Orthros at 8:15 am & Divine Liturgy at 9:30am
Weekday Orthros and Liturgies begin at 8am
Saturday7/20
+The Glorious Prophet Elias (Elijah) +Orthros & Divine Liturgy @8am
Sunday 7/21
4th Sunday of Mathew +Orthros @8:15am & Divine Liturgy @9:30am
Memorial Service
A Memorial Service will be prayed for the repose of the soul of +Anastasios and +Panagiota Kalli, beloved parents of Eleni (Marios) Constantinides and Irene (Stan) Karoly. Friends and relatives are invited to join the family for refreshments downstairs in honor or their blessed memory.
A Memorial Service will be held commemorating the 50-year anniversary of the Turkish invasion on the island of Cyprus. Please join us and our Cypriot families’ downstairs for refreshments in honor of the souls that were lost in the tragedy of July 20, 1974.
A Trisagion Service will be prayed for the repose of the soul of +Christos Nicolaou, beloved father of Maro (Herb) Schuster. Friends and relatives are invited to join the family for refreshments downstairs in honor of his blesses memory.
May their memory be eternal. Αιωνία η μνήμη αυτών.
Wedding:
On Sunday July 21, 2024, at 12:30pm Daniel Russo and Marina Strongilos will be joined in Holy Matrimony according to the rites of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Sponsor will be Markella Strongilos.
Sunday 7/28
5th Sunday of Matthew +Orthros @8:15am & Divine Liturgy @9:30am
Participation in services is also available via livestream - go to: Home | St. Andrew Greek Orthodox Church (orthodoxws.com) and choose LIVESTREAM on the Menu bar
Prayers/Liturgy can always be found at: https://www.agesinitiatives.com/dcs/public/dcs/dcs.html
Online Giving System: Website: https://www.standrewgonj.org/ and choose PayPal / online WeShare | Consider making your donations using our New Abundant App
Coffee Hour Today is hosted & sponsored by the families of Herb & Maro Schuster and Mario & Eleni Constantinides & Irene Karoly in honor of their loved ones' blessed memory and in honor of the souls that were lost in the tragedy of the Turkish Invasion of Cyprus on July 20, 1974.
Coffee Hour Hosts JULY & August Summer Schedule:
Summer Coffee Hour: It is our summer tradition that all coffee hour trays will benefit our Ministries. We all share the responsibility of bringing food. Please bring a cake, cookies, fruit, etc. to church with you from time to time to add to our coffee hour table. Or arrange to host/sponsor a coffee hour in Memory of or in Honor of by contacting the churchoffice. Thanking-you in advance for your participation this summer.
COFFEE HOUR HOSTS Summer Schedule
7/28 Krassas, 8/4 Open, 8/11 Clapsis, 8/18 Kelly, 8/25 Open, 9/1 Philoptochos, 9/8 GOYA, 9/15 PTA, 9/22 DOP, 9/29 PC
Bagels are donated by Jimmy Psaras of ALFA BAGELS on Route 10 in Randolph, NJ
Coffee is donated by Aristotle Leontopoulos of Coffee Associates in Edgewater, NJ
Thank you! To all the volunteers who worked so hard before, during and after our 2024 Big Greek Festival. As well thank you to all who came out to support us. We need all of you to continue our work at Saint Andrew.
now we need your help in selling the Car raffle tickets
Please sell your raffle tickets, mail, or bring in your money with the stubs to the office, and consider selling more tickets in front of the church.
We need your help to make this year’s raffle a success! Sign up for JUST 2 HOURS and sell raffle tickets! Sit and read or even bring your laptop (Wi-Fi available).
To schedule times email [email protected] or call 973-584-0388. It is an easy way to help our church meet our annual budget and unforeseen expenses. We have made over $1,000 in just one day by manning the curbside raffle ticket sales. Please consider helping out in this easy way. Your church needs your support.
Philoptochos 2024 RUMMAGE SALE scheduled for September 6th-8th has been CANCELLED.
