October: Day 30: Teaching 2: Holy Hieromartyr Zenobios and his sister Zenobia

 

October: Day 30: Teaching 2:
Holy Hieromartyr Zenobios and his sister Zenobia
 
(Sibling Love)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Today, the Holy Church commemorates the sufferings of the Holy Hieromartyr Zenobios and his sister Zenobia. They were born in the Cappadocian city of Aegae to pious parents who raised them in the law of the Lord. They were orphaned early, but their parents' good teachings had already taken root in them, and they resolved to distribute their rich estate to the poor and live solely to serve God. The Lord accepted their sacrifice, and Zenobios received from the Lord the gift of miracles: through prayer and the laying on of hands, he healed the sick. Soon, his miracles and virtues brought him fame throughout the region, and the Christians of Aegae elected him bishop. 

October: Day 17: Teaching 2: Venerable Martyr Andrew the Cretan

October: Day 17: Teaching 2:
Venerable Martyr Andrew the Cretan
 
(How Do We Approach the Performance of our Duties?)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. On the feast day of the Holy Martyr Andrew the Cretan, who, out of zeal for the glory of God and the salvation of his neighbors, denounced the impious iconoclastic Emperor Constantine Copronymos (who lived in the 8th century) and for this was subjected to the most cruel tortures and death in full view of the Orthodox, whom he never ceased to teach until his last breath the truth and obedience to Holy Mother Church, it is fitting, my beloved brethren, to discuss whether we fulfill our Christian duties as Saint Andrew the Cretan did.

Prologue in Sermons: September 24

What is Needed to Ensure That Family and Friends Remain Inseparable From Us Even After Death?

September 24

(How a Certain Abbot Prayed to God for his Monks, So That They Would Enter Paradise With Him.)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

Having family and friends here on earth, we would, of course, wish not to be separated from them even after death. Unfortunately, this may not always be the case. When the Lord comes to judgment, He will separate some from others and say to some, “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;” but to others, “ Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” And some will go to the Kingdom of Heaven, and others into everlasting torment (Matthew 25:32–41, 46). It may well be that we too will be separated from our family and friends. It may well be that they will go to the Kingdom of Heaven, and we into everlasting torment, or vice versa. A terrible fate! But is there no way to avoid it?

September: Day 9: Teaching 2: Holy Ancestors of God Joachim and Anna

September: Day 9: Teaching 2: 
Holy Ancestors of God Joachim and Anna
 
(Lessons From Their Lives:
a. Piety Does Not Interfere With Family Life, 
b. Christians Should Not Shun Family Life, and 
c. Do Not Be Afraid of Having Many Children)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Let us, Christians, transport ourselves in thought almost nineteen centuries back, to those times of Old Testament history, when the people were increasingly losing their independence and autonomy, and when the time was coming for the work of saving the human race to be accomplished through the only begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ, incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the most blessed Virgin Mary.

In those days, in the poor Galilean town of Nazareth, there lived a pious couple, Joachim and Anna. These humble Nazarenes were not famous in Israel for anything, and did not differ from the simple inhabitants of Nazareth by any special external advantages.

The Death of John the Baptist as the Fruit of a Lawless Family Relationship

Referring to the person of the Forerunner, Metropolitan Ignatios of Demetrias and Almyros, during Great Vespers on August 28th 2025, described him as “a model ascetic, a champion of the truth, who knew and served his mission.” He also observed that “his killing is the fruit of a lawless family relationship. Power sometimes feels so secure that it thinks it can exceed the laws and even the Law of God. Herod’s passion for power, Herodias’ grudge and Salome’s lack of education led to John’s death.”

Metropolitan Ignatios compared that lawless family with modern ones, “which experience violence at their core, which leads to crimes, and even crimes against women or even children. Ultimately, without God, man loses his humanity, his home becomes a prison, the equality of people is destroyed and life becomes hell. The same thing happened with the Prophet John. His death resulted from a family that did not operate according to the Divine Law.”

Homily for the Feast of Saint Kyriaki (Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos)

Homily for the Feast of Saint Kyriaki 

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

(Delivered on Monday 7 July 2025 in the Church of Saint Kyriaki in Leptokarya of Mountainous Nafpaktia)

We came here today to the settlement of Agia Kyriaki, in order to celebrate this great Saint, whom we respect and honor, and in fact this entire region of Nafpaktia, of mountainous Nafpaktia, respects and honors Saint Kyriaki, who was a Great Martyr, a Venerable Virgin Martyr, who was martyred at the beginning of the 4th century, when there were very great persecutions within the Church of Christ. And we came here to this place, which is about 1,300 meters above sea level, to honor this Holy Great Martyr and Venerable Virgin Saint Kyriaki. I see that all the people, not only those who live here in the area and in the villages, but also in Nafpaktos, love Saint Kyriaki and come up here not only during her commemoration, that is, today and yesterday during Vespers and today during the Divine Liturgy, but they come up regularly because the environment is also beautiful and therefore to appreciate it and pray to the Holy Venerable Virgin Martyr Kyriaki the Prize-Bearer. 

June: Day 16: Saint Tychon the Wonderworker, Bishop of Amathus

June: Day 16:
Saint Tychon the Wonderworker, Bishop of Amathus
 
(Lessons From His Life: 
a. How Should Children Be Raised? 
b. One Should Possess a Childlike Simplicity of Faith)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Saint Tychon of Amathus, whose memory we celebrate today, was a miracle worker even in his childhood. His father sold grain, and the holy youth helped his father in the trade, but instead of selling it for money, he gave the grain away to the poor for free. When his father learned of this, he was very sad, because the grain trade was the only means of subsistence for his family, and he became angry with his son. But the holy youth, who knew the Holy Scriptures well, said to his father: "Calm down, father, I have not squandered your property, but lent it to God, and I have a true receipt in His Holy Scriptures, which says: he who has mercy on the poor lends to God." The youth, in the simplicity of his soul, believed the words of the Holy Scriptures so much that he invited his father to see if the wheat in his granary was exhausted, and what happened? That part of the granary which had been empty before was now full of the best wheat.

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.