikos and Junia His Helper
 
(On Familial Love)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Saint Andronikos, whose memory is celebrated today, was one of the Seventy Apostles and a relative of the Apostle Paul, who lovingly mentioned him in his letter to the Romans (chapter 16:7). “Greet Andronikos and Junia, my kinsmen and fellow prisoners, who are renowned among the apostles and were in Christ before me.” Andronikos preached the gospel in various countries and was Bishop in Pannonia. He suffered a martyr’s death, and his relics, like those of Saint Junia, were later found in Eugenia (a locality near Constantinople).

II. The "familial love" that existed between the now celebrated Holy Apostle Andronikos and the Apostle Paul is instructive for everyone. On the contrary, what could be more outrageous than when relatives live among themselves worse than enemies, avoid meeting, quarrel at every meeting, and especially when they engage in some kind of litigation over property interests. This is no longer Christian, but worse than pagan.

The Only Two Churches Dedicated to Saint Theodore the Sanctified in Greece

Saint Theodore the Sanctified was a disciple of Saint Pachomios the Great and his successor, who reposed in 367 AD. He is commemorated by the Orthodox Church on May 16th. Because he is a relatively unknown Saint of the Church and most churches dedicated to Saint Theodore belong to the soldier saints, there are only two churches in all of Greece dedicated to him - one on the island of Crete and the other on the island of Ithaca.

The photos posted here are all from the church in Crete.

1. Crete

The Church of Saint Theodore the Sanctified in Crete is specifically located in the area of Ano Moulia, Heraklion. The origins of this chapel date back at least five centuries to the years of Venetian rule in Crete. This conclusion arises from the minimal sample of frescoes that have survived inside, which constitute an infinitesimal sample of the rich iconographic decoration that the chapel once had. These few frescoes are blackened and the scenes they depicted are not visible. The temple is small and single-naved and inside it has a very simple wooden iconostasis.

May: Day 16: Venerable Theodore the Sanctified

May: Day 16:
Venerable Theodore the Sanctified
 
(On How Shameful It Is To Leave the Church During a Sermon)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Venerable Theodore, called the Sanctified, whose memory is celebrated today, was a disciple of the Venerable Pachomios and had deep knowledge of the Holy Scriptures. When he was only twenty years old, the Venerable Pachomios ordered him to deliver a sermon to the brethren. Theodore, without any disobedience or objection, led the conversation and said much for the benefit of the monks. But some of the elders did not want to listen to Theodore and said: “What is this? Even every novice teaches us!” And, leaving the assembly, one after another they went to their cells. When Theodore finished his speech, Pachomios sent for those who had left and asked why did they leave the conversation? The elders answered: “Because you appointed a youth to teach us, who have lived in the monastery for many years.” Hearing this, Pachomios sighed deeply and said: "Have you not understood that the devil has caught you in his net? After all, you have destroyed all your virtue with pride. You did not leave Theodore, but fled from hearing the word of God and were deprived of the grace of the Holy Spirit. I am not younger than you, but I also listened to him with great attention." With these and similar instructions, the Venerable Pachomios finally brought the proud elders to their senses, and they no longer exalted themselves and humbly listened to the teachings of Theodore.