Tags

A Remarkable Royal Family: Feast of Saint Werburga

Published by Pemptousia Partnership, February 3, 2017 W. J. Lillie February 3, Feast of Saint Werburga While it may be true that history doesn’t repeat itself, it is also true that human beings do. Each generation, each person, is born into the same spiritual state as the generations who have gone before. It’s true that a child will benefit from a loving environment, a good education and a proper formation in the faith, but that

On Those Who Have No Patience

Published by Pemptousia Partnership on February 1, 2022 Protopresbyter Georgios Dorbarakis ‘Wretched and pitiful are those who have no patience, because it is against them that the ‘Woe’ in Holy Scripture is directed. It says woe to those who have lost patience. So really, woe betide those who have no patience, because such people are tossed hither and thither like a leaf in the wind. They can’t abide being challenged, and they’re faint-hearted in sorrows. They’re quick to

The Eleventh Day of Christmas: The Good of Our Soul

Published by Pemptousia Partnership on November 25, 2017 By Saint Isaac the Syrian It takes a great struggle, because the passions are very powerful. But by God’s grace those who are courageous and fight with all their strength will be victorious. Bodily effort and study of the holy Scriptures preserve the purity of the mind. And then it needs a lot of prayer, so that divine grace will shelter those who are struggling. If we’re to acquire the

The Thirty-Eighth Day of Christmas Advent: St Anastasia the Roman

Published by Pemptousia Partnership, October 29, 2017 Saint Symeon the Translator We find two Anastasias in the Lives of the saints, both of whom were of prominent and famous families and who confessed their faith. Both were daughters of mighty Rome. The first was married against her will by her parents, but never came together with her husband, nor even slept with him, pretending she was ill, though in reality because he was a pagan.

The Thirty-Fifth Day of Christmas Advent: Martyr Boniface and Saint Aglaïa

Published by Pemptousia Partnership, December 17, 2021 Evagoras Mahaira Aglaïa was a prosperous woman who lived in the region around Rome in the time of Diocletian and had Boniface as a slave. Bonifatius was her steward, very good-looking in appearance, generous to the poor and kind-hearted, but with a liking for drink and debauchery. They soon fell in love and had a clandestine relationship, since the difference in their social station would not permit any

The Thirty-First Day of Christmas Advent: Hieromartyr Saint Eleftherios, a Young Bishop

Published by Pemptousia Partnership, December 16, 2016 This wonderful saint was the son of noble and prominent parents. He was born in Rome, where his father was an official in the imperial service, though he died in the saint’s childhood. His mother, Anthia, had heard the Gospel from Saint Paul and was, in fact, baptized by him. Given the fact that she was a widow, she entrusted her son’s education to the Bishop of Rome,

The Twenty-Ninth Day of Christmas Advent: The Saints Stand by Us

Published by Pemptousia Partnership, December 14, 2016 Dr Petros Panayiotopoulos When we refer to the life of a saint, we tend to extol their actions and promote them mostly on the basis of the wonderful things they performed. From very ancient times, it was thought that this elevation and emphasis, sometimes even exaggeration, in the narrative of the life of a saint was a way of rendering honour to them. This practice may be considered beneficial

The Twenty-Fourth Day of Christmas Advent: Saint Patapios of Thebes, the Wonderworker

Published by Pemptousia Partnership, December 8, 2017 † Dionysios, Metropolitan of Servia and Kozani Today the Church celebrates and honours the memory of the blessed Patapios the Desert-Dweller. This is the title accorded to the saint who lived in isolation in the desert, leaving behind the turmoil and joys of the secular life. He was born in Thebes, in Egypt, of devout Christian parents, by whom he was brought up with great care and concern

The Seventeenth Day of Christmas Advent: Saint Filaretos the Charitable (1 December)

Published by Pemptousia Partnership, December 1, 2017 Saint Filaretos was a fine example of virtue, especially that of performing good works. He lived at the time of Emperor Konstantinos Porfyroyennitos (Constantine Porphyrogenitus) and his mother, Eirini of Attica (joint reign 780-797). Filaretos was born in the village of Amnia in Gangra, Paphlagonia of devout parents. He married a woman called Theosevo and the couple had three children. He was a farmer and from his income gave

The Fifteenth Day of Christmas Advent: Metropolitan Athanasios of Lemessos: Christmas’ Deeper Meaning (Part I)

Published by Pemptousia, December 6, 2014 By Metropolitan Athanasios of Lemessos Every time we stand before the Lord either in prayer or in celebration in Church of an event from the life of Christ, or we are in any other way experiencing the presence of the Lord, two basic things happen, which are attested by the Church and the experience of the Saints: Firstly, we are feeling joy because we are experiencing the Lord’s abundant