Church of the Holy Apostles in Thessaloniki (14th cent.)

The Church of the Holy Apostles is a 14th-century Orthodox church in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki. The church is located at the start of Olympou Street, near the city's western medieval walls.

As evidenced by remnants of a column to the south of the church and a cistern to its northwest, it originally formed part of a larger complex. Consequently it appears that the church was originally built as the katholikon of a monastery.

Old Testament Types of the Holy Apostles (St. Gregory Palamas)

By St. Gregory Palamas

(From Homily 44)

As Jacob produced twelve patriarchs according to the flesh, from whom the twelve tribes of Israel came into being (Gen. 35:22-26), so spiritually Jesus gave us the twelve initiates into His mystery (Matt. 10:2-4, Mark 3:14-19, Luke 6:13-16, and Acts 1:13). When one of them wretchedly fell away (Matt. 27:5, Acts 1:16-20), the great St. Paul, upon whom Christ had looked down from heaven (cf. Acts 9:3), made up the number.* If we do not see the same number of tribes originating from the apostles, that is nothing at all strange, for spiritual things are divided without losing their unity. In the same way, our body apparently has five senses, but our soul’s perception is single, divided yet united.

How the Brazen Sea in the Temple of Solomon Symbolizes the Ministry of the Twelve Apostles

Almost a thousand years before Jesus set foot on the earth, the first temple dedicated to the God of Israel in Jerusalem was built out of Lebanon cedar (the finest there was), costly stones, and pure gold. Scripture indicates that over 183,000 men were involved in the construction of this glorious house of worship during the reign of King Solomon (1 Kings 5:13-16). The vessels that were housed within the temple, and those that remained in the inner court, were equally as elaborate. One of these vessels that stood on the right side of the sanctuary between the altar and the porch of the temple was an immense bronze basin known as “the Sea” (1 Kings 7:23; 2 Chronicles 4:2).

Twelve Apostles Resource Page

Verses

I honor the twelve friends of Christ who saw God,
Heroic men and dare I say gods.
On the thirtieth the famed initiated Apostles gathered together.

Synaxis of the Holy Twelve Apostles (June 30)

Synaxis of the Glorious and All-Praiseworthy Twelve Apostles

The Holy Twelve Apostles as Models for our Lives

The Holy Skulls of the Apostles Peter and Paul

While the body of St. Peter the Apostle is located in Saint Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, and the body of St. Paul the Apostle is in the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, their heads rest elsewhere, in the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran in Rome, established by Constantine the Great in the fourth century. The graceful Baldacchino over the high altar, which looks out of place in its present surroundings, dates from 1369. At the top is a reliquary said to contain the heads of Saints Peter and Paul, which rest here since at least the ninth century, though some believe these may have been removed during the French occupation of Rome in the 18th century. The reason they rest here is because this is the official Cathedral of Rome and seat of the Pope, who is considered the successor of the Apostle Peter.

History of the Feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul

“Let us extol Peter and Paul, those two great luminaries of the Church, for they shine brighter than the sun in the firmament of faith” (Stichera for Vespers).

In the Orthodox Church, the Apostle Peter iss the first among the Apostles because of his authority, while Paul is equally first among the Apostles because of his apostolic labor. In icons they are depicted together as pillars of the Church of Christ. Their primary title together is therefore "Foremost of the Apostles".

Life of the Holy Foremost Apostle Peter

By Jacobus de Voragine

Peter had three names. He was called Simon Bariona. Simon is translated as he who obeys, or he who mourns; Bariona, however, means son of the dove, for in Syrian bar means son, and in Hebrew iona means dove. He was obedient, for when Christ called him he answered the first call; he mourned, for when he denied Christ he went out and wept bitterly; He was the son of the dove, because he was diligent in serving God in simplicity. Again, he was called Cephas which means head, or rock, or one whose mouth resounds. He was a head in that he was the chief of the disciples, a rock in the constancy of his suffering, and one whose mouth resounds in his untiring preaching. Thirdly, he was called Peter, which means the knowing one, or one who takes off his shoes, or one who loosens. He knew the divinity of Christ when he said: 'Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God.' He took off from the feet of his desires the works of death and all earthly things, when he said: 'Behold we have left all things, and have followed thee.' He loosens the fetters of our sins with the keys which he received from the Lord. Peter has also three surnames. He was called Simon Johanna, which means beauty of the Lord; Simon Johannis, which means he to whom it is given; and thirdly, Simon Bariona, the son of the dove. In this we should note that he had the adornment of good conduct, the gifts of virtue, and an overflowing of tears: for the dove does not sing but it mourns. The name of Peter was first given him by Jesus when He said: 'Thou shalt be called Cephas, which is interpreted Peter.' Thereafter He gave him the promised name, as we read in Saint Mark: 'And to Simon he gave the name of Peter.' For the third time He confirmed the name upon him when He said: 'Thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church.'

