Friday Dec 20, 2025/Jan 2, 2026 ns • Holy Hieromartyr Ignátios the God-bearer, Bishop of Antioch ~ Wine and olive oil are permitted ~ Saint: Heb. 10:32-38; St. Mark 9:33-41

Friday

December 20, 2025

January 3 new style

2026

NATIVITY FAST

The Holy Hieromartyr Ignatios

[Theophoros - the God-Bearer]

He is called Theophoros (the God-bearer) because he constantly bore the name of the Living God in his heart and on his lips. According to tradition, he was thus named because he was held in the arms of God Incarnate, Jesus Christ. 

On a day when the Lord was teaching His disciples humility, He took a child and placed him among them, saying: Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven (St. Matthew 18:4).  This child was Ignatios. 

Later, Ignatios was a disciple of St. John the Theologian, together with Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna. As Bishop of Antioch, Ignatios governed the Church of God as a good shepherd and was the first to introduce antiphonal chanting in the Church, in which two choirs alternate the chanting.  This manner of chanting was revealed to St. Ignatios by the angels in heaven. When Emperor Trajan was passing through Antioch on his way to do battle with the Persians, he heard of Ignatios, summoned him and counseled him to offer sacrifice to the idols. If Ignatios would do so, Trajan would bestow upon him the rank of senator. As the counsels and threats of the emperor were in vain, St. Ignatios was shackled in irons and sent to Rome in the company of ten merciless soldiers, to be thrown to the wild beasts. Ignatios rejoiced in suffering for his Lord, only praying to God that the wild beasts would become the tomb for his body and that no one would prevent him from this death.

After a long and difficult journey from Asia through Thrace, Macedonia and Epirus, Ignatios arrived in Rome, where he was thrown to the lions in the circus. The lions tore him to pieces and devoured him, leaving only several of the larger bones and his heart. This glorious lover of the Lord Christ suffered in the year 106 in Rome at the time of the Christ-hating Emperor Trajan. Ignatios has appeared many times from the other world and worked miracles, even to this day helping all who call upon him for help.

The holy martyrs, seized with the love of Christ, were like unquenchable flames. This love eased their sufferings and made their deaths sweet. St. Chrysostomos says of St. Ignatius: "He put off his body with as much ease as one takes off his clothes.'' Traveling to Rome to his death, Ignatios feared only one thing: that Christians would somehow prevent his martyrdom for Christ, by their prayers to God or in some outward manner. Therefore he continually implored them, in writing and in speech, not to do this.

"Forgive me,'' he said. "I know what is for my benefit. I but begin to be a disciple of Christ when I desire nothing, either visible or invisible, save to attain Christ. May every diabolical torture come upon me: fire, crucifixion, wild beasts, the sword, tearing asunder, the crushing of my bones, and the dismemberment of my whole body-only that I may receive Jesus Christ. It is better for me to die for Christ than to reign to the ends of the earth…. My love is nailed to the Cross, and there is no fire of love in me for any earthly thing.''

When Blessed Ignatios was brought to the arena, he turned to the people with these words:
"Citizens of Rome, know that I am not being punished for any crime, neither have I been condemned to death for any transgression, but rather for the sake of my God, by Whose love I am overcome and Whom I insatiably desire. I am His wheat, and the teeth of the wild beasts will grind me to be His pure bread.''

When he had been devoured by the wild beasts, by God's providence his heart remained among the bones. When the unbelievers cut open the saint's heart, they saw inside, inscribed in golden letters, the name Jesus Christ.

. . . raise me up at the proper time for Thy glorification.

If you don't recognize the above, then pay more attention when addressing our Lord during Evening Prayers.

So often I hear complaints of not getting enough sleep.  The remedy is simple, profitable and infallible.  Get up and read an Akathist or prayers of your choice.  

Hebrews 10:32-38 KJV

32 But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions;

33 Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.

34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.

35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.

36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.

38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

Saint Mark 9:33-41KJV

33 And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?

34 But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.

35 And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.

36 And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them,

37 Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.

38 And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us.

39 But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me.

40 For he that is not against us is on our part.

41 For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.

Description of one who has

denied himself, taken up the Cross,

and shaped his or her life in the

Image of Christ Himself.

by St Isaac the Syrian

Let yourself be persecuted

but do not persecute others;

Be insulted but do not insult others; 

Be slandered by others

but do not slander others.

Rejoice with those who rejoice

and weep with those who weep.

Such is the sign of purity. 

Suffer with the sick. 

Be afflicted with the sinner. 

Exult with those who repent. 

Be the friend of all, but in your spirit

remain alone,  

Spread your cloak over anyone

who falls into sin and shield him. 

And if you cannot take his fault

on yourself and accept punishment

in his place, do not destroy

his character.

