Bright Friday: The Life Giving Fountain of the Mother of God
Today we commemorate the Life-Giving Fountain of the Most Holy Theotokos. There once was a beautiful church in Constantinople dedicated to the Mother of God, which had been built in the fifth century by the holy Emperor Leo the Great (January 20) in the Seven Towers district. Before becoming…
Appearance of the Icon of the Mother of God “The Footprint” at Pochaev
On Bright Friday we commemorate the Appearance of the Icon of the Mother of God “The Footprint” at Pochaev. In the year 1340, two monks came and settled in a cave on the hill where the monastery is now located. After reading his usual Prayer Rule, one of them went to the top of the hill, and…
From his youth Saint Titus the Wonderworker displayed zeal for the monastic life. He labored in asceticism in the IX century at the Studion Monastery near Constantinople. By his fasting, and meek disposition, Saint Titus gained the love of the brethren, and at their request he was ordained as a…
The Holy Martyrs Amphianus (Apphianus) and Edesius (Aidesius) were brothers. They lived in the city of Patara (province of Lycia) in the family of the pagan governor. They went to the city of Beirut to study the pagan sciences. There they became ardent followers of Christ. The holy brothers left…
The Holy Martyr Polycarp was killed after he denounced the impious Emperor Maximian (305-313) for shedding the blood of innocent Christians in the city of Alexandria. As a devout Christian who was filled with zeal for God, he could not simply stand by when every day he saw many of the faithful…
A few biographical details about Saint George of Atsquri have been preserved in the writings of the famous 10th-century Georgian hagiographers George Merchule and Basil of Zarzma. Saint George of Atsquri lived at the end of the 9th and the beginning of the 10th centuries. A member of the…
Saint Theodora came from Tyre in Phoenicia. When she was seventeen years of age, she was brought before Urban, the ruler of Palestine, who asked her if she really believed in Christ. With remarkable courage, the holy virgin confessed that she truly believed. Then they flayed her sides and her…