Outline of the Life of the Holy Apostle Paul

The Apostle Paul’s Birth & Education

c. A.D. 6 Born a Roman citizen to Jewish parents in Tarsus (in modern eastern Turkey)

c. 20–30 Studies Torah in Jerusalem with Gamaliel; becomes a Pharisee

c. 30–33 Persecutes followers of Jesus of Nazareth in Jerusalem and Judea

Apostles Peter and Paul Resource Page

Holy Apostles Peter and Paul (Feast Day - June 29)

Verses

Peter the preacher of the Cross was killed by crucifixion,

Paul was decapitated having decapitated error.

On the twenty-ninth Peter submitted to the cross and Paul to the sword.

June 29 - Feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul

Synaxarion of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul

History of the Feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul

Sts. Peter and Paul, Foremost of the Holy Apostles

On the Application of the Term "Theologoumenon"

By John Sanidopoulos

The term "theologoumenon", or its plural "theologoumena", is an ancient Greek word that means either "something that is theologized" or "that which is said about God or divine things", and in the scant use of the word from patristic writings, this is how it was understood. In theological literature today, the word "theologoumenon" takes on a different or added meaning, usually summarized as being an "individual theological opinion". But this is not how the term was ever meant to be used, at least from an Orthodox Christian perspective.

Saint Paul the Physician of Corinth

St. Paul the Physician of Corinth (Feast Day - June 28)

Verses

Paul died anointed having cut off the burning passion,
Now through his intercessions he releases from suffering.

Saint Paul lived around the seventh century and was from the city of Corinth. He was born to Christian parents who raised him in piety. While still young, he withdrew to a monastery to devote his life to God, and with much labor he became an experienced ascetic. He had an especially difficult struggle with the impure spirit of fornication. One night, as Paul stood in prayer, a demon appeared to him and said that if he did not satisfy his carnal lust at least one time, he would come against him in a brutal way. With the power of the Cross and the name of Christ he drove the impure spirit of fornication away from himself, and in turn that spirit created a malicious falsehood against the Saint.

Saint Sampson the Innkeeper Resource Page

St. Sampson the Innkeeper (Feast Day - June 27)

Verses

Just as Sampson of old with a jawbone was led to drink,

So Sampson now gushes forth myrrh from his tomb.

On the twenty-seventh Sampson died and gushed forth myrrh.

Synaxarion of Saint Sampson the Innkeeper

Saint Sampson the Innkeeper

Cyril Loukaris and the Codex Alexandrinus

The Codex Alexandrinus is an early fifth-century manuscript of the Greek Bible, containing the majority of the Septuagint and the New Testament. It is one of the four Great uncial codices. Along with the Codex Sinaiticus and the Vaticanus, it is one of the earliest and most complete manuscripts of the Bible.

It derives its name from Alexandria where it resided for a number of years before it was brought by the Orthodox Patriarch Cyril Loukaris from Alexandria to Constantinople. Then it was given to Charles I of England in the 17th century. Until the later purchase of Codex Sinaiticus, it was the best manuscript of the Greek Bible deposited in Britain. Today, it rests along with Codex Sinaiticus in one of the showcases in the Ritblat Gallery of the British Library. A full photographic reproduction of the New Testament volume (Royal MS 1 D. viii) is available on the British Library's website.

Book Review: "Protestant Patriarch: The Life of Cyril Lucaris (1572-1638), Patriarch of Constantinople"

Protestant Patriarch:
The Life of Cyril Lucaris (1572-1638),
Patriarch of Constantinople

By George A. Hadjiantoniou

160 pp. Richmond, John Knox Press, 1961.

