The Cave-Tomb of Saint Juvenal, the First Patriarch of Jerusalem

By Fr. Elias Makos

On July 2nd, the Church honors the memory of the first Patriarch of Jerusalem, Juvenal.

The Cave-Tomb of Saint Juvenal in Jerusalem is preserved within the Monastery of Saint Onouphrios in the area of Siloam.

Gradually the Bishopric of Jerusalem, which was founded on the day of Pentecost with the Bishop James the Apostle, developed into a pan-Christian place of pilgrimage, and it became the Metropolis of the Three Palestines (beginning of the 5th century).

The Life of Saint Hilarion the Great (St. Dimitri of Rostov)

 The Twenty-Ninth Day of the Month of October
The Life of Our Venerable Father
Hilarion the Great

By St. Dimitri of Rostov

The venerable Hilarion was born in the village of Tabatha, which is in Palestine near the city of Gaza. Hilarion was like a rose blossoming among thorns, for although his parents were pagans, he emitted the fragrance which is Christ. His father and mother sent him to study in Alexandria, and there he acquired not only the knowledge which the Hellenes seek and which is easily mastered, but spiritual wisdom as well. He believed in our Lord Jesus Christ, received Holy Baptism, and went frequently to church where he gave heed to teaching that served to instruct and to enlighten him. As he exercised himself in the virtues, his heart began to burn with love for God, and he considered how he might serve the Lord.

Holy Venerable Martyr Christopher the Sabbaite

 

St. Christopher the Sabbaite (Feast Day - April 13); Icon depicts the slaughter of the Holy Fathers of the Lavra of Saint Savvas

Saint Stephen the Melodist, the nephew of Saint John of Damascus, was the eye-witness who recorded the slaughter of the Holy Fathers of the Great Lavra of Saint Savvas in the seventh century, whom we commemorate on March 20th. In his narration Saint Stephen also informs us of a Venerable Martyr named Christopher, whom he says had converted a few years earlier to the pious faith of Christ, "from a Persian and fruitless wild olive tree, he was grafted and became a fruitful olive tree." Having been baptized and received the monastic schema at the Lavra of Saint Savvas, Christopher was slandered by the chief councillor of the Saracens, and three days before Holy and Great Friday, on April 14th, he was killed by a sword.

 

 

Synaxarion of the Holy New Venerable Martyr Malachias of Lindos

 

On the 29th of this month (September), we commemorate the Holy and Glorious New Venerable Martyr Malachias of Lindos, who had a martyric end in Jerusalem.

Verses

In Zion he was made worthy of the divine passion,

Communing glorious one as the friend of God.

On the twenty-ninth Malachias was lifted on the bitter scaffold.

 

He was from Lindos, a city of the island of Rhodes, the son of pious parents whose names were George the Priest and Christina. He was raised in the education and admonition of the Lord, in accordance with the apostolic word, and when he was of a mature age he was dressed in the holy schema of a monk, with the blessed one giving his whole soul and mind to the accomplishment of evangelical conduct.

Why Saint Kyriakos is Not Called a "Hermit" But Instead Called an "Anchorite"

 

I did a Google search of "St. Kyriakos" this morning, since it is his feast day, and coupled it with his traditional epithet of "Anchorite", receiving results that were very disappointing. On the first page of the results, there were only two results given with the correct epithet of "Anchorite", namely my post on him back in 2015 as well as his Wikipedia page. The rest were official pages of various Orthodox jurisdictions who gave him the epithet "Hermit" instead. 

Now most people will see this as not that big of a deal. After all, an "anchorite" and a "hermit" are basically the same thing, right? Well, no, not really. An "anchorite" is traditionally defined as someone who "withdraws" from the world to dedicate their life to God, while a "hermit" is someone who lives in a deserted place alone. Is it just a matter of semantics? Absolutely not. In Greek St. Kyriakos is specifically called an "Anchorite" (Κυριακός ο Αναχωρητής) for a reason, and is never referred to as a "Hermit" for a reason as well.

 

Saint Dorotheos of Gaza Resource Page

St. Dorotheos of Gaza (Feast Day - August 13)

Verses

Discerning words flowed from you,

O Dorotheos the boast of monastics.

Holy Abba Dorotheos of Gaza

Abba Dorotheos of Gaza as a Model for our Lives

Homily on Abba Dorotheos of Gaza and Saint Maximus the Confessor (Metr. Hierotheos of Nafpaktos)

Holy Abba Seridos of Gaza

Saint Dositheos the Submissive, Disciple of Abba Dorotheos

Saints Barsanuphios and John Resource Page

On the Holy Lenten Fast (St. Dorotheos of Gaza)

Directions on the Spiritual Life (St. Dorotheos of Gaza)

Homily on the Conscience (St. Dorotheos of Gaza)

On Resentment (St. Dorotheos of Gaza)

An Interpretation of Certain Sayings of St. Gregory the Theologian Found in Paschal Hymns (Abba Dorotheos of Gaza)

Synaxarion of our Venerable Father Onesimos the Wonderworker

St. Onesimos the Wonderworker (Feast Day - July 14)

Verses

With Your Onesimos I come to You O Word,
That the burden I lift may be light and pleasant.

This Saint Onesimos was different from the Apostle Onesimos the disciple of the Apostle Paul, and different from the Martyr Onesimos. He lived during the reign of Emperor Diocletian (284–305), and was from Caesarea of Palestine, from a village known as Karyini. It is said that his parents received Holy Baptism by a divine Angel, were given the good news that they would give birth to this Saint, and that they were to name their son Onesimos. When he was still young the Venerable one left his parents and went to a monastery in Ephesus, where there were eight hundred monks. His parents wept and lamented because he left, and from their many tears they were blinded.

Synaxis of All the Saints of Palestine

On this day, the Second Sunday of Matthew, we commemorate all the Saints who shone forth in Palestine.

Verses

Be magnified, O Zion, as you honor the Saints who shined all together in Palestine,
Zion, the Mother of Churches, celebrates a godlike host.

On the Second Sunday after Pentecost, the Patriarchate of Jerusalem celebrates the memory of the Saints who had lived and died in the region of the three Palestines, namely Galilee, Judea, and Arabia Petraea. These Saints include those of the Old and New Testaments, Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, Confessors, Preachers, Evangelists, both eponymous and anonymous. Upon the Patriarchate’s request, the ever-memorable hymnographer of Mount Athos, Gerasimos Mikragiannanitis, had composed a special service for the feast.

Saint Maximus III, Patriarch of Jerusalem

St. Maximus of Jerusalem (Feast Day - May 9)

According to Sozomen, Saint Maximus was a confessor of the persecution against Christians by the Emperor Diocletian, and was condemned to work in the mines, after having first deprived him of his right eye, and the use of his left leg.

Maximus was so popular among the people for his good character and for being a confessor that when Saint Macarius the Bishop of Jerusalem attempted to appoint him as Bishop of Lydda (also known as Diospolis) the populace insisted upon his retention in Jerusalem. Upon Macarius' death Maximus became Bishop of Jerusalem in 333, and was present in 335 at the first Synod of Tyre, and signed that synod's condemnation of Saint Athanasius, which he later realized he was deceived into doing.

Synaxarion of our Venerable Father Porphyrios the Bishop of Gaza

Verses

Who shall elude? Who shall neglect?
Even Porphyrios who has passed from life?
On the twenty-sixth the corpse of Porphyris was hidden in the earth.

He was from the city of Thessaloniki, the son of parents who were noble and wealthy, during the reign of Emperor Arcadius (395-408). Withdrawing from his homeland, he went to Egypt, where he went to a skete and became a monk. After five years he went to Jerusalem, and enlightened many unbelievers by the words of his teachings. For this reason he was ordained a Presbyter by the Patriarch of Jerusalem Praulius. Later he was ordained Bishop of Gaza by the Archbishop of Caesarea in Palestine John. Having become Bishop, he did many wonderful things, and many unbelievers he converted to the knowledge of God. Seeing that the provincial Christians were unjustly treated by the authorities of Gaza, who were idolaters and heretics, he went to Constantinople to seek help for those who were mistreated. There he met the great John Chrysostom who was at that time Patriarch of Constantinople and told him about the unjust treatment by the authorities of Gaza, for which reason he went to Constantinople. The divine Chrysostom therefore introduced him to the cubicularius of the emperor, whose name was Amantios.

Saint Zacharias, Patriarch of Jerusalem (+ 632)

St. Zacharias of Jerusalem (Feast Day - February 21)

Verses

Blessed are you and your death Zacharias,

Zacharias the president of blessed land.

Saint Zacharias had been keeper of the sacred vessels (skevophylax) of the Church of Constantinople before he became Patriarch of Jerusalem in 609. In the year 614 on the 20th of May the Persian emperor Chosroes fell upon Jerusalem, looted it, stole the True Cross of the Lord, and led many Christians into captivity, including Saint Zacharias. Of the captured Christians as many as 90,000 perished.

Saint Prochorus the Georgian (+ 1066)

St. Prokhor the Georgian (Feast Day - February 12)

Saint Prochorus the Georgian, a descendant of the noble Shavteli family, was born at the end of the 10th century and grew up in a monastery. When he reached manhood he was ordained a hieromonk and labored for one year at the Lavra of Saint Savvas in Jerusalem. Then, with the blessing of his spiritual father Ekvtime Grdzeli, he began the reconstruction of the Holy Cross Georgian Monastery near Jerusalem.

According to tradition, at this spot Abraham’s nephew Lot planted three trees — a cypress, a pine, and a cedar. Eventually these three trees miraculously grew into one large tree. When the Temple of Solomon was being built, this tree was cut down but left unused. It is said that the Cross on which Christ our Savior was crucified was constructed from the wood of this tree.

Holy Martyr Nikoloz Dvali of Jerusalem (+ 1314)

St. Nokoloz Dvali (Feast Day - February 12)

The Holy Martyr Nikoloz Dvali was born at the end of the 13th century to a God-fearing couple who directed his path toward the spiritual life.

At the age of twelve Nikoloz traveled to the Klarjeti Wilderness and was tonsured a monk. From there he made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and remained in the holy city, settling at the Holy Cross Monastery. Burning with desire for the apostolic life, Monk Nikoloz was determined to die a martyr’s death.

Holy Martyr Luka of Jerusalem (+ 1273)

St. Luka of Jerusalem (Feast Day - February 12)

The Holy Martyr Luka of Jerusalem lived in the 13th century. He was born to an honorable, pious Georgian family by the name of Mukhaisdze. After the repose of Luka’s father, his mother left her children and went to labor at a monastery in Jerusalem.

When Luka reached the age of twenty, he traveled to Jerusalem to visit his mother and venerate the holy places. After spending some time there he decided to remain and be tonsured a monk at Holy Cross Monastery. He was later ordained a deacon and became fluent in Arabic. Soon the brothers of the monastery recognized his wisdom and asked him to guide them as abbot. For three years Luka directed the monastery in an exemplary manner.

Massacre of the Venerable Martyrs of the Monastery of Saint Theodosios the Cenobiarch in 614 A.D.

Venerable Martyrs of Saint Theodosios Monastery (Feast Day - January 13)

The Holy Monastery of Saint Theodosios the Cenobiarch is located east of Bethlehem at the beginning of the desert, on the ancient main road that leads to the desert of the River Jordan and the Dead Sea. It was established by Saint Theodosios in the fifth century.

In the year 614 Persians under King Chosroes II invaded the Holy Land and caused unspeakable damage to Jerusalem and its surroundings. They massacred the faithful, destroyed churches and monasteries, and killed priests and monastics. The then flourishing Monasteries of Saint Theodosios the Cenobiarch, Saint Savvas the Sanctified, Saint George the Chozebite, Saint Gerasimos of Jordan and many others were brought to ruin.

Monastery of the Temptation: Where Jesus Was Tempted by the Devil

“And Jesus being full of the Holy Spirit returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.” Luke 4:1-2

The Monastery of the Temptation is a Greek Orthodox Monastery located three kilometers northwest of Jericho, Palestine. It was built on the slopes of the Mount of Temptation 350 meters above sea level, situated along a cliff overlooking the city of Jericho and the Jordan Valley. According to Luke (4:1-13) and Matthew (4:1-11) Jesus was tempted by the devil, which ancient tradition identifies as this being the location where it took place.

The Resurrection of a Dead Baby by Saint George of Chozeba

There was once a farmer from Jericho, who was dearly loved by the brothers of the [Lavra at Kalamon]. He had an only child, an infant, that - alas! - died. Thereupon the father placed the infant into a basket. On top, he placed a few fruits, which he had grown, and then covered them with vine leaves. He then took the basket and went to the lavra. Once there, he knocked on the door to the cells. Abba George came out and let him in. After the farmer entered, he made a prostration before the elder and placed the basket in front of the brethren, requesting that they bless the fruit of his field. He then took their leave. The brothers took the fruits from the basket, only to find the dead infant.

Life of Saint John the Hesychast, Bishop of Kolonia (St. Dimitri of Rostov)

St. John the Hesychast (Feast Day - December 3)

Verses

I am not resting. For by death I am crowned,
Were the words of the the hesychast John.

By St. Dimitri of Rostov

Our venerable father John the Silent, a man deserving of unceasing praise, was from Nicopolis of Armenia. His father was named Encratius, and his mother Euphemia. He was born on the eighth day of January, during the fourth year of the reign of the pious Marcian, and was enlightened in Holy Baptism. His parents were Orthodox Christians known throughout Armenia for their wealth. Encratius was a general held in high regard by the Emperor, who entrusted him with great authority. This is mentioned not so that John may be praised because of his noble birth (for the saints are blessed and extolled for their virtues, not because they are highborn), but that, knowing how eminent was the family from which God’s favorite sprang, we might understand how profound was the humility he attained.

Holy Hieromartyr Philoumenos of Cyprus, Who Was Martyred at Jacob's Well in 1979

Icon of Saint Philoumenos (Michalis Koullepos, 1999).
In the church of the Holy Monastery of Saint Nicholas, Orounda.

Childhood Years – Departure for the Monastery

Saint Philoumenos was born on October 15th, 1913 in the parish of Saint Savvas in Nicosia. His parentage originated from the village of Orounda, a village of the Nicosia district in Cyprus. The Saint’s parents were George and Magdalene Hassapis.

Saint Chariton the Confessor as a Model for our Lives

By Protopresbyter Fr. George Papavarnavas

Venerable Chariton the Confessor was born and raised in Iconium of Asia Minor, during the reign of Emperor Aurelian, which was a period of persecution against the Church. He was arrested along with other Christians, and courageously confessed his faith, for which he was subjected to severe torture. Twice he was carried off bloodied to prison, but by the grace of God he survived, and when Aurelian died soon after, Saint Chariton, by imperial decree, was released.

After his release he continued to live a life of asceticism and prayer. One day he decided to go to Jerusalem, along the way however he encountered some robbers, who took him prisoner and led him to their cave. But soon after the robbers died after they had drank from their wine, for without knowing a snake had poisoned it. Thus, Saint Chariton, by divine economy, was freed from bondage, but he also became an heir to the great wealth of the robbers, which he distributed to the poor, and took care to build many sacred churches.