January 15, 2019

Holy Six Fathers who Lived in the Utter Desert

Holy Six Fathers (Feast Day - January 15)

Verses

The souls of the six shined as they flew away from life,
Now they stand together with the six-winged intelligences.

According to the Synaxarion of Constantinople, these Holy Six Fathers who lived in asceticism in the utter desert are said to have reposed in peace. They share the same iambic verses as the Holy Six Martyrs who we celebrate on January 4th, which indicates they are probably the same people. That the Holy Six Martyrs are called "Martyrs" should not confuse us, since there also they are said to have reposed in peace. This could mean that these Six Fathers, by living in the utter desert, suffered martyrdom by their extreme asceticism. We do not know their exact identity.