Nave

The sister of Saints Basil and Gregory of Nyssa, Saint Macrina was the eldest of ten children. After her father’s death in 341 Macrina managed the family’s vast lands in Pontus, Cappadocia and Armenia, while also giving herself to prayer, philosophy and the study of Holy Scripture. With her mother she then turned the family home into a monastery.

As she lay dying Macrina conversed with Gregory of Nyssa on the nature of man and the Holy Trinity. He recorded her words, and later through his hand her words influenced the words the Second Ecumenical Council ordered into the Creed regarding the Holy Spirit. 

Saint Susannah lived in Palestine during the late third century. On the death of her parents she was baptized, gave away her goods to the poor, put on male attire and was received under the name of John into a monastery at Jerusalem.

After 20 years of irreproachable ascetic life she was accused of having violated a nun. Instead of clearing her name, she chose patiently to bear the heavy punishment dealt by her abbot. Under threat of excommunication from the Bishop, she revealed her identity. Her truth amazed all. The Bishop ordained her deaconess and took her from the monastery to work in his diocese. Her growing renown led the governor to imprison her, then burn her to death.

Saint Lydia was a dyer of purple who lived with her family at Philippi in Macedonia. One day Saint Paul went to preach to the devout women who were gathered near the river outside the city. When Lydia
heard him speak of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God, the Lord opened her heart and she immediately constrained the Apostle Paul, with Luke and Silas, to stay at her home. Later, when Paul and Silas were delivered from prison by divine intervention, they went to Lydia’s house where were gathered the Christians of the city. Saint Lydia finished her days faithful to the lives and teachings of the Apostles. 

Saint Sabas was a master of the Palestinian Desert. Born in Cappadocia in 439, he entered a local monastery at age 8 and while yet a boy could recite the Psalter by heart. Saint Sabas’ humility and obedience were so complete that Saint Euthymius called him ‘the child-elder’. As an anchorite, Sr. Sabas lived in the harsh desert of Rouba for 9 years, then in a cave. Later 150 anchorites joined him and a Lavra was born. At age 53 Sabas reluctantly accepted ordination to the priesthood. Many wonders and miracles began to occur around Saint Sabas: he tamed wild animals, healed the sick, and brought welcome rain to thirsty lands. In his 94th year he peacefully fell asleep in the Lord. Many Saints have flourished in the Lavra of St. Sabas, including Saint John of Damascus and Saint Andrew of Crete. Both while at the Lavra wrote important pieces of the Church’s hymnography. The Typikon that still regulates our services was composed and established at the Lavra of St Sabas.

Dorotheus was born in Antioch. He received a strong sacred and secular education, especially in medical science. He later entered a monastery. As he was unable to undertake great mortifications and found himself assailed by impure thoughts, his elder lavished consolations and counsels on him. He advised Dorotheus not to let despair overwhelm him. He urged him to do all he could to deny the will of the flesh, and to devote his efforts to interior ascesis of the heart in order to acquire humility and compassion for all. Dorotheus took on the demanding task of forming and running the monastery’s infirmary where he cared for the sick morning to evening. Eventually Dorotheus founded his own monastery near Gaza. He insisted on humility and the renunciation of one’s own will. Dorotheus wrote Spiritual Discourses, still
considered a foundational work of Orthodox monasticism.

Born in the late 500’s, Saint John of the Ladder’s country of origin remains unknown, for he took great care to live as a stranger on earth. After receiving a solid intellectual formation, at the age of 16 he went to Mount Sinai. He gave himself to an elder with humility and obedience and at age 20 was tonsured a monk. For the next 19 years John labored in the blessed freedom of an obedient monk. Upon his elder’s death he entered solitude. From ages 39 to 79 in a cave five miles from the monastery John lived and prayed alone. He conquered sloth by remembrance of death. With continual tears he celebrated God daily. He came out of prayer purified by fire and radiant with light. Wonders began to attend Saint John as well as the gift of spiritual teaching. Saint John left an enduring work: The Ladder of Divine Ascent. For 1400 years it has remained the outstanding guide to Orthodox evangelical living, for monks and lay
people alike.

The Holy Martyr Elizabeth was born in 1864 to Louis IV and Princess Alice, daughter of Queen Victoria. Elizabeth married the Grand Duke Sergius and converted from Protestantism to Orthodoxy. When her husband was assassinated, she addressed a plea for clemency to the Tsar and prayed for the killer the rest of her life. Later Elizabeth sold her art collection and founded a monastery. She was arrested by the Bolsheviks on Pascha, 1918. Elizabeth and other members of the Romanov family were thrown down a shaft of a mine 200 feet deep. Their fall was broken by a wooden beam, and the voice of Saint Elizabeth could be heard leading the singing of the Cherubic Hymn. The assassins then threw a grenade into the shaft, but after the explosion they heard the chanting of: O Lord, Save Thy People… They therefore covered the shaft entrance and set it on fire. Voices praying and singing could still be heard through the smoke. The bodies were recovered the following October. Saint Elizabeth was found on a ledge about 50 feet below the surface, her body unbroken and incorrupt. Grenade shrapnel had not touched her, and it was evident that she had remained alive for a long time. Her relics were taken to the Monastery of St
Mary Magdalene in Jerusalem.

