Saints I - J

Orthodox icon of Saint John the Baptist and Forerunner (11). Icon of 13th cent.

Commemorated January 7.

The sizes on this icon are approximately, because of the shape of the icon.

Orthodox icon of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist. Icon of 15th cent, Hermitage Museum St Petersburg Russia.

Commemorated June 24th.

The Nativity of the Holy Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord, John: The Gospel (Luke. 1: 5) relates that the righteous parents of St John the Baptist, the Priest Zachariah and Elizabeth (September 5), lived in the ancient city of Hebron. They reached old age without having children, since Elizabeth was barren. Once, St Zachariah was serving in the Temple at Jerusalem and saw the Archangel Gabriel, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. He predicted that St Zachariah would father a son, who would announce the Savior, the Messiah, awaited by the Old Testament Church.

Zachariah was troubled, and fear fell upon him. He had doubts that in old age it was possible to have a son, and he asked for a sign. It was given to him, and it was also a chastisement for his unbelief. Zachariah was struck speechless until the time of the fulfillment of the archangel's words. St Elizabeth came to be with child, and fearing derision at being pregnant so late in life, she kept it secret for five months. Then her relative, the Virgin Mary, came to share with her Her own joy. Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, was the first to greet the Virgin Mary as the Mother of God. St John leaped in his mother's womb at the visit of the Most Holy Virgin Mary and the Son of God incarnate within Her.

Soon St Elizabeth gave birth to a son, and all the relatives and acquaintances rejoiced together with her. On the eighth day, in accordance with the Law of Moses, he was circumcised and was called John. Everyone was amazed, since no one in the family had this name. When they asked St Zachariah about this, he motioned for a tablet and wrote on it: u201cHis name is John. Immediately his tongue was loosed, and St Zachariah glorified God. He also prophesied about the Coming into the world of the Messiah, and of his own son John, the Forerunner of the Lord (Luke. 1: 68-79).

After the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ and the worship of the shepherds and the Magi, wicked king Herod gave orders to kill all male infants. Hearing about this, St Elizabeth fled into the wilderness and hid in a cave. St Zachariah was at Jerusalem and was doing his priestly service in the Temple. Herod sent soldiers to him to find out the abode of the infant John and his mother. Zachariah answered that their whereabouts were unknown to him, and he was killed right there in the Temple.

Righteous Elizabeth continued to live in the wilderness with her son and she died there. The child John, protected by an angel, dwelt in the wilderness until the time when he came preaching repentance, and was accounted worthy to baptize the Lord.

Reference: G.O.A.A.

Orthodox icon of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist (2). 

Commemorated June 24th.

The Nativity of the Holy Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord, John: The Gospel (Luke. 1: 5) relates that the righteous parents of St John the Baptist, the Priest Zachariah and Elizabeth (September 5), lived in the ancient city of Hebron. They reached old age without having children, since Elizabeth was barren. Once, St Zachariah was serving in the Temple at Jerusalem and saw the Archangel Gabriel, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. He predicted that St Zachariah would father a son, who would announce the Savior, the Messiah, awaited by the Old Testament Church.

Zachariah was troubled, and fear fell upon him. He had doubts that in old age it was possible to have a son, and he asked for a sign. It was given to him, and it was also a chastisement for his unbelief. Zachariah was struck speechless until the time of the fulfillment of the archangel's words. St Elizabeth came to be with child, and fearing derision at being pregnant so late in life, she kept it secret for five months. Then her relative, the Virgin Mary, came to share with her Her own joy. Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, was the first to greet the Virgin Mary as the Mother of God. St John leaped in his mother's womb at the visit of the Most Holy Virgin Mary and the Son of God incarnate within Her.

Soon St Elizabeth gave birth to a son, and all the relatives and acquaintances rejoiced together with her. On the eighth day, in accordance with the Law of Moses, he was circumcised and was called John. Everyone was amazed, since no one in the family had this name. When they asked St Zachariah about this, he motioned for a tablet and wrote on it: u201cHis name is John. Immediately his tongue was loosed, and St Zachariah glorified God. He also prophesied about the Coming into the world of the Messiah, and of his own son John, the Forerunner of the Lord (Luke. 1: 68-79).