Cyril Lucaris, Greek Orthodox Patriarch successively of Alexandria (1601-1630) and of Constantinople (1630-1638), is a noble, tragic, sometimes enigmatic figure, a man of exceptional gifts, of towering courage, and of saintly life. Educated in Italy, and in personal contact with the ambassadors in Constantinople of the Protestant powers, he sought to reform the Greek Church along the lines of the Reformation in Europe and published a Calvinist Confessio which has become celebrated. The foreign envoys supported him - and sometimes used him as a pawn in their own diplomatic projects. Inevitably Lucaris, made enemies - notably the Jesuits in Constantinople - and they finally achieved his ruin. He was falsely accused of treason and strangled by order of the Sultan, and his body was thrown into the Bosporus. He is remembered for having made a present to King Charles I of England of the Codex Alexandrinus, as a token of his esteem of the English ambassador, Sir Thomas Rowe.

Saint Sampson and the Healing of the Man who Suffered from Anthrax

In tenth-century Constantinople there was a man named Bardas. He belonged to the personal retinue of Emperor Romanos II. Moreover, he had obtained the office of xenodochos (innkeeper or chief administrator) of the Hospital of Saint Sampson. This indicates that the Hospital of Saint Sampson in the tenth-century, like the Orphanage of Constantinople, was not administered by the Patriarch of Constantinople or a monastic community, but by the imperial government.

Saint Sampson Cathedral in Saint Petersburg

Saint Sampson's Cathedral (Sampsonievsky Cathedral; Сампсониевский собор) is one of the oldest churches in St. Petersburg. It stands on the northern outskirts of the city and gives its name to Sampsonievsky Avenue. Sampsonievsky Cathedral features the largest icons of all Orthodox churches in St. Petersburg. From the outside the church may look modest, but inside prepare to be impressed. It also has the heaviest bell (6,400kg) in town. Rumor has it that it was in St. Sampson's Cathedral that Catherine II of Russia secretly married Grigory Potemkin in 1774.

Saint Sampson the Innkeeper

St. Sampson the Innkeeper (Feast Day - June 27)

Our blessed father Sampson came from a family from the high society of Roman aristocracy, apparently linked to the kin of Constantine the Great. He studied all the important subjects of the time, particularly medicine, to which he felt drawn by his compassionate nature. He was unable to remain indifferent to the spectacle of pain and unhappiness and received the poor and the sick at his home, in order to provide them with all the attention that love could offer and, more particularly, the comfort of prayer and faith. When his parents died, he distributed his large fortune and, free of every earthly obligation and wishing to avoid being esteemed in the eyes of other people, he left for Constantinople. He settled in a humble house and devoted himself entirely to prayer, in silence, though continuing his good works. He gathered in as many sick people as he found and treated them without charge. He particularly took responsibility for those who were suffering from incurable diseases or those who had diseases that other doctors were reluctant to treat: lepers, the blind and the possessed, and so his reputation spread throughout the whole city and his dwelling became a haven for those who had nothing to hope for.

Saint Cyril Loukaris Resource Page

St. Cyril Loukaris (Feast Day - June 27)

Verses

The sacrificer of the Lord is sacrificed,

Strangled by the madness of the descendants of Hagar.

On the twenty-seventh Cyril victoriously ventured to heaven.

Synaxarion of Saint Cyril Loukaris

Saint Cyril Loukaris, Patriarch of Constantinople (+ 1638)

Life of the Holy Hieromartyr Cyril Loukaris (1 of 5)

On Christian Ministries That Lack the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit

By St. Gregory of Sinai

Those who write and speak and who wish to build up the Church, while lacking the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, are 'psychic' or worldly people void of the Spirit, as St. Jude observes (cf. Jude 19). Such people come under the curse which says, 'Woe to those who are wise in their own sight, and esteem themselves as possessors of knowledge' (Isa. 5:21); for they speak from themselves and it is not the Spirit of God that speaks in them (cf. Matt. 10:20). For those who speak what are simply their own thoughts before they have attained purity are deluded by the spirit of self-conceit. It is to them that Solomon refers when he says, 'I knew a man who regarded himself as wise; there is more hope for a fool than for him' (Prov. 26:12 LXX); and again, 'Do not be wise in your own sight' (Prov. 3:7). St. Paul himself, filled with the Spirit, endorses this when he says, 'We are not qualified to form any judgment on our own account; our qualification comes from God' (2 Cor. 3:5), and, 'As men sent from God, we speak before God in the grace of Christ' (2 Cor. 2:17). What people say when they speak on their own account is repellent and murksome, for their words do not come from the living spring of the Spirit, but are spawned from the morass of their own heart, a bog infested with the leeches, snakes and frogs of desire, delusion and dissipation; the water of their knowledge is evil-smelling, turbid and torpid, sickening to those who drink it and filling them with nausea and disgust.

