January 31 / January 18
1. Saint Athanasius the Great (373) and Saint Cyril, Archbishops of Alexandria
Athanasius was born in Alexandria in the year 296, and from his early childhood, he had an inclination to the spiritual life. He was a deacon to Archbishop Alexander and accompanied him to the First Ecumenical Council [Nicaea, 325]. It was at this Council that Athanasius became re- renowned for his knowledge of, devotion to, and zeal for Orthodoxy. He contributed greatly to the destruction of the heresy of Arius and the strengthening of Orthodoxy. He wrote the Symbol of Faith [the Creed] which was adopted at the Council. Following the death of Alexander, Athanasius was elected Archbishop of Alexandria. He remained in his calling as Archbishop of Alexandria for forty years, although not for the entire time on the archiepiscopal throne. With few exceptions, he was persecuted by heretics throughout his life. Of the emperors, he was persecuted the most by Constantius, Julian, and Valens; of the bishops, by Eusebius of Nico- media and many others; and of heretics in general, by Arius and his followers. Athanasius was forced to hide from his persecutors at various times: once in a well, once in a grave, and sometimes in private homes or in the deserts. Twice he was forced to flee to Rome. Only for a while before his death did he live peacefully, as a good shepherd among his good flock, who truly loved him. Few are the saints who were so mercilessly slandered and so criminally persecuted as was St. Athanasius. His great soul patiently endured all for the love of Christ and, in the end, emerged victorious from this entire terrible and long-lasting struggle. For counsel, for comfort, and for moral support, Athanasius often visited St. Anthony the Great, whom he respected as his spiritual father. A man who formulated the greatest truth, Athanasius had much to suffer for that truth—until the Lord gave him repose in His Kingdom as His faithful servant, in the year 373. For St. Cyril see 9 June, the day on which he was originally commemorated.
2. Saint Maxim, Prince of Serbia and Archbishop of Wallachia
Maxim was the son of the Serbian Despot Stefan the Blind and his wife, Despotica Angelina. He was tonsured a monk in the Monastery of Manasija. Pressured by the Turks, he fled to Romania, where he was consecrated to the vacant throne of the Archbishop of Wallachia. He negotiated a truce between the warring commanders Radul and Bogdan and averted a war between them. In his later years, he returned to Krušedol, where he built a monastery and, after a lengthy ascetic life and a long illness patiently borne, he found rest there in the peace of Christ on 18 January 1516. His incorrupt and miracle-working relics repose, even now, in this monastery.
- Martyr Theodula and her companions Helladius, Boethius, Evagrius, and Macarius, of Anazarbus in Cilicia (ca. 304).
- Marcian, monk, of Cyrrhus in Syria (ca. 388).
- Ephraim, bishop of Mylasa in Caria (Asia Minor) (5th c.).
- Leobardus of Marmoutier (6th c.).
- Ninnidh of Inismacsaint (Ireland) (6th c.).
- Ephraim the Lesser (the Philosopher) of Georgia (1101).
- Cyril, abbot, of Kiev (c. 1146).
- Joachim, patriarch of Turnovo (1248).
- Cyril, schemamonk, and Maria, schemanun (both ca. 1337), parents of St. Sergius of Radonezh.
- Athanasius, monk of Valaam and abbot of Syandema (end of 16th c.).
- Athanasius, founder of Navolotsk Monastery (Karelia) (16th-17th c.).
- Alexis (Shushania), hieromonk, of Teklati, Georgia (1923).
- New Hieromartyr Vladimir Zubkovich, archpriest, of Smolevichi (Belorussia) (1937)
- The Holy Martyr Xenia, who was burnt to
HYMN OF PRAISE
Christ as the measure of all things
Through Athanasius, wisdom shone,
And the truth of God enlightened men.
The people recognized that wisdom is not bitter,
But, to all who drink it to the bottom, it is sweet;
To all who suffer for it, it is dear.
Whoever in the world feels all hope extinguished,
Whoever walks through the world as over an old cemetery,
Whoever thinks about human life as about weak slavery,
Whoever thinks about the five earthly continents as about five threshing floors,
Whoever thinks about five oceans as about five puddles—
To him, let Christ be the measure by which eternity is measured;
Let him adhere to that measure, and be confirmed in faith.
Whoever recognizes this measure will never abandon it;
He will find no other measure by which to understand the mysteries of the world.
All other measures, in spite of exertion,
Do not reach to the Alpha or the Omega:
They are as deceiving as the moon that crawls over the water,
But appears to reach the bottom of the water.
Christ surpasses both ends of the world,
Where the drama ends and where it began.
Of all the mysteries, the greatest mystery is Him.
From His Nativity to His Crucifixion on the Cross,
From His Crucifixion on the Cross to His Resurrection —
He is the true measure of all God’s creation.
Through Him, measuring suffering in the midst of worldly tumult,
The saints of God suffered—without pain.
To read the Reflection, Contemplation, and Homily for this day,
you can purchase your copy of the Prologue of Ohrid at our St. Sebastian Bookstore
or download our Kindle E-Book version at Amazon.com.