Sermons & Devotionals by Early Church Martyr Readings

1. THE VENERABLE GERASIMUS This remarkable and famous saint first learned about the ascetical lifein the Egyptian Thebaid. He then went to the Jordan and there founded a community in which there were seventy monks. This community still exists today. He instituted a special Constitution [Rule] for hi... Read More

1. THE VENERABLE ISIDORE OF PELUSIUM Isidore was an Egyptian by birth and the son of a prominent family and kinsman of the Alexandrian Patriarchs Theophilus and Cyril. Having studied all the secular disciplines, he renounced worldly riches and glories and devoted himself completely to the spiritual ... Read More

1. THE VENERABLE JOHN CASSIAN John, this great spiritual man, was born in Rome of renowned parents. In his youth he studied all the secular sciences, especially philosophy and astronomy. After that, he devoted himself completely to the study of Holy Scripture. Striving from good to better and desiri... Read More

1. THE VENERABLE JOHN CLIMACUS John Climacus is the author of "The Ladder of Divine Ascent." John came to Mt. Sinai as a sixteen year old youth and remained there, first as a novice under obedience, and afterwards as a recluse, and finally as abbot of Sinai until his eightieth year. He died around t... Read More

1. THE VENERABLE JOHN OF RILA This great ascetic and saint of the Orthodox Church was born near Sophia, Bulgaria in the town of Skrino during the reign of King Boris. He was of poor but honorable parents. After the death of his parents, John was tonsured a monk and withdrew to a mountain wilderness ... Read More

1. THE VENERABLE JOHN OF THE OLD CAVES John lived a life of asceticism in the so-called "old caves," the "old Lavra" of Chariton the Great in Palestine. Having loved Christ the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul and with all his mind, John, at an early age, began to travel to the holy places... Read More

1. THE VENERABLE MARTYR DOMETIUS Dometius was born in Persia as a pagan during the reign of Emperor Constantine. He became acquainted with the Faith of Christ as a young man, abandoned paganism and was baptized. So much did Dometius love the True Faith that he left everything worldly and was tonsure... Read More

1. THE VENERABLE MARTYR EUDOCIA The venerable martyr Eudocia lived in the Phoenician city of Heliopolis during the reign of Trajan. Eudocia was a great debaucher at first. After that she was a penitent, ascetic, and finally a martyr. Through her debauchery she amassed a great fortune. The change in ... Read More

1. THE VENERABLE MARTYR EUSTRATIUS OF THE CAVES IN KIEV Eustratius was very wealthy and, being touched with love for Christ, distributed his entire estate for the sake of Christ and entered the monastery of Pecer and was tonsured a monk. When the Polovtsians waged war against Kiev in 1097 A.D., they... Read More

1. THE VENERABLE MARTYRS, JOHN AND OTHERS FROM THE MONASTIC BROTHERHOOD OF SAINT SABAS THE SANCTIFIED NEAR JERUSALEM This glorious monastery, which still exists today, was visited by our own Serbian St. Sava and endowed by several Serbian rulers. Many times it was attacked by brutal Arabs, pillaged ... Read More

1. THE VENERABLE ONUPHRIUS THE GREAT For sixty full years, this saintly hermit had lived in the desert when the monk Paphnutius visited him. His hair and beard reached to the ground and his body, due to a long period of nakedness, was covered with long hair. All the hairs on him were as white as sno... Read More

1. THE VENERABLE PROCOPIUS - DECAPOLIT This saint was from Decapolis [Ten Cities] surrounding the Sea of Galilea for which he was called "Decapolit." In his youth, he devoted himself to a life of asceticism and accomplished all prescribed efforts, by which the heart is purified and the spirit elevat... Read More

1. THE VENERABLE SIMEON [MIROTOCIVI], FROM WHOSE RELICS FLOWED MYRRH - CHRISM Stefan Nemanja [Nehemiah], the great ruler [Great Zupan] of the Serbian people, the consolidator of Serbian lands, creator of the independent Serbian state, defender of Orthodoxy and exterminator of heresy. At first, he wa... Read More

1. THE VENERABLE THEODORE OF SYKEON Theodore was born in the village of Sykeon in Galatia for which he was surnamed, the Sykeote. As a child of ten years, he surrendered himself to strict fasting and in all-night vigils after the model of Stephen, an elder who lived in his house. His mother Maria wa... Read More

1. THE VENERABLE THEODORE TRIHINOS Theodore was a citizen of Constantinople and the son of wealthy parents. As a young man he left his parent's home and riches and entered a hermetical monastery in Thrace. Here, he imposed upon himself a most rigorous life of mortification. He slept on stones in ord... Read More

1. THE VENERABLE XENOPHONT AND MARIA AND THEIR SONS JOHN AND ARCADIUS They were prominent and wealthy citizens of Constantinople. Xenophont and his wife Maria lived a God-pleasing life and dedicated all their attention to the Christian upbringing of their sons. When their sons reached majority, they... Read More

1. THE VENERABLES ISAAC [ISAACIUS,] DALMATUS [DALMATIUS] AND FAUST [FAUSTUS] Venerable Isaac is celebrated again separately on May 30. At first, St. Dalmatus was an officer during the reign of Emperor Theodosius the Great whom the emperor held in great esteem. When the spirit awakened in him, he des... Read More

1. VENERABLE ANTHONY THE GREAT Anthony was an Egyptian and was born about the year 250 A.D. in the village of Koman near Herculea. Following the demise of his noble and wealthy parents, he divided the inherited estate with his sister, who was a minor, and provided for her with some relatives. Anthon... Read More

1. VENERABLE ATHANASIUS OF MOUNT ATHOS Athanasius was born in Trebizond of God-fearing parents. He became orphaned at an early age but, by the Providence of God, a commander took him under his care and brought him to Constantinople to be educated. Because of his meekness and humbleness, he was the f... Read More

1. VENERABLE DAVID David was born in Thessalonica. At first, he lived a life of asceticism in the proximity of Thessalonica in a hut built beneath an almond tree. Later, he continued his asceticism in Thessaly. So much did he purify himself by fasting, prayer and all-night vigils that he was made wo... Read More