The Wonderworker Woman - Saint Matrona

The Wonderworker Woman 

- Saint Matrona -

The Blessed Saint Matrona is one of the most beloved Muscovite saints, who lived and worked miracles in our times, and her story and relics are cherished by all Russians.

Now, English speakers can be glad to hear that a Russian TV series on this wonderful saint is available on YouTube with English subtitles.

The series is the result of nine years of archival work, putting together some of the most amazing miracles attributed to St. Matrona, and is aptly named “The Wonderworker Woman.”

Saint Ignatius, the God-Bearer +Dec 20

 Saint Ignatius, the God-Bearer 

   COMMEMORATED ON DECEMBER  20th  

Saint Ignatius unceasingly repeated the name of “Jesus Christ”.
When they asked him why he was doing this, Saint Ignatius answered that this name was written in his heart!

The Holy Great Martyr Ignatius was named the ‘God-Bearer’ because he always carried the name of the living God in his heart and on his lips. Also, traditionally, he was thus named because he was held in the arms of Christ, the incarnate Son of God.

 
In the Gospel of Matthew (18:2-5), there is a passage that reads:
“And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, and said: ‘Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this little child, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.’”
The child whom Jesus selected to illustrate his parable, and upon whom He endowed a spark of divinity with the touch of his hand, was a child named Ignatius, who thereafter grew up in the sacred company of the Apostles of the Lord and went on to become one of the most venerated of all our saints.

The Life and Work of St. Paisius Velichkovsky, a Great Hesychast Father

 

The Life and Work of St. Paisius Velichkovsky,

 a Great Hesychast Father

Saint Paisius Velichkovsky (1722-1794) was a great figure of monasticism who lived a few years on Mount Athos and communicated in Slavic lands, especially in Ukraine, Moldova and Wallachia, but he spread throughout the Balkan and Russian lands and other areas.

He was a great prophetic figure in the field of monasticism in the 18th century, having reintroduced to monasticism in the Balkans and Russia its ancient patristic sources, since monasticism had changed under the reforms made by Peter the Great, when Russia leaned towards the enlightening and romantic spirit of the West.

The Island (Ostrov) English Subtitles

The Life of Saint Paisios (video)

Saint Agnes, the little sheep of God + January 21st

Saint Agnes, the little sheep of God
+ January 21st

 

In the first three centuries A.D. the Christian Church lived one of the most bloody and most heroic periods in its history. Masses of Christians wrote with their blood moving pages of love about the Crucified Jesus and His Gospel.

Terrible and horrible tortures were invented, to eradicate from the hearts of the faithful Christians the love they had for our Lord Jesus Christ.

The boldness, however, and the courage all the Christians showed when facing the tortures were remarkable! With unimaginable patience and bravery, children and adults, men and women, young and old, even young children suffered all these tortures with enthusiasm, for the sake of their Christian faith.

One such child, the young noble Agnes, was in her early teens, when she was asked to confess with courage the love she had for our Lord Jesus Christ.

Saint Agnes was born in the year 290 A.D. in Rome. The Emperor was then the great persecutor of Christians, Diocletian. Her parents had aristocratic origins and were very wealthy. From the time she was a toddler Agnes learnt about Christ and like a thirsty fawn which runs to the spring of gurgling water to drink, she was studying the holy Gospel and the great teaching of love, as interpreted through the Holy Book.

SAINT ANTHONY THE GREAT +January 17th

 

By Archimandrite Elpidios Vagianakis (in greek)

SAINT ANTHONY THE GREAT

FOUNDER OF CHRISTIAN MONASTICISM

(Commemorated on January 17th)

HIS CHILDHOOD YEARS

Saint Anthony was born in 251 A.D.  in Koma, a small village in south Memphis in Egypt near the banks of the Nile River, during the era of the Roman Emperor Decius, a notorious persecutor of Christians.

His parents were rather wealthy but also devout Christians. By his nature little Anthony was an extremely sweet, polite, and humble child. Everyone loved him as their own child for the goodness and respect which he showed to all people.

He loved everyone, even the most scorned person. Whenever Anthony saw a poor, orphaned or sick child, he was inclined to assist them. 

Even though he was so young, his words were full of wisdom and prudence.

But what most impressed everyone and made them refer to him as a child of God was his great devotion and tender love towards Jesus Christ. Whenever he spoke of Him, his heart would burn like lava in a volcano.

His greatest joy was attending divine services with his beloved parents in their small village church. There, he would listen carefully to the reading of the Gospels, which he had an eager desire to follow and apply precisely in his life.

Basil the Great: The Lion of Christ