After the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ and the worship of the shepherds and the Magi, wicked king Herod gave orders to kill all male infants. Hearing about this, St Elizabeth fled into the wilderness and hid in a cave. St Zachariah was at Jerusalem and was doing his priestly service in the Temple. Herod sent soldiers to him to find out the abode of the infant John and his mother. Zachariah answered that their whereabouts were unknown to him, and he was killed right there in the Temple.

Righteous Elizabeth continued to live in the wilderness with her son and she died there. The child John, protected by an angel, dwelt in the wilderness until the time when he came preaching repentance, and was accounted worthy to baptize the Lord.

Reference: G.O.A.A.

Orthodox icon of Saint John the Merciful, Patriarch of Alexandria. Icon of 16 cent. Anapfsa Monastery, Meteora Greece.

Commemorated November 12.

Saint John the Merciful, Patriarch of Alexandria, was born on Cyprus in the seventh century into the family of the illustrious dignitary Epiphanius. At the wish of his parents he entered into marriage and had children. When the wife and the children of the saint died, he became a monk. He was zealous in fasting and prayer, and had great love for those around him. His spiritual exploits won him honor among men, and even the emperor revered him. When the Patriarchal throne of Alexandria fell vacant, the emperor Heraclius and all the clergy begged St John to occupy the Patriarchal throne. The saint worthily assumed his archpastoral service, concerning himself with the moral and dogmatic welfare of his flock.

As patriarch he denounced every soul-destroying heresy, and drove out from Alexandria the Monophysite Phyllonos of Antioch. He considered his chief task to be charitable and to give help all those in need. At the beginning of his patriarchal service he ordered his stewards to compile a list of all the poor and downtrodden in Alexandria, which turned out to be over seven thousand men. The saint ordered that all of these unfortunates be provided for each day out of the church's treasury.

Twice during the week, on Wednesdays and Fridays, he emerged from the doors of the patriarchal cathedral, and sitting on the church portico, he received everyone in need. He settled quarrels, helped the wronged, and distributed alms. Three times a week he visited the sick-houses, and rendered assistance to the suffering. It was during this period that the emperor Heraclius led a tremendous army against the Persian emperor Chosroes II.

The Persians ravaged and burned Jerusalem, taking a multitude of captives. The holy Patriarch John gave a large portion of the church treasury for their ransom. The saint never refused suppliants. One day, when the saint was visiting the sick, he met a beggar and commanded that he be given six silver coins. The beggar changed his clothes, ran on ahead of the Patriarch, and again asked for alms. St John gave him six more silver coins.

When, however, the beggar sought charity a third time, and the servants began to chase the fellow away, the Patriarch ordered that he be given twelve pieces of silver, saying, Perhaps he is Christ putting me to the test. Twice the saint gave money to a merchant that had suffered shipwreck, and a third time gave him a ship belonging to the Patriarchate and filled with grain, with which the merchant had a successful journey and repaid his obligations.

St John the Merciful was known for his gentle attitude towards people. Once, the saint was compelled to excommunicate two clergymen for a certain time because of some offense. One of them repented, but the other fellow became angry with the Patriarch and fell into greater sins. The saint wanted to summon him and calm him with kind words, but it slipped his mind. When he was celebrating the Divine Liturgy, the saint was suddenly reminded by the words of the Gospel: if you bring your gift to the altar and remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift before the altar ... first, be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift (Mt. 5:23-24).

The saint came out of the altar, called the offending clergyman to him, and falling down on his knees before him in front of all the people he asked forgiveness. The cleric, filled with remorse, repented of his sin, corrected himself, and afterwards was found worthy to be ordained to the priesthood. There was a time when a certain citizen insulted George, the Patriarch's nephew. George asked the saint to avenge the wrong. The saint promised to deal with the offender so that all of Alexandria would marvel at what he had done. This calmed George, and St John began to instruct him, speaking of the necessity for meekness and humility.