OPEN ENROLLMENT
Hellenic Afternoon School
Thursday September 12, 2024
at 4:30pm Agiasmo in Church followed by open house and then
first day of Class for all HAS grades
GREEK DANCE
1st day Thursday September 19
1st Session: Group 1 @ 6:30pm | Group 2 @7:15 pm | GOYA @8:00pm
Religious Education
Classes will begin on Sunday September 8 after Holy Communion
Registration Forms
contact the Church office [email protected]
HOPE & JOY is a Youth Group
for children in K-6th grades. We offer one activity per month after church and one “fun day” activity, sometimes at church and sometimes out.Please donate candy for the egg hunt. We will fill the eggs during Greek school on Thursday 4/18 and 4/25, and we would love your help. at a location. We look forward to your participation! See our website for event info https://sites.google.com/view/hopejoystandrew/home Any questions contact: Jenny Manis 732-547-4790 [email protected]
Stewardship 2024
As we move toward becoming a percentage giving community, we are adopting a rounding up approach to giving.
We ask you to join the Parish Council and Stewardship Ministry who have pledged to give a percentage of their income.
Please join us in this commitment to achieve our parish vision.
To learn more about what this means, click on - https://standrewgonj.org/stewardship/#round-u p or speak to a member of the Parish Council or the Stewardship Ministry.
If you are not already a member of Saint Andrew, please consider a pledge starting out at 1% of your income.
In gratitude for God’s Blessings, please click on and fill in the 2024 Stewardship Pledge. please send to the church office
phishing / CON ARTISTS TEXTS/EMAILS : Someone is sending out texts and emails asking for assistance and signing Fr John’s name. This is not Fr John’s cell number or email address. His cell number is 973-219-2941, his email is [email protected] . Please report the text/email as junk and delete and block the sender. We contacted the FBI about this problem and was informed that they do not take a case like this. We hope no one is fooled by these criminals. Please tell your friends. Fr will never reach out to anyone asking for “assistance” in this way. Thank you for your patience and understanding. God Bless!
Archepiscopal Encyclical on the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Invasion of Cyprus
July 20, 2024
To the Most Reverend and Right Reverend Hierarchs, Pious Priests and Deacons, Monks and Nuns, Presidents and Members of the Parish Councils, Honorable Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Members of Leadership 100, Day and Afternoon Schools, Philoptochos Societies, Youth, Greek Orthodox Organizations, and entirety of the Christ-loving Plenitude of the Sacred Archdiocese of America:
My Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ,
The Fiftieth Anniversary of the unjust and unnecessary invasion of the Island Nation of Cyprus by Turkiye is a sad and heartbreaking milestone in what has been too long a journey of injustice and diplomatic neglect by the World Powers. The mistakes and grim miscalculations of the past are long overdue for forgiveness, so that credible solutions can emerge with an air of possibility.
For half a century, we have been praying and working for the reunification of Cyprus, and for all its citizens to receive the just judgment of a peaceful and equitable settlement. In the intervening decades, global leadership has chosen to turn a blind eye to the suffering on both sides of the Green Line. Families have passed through generations without closure for their lost loved ones, whose earthly remains are still missing. Magnificent cultural heritage has been razed and looted, finding its way into global black art markets. And the utter lack of respect for sacred Churches is a reminder of medieval views of conquest that should no longer be applicable in a civilized world.
We, who are Greek Orthodox Christians, and who share spiritual, cultural, ethnic, linguistic and all manner of civilizational ties with Cyprus, cannot simply stand by and wait passively for a resolution to be found - especially when the world seems to be no longer looking for one. We shall continue to raise the issue "in season and out of season." But this cannot be all that we do. We must implore the Lord of all to enlighten and rain down righteousness on the hearts of world leaders and bring Cyprus back to the forefront of international affairs without further delay.
In this spirit, on Sunday, July 21, all parish priests of the Sacred Archdiocese of America are encouraged to hold a special Memorial Service for the blessed repose of our Cypriot bethren who were lost so unjustly. They certainly merit our prayers as much as Cyprus deserves a peaceful and just settlement now! Fifty years is far too long, and anything more is unworthy of what has been forever lost!
