Hey all,
I thought it'd be a good idea to share with you the lives of some of the people that we in the Church look up to and draw inspiration from.
A question to the readers: Each Saint also has a couple short little hymns (specifically called Apolytikion and Kondakion, each being a few lines long) written for them. For these first two posts, I decided not to include the hymns. Would you like me to include them, or no?
May their stories inspire you too, and may these Saints pray to God to save our souls!
These are the Saints of yesterday:
The Holy Martyr Calliopius
Reading from the Synaxarion:
The holy Martyr Calliopius was from Perga in Pamphylia, brought up in piety by his godly mother Theocleia. When the persecution of Maximian broke out, Saint Calliopius presented himself of his own accord before the Governor Maximus in Pompeiopolis of Galatia. After he had suffered many torments, his mother visited him in prison and encouraged him in his martyrdom. After this, his thrice-blessed mother, upon learning that he was to be crucified on Holy and Great Thursday, bribed the tyrants to defer it one day, that he might imitate the Lord's Crucifixion on the same day that He suffered it. The holy Martyr Calliopius received the crown of martyrdom on Holy and Great Friday in the year 304, being crucified upside down.
Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow and Enlightener of North America
Reading from the Synaxarion:
Born in 1865 in the region of Pskov, our Father among the Saints Tikhon was tonsured a monk in 1891 and ordained to the priesthood in the same year. In 1897 he was consecrated Bishop of Lublin, and a year later appointed Bishop of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands, with his see extending to all of North America from 1900 onwards. He did much to unite the Orthodox Christians of a great many ethnic backgrounds in North America, so that there was indeed one flock under one shepherd. In 1907 he was made Archbishop of Yaroslavl and Rostov, and in 1913, Archbishop of Lithuania.
In 1917, when he was Metropolitan of Moscow, he was elected to be the first Patriarch of Russia in over 200 years, in times that could not have been more difficult. After the Revolution of 1917, the persecution of the Russian Church by the atheist government grew more bold and more fierce with every year. By nature a meek and peace-loving man, Tikhon sought to determine, while giving only to God that which is God's, what could be given to Caesar to preserve peace and avoid the shedding of blood. At his departure on the feast of the Annunciation in 1925, Saint Tikhon made the sign of the Cross thrice, pronouncing the words, "Glory to Thee, O God!" Because of the many unspeakable sufferings he endures as Patriarch, he is honoured as a Confessor.
Note: St. Tikhon's repose was on the Feast of the Annunciation, which is commemorated in the Old Calendar on April 7. His feast day in the Old Calendar was therefore transferred to April 6 / March 24.
Read more here.
George, Bishop of Lesvos
Reading from the Synaxarion:
The righteous George struggled in behalf of the holy icons, and reposed in peace about the year 821.
________________________________________
Through the prayers of our holy fathers and mothers, O Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us!
I thought it'd be a good idea to share with you the lives of some of the people that we in the Church look up to and draw inspiration from.
A question to the readers: Each Saint also has a couple short little hymns (specifically called Apolytikion and Kondakion, each being a few lines long) written for them. For these first two posts, I decided not to include the hymns. Would you like me to include them, or no?
May their stories inspire you too, and may these Saints pray to God to save our souls!
These are the Saints of yesterday:
The Holy Martyr Calliopius
Reading from the Synaxarion:
The holy Martyr Calliopius was from Perga in Pamphylia, brought up in piety by his godly mother Theocleia. When the persecution of Maximian broke out, Saint Calliopius presented himself of his own accord before the Governor Maximus in Pompeiopolis of Galatia. After he had suffered many torments, his mother visited him in prison and encouraged him in his martyrdom. After this, his thrice-blessed mother, upon learning that he was to be crucified on Holy and Great Thursday, bribed the tyrants to defer it one day, that he might imitate the Lord's Crucifixion on the same day that He suffered it. The holy Martyr Calliopius received the crown of martyrdom on Holy and Great Friday in the year 304, being crucified upside down.
Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow and Enlightener of North America
Reading from the Synaxarion:
Born in 1865 in the region of Pskov, our Father among the Saints Tikhon was tonsured a monk in 1891 and ordained to the priesthood in the same year. In 1897 he was consecrated Bishop of Lublin, and a year later appointed Bishop of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands, with his see extending to all of North America from 1900 onwards. He did much to unite the Orthodox Christians of a great many ethnic backgrounds in North America, so that there was indeed one flock under one shepherd. In 1907 he was made Archbishop of Yaroslavl and Rostov, and in 1913, Archbishop of Lithuania.
In 1917, when he was Metropolitan of Moscow, he was elected to be the first Patriarch of Russia in over 200 years, in times that could not have been more difficult. After the Revolution of 1917, the persecution of the Russian Church by the atheist government grew more bold and more fierce with every year. By nature a meek and peace-loving man, Tikhon sought to determine, while giving only to God that which is God's, what could be given to Caesar to preserve peace and avoid the shedding of blood. At his departure on the feast of the Annunciation in 1925, Saint Tikhon made the sign of the Cross thrice, pronouncing the words, "Glory to Thee, O God!" Because of the many unspeakable sufferings he endures as Patriarch, he is honoured as a Confessor.
Note: St. Tikhon's repose was on the Feast of the Annunciation, which is commemorated in the Old Calendar on April 7. His feast day in the Old Calendar was therefore transferred to April 6 / March 24.
Read more here.
George, Bishop of Lesvos
Reading from the Synaxarion:
The righteous George struggled in behalf of the holy icons, and reposed in peace about the year 821.
________________________________________
Through the prayers of our holy fathers and mothers, O Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us!