Then he summoned the man who insulted George. When St John learned that the man lived in a house owned by the church, he declared that he would excuse him from paying rent for an entire year. Alexandria indeed was amazed by such a revenge,and George learned from his uncle how to forgive offenses and to bear insults for God's sake. St John, a strict ascetic and man of prayer, was always mindful of his soul, and of death.

He ordered a coffin for himself, but told the craftsmen not to finish it. Instead, he would have them come each feast day and ask if it was time to finish the work. St John was persuaded to accompany the governor Nicetas on a visit to the emperor in Constantinople. While on his way to visit the earthly king, he dreamed of a resplendent man who said to him, The King of Kings summons you.He sailed to his native island of Cyprus, and died at Amanthos, the saint peacefully fell asleep in the Lord (616-620).

Reference: O.C.A.

John the Merciful, Patriarch of Alexandria icon (2). Icon of 14 cent., Russia.

Commemorated November 12.

Saint John the Merciful, Patriarch of Alexandria, was born on Cyprus in the seventh century into the family of the illustrious dignitary Epiphanius. At the wish of his parents he entered into marriage and had children. When the wife and the children of the saint died, he became a monk. He was zealous in fasting and prayer, and had great love for those around him. His spiritual exploits won him honor among men, and even the emperor revered him. When the Patriarchal throne of Alexandria fell vacant, the emperor Heraclius and all the clergy begged St John to occupy the Patriarchal throne. The saint worthily assumed his archbishop service, concerning himself with the moral and dogmatic welfare of his flock.

As patriarch he denounced every soul-destroying heresy, and drove out from Alexandria the Monophysite Phyllonos of Antioch. He considered his chief task to be charitable and to give help all those in need. At the beginning of his patriarchal service he ordered his stewards to compile a list of all the poor and downtrodden in Alexandria, which turned out to be over seven thousand men. The saint ordered that all of these unfortunates be provided for each day out of the church's treasury.

Twice during the week, on Wednesdays and Fridays, he emerged from the doors of the patriarchal cathedral, and sitting on the church portico, he received everyone in need. He settled quarrels, helped the wronged, and distributed alms. Three times a week he visited the sick-houses, and rendered assistance to the suffering. It was during this period that the emperor Heraclius led a tremendous army against the Persian emperor Chosroes II. The Persians ravaged and burned Jerusalem, taking a multitude of captives.

The holy Patriarch John gave a large portion of the church treasury for their ransom. The saint never refused suppliants. One day, when the saint was visiting the sick, he met a beggar and commanded that he be given six silver coins. The beggar changed his clothes, ran on ahead of the Patriarch, and again asked for alms. St John gave him six more silver coins. When, however, the beggar sought charity a third time, and the servants began to chase the fellow away, the Patriarch ordered that he be given twelve pieces of silver, saying, Perhaps he is Christ putting me to the test.

Twice the saint gave money to a merchant that had suffered shipwreck, and a third time gave him a ship belonging to the Patriarchate and filled with grain, with which the merchant had a successful journey and repaid his obligations. St John the Merciful was known for his gentle attitude towards people. Once, the saint was compelled to excommunicate two clergymen for a certain time because of some offense. One of them repented, but the other fellow became angry with the Patriarch and fell into greater sins. The saint wanted to summon him and calm him with kind words, but it slipped his mind.

When he was celebrating the Divine Liturgy, the saint was suddenly reminded by the words of the Gospel: if you bring your gift to the altar and remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift before the altar ... first, be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift (Mt. 5:23-24). The saint came out of the altar, called the offending clergyman to him, and falling down on his knees before him in front of all the people he asked forgiveness. The cleric, filled with remorse, repented of his sin, corrected himself, and afterwards was found worthy to be ordained to the priesthood. There was a time when a certain citizen insulted George, the Patriarch's nephew.

George asked the saint to avenge the wrong. The saint promised to deal with the offender so that all of Alexandria would marvel at what he had done. This calmed George, and St John began to instruct him, speaking of the necessity for meekness and humility. Then he summoned the man who insulted George. When St John learned that the man lived in a house owned by the church, he declared that he would excuse him from paying rent for an entire year. Alexandria indeed was amazed by such a revenge, and George learned from his uncle how to forgive offenses and to bear insults for God's sake. St John, a strict ascetic and man of prayer, was always mindful of his soul, and of death.