With hope and faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
† ELPIDOPHOROS
Archbishop of America
Saturday7/27
FAITH KITCHEN GOYA hosting
Sunday 7/28
5th Sunday of Matthew +Orthros @8:15am & Divine Liturgy @9:30am
@12:30pm Veninger Baptism
@2:30pm Monda Baptism
Thursday & Friday 8/1 & 8/2
@6pm PARAKLESIS SERVICE
Sunday 8/4
6th Sunday of Matthew Orthros @8:15am & Divine Liturgy @9:30am
Monday 8/5
@6pm Great Vespers
@7:30pm Parish Council Meeting
Tuesday 8/6
Transfiguration of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ +Orthros @8:00am & Divine Liturgy @9:00am
Tuesday -Wednesday 8/6-8/7
@6pm PARAKLESIS SERVICE
Sunday 8/11
7th Sunday of Matthew +Orthros @8:15am & Divine Liturgy
Monday -Tuesday 8/12-8/13
@6pm PARAKLESIS SERVICE
Wednesday 8/14
@6pm Great Vespers
Thursday 8/15
The Dormition of the Theotokos +Orthros @8am & Divine Liturgy @9am
Friday 8/16
@4pm Wedding Rehearsal
Saturday 8/17
@2pm WeddingSimonis_Little
July 21st Sunday’s Memorial Service (July 20th, 2024) commemorates the 50- year anniversary of the tragic Turkish invasion on the island of Cyprus.
As we move toward becoming a percentage giving community, we are adopting a rounding up approach to giving... To learn more about what this means, click on https://standrewgonj.org/stewardship/#round-up
2024 Philoptochos Rummage Sale cancelled
2024 MERCEDES-BENZ GLC 300 W4 - MSRP $54,220 |TICKETS $25 EACH | DRAWING SEPTEMBER 29, 2024, 12:30PM
ALL FAMILIES that are registering for: Sunday School, Greek School, Greek Dance, GOYA Dance, please complete FORM and submit PTA Family Membership ($30) in addition to Tuition Fees for above
HELLENIC AFTERNOON SCHOOL THURSDAY September 12, 2024 at 4:30pm AGIASMO in Church followed by OPEN HOUSE and then first day of Class for all HAS grades | must complete Family & Student Form as well
2024-2025 GREEK DANCE GROUP starts on Thursday September 19: Group 1 (ages K thru age 7) 6:30-7:15pm | Group 2 (ages 8-11) 7:15-8:00pm | GOYA (ages 12-18) 8:00pm
CIGAR NIGHT Sept 12 @6:30pm at The Meadow Wood
Trivia Night 11-15-2024
Lord's Voice - The Young Person
Prayer for a Sick Person:
Heavenly Father, physician of our souls and bodies, who have sent Your only-begotten Son and our Lord Jesus Christ to heal every sickness and infirmity, visit and heal (me) Your servant from all physical and spiritual ailments through the grace of Your Christ. Grant (me) patience in this sickness, strength of body and spirit, and recovery of health. Lord, You have taught us through Your word to pray for each other that we may be healed. I pray that You heal (me) as Your servant and grant (me) the gift of complete health. For You are the source of healing and to You I give glory, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen
Please keep these names in your prayers
Mary, Demetrios, Stanley, Gianna, Konstantinos, Fr George, Eftihia, Thomas, Meropi, Paul, Fotios, Alexandros, George, Johnathan, Christopher, Irene, Ioannis, Maria, Samuel, Peter, Vasilios, Evmorfia, Demetrios, Despina, Natalia, Eleni, Demetrios, Roye, Elias, Eleana, Ellen, Andrew, Eleni, Denise, Eleni, Robert, Maria, Michael, Pamela, Angeliki, Theodoros, Constantinos, Andrew, Chari, Penelope, ..
