Sermons & Devotionals by Early Church Martyr Readings

1. THE HOLY RIGHTEOUS AND LONG-SUFFERING JOB Job was a descendant of Esau the grandson of Abraham and lived in Arabia about 2,000 years before Christ. His father's name was Zareth and his mother's name was Bosora. However, his full name was Jobab. Job was an honorable, god-fearing man and very wealt... Read More

1. THE HOLY SEVEN PRIESTLY-MARTYRS IN CHERSON: BASIL, EPHREM, EUGENIUS, ELPIDUS, AGATHADORUS, AETHERIUS, AND CAPITO All of them were bishops in Cherson at different times. All suffered and were martyred at the hands of unbelievers, whether they were Jews, Greeks or Scythians, except Aetherius, who d... Read More

1. THE ICON OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, "NOT MADE WITH HANDS" At the time when our Lord preached the Good News and healed every illness and infirmity of men, there lived in the city of Edessa on the shore of the Euphrates Prince Abgar who was completely infected with leprosy. He heard of Christ, the H... Read More

1. THE MEETING [PRESENTATION] OF OUR LORD IN THE TEMPLE The fortieth day after His birth, the All-Holy Virgin brought her Divine Son into the Temple of Jerusalem, in accordance with the Law, to dedicate Him to God and to purify herself. "Consecrate to me every first-born that opens the womb among th... Read More

1. THE NATIVITY OF SAINT JOHN THE FORERUNNER AND BAPTIZER OF THE LORD Six months before his appearance in Nazareth to the All-holy Virgin Mary, the great archangel of God, Gabriel appeared to Zacharias the high priest in the Temple at Jerusalem. Before he announced the miraculous conception to the u... Read More

1. THE PLACING OF THE GIRDLE OF THE ALL-HOLY BIRTH-GIVER OF GOD IN THE CHURCH OF BLACHERNAE IN CONSTANTINOPLE During the reign of Emperor Leo the Great (458-471 A.D.), Empress Verina and Patriarch Gennadius, two noblemen from Constantinople, Galibus and Candidus, traveled throughout the Holy Land to... Read More

1. THE PRIEST-MARTYR ARTEMON Artemon was a priest in Laodicea during the reign of Emperor Diocletian. Before his tormenting judge, he spoke of himself: "I am called Artemon, a slave of Christ, my God. For sixteen years I was a lector and read books in the Church of my God. For twenty-eight years, I ... Read More

1. THE PRIEST-MARTYR BASIL, PRESBYTER OF ANCYRA Under Emperor Constantius, Basil endured and suffered much at the hands of the Arians. At that time he was renown as a great zealot of Orthodoxy and a true shepherd of his entrusted flock in Ancyra. When Julian the Apostate ascended the throne, he bega... Read More

1. THE PRIESTLY-MARTYR ANTIPAS, BISHOP OF PERGAMUM IN ASIA MINOR Antipas is mentioned in the Book of Revelation as, "Antipas, my faithful witness, who was martyred among you, where Satan lives" (Revelation 2:13), i.e., in the city of Pergamum. The inhabitants of this city lived in the darkness of id... Read More

1. THE PRIESTLY-MARTYR ATHENOGENES, BISHOP OF SEBASTE IN ARMENIA Athenogenes lived in a monastery near the town of Sebaste with ten of his disciples. During the reign of Diocletian, Philomarchus, a cruel persecutor of Christians, came to Sebaste. He arrested and murdered many Christians in the town.... Read More

1. THE PRIESTLY-MARTYR BASIL, BISHOP OF AMASEA Licinius, brother-in-law of Constantine to whose sister he was married, pretended to be a Christian before the great emperor. When he received authority from the emperor, to govern the entire east, he, at first secretly, and later openly, began to perse... Read More

1. THE PRIESTLY-MARTYR BLAISE Blaise was born in the Province of Cappadocia. From his early childhood, he was God-fearing and meek. Because of his great virtues, he was chosen as bishop of the city of Sebastea [in Armenia]. Blaise was a great spiritual and moral beacon in this pagan city. At the tim... Read More

1. THE PRIESTLY-MARTYR CLEMENT, BISHOP OF ANCYRA Clement was born in the year 258 A.D. in the city of Ancyra of a pagan father and a Christian mother. His devout mother Euphrosyne prophesised that her son would die a martyr's death and then she departed this world when Clement was twelve years old. ... Read More

1. THE PRIESTLY-MARTYR DOROTHEUS, BISHOP OF TYRE Dorotheus was Bishop of Tyre from the time of Diocletian to the time of Julian the Apostate under whom he was tortured and suffered for the Orthodox Faith. He lived on earth one hundred seven years and, pleasing God, he took up habitation in life eter... Read More

1. THE PRIESTLY-MARTYR EUSEBIUS, BISHOP OF SAMOSATA Eusebius was a great exposer of Arianism. When the throne of Antioch became vacant, Meletius was elected patriarch at the insistence of Eusebius. Meletius was a great beacon of the Church who, after his death, was found worthy of great praise by St... Read More

1. THE PRIESTLY-MARTYR EUTYCHES Eutyches was one of the lesser apostles and was born in Sebastopol. He was a disciple and imitator of the Apostle John the Theologian and the Apostle Paul. Even though he is not numbered among the seventy apostles, nevertheless, he is called an apostle because he was ... Read More

1. THE PRIESTLY-MARTYR HARALAMBOS [CHARALAMPUS] This great saint Haralambos was a bishop in Magnesia and suffered for Christ in his one-hundred and thirteenth year. When a terrible persecution began during the reign of Emperor Septimius Severus, the Elder Haralambos did not hide from the persecutors... Read More

1. THE PRIESTLY-MARTYR HERMOLAUS Hermolaus was a priest in Nicomedia during the reign of Emperor Maximian. He was among the two thousand martyrs whom the emperor condemned to be burned together with the church (December 28). Somehow Hermolaus, on that occasion, escaped death with two other priests, ... Read More

1. THE PRIESTLY-MARTYR HYPATIUS THE BISHOP OF GANGRA Hypatius was born in Cilicia and was the bishop of Gangra. He was present at the First Ecumenical Council [Nicaea, 325. A.D.] and was renowned throughout because of his pious and saintly life and his miracle-working. The Emperor Constantius ordere... Read More

1. THE PRIESTLY-MARTYR JANUARIUS AND OTHERS WITH HIM This saint was the bishop of Benevento in Italy. At the time of persecution under Maximian, Januarius was brought before the court and tortured in various ways, which he blamelessly and patiently endured. When they cast him into the fire, the fire... Read More