Getting to know the Saints: Tell us about your patron saint!

An online Synaxaristes including martyrologies and hagiographies of the lives of the Orthodox Church's saints. All Forum Rules apply. No polemics. No heated discussions. No name-calling.
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Justin Kissel

Post by Justin Kissel »

The two main sources of information for the life of my patron saint, Justin Popovich, are: Eulogy In Memory of Fr. Justin (Popovich), by Metropolitan Amfilohije (Radovic), and Life of Our Father Justin, Archimandrite of Chelije, by Fr. Daniel Rogich.

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Methodius
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Methodius, Apostle to the Slavs

Post by Methodius »

Paradosis, how were you able to take the name of a non-glorified saint?

At the beginning of the ninth century, a solid base was prepared for more extensive and organized missionary activities in Macedonia. At that time, the Byzantine Empire was undergoing a period of revival on a cultural and educational level, and this wave also reached towns far away from Constantinople, especially Thessaloniki. In the first decades of the ninth century, Thessaloniki was the home of the family of a high official of the Emperor's administration, aide to the Byzantine strategist of Thessaloniki and the surrounding district. The name of this official was Lav, (Leo), of Greek nationality, and his wife was Marija (Mary), a Slav. They had many children, but only the names of the oldest, Methodius, and the youngest, Cyril, are mentioned. Also unknown is the profane name of Methodius, who acquired this name when he took his monastic vows.

These religious parents taught their children the teachings of Christianity from early childhood, helping them to integrate the exalted Christian truths in their lives. From the time of his youth, Constantine occupied himself with the works of Holy Gregorias of Naius and of Dionisius Areopagus. His father sent him to Constantinopole to continue his education in the imperial school of Magnaura where, in addition to theology, sciences, grammar, arithmetic, geography, astronomy, music, poetry and rethorics were also studied. Furthermore, Constantine studied languages such as Latin, Hebrew and Syrian. Among the ranks of his distinguished teachers was Photius, the greatest polemicist and diplomat of the times, who was later elected Patriarch of Constantinopole. Following the completion of his higher education, Constantine was appointed Librarian at the church of St. Sofia, and was later appointed professor of philosophy at Magnaura. It was then that he acquired the cognomen Constantine the Philosopher.

As for Methodius, the sources are very limited. What little is known is that he acquired a secular education and dedicated himself to state and military service. He was endowed with the virtues of Christian life, and state and military faculty. For a long time he administered the region of Bregalnica and contributed to the Christianization of the Slavs in this part of Macedonia. His brother Constantine played a large role in this success.

The missionary activities of the Holy Brothers among the Macedonian Slavs, especially creating the Slav alphabet are noted in the Life of St. Naum. This preceded the translation of the Holy books into the language of the Macedonian Slavs from the Thessaloniki region and the missions among the Western Slavs of Moravia.

Some time before their missionary activities, the Holy brothers withdrew to the monastery Polichron on Mount Olympia in Asia Minor, where they prepared for their epochally important missionary activities. Their monastery seclusion was interrupted on two occasions when the Byzantine authorities and the Patriarch of Constantinopole dispatched them on missions among the Saracens and the Chazars. They completed these missions with great success.

Rostislav, the Knez of Great Moravia, sent an appeal to the Byzantine Emperor Michael Ill to send a bishop and teacher that would explain to them, in their own tongue the true Christian faith. The choice fell on the Holy Brothers. They were fully prepared for this mission for they had already translated most of the Holy scriptures into the Slav language. They chose worthy students and assistants and set on their way to Moravia. They were welcomed there with great joy and honor. Soon after, they opened a school, where they taught the future priests and teachers of the Western Slav peoples. This was met by great resistance on the part of the German clergy, and they were accused of being heretics. The two brothers were compelled to go to Rome to prove their orthodoxy. In Rome, Pope Hadrian II received them with great honors. He approved their Slav Holy Books and he ordered that they be placed in the altar of the church Santa Maria Maggiore and that services in the Slav language be conducted in three Roman churches. Cyril fell ill in Rome and he passed away on February 14, 869AD. Methodius continued his epochal mission among the Western Slavs, with the help of his students who were ordained in Rome. The hostility of the German clergy did not cease. Exhausted from toil and torture, St. Methodius passed away in Nitra in 885 AD. His pupils were subjected to torture and prosecution, some of them were even sold oft as slaves.

The work of the Holy Bothers following the death of St.Methodius experienced a great crisis. However, it was redeemed thanks to their most talented students, St. Clement and St. Naum, the Holy Teachers, enlighteners and miracle workers of Ohrid. They benefited from the missionary method that declared God's truths to new peoples while respecting their cultural independence, and this became the living model for the Holy Church and for missionaries of all times.

Although they were Byzantine in culture, the Holy Brothers ss Cyril and Methodius succeeded in becoming the Apostles of the Slavs. They wanted to serve to the benefit of the Slav peoples and the unity of the Universal Church.

Justin Kissel

Post by Justin Kissel »

Methodius

Paradosis, how were you able to take the name of a non-glorified saint?

Regarding taking the name of a saint not officially recognized, in my particular case, he took me. Indeed, the hierarchy of the various churches had not formally "glorified him" (an easternized version of a western concept... which isn't to say that it's wrong, it just got "baptized" for Orthodox use) when I became Orthodox (though I've heard that the Serbian Church has since glorified him). The very purpose of "taking a name" or "giving a name" is more than simply academic, as though you should study and say a few token prayers to your "patron". It's an actual, intimate (yet awe inspiring) relationship that starts, which you are to develop over the course of your life. In my case, Saint Justin Popovich picked me, not I him (perhaps Saint Justin saw how much error and pride I had and took pity on me). The concept of "glorification" is only a recognition of what the mind of the Church already knows: that the person in question is a saint, and that his sainthood has been demonstrated in various ways (most significantly, miracles through the intercessions of the saint before or after his/her death -- and there are numerous miracles attributed to Justin, especially by people who have prayed at his grave for his help).

I'm sorry if this seeming lapse in discipline is a stumbling block for some. It has always been my want from the very start to follow the Church's teachings and guidelines--even though I constantly fall far short of them. If it offends, I ask that you please forgive me and the Priest who allowed this via economia (and he only allowed it because of my pleading, for I told him that it was not I who was choosing Saint Justin, but vice versa).

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Post by Methodius »

No offense, just wondering.

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Saint Anastasia the Healer

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The Great Martyr Anastasia the Alleviatrix-of-Captives, a Roman by birth, suffered for Christ during the time of the persecution against Christiansmunder Diocletian. Her father was a pagan, her mother -- secretly a Christian. The teacher of Saint Anastasia in her youth was an educated and pious Christian named Chrisogenes. After the death of her mother, her father gave Saint Anastasia in marriage to a pagan named Pomplius, but under the pretext of a contrived illness, she preserved her virginity.

Clothing herself in the garb of a beggar, and accompanied by only one servant, she visited the prisons: she fed, doctored and often ransomed captives that were suffering for their faith in Christ. When her servant told Pomplius about everything, he subjected his wife to a beating and locked her up at home. Saint Anastasia then began secretly to correspond with Chrisogenes, who bid the saint to be patient, to conform all thoughts to the Cross of Christ and prepare herself to serve the Lord; he foretold also the impending perishing of Pomplius in the sea. And after a certain while Pomplius did indeed drown, having set out with a delegation to Persia. After the death of her husband, Saint Anastasia began generously to distribute her property to the poor and suffering.

A report was made to Diocletian that the Christians, who filled the prisons of Rome, stoically endured the tortures. He thereupon gave orders in a single night to kill them all, and for Chrisogenes to be dispatched to him at Aquileia. Saint Anastasia followed her teacher at a distance.

The emperor personally interrogated Chrisogenes, but being unable to incline him to a renunciation of faith, the emperor then gave command for him to be beheaded and thrown into the sea. The body and severed head of the holy martyr were carried by the waves to shore. There by a Divine prompting they were found by a certain presbyter named Zoilus who, having put them within a coffin, concealed them at his home. Chrisogenes appeared to Zoilus and informed him that martyrdom was near for Agapia, Chiona and Irene -- youthful Christians living not far away, and bid him to send Saint Anastasia to them. For Zoilus himself, Chrisogenes foretold a quick and peaceful death. Chrisogenes likewise in a vision guided Saint Anastasia's path to Zoilus. Having come to the presbyter, she prayed at the relics of Saint Chrisogenes, and afterwards she spiritually strengthened the three maidens before their tortures. When these three martyrs gave up their souls to the Lord, she herself buried them.

Having carried out the bequest of her teacher, the saint began her wanders. And having gained proficiency in the medical arts of the time, she zealously cared for captives far and wide. Through her exploits, Saint Anastasia earned for herself the name Aleviatrix-of-Captives [Uzoreshitel'nitsa], since by her many efforts she delivered from agony of long-time suffering many a confessor of the Name of Christ.

One time she made the acquaintance of the pious young widow Theodotia and found in her a faithful helper. Both soon suffered persecution. They arrested Saint Anastasia when she was in Illyria. This occurred just after all the Christian captives there had been murdered in a single night by order of Diocletian. Saint Anastasia had come to one of the prisons, and finding no one there, she began to weep loudly. The jailers realised that she was a Christian and led her off to the governor of the district, who tried to persuade the saint to recant Christ by threatening torture.He then handed her over to the Capitolian pagan-priest Ulpian. The cunning pagan offered Saint Anastasia the choice between luxury and riches, or grievous sufferings. He set before her on the one side gold, precious stones and clothing, but on the other side -- fearsome tools of torture. The pagan guile was put to shame by the bride of Christ -- Saint Anastasia refused the riches and chose the tools of torture. But the Lord prolonged the course of the earthly deeds of the saint. Charmed by the beauty of Anastasia, the pagan-priest decided to profane her purity, but during his first yearnings to touch her he suddenly became blind. Losing his wits under this affliction, he dashed to run off to a pagan temple to appeal to the idols for help, but along the way he fell down and died. Saint Anastasia was set free and together with Theodotia she again devoted herself to the care of imprisoned Christians. Before long, Saint Theodotia and her three sons accepted a martyr's death. Her eldest son, Evodus, stood bravely before the judge and without protest endured beatings. After lengthy torture, they threw all of them into a red-hot oven.

Saint Anastasia was caught again and condemned to death by starvation. She stayed in prison without food for 60 days. Saint Theodotia appeared to the martyr every night and gave her courage. Having seen that hunger caused Saint Anastasia no harm whatsoever, the judge sentenced her to drowning together with condemned criminals. Among these people also was Eutykhian, condemned for his Christian faith.

When the ship went out into the open sea, the soldiers bored holes in it and transferred themselves into a boat. Saint Theodotia appeared to the captives and commanded the ship to shore. Having come to dry land and being saved by the miracle, the 120 men believed in Christ and were baptised by Saints Anastasia and Eutykhian. All were soon captured and given over to a martyr's death. They stretched Saint Anastasia between four posts cross-shaped over a red-hot bonfire. A certain pious woman Apollinaria buried in a garden her body, unharmed by the fire. In the V Century the relics of Saint Anastasia were transferred to Constantinople, where a church in her name was built. They later transferred the head and an hand of the Great Martyress to the monastery of Saint Anastasia [Alleviatrix-of-Captives], located near holy Mount Athos.

Last edited by Miss Anastasia on Sun 12 November 2006 10:02 pm, edited 3 times in total.

In Christ's Love,
Miss Anastasia
(aka crazy hyper person!)

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尼古拉前执事
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Blessed Heormonk Seraphim Rose

Post by 尼古拉前执事 »

Br. Nicholas wrote:

I simply have to ask: Why? Has our Church or any Hierarch of our Church decided that he meets the criteria set forth for glorification?

Why not? HOTCA has named a hermitage after him. He is considered a Blessed, much like Justin Popovich and Nikolai Velimirovich. All 3 were important writers and modern day Fathers of the Church IMO.

Like the story of St. Nicholas of Japan, I don't look for miracles to sctity, I look at what the man wrote, what he did for the Church and the fruit of his works.

But anyway, back to the subject at hand, can you tell us a story about the Nicholas that is your saint please?

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Saints Adrian & Natalia

Post by Natasha »

The spouses Adrian and Natalia lived in the city of Nicomedia in the Bythinian province of Asia Minor. Adrian was a pagan and a dignitary of Emperor Maximian Galerius, a persecutor of Christians. Natalia was a secret Christian. During the persecutions, twenty

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