Selected Lives of Saints

8/19/2019 Selected Lives of Saints

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Selec ted L i ves o f

O r t h o d o x S ai n t s

Contents:

Saint Anthony. Saint Barbara. Saint Basil the Great. Saint Catherine. Saints Constantine and

Helen. Saints Cosmas and Damianos the Benevolent. Saint Christina. Saint Cyrus and John

the Benevolent.

Saint Demetrios. Saint Eugenia. Saint Euphemia. Forty Martyrs of Sebaste. Saint Fotini.

Saint George — the Great Martyr. Saint Gerasimos. Saint Gregory the Theologian. Saint

Haralambos.

Archbishop Innocent of Alaska. Saint Irene. Saint Isidoros and Saint Myrope. Saint John

The Baptist. Saint John Chrysostom. St. John the Russian. Juvenal and Peter the AleutAmerica’s Protomartyrs. Martyr Julian of Tarsus. Saint Justin Martyr, the Philosopher.

Saint Kyriaki. Saint Marcella of Chios. Saint Marina. St. Martin of Tours. Saint Matrona of

Chios. Saint Nicholas the Miraculous. Saint Nicholas (Kassatkin) enlightener of Japan.Saint Panteleimon. Saint Paraskevi. Saint Phanourios. Saint Philothei. Saint Prokopios.

Saint Sophia and her Three Daughters Faith, Hope and Love. Saint Spyridon theMiraculous. Saint Stelianos. Saint Theodore Stratilates. Saint Theodore Tyron. Saint

Tryphon.

Saint Ant hon y.

(Celebrated January 17).

Anthony, the founder of monasticism, was born in Egypt in the year 251 of very pious parents.As a youth, he loathed the burden of studying and found his classmates uninteresting. His

education was therefore limited. He did, however, attend church faithfully with his parents and

observed the services intensely, trying to enrich his spiritual growth. Progress in itself did notinterest him, for he was completely satisfied with what he had.

After the death of his parents, Anthony lived with his sister, and between his 18th and 20th

birthdays, he took care of family affairs. During this time he also studied the lives and miracles

of the Saints. One day he attended the liturgy and heard the words of Jesus to the wealthy youngman, “If thou wilt be perfect, go sell all that thou hast, give it to the poor and come follow me…”

So impressed was he by these words that he immediately set forth to do as Christ had told

the young man. He gave his three-hundred plots of farm land to the hungry and all his money tothe poor. He entrusted his sister to a Christian home for virgins and he returned to his house, for

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at this time there were no monasteries. Those who wanted to meditate would build cells a short

distance from the city and live there. This is what Anthony did.

An elderly man in a nearby village lived the life of a hermit. In order to support himself, hewould handcraft articles and sell them. Because of his virtuosity, he was well liked by all his

neighbors. Anthony followed the example set by this man — he prayed, meditated, and fasted in

order to overcome the many temptations which are common to young men. He practiced selfdenial by remaining awake days at a time, eating once a day, sometimes once every two days,

and sleeping on the ground. The philosophy behind his actions was that young men should

torture their bodies as much as possible so that their resistance to physical and spiritual sickness

would be higher.At the age of thirty-five, Anthony went to the old hermit in the neighboring village. He

asked him to accompany him in the desert, away from temptation and sin. The old man did not

want to go because of his age and because it was not an accepted practice at that time. Anthonydeparted on his own. In the desert, he found a derelict fortress in which he barricaded himself.

No one entered and he did not leave. A stream which ran within the old structure, and loaves of

bread brought to him every six months and left outside the door, were the sum total of his

sustenance. Many of Anthony’s friends would come to the fortress and remain outside. Theywould hear voices coming from within telling them to depart. However, they could not

understand whose voices they were, since Anthony was the only one inside.

He remained there many years and many men came to him expressing a desire to follow hisexample, living the life of a hermit, and undergoing spiritual struggles. He taught his brothers to

prefer their love for Christ over everything else. In time, this became the first monastery,

established in 305 A.D. It is for this reason that Saint Anthony is generally known as the Fatherof Monasticism. From this one brotherhood, many more sprouted throughout the known world.

Rules were soon established which were to be followed by all hermit monks.

During the time of the persecutions under the Emperor Maximian, Anthony and severalother monks traveled to Alexandria to encourage and comfort the many suffering Christians. In

325, Saint Anthony and his monks helped defeat the Arian heretics at the First Ecumenical

Council in Nicaea.

Many miracles are attributed to this religious father.

A soldier named Martinianos arrived at the monastery with his daughter who was extremely

ill. He asked Anthony to cure his daughter. The soldier was told that he was a sinner, but if he put his faith in Christ, his daughter would be cured. The father and Saint Anthony prayed

together, and the girl was cured. News of the miracle spread and soon many more came and

waited outside the monastery to be healed. His solitude now endangered, Anthony decided toleave for Upper Thevaeda where he was unknown. Taking some loaves of bread, he went to the

sea hoping to find a ship. Suddenly, he heard a voice asking him where he was going. He

responded by saying that the crowds were annoying him and that he was going to UpperThevaeda. The voice told him that he would be annoyed at Thevaeda also. To find what he

sought, he had to go to the outer wilderness. Just then, a band of Saracens passed by; overjoyed

at having Anthony as their companion, they took him to the desert. The Saracens gave him some

bread and left him on a mountain.When his brothers discovered where he was, they brought him his necessities. Anthony

pitied them, since they had to travel a great distance to bring him food; therefore, he asked them

to bring him some seeds for planting. He cleared a field and planted the seeds which were


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watered by a near-by stream. The seeds yielded wheat, and thus, Anthony became self-

supporting. Seeing that people were still coming to receive his blessing, he decided to also plant

some greens with which to feed them.Many wild animals came and drank from the stream, causing a great amount of damage to

his crops in the process. Catching one of the animals, he said to it, “I have done you no harm, yet

you keep coming here and ruining my crops; therefore, leave now and never return to this spot.”After this, no animal came to drink from the stream.

Several monks came to the mountain asking Anthony to visit their monastery and preach to

the other brothers. The Saint agreed, but on the way to the monastery, their water supply was

exhausted. They were near death as Anthony lifted his hands and prayed to God. Miraculously,water sprang from the sand, and the monks were saved. After arriving at the monastery, he

preached to the brothers about spiritual struggles and the rules of monasticism. While in this

area, Anthony visited his sister, who had now become a nun, and then he returned to hismountain. Since his location was now disclosed, many monks came to hear Anthony’s words of

wisdom and philosophy.

A ruler of Egypt, named Flonton suffered from epilepsy and almost complete blindness.

Hearing of the miracles of Saint Anthony, Flonton decided to seek his help. Anthony told him toreturn home and he would be cured. When he arrived in Alexandria, his vision and epilepsy were

indeed cured.

At another time, a girl from Tripoli had become extremely ill and paralyzed. Her parents,having heard of the Saint’s powers, took her to him. They were accompanied by several monks.

When they arrived at the mountain, the monks went ahead to tell him of the girl’s arrival and

sickness. Anthony told them to return to the girl for she had been cured by the mercy of Christ.The monks returned and found the girl in perfect health.

Anthony’s fame reached even to Constantinople. Constantine the Great and one of his sons

would write letters to Anthony asking for his blessing and advice. He advised them to rememberthat Christ was the true King and that they should emulate Him; they should be philanthropists,

help the poor, and rule their Empire justly.

It should be remembered that, Saint Anthony, as well as the other great workers of theChurch, were only vehicles through which Christ would perform miracles. They themselves did

not possess this holy ability, but were worthy enough to act as Christ’s agents.

Anthony died on January 17, 356 A.D. at the age of one-hundred and five. He instructed

two of his monks to bury him secretly. This they did, and his resting place is still unknown.From his history, the reader can understand the type of person that Saint Anthony was.

From his youth to his death, he engaged in spiritual struggles and in this respect, he is considered

the Father of Monasticism, an institution which had perpetuated our Orthodox Faith throughoutits history.

Saint Barbara.

(Celebrated December 4).

During the rule of Maximius, in the year 290 A.D., the governor in the Anatolian city ofHeliopolis was Dioscuros. Dioscuros was a fairly wealthy man who was originally from thenearby village of Galassos. He had only one child, a very beautiful girl named Barbara. Her


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parents were extremely proud of her, not only because of her beauty, but for her virtuosity as

well.

While still young, her parents took every precaution to protect her; therefore, they erected afortress in which they placed Barbara so that people could not see her, as was the case with Saint

Christina. They supplied her with all her needs; servants, food and clothing. When Barbara came

of age, many military officers of Heliopolis asked her father for her hand in marriage, for theyhad heard of her great beauty and charm. He refused, however, to give his promise to anyone

until he first conferred with his daughter. He went to the fortress and asked his daughter if she

were willing to marry. Barbara immediately responded that if her father forced her to marry, she

would commit suicide. When Dioscuros heard this, he left the fortress believing that in time, hecould convince her to consent to marriage.

Dioscuros decided to add a bathing house to the fortress. He left the plans with the builders

and instructed them to make sure that the new building was aesthetically constructed. He thendeparted for another city where he had some pressing business. During her father’s absence,

Barbara had the opportunity to leave her living quarters and observe the erection of the bathing

house. Upon discovering that the building was to have only two windows, she asked the builders

why they did not add another window on the north side so that the pool would have more light.She was told that they were following her father’s orders. Barbara instructed them to install the

third window and that she would assume the responsibility. The builders followed her directions.

Barbara watched the construction and was extremely pleased with the third window. Our AllMerciful God, who knows everything before it occurs, was extremely pleased with Barbara’s

innocence and filled her heart with the Holy Spirit and with the love of Christ. While standing by

the pool of the bath house, Barbara made the sign of the cross on the marble with her finger.Miraculously, her finger chisled the cross so deeply into the marble, that it still exists today for

all generations to see the power and glory of God. The pool also remains and is said to have the

power to heal all those who have faith.One day, returning from the bath house, Barbara noticed the false idols which her father

worshipped and she spat on them. She returned to the fortress, fasting and praying that she would

receive Divine Guidance.When Dioscuror returned, he saw the third window in the bath house and wondered why the

builders had constructed it. They informed him that his daughter had ordered the third window

installed. He questioned his daughter as to why she had ordered the window’s construction. She

told him that three windows made the bath house more beautiful. Dioscuros asked her if therewas any particular reason for three. Barbara answered by saying, “Three Lights guide everyone

who walks the earth.” Dioscuros asked her how these three Lights could guide everyone. Making

the sign of the cross with three fingers, she said, ‘This signifies the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,and with these Lights the whole world is guided.” These words angered her father and made him

forget that Barbara was his daughter. He drew his sword and threatened to murder her. Terrified,

she ran from him to a nearby mountain. Upon reaching the top, she raised her arms towards theheavens and prayed to God for help. Just then, the earth on which she stood parted and

swallowed most of her body. In the meantime, her father, while searching for her, found two

shepherds, whom he asked if they had seen his daughter. The first shepherd told him that they

had not seen her so that the Saint might be spared. The other, however, pointed in the Saint’sdirection. Divine Justice prevailed though, because all of the wicked shepherd’s sheep became

the akanthis plants which surround the Saint’s gravesite.


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After finding his daughter, Dioscuros forced her back to the fortress and locked her in a

small room. Outside, he placed two guards. He then went to Marcius, the ruler of the city, and

informed him that Barbara was a Christian. Shortly thereafter, Barbara was given to Marciuswith her father’s damnation. Seeing that Barbara woud not sacrifice to the idols, Marcius ordered

his soldiers to first strip the Saint and beat her with sticks, and then to rub the wounds with

vinegar so that the pain would be even greater. This done, she vas imprisoned until her secondtrial. Towards midnight, a bright light appeared to Barbara and a voicetold her not to fear, for

Christ was always with her. As soon as the words were spoken, all her wounds disappeared. A

God-fearing woman, named Julia, was imprisoned with Barbara and had seen the miracle. She

praised God with all her heart and decided to be a martyr for her Christian beliefs.For a second time, the ruler ordered the Saint to be brought to trial. The court was amazed

to see that there were no wounds on her body. Marcius refused to believe that she had been cured

by the power of God and attributed the miracle to the false idols. Saint Barbara informed himthat his gods had no power to perform such a miracle and that Christ, the Son of God, was

responsible for her salvation. Outraged, the ruler ordered his soldiers to tear the Saint’s body

with iron claws, to burn her with torches, and to hit her head with a spiked club.

Julia witnessed the torture. She felt so much sorrow for the Saint that she began to cryuncontrollably. When Marcius discovered that she was also a Christian, he ordered that she be

hung beside the Saint to suffer the same tortures. As she was being tortured, she raised her eyes

towards heaven and asked God to help her not to deny her beliefs in Him. Marcius then orderedhis soldiers to cut of the martyr’s breasts. After this inhumane act was performed, Julia was taken

back to prison.

Saint Barbara was stripped of her clothing to be marched throughout the city. Before thiscould be done, however, a group of cherubim appeared before the Saint. They dressed her in a

brilliant gown and again healed her wounds. Seeing that he could not overcome the Saint with

threats and tortures, Marcius ordered his soldiers to behead both Barbara and Julia.Present at all these tortures was Dioscuros, the father of the Saint. He felt neither pain nor

remorse for what he had done to his only child. When the ruler sentenced them to death,

Dioscuros requested that he be permitted to perform the execution of his daughter. Barbara andJulia were taken to the mountain where Dioscuros had previously captured his daughter. He

beheaded Saint Barbara and a soldier beheaded Saint Julia. This occurred on December 4, 290

A.D. For several seconds the earth shook. The earth then opened and swallowed the bodies of the

two martyrs.God was quick with Divine Retribution to Dioscuros, for as he was descending the

mountain, a thunder storm arose. A bolt of lightning descended from the heavens and killed this

bloodthirsty tyrant. A second bolt of lightning immediately descended and murdered SaintJulia’s executioner.

When Marcius heard of the events which occurred at the execution, he became

psychologically distressed and soon afterwards died of his remorse.

Saint Basil the Great.


Saint Basil was born in the capital of Cappadocia, Caesarea, in the year 329 A.D. His parents,Basil and Emmelia, were respected, God-fearing people. Basil had three brothers; Peter,


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Gregory, and Nafcratin; and one sister named Macrina. Peter was the Archbishop of Sebastia,

Gregory was the Bishop of Nyssa and Macrina became a Saint (her memory is celebrated on the

19th of July).Saint Basil was raised by his paternal grandmother, Macrina, in the city of Neocaesarea on

Pontus. She instilled in his heart a great love for Christ. Her family had been persecuted for

many years under the Emperor Maximinus for their belief in Christianity. Basil returned toCaesarea where his father was a Christian priest and teacher. It was here that he began his

education. He continued his studies in Constantinople where his professors were among the most

respected in the world. Upon the advice of his rhetorical instructor, Libanius, Basil went to

Athens to further his education.In Athens he became very friendly with Saint Gregory the Theologian. Basil’s life there was

a prime example of frugality, continence and wisdom. Most of his colleagues were pagans who

did not measure up to his Christian virtues. With the help of Saint Gregory, he overcame these paganistic ideals.

Saint Basil excelled in all of his studies, especially in rhetoric. He studied the writings of all

the Ancient Greek philosophers and used philosophy in his everyday life. The balance of his

instruction included logic, mathematics, astronomy, and medicine. Even with all his otherstudies, Saint Basil never satisfied his desire for theological learning, something that was

instilled in him from his childhood.

After finishing his studies he returned to Caesarea in 355 A.D. and involved himself withlaw and politics. But this was not for him and he soon embarked in the monastic way of life with

the same fervor as his sister.

Basil had always wanted to visit the Holy Lands to study the lifestyles of other monks. He,therefore, journeyed through Egypt, Syria, and Mesopotamia, witnessing the devotion and love

with which the monks treated their fellow man. He finally arrived in Jerusalem (358 A.D. — 360

A.D.) with a former teacher named Evoulos and together they worshipped at all of the shrines inthe city. They were then baptized in the Jordan River by the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Maximos (at

that time, Christians were not baptized until they were at least 30 years old).

He returned to Cappadocia and since he still wanted to lead a monastic life, he went toPontus, where his family owned land. There he met his mother and sister. On this land, near the

river Iris (today known as Turkisti Kailpak), his sister and other women, had built a monastery of

which she was the abbess. A short distance from this monastery, Saint Basil built a small hut

where he lived. Here he studied in depth the Holy Scriptures, prayed, fasted, and meditated. Hedressed in rags and his only nourishment was water and stale bread. He slept on the ground and

had no fire in the winter to keep him warm. Loving nature so, he endured anything it had to

offer.Saint Gregory the Theologian also shared Saint Basil’s monastic life. Many students from

Asia and Greece came to study under these two great teachers. Since they had to accommodate

so many people, the Saints tilled their land until they became self sufficient.Saint Basil, having established his school, left thewilderness and journeyed to Antioch. Here

he was ordained a deacon by the city’s Patriarch. Upon learning that his father was ill, he

decided to go to Caesarea and ask for his blessing.

At that time, Eusebius was the Metropolitan of Caesarea. An angel appeared to him onenight and told him that his successor was coming. The Metropolitan was to send representatives

to the gates of the city to welcome him. When the envoys reached the gates, they saw Saint Basil

and were impressed by his mere presence. He was taken to the Metropolitan who appointed him


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as head teacher of his Church. His duties included interpreting the Holy Scriptures. Shortly

thereafter, Saint Basil was ordained into the priesthood.

Julian the Apostate was the ruler of the Byzantine Empire at that time. He was movingagainst the Persians. On his way, he stopped at Caesarea, where Saint Basil and many others

went to greet the Emperor. He had been a student in Athens with Saint Basil. Julian asked Basil

to present him with whatever the Saint usually ate. Basil immediately brought Julian three loavesof bread. The Emperor then ordered the people to go to their farms and cut fodder and present it

to Saint Basil. The Saint told Julian that he had not asked for any gifts nor did he want the food

that Julian was accustomed to eating. The Emperor, interpreting this as an insult, cursed Saint

Basil for his remarks and for teaching Christianity. He warned him that when he returned fromfighting the Persians, he would make the Saint pay for his commentary. With these words, Julian

departed, but his threats were never to be fulfilled. Basil re-entered the city and warned his

people of Julian’s anger. He told them not to be concerned with their property, but with the protection of their lives. They were to bring their money to one central spot and when Julian

approached, they would offer it to him. This would hopefully calm him and persuade him to

spare their lives. So the people gathered their gold, silver, and precious gems and brought them

to Saint Basil who then placed them in the treasury. When he heard that Julian was returning, hesummoned all the Christian families together. They fasted for three days and then went to the

mountain of Didimos. On one of the peaks of this mountain was the Church of the Theotokos.

They went to this church and prayed to Christ to save them. As they prayed, a cloud entered thechurch and on it they saw the figure of a Lady sitting on a throne. Just then, Basil envisioned

Saint Mercourios, who dressed in armor, stood before the Lady (the Theotokos). She instructed

the Saint to destroy Julian. The Theotokos then summoned Basil and gave him a book in whichwas contained the genesis of mankind and the world. The last word in the book was “save.”

Saint Basil left the church with the other clergy and returned to Caesarea. There was a

church here dedicated to Saint Mercourios who was martyred in 100 A.D. The body of the Saintrested in this church. When Saint Basil went to the coffin to pray, he found it empty. He asked

the caretaker of the church if he knew what had happened to the holy body, but the caretaker

knew nothing. Saint Basil then realized that his vision was very real. Several hours afterwards,he heard of Julian’s death. He ran to the mountain and told the awaiting Christians the news.

They rejoiced and praised both God and Saint Mercourios.

Saint Basil told his people to return to the city where he would return their money. The

Christians shouted saying, “If we would have given it to the impious Julian, why should we notgive it to the King of Heaven who saved us.” Saint Basil admired them for their generosity and

told them to take one-third of what they had given. The remainder would be used to build

orphanages, hospitals, and homes for the poor and aged.Saint Basil did not remain long with the Bishop of Caesarea, for the Bishop became envious

of the people’s love for Basil. Since Basil was a peace loving man, he left Caesarea, so that a

dispute between the people and the Bishop would not arise. From Caesarea he went to Pontus tofind Saint Gregory the Theologian.

In the year 363, the pious Iovianos ascended to the thrown of Byzantium. He died that same

year and the Emperor Valens took his place. This Emperor believed in the Arian Heresy and

tried to force his ideas on all the bishops of the Empire. He was determined to employ any andevery means to accomplish his task. When the Bishop Eusebius and the people of Caesarea heard

this, they sent a delegation to Saint Basil asking him to return. They felt that his presence would


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afford them protection from this unorthodox dogma. Saints Basil and Gregory went to Caesarea

and espoused the idea of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church in that city.

Saint Basil’s main attack was to reinforce the people’s belief that Christ was the Son ofGod, created before all ages. The Emperor stopped all economic aid to Caesarea in order to force

the city to accept the teachings of Arius. The rich helped the poor to survive these lean times by

keeping their warehouses open. This was done in accordance with Saint Basil’s instructions.In 370 A.D., Bishop Eusebius died and the bishops of Cappadocia elected Saint Basil to

take his place. He was an exemplary Bishop for he worked with his people and taught them how

to lead a true Christian life. He gave of his body and soul so that his people’s beliefs would

become stronger. No one could criticize him for his work, for he was extremely dedicated.Countless citizens became very philanthropic and aided the poor because of his teachings. This

generosity was not confined to Caesarea, but extended to all the cities of Cappadocia.

God granted Saint Basil the power to perform miracles. After the Resurrection of Our LordJesus Christ, Saint Iakovos, Christ’s brother, wrote several prayers for the priests to use in the

Agape Services. Saint Climus, a student of Saint Peter’s, also wrote prayers to be used for the

services. The liturgy became extremely long, and the Christian participants became very weary,

since many of the prayers were repetitious. Saint Basil, wanting to remedy this situation, prayedto God for guidance to accomplish the task. After many days of prayer, fasting, and meditation,

Saint Basil saw a vision. In the vision, Christ descended from Heaven with his Apostles and

performed the liturgy. The liturgy was not chanted with the prayers of Saints Iakovos andClimus, but with other prayers and hymns. It was these prayers and hymns that Saint Basil used

to write the Divine Liturgy. His Liturgy is heard ten times a year: the Feast Day of Saint Basil;

Epiphany Day; the first five Sundays of the Great Lent; Holy Thursday; Holy Saturday; andChristmas Eve. The Liturgy we hear the remaining days of the year is the Liturgy of Saint John

Chrysostom. His Liturgy is that of Saint Basil’s with several revisions.

A widow once owed money to one of the noblemen of Caesarea. She went to Saint Basilasking that he tell the nobleman to stop pressuring her for the payment. Saint Basil wrote a letter

to the nobleman requesting that he be generous and pity the poor widow. She delivered the letter

to the creditor, but he responded by saying that it was Imperial money that she owed. Saint Basilwrote another letter to the nobleman, telling him to put himself in the widow’s place. It was as

though this letter was to be a prophecy, for the creditor was soon ordered by the Emperor to

travel from city to city, to repay the many unjust payments which he had accepted. The

nobleman wrote a letter asking the Saint to pray for him. The same day that Saint Basil prayed,the Emperor pardoned the nobleman for his crimes. He paid the woman twice the amount she

had owed him.

At another time, a famine fell upon the area of Caesarea and many people were dying ofhunger. Saint Basil made a plea to the rich of the city to help during this time of disaster. They

brought all their goods to a general warehouse and Saint Basil personally distributed the food

among the people until the famine ended.Saint Basil did not confine his teachings to the people of Cappadocia. He tried to save the

souls of orthodox Christians throughout the world. He realized that from Illirium to Egypt, there

was great unrest in the Church. This unrest was caused by those believing in the Arian heresy,

resentment of the Emperor, and by the indifference of the bishops of that area to their people.Because he wanted to stop this unrest, Basil began conferring by mail with the Bishop of

Alexandria, Saint Athanasius the Great. He asked the Bishop to try in every way possible to calm

the people and to settle their disputes. Saint Basil made the same request of the Bishop of


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Antioch. A letter was also sent to the Bishop of Rome warning him, that by Imperial Rule, any

bishops who believed in the Arian heresy were elected, their churches were being turned over to

the heretics.Valens the Emperor, divided Cappadocia into two sections which were called Old and New

Cappadocia. Caesarea remained the capital of Old Cappadocia while the city of Tyana became

the capital of New Cappadocia. Saint Basil’s district was thus cut in half and another bishop tookcharge of New Cappadocia, one who believed in Arianism. The Emperor’s purpose in doing this

was to bring more churches under the Arian philosophy. In addition, every attempt had been

made to make Saint Basil accept the beliefs of Arius, but they continuously failed. The

Emperor’s attempt came when he sent Modestos, the General of Cappadocia (372), to makeSaint Basil accept the Arian Heresy or else exile him from Caesarea. Modestos tried to alter

Saint Basil’s beliefs, but the Saint flatly refused and told him that he did not fear torture, exile, or

death.The Emperor himself came to Caesarea and Modestos told him of Saint Basil’s refusal.

They both admired the Saint for his steadfastness. On Epiphany Day, the Emperor and his

entourage went to the church in which Saint Basil was performing the liturgy. They were amazed

at the size and piety of the congregation. The Emperor was so overwhelmed, that he approachedthe entrance to the sanctuary and offered a gift. Neither Saint Basil nor any of the priests,

however, would accept a gift from an Arian heretic. The Emperor left in humiliation. Valens

later returned to the church but this time he walked into the sanctuary to talk to Saint Basil. Hewas so moved by the Saint’s rhetoric, that he gave the best plots of land which he owned in

Cappadocia, to the poor farmers of Caesarea.

The Emperor’s wife, Domnici, also believed in the teachings of Arius. She persuaded herhusband to have Saint Basil exiled from the Empire. Saint Basil was told of the Emperor’s

decision and prepared to leave. That night Domnici had terrible nightmares and was unable to

sleep. Her son, Galatus, became ill with a high fever and her doctors could not cure him. TheEmpress realized that she was being punished for her sins against the orthodox Church and Saint

Basil. Both monarchs prayed to God to save them from this peril. The Saint was summoned to

the palace and as soon as he had entered the gates, Galatus’ fever dropped. He told the monarchsthat if they would have their child baptized by an orthodox priest he would be completely cured.

The Emperor refused.

Those believing in Arianism again convinced the Emperor to pressure Saint Basil to

reconsider. The Saint again refused. The Emperor began to write the document ordering theSaint’s exile, but the paper on which he wrote crumbled. This happened three times and then the

Emperor’s hand began to shake. He realized that this was a sign from God and thus Saint Basil

was not exiled.The governor of Caesarea had, at the time, become extremely ill. He asked Saint Basil to

visit him. As the Saint approached, the governor was immediately cured. Another governor of

the area had a close friend who was a judge. This judge wanted to marry a respectable widow ofCaesarea. So that she would not be forced to do this, the widow went to Saint Basil to seek his

protection. When the governor was told that the Saint was protecting this woman, he became

furious. He sent his guards to arrest the Saint as though he were a common criminal. The

governor found Saint Basil guilty of rebellion and ordered that he be tortured. When the peopleheard this, they gathered what ever weapons were available and assembled at the palace. Seeing

the mob assembling, the governor realized that his life was in danger. He quickly ran to Saint


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Basil and begged for his forgiveness. The Saint pardoned the governor for his sins and dispersed

the crowd.

Saint Ephraim the Syrian, was living in the desert as a monk, but had heard of the miraclesand teachings of Saint Basil. He prayed to God to tell him what type of person Saint Basil was.

Just then a pillar of fire rose from the ground towards heaven and Saint Ephraim heard a voice

saying, “Ephraim, Saint Basil is like this pillar of fire that you see.” Thus, Ephraim hired aninterpreter, who spoke both Greek and Syrian, and journeyed to Caesarea. The two monks

arrived in Caesarea and went to the church where Saint Basil was performing the liturgy. When

Ephraim saw the Saint in his robes, he was not impressed and his interpreter remarked that they

had traveled all this distance for nothing. Saint Basil, through the Holy Ghost, realized what washappening. He called one of his deacons and told him that he would find two monks in the

church, one tall and thin and the other dark. He was instructed to bring them to the sanctuary so

that Saint Basil could talk to them. The deacon made his way through the crowd and found thetwo monks. He gave them Saint Basil’s message, but Saint Ephraim told the deacon that they

were strangers in Caesarea, and since no one knew them, he was mistaken. The deacon returned

to Saint Basil and explained what had occurred. Saint Basil again sent the deacon to deliver his

message. The deacon told the two monks once again that the bishop wanted to see them. SaintEphraim suddenly realized the magnitude of Saint Basil’s wisdom and that he was comparable to

the pillar of fire. After the liturgy, Saint Basil and Saint Ephraim had a deep theological

discussion. Saint Ephraim then disclosed the purpose of his visit. He told Saint Basil that hewanted to speak Greek so that he might spread the Word of God to more nonbelievers. He

believed that whatever Saint Basil prayed for, God granted. He, therefore, asked Saint Basil to

pray to God and ask Him to allow Saint Ephraim to speak Greek. Both Saints prayed for manyhours. Saint Basil then turned to Saint Ephraim and told him to speak in the Greek language,

which Saint Ephraim did. Conversely, Saint Basil spoke in Syrian. Saint Ephraim was ordained

into the priesthood by Saint Basil and the interpreter was ordained a deacon. They remained inCaesarea for three days and then returned to the desert.

Some time later, the priests of Nicaea who believed in the Arian Heresy went to the

Emperor and convinced him to give them sole jurisdiction over the churches in Nicaea. Theorthodox Christians begged Saint Basil to go to the Emperor and persuade him to change his

decision. Saint Basil went to the Emperor and told him that he had done an injustice to the

orthodox Christians of Nicaea. The Emperor told the Saint that he would allow him to go to

Nicaea and do what he thought would be just. He warned him, however, not to be partial to theorthodox Christians, since then he would be committing an injustice to the Arians. The Emperor

gave a letter of introduction to the Saint and the holy man went to Nicaea. He called a general

meeting of Christians and Arians and presented them with a proposal for the governing of theChurch. The doors of their cathedral were to be locked and the Arians were to pray for them to

be opened. If they failed, the Christians would also pray. If both factions failed, the Arians would

be given rule of the Church. Both sides agreed to the terms of the proposal. The Arians proceeded to pray for three days, but to no avail. Then Saint Basil took the Christians to the

Church of Saint Diomedes to pray. They prayed the entire night and then went in front of the

Cathedral. Saint Basil said, “Blessed is the God of the Christians, now and forever and unto ages

of ages.” Suddenly, the locks on the doors fell off and the doors swung open. The Christiansentered the cathedral and Saint Basil performed the Liturgy. And so, Saint Basil saved the

Christians of Nicaea from the rule of the Arian Heresy.


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A rich widow, who had lived impiously all of her life, decided to repent for her sins. Being

afraid and ashamed to tell her sins, she wrote them all on a piece of paper which she folded and

sealed. She then went to Saint Basil, placed the letter at his feet and begged him to forgive herfor her sins. Saint Basil asked her why she was crying. She replied that she was a sinful woman

who wanted to be forgiven for her sins, but begged that he not open the sealed paper. Saint Basil

took the list, held it towards heaven and said, “It is Your grace that will forgive this woman, OhMaster.” With the paper in his hand, he went into the sanctuary and prayed. When he had

finished praying he returned the list to her. She unfolded the paper and found that all her writing

had vanished except for the last sin. She fell at the Saint’s feet and begged him to pray to God to

forgive her for that last sin. The Saint responded by saying, “Stand up, my widow, for I also am aman and have sinned and need forgiveness. Go to the desert and find Saint Ephraim, if you want

your last sin forgiven.”

After receiving Saint Basil’s blessing, she went to the desert seeking Saint Efraim. Thewidow found the Saint and placed the letter at his feet, telling him that Saint Basil had sent her.

She explained that Saint Basil had prayed and her other sins had been forgiven, but the last one

was not. Saint Ephraim was to pray for the forgiveness of that one. The Saint refused, saying that

he who had prayed for the forgiveness of her many sins could also pray for the forgiveness of thelast. He told her to return quickly to Saint Basil, for he was about to die. When she arrived in

Caesarea, she found that Saint Basil had died and many hundreds of people surrounded his

coffin. She pushed her way through the crowd and put the letter on the Saint’s body. Crying out,she asked Saint Basil to hear and forgive her. One of the clergy, wanting to see what this terrible

sin was, looked at the paper. He found it completely blank and asked the woman why she was

hysterical. After she herself saw the paper, she fell on the Saint’s coffin and thanked him for hismercy. The woman lived piously many years after this and died in peace.

Prior to this event, Saint Basil had become very friendly with a rich Jewish doctor of

Caesarea named Joseph. He was excellent in his profession and was able to tell whether a patientwould live or die simply by feeling his pulse. Saint Basil had tried many times to convert his

friend to Christianity, but Joseph retained his ancestors’ beliefs.

The Saint had a premonition of his death, and therefore, asked Joseph to come to his home.When the physician arrived, Saint Basil asked him, “When will I die, Joseph?” The doctor felt

the Saint’s pulse and said, “You will die before morning, Your Eminence.” Saint Basil

continued, “If I live until tomorrow, what will you do?” Joseph responded, “If you don’t die, you

will defy all natural laws. I will then seek baptism as a Christian.” Saint Basil prayed, afterJoseph left, and asked God to let him live until the next day for two reasons. The first was that

the widow mentioned earlier was returning from the desert. Secondly, he wanted Joseph to

convert to Christianity. His prayers were answered. The next morning, he sent for Joseph, whothought he was going to confirm the Saint’s death. When he arrived and found the Saint alive, he

was shocked. He felt his pulse, but there was none. Joseph fell at the Saint’s feet and confessed

his belief in Christ. Saint Basil took Joseph and his entire household, and baptized them. He alsorenamed the physician John. After the baptism, he explained the Christian religion’s teachings to

them. Saint Basil then turned to John and said, “When shall I die, my friend?” John replied,

“When you are ready, Your Eminence.” Saint Basil closed his eyes and died on the first day of

January in the year 379 A.D. John fell at the Saint’s feet and cried, “I believe that you would nothave died now, if you did not wish to.” Saint Basil the Great’s funeral took place the next day.

Thousands of people attended, not only Christians, but Jews and idolaters as well. They mourned

the loss of the greatest man of their time. Saint Gregory the Theologian, then Patriarch of


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Constantinople, wrote Saint Basil’s eulogy. Two years afterwards, he went to Caesarea, and in

tears, read it at the Saint’s grave.

Saint Basil taught his people to be generous. He would send his representatives throughoutCaesarea to collect contributions for less fortunate people. With this money he also helped areas

which suffered from natural catastrophies, such as famines, earthquakes, and floods. It was this

Saint who instituted collection trays in the Church so that he could help the poor. The people believed in the teachings of Saint Basil to such a degree, that they collected food to contribute to

worthy causes. To follow Saint Basil one had to have will power, for Saint Basil taught that most

music, theaters, and amusements were sinful and were in opposition to the spiritual good of the

individual.Saint Basil also established many institutions to take care of his people. Hospitals,

orphanages, and old age homes were built in Caesarea and other areas of Cappadocia. These

institutions were called “Vasileias” in his honor.The Liturgy he so tediously wrote has come to us, virtually unchanged. The miracles which

he performed serve as pillars of faith and inspiration to Orthodox Christians all over the world.

Was it not fitting, then that our Church should honor Saint Basil by also naming him ‘The

Great”?On New Year’s Day, it is traditional for Greek Orthodox families to gather together and cut

the New Year’s bread or vasilopeta, named after Saint Basil the Great. Saint Basil constantly

taught that the rich should distribute their bread and money among the poor. From this teaching,the vasilopeta is made on his Feast Day and a coin is placed in it. It is believed that good luck

befalls the person whose piece of bread contains the coin.

Saint Catheri ne.

(Celebrated November 25).

In the proud megalopolis of Alexandria, during the time of the unbelieving ruler Maxentius(286-305, who was a co-Emperor of Diocletian) lived the daughter of the former king

Constantos. Her name was Catherine and she was beautiful, statuesque, and unequaled inkindness.

Being tutored by the Greeks, she was familiar with the famous poets and philosophers of

that time: Homer, Virgil, Aristotle, and Plato. Not only was she learned in the teachings of thegreat philosophers but also the works of the physicians Hippocrates, Erasistratus, and Galen.

Rhetoric and logic were her forte; and her knowledge of many languages made all who met her

wonder with amazement at the wisdom this woman possessed.The richest men of the land sought her hand in marriage, for she was an heiress to the

throne. Her mother and relatives, fearing that her father’s kingship would come to fall on someunworthy individual, counseled her to marry as soon as possible. Catherine, however, desired to

retain her virginity, thereby achieving one of the highest philosophical goals of that time. Sherefused all proposals. Nevertheless, she was continually harassed by suitors despite her requests

to be left alone. She subsequently decreed that the man she would wed must be “young and equal

to her in the four virtues that were attributed to her.” Further, she explained that she would“never wed a man who was illiterate or belittled in her presence.” The four virtues which had to


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be equaled were: compassion, wealth, wisdom and beauty. A shortcoming in any of these areas

would deem the individual unworthy of her hand.

The suitors were bewildered. Among them, only the son of the Roman emperor possessedequal compassion and wealth, falling short in the categories of wisdom and beauty. Being

confused and somewhat frightened, the young girl’s mother departed with her daughter to seek

the advice of a saintly hermit who lived hidden in the outskirts of the city. The holy man patiently listened to the girl’s story and immediately sought to make her aware of the Heavenly

King, Christ. He said to her, “I know of a magnificent man who surpasses you in all ways. His

greatness and beauty shadow the very sun. His wisdom governs all consciousness. His wealth is

given unto all the nations of the earth and never diminishes, but is rather everlasting. Hiscompassion is unequaled.”

Catherine, thinking that the hermit was speaking of some earthly man, was overcome with

amazement. The hermit in turn, assured her that he spoke the truth about this individual withoutexaggeration. The bewildered girl asked the hermit, “Whose son is this wondrous person?”

“He has no earthly father,” answered the hermit. “He was born of nature and a very holy

and majestic Virgin, who is Queen of Heaven and Earth and is worshipped by the very angels.”

“And is it possible for me to see this young man of which you speak so highly?” the princess asked.

“If you do as I instruct you will be able to gaze upon this everlasting and illustrious man.”

Looking into the eyes of the old man, Catherine retorted, “I see you as knowledgeable andreverent, old hermit. I believe, therefore, that you do not lie to me. Instruct me as you will.”

The hermit gave the young woman an old icon of the Virgin Mary, in which the Holy

Mother held the infant Jesus. “This is the Most Virgin Mother of the one I spoke to you sowondrously. Take Her to your home and into your room. Pray to Her throughout the night, that

She will find you worthy of beholding Her Son. I believe that if you approach Her with faith, She

will permit you to see Him, Whom your soul seeks.”Taking the holy icon, the girl returned to the palace and that night she locked herself in her

room as the hermit had instructed. Weary from her praying and the day’s travel, she soon fell

into deep sleep. She dreamt of the Queen of the Angels as She appeared in the icon, holding theHoly Child who shone more brightly than the very sun. The Child, however, kept his head turned

towards His Mother and away from the longing gaze of the princess.

Suddenly, the Holy Mother spoke. “My Son, look at Your beautiful and reverent servant,

Catherine.”“She is ugly and unbelieving, and I will not suffer to look upon her.”

“But is she not among the wisest, the wealthiest, and fairest of all the cities of the world?”

implored the Virgin.“Mother, I say to You, that as long as she is in this state of mind, she is unknowledgeable,

trite, and I will not let her see Me.”

Again, the Virgin Mother begged, “Do not deny Your own flesh and blood, My Son, butinstruct her as to what she must do so that she might one day gaze upon Your light and grace.”

“Let her return to the old man who gave her the icon,” He replied, “and let her do as he bids

and she will then see Me and gain hope and comfort.”

Seeing all this, the girl awoke immediately, with several other women, set out for thehermit’s cave. Upon reaching his abode, she fell crying, kissing the old man’s feet. She told him

of all that had occurred and implored him to instruct her to what she had to do.


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The old man immediately began to instruct her in the mysteries of Christianity. He began

with the Old Testament and continued through Christ’s ascention into Heaven. He told her of the

damnation of Hell and of the glory of Heaven. So, in a short time Catherine discovered the costof faith.

When her belief was total and unquestioning, she was baptized and instructed to pray to the

Holy Virgin. This she did throughout the day and night. She fasted and cried unceasingly untilfinally she slept. Again she dreamt of the Mother and Child, only this time, the Holy Infant gazed

admiringly at Catherine.

The Holy Mother asked her Son if He was not proud of the virgin girl. He answered,

“Where she was poor, she is now wealthy; where she was ignorant, she is now wise; where shewas proud, she is now compassionate. She is worthy and I accept her as My bride.”

Hearing this, Catherine cried out, “Holy Bishop, I am not worthy of seeing Your everlasting

light. Help me to become so worthy.”Here the Holy Queen interceded and taking Catherine by the hand said, “Give her, My Son,

a ring as a token of betrothal.”

Christ placed a beautiful golden ring on the girl’s finger, saying, ‘Today, I make you My

bride, and for ages unto all ages. Hold this joining sacred and never take unto yourself another bridegroom.”

In the meantime, the infamous Emperor Maxentius, jealous of the popularity of the new

Christian religion, sent an edict throughout his kingdom. The edict stated that all those whosupported his reign and worshipped his gods were to come to the palace to pay hommage to the

dieties. All others were threatened with many ills and dangers. Within a week, many had entered

Alexandria, bringing with them hundreds of beasts for slaughter as tribute to the gods. Soonthecity was full of the cries of the dying animals.

Seeing all this, Catherine was troubled by the fact that the people ran to trade their souls for

their lives by denying the only true faith. She, therefore, hurried with a few servants to the areaof the sacrifice. To her disgust, she saw only death and destruction in the name of the gods. All

who saw her at the “religious” slaughter, hence stopped their killing and gazed at her beauty. She

immediately sought the Emperor. At first, she pleaded with him to stop the wanton destruction.Then she became staunch.

“You are fools,” she cried, “believing in idols that hold no promise. They ask for much and

offer nothing in return. You have denied the meaning and sacredness of all life.

“There is only one God — the Undying God who has sacrificed Himself for all mankind.Because of Him life exists, kings reign, the people permit themselves to be governed, and the

ideas of man take form.

“He does not ask for sacrifices of ignorant animals. His only demand is that you observe HisHoly Commandments.”

The King was at a loss. He stood silent for a longtime. Finally, he told Catherine that only

after the sacrifice was completed would he speak to her; and thus he summoned her to the palacethat evening.

“Who are you, and what God do you speak of?” Maxentius demanded.

“I am Catherine, daughter of your king, Constantos, and bride of the Lord Christ.”

The Emperor was stunned by her appearance and carriage. He exclaimed that she was notmortal, but one of the gods themselves. Catherine explained that she was not of the demonic

creatures he worshipped. She was the true God’s creation, made in His image from the dust of

the Earth.


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Maxentius warned her not to speak disrespectfully of his gods, lest they punish her terribly.

With a cold stare, Catherine spoke, “You know not what you say when you dare compare

your satanic creations with the true God. His name is the only one to be held in reverence, unlessyou would have His power demonstrated.”

Seeing the Saint’s freedom in speaking, Maxentius did not want to appear as though he

feared her or succumbed to her logic, and said, “A king should not have to match wits with awoman. I will have my counsellors confer with you, and you will soon recognize the symptoms

of your illness and realize the truth in the dogmas of the gods.”

The Princess was detained under guard at the palace while the Emperor sent a request

throughout his land that the wisest and most learned of all the Greek scholars should attend hiscourt. He made his request in the name of the messenger god, Hermes, saying that their presence

was required to cure certain ill thinkings of an otherwise wise woman. Their success could bring

them great renown and reward.And thus, one hundred and fifty of the greatest minds of that era ventured to Alexandria.

Maxentius welcomed them and gave them his instructions. “Prepare yourselves to do mental

battle with an extremely intelligent woman. Combine your efforts for she is no ordinary human

being. Prove her claims are all false and make her appear foolish. Do this and you will haverewards beyond your wildest expectation. Fail and you shall die the most horrifying deaths ever

devised.”

The scholars, overconfident and greedy, assured the Emperor with glib tongues that thiswould be no contest and that victory was his. Overjoyed, the Emperor sent for Catherine. Before

her summoning, however, the Saint was visited by the Archangel Michael and he said to her,

“Fear not, spokesman of Christ, for He will give you the strength to conquer. And because ofyou, many will believe before you receive the eternal crown of martyrdom.”

Coming before the scholarly gathering, she was asked if she realized that she had

blasphemed those gods which the ancient poets had labled as most holy. Her answer was that shedid realize this but went on to reveal the gross weaknesses of all these gods and the strength of

the one God.

So stirring was her rhetoric presentation, that the scholars were dumbfounded andspeechless. Shocked, Maxentius ordered them to contradict her words. “We cannot argue ‘with

the truth,” they replied. The Emperor was outraged and ordered that a great fire be built in the

city and that all the scholars should be burned. They, in turn, fell on their knees, begging the

Saint to intervene for them to God and to ask for their forgiveness. She replied that it was goodthat they left the darkness for the True Light and sought baptism. She blessed them all with the

sign of the cross.

The one hundred and fifty were thrown into the flames on November 17, but miraculouslynone were harmed. Praising the Lord, they fled the city and returned to their lands where they

spread the word of Christ.

Then with slyness and flattery Maxentius attempted to convince Catherine to makesacrifices. He went so far as to offer her half his kingdom if she denounced the Lord Christ. She

refused, saying that she was already wed and that she sought the crown of martyrdom more than

any earthly crown. Again, he pleaded that she not make him defame her very being and again she

refused, saying, “To kill me would serve the purpose of my God, that purpose for which I was born. And many of your servants would you lose to the Word.”


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Immediately, she was stripped naked and whipped for two hours. Never before had the

soldiers seen such courage as that with which she withstood the terrifying beating. She was then

imprisoned and denied food for twelve days.In the meantime, the Empress Augusta, had grown to admire the Saint greatly. While

Maxentius traveled, his wife sought the aid of one of his generals, Porphyry, in order to see the

Saint. For Augusta had dreamt that Catherine had given her a wreath of silver, saying, “The Lordsends this to you.” The meeting was secretly arranged, and the Empress met Catherine one

evening in the Saint’s jail cell. So lifted were this woman’s spirits, that she told Catherine that

now she was ready to lose all her wealth and earthly objects.

The Saint said, “I admire you, Augusta, for I see a crown on thy brow and in three days theHoly Angels will offer it to you. Soon you will rule for all eternity with the true King.”

Porphyry prepared the royal party to leave, but returned to the Saint saying that he and his

two hundred soldiers desired to serve in the army of the Lord. The Saint took his hand, made thesign of the cross, blessing the entire contingent, and baptized them.

Christ did not forsake His servant during this time of strife. While the Saint was in her cell,

a White Dove would fly through the high window bearing food. And He said to her, “Do not lose

faith, for by your patience many will seek and find My Name. You are yet to be crowned.”The Emperor returned only to find the Saint alive and well. Thinking that the jailers were

traitors, he ordered them killed. Catherine, however, explained that no human hand kept her

alive. Only her faith and her Lord God sustained her. Maxentius again plied her with flattery andtemptation, stating that he feared for her future.

“Do not concern yourself with my future, for it is set, and to a richer place I am destined to

go. You would do better to think of all that will befall you if you do not seek to find the Truthand the Light.”

Hoursasathen, a minister of the royal court, desired the good word of the Emperor,

Maxentius. And so, he offered a suggestion to him.Have your men build a machine made up of four wooden wheels: two rotating to the right,

two rotating to the left. On the edges of these wheels, place sharp blades of iron. The woman

should be bound and placed between the four wheels. Fear will overcome her and she willdenounce her God, or she will be shred into little pieces and you will be rid of her.”

The idea appealed to the monarch and in three days the machine was completed. Catherine

was brought to the place of execution and to the ruler’s amazement she did not even flinch at the

sight of the turning wheels. Instead, she spoke softly, “You know my beliefs, be quick in whatyou must do.”

She was placed in the machine but as the wheels were turned, the moorings broke and the

machine rolled wildly, killing many pagans. Catherine implored, “Why do you insist on fightingthe Truth, senselessly testing the strength of God?”

The Emperor was outraged and turned his wrath towards Augusta who had wept during the

Saint’s attempted execution. Her breasts were cut from her body and she was beheaded on November 23rd.

That night, Porphyry and his men secretly took the Empress’ body and buried it away from

the Emperor and further mutilations. In the morning, Maxentius sought to punish all who took

place in his wife’s execution since the body could not be found. The general came forthexclaiming, “We are soldiers of Christ.” Insane with anger after hearing this, Maxentius

beheaded the general and all his men on November 24th.


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The next day, Saint Catherine was brought before Maxentius. He accused her of being the

cause of his problems: that is, his wife’s unfaithfulness and his soldier’s dissertion.

“I should have executed you long ago, but I could not bring myself to destroy such wisdomand beauty. Save yourself. Sacrifice to the gods and your every wish shall be my command.”

Again the woman refused. And so the Emperor ordered her executed. She was led out of the

city, to the place of her death. A throng of wailing men and women followed the party, for theymourned the evident passing of such a lovely human being. They could not understand how she

so stubbornly refused the Emperor’s generosity, or how she would end her life in the prime of

youthfulness.

To their cries she replied, “Cease your mourning. Be happy, for I go to meet my Savior, myGreat or, my Bridegroom, Jesus Christ. In Heaven, I shall reign with Him for endless ages. Cry

for yourselves, for it is you who will suffer greatly those same endless ages.”

When the company had reached the place of execution, Catherine knelt in prayer. She askedthe Lord not to forsake her, nor to let her death be in vain. When she had finished, her head was

severed. As if to honor this Saint even after death, milk miraculously poured forth from the

wound instead of blood.

Her death occurred on November 25, circa 305 and her body was lifted by heavenly angelsand taken to Mount Sinai. Her body was later discovered by a band of monks who built a

monastery near the spot of the discovery. The relics of Saint Catherine are now enshrined in the

Monastery of Saint Catherine on Mount Sinai.

Saint s Cons tanti ne and Helen.

(Celebrated May 21).

Before the Emperor Diocletian abandoned his throne, he divided the Roman Empire, which wasrapidly declining, into a tetrarchy. The eastern part was ruled by himself, the western part by

Maximilian, Galerius was overlord of the Balkan Peninsula, and Constantius Chlorus was rulerof Gaul. Constantius Chlorus was the husband of Saint Helen, a deeply religious woman from

Misses in Macedonia and the father of a son, named Constantine. Constantine was born in the

year 273 A.D. At the age of sixteen, he was educated in Britainy, his father’s kingdom. BecauseSaint Helen and many of the empire’s soldiers were Christians, Constantius did not persecute the

Christians as did the other rulers. However, so that she would not be an obstacle to her husband’s

progress, Saint Helen returned to upper Macedonia.Constantine soon became an officer in the army and his travels brought him to the palace of

Diocletian in Nicomedia, the capital of the Eastern Empire. It was here that Constantine saw

many persecutions against the Christians (300-305 A.D.). During this time, many of the greatSaints of our Church, such as Saint George, Saint Panteleimon, The Benevolent Saints of

Alexandria, Saint Catherine, and many more, were martyred. Repulsed by all this, Constantineasked to be transferred to the Western Empire to visit his father who was ill. He was allowed to

leave, but under guard, so that his superiors would be sure that he would not desert. He hadactually been held hostage for his father’s good behavior.

Constantius Chlorus disapproved of Maximilian’s appointment of Maxentius as successor in

the Western Empire. He, therefore, made Constantine temporary ruler of Gaul so that he couldfight Maxentius. During the ensuing battle, Constantius died, but Constantine decided to resume

the battle. He took two Christian legions, crossed the Alps, and entered Northern Italy.


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Meanwhile, Galerius obsessed with the belief that he should be the supreme ruler of the

Empire, led his legions to Salonika and prepared to attack Rome. On this journey, Galerius died.

This was to be a crucial period for Constantine, since he was going to fight against his owncountrymen. As he prepared to cross the Moldavian Bridge, Constantine saw a bright cross in the

sky enscribed with the words, “In this sign you shall conquer.”

Constantine entered into the battle and was eventually victorious. Maxentius, along withmany of his soldiers drowned in the Tiber River. Proceeding to Rome, Constantine entered into

the battle and was welcomed as the great emancipator, and crowned Emperor of the Western and

Middle Roman Empires. His brother-in-law, Licinius, defeated Maximinus and became ruler of

the Eastern Roman Empire. In 313, the Emperors issued the Edict of Milan, which guaranteedreligious tolerance. This Edict stopped the persecutions. This was the first time the rights of the

Christian religion were fully recognized. Shortly thereafter, however, Licinius decided that if he

aided the idolaters and again restored paganism as the official religion, he might becomeEmperor of the entire Empire. He stationed himself in the city of Andrianopolis with the advent

of renewed persecutions. Constantine engaged Licinius in battle and won. Thus, Constantine

became sole ruler of the entire Roman Empire. He showed a great tolerance for Christianity,

primarily because of his mother, Saint Helen, and because of the sign he had seen in the sky priorto his battle with Maxentius.

Saint Helen, at the age of eighty, decided to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Lands. Her

mission was to discover the Cross on which Christ was crucified. She saw the place where shewould find the cross in her dream. When she arrived at Golgotha, she found the sweetly fragrant

Basil plant and excavated that spot. As the story goes, Saint Helen found all three crosses, but

she did not know which one was Christ’s. They took the crosses to a hospital and held them one by one, over the sick. When Christ’s cross was held over the patients, they were cured

immediately. Saint Helen not only found the Holy Cross, but also Christ’s tomb. She built many

churches at the spots where the major events in Christ’s life took place.Constantine, meanwhile, had developed the greatest army and navy ever known to the world

at that time. For strategic reasons, he transferred the capital of the Roman Empire from Rome to

Byzantium. Byzantium was a city located on the Bospherus Sea and was founded by the Greekmerchant, Byzus, in 657 B.C. Constantine dedicated the city to the Mother of God, the

Theotokos. During this time, the Church was in a turmoil over the Arian Heresy. This was a

philosophy taught by a bishop of Alexandria, named Arius, and stated that Christ was a creation

of God and not the Son of God. Thus, Christ existed only after his birth by the Theotokos. Tosettle this dispute, Constantine summoned the First Ecumenical Council in the city of Nicaea in

the year 325. There were 318 bishops, priests, monks and laymen in attendance and they

declared that the teachings of Arius were false. In addition, this body wrote the first sevenarticles of the Nicaean Creed.

Constantine gave large sums of money for philanthropic institutions and built several

churches. In 330 A.D., he renamed his capital Constantinople. Later, he went to Nicomediawhere he confessed his sins and was baptized. Upon his death in Nicomedia on May 21, 336, the

Byzantine Empire was again divided into three sections with each of his three sons governing

one section.

History has designated Constantine as the Great, our Church has designated him and hismother, Helen, as Saints and rates them as equals to the Apostles.


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Saint s Cosmas and Dami anos th e Benevolent .

(Celebrated November 1).

Much has been written about these Benevolent Saints. The three best known stories however,are somewhat conflicting.

The first of these is that Saints Cosmas and Damianos were from Rome. They lived during

the reign of Carinius and were doctors by profession. Curing both people and animals, these menwere also teachers of the Christian religion. When Carinius heard about these men, he invited

them to his palace. The doctors came to the palace and told him about Christ being the True God.

The ruler was so impressed that he became a Christian. The event which convinced the Emperorto become a Christian was a miracle performed by these Saints. The Emperor had threatened to

punish them if they did not pray to the idol which was in the palace. Suddenly, the head of this

idol was reversed. With the help of God, the Saints turned the head again to its previous position.This not only converted the Emperor, but also all who were present and saw the miracle.

The man who had taught them their profession, envied them for their great success. He and

some of his students conspired against Cosmas and Damianos. They took the Saints to a highmountain to collect herbs to be used for healing. Here they stoned them to death. Their Feast Dayis celebrated on July 1st.

The second story claims that these Saints were from Arabia. They were excellent doctors

and would go to cities and villages, not only curing the sick, but also preaching about the trueGod. They arrived in Lycaea, in a village named Egas. The village was ruled by a man called

Losion. He was disturbed with their teachings of Christianity and warned them to stop. The

Saints refused. He took them and tied rocks around their necks and threw them into the sea. Anangel was sent by God to their rescue. Losion intending to kill these physicians, then placed them

in a blazing furnace. Once again they were saved. Losion tried again. This time he nailed them to

a cross and beheaded them. They died on the 16th of October. This is the second Feast Day of

the Saints.The third story of these Saints is the one most widely accepted by our Church today.

Cosmas and Damianos were brothers and doctors by profession. They were known as

Benevolent because they would cure people but would not accept any form of payment for theirwork. This story states that Saints Cosmas and Damianos were from Asia Minor, from an area

known as Cilicia and from a very rich family. Their father, at first, was a pagan, however, later

became a Christian. He died when the boys were very young and left them to the protection oftheir mother, Theodoti. She was a Christian woman, very devout in her beliefs, and very

virtuous. Her main goal was to educate her sons and this she succeeded in doing. Cosmas and

Damianos were educated as physicians and immediately afterwards began their philanthropictask of curing people. As they healed their patients, they always spread the word of Christ. They

cured their patients with herbs, and with the help of the Theotokos. They were extremely humble — not only did they not accept payment for their cures, but their material wealth consisted of the

barest necessities. The people did not call them by their names, Cosmas and Damianos, butcalled them “Anargeri” of “Benevolent.” They were so charitable, they cured animals as well as

people. The Holy Doctors cured rich and poor alike. They lived in a stable with sheep and it was

in this same stable that acquaintances and strangers came to be cured.The Doctors cured all kinds of illnesses; however, they did not believe that these people

were cured by their treatments, but by the Grace of God. They had studied the books of


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Hippocrates and many other doctors of antiquity, but none of these men could cure paralysis or

resurrect people from the dead. The Saints, with the help of God, were able to do both. It was

because of their miraculous curing power that many people with all kinds of illnesses wouldcome to them to be cured of physical and mental ailments.

Saints Cosmas and Damianos traveled a great deal and it was in the town of Ferenen of Asia

Minor that Saint Damianos died. Many hundreds of Christians attended his funeral and mournedthis great man. A few days later, Saint Cosmas, the older brother, died and was buried next to his

brother, Damianos.

There was once a nobleman who had become ill with a then incurable sickness — -

prostatism. He had spent all his money to find a cure, but none could be found. After consultingwith all of the doctors in the area, he remembered Saints Cosmas and Damianos and asked his

friends and relatives to take him to their church. The Saints appearing to him, told him to take

hair from Cosmas, burn it, crumble it, place it in some water and then drink it. This puzzled theman since he did not know where the Saint’s body was entombed. A few days before the

nobleman had gone to the church, a woman had brought a lamb to be slaughtered on the Saints’

Feast Day. The lamb remained there so long that the caretakers of the church decided to name it

Cosmas. On the Feast Day, a short time before the lamb was to be slaughtered, the noblemanarrived at the church. The animal stood before the nobleman, bleeting in a loud tone. When the

priest arrived at the church and saw this, he asked what was wrong with Cosmas. Hearing what

the priest had called the lamb, the nobleman then realized that it was from this Cosmas that hewas to cut the hair. He did as the Saints had instructed and was immediately cured.

At another time, a God-fearing man in Anatolia suffered from his youth with an incurable

stomach ailment. Seeing that no man could cure him, he turned to God for help and went to theChurch of Saints Cosmas and Damianos. After staying a few days and seeing no improvement in

his condition, he decided to go home thinking that it was not God’s will that he should be cured.

The night before he was to leave, a man appeared to him in his dream. This man told him not to be in such a hurry to return home, but to wait until the following Sunday and he would see the

Glory of God and that of the Benevolent Saints. Sunday came and in his usual manner, the man

knelt before the icon of the Saints and prayed. Toward twilight, he saw the image of SaintCosmas leave the icon. The image walked around the church and visited the sick people who

were there. The ill man did not look up. The Saint had passed him the first time; however, he

hoped that he would notice him on his return. Unfortunately this did not happen. The image was

returning to the icon when the man fell at its feet and begged to be cured. Handing him a sweet,the Saint told the man to eat it. After eating the pastry, he fell at the Saint’s feet again and asked

him to prevent the illness from returning. The Saint did the sign of the cross over the man and

told him that the ill ness would not return; however, the Saint told him that he was never to eatlegumes again. The reason for this instruction is not explained.

This man was also suffering from a toothache which in those times could be cured only by

painful extraction of the decayed tooth. The man asked the Saint to cure him of this also,however, this request was denied. Man, by nature, the Saint explained, was meant to suffer those

small ailments as a payment for his sins. The man left the church thanking God and Saints

Cosmas and Damianos for his good health.

This is the history of the Benevolent Doctors, Saints Cosmas and Damianos. They aremodels of selfless devotion to the cause of human betterment.


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Saint Christ i na.

(Celebrated July 24).

In the year 200 A.D., a girl was born unto the wealthy family of Orfanos, the Emperor’s general.Her name was Christina, and as she grew older, she developed into a very beautiful woman.

Orfanos, seeing that his daughter was so attractive, built a tower in which Christina was hidden,away from the prying eyes of the common folk. She was provided with food and servants and the

tower was filled with idols — for her parents were pagans.Christina’s beauty was matched only by her intelligence. She looked around and saw how

perfect everything was. The trees, the streams, the rocks, and the sky were pieces of art in

themselves. No Olympian gods could have created all this and she wondered about the truecreator. God, seeing the innocence and wisdom of this girl, sent an angel to answer her questions.

Thus, the Saint learned of the true religion and the one, true God.

One day, her parents came to the tower to see their child. They asked her if she hadworshipped the gods which had given her such beauty. She told her parents that she had not and

would not worship the fake and indifferent gods that they held in such esteem. She also

described her God to them and explained that he was comprised of the Holy Trinity: the Father,Son, and Holy Spirit. Her father begged her to worship their gods instead of these three Gods.She explained to him that they were not three Gods, but three parts of the same essence.

The next day, her father returned to worship the idols, but found them missing. He

questioned the servants as to the whereabouts of the idols. They told him that his daughter hadsmashed them and instructed them to throw the pieces out of the window. Orfanos was

infuriated, and murdered every servant. He had his daughter beaten by twelve men until they fell

from exhaustion. The Saint cursed her father for his beliefs. He, in turn, then tied a chain aroundher neck and placed her in prison. He returned to his home enraged and in despair. Discovering

how her daughter had been tortured, the Saint’s mother, crying, went to the prison. She begged

Christina to abide by her father’s wishes for she could not bear to lose her only child. The Saint

refused.In the morning, Christina was hung by her hair and her body was raked with sharp

instruments. The Saint took a piece of the skin which had been torn off her body and threw it in

her father’s face. She yelled, “You want to eat my body away, oh heir to eternal damnation, sohere it is,” This inhumane father then ordered that a wheel be brought to him. He tied Christina

to it and lit a fire underneath it to torture his daughter even more. The Saint began to pray and as

she prayed, the flames flew out from under the wheel and burnt many of the idolaters who werewatching. Orfanos imprisoned her again without food, hoping to starve her to death. Christ did

not forsake his servant for He sent three angels to feed the Saint and heal her wounds. The entire

time she was in prison, she praised God for his mercy.That evening, Orfanos sent his servants to the prison and had them tie a boulder around his

daughter’s neck. Christina was then thrown into the river, however, she was saved by threeangels of the Lord. The boulder sank to the bottom, but the Saint walked on the water. As she

stood on the water, a bright cloud hovered over her. She heard a voice telling her that Christ wasspeaking to her. Christina was then baptized and returned to the shore. The angels placed her

next to her father’s palace. When he came out the next morning, he found his daughter praying.

He was ready to torture the servants for not carrying out his instructions, but Christina explainedwhat had happened. He took her back to prison and planned to behead his only daughter the next

day. That night Orfanos died.


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The Saint remained in prison, unharmed for several weeks. A new ruler, Dios, came to take

Orfanos’ place. Seeing that he could not change her mind, Dios ordered the Saint boiled in oil.

The Saint was boiled for hours, but it had no effect on her. To shame her, he had her head shavedand then marched her nude through the city. When the soldiers returned her to the palace, she

was again placed in prison. She was brought before the ruler the next day and Dios asked her if

she would worship the god of the sky, meaning Apollo. Christina agreed to worship the God ofthe sky and was taken to the Tern pie of Apollo. After praying, she commanded the idol of

Apollo to move forty meters outside of the temple. The idol began to move and stopped in the

place that the Saint had designated. Since Dios would still not acknowledge the strength of God,

she prayed that the statue would fall, and it did. Dios died from his sorrow. The man whotemporarily replaced him had the Saint imprisoned. Within a few days another ruler was elected,

named Julius. Seeing that she was a devout Christian and would not change her faith, he decided

to execute her. He ordered that poisonous snakes be placed in her cell. Instead of biting, the beasts licked her feet. When the keeper entered the cell, the creatures immediately killed him.

Christina ordered the serpents to leave the city without harming anyone else. The Saint then

prayed to Christ to resurrect the dead man and her prayers were answered. The man praised God

and Saint Christina. Julius ordered his soldiers to cut off the Saint’s breasts and throw her back in prison.

Many women came to her cell trying to comfort the Saint. However, she needed no

comforting for she knew that she had suffered for Christ and that He was with her. Many of the pagan women who came to see her were converted to Christianity. The next day, she was taken

before Julius. He asked her if she was ready to sacrifice to the gods. If she refused he would

execute her. Christina responded, “Today you too shall die and go to eternal damnation.” Julius became furious and had the Saint’s tongue cut out. The Saint took her tongue and threw it in

Julius’ face. He was immediately blinded. A voice came from the Saint’s mouth saying, “Julius,

because you have cut out a tongue which worships the Master you have lost your sight.” The blinded ruler ordered two of his soldiers to murder Christina. They stabbed her in the heart and in

her side.

She died on Thursday, the 24th day of July. Julius died the same day after suffering a greatamount of pain. One of the Saint’s relatives built a church in her honor and placed her holy body

in it.

Saint Cyrus and J ohn t he Benevolent.


These two Saints, Cyrus and John lived circa 292 A.D.Saint Cyrus was a physician from Alexandria. When he cured people, he would tell them

that if they wanted to remain in good health, they should resist temptation. Many sicknesses, he

believed, were caused by a person’s sins. He did not cure people by the use of medicine, but inthe name of Christ and by reading from the Holy Scriptures. In this manner he converted many

idolaters to Christianity and strengthened the beliefs of those of his patients who were alreadyChristians. The rulers at that time ordered that Cyrus be brought to trial for his treasonous

teachings against the Roman Empire. Afraid of the outcome, Cyrus left Alexandria and went to a

monastery located near the Persian Gulf. He became a monk and remained there. He reachedsuch a high degree of virtue, that he could perform miracles simply by making the sign of the

cross. In this way he could cure all types of maladies.


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A soldier by profession, John was from a city called Edessa, located in Mesopotamia. He

went to Jerusalem and heard of the miracles which had been attributed to Saint Cyrus. Arriving

in Alexandria, he inquired about the Saint and was informed of his whereabouts. He then proceeded to the monastery where he also became a monk.

During this time, the persecutions against the Christians were taking place. A woman named

Athanasia and her three daughters — Theodotis, 15, Theoktistis, 13, and Eudoxia, 11 — wereimprisoned and tortured because of their Christian belief. They were imprisoned by the ruler of

Syria who was named Syrianos. Cyrus and John heard of this and fearing that these women

would yield to the tortures, decided to go and aid them. They realized that doing this would mean

their own deaths. Their intent was to talk to these women and strengthen their faith.Syrianos heard of the arrival of the two monks and ordered them to appear in court. He said

to them, “Do you also believe in this man called Christ? You must denounce your belief in Him

and sacrifice to the gods. If you fail to do this, you will be subjected to horrible tortures.” Theyresponded by saying, “We are not in need of your honors, nor do we fear your tortures. We

believe that Christ is the true God.”

When Syrianos heard this, he was angered and ordered that the three women be brought to

witness the tortures. Cyrus and John, were beaten and their hair was burned off. Afterwards,vinegar and salt were rubbed over their wounds so that the pain would be even greater. The

Saints underwent these tortures with great courage, which the onlookers admired.

Syrianos then had the women tortured in the same manner. They also faced the tortures withgreat courage. Seeing that these women persisted in their beliefs, Syrianos had them beheaded.

Again, with pro

Documents

Selected Lives of Saints