Saint John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople and one of the Three Hierarchs, was born around 347 in Antioch. His father died soon after his birth, and his mother, Anthusa, raised him in Christian devotion. Gifted in learning, John studied philosophy and rhetoric but turned to Scripture and prayer under the guidance of Saint Meletius of Antioch, who baptized him in 367. After becoming a Reader, he studied ascetic life with Flavian and Diodorus of Tarsus. Following his mother’s death, he embraced monasticism, living in the wilderness and writing early theological works such as Six Discourses on the Priesthood and Against the Opponents of Those Attracted to the Monastic Life.

Ordained deacon in 381 and presbyter in 386, John quickly became renowned for his eloquent preaching, earning the name “Chrysostom,” or “Golden-Mouthed.” His sermons and biblical commentaries on Genesis, the Gospels, and the Epistles inspired deep repentance and understanding among his listeners.…

"To the clergy, monastics, and faithful of the Orthodox Church in America, beloved children in the Lord,

Christ is in our midst!

As we begin this sacred season of fasting in preparation for Our Lord’s Nativity in the flesh, I desire first of all to give each of you my blessing and assure you of my prayers.

According to the sanctoral calendar of our Church, the first day of the Nativity Fast is also the memory of St. Paisius Velichkovsky, one of the great transmitters and exponents of the Byzantine hesychastic tradition among both Slavic and Romanian peoples. In marking this commemoration, we rightly take pride in our rich sacred tradition of prayer and watchfulness, of theology and contemplation. St. Paisius is a true teacher of Orthodoxy and knight of the faith, and, even as we begin our fast, we celebrate his feast with great joy.

St. Paisius was not…

The Holy Martyr Victor of Damascus served as a soldier during the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius the Philosopher (161–180). When the emperor began persecuting Christians, Victor refused to offer sacrifice to the pagan gods—a ritual meant to prove a soldier’s loyalty to the gods, the emperor, and the state. For his steadfast faith, he was subjected to cruel tortures, yet he remained unharmed through divine strength. By the power of prayer, he overcame a sorcerer who, witnessing Victor’s faith and miracles, renounced his dark arts and converted to Christianity.

Through Saint Victor’s prayers, several blind soldiers miraculously received their sight. Among the witnesses was Stephanida, the young Christian wife of one of Victor’s torturers, who openly praised Christ after seeing the miracle. For her bold confession, she was condemned to a brutal death—tied between two bent palm trees that tore her apart when released. She was only fifteen years…

The Holy Martyr and Hierarch Mίlos of Persia was once a valiant general who, forsaking worldly honor, devoted himself entirely to the service of Christ. By divine providence, he was chosen as Bishop of Telepolis (Susa, called Shushan in the Syriac tongue), the very city where the Prophet Daniel beheld the heavenly visions.

Because of his pure and ascetic life, Saint Mίlos was found worthy to receive from God the grace of prophecy and the gift of healing. He was ordained to the episcopate by Bishop Bēthlapát of Geddēgoupolis, and as a true shepherd of his flock, he guided his people with wisdom and holiness.

When the pagans rose up against the Church and cast him out from his See in Susa, the Saint fled first to the holy city of Jerusalem, and afterward to Alexandria, where he was blessed to meet our venerable father among the saints, Anthony the Great…

Huge thanks to Miros for filling in last moment to assist with Natasha this past Sunday !!

Food items we have for November 9 are chicken, potatoes, bean salad. We have apples and oranges. We also have chicken soup . Please only one soup on Sunday

.I am making a cheesecake for dessert.

This is our last Sunday before the Nativity Fast.

Saint Lazarus the Wonderworker of Mount Galesius, near Ephesus, was born in Lydia, in the city of Magnesium. A devout and educated young man, he entered the monastery of Saint Savva in Palestine, where he devoted ten years to ascetic discipline and prayer. His humility, wisdom, and zeal for the monastic life earned him deep respect among the brethren. After being ordained a priest by the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Saint Lazarus returned to his homeland and settled on Mount Galesius near Ephesus. There he beheld a divine vision of a fiery pillar reaching to heaven, surrounded by angels singing, “Let God arise and let His enemies be scattered.”

In response to this vision, Saint Lazarus built a church in honor of the Resurrection of Christ and embraced the ascetic life of a pillar-dweller. Drawn by his holiness and spiritual insight, many monks gathered around him, forming a monastery under his…

Saint Luke lived a life of asceticism at the Kiev Caves Monastery (Near Caves) in the 13th century, where he faithfully served in the obedience of Steward. Nothing is known about his life prior to his arrival at the Kiev Caves Lavra.

In Ode 7 of the Canon for the Holy Fathers of the Near Caves, he is praised as an “icon” and as one who steadfastly kept the Lord’s commandments.

The Church commemorates Saint Luke on November 6, and again on September 28, together with the Holy Fathers of the Near Caves of Saint Anthony, where his incorrupt relics are preserved.

Those who serve as Stewards at the Kiev Caves Lavra venerate him as their heavenly patron and keep his icon in their cells.

Troparion — Tone 8

The Rozhen Monastery of the Nativity of the Mother of God (Bulgarian: Роженски манастир "Рождество Богородично", Rozhenski manastir "Rozhdestvo Bogorodichno", Greek: Μονή Ροζινού, Moni Rozinou) is the largest monastery in the Pirin Mountains of southwestern Bulgaria, nestled among the striking Melnik Earth Pyramids. It is one of the few medieval Bulgarian monasteries that have remained well preserved to this day.

Archaeological evidence of medieval life at the site includes a grave containing coins and ornaments from the reign of Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos (1259–1282). Other discovered artifacts date to the 13th century, while the marble frieze above the church’s central gate is believed to date from the 13th or 14th century. During the time of Despot Alexius Slav, several new monastery buildings were erected. The earliest written record of the monastery appears in a note from 1551 found in a chant book now preserved in the Great Lavra library on…

Hieromartyr Seraphim, Archbishop of Uglich (in the world Semyon N. Samoylovich), was born on July 19, 1881, in Myrgorod, Poltava Governorate. After graduating from the Poltava Theological Seminary in 1902, he served as a missionary and teacher in Alaska, where he was tonsured and ordained a hieromonk. Returning to Russia, he worked in various monasteries and seminaries and became known for his scholarship and compassion, establishing a beekeeping school for orphans and an infirmary during wartime. In 1920, he was consecrated Bishop of Uglich and became a key figure in the “Parallel Synod,” an underground ecclesiastical body formed to resist state control of the Church under Patriarch Tikhon’s blessing.

After several arrests, Archbishop Seraphim was elevated to Archbishop by Patriarch Tikhon and briefly served as Deputy Patriarchal Locum Tenens in 1926–1927. He strongly opposed Metropolitan Sergius’ 1927 Declaration, which sought compromise with Soviet authorities, calling instead for steadfastness in the…