He ordered a coffin for himself, but told the craftsmen not to finish it. Instead, he would have them come each feast day and ask if it was time to finish the work. St John was persuaded to accompany the governor Nicetas on a visit to the emperor in Constantinople. While on his way to visit the earthly king, he dreamed of a resplendent man who said to him, The King of Kings summons you. He sailed to his native island of Cyprus, and died at Amanthos, the saint peacefully fell asleep in the Lord (616-620).

Reference: O.C.A.

Orthodox icon of Saint John, the Venerable Abbot of Rila Monastery, the Miraculous. Icon of 14 cent. Monastery of Rila, Bulgaria.

Commemorated October 19.

Orthodox Icon of Saint John the Russian the New Confessor of Prokopion and Evia.

Commemorated May 27th.

A very popular saints among orthodox Greeks today is St. John the Russian whose incorrupt relics are onf the island of Euboia. Countless miracles flow from his relics and icons. St. John was neither a celebrated hierarch, nor an eloquent theologian, but a simple young man who spent the better part of his life in a stable. The Holy Saint John the Russian was born in Little Russia around 1690. Upon attaining the age of maturity he served as a simple soldier in the army and took part in the Russo-Turkish War.

During the Prutsk Campaign of 1711 he and other soldiers were captured by the Tatars, who handed him over to the commander of the Turkish cavalry. He took his Russian captive home with him to Asia Minor, to the village of Prokopion. His master tortured him often in the hope that his slave would accept Islam. St John resolutely resisted saying, You cannot turn me from my holy Faith by threats, nor with promises of riches and pleasures. I will obey your orders willingly, if you will leave me free to follow my religion.

I would rather surrender my head to you than to change my faith. I was born a Christian, and I shall die a Christian. St John's bold words and firm faith, as well as his humility and meekness, finally softened the fierce heart of his master. He left John in peace, and no longer tried to make him renounce Christianity. The saint lived in the stable and took care of his master's animals, rejoicing because his bed was a manger such as the one in which the Savior was born. From morning until late evening the saint served his Turkish master, fulfilling all his commands. He performed his duties in the winter cold and summer heat, half naked and barefoot. Other slaves frequently mocked him, seeing his zeal.

St John never became angry with them, but on the contrary, he helped them when he could, and comforted them in their misfortune. The saint's kindness and gentle nature had its effect on the souls of both the master and the slaves. The Agha and his wife came to love him, and offered him a small room near the hayloft. St John did not accept it, preferring to remain in the stable with the animals. Here he slept on the hay, covered only by an old coat. So the stable became his hermitage, where he prayed and chanted Psalms. The cavalry officer became rich, and was soon one of the most powerful men in Prokopion.

He knew very well why his home had been blessed, and he did not hesitate to tell others. One day, the officer left Prokopion and went to Mecca on pilgrimage. A few days later, his wife gave a banquet and invited her husband's friends and relatives, asking them to pray for her husband's safe return. St John served at the table, and he put down a dish of pilaf, his master's favorite food. The hostess said, 'How much pleasure your master would have if he could be here to eat this pilaf with us. St John asked for a dish of pilaf, saying that he would send it to his master in Mecca.

The guests laughed when they heard his words. The mistress, however, ordered the cook to give him a dish of pilaf, thinking he would eat it himself, or give it to some poor family. Taking the dish, St John went into the stable and prayed that God would send it to his master. He had no doubt that God would send the pilaf to his master in a supernatual manner. The plate disappeared before his eyes, and he went into the house to tell his mistress that he had sent the pilaf to his master. After some time, the master returned home with the copper plate which had held the pilaf. He told his household that on a certain day (the very day of the banquet), he returned from the mosque to the home where he was staying. Although the room was locked, he found a plate of steaming pilaf on the table. Unable to explain who had brought the food, or how anyone could enter the locked room, the officer examined the plate.