If you would like us to remember you or your loved one in our prayers, please contact the office. 973-584-0388 or send us an email to [email protected]
Names will be kept on this list for approximately three months. Please resubmit Names if needed. Fr. John will pray for the Names above during the PROSKOMIDI “Offering of gifts” during the first part of the Divine Liturgy when our priest prepares the mystical gifts of bread and wine. Please keep these names in your prayers as well.
Fourth Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from Luke 24:1-12
On the first day of the week at early dawn, the women went to the tomb, taking spices, which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel; and as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how He told you, while He was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise." And they remembered His words and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told this to the Apostles; but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home wondering at what had happened.
Fourth Orthros Gospel
Κατὰ Λουκᾶν 24:1-12
Τῇ μιᾷ τῶν Σαββάτων, ὄρθρου βαθέος ἦλθον ἐπὶ τὸ μνῆμα, φέρουσαι ἃ ἡτοίμασαν ἀρώματα, καί τινες σὺν αὐταῖς. Εὗρον δὲ τὸν λίθον ἀποκεκυλισμένον ἀπὸ τοῦ μνημείου, καὶ εἰσελθοῦσαι οὐχ εὗρον τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ. Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ διαπορεῖσθαι αὐτὰς περὶ τούτου, καὶ Ἰδού, δύο ἄνδρες ἐπέστησαν αὐταῖς ἐν ἐσθήσεσιν ἀστραπτούσαις· ἐμφόβων δὲ γενομένων αὐτῶν καὶ κλινουσῶν τὰ πρόσωπον εἰς τὴν γῆν, εἶπον πρὸς αὐτάς· Τί ζητεῖτε τὸν ζῶντα μετὰ τῶν νεκρῶν; οὐκ ἔστιν ᾧδε, ἀλλ' ἠγέρθη. Μνήσθητε ὡς ἐλάλησεν ὑμῖν, ἔτι ὢν ἐν τῇ Γαλιλαίᾳ, λέγων, ὅτι δεῖ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδοθῆναι εἰς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων ἁμαρτωλῶν, καὶ σταυρωθῆναι, καὶ τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἀναστῆναι. Καὶ ἐμνήσθησαν τῶν ῥημάτων αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὑποστρέψασαι ἀπὸ τοῦ μνημείου, ἀπήγγειλαν ταῦτα πάντα τοῖς ἕνδεκα καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς λοιποῖς. Ἦσαν δὲ ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ Μαρία καὶ Ἰωάννα καὶ Μαρία Ἰακώβου, καὶ αἱ λοιπαὶ σὺν αὐταῖς, αἳ ἔλεγον πρὸς τοὺς ἀποστόλους ταῦτα. Καὶ ἐφάνησαν ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν ὡσεὶ λῆρος τὰ ῥήματα αὐτῶν, καὶ ἠπίστουν αὐταῖς, ὁ δὲ Πέτρος ἀναστὰς ἔδραμεν ἐπὶ τὸ μνημεῖον, καὶ παρακύψας βλέπει τὰ ὀθόνια κείμενα μόνα, καὶ ἀπῆλθε, πρὸς ἑαυτόν θαυμάζων τὸ γεγονός.
Prokeimenon. Third Mode. Psalm 46.6,1.
Sing praises to our God, sing praises.
Verse: Clap your hands, all you nations.
The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Romans 6:18-23.
Brethren, having been set free from sin, you have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once yielded your members to impurity and to greater and greater iniquity, so now yield your members to righteousness for sanctification.
When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But then what return did you get from the things of which you are now ashamed? The end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the return you get is sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Προκείμενον. Third Mode. ΨΑΛΜΟΙ 46.6,1.
Ψάλατε τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν, ψάλατε.
Στίχ. Πάντα τὰ ἔθνη κροτήσατε χεῖρας.
τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα Πρὸς ῾Ρωμαίους 6:18-23.