From The Philokalia, vol. 4, "On Commandments and Doctrines" 128, p. 247.

Saint John, Bishop of Gothia (+ 791)

St. John of Gothia (Feast Day - June 26)

Verses

Having bound the mind of the flesh Father,
You denied the flesh and in the end left it behind.

Our Holy Father John was born to a Crimean Gothic family, the son of Leo and Photini, in Partenit of Crimea. Like the holy Prophets Samuel and Jeremiah, he was sanctified from the womb after being born in answer to the fervent prayer of his parents, and immediately after being born was dedicated to God.

Life of our Holy Father David the Dendrite of Thessaloniki (+ 540)

St. David the Dendrite of Thessaloniki (Feast Day - June 26)

Verses

With David of old art thou now united, O new David,
For thou didst kill the carnal passions like Goliath. 
On the twenty-sixth, David passed through the gates of life.

David, our Father of great renown, the earthly angel and heavenly man, was born and reared in the east and came to the illustrious and great city of Thessaloniki. Renouncing the world and worldly things, he abandoned friends and relatives, temporal honor and glory, money, possessions, and every other passing joy and even his own life, according to the evangelical exhortation. Following the Master, he took up the Cross from his youth; for his heart was deeply pierced with divine love.

New Martyrs Under the Turks Resource Page

Neomartyrs After the Fall of Constantinople (Feast Day - Third Sunday After Pentecost)

Verses

The New Athletes destroyed the old woman Hagar,
And now are joined with the Athletes of old.
The multitude of new athletes walk in the heavenly divine city.

The Neomartyrs: the Glory of the Church

New Martyrs of the Turkish Yoke

Gospel Commentary for the Third Sunday after Pentecost (St. Theophylact of Ochrid)

Third Sunday after Pentecost (or Third Sunday of Matthew)
The Eye is the Lamp of the Body

Matthew 4:18-23

From The Explanation of the Gospel of St. Matthew

By Blessed Theophylact, Archbishop of Ochrid and Bulgaria

22-23. The eye is the lamp of the body: if therefore thine eye be sound, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness.

The Birth of John the Baptist and the Summer Solstice

By John Sanidopoulos

The summer solstice occurs some time between June 20 and June 22. As seen from a geographic pole, the sun reaches its highest altitude of the year on the summer solstice. Therefore the summer solstice is the longest day of the year, and in turn the shortest night.

On the day after the summer solstice daylight begins to slowly decrease, while nighttime slowly increases. This happens until the fall equinox which occurs some time between September 21 and September 24, when the sun directly shines on the equator and the length of day and night is nearly equal.

Saint Athanasios Parios the Kollyvas and Teacher of the Nation

By Lambros Skontzos

The Kollyvades Movement of the 18th century was an important historical milestone in our ecclesiastical history, since it played a strong role in the renewal of our Orthodoxy, which suffocated under the interventions of heretical Western Christianity. One of the main figures of this movement was Saint Athanasios Parios. He was a great Saint of our Church and Teacher of the Nation.

Born in 1722 in the village of Kostos on the island of Paros, his father's name was Apostolos Toulos and his mother's name was Kostiani, and they taught him piety and took care to have him educated. He was taught his first lessons in Kostos and then either attended the School at the Monastery of Saint Athanasios in Naousa of Paros or the School of the All Holy Sepulchre in Sifnos.

Synaxis of the Righteous Zechariah and Elizabeth

Synaxis of the Righteous Zechariah and Elizabeth (Feast Day - June 24)

On this day is the Synaxis of the Righteous Zechariah and Elizabeth.

Verses

Having given birth to your son the Forerunner,
Your relatives rejoice with you, and now all of creation.