Saint Eudocia was the daughter of a celebrated Athenian philosopher and received a careful education. Under the protection of the emperor’s sister, Eudocia was received at court where she attracted attention for her grace and wisdom. In 421 she married the Emperor Theodosius. She made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 438 where she visited the holy sites and received relics of the First Martyr Stephen, which she took back with her to Constantinople. In 442, mistakenly accused of infidelity, the Empress was exiled to Palestine where she remained to the end of her days. She built churches, supported the monks and encouraged the growth of pilgrimages. She fell asleep in peace in 460 in Jerusalem.

In the time of Constantine the Great, King Licinius had a beautiful daughter Penelope. Through her attendant, Penelope chose baptism and received the name Irene. Immediately she threw down her father’s idols. In a fury he threw her to the wild dogs. One of the dogs, however, attacked the king and mortally wounded him. Not touched by the dogs, Irene prayed and saved her father’s life. The king converted, followed by many of his subjects. St. Irene continued to speak out for her faith and performed wonders. She survived tortures until the King of Persia beheaded her. An angel brought her back to life. Irene walked into the town of Mesembria bearing an olive branch as a sign of the victory of the Faith over all the powers of death. As a result of this stunning incident the entire region accepted baptism. When Irene peacefully passed from this life, two days later her tomb was found empty.

The Great Martyr Theodore, governor of the city of Heracles, was known as a Christian. The strength of his words converted most of the population to the Faith. When Emperor Licinius asked Theodore to worship the gods, Theodore took the golden statues home, broke them into pieces and distributed to the poor. As a result, the emperor had Theodore beaten hundreds of times while Theodore said only “Glory to thee, my God!” Later he was nailed to a cross but he remained steadfast in prayer. While hanging on the cross, an angel of God took him down and healed him. Several soldiers seeing him uninjured converted to Christ. As more soldiers were sent to kill him, Theodore prevented some Christians from
intervening. He calmly presented himself to his executioners and made the sign of the Cross. With the stroke of a sword he received his crown of glory. For centuries his holy relic continued to work miracles. 

Born in 349, Saint Ambrose came from a powerful family of Roman patricians who had been converted to Christianity. Ambrose was educated by the best masters and became widely admired as a gifted orator. After completing his legal studies, Ambrose was appointed governor of northwestern Italy and
resided in Milan.

On the death of the Arian Bishop of Milan in 573 a meeting took place in the cathedral to elect a new Bishop; but the gulf between Orthodox and Arians was so great that no agreement could be reached. An appeal was made to the governor to come to restore order to the proceedings. The gentleness, conviction and peaceful spirit of the governor’s words made such an impression upon all that soon Ambrose, though still a catechumen, was elected bishop. Eight days after his Baptism the thirty-four year old lawyer and administrator was consecrated Bishop, to the satisfaction of Orthodox and Arians alike.

Ambrose gave himself to the Church completely. He distributed his money to the poor and made over his large estates to the Church, retaining nothing for himself. He kept a strict fast and devoted nights to prayer. He entered upon the defense of Orthodoxy with an ardor that dismayed the Arians. Ambrose enjoyed the friendship of princes, but he never lost sight of the independence of the Church with regard to secular power. He declared ‘that a bishop will never surrender the temple of God!’

When Emperor Theodosius ordered the massacre of more than 7000, Ambrose excommunicated him from Church. On Christmas day, Theodosius came again to the cathedral, fell at the feet of Ambrose and begged to be worthy of participation in the holy Mysteries. Ambrose pardoned him, but Theodosius never dared to enter the altar to take divine communion as Ambrose had rebuffed him when he entered the altar saying: ‘Go out from here and stay in your place among the laity because the purple does not make priests, but emperors.’

Through private conversation Ambrose brought many agnostic friends into the Christian way of life. For twenty-five years in writings and sermons Ambrose displayed the breadth of his learning. Ambrose also composed many magnificent hymns. His body rests to this day in the basilica of Milan.

Saint Euphrosynus was a simple peasant who entered a monastery where he was put to work in the kitchen doing the most thankless tasks. He became the laughingstock of everyone but bore it all with unshakeable generosity of spirit.

One night a godly priest in the monastery had a sense of being carried into a garden Paradise. Euphrosynus was in the middle of the garden tasting the good things there and rejoicing with the Angels. The priest went up to him and asked where they were. Euphrosynus answered, ‘This is the dwelling place of God’s elect that you have longed to see for so many years and I am here because, in His good pleasure, God has forgiven my sins.’

Gazing on the fruits of Paradise, the priest observed that they were perceptible to those who dwelt there, so he asked Euphrosynus if he might take some of the fruit of the garden away with him. Euphrosynus took three apples and put them in the priest’s cloak. Just then the priest woke to the call of Matins and was astonished to find in his cloak three fragrant apples. He saw Euphrosynus in his usual place in the church and went up to him, begging him to tell him where he had been during the night that had just
passed. ‘Forgive me, Father’, Euphrosynus answered, ‘but I have been here all the time.’ But as the devout priest pressed him not to conceal the blessings of God, Euphrosynus at last humbly said, ‘It is true, Father, that I was in the garden where you saw the good things God has in store for his elect and that it was the Lord’s wish to show you this mystery through my unworthiness.’

The priest soon told what he had witnessed. By way of proof he showed Euphrosynus’ three apples to all. The monks were encouraged and with greater zeal pursued the paths of virtue. Those who tasted the apples were healed of diseases. As for Euphrosynus, he fled from the monastery for there was nothing he feared more than the praise of men.