Patriarch's Homilies

01-21St Maximus the Confessor

662

01-22

01-24Martyr Xenia of Rome

fifth century

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01-25St Gregory the Theologian the Archbishop of Constantinople

(329/390)

01-26

01-27

01-27

01-28Saint Ephraim the Syrian

01-29

01-29Removal of the Relics of Ignatius the God-bearer

01-30Synaxis of the Ecumenical Teachers and Hierarchs: Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom & their Mothers

01-31Cyrus & John the Unmercenaries

Fourth Century

These Saints lived during the years of Diocletian. Saint Cyrus was from Alexandria, and Saint John was from Edessa of Mesopotamia. Because of the persecution of that time, Cyrus fled to the Gulf of Arabia, where there was a small community of monks. John, who was a soldier, heard of Cyrus' fame and came to join him. Henceforth, they passed their life working every virtue, and healing every illness and disease freely by the grace of Christ; hence their title of "Unmercenaries."

They heard that a certain woman, named Athanasia, had been apprehended together with her three daughters, Theodora, Theoctiste, and Eudoxia, and taken to the tribunal for their confession of the Faith. Fearing lest the tender young maidens be terrified by the torments and renounce Christ, they went to strengthen them in their contest in martyrdom; therefore they too were seized.

After Cyrus and John and those sacred women had been greatly tormented, all were beheaded in the year 292. Their tomb became a renowned shrine in Egypt, and a place of universal pilgrimage.

It was found in the area of the modern day resort near Alexandria named Abu Kyr.

02-20Leo, Bishop of Catania and Bessarion the Great

02-21Timothy the Righteous and Eustathius, Bishop of Antioch

02-22The Finding of the Precious Relics of the Holy Martyrs in the Quarter of Eugenius

02-23Polycarp the Holy Martyr & Bishop of Smyrna

(+156 A.D)

02-24First & Second Finding of the Venerable Head of John the Baptist

02-25Tarasius the Archbishop of Constantinople

(+ 806 A.D)

02-26

02-27