Six months before his appearance in Nazareth to the All Holy Theotokos, the great Archangel of God, Gabriel appeared to Zechariah the high priest in the Temple at Jerusalem. And before he announced the miraculous conception to the unwed Virgin Mary, the Archangel announced the miraculous conception to the childless old woman, Elizabeth.

Saint Athanasios Parios Resource Page

St. Athanasios Parios (Feast Day - June 24)

Saint Athanasios Parios (1722-1813)

Saint Athanasios Parios the Kollyvas and Teacher of the Nation

The Spiritual Counsels of Elder Daniel to Saint Arsenios of Paros

The Political Vision of Athanasios Parios and His Disputes With Koraes

How a Recent Helicopter Crash Survivor in Greece Miraculously Survived

The following incident took place on 19 April 2017, and was widely reported in Greece. This is basically how it was reported, for the most part. Read on however, because there is more to the story.

26 year old Sergeant Vasiliki Plexida was the survivor of the Greek Army helicopter crash in Sarantaporo that left four officers dead on Wednesday, and she recounted the cause of the accident.

She was one of the five passengers of the fatal UH-1H crash and was hospitalized at the 424 Military Hospital in Thessaloniki. She suffered from a pelvis fracture and injuries to her hands, legs and neck.

A Chapel Dedicated to Saint Paisios the Athonite Built Inside a 300 Year Old Tree

A chapel dedicated to Saint Paisios the Athonite was built inside the hollow of a 300 year old tree. This beautiful chapel is located 22 kilometers north of Konitsa in the village of Agia Varvara, which Saint Paisios himself would pass by in his younger days as he went to the nearby village of Amarantos, where he would do carpentry work and repair houses.

The Discovery of the Relics of Saint Barbaros the Myrrhgusher in 2013

The reliquary containing a portion of the skull of St. Barbaros in Potamos, Kerkyra

Saint Barbaros lived in the ninth century and died after living a stric ascetic life in Tryfo in Xiromero of the municipality of Aetolia-Acarnania in Greece, where he was also buried and worked numerous miracles. Many centuries after the death of Saint Barbaros, in 1571, an officer from Venice named Sklavounos, who was taking part at that time in the naval battle of Nafpaktos, fell seriously ill and saw the Saint in a dream, telling him to go to his grave to be healed. Indeed, as soon as the officer venerated the tomb, he was miraculously healed and took the holy myrrhgushing relics of the Saint with him as he departed.

Holy Martyr Agrippina of Rome

St. Agrippina of Rome (Feast Day - June 23)

Verses

Full of terrible wounds from the blows,
Agrippina partook of many wreaths.
On the twenty-third Agrippina died from her wounds.

Saint Agrippina was born in the glorious city of Rome and flourished probably during the reign of Emperor Valerian (253-260). When she was a young girl, she dedicated her life to God and was adorned with virginity and purity. Out of love for her Bridegroom Christ, she presented herself before the court during a time of persecution against Christians, and bravely confessed that Christ was the true God. For this she was given over to many torments.

Commemoration of All Those Martyred in Crete for their Faith in Christ and Homeland During the Revolution of 1821

All Martyrs of Crete from 1821 and 1822 (Feast Day - June 23)

Verses

Ten shepherds contested perfectly,
In a stately manner destroying the wickedness of the enemy.
Together with them were Priests and others,
Who gained the eternal Kingdom.

On 23 June 1821 a Synod took place at the Metropolis of Crete, in the Church of Saint Menas, where the Bishop of Crete began to read a letter sent from the vizier. The hostile enemies then rushed into the church and murdered the Hierarchs, seventeen Priests and five Athonite fathers from Vatopaidi Monastery, who presented in the Great Castle holy relics and the Holy Belt of the Theotokos during the plague epidemic. They also killed three hundred Christians who were in attendance. From there, they dispersed into the city, and they mercilessly killed any Christian they encountered on the street, and there they also encountered Bishop Hierotheos of Lampis, who they killed along with his deacon. The next day, in the village of Epano Fourni, where the Diocese of Petra was located, they shot with a rifle Bishop Joachim outside the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos.