To his amazement, he saw his own name engraved on the copper plate. In spite of his confusion, he ate the meal with great relish. When the officer's family heard this story, they marveled. Toward the end of his difficult life St John fell ill, and sensed the nearness of his end. He summoned the priest so that he could receive Holy Communion. The priest, fearing to go to the residence of the Turkish commander openly with the Holy Gifts, enclosed the life-giving Mysteries in an apple and brought them to St John. St John glorified the Lord, received the Body and Blood of Christ, and then reposed on May 27, 1730.

When they reported to the master that his servant John had died, he summoned the priests and gave them the body of St John for Christian burial. Almost all the Christian inhabitants of Prokopion came to the funeral, and they accompanied the body of the saint to the Christian cemetery. Three and a half years later the priest was miraculously informed in a dream that the relics of St John had remained incorrupt. Soon the relics of the saint were transferred to the church of the holy Great Martyr George and placed in a special reliquary. The new saint of God began to be glorified by countless miracles of grace, accounts of which spread to the remote cities and villages.

Christian believers from various places came to Prokopion to venerate the holy relics of St John the Russian and they received healing through his prayers. The new saint came to be venerated not only by Orthodox Christians, but also by Armenians, and even Turks, who prayed to the Russian saint, Servant of God, in your mercy, do not disdain us. In the year 1881 a portion of the relics of St John were transferred to the Russian monastery of the holy Great Martyr Panteleimon by the monks of Mount Athos, after they were miraculously saved by the saint during a dangerous journey.

Construction of a new church was begun in 1886, through the contributions of the monastery and the inhabitants of Prokopion. This was necessary because the church of the holy Great Martyr George, where the relics of St John were enshrined, had fallen into disrepair. On August 15, 1898 the new church dedicated to St John the Russian was consecrated by the Metropolitan John of Caesarea, with the blessing of the Ecumenical Patriarch Constantine V. In 1924, an exchange of the populations of Greece and Turkey took place.

Many Moslems moved out of Greece, and many Christians moved out of Turkey. The inhabitants of Prokopion, when they moved to the island of Euboia, took with them part of the relics of St John the Russian. For several decades the relics were in the church of Sts Constantine and Helen at New Prokopion on Euboia, and in 1951 they were transferred into a new church dedicated to St John the Russian. Thousands of pilgrims flocked here from all the corners of Greece, particularly on his Feast, May 27. St John the Russian is widely venerated on Mount Athos, particularly in the Russian monastery of St Panteleimon.

Reference: G.O.A.A.

Orthodox icon of Saint John the Russian  Αγ. Ιωάννης ο Ρώσος (2).

Commemorated May 27.

Orthodox Icon of Saint John Maximovich the Wonderworker or Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco (2).

Commemorated July 2nd.

Saint John the Wonderworker was born in the village of Adamovka in the Kharkov Governorate (in present-day southern Ukraine). After receiving a law degree he and his family fled their country as the Bolshevik revolutionaries descended on the country, emigrating to Yugoslavia. There, he enrolled in the Department of Theology of the University of Belgrade. He was tonsured a monk and ordained a deacon in 1926 and later that year ordained to the priesthood. In1934 he was ordained a bishop and assigned to the diocese of Shanghai. Here Saint ohn worked to restore unity among the various Orthodox nationalities.

He became known for miracles attributed to his prayer, ministered to the sick, and built churches, hospitals, and orphanages among the Orthodox and Russians of Shanghai. With the end of World War II and the coming to power of the Communists in China the Russian colony was forced to flee from Shanghai. Saint John travelled to Washington, D.C. to lobby to amending the law to allow these refugees to enter the United States. In 1951 John was assigned to the archdiocese of Western Europe with his see first in Paris, then in Brussels.

In 1962 John was reassigned to the see of San Francisco. On July 2, 1966 St. John died while visiting Seattle at a time and place he was said to have foretold. He was entombed in a sepulcher beneath the altar of the Holy Virgin Cathedral he had built in San Francisco dedicated to the Theotokos, Joy of all who Sorrow on Geary Boulevard in the Richmond district.