Thursday Dec 19 2025 / Jan 1 ns 2026 • Holy Martyr Boniface and St. Aglaḯs; St. Gregéntios, Archbishop of Ethiopia ~ Wine and olive oil are permitted ~ Heb. 10:35-11:7; St. Mark 10:17-27

 Rejoice, Life of Mystic Feast 

Holy Martyr Boniface and St. Aglaḯs;
St. Gregéntios, Archbishop of Ethiopia

MARTYRDOM FOR CHRIST makes a saint out of a sinner. The example of St. Boniface shows this. At first, he was a servant in Rome to a wealthy and immoral woman, Aglaïs, and had impure and unlawful relations with her. They were both pagans. Once, Aglaïs desired to have the relics of a martyr in her house as an amulet to protect against evil, so she sent her servant to Asia to find and purchase what she desired. Boniface took several slaves with him and a large amount of money.

Before parting with Aglaïs, he said to her: "If I cannot find a martyr, but instead they bring you back my body martyred for Christ, will you receive it with honor, my lady?'' Aglaïs laughed and called him a drunkard and a sinner, and then they parted.

Coming to the city of Tarsus, Boniface saw many Christians undergoing torture: some with their legs cut off, others with their hands severed, others with their eyes plucked out, still others on the gallows, and so forth. Boniface's heart was changed, and he repented of his sinful life and wept. He cried out among the Christian martyrs: "I too am a Christian!'' The judge took him for interrogation and ordered that he be harshly flogged, then that boiling lead be poured into his mouth, and-since this did him no harm-that he be beheaded. The slaves then took his body and carried it to Rome. An angel of God appeared to Aglaïs and said: "Receive the one who was once your slave but now is our brother and fellow servant; he is the guardian of your soul and the protector of your life.'' The awestruck Aglaïs came out to meet them, received the body of Boniface, built a church for him, and placed the relics of the martyr in it. She then repented, gave away her goods to the poor, withdrew from the world, and lived for fifteen more years in bitter repentance. St. Boniface suffered in the year 290.

Thursday

December 19, 2025

January1, 2026 new style

Nativity Fast

Hebrews 10:35-11:7 KJV

35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward.

36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.

38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

11 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.

3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

Saint Mark 10:17-27 KJV

17 And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?

18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.

19 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.

20 And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.

21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

22 And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.

23 And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!

24 And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!

25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

26 And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved?

27 And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.

Christ is the summit of desire; there is nothing higher.

All sensible things {the senses}lead to satiety,

but with God there is no satiation.

Note: This quote from St. Porphyrios

should be copied and kept by everyone who reads it

by Saint Porphyrios

of the Holy Mountain

He is everything.

God is the summit of desire. No other joy, no other beauty, nothing else can rival Him. What is higher than the highest? Our love for Christ is something else. It is without end, without satiety. It gives life; it gives strength; it gives health; it gives, gives, and gives. And the more it gives, the more the person wishes to fall in love. 

Human love and passion, by contrast, may be destructive and even drive a person mad. When we love Christ, all other loves abate. Other loves have a point of satiety. The love of Christ has no point of satiety. Fleshly love has a point of satiety. Thereafter jealousy and disgruntlement may set in, and may even lead to murder. Love in Christ knows no alteration. Worldly love remains for a time, and is gradually extinguished, whereas divine love continually grows and deepens. Every other kind of love can lead a person to despair. Divine love, however, raises us up into the sphere of God; it bestows on us serenity, joy and fullness. Other pleasures enervate us, but of this pleasure we can never have enough. It is an insatiable pleasure, which you never tire of. It is the highest good.

We should regard Christ as our friend. He is our friend. He asserts this Himself when He says, “you are My friends…” (St John 15:14). Let us stretch out to Him and approach Him as a friend. Do we fall? Do we sin? With familiarity, love and trust let us run to Him – not with fear that He will punish us, but with confidence which we derive from the sense of being with a friend. We can say to Him, ‘I have fallen, forgive me.’ At the same time, however, let us have the sense that He loves us and that He receives us with tenderness and love and forgives us. Don’t let sin separate us from Christ. When we believe that He loves us and we love Him, we don’t feel estranged and distanced from Him, even when we sin. We have secured His love, and however we behave, we know that He loves us.

SELF-CONTROL

by Saint Hesychios the Priest

Someone else wise in the things of God has said that as the fruit begins with the flower, so the practice of the ascetic life begins with self-control. Let us then learn to control ourselves with due measure and judgment, as the Fathers teach us. Let us pass all the hours of the day in the guarding of the intellect, for by doing this we shall with God's help and with a certain forcefulness be able to quell and reduce the evil in us. For the spiritual life, through which the kingdom of heaven is given, does indeed require a certain forcefulness (St. Matt. 11:12).

