Sundays: Orthros (Matins): 8:30 AM | Divine Liturgy: 9:30 AM
Prokeimenon. First Mode. Psalm 109.4,1.
You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
Verse: The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand, till I make your enemies my footstool.
The reading is from St. James' Universal Letter 5:10-20.
Προκείμενον. First Mode. ΨΑΛΜΟΙ 109.4,1.
Σὺ ἱερεὺς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισεδέκ.
Στίχ. Εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος τῷ Κυρίῳ μου΄ Κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου, ἕως ἂν θῶ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς σου ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν σου.
τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα Ἰακώβου 5:10-20.
Ἀδελφοί, ὑπόδειγμα λάβετε, ἀδελφοί μου, τῆς κακοπαθείας, καὶ τῆς μακροθυμίας, τοὺς προφήτας οἳ ἐλάλησαν τῷ ὀνόματι κυρίου. Ἰδού, μακαρίζομεν τοὺς ὑπομένοντας· τὴν ὑπομονὴν Ἰὼβ ἠκούσατε, καὶ τὸ τέλος κυρίου ἴδετε, ὅτι πολύσπλαγχνός ἐστιν καὶ οἰκτίρμων. Πρὸ πάντων δέ, ἀδελφοί μου, μὴ ὀμνύετε, μήτε τὸν οὐρανόν, μήτε τὴν γῆν, μήτε ἄλλον τινὰ ὅρκον· ἤτω δὲ ὑμῶν τὸ ναί, ναί, καὶ τὸ οὔ, οὔ· ἵνα μὴ εἴς ὑπὸκρίσιν πέσητε. Κακοπαθεῖ τις ἐν ὑμῖν; Προσευχέσθω. Εὐθυμεῖ τις; Ψαλλέτω. Ἀσθενεῖ τις ἐν ὑμῖν; Προσκαλεσάσθω τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους τῆς ἐκκλησίας, καὶ προσευξάσθωσαν ἐπʼ αὐτόν, ἀλείψαντες αὐτὸν ἐλαίῳ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ κυρίου· καὶ ἡ εὐχὴ τῆς πίστεως σώσει τὸν κάμνοντα, καὶ ἐγερεῖ αὐτὸν ὁ κύριος· κἂν ἁμαρτίας ᾖ πεποιηκώς, ἀφεθήσεται αὐτῷ. Ἐξομολογεῖσθε ἀλλήλοις τὰ παραπτώματα, καὶ εὔχεσθε ὑπὲρ ἀλλήλων, ὅπως ἰαθῆτε. Πολὺ ἰσχύει δέησις δικαίου ἐνεργουμένη. Ἠλίας ἄνθρωπος ἦν ὁμοιοπαθὴς ἡμῖν, καὶ προσευχῇ προσηύξατο τοῦ μὴ βρέξαι· καὶ οὐκ ἔβρεξεν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἐνιαυτοὺς τρεῖς καὶ μῆνας ἕξ. Καὶ πάλιν προσηύξατο, καὶ ὁ οὐρανὸς ὑετὸν ἔδωκεν, καὶ ἡ γῆ ἐβλάστησεν τὸν καρπὸν αὐτῆς. Ἀδελφοί, ἐάν τις ἐν ὑμῖν πλανηθῇ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀληθείας, καὶ ἐπιστρέψῃ τις αὐτόν, γινωσκέτω ὅτι ὁ ἐπιστρέψας ἁμαρτωλὸν ἐκ πλάνης ὁδοῦ αὐτοῦ σώσει ψυχὴν ἐκ θανάτου, καὶ καλύψει πλῆθος ἁμαρτιῶν.
6th Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from Matthew 9:1-8
At that time, getting into a boat Jesus crossed over and came to his own city. And behold, they brought to him a paralytic, lying on his bed; and when Jesus saw their faith he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven." And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man is blaspheming." But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say 'Rise and walk?' But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins" he then said to the paralytic -- "Rise, take up your bed and go home." And he rose and went home. When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.