Ἀδελφοί, ἐλευθερωθέντες δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ἐδουλώθητε τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ. Ἀνθρώπινον λέγω διὰ τὴν ἀσθένειαν τῆς σαρκὸς ὑμῶν· ὥσπερ γὰρ παρεστήσατε τὰ μέλη ὑμῶν δοῦλα τῇ ἀκαθαρσίᾳ καὶ τῇ ἀνομίᾳ εἰς τὴν ἀνομίαν, οὕτως νῦν παραστήσατε τὰ μέλη ὑμῶν δοῦλα τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ εἰς ἁγιασμόν. Ὅτε γὰρ δοῦλοι ἦτε τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ἐλεύθεροι ἦτε τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ. Τίνα οὖν καρπὸν εἴχετε τότε ἐφʼ οἷς νῦν ἐπαισχύνεσθε; Τὸ γὰρ τέλος ἐκείνων θάνατος. Νυνὶ δὲ ἐλευθερωθέντες ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας, δουλωθέντες δὲ τῷ θεῷ, ἔχετε τὸν καρπὸν ὑμῶν εἰς ἁγιασμόν, τὸ δὲ τέλος ζωὴν αἰώνιον. Τὰ γὰρ ὀψώνια τῆς ἁμαρτίας θάνατος, τὸ δὲ χάρισμα τοῦ θεοῦ ζωὴ αἰώνιος ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ κυρίῳ ἡμῶν.
4th Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from Matthew 8:5-13
At that time, as Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, beseeching him and saying, "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, in terrible distress." And he said to him, "I will come and heal him." But the centurion answered him, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes, and to another, 'Come,' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard him, he marveled, and said to those who followed him, "Truly, I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and sit at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth." And to the centurion Jesus said, "Go; be it done for you as you have believed." And the servant was healed at that very moment.
4th Sunday of Matthew
Κατὰ Ματθαῖον 8:5-13
Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, εἰσελθόντι δὲ αὐτῷ εἰς Καπερναοὺμ προσῆλθεν αὐτῷ ἑκατόνταρχος παρακαλῶν αὐτὸν καὶ λέγων· Κύριε, ὁ παῖς μου βέβληται ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ παραλυτικός, δεινῶς βασανιζόμενος. καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς· ἐγὼ ἐλθὼν θεραπεύσω αὐτόν. καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ ἑκατόνταρχος ἔφη· Κύριε, οὐκ εἰμὶ ἱκανὸς ἵνα μου ὑπὸ τὴν στέγην εἰσέλθῃς· ἀλλὰ μόνον εἰπὲ λόγῳ, καὶ ἰαθήσεται ὁ παῖς μου. καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼ ἄνθρωπός εἰμι ὑπὸ ἐξουσίαν, ἔχων ὑπ᾿ ἐμαυτὸν στρατιώτας, καὶ λέγω τούτῳ, πορεύθητι, καὶ πορεύεται, καὶ ἄλλῳ, ἔρχου, καὶ ἔρχεται, καὶ τῷ δούλῳ μου, ποίησον τοῦτο, καὶ ποιεῖ. ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς ἐθαύμασε καὶ εἶπε τοῖς ἀκολουθοῦσιν· ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, οὐδὲ ἐν τῷ ᾿Ισραὴλ τοσαύτην πίστιν εὗρον. λέγω δὲ ὑμῖν ὅτι πολλοὶ ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν καὶ δυσμῶν ἥξουσι καὶ ἀνακλιθήσονται μετὰ ᾿Αβραὰμ καὶ ᾿Ισαὰκ καὶ ᾿Ιακὼβ ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν, οἱ δὲ υἱοὶ τῆς βασιλείας ἐκβληθήσονται εἰς τὸ σκότος τὸ ἐξώτερον· ἐκεῖ ἔσται ὁ κλαυθμὸς καὶ ὁ βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων. καὶ εἶπεν ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς τῷ ἑκατοντάρχῳ· ὕπαγε, καὶ ὡς ἐπίστευσας γενηθήτω σοι. καὶ ἰάθη ὁ παῖς αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ ὥρᾳ ἐκείνῃ.