2 July 1994 In preparation for this glorification, the tomb containing his relics was opened. When the sepulcher cover was removed, the metal coffin was found to be in a poor state of preservation due to moisture.Rust has eaten through the coffin and the cover was rusted tightly shut.The relics (the body) of Archbishop John, however, were found to be totally incorrupt. His skin was white an soft, and upon lifting out his body it was found to be very light due to dehydration but was totally intact. Those who came forward to venerate the relic discovered that they exuded a sweet fragrance.

Reference: O.C.A.

Orthodox Icon of Saint John Maximovich the Wonderworker or Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco.

Commemorated July 2nd.

Saint John the Wonderworker was born in the village of Adamovka in the Kharkov Governorate (in present-day southern Ukraine). After receiving a law degree he and his family fled their country as the Bolshevik revolutionaries descended on the country, emigrating to Yugoslavia. There, he enrolled in the Department of Theology of the University of Belgrade. He was tonsured a monk and ordained a deacon in 1926 and later that year ordained to the priesthood. In he was ordained a bishop and assigned to the diocese of Shanghai. Here Saint John worked to restore unity among the various Orthodox nationalities.

He became known for miracles attributed to his prayer, ministered to the sick, and built churches, hospitals, and orphanages among the Orthodox and Russians of Shanghai. With the end of World War II and the coming to power of the Communists in China the Russian colony was forced to flee from Shanghai. Saint John travelled to Washington, D.C. to lobby to amending the law to allow these refugees to enter the United States.

In 1951 John was assigned to the archdiocese of Western Europe with his see first in Paris, then in Brussels. In 1962 John was reassigned to the see of San Francisco. On July 2, 1966 St. John died while visiting Seattle at a time and place he was said to have foretold. He was entombed in a sepulcher beneath the altar of the Holy Virgin Cathedral he had built in San Francisco dedicated to the Theotokos, Joy of all who Sorrow on Geary Boulevard in the Richmond district.

2 July 1994 In preparation for this glorification, the tomb containing his relics was opened. When the sepulcher cover was removed, the metal coffin was found to be in a poor state of preservation due to moisture. Rust has eaten through the coffin and the cover was rusted tightly shut.The relics (the body) of Archbishop John, however, were found to be totally incorrupt. His skin was white an soft, and upon lifting out his body it was found to be very light due to dehydration but was totally intact. Those who came forward to venerate the relic discovered that they exuded a sweet fragrance.

Reference: O.C.A.

Orthodox icon of Saint John, Bishop of Euchaita, from which we are celebrating the miracle of the Saturday of the first week of Great Lent.

Commemorated October 5th.

Saint John Mauropous was born in Paphlagonia around 1000. He came to Constantinople, and quickly gained a reputation as a teacher of rhetoric. Among his students, Michael Psellos was to be the most important. While teaching at the University of Constantinople, he helped reorganize it. It was also Psellos who introduced him to the emperor Constantine IX Monomachos (1042-1055). In 1046 he became a monk and was ordained a priest at the Monastery of Petra, which was dedicated to the Honorable Forerunner John. For a couple of years, Mauropous belonged to the favored circle of poets and scholars that Emperor Constantine gathered around him, and he functioned as a court orator. But for an unknown reason, these friends suddenly fell from favor around the year 1050, and presumably on this occasion, Mauropous was appointed Metropolitan of Euchaita. In many letters, Mauropous complained of this "honorable exile", and asked his friend Psellos to urge the succeeding emperors to call him back to the capital. This seems to have succeeded at the end of Mauropous' life: he retired to the Monastery of Petra in Constantinople. Towards the end of his life he became blind and his hands paralyzed, and he was confined to bed. He reposed in peace presumably in the 1070s.

It seems that Mauropous had prepared during his lifetime a collection of his own literary works. The manuscript Vaticano Graeco 676 is a very close copy of this collection. That collection consists of ninety-nine poems (epigrams, polemical and autobiographical poems, funeral orations in verse), seventy-seven letters and thirteen speeches (with for the most part were religious in content).

Apart from these works, Mauropous composed a huge amount of liturgical canons. He wrote about 150 canons, 72 of which are dedicated to the Theotokos, 26 are dedicated to Christ, 11 are dedicated to John the Baptist, 8 to the Apostles Peter and Paul, 9 to John Chrysostom, 8 to John of Damascus, and 1 to the Guardian Angel. Mauropous has been seen as a precursor of the new cultural mentality in mid-11th century Byzantium. The typical blend of religious piety and classical culture links him with his pupil Psellos, and contemporary poets like Christopher the Patrician of Mytilene. A particular theme in his poems and letters are the vicissitudes and dangers of public life and political careers, which is not surprising given the political and social instability of this period.

Most notably, John Mauropous is known for introducing into the Orthodox Church the feast of the Three Hierarchs which is celebrated on January 30th. This common feast of these three great and profound teachers was officially instituted a little before the year 1100, during the reign of the Emperor Alexios I Komnenos, because of a dispute and strife that arose among the notable and virtuous men of that time. Some of them preferred Basil the Great, while others preferred Gregory the Theologian, and yet others preferred John Chrysostom, quarreling among themselves over which of the three was the greatest. Furthermore, each party, in order to distinguish itself from the others, assumed the name of its preferred Saint; hence, they called themselves Basilians, Gregorians, or Johannites. Desiring to bring an end to the contention, the three Saints appeared together to the saintly John Mauropous when he was Bishop of Euchaita, a city of Pontus in Asia Minor, and they revealed to him that the glory they have at the throne of God is equal, and told him to compose a common service for the three of them, which he did with great skill and beauty. This revelation and labor brought the three factions together.

Reference: johnsanidopoulos.com

Orthodox icon of Saint Joseph of Arimathea icon. Contemporary icon.

Commemorated July 31

Righteous Joseph of Arimathea was a secret disciple of our Lord Jesus Christ. As a member of the Sanhedrin he did not participate in the “counsel and deed” of the Jews in passing a death sentence for Jesus Christ. After the Crucifixion and Death of the Savior he made bold to go to Pilate and ask him for the Body of the Lord, to Which he gave burial with the help of Righteous Nicodemus, who was also a secret disciple of the Lord.

They took down the Body of the Savior from the Cross, wrapped it in a winding-cloth, and placed it in a new tomb, in which no one had ever been buried, in the Garden of Gethsemane, in the presence of the Mother of God and the holy Myrrh-Bearing Women (St Joseph had prepared this tomb for himself). Having rolled a heavy stone before the entrance of the tomb, they departed (John. 19: 37-42; Mt. 27: 57-61; Mark 15: 43-47; Luke. 24: 50-56).

St Joseph traveled around the world, proclaiming the Gospel of Christ. He died peacefully in England.

Reference: O.C.A.

Orthodox icon of  Saint Joseph of Patros, Bishop of Timisoara. Contemporary icon

Commemorated on August 15

Saint Joseph the New of Partos was born in 1568 in Raguza of Dalmatia (today Dubrovnik, Croatia), from a Wallachian Christian family, and was baptized as Jacob. His father was a Venetian named Giovanni Fusco, and his mother, Aikaterina, was originally from Limnos, a Greek island. More precisely, she had Morlach ancestry, which is another name for "MavroVlachos" (Black Wallachian), one of the different Romanian populations spread throughout the entire Balkan peninsula, south of the Danube. After his father's death, the young Jacob moved with his mother in Ochrid, an important Orthodox center in the region, also populated by Romanians and Black Wallachians. Here the young boy went in a monastery school, being 12 years old. Three years later, he entered the Monastery of Our Lady of Ochrid, and remained there about 5 years.

After 5 years as a novice, he went to Mount Athos, to Pantokrator Monastery and he was tonsured monk, being named Joseph.

In the Monastery he was known as Great Schema Monk Joseph the Vlach. Here he lived for many years along with the monks in a strict life of fasting, all-night vigils, obedience and humility. Finally, he became a hermit in the woods nearby and he was said to have the “gift of tears”, a highly prized charisma in Eastern monasticism, and “unceasing prayer”, because he “lowered the mind into the heart”, that means that he united his reason with his spiritual senses. This inner union is considered in Orthodox monasticism, particularly after Gregory Palamas and the hesychast movement, as the ideal of human perfection, theosis.