6th Sunday of Matthew
Κατὰ Ματθαῖον 9:1-8
Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, ἐμβὰς εἰς πλοῖον διεπέρασε καὶ ἦλθεν εἰς τὴν ἰδίαν πόλιν. Καὶ ἰδοὺ προσέφερον αὐτῷ παραλυτικὸν ἐπὶ κλίνης βεβλημένον· καὶ ἰδὼν ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς τὴν πίστιν αὐτῶν εἶπε τῷ παραλυτικῷ· θάρσει, τέκνον· ἀφέωνταί σοι αἱ ἁμαρτίαι σου. καὶ ἰδού τινες τῶν γραμματέων εἶπον ἐν ἑαυτοῖς· οὗτος βλασφημεῖ. καὶ ἰδὼν ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς τὰς ἐνθυμήσεις αὐτῶν εἶπεν· ἵνα τί ὑμεῖς ἐνθυμεῖσθε πονηρὰ ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν; τί γάρ ἐστιν εὐκοπώτερον, εἰπεῖν, ἀφέωνταί σου αἱ ἁμαρτίαι, ἢ εἰπεῖν, ἔγειρε καὶ περιπάτει; ἵνα δὲ εἰδῆτε ὅτι ἐξουσίαν ἔχει ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἀφιέναι ἁμαρτίας - τότε λέγει τῷ παραλυτικῷ· ἐγερθεὶς ἆρόν σου τὴν κλίνην καὶ ὕπαγε εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου. καὶ ἐγερθεὶς ἀπῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ. ἰδόντες δὲ οἱ ὄχλοι ἐθαύμασαν καὶ ἐδόξασαν τὸν Θεὸν τὸν δόντα ἐξουσίαν τοιαύτην τοῖς ἀνθρώποις.
Liberator of captives, defender of the poor, physician of the sick, and champion of kings, O trophy-bearer, Great Martyr George, intercede with Christ God that our souls be saved.
Ως τών αιχμαλώτων ελευθερωτής, καί τών πτωχών υπερασπιστής, ασθενούντων ιατρός, βασιλέων υπέρμαχος, τροπαιοφόρε μεγαλομάρτυς Γεώργιε, πρέσβευε Χριστώ τώ Θεώ, σωθήναι τάς ψυχάς ημών.
Today at the Cathedral:
We welcome all newcomers to our Cathedral and are glad you are here! Please join us after Liturgy in the Social Hall; we would love to get to know you!
Welcome Back Father George!
Memorial:
Dr. Athanasios (Arthur) Harovas, 1 year
Trisagia:
Vasilios Papageorgiou, 6 years
Christos Raptelis, 1 year
Coffee and sweets are offered in memory of Dr. Athanasios (Arthur) Harovas.
This week at the Cathedral:
Tuesday, July 22nd
7pm - Parish Council Meeting
Announcements:
Frozen, delicious Festival Moussaka trays are available for sale after services on Sundays - $50 plus the pan deposit - to order please call Dot Barry at 860-280-7750.
Canned Goods Drive
Please help us to help those in need! It is our belief that food is a basic human right and that everyone should have access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food. To this goal, we have marked receptacles in the lower entrance area for anyone who wishes to donate and help support the health and well-being of our local individuals and communities in need. (see flyer)
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America’s Program for Girl Delegates to the United Nations is seeking high schoolers who are eager to engage in global diplomacy, advocate for gender equality, and represent the voices of Orthodox young women at the United Nations. Open to high school girls age 15 and up, this program provides a platform for young women to address issues related to the rights of girls around the world, their individual rights, and their beliefs at the United Nations. Working in partnership with girl-focused organizations from around the world, their goal is to ensure that GOA Girl Delegates consistently participate in and contribute to UN events and advocacy efforts, both virtually and in person at the UN Headquarters in New York City. Applications and further info can be found here: https://www.goarch.org/-/applications-open-for-the-goarch-s-girl-delegates-to-the-united-nations%C2%A0program The deadline for applications is August 4th. (see flyer)
SAVE THE DATE: The Nathan Hale Chapter #58 of the Order of AHEPA will be holding their Centennial Gala on October 18th, 2025, celebrating 100 years of promoting Hellenism, education, philanthropy, civic responsibility, family and individual excellence through community service and volunteerism. More information to come... (see flyer)
Stewardship Update
Thank you St. George parishioners for your generous 2025 Stewardship contributions of $132,712 as of 7/17/25. We are on our way to meeting our goal of $275,000!
In order to acknowledge our Stewardship contributors, we have been listing all Stewards who have made their 2025 contribution (partial or total) and we will update the listing every other week in the bulletin. Please note that stewardship contributions will need to be submitted by July 30th in order to be acknowledged in that week’s bulletin. If you have any questions, please contact Sooty Montanari at 860-402-5467 (text or call) or [email protected].
2025 Stewardship Contributers
Michelle Adamidis |
Manousos Kavroudakis |
Russell Patterson |
Irene Alexis |
Pandelis Kavroudakis |
David Paul |
John Alexopoulos |
Stavros Kavroudakis |
Hrisanthi Paul |
Neke Alexopoulos |
Waseem Khoury |
Dimitri Perdikis |
Nancy Anastasiades |
Constance King |
Theodora Perdikis |
Andrew Andrews |
Lora Klementon |
Thalia Pergantis |
Nicole Andrews |
Marie Klementon |
Peter Perrotta |
Louis Antonio |
Peter Klementon |
Thomas Peters |
Paraskeve Apostolidis |
John Kokinis |
Arthur Poly |
Tsampika Apostolidis |
Peter Kokinis |
Athena Psaras |
William Apostolidis |
Priscilla Kokinis |
Anna Rafti |
Virginia Argiros |
Priscilla Kokinis |
Ektor Rafti |
Angie Augustinos |
Martha Konefal |
Chrisoula Raptelis-Mack |
Theodore Augustinos |
Helena Kono |
Dream Roldan |
Dorothy Barry |
Esmeralda Kore |
Dr. James Rouman |
Hope Battistine |
Mimoza Kore |
Marie Rozanitis |
Kristina Beasley |
Dorian Koruni |
Elena Russo |
Evangelia Bikakis |
Fotiona Koruni |
Jack Russo |
Jason Bikakis |
Maria Kostellis |
John Sakoulos |
Kostas Bikakis |
Dimitra Kostopoulos |
Maria Sakoulos |
Michael Bikakis |
Mary Kotiadis |
Panagiotis Samiotis |
Stella Bikakis |
Alexander Koutmos |
Savva Savvides |
Voula Bikakis |
Alexia Krionidou- Wing |
Maria Scanlon |
Kassiani Bisbikos |
Debra Kurker |
Gabriela Schumacher |
Matina Bolger |
Richard Kurker |
Rita Scuris |
Jim Bradley |
Anastasia Kyprillis |
John Sembrakis |
George Calos |
Giannis Kyprillis |
Cynthia Lou Serbegis |
Therese Calos |
Andrew Kyriacou |
Peter Serbegis |
Patricia Caratasios |
Elias Lake |
Tolis Serbegis |
Leonidas Charalambides |
Marguerite Lake |
Ferdinant & Esmeralda Shamo |
Georgia D'Agoustino |
Apostol Laske |
Eleni Skouloudis |
Nicholas Demetriadis |
Annemarie Leaska |
Christina Skouloudis-Marques |
Catherine Deros |
Joanne Lemnios-Knotts |
Christina Smith |
Jennifer Deros |
Dimitrios Lergos |
Peter Smith |
Paula DeTuccio |
John Lergos |
Alexandra Spaniotis |
Emmanuel Diacosavvas |
Stergos Lergos |
Harry Spaniotis |
Socrates Diacosavvas |
Triantafylla Lergos |
Nicholas Spaniotis |
Zoi Dikegoros |
Helen Limnios |
Tara Spaniotis |
Christos Dimitrakopoulos |
Kristiana E. Litts Chockey |
Despina Spyros |
Poly Dimitrakopoulos |
Maria Litzendorf |
George Spyros |
Panagitois Emmanouilidis |
Pat Loulakis-Paradis |
Nicholas Stamboulis |
Rhea Emmanuel |
Staci Lynch (Antonio) |
Tsambika Stamos |
Stella Emmanuel |
Marie Machado |
Marianthi Statoulas |
Mica Ensign |
Dustin Mack |
Nektaria Statoulas |
Constantina Fas |
Penny Makris |
Nicholas Statoulas |
Constantinos Fas |
Perry K. Makris |
Eleftheria Stavropoulos |
Emmanuel Fas |
Michael Malesta |
Emmanuil Stergakis |
Joseph Fazzino |
Pauline Mantzaris |
Edana Sullivan |
Georgia Feigel |
