The Life of Saint Porphyrios, Bishop of Gaza

Saint Porphyrios, Bishop of Gaza

By Aristeidis G. Theodoropoulos, Educator

The “initiate of the Lord and filled with divine zeal,” the God-appointed, compassion-loving and wonderworking Hierarch of Gaza.

Among the God-bearing hierarchs who shone in a manner worthy of God during the 4th–5th centuries A.D., a prominent place is held by the loving and wonderworking shepherd of the people of Gaza, Saint Porphyrios, commemorated by our Orthodox Church on February 26.

This venerable and illustrious native of Thessaloniki is hymned, among other titles, as “an imitator and equal of the Apostles,” as one “who practiced virtue with longing and despised gold for Christ’s sake,” and as “the bulwark of the orthodox dogmas and the downfall of idol-worshippers.”

This most wise hierarch of Christ distinguished himself through simplicity, humility, meekness, freedom from resentment, chastity, compassion, tenderness of heart, and generosity in almsgiving, as well as through his ability to interpret difficult passages of Holy Scripture.

SAINT THEMISTOCLES, who boldly confessed Christ and was martyred for Him, a simple shepherd of sheep, honored in Nafpaktos with a splendid church bearing his name

By Aristeides G. Theodoropoulos

Within the numerous cloud of glorious and noble martyrs, who sacrificed themselves voluntarily for the love of Jesus Christ and who all together are encompassed in the ineffable beauty of Paradise in Heaven, a glorious martyr of the 3rd century AD from Myra in Lycia, Asia Minor, holds a prominent place. The is the reason for the holy and glorious martyr Themistocles, honored by our Orthodox Church on December 21, is praised as a glorious and invincible athlete of the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. His livelihood was as a shepherd, but accepting the teachings of our unblemished Christian faith from his pious parents, he experienced the eternal truths of the Gospel of Christ and later emerged as a fervent confessor of faith in the one and true God.

However, in the era in which Saint Themistocles lived, this courageous confessor and glorious martyr of our faith, the Roman emperor Decius, who held power between the years 249-251 AD, had launched a harsh persecution against Christians, in order to eliminate the Christian faith and impose the religion of idols. That is why he sent a royal decree to the ruler of Lycia, Asklepios, which stipulated that all Christians should be arrested.

SAINT DIONYSIOS THE AREOPAGITE: The all-wise hierarch and patron saint of Athens who died in Athens by fire

By Aristeides G. Theodoropoulos

Among the first Athenians who embraced our Lord Jesus Christ after the fiery sermon on the crucifixion and resurrection by the Apostle to the Nations Paul in 51 AD on the Areopagus of pagan Athens, with its magnificent marble temples and elaborate statues, was Saint Dionysios the Areopagite, this leading judge and president of the Supreme Court, who after his conversion to Christianity became a "fit vessel of the All-Holy Spirit," was granted to behold the immaculate and life-begetting body of the Most Holy Theotokos, and with his martyrdom by fire he became the heir of the Heavenly Kingdom in order to intercede to God for the salvation of all Christians.

Saint Dionysios the Areopagite, honored on October 3rd, the glorious hieromartyr of Christ, was born in the eponymous city of Athens around the end of the first decade of the 1st century. His parents were pagans of aristocratic origin and financial prosperity, which contributed to his obtaining an excellent education. His rich education, famous eloquence and virtuous state made him a wise Athenian aristocrat and one of the nine wise and impartial Areopagites of great fame and prominence in Athenian society. That's why he was characterized as having "managed justice in a balanced manner, and ruled over Athens most uprightly" (Michael Synkellos, Oration on Dionysios the Areopagite). In fact, according to ancient tradition, he emerged as a leading judge and president of the Supreme Court.