Because of the holiness of his life, Joseph worked miracles and cured many diseases, especially those who were crippled. Often he was called to several monasteries, where he healed the monks from their bodily sufferings.

After a long time, the monks invited him back into the brotherhood and he was ordained priest and confessor of the monks of Mount Athos. Soon he became known also to the Patriarch of Constantinople, who appointed him abbot of the Monastery of Saint Stephen in Adrianople, where he remained about 6 years. Coming back to Athos, Joseph became abbot in the Monastery of Koutloumousiou, one of the oldest monasteries, basically built from the donations of the Wallachian voivods and noblemen.

Being more than 70 years old, he retired in silence near Vatopaidi Monastery. But his mission still didn’t come to its end.

In 1552, in western Banat, hitherto included in the Kingdom of Hungary, it fell under Turkish rule, being transformed into a Pashalic (1552-1718) based in Timisoara. In this context, it seems that there was Metropolitanate in this region, under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. It's hard to say what nationality were the Orthodox believers in Banat. The massive Serb migration north of the Danube began after the battle of Kosovo Polje, in 1389, when Serbia was occupied by the Turks. Until then there were in Banat only Romanians (Vlachs), Hungarians and Germans.

 A Metropolitan of Timisoara died in 1650 and Joseph the Vlach was sent in his place, despite his age, being about 80 years old. Maybe his nationality was important in the eyes of the Orthodox believers there. In any case, his ordination took place on July 20, 1650 and he served as Metropolitan only for three years. Tradition mentions several miracles of the Saint, including fighting a fire that engulfed the west side of Timisoara. Apparently Joseph came out of the church with the Sacraments in the hands and, after he had prayed with tears, God sent a heavy rain, so that the fire stopped.

Being practically all his life a simple monk, he might have liked the silence of the monastery more than service as a hierarch. In 1653, Joseph retired definitively to the not-far-away Partos Monastery, where he lived for three years.

This information came from a note, made in 1655, in a Menologion that belonged to the Monastery of St. George situated near the city: "This book belongs to the Lord Metropolitan Joseph of Timisoara, in 1655, who voluntarily left the diocese, withdrawing to Partos Monastery, where he lived several years and then moved on to eternal life, where the saints are resting."

According to tradition, when he passed into eternity, the Monastery bells began to beat by themselves. Saint Joseph died being over 85 years old. He was buried in the Monastery’s church nave, opposite the entrance door.

Reference: MYSTAGORY

Orthodox icon of Holy Righteous Joseph the Betrothed. (1)

Commemorated December 29.

Protector Saint of : Adopted Boys, Carpenters and Woodworkers

Orthodox icon of Saint Joseph the Betrothed of the royal lineage of King David, who was a simple carpenter from Nazareth. In his first marriage to Salome, he had four sons, James, Justus, Jude, and Simon, and two daughters. After he became a widower, St Joseph led a life of strict temperance and was chosen by divine providence to be the protector of the Most Holy Theotokos, who had taken a vow of virginity.

An angel told him of the Incarnation of the Son of God through her. St Joseph was present when the shepherds and the Magi worshiped the new-born divine Infant. On the orders of the angel, he fled into Egypt with the Mother of God and the Infant Jesus, saving them from the wrath of King Herod. He lived in Egypt with the Virgin Mary and the divine Child, working as a carpenter. St Joseph reputedly died at the age of one hundred.

St. Joseph is called the Betrothed because although he was betrothed to the Virgin, which is the first part of the marriage contract in Israel, he never married her as a witness that Jesus was not his child. He was 80 years old when he began to protect the Virgin. His date of death is unknown, though he was still living when Jesus was 12 years old. St Joseph is commemorated on the Sunday after the Nativity. If there is no Sunday between December 25 and January 1, his Feast is moved to December 26. The Righteous Joseph is also commemorated on the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers.