February 23 / February 10
The Hieromartyr Charalampus, bishop of Magnesia in Asia Minor, and Martyrs Porphyrius and Baptus (202)
This great saint, Charalampus, was a bishop in Magnesia who suffered for Christ in his 113th year. When a terrible persecution began during the reign of Emperor Septimius Severus, the elderly Charalampus did not hide from the persecutors. Instead, he freely and openly preached the Christian Faith. He endured all tortures as though he were in someone else’s body. When they skinned him alive, the forgiving elder said to the emperor’s soldiers: “Thank you, my brethren, for in scraping my old body you renew my spirit for a new eternal life.” He worked many miracles and converted many to the Faith. Even the emperor’s daugh- ter, Galina, abandoned the idolatry of her father and became a Christian. Condemned to death and brought to the place of execution, St. Charalampus raised his hands to heaven and prayed to God for all people, that God would grant them bodily health and spiritual salvation and that He would multiply their fruit of the earth: “O Lord, Thou knowest that men are flesh and blood; forgive them their sins and pour out Thy grace on all!” After praying, this holy elder gave up his soul to God before the executioner lowered the sword on his neck. He suffered in the year 202. The emperor’s daughter, Galina, removed his body and honorably buried it.
The Venerable Prochorus, the Orach-eater
Prochorus was a miracle-worker of the Monastery of the Kiev Caves. He is called the orach-eater because, during the time that he lived in the Monastery of the Caves, he did not taste bread. Instead, he fed on orach, mixing it in his own way, and from it he prepared a type of bread. When- ever he would give someone his orach bread with a blessing, the bread tasted sweet, as though prepared from honey. If, however, someone stole the bread, it was as bitter as wormwood. One time, when there was a short- age of salt in Russia, Prochorus distributed ashes to the people in place of salt. The ashes that he distributed with his blessing were as salt; however, the ashes that people took on their own remained ordinary ashes. Prince Svyatopolk ordered that all the ashes from Prochorus’s cell be taken to his palace with neither the permission nor the blessing of the monk. When the ashes were removed, those who tasted them were convinced that they were ashes and not salt. Then Prochorus told the people who came to him for salt to go to the emperor’s palace and, when the prince threw the ashes out of his palace, to take them and carry them home for salt. The people did so, and again the ashes were salt. Having become convinced, the prince himself was filled with respect and love toward the holy man. When Pro- chorus died in the year 1107, the prince, with his own hands, placed him in the tomb alongside the great Russian saints, Anthony and Theodosius.
- Martyrs Ennatha, Valentina, and Paula, of Palestine (308).
- Scholastica of Italy (543), sister of St. Benedict of Nursia.
- Anastasius II, patriarch of Jerusalem (706).
- . Synaxis of Novgorod Hierarchs: Sts. Joachim (1030), Luke the Jew (1060), Germanus (1095), Arcadius (1162), Gregory (1193), Martyrius (1199), Anthony (1231), Basil (1352), Moses (1362), Symeon (1421), Gennadius (1504), Pimen (1571), and Athonius (1653).
- Anna of Novgorod (1050), wife of Yaroslav I.
- John Chimchimeli of Bachkovo and Gremi (13th c.).
- Longinus, founder of Koryazhemka Monastery (Vologda) (1540).
- . St. Raphael, archimandrite (1765), and St. Ioannicius, hieromonk (1882), of Svato- gorsk Monastery.
- “Areovindus” (“Fiery Vision”) Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos.
HYMN OF PRAISE
Saint Charalampus
The inexperienced sword was brandished over Charalampus, only to be lowered!
The saint knelt and raised a petition to God: “O Lord, release them!
Absolve the sins of all sinful men; have mercy again.
Bless their labor and grant abundant fruit to the fields.
Let them have everything; they are flesh and blood; let them sing to Thee.
Oh, grant them health, health and joy; let them remember Thee!
Drive away every evil, save them from misery, have mercy on them all,
And after death take their souls to Paradise.
Lord have mercy!
Whoever prays to Thee
and mentions my name, Because of my suffering, help him,
O God, help him for my sake!”
Then came a voice from heaven: “I accept your prayer; now render Me your soul!”
The saint released his soul and flew to Paradise, before the falling of the sword!
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