These Saints were from the city of Edessa in Mesopotamia and flourished during the reign of Justin the Younger (565-578). After a pilgrimage to Jerusalem they were moved with a desire to forsake the world; they were tonsured monks by the Abbot Nicon, and soon after left the monastery to struggle together in the wilderness near the Dead Sea. When they had passed a little more than thirty years together in silence and prayer, Symeon, having reached the heights of dispassion, departed for Emesa in Syria, where he passed the rest of his life playing the fool, saving many souls from sin while hiding his sanctity with seemingly senseless behavior. He reposed in 570; by the providence of God, John, who had remained in the wilderness, departed soon after.
On the morning of July 23, after the end of the service of celebration, held in the Church of the Annunciation, priests and the faithful accompany the icon to the square of Eleftherias to commence a procession of cars which transfer the Icon to the convent of Kechrovouni.
After the service at the church of Saint Pelagia, the convent residents treat their guests with coffee, doughnuts, Tinian raki, traditional sweets and lunch. Following Vespers they return to Tinos Chora, which is eight kilometers away, on foot. The holy icon is carried in the hands of the monks, who lead locals and visitors in chanting. As they pass local chapels the procession is heralded with church bells.
The procession eventually arrives at Agia Paraskevi, at the entrance to Tinos Chora, where a large crowd of people welcome and greet the icon. The procession continues towards the harbor and the festival culminates on the marble platform at the quay with chanted prayers from the clergy and fireworks over the water. The Tinos Philharmonic Band then accompanies the sacred procession back home to the Church of Annunciation.
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.
This Saint, who had Nicomedia as his homeland, was the son of Eustorgius and Eubula. His father was an idolater, but his mother was a Christian from her ancestors. It was through her that he was instructed in piety, and still later, he was catechized in the Faith of Christ by Saint Hermolaus (see July 26) and baptized by him. Being proficient in the physician's vocation, he practiced it in a philanthropic manner, healing every illness more by the grace of Christ than by medicines. Thus, although his parents had named him Pantoleon ("in all things a lion"), because of the compassion he showed for the souls and bodies of all, he was worthily renamed Panteleimon, meaning "all-merciful." On one occasion, when he restored the sight of a certain blind man by calling on the Divine Name, he enlightened also the eyes of this man's soul to the knowledge of the truth. This also became the cause for the martyrdom of him who had been blind, since when he was asked by whom and in what manner his eyes had been opened, in imitation of that blind man of the Gospel he confessed with boldness both who the physician was and the manner of his healing. For this he was put to death immediately. Panteleimon was arrested also, and having endured many wounds, he was finally beheaded in the year 305, during the reign of Maximian. Saint Panteleimon is one of the Holy Unmercenaries, and is held in special honor among them, even as Saint George is among the Martyrs.
Saint Irene, who was from Cappadocia, flourished in the ninth century. Because of her great beauty and virtue, she was brought to Constantinople as a prospective bride for the young Emperor Michael (842-867); however, as Saint Joannicius the Great foretold, it was God's will that she assume the monastic habit instead. She shone forth in great ascetical labours, and suffered many attacks from the demons; while yet a novice, she attained to the practice of Saint Arsenius the Great, of praying the whole night long with arms stretched out towards Heaven (see May 8). God showed forth great signs and wonders in her, and she became the Abbess of the Convent of Chrysovalantou. She was granted the gift of clairvoyance and knew the thoughts of all that came to her. She appeared in a vision to the king and rebuked him for unjustly imprisoning a nobleman who had been falsely accused. Through a sailor from Patmos to whom he had appeared, Saint John the Evangelist sent her fragrant and wondrous apples from Paradise. She reposed at the age of 103, still retaining the youthful beauty of her countenance. After her repose, marvelous healings beyond number have been wrought by her to the present day.
Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Holy Transfiguration Monastery
Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Greek Standard Text
Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Holy Transfiguration Monastery
Reading is under copyright and is used with permission, all rights reserved by: Greek Standard Text