Chris Mantziaris |
Kelsey Sullivan |
Eleni Filintarakis |
Marilyn Mantziaris |
Maria Synodi |
Mary Filintarakis |
Sophia Marangoudakis |
Maria (Kottas) Tackett |
Georgia Fleming |
Maria Matarangas |
Maria K. Tougas |
Alexa Fleury -Melonopoulos |
Ariana McClean |
Demetrios Triantafylidis |
Patricia Fluet |
Mary Meggie |
Penelope Triantafylidis |
Scott Fluet |
Sofia Melabianakis |
James Triarhos |
Efrosini Gavrilis |
Emmannuel Meleounis |
George Troullas |
Cornelia Georgantas |
Konstantinos Meleounis |
Maria Troullas |
Evangelos Giannakopoulos |
Michael Meleounis |
Maria Tsiknis Gemme |
Margaret Giannakopoulos |
Stella Meleounis |
Nitsa Tsipouras |
Elizabeth Giannaros |
Helen Melonopoulos |
Panagiotis Tsipouras |
Elliot Giese |
John K. Menoutis |
Vasilios Tsipouras |
Maria Haldezos |
Rania Menoutis |
John Tyropolis |
Panagiotis Haldezos |
James Mermegas |
Sideroula Tyropolis |
Margarita Haldous Galey |
Argereos Mermegas Jr |
Stephanie Uccello |
Peter Hantzos |
Maria Mintatos |
Angie Varlas |
Vangjel Hoda |
Sotoria Montanari |
Elaina Varunes |
Zoja Hoda |
Olga Nako |
Melitsa Vasilakis |
Sean Howard |
Vera Nako |
Kaliopi Venoutsos |
Anna Illescas |
Tina Newman |
Brianna Violano |
Alexandra Ingrassia |
Tony Newman |
George Vlahopoulos |
George Johns |
Terry Nezames |
Joanna Vlahopoulos |
Pamela Johnson |
John Nisyrios |
Ethel Vounatso-Nowacki |
Ioanna Kalas |
Pandelis Nisyrios |
Andrew Walsh |
Christina Kaliff |
Themalina Nisyrios |
Catherine Walsh |
Alexia R Kalogianes |
Anastasia Nisyrios-Clark |
Kevin Ward |
Anna Kanaras |
Constantina Nisyrios-Colt |
Christine White |
John Kanaras |
Anesti Nova |
Paige Wolfe |
Stillani ( Stella) Kanaris |
Julia Tsaoussis Odell |
Stephen Wolfe |
Andreas Kapetanopoulos |
Antonios Orsaris |
Parthena Yaakob |
Sophie Kapetanopoulos |
Erini Orsaris |
Gregory Yatrousis |
Joanne Karabetsos |
Katholiki Orsaris |
Lazaros Yiannos |
Kostas Karabetsos |
David Pagan |
Georgia Zafiris |
William Karabetsos |
Nicholas Paindiris |
James Zafiris |
Dennis Karageanis |
Dorothy Paleologos |
Mary Zafiris |
George Karageorge |
Martha Pangakis |
Theodore Zafiris |
Maria Karagiannis |
Denise Panos |
Damien Zaharis |
Mercourios Karagiannis |
Paul Panos |
Stephanie Zaharis |
Savas Karagiannis |
Anita Papadimitrakopoulos |
Vasilios Zaharis |
Vasilia Karagiannis |
Helen Papadogiannis |
Stephanie Zapatka |
Anastasia Karayanis |
Marguerita Papageorge |
Dr. Constantine Zariphes |
Phyllis Karayanis |
Savas Papageorge |
Emmanuel Zervos |
Stacy Kardos |
Asimina Papageorgiou |
Kathryn Zervos |
Evangelos Karelas |
Clarence Papanic |
Eugenia Zessos |
Konstantinos Kasolis |
Maria Papapanos |
Mary Zocco |
Persefone Kasolis |
Paraskevi Papastamatious |
Josh Zup |
Eleni Kavros |
Dr. Tania Papayannopoulou |
Yasmi Zup |
Anastasia Kavroudakis |
Katie Patterson |
Erica Zup- Baloga |
Please help us to help those in need! It is our belief that food is a basic human right and that everyone should have access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food. To this goal, we have marked receptacles in the lower entrance area for anyone who wishes to donate and help support the health and well-being of our local individuals and communities in need.
