(Feast day ~ December 13) St. Lucy (Lucia) has been revered throughout the Christian world since at least the year 400 (the date of a reference to her found at Syracuse, the place of her martyrdom). Her name was included in the Canon of the Mass in the early Roman and Ambrosian rites; she was […]

(Feast Day ~ December 12) Sometimes the most simple and humble people are those most prepared for heroic lives. Through innocent and virtuous living, they have developed complete trust in God and are able to endure great hardships for his sake. St. Spiridon of Cypress was such a person. He was a farmer who spent […]

(Feast Day ~ December 11) In Washington, we are accustomed to the language and tactics of the world of politics: “political posturing”, “smear campaigns”, and catering to “special interest groups”. We know that the election of governmental officials can involve fierce rivalry and elections can be both rigged and contested. We may naively expect that […]

(Feast Day ~ December 10) We live in tumultuous times. The constant threat of terrorism, fear of the spread of nuclear weapons, worldwide economic instability, and frequent natural disasters often keep us on edge and prevent us from feeling the peace and security we all desire. But there have been worse times for many. St. […]

December 8 Our eternal God has, through earthly time, prepared man – his highest creature, made in the image and likeness of himself – to receive him as one of our own. God came to earth in human form at a particular time in history, in a particular place, taking his humanity from a particular […]

(Feast Day ~ December 7) One of the four great Western “doctors” of the Church (along with St. Gregory the Great, St. Augustine, and St. Jerome), St. Ambrose of Milan has blessed the Church with a holy example of praise to God (through his hymns and chants), of defense of the Truth against heresy (in […]

(Feast Day ~ December 6) by Reader Simon (Karl) Tsuji During the Christmas season, parents face the quandary of what to do about Santa Claus, who seems to personify the secular celebration of the holiday season with its hustle and materialism. Rather, tell young children that the “jolly good St. Nicholas…” of the Victorian Christmas […]

(Feast Day ~ December 6) St. Grigol (Gregory) Peradze was an academic, a scholar, a researcher of ancient manuscripts, a gifted linguist, a pastor and a monk – but above all, he is a saint of the Church. Throughout his life, his humility and willingness to seek the will of God and, at the end, […]

(Feast Day ~ December 5) While fame is not something monks strive for, it has come to some who showed forth such holiness that word of their piety spread far and wide. St. Sabbas (also spelled Saba, Sava, or Savvas) was such a monk. Born in the province of Cappadocia in the year 439, his […]