St. Gregory the Great Orthodox Church

A Western Rite Congregation of the Antiochian Archdiocese near Washington, DC

Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

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 […]

St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan

(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 […]

St. Nicholas

(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 […]

St. Grigol Peradze

(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, […]

St. Sabbas

(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 […]

St. Nicetus of Trier

Feast Day ~ December 5 The month of December is filled with the feast days of many well-known saints: Nicholas, Ambrose, Barbara, the Apostle Thomas, etc. But there are also feast days for local saints whose deeds were known only to those who came in contact with them and whose holiness of living can be […]

Great Martyr Barbara

(Feast Day ~ December 4) Most families would say that teenagers can be rebellious and stubborn. They have usually come to this conclusion after numerous disputes over homework, cleaning of rooms, clothes, friends, hair styles, body decoration…. Parents realize that this period of rebellion and stubbornness is a temporary state – one that will pass […]

St. Bibiana, Virgin and Martyr

(Feast Day ~ December 3) This a story we’ve heard many times, a story of persecution, constancy, and martyrdom. When the story involves a young person, it seems more heart-wrenching and the constancy more miraculous. On December 3, we mark the feast day of St. Bibiana (or Viviana) of Rome, whose story mirrors that of […]

St. Peter Chrysologus

(Feast Day ~ December 2) All Christians are called to be faithful – to live out their lives, whatever the circumstances, with love for God and neighbor and in accordance with the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ. For some, this has meant a life ending in martyrdom during times of persecution. Others have been […]

St. Eligius of Noyon

(Feast Day ~ December 1) Attaining prominence in the heart of government, “having the king’s ear”, achieving a position of influence at court – these are things which have caused many to make an idol of power and to succumb to the temptations which accompany power. But St. Eligius of Noyon shines as a brilliant […]