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America’s Program for Girl Delegates to the United Nations is seeking high schoolers who are eager to engage in global diplomacy, advocate for gender equality, and represent the voices of Orthodox young women at the United Nations. Open to high school girls age 15 and up, this program provides a platform for young women to address issues related to the rights of girls around the world, their individual rights, and their beliefs at the United Nations. Working in partnership with girl-focused organizations from around the world, their goal is to ensure that GOA Girl Delegates consistently participate in and contribute to UN events and advocacy efforts, both virtually and in person at the UN Headquarters in New York City. Applications and further info can be found here: https://www.goarch.org/-/applications-open-for-the-goarch-s-girl-delegates-to-the-united-nations%C2%A0program The deadline for applications is August 4th.
The Nathan Hale Chapter #58 of the Order of AHEPA will be holding their Centennial Gala on October 18th, 2025, celebrating 100 years of promoting Hellenism, education, philanthropy, civic responsibility, family and individual excellence through community service and volunteerism. More information to come...
Elias of great fame was from Thisbe or Thesbe, a town of Galaad (Gilead), beyond the Jordan. He was of priestly lineage, a man of a solitary and ascetical character, clothed in a mantle of sheep skin, and girded about his loins with a leathern belt. His name is interpreted as "Yah is my God." His zeal for the glory of God was compared to fire, and his speech for teaching and rebuke was likened unto a burning lamp. From this too he received the name Zealot. Therefore, set aflame with such zeal, he sternly reproved the impiety and lawlessness of Ahab and his wife Jezebel. He shut up heaven by means of prayer, and it did not rain for three years and six months. Ravens brought him food for his need when, at God's command, he was hiding by the torrent of Horrath. He multiplied the little flour and oil of the poor widow of Sarephtha of Sidon, who had given him hospitality in her home, and when her son died, he raised him up. He brought down fire from Heaven upon Mount Carmel, and it burned up the sacrifice offered to God before all the people of Israel, that they might know the truth. At the torrent of Kisson, he slew 450 false prophets and priests who worshipped idols and led the people astray. He received food wondrously at the hand of an Angel, and being strengthened by this food he walked for forty days and forty nights. He beheld God on Mount Horeb, as far as this is possible for human nature. He foretold the destruction of the house of Ahab, and the death of his son Ohozias; and as for the two captains of fifty that were sent by the king, he burned them for their punishment, bringing fire down from Heaven. He divided the flow of the Jordan, and he and his disciple Elisseus passed through as it were on dry land; and finally, while speaking with him, Elias was suddenly snatched away by a fiery chariot in the year 895 B.C., and he ascended as though into heaven, whither God most certainly translated him alive, as He did Enoch (Gen. 5:24; IV Kings 2: 11). But from thence also, after seven years, by means of an epistle he reproached Joram, the son of Josaphat, as it is written: "And there came a message in writing to him from Elias the Prophet, saying, Thus saith the Lord God of David thy father, Because thou hast not walked in the way," and so forth (II Chron. 21:12). According to the opinion of the majority of the interpreters, this came to pass either through his disciple Elisseus, or through another Prophet when Elias appeared to them, even as he appeared on Mount Tabor to the disciples of Christ (see Aug. 6).
Saint Maria Skobtsova of Paris lived a life devoted to serving the poor and the marginalized. She was born Elizaveta Pilenko in 1891 in Riga, Latvia to devout Russian Orthodox parents. Her father died when she was fourteen, and her grief led her to atheism. As a young teenager she became involved in the socialist and intellectual circles in St. Petersburg. By eighteen she was a published poet and married to a Bolshevik. Her desire to actively serve the needy - more than simply discuss social change - led her back to a faith in Christ. She then became the first woman accepted to study at the Theological Academy of the Alexander Nevsky Monastery in St. Petersburg.