Saint Eusebius of Samosata as a Model for our Lives

St. Eusebius of Samosata (Feast Day - June 22)

By Protopresbyter Fr. George Papavarnavas

The Hieromartyr Eusebius, Bishop of Samosata, was an advocate of Orthodox faith and piety. Thus he was by name and deed pious, for this is what the name "Eusebius" means. Saint Gregory the Theologian, in a letter to him, calls him "a pillar and foundation of piety, a luminary of the Church and rule of faith." He lived in the fourth century, when the Church was facing the temptations of the heresy of Arius, who believed that the Son and Word of God, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, is not perfect God equal to God the Father, but a creation of God created in time. However, if this was true, then salvation would be impossible, for only God has the power to save. Yet we know from Holy Scripture and the living tradition of the Church, that Christ came into the world to save it and to abolish the works of the devil. And His coming as Messiah and Savior was confirmed with miracles which He did and continues to do.

Holy Martyrs Zenon and Zenas of Philadelphia

Sts. Zenon and Zenas (Feast Day - June 22)

Verses

The fellow-contestant servant with the fellow-contestant master,
Both as servants of God were beheaded.

Zenon was a Roman officer during the reign of Emperor Maximian (286-305) in the Arabian town of Philadelphia (now Amman in Jordan) and Zenas was his servant. Being a pious and zealous Christian, Zenon desired to be martyred for Christ. For this reason he distributed all of his belongings to the poor and liberated all of his servants. When Zenon heard that the governor Maximos loved the idols very much, he presented himself before him, followed by his servant Zenas. Zenas was a prudent and good-intentioned servant, and he did not want to be separated from his master Zenon.

Saint Alban the Martyr of Britain

According to recent findings, St. Alban is shown to be not only the protomartyr of Britain, but the earliest martyr of Latin Europe whom we know. Based on the 8th-century account of the Venerable Bede, hagiographers have placed St. Alban's martyrdom in the early 4th century, during the fierce Diocletian persecutions. In a guide to St. Alban's Cathedral, built over the site of his martyrdom, we find, however, the following interesting information which, according to the work of Dr. John Morris of London, places the date of execution nearly a century earlier to June 22, 209.

Fr. George Florovsky Resource Page

About

Georges Vasilievich Florovsky: Philosopher of the Orthodox World (1 of 8)

Georges Vasilievich Florovsky: Philosopher of the Orthodox World (2 of 8)

Georges Vasilievich Florovsky: Philosopher of the Orthodox World (3 of 8)

Georges Vasilievich Florovsky: Philosopher of the Orthodox World (4 of 8)

Georges Vasilievich Florovsky: Philosopher of the Orthodox World (5 of 8)

Georges Vasilievich Florovsky: Philosopher of the Orthodox World (6 of 8)

Georges Vasilievich Florovsky: Philosopher of the Orthodox World (7 of 8)

Georges Vasilievich Florovsky: Philosopher of the Orthodox World (8 of 8)

30th Anniversary of the Falling Asleep of Fr. George Florovsky (+ August 11, 1979)

The Grave of Fr. Georges Florovsky and His Wife Xenia

A Contemporary Miracle: Fr. George Florovsky and the Wild Child

Zee Most Beautifool Face!

My Teacher Fr. John Romanides and my Spiritual Father Fr. George Florovsky

Fr. John Romanides' Encounter With the Zoe Brotherhood

Theology in Greece in the 1960's

Contemporary Theological Movements in Orthodoxy (Metr. Hierotheos of Nafpaktos)

Romiosini and the "Neopatristic Synthesis" of Florovsky

The Theological Crisis and Its Impact on Daily Ecclesiastical Life (2 of 6)

Fr. George Florovsky: The Latest Most Up-to-Date Bibliography


Writings

The Year of our Lord

Did Christ Have A Fallen Human Nature?

The Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Redemption (Fr. George Florovsky)

The Gospel of Resurrection

And Ascended Into Heaven... (Fr. George Florovsky)

Ecumenical Synods as Charismatic Events that Represented the Church

Fr. George Florovsky on the Authority of the Church Fathers

On the Veneration of the Saints (Fr. George Florovsky)

Fr. George Florovsky on St. Ignatius of Antioch

St. John Chrysostom On Poverty and Wealth

The Teachings of Diadochos of Photiki (Fr. George Florovsky)

Saint John Climacus and his Heavenly Ladder (Fr. George Florovsky)

St. Gregory Palamas and the Tradition of the Fathers

Fr. George Florovsky on St. Silouan the Athonite

The Reformation and the Rejection of Monasticism

The Challenge of Our Time

Synaxarion of the Holy Martyr Aphrodisios of Cilicia

St. Aphrodisios of Cilicia (Feast Day - June 21);
fresco depicts the Prophet Daniel in the lion's den

Verses

Not sacrificing to the image of Aphrodite,
Aphrodisios was put to death with the sword.