Wednesday Dee 18/31 ns 2025 • Holy Martyrs Sebastian, Zoë, and those with them; St. Módestos ~ Fast day ~ Heb. 10:1-18; St. Mark 10:11-16

Holy Martyrs Sebastian, Zoë,

and those with them;

St. Módestos

Wednesday

December 18

December 31 new style

2025

Nativity Fast

Fast Day

GLORIOUS SEBASTIAN was born in Italy and brought up in the city of Milan.

While still young, he dedicated himself to military service. Being educated, handsome and courageous, he received the favor of Emperor Diocletian, who appointed him captain of his imperial guard. Secretly he confessed the Christian Faith and prayed to the Living God. As an honorable, just and merciful man, Sebastian was greatly beloved by his soldiers. Whenever he could, he saved Christians from torture and death, and, when he was unable to do so, he exhorted them to die for Christ the Living God without turning back.

Two brothers, Marcus and Marcellinus, who had been imprisoned for Christ and were already on the verge of denouncing Him and worshiping idols, were confirmed in the Faith by Sebastian, who strengthened them for martyrdom. As he spoke with them, encouraging them not to fear death for Christ, his face was illumined. Everyone saw his shining face, like that of an angel of God. Sebastian also confirmed his words by miracles: he healed Zoë, the jailer Nicostratus's wife, who had been mute for six years; he brought her, Nicostratus and his entire household to baptism; he healed the two ailing sons of Claudius the commander and brought him and his household to baptism; he healed Tranquillinus, the father of Marcus and Marcellinus, of gout and pains in his legs which had troubled him for eleven years, and brought him to baptism together with his entire household; he healed the Roman eparch Chromatius of the same illness and brought him and his son Tiburtius to baptism. The first of them to suffer was St. Zoë, whom they seized at the tomb of the Apostle Peter, where she was praying to God. After torturing her, they threw her into the Tiber River. They then seized Tiburtius, and the judge placed live coals before him, telling him to choose between life and death, that is, either to cast incense on the coals and to cense the idols or to stand barefoot on the hot coals. St. Tiburtius made the sign of the Cross, stood barefoot on the hot coals, and remained unharmed. After this, he was beheaded. Nicostratus was killed with a stake, Tranquillinus was drowned, and Marcus and Marcellinus were tortured and pierced with spears.

c

Then Sebastian was brought before Emperor Diocletian. The emperor rebuked him for his betrayal, but Sebastian said: "I have always prayed to my Christ for your health and for the peace of the Roman Empire.'' The emperor ordered that he be stripped naked and shot through with arrows. The soldiers shot him through with arrows until the martyr was so completely covered with arrows that his body was not seen because of them. When all thought that he was dead, he appeared alive and completely healthy. Then the pagans killed him with staves. He suffered gloriously for Christ his Lord and took up his habitation in the Kingdom of Christ in the year 287 at the time of Diocletian the Emperor and Gaius the Bishop of Rome.

Hebrews 10:1-18 KJV

10 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.

3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.

4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:

6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.

7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.

8 Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;

9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.

10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:

12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.

14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

15 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,

16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;

17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

Saint Mark 10:11-16 KJV

11 And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.

12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.

13 And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.

14 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

16 And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

About the Remembrance

of the Imminent Putting off

of the Body

by Saint Nikolai Velimirovich

"Yes, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle (body), to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ had showed me" (2 St. Peter 1: 13-14).

Here is a good reminder to lovers of the body who, because of their bodies, forget their souls.
The body must be cast off from us.
No matter how dear we hold it to be, no matter how precious adornments we hang upon it, no matter how much we caress and pamper it, we must cast it off one day.
Oh, how powerful and truthful are the words "cast it off!" When the soul is separated from the body, the soul casts the body off as something no longer necessary.
When shipwrecked men reach the shore on a board (plank), they step onto the shore and cast away the board. When spring blossoms, the serpent sheds its skin and casts it off. When a butterfly wings its way out of the cocoon, the cocoon is cast off. In the same manner, the body is cast off when the soul departs from it..
No longer of use and without benefit, and even harmful to other men, it is cast out of the house, cast out of the city, cast from the sight of the sun, and is buried deep into the ground. Think about this, you who live in luxury and adorn your bodies; you who are haughty and gluttonous!

As long as the soul is in the body, it should utilize the body for its salvation, submitting to the Law of God and performing the works of God. Do you see how the apostolic soul is a lover of labor? As long as I am in this tabernacle (body) to stir you up. That task was given to him by God. He wants to conscientiously complete it to the end before he must put off his body.

Brethren, let us labor--first to embrace the apostolic warning; and second, to remind others, all others whom we wish well.
We are rapidly approaching the shore of the other world; and the hour swiftly approaches when we must cast off our bodies and, with a naked soul, appear before the Judgment of God. What will we say at the Dread Judgment Seat of God? For what goals will we have used that thing of the earth, the body?

O Lord Jesus, Righteous Judge, direct our minds to think of death and judgment.

To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.