Feast Day ~ June 25 Humility is one of the least practiced virtues, even among Christians. Pride in our positions, our material possessions, our opinions (and what others think of us) often prevents us from following Christ’s command to love one another, even our enemies, to care for the poor and feed the hungry. But […]
St. Etheldreda
Feast Day ~ June 23 One of the most popular saints of 7th century Anglo-Saxon England was St. Etheldreda, who spent her entire life going against the ways of the world. Given the name Æthelthryth (popularly called Ethedreda and sometimes Audrey) by her parents (Anna, the king of East Anglia, and his wife Hereswyda), the […]
St. Paulinus of Nola
(Feast Day ~ June 22) Paulinus had it all – he came from a prominent family with wealth and property; he had received an excellent education; he was respected as a lawyer and public official; he had achieved some renown as a poet; he had a devoted wife. But something was missing, and finding it […]
St. Alban, Protomartyr of Britain
(Feast Day ~ June 22) Some Christians are considered saints because of their good works and the holiness of their lives, some for the zeal of their defense of Orthodox theology, and others for the eloquence of their teaching or the strength of their leadership as hierarchs. We venerate St. Alban for none of these […]
St. Silverius, Pope and Martyr
(Feast Day – June 20) The amount of attention which has been given to the book and movie, The Da Vinci Code, shows how much people are interested in stories of suspense, intrigue, conspiracy and murder – especially those involving the Christian religion. It is unfortunate when what might have been an entertaining novel claims […]
St. Ephrem the Syrian
(Feast Day ~ June 18) We often refer to the saints as “blessed”, recognizing that they have reached a degree of purity and goodness that most of us struggle merely to aspire to. In his Sermon on the Mount, we hear our Lord’s description of the spiritual “rewards” for those who reach this state […]
Saints Manuel, Sabel and Ishmael, Martyrs
Feast Day ~ June 17 The life of a diplomat is not an easy one and the responsibilities are great. The fate of nations and the lives of many people often depend on the negotiating skills of the diplomat. The give and take, back and forth, demand and compromise in tense political bargaining require patience […]
St. Basil the Great
(Feast day ~ June 14) Adapted from the Breviary Basil, one of the most distinguished Doctors of the Church, was born in 329, at Caesarea of Cappadocia. He came of a remarkable Christian family; for his paternal grandfather was persecuted to death for Christ, and his maternal grandmother, who reared him as a lad, was […]
St. Barnabas, Apostle
(Feast Day ~ June 11) From the very beginning of the Christian Church, from the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was given to the Apostles, Christians have been missionaries. Those who believed that Jesus Christ was the Messiah, the Son of God, were compelled through their zeal to speak to others of the […]
The Holy Prophet Isaiah
Feast Day ~ May 9 In the readings which we heard at the Paschal Vigil, we were reminded that the Christian faith did not begin with the birth of Our Lord or His Resurrection, nor with the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Christ – and therefore, Christianity – is from before time; He […]