CATECHESIS & DAILY INSPIRATION |
|
The Holy Martyrs Menas the Most Eloquent, Hermogenes and Eugraphus, of Alexandria (ca. 313) |
|
The NATIVITY FAST
A time for preparation!
May our spiritual efforts bring us renewal in Christ!
|
|
Reflections and Daily Inspiration |
|
Sometimes people call prayer that which is not prayer at all; for instance: a man goes to church, stands there for a time, looks at the icons or at other people, their faces and dress, and says that he has prayed to God; or else he stands before an icon at home, bows his head, says some words he has learnt by heart, without understanding and without feeling, and says that he has prayed, although with his thoughts and heart he has not prayed at all, but was elsewhere with other people and things, and not with God.
St. John of Kronstadt
|
|
|
Icon of St.John the Baptist part 1
1,489 views
George Kordis painting the first layers of St. John the Baptist
Workshop in Athens, November 2018
|
|
Yury Kuznetsov’s Icon-Painting School – a Unique Style in Modern Iconography
|
|
Most schools of contemporary Orthodox iconography follow similar techniques and strictly defined canons while maintaining their own set of distinct approaches. The painting style of Yury Kuznetsov stands out among them by challenging the constraints of the tradition while also remaining loyal to the spirit of icon painting. His particular style of the 21st-century icon is a blend of canonical iconographic approaches and a variety of painting techniques.
|
|
PRAYER REQUESTS FOR MET. KALLISTOS (WARE), MET. SAWA OF WARSAW, RETIRED MET. PHILARET OF MINSK
Moscow, December 23, 2020
A number of hierarchs and clergy of the Orthodox Church have become sick and many have died this year during the pandemic, as the coronavirus has aggravated the poor health with which many of them were already struggling.
And, of course, people continue to suffer from the same health sicknesses and diseases that already existed in the world before the pandemic and are in need of our prayers.
Among them is His Eminence Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware), 86, one of the most well-known public figures in the Orthodox Church today. “As many of you will know, I have not been well in recent weeks and so have not been able to see you in church as I would have liked,” Met. Kallistos wrote recently to local Oxford priests and parishioners recently.
|
|
Israel Museum Reveals Ancient Artifact Depicting Nativity in Bethlehem
A great spiritual event was held on Saturday, December 19, as 115 catechumens were baptized into Christ in His holy Orthodox Church in Kenya.
|
|
SAINT OF THE DAY
DECEMBER 23 / DECEMBER 10
|
|
The Holy Martyrs Menas the Most Eloquent, Hermogenes and Eugraphus, of Alexandria (ca. 313)
Both Menas and Hermogenes were born in Athens. They both lived in Byzantium, being held in great honor by the emperor and the people. Menas was known for his great learning and eloquence of speech and, although he acted outwardly as a pagan, he was a convinced Christian in his heart. Hermogenes was Eparch of Byzantium and acted as a pagan both inwardly and outwardly, but he was compassionate and performed many good deeds. When a dispute flared up between the Christians and the pagans in Alexandria, Emperor Maximin dispatched Menas to calm the disturbance and to root out the Christians from the city. Menas went and restored peace, but he declared himself a Christian and converted many pagans to the true Faith by his eloquence and many miracles. Hearing of this, the emperor sent Hermogenes to punish Menas and to smother Christianity. Hermogenes brought Menas to trial, cut off his feet and tongue, gouged out his eyes, and then cast him into prison. In prison, the Lord Jesus Himself appeared to Menas, healing, and comforting His suffering servant. Seeing Menas miraculously healed, Hermogenes was baptized. He began to preach the powerful Christian Faith and was consecrated as Bishop of Alexandria. Then the enraged Maximin went to Alexandria himself and subjected Menas and Hermogenes to cruel tortures, which they courageously endured, helped by God’s grace. Beholding the bravery of these soldiers of Christ and the miracles of God upon them, Eugraphus, secretary and friend of St. Menas, appeared before the tribunal and cried out to the emperor’s face: “I too am a Christian!” The emperor became enraged, drew his sword, and beheaded St. Eugraphus. Following this, the evil emperor ordered the executioner to behead St. Menas and St. Hermogenes. Their holy relics, thrown into the sea, miraculously floated to Constantinople, where the bishop, to whom this was revealed in a dream, solemnly met them and honorably buried them.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