Saint Aphrodisios was from the land of Cilicia, who was taught to revere Christ from his ancestors. Arrested as a Christian, he was brought before the governor Dionysios, and confessed Christ as the true God. 

Saint Kallistos I, Patriarch of Constantinople (+ 1363)

St. Kallistos I of Constantinople (Feast Day - June 20)

Verses

Kallistos passed through perishable beauty with a right mind,
Now he is beholding beauty imperishable.

Saint Kallistos was a disciple of Saint Gregory of Sinai, and lived an ascetic life as a monk at Mount Athos for twenty-eight years, initially in the Skete of Magoula, near Iveron Monastery. There he was also ordained a Priest. Kallistos was noted for his virtue and deep education. He followed Saint Gregory of Sinai to Paroria where they established hesychastic hermitages, but he soon returned to Mount Athos and entered Iveron Monastery. The Holy Community of Mount Athos chose him to lead the opposition against the Bogomils, who had infiltrated Mount Athos. Kallistos was an enthusiastic follower of the hesychastic teaching of Saint Gregory Palamas. He also founded the Monastery of Saint Mamas at Tenedos, a small island near the Dardanelles.

Holy Hieromartyr Methodios, Bishop of Patara (+ 311)

St. Methodios of Patara (Feast Day - June 20)

Verses

Methodios in life pursued life,
Set free he travels, not pursuing or going.
On the twentieth the arch-sacrificer Methodios was slain by the sword.

Saint Methodios at first was a Bishop of Olympus then a Bishop of Patara, both in the Lycia region of Asia Minor. Saint Jerome adds that he also became the Bishop of Tyre, though this may not be likely. As a learned and eloquent hierarch, Methodios was the first who wrote against the heresies of Origen. He left behind him a rich literary legacy: works in defense of Christianity against paganism, explications of Orthodox dogmas against the heresy of Origen, moral discourses, and explanations of Holy Scripture. The pagans rose up against him, tortured him and beheaded him in Chalcis in Syria around the year 311.

Monastery of Saint Nicholas Cabasilas in Kavasila of Ilia

The village of Kavasila in Ilia, Greece is named after Saint Nicholas Cabasilas. It was here that Saint Nicholas came towards the end of his life and reposed in the hermitage he founded around the year 1392. In around 1650 the residents of the village built a small church at the borders of the village dedicated to Saint Nicholas Cabasilas, to honor him for having reposed there, although he was not officially canonized until 1982. It is said that the Turks, who did not allow new churches to be built, would tear down this small church, but the residents would build it over and over again.

Placement of the Relics and Garments of the Apostles Luke, Andrew and Thomas, the Prophet Elisha, and Martyr Lazarus in the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople

An image from a Vatican Codex Vat.gr.1162 (11th century) believed to be a representation of the Church of the Holy Apostles.

The original Church of the Holy Apostles was dedicated in about 330 by Constantine the Great, the founder of Constantinople, the new capital of the Roman Empire. The church was unfinished when Constantine died in 337, and it was brought to completion by his son and successor Constantius II, who buried his father's remains there. The church was dedicated to the Twelve Apostles of Jesus, and it was the Emperor's intention to gather relics of all the Apostles in the church. For this undertaking, only relics of Saint Andrew, Saint Luke and Saint Timothy were acquired, in 336, and in later centuries it came to be assumed that the church was dedicated to these three only, although it did contain many other relics.

Saint Nicholas Cabasilas Resource Page

St. Nicholas Cabasilas (Feast Day - June 20)

Verses

You clearly became a joint-partaker with the Saints,
Having lived a holy life Nicholas.
We celebrate the divine Nicholas with glorious praises.

The Life and Teachings of Saint Nicholas Cabasilas

Monastery of Saint Nicholas Cabasilas in Kavasila of Ilia

Homily on the Annunciation by St. Nicholas Cabasilas

Saint Paisios the Great (+ 417)

St. Paisios the Great (Feast Day - June 19)

Verses

I call you an Angel O Paisios,
Not by nature but by your unusual life.

Our Venerable and God-bearing Father Paisios the Great was from the village of Shansa in Egypt and born in 320. His parents were Christians, that distributed generous alms to all the needy. Younger to six other brothers, he was weak and frail. After the death of her husband, his mother saw an angel in a vision saying to her: "The Lord says to you, give Me one of your children to serve Me." She answered: "Lord, take whoever you want." The angel took the hand of Paisios, who was thin and his body was frail. His mother told the angel, "My Lord, take one who is strong to serve the Lord." "This is whom the Lord has chosen," the angel replied.

Holy Apostle Jude of the Twelve

St. Jude the Apostle (Feast Day - June 19)

Verses

You had a triple calling and triple passion Blessed one,
Having been lifted up, bound and thirdly the stretching of the bow.
On the nineteenth Jude was killed with arrows.

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You have as a boast being among the kinsman and chorus,
Of Christ's disciples O Jude, and suffering.
On the nineteenth Jude was killed with arrows.

The Holy Apostle Jude was one of the Twelve Disciples of the Lord. Although he bears the same name as Judas Iscariot who betrayed the Lord, in English his name has been shortened to Jude, while Judas is the Greek translation of the Hebrew name Judah. The New Testament distinguishes him with various names.

The Recent Discovery of the Holy Spring of the Virgin Mary in Smyrna

Investigations on a Roman-era tunnel, which was discovered in the garden of a house in the Aegean province of Izmir (Smyrna) in the Kadifekale district, were completed in 2015. The tunnel, which is thought to have been built as a water conveyance system, will be the subject of a documentary film. Promotional booklets will also be made for the tunnel.

Secret tunnels around Izmir’s Agora have always been a matter of discussion. It is thought the tunnels were built in the Roman era in order to convey water to the ancient city located between Kadifekale and Kemeraltı.

Saint Leontius the Canonarch of the Kiev Caves Lavra

St. Leontius the Canonarch (Feast Day - June 18)

In his youth Saint Leontius entered the Kiev Caves Monastery, where he received tonsure. He was endowed with a fine voice, and when he learned his letters, he fulfilled the obedience of canonarch (leader of the chanters).

Gospel Commentary for the Second Sunday after Pentecost (St. Theophylact of Ochrid)

Second Sunday after Pentecost (or Second Sunday of Matthew)
Come Follow Me

Matthew 4:18-23

From The Explanation of the Gospel of St. Matthew

By Blessed Theophylact, Archbishop of Ochrid and Bulgaria

18-19. As He was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishermen; and He saith unto them.

These two had been disciples of John, and while John was still living they had approached Christ. But when they saw John arrested, they returned again to their fishing, and so Christ comes, fishing for them, and says:

Life and Sayings of Holy Abba Joseph the Anchorite of Panephysis

Holy Abba Joseph the Anchorite (Feast Day - June 17)

Verses

You are a divine swan in your last moments Joseph,
Dying while singing odes, as it is said a swan dies.

Life

Abba Joseph lived as a solitary in Panephysis with his disciples; Abba Lot and Abba Poetnen consulted him. The group appears to have been of some importance; John Cassian stayed there for some time and Conferences 11-17 and 19-24 are situated there. In the Synaxarion it is said that he reposed while chanting.

Life and Sayings of Holy Abba Pior of Scetis

Holy Abba Pior (Feast Day - June 17)

Verses

The soul of Pior had a wealth of virtues,
His rich soul departing full of fat.

Pior, an early settler in Nitria, lived at first with Anthony the Great. He was a priest, and became a solitary in Scetis. Below are the life and sayings of Abba Pior as we read in the Lausiac History and the Paradise of the Fathers.

Saint Botolph, His Life and Times

By Prof. Kenneth Keenan, Ll.B., Ph.D., FCIB.

St Botolph – greatly venerated as the most influential missionary of the seventh century, founded a monastery in 654, appears to have led a peaceful life and died in 680. His feast is still venerated in the dioceses of Brentwood, Nottingham and Northampton on 17 June each year.

The actual life of St Botolph is shrouded in mystery and conflict. It is my hope that this short (and inadequate) account of his life and times will give you a glimpse into England in the Seventh Century and more especially, into the life of Botolph - Man, Priest, Abbot and Saint.