April 25 / April 12
The Venerable Isaac the Syrian II (ca. 550)
(Isaac the Syrian I is commemorated on January 28.) St. Gregory the Dialogist writes about this Isaac. He came to Italy at the time of the Goths, and in the city of Spoleto, he entered a church to pray. He asked the verger to allow him to remain locked in the church overnight. And so he spent the entire night in prayer, remaining in the same place. The same thing happened the next day and even the second night. The verger called him a hypocrite and struck him with his fist. Instantly, the verger went insane. Seeing that the verger was bitterly tormented, Isaac bent over him, and the evil spirit departed from him and the verger was restored to health. Upon hearing of this incident, the entire populace of the city thronged around this amazing foreigner. They offered him money and property, but he declined all, accepted nothing, and withdrew into the forest, where he built a cell for himself, which rapidly grew into a large monastery. Isaac was known for working miracles and especially for his discernment. On one occasion he ordered the brethren to carry all the hoes into the vineyard and to leave them there. The next day Isaac, along with the brethren, went out into the vineyard and brought along lunch. The brethren were puzzled. Who was this lunch for, since there were no laborers? Upon arriving at the vineyard, there were as many men digging as there were hoes. This is what happened: these men came as thieves to steal the hoes, but by the power of God, they were kept there and made to dig all night. On another occasion, two half-naked men came to Isaac and sought clothing from him. Isaac sent a monk to a hollow tree along the road to retrieve what he would find there. The monk departed, found some clothing, and brought it to the monastery. The abbot took these clothes and gave them to the beggars. The beggars were extremely ashamed when they recognized their own clothes, which they had hidden in that tree. Once a man sent two beehives to the monastery. A monk hid one along the way, and he brought the other to the monastery and turned it over to the abbot. The saint said to him: “Be careful upon your return. For a poisonous snake has slithered into the beehive that you left along the way. Be careful, therefore, that it does not bite you.”
Saint Basil the Confessor, Bishop of Parium (9th c.)
During a time of iconoclasm, this devout man was bishop in the town of Parius in Asia Minor. He refused to sign an imperial document against the veneration of icons. For that, Basil was greatly persecuted and severely tortured. But he remained as firm as a diamond in his Orthodoxy. He reposed at the beginning of the eighth century and was went to the Lord.
The Venerable Acacius (1730)
Acacius was from the village of Gollitsa in Epirus. He was a great Athonite ascetic, spiritual father, and clairvoyant. Acacius had many heavenly visions. He gave his blessing to several monks who chose the ascetic feat of martyrdom. Acacius reposed in his ninety-eighth year, in the year 1730.
The Venerable Athanasia (860)
Athanasia was born on the island of Aegina, of wealthy and benevolent parents. She distributed her wealth to the poor and retreated to a monastery. There she took upon herself increasingly difficult ascetic labors. Athanasia took food only once a day, and then only bread and water. During Great Lent, she ate once every other day. She tasted oil and fish only on the Feasts of the Nativity and the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Even though she was the abbess of the monastery, Athanasia was a servant to the other sisters and shied away from having anyone serve her. Athanasia was made worthy of the great gift of miracles, both during her life and after death. She reposed in the Lord in the year 860.
- Hieromartyr Zeno, bishop of Verona (ca. 260).
- Monk-martyrs Menas, David, and John, of Palestine (after 636).
- Virgin Anthusa of Constantinople (801), daughter of the Emperor Constantine
- Sergius II, patriarch of Constantinople (1019).
- Basil, bishop of Ryazan (1295).
- (Greek: Deposition of the Cincture [Sash] of the Most Holy Theotokos in Constantinople [942]).
- (Romanian: Martyr Sabbas the Goth, at Buzau in Wallachia [372]).
- [Greek The Holy Hieromartyr Artemon of Laodicea, slain by the sword].
- The Holy Martyrs Demas and Protion, slain by the sword.
- The Holy Martyr Serge Krestnikov, novice at Sergius Lavra (1938).
HYMN OF PRAISE
Saint Athanasia
Athanasia fulfilled good counsel;
She shone on earth like a bright star.
By the spirit she overcame bodily weakness;
While still young she came to love God.
Through fasting and vigils she withered her body,
Only to attain salvation for her soul.
Much property she distributed to the poor,
And gave herself fully to the will of God.
She saw a vision in the holy church:
A heavenly light penetrated the darkness,
And a voice came to her: “Athanasia,
Meekness and humility—this is pleasing to God.
Practice this above all else,
As long as your heart beats and your spirit breathes.”
Athanasia, a wonderful soul,
Crushed all pride in herself.
She utterly sacrificed her will to God,
As obedient to God as the blazing sun.
The Lord returned love with love,
And with grace He rewarded her labors.
And when her time on earth was over,
He granted her life, immortal and paradisal.
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