After the Bolshevik Revolution, she was elected Mayor of Anapa but had to flee Russia for Paris in 1923. Elizaveta was inspired to devote her life completely to serving the poor after her daughter, Nastia, died of meningitis in 1926. After her second marriage ended in 1932, Metropolitan Evlogii of Paris tonsured her a nun with the name Maria and blessed her to live a "monasticism in the world" devoted to social service.
Initially devoted to the Russian emigres in Paris, she founded a sanatorium along with homes to serve single mothers, families, and single men. By 1937, 120 dinners were served each day. Much of the work she did herself: begging for food, cooking the soup, and even embroidering the icons for their chapel.
By 1942, Maria's work turned to assisting the Jewish population. She helped Father Dimitri Klepinin issue fake baptismal certificates for Jews that came to their aide. In a mass arrest in July of that year, 12,884 Jews were taken to a sports stadium before being transferred to Auschwitz. Maria spent three days visiting the prisoners, bringing them food, and even rescuing some of the children by smuggling them out in trash cans. She also aided Jews in escaping to Southern France which was unoccupied by the Nazis.
Maria was arrested in February, 1943, and was sent to Ravensbruck concentration camp in Germany. For two years, she raised the spirits of her fellow prisoners, helping them remember their human dignity. She led discussion groups on literature, history, and theology, despite her weakening health. On March 31, 1945, a short time before the camp was rescued, Saint Maria was taken to the gas chambers; some prisoners say she took the place of a fellow Jewish prisoner.
On January 18th, 2004, the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate recognized Mother Maria Skobtsova as a saint along with her three fellow workers who also died in German concentration camps: her son Yuri, Fr. Dimitri Klepinin, and Ilya Fondaminsky. They are all commemorated in the Orthodox Church on July 20th.
Saint Mary was from Magdala in Galilee on the Sea of Tiberias, and for this was named Magdalene. When the Lord Jesus cast out seven demons from her, from which she had been suffering, she became His faithful and inseparable disciple, following Him and ministering unto Him even to the time of His crucifixion and burial. Then, returning to Jerusalem together with the rest of the Myrrh-bearers, she prepared the fragrant spices for anointing the body of the Lord. And on the Lord's day they came very early to the tomb, even before the Angels appeared declaring the Resurrection of the Lord. When Mary Magdalene saw the stone taken away from the tomb, she ran and proclaimed it to Peter and John. And returning immediately to the tomb and weeping outside, she was deemed worthy to be the first of the Myrrh-bearers to behold the Lord arisen from the dead, and when she fell at His feet, she heard Him say, "Touch Me not." After the Lord's Ascension, nothing certain is known concerning her. Some accounts say that she went to Rome and later returned to Jerusalem, and from there proceeded to Ephesus, where she ended her life, preaching Christ. Although it is sometimes said that Saint Mary Magdalene was the "sinful woman" of the Gospel, this is nowhere stated in the tradition of the Church, in the sacred hymnology, or in the Holy Gospels themselves, which say only that our Lord cast seven demons out of her, not that she was a fallen woman. "Madeleine" is a form of Magdalene.
Saint Markella was born in the 14th century on the island of Chios and was the daughter of the mayor of her town. She was raised in the Christian faith by pious parents, but lost her mother at a young age. This was especially difficult for her father who fell into depression. The young Markella was devoted to Christ and strove to preserve her virginity, fighting off numerous temptations from the Devil. Seeing he could make no progress with Markella, the Evil One turned his attention to her father, and enflamed within him an unnatural lust for his daughter.
One day he declared his desire for her at which she ran away in tears and fear. Arriving at the edge of the water and with nowhere to run, a rock opened up for Markella to enter so that her lower half could be enclosed within the rock. When her father arrived in pursuit of her, he was furious to have been deprived of his desire and beheaded his daughter there. The miraculous rock remains on Chios in the church dedicated to Saint Markella the Virgin-Martyr and is said to spring healing waters.
The Prophet Ezekiel ("God is strong") was the son of Buzi and a priest by rank. He was taken captive and brought to Babylon during the reign of Jechonias. In the fifth year of this captivity, about 594 or 593 B.C., he began to prophesy. Having prophesied for about twenty-eight years, he was murdered, it is said, by the tribe of Gad, because he reproached them for their idolatry. His book of prophecy, divided into forty-eight chapters, is ranked third among the greater Prophets. It is richly filled with mystical imagery and marvelous prophetic visions and allegories, of which the dread Chariot of Cherubim described in the first Chapter is the most famous; in the "gate that was shut," through which the Lord alone entered, he darkly foretold of the Word's Incarnation from the Virgin (44:1-3); through the "dry bones" that came to life again (37:1-14), he prophesied both of the restoration of captive Israel, and the general resurrection of our race.
The Icon of the Mother of God of Pochaev - Metropolitan Neophytus, a bishop belonging to the see of Constantinople, was traveling through Volhynia in Ukraine where he was given hospitality by a pious woman, Anna Goyskaya. The bishop gave this woman an icon of the holy Theotokos, which began to work miracles, including the healing of her blind brother. In 1597 the icon was given to the monks residing in Pochaev near the border of Galicia, where the Mother of God had appeared in 1340, leaving an imprint of her footprint in the rock, from which a stream gushed forth. In 1675 when the Lavra of Pochaev was besieged by the Moslem Turks, it was saved by the miraculous intervention of the Mother of God through her wonderworking icon. Even though the Lavra of Pochaev came into Uniate hands for over a century, miracles continued to be worked through the holy icon. Since its return to the Orthodox Catholic Church in 1831, the icon has been a grace-bestowing support for Orthodox Christians, especially those in western Ukraine and the Carpathian region.
The Icon of the Mother of God "Joy of All That Sorrow" - As with so many other icons of the Theotokos, wonderworking copies of this icon have been found throughout Orthodox Russia, each with its own history and moving collection of miracles. In this icon, the most holy Mother of God is depicted standing full stature sometimes with, sometimes without the Divine Child in her arms; she is surrounded by all manner of the sick and the suffering, to whom Angels of the Lord bear gifts of mercy, consolation, and suitable aid from the most holy Theotokos. The icon "Joy of all that Sorrow" was inspired by the hymn of the same name; see page 222 in Great Compline. Through one copy of this icon, the sister of Patriarch Joachim was healed at the end of the seventeenth century in Moscow, from which time the feast was established. Another copy of the icon was found in Saint Petersburg; on July 23, 1888, during the severe thunderstorm, lightning struck a chapel at a glass factory, burning the interior walls of the church, but leaving the icon unsinged. From the violent disturbance of the air, the icon was knocked to the floor, the poor-box broke open, and twelve copper coins adhered to the icon in various places; afterwards many miracles were worked by the grace of the holy icon.
Saint Christina was from Tyre in Syria, the daughter of a pagan named Urban. Enlightened in her heart to believe in Christ, she broke her father's idols, made of gold and silver, and distributed the pieces to the poor. When her father learned this, he punished her ruthlessly, then cast her into prison. The rulers subjected her to imprisonments, hunger, torments, the cutting off of her breasts and tongue, and finally impalement, in the year 200, during the reign of the Emperor Septimius Severus.
According to tradition, Anna, the ancestor of God, lived for sixty-nine years, and her spouse Joachim, for eighty; according to one account, Saint Joachim died two years before Saint Anna. The Theotokos had been orphaned of both her parents already when she was eleven years of age, when she was living in the Temple (see Sept. 8 and Nov. 21). Saint Anna is invoked for conceiving children, and for help in difficult childbirth.
Saint Paraskeve, who was from a certain village near Rome, was born to pious parents, Agatho and Politia. Since she was born on a Friday (in Greek, Paraskeve), she was given this name, which means "preparation" or "preparedness" (compare Matt. 27:62, Mark 15:42, Luke 23:54, and John 19:31, where 'Friday' is called "the day of the preparation"). From childhood she was instructed in the sacred letters and devoted herself to the study of the divine Scriptures, while leading a monastic life and guiding many to the Faith of Christ. During the reign of the Emperor Antoninus Pius, she was apprehended because she was a Christian and was urged to worship the idols, but she answered with the words of Jeremias: "Let the gods that have not made heaven and the earth perish from off the earth" (Jer. 10:11). Because of this she endured exceedingly painful torments, and was beheaded in the year 140. The faithful pray to her for the healing of eye ailments.