Orthodoxe Kerk van de heilige Bonifatius te Kampen, Broederweg 10, Kampen (2026)

04/06/2026

☦️ SYNAXARION – JUNE 4 ☦️

✠ Saint Metrophanes of Constantinople – First Bishop of Constantinople (313–327 AD).

✠ Saints Martha and Mary of Bethany – Sisters of Lazarus and beloved friends of the Lord.

✠ Saint Clateus of Brescia – Hieromartyr and early Bishop of Brescia in Italy.

✠ Saints Attalus, Zoticus, Camasis, and Philip – Martyrs of Niculițel in Romania.

✠ Saint Breaca of Ireland – Missionary companion of Saint Patrick.

✠ Saint Ninnoc of Britain – Abbess and wonderworker of Brittany.

✠ Saint Eadfrith of Lindisfarne – Bishop and spiritual leader of Lindisfarne.

✠ Saint Petroc of Wales – Great missionary, pilgrim, and patron of Cornwall.

✠ Saints Cruidanus, Daganus, and Medanus – Irish disciples of Saint Petroc.

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☦️ SAINT METROPHANES, FIRST BISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE

Saint Metrophanes was the first Bishop of Constantinople (313–327 AD). He was the son of Dometius and the nephew of Emperor Probus.

When the First Ecumenical Council was convened at Nicaea in May of 325 AD, Metrophanes was unable to attend because of his advanced age and illness. He therefore sent as his representative the Protopresbyter Alexander, a man distinguished by zeal and piety.

During the years of Saint Metrophanes’ episcopate, many great construction projects were undertaken in the Imperial City. Among these were the famous churches of Hagia Sophia, Hagia Irene, and Hagia Dynamis.

Saint Metrophanes reposed in the Lord in 327 AD, possibly at the age of one hundred and seventeen years. He was succeeded by his worthy Protopresbyter Alexander (commemorated on August 30).

He believed that the saving work of the Church is advanced through proper episcopal succession, in accordance with the inspired words of Holy Scripture:

“A bishop then must be blameless” (1 Timothy 3:2).

Thus he taught that the noble stewardship of the House of God should be entrusted to worthy and exemplary men, so that no accusation might be brought against them.

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☦️ SAINTS MARTHA AND MARY OF BETHANY

Martha and Mary, together with their brother Lazarus, formed the family in Bethany most beloved by our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Gospel presents Mary as absorbed in listening to the teaching of Christ, while Martha, the elder sister, busied herself with serving and providing hospitality. Therefore she heard the well-known and instructive words of the Master:

“Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: but one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:38–42).

Mary was also the one who anointed the feet of Jesus with precious ointment and wiped them with her virgin hair.

Both sisters became pious and distinguished members of the early Christian Church. They were granted a peaceful end rather than martyrdom, for the Lord did not permit the hearts in whose home He had enjoyed such holy peace before His Passion to be afflicted by persecution.

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☦️ SAINT CLATEUS THE HIEROMARTYR, BISHOP OF BRESCIA

The Holy Hieromartyr Clateus was either the first or second Bishop of Brescia in Lombardy, Italy.

He suffered a martyr’s death in the year 64 AD during the reign of Emperor Nero (54–68 AD).

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☦️ THE HOLY MARTYRS ATTALUS, ZOTICUS, CAMASIS, AND PHILIP OF NICULIȚEL

According to some researchers, these holy martyrs suffered during the reign of Emperor Diocletian (284–305 AD). Others maintain that they endured martyrdom between the years 319 and 324 AD during the reign of Licinius.

Most likely, however, they were martyred north of the Danube among the Goths, to whom the Gospel had been preached by Saint Sabbas of Buzău.

The persecution launched by King Athanaric against Christians between 370 and 372 AD may have been responsible for their martyrdom.

The holy relics of these martyrs were discovered in 1971 in the crypt of a basilica at Niculițel in Tulcea County, Romania.

Today their sacred relics are preserved at the Monastery of Cocoș in Tulcea, Romania.

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☦️ SAINT BREACA OF IRELAND

Saint Breaca was of Irish origin.

Around the year 460 AD she accompanied Saint Patrick on missionary journeys and also labored in the regions surrounding the River Hayle in Cornwall.

God granted her the gift of working miracles, and she reposed in peace.

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☦️ SAINT NINNOC OF BRITAIN

Saint Ninnoc lived in Britain during the fifth century and is traditionally regarded as the daughter of Saint Brychan of Brecknock.

She followed Saint Germanus of Auxerre, later embraced monasticism, and became abbess of a monastery in Armorica (Brittany).

She reposed in peace in 467 AD.

After her repose, God granted her the gift of miracles, and many faithful came to her monastery at Quimper in Brittany seeking healing.

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☦️ SAINT EADFRITH OF LINDISFARNE

Saint Eadfrith lived during the seventh and eighth centuries.

He was elected Bishop of Lindisfarne in 698 AD and reposed in peace in 721 AD.

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☦️ SAINT PETROC OF WALES

Saint Petroc, the patron saint of Cornwall, was born in southern Wales in 468 AD.

He was the younger son—or according to some traditions, the nephew—of Saint Clydog of Cerniw, ruler of Glywysing in Wales.

For many years he lived in Ireland before returning to Britain, where he founded a missionary center at Hailesmouth and a monastery at Lanwethinoc, which later became known as Petrocston and is today the town of Padstow.

There he lived an ascetic life for thirty years.

Saint Petroc made pilgrimages to Rome and the Holy Land and eventually journeyed as far as India, where he lived as a hermit on an island in the Indian Ocean.

Upon returning to Cornwall, he founded another monastery at Petherick and a hermitage at Bodmin, where he met Saint Goran.

Saint Petroc reposed in peace in 564 AD. His holy relics were buried at Padstow and were later translated to the church at Bodmin.

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☦️ SAINTS CRUIDANUS, DAGANUS, AND MEDANUS OF IRELAND

The Venerable Fathers Cruidanus, Daganus, and Medanus were natives of Ireland and lived during the sixth century.

They were disciples of Saint Petroc and reposed in peace.

☦️ Holy Saints of God, pray to God for us.

03/06/2026

☦️ SYNAXARION – JUNE 3 ☦️

✠ Saint Lucillian – Former pagan priest of Nicomedia who converted to Christ in old age and was crucified.

✠ Saint Paula – Virgin Martyr who buried the relics of Saint Lucillian and was beheaded for Christ.

✠ Saint Claudius – Child Martyr imprisoned with Saint Lucillian.

✠ Saint Hypatius – Child Martyr who suffered for Christ.

✠ Saint Paul – Child Martyr and companion of Saint Lucillian.

✠ Saint Dionysius – Child Martyr who confessed Christ unto death.

✠ Saint Ieria – Noblewoman of Mesopotamia converted through Saint Febronia; later became a nun.

✠ Saint Kevin of Ireland – Founder of the monastery of Glendalough and Bishop.

✠ Saint Cronan of Ireland – Disciple and companion of Saint Kevin.

✠ Saint Clotilde of France – Queen who helped bring the Frankish kingdom to Christianity.

✠ Saint Genesius of Clermont – Bishop distinguished by charity and asceticism.

✠ Saint Isaac of Cordoba – Monk and Martyr of Spain.

✠ Saint Urbicius – Ascetic and Abbot of Menat.

✠ Saint Lifardus of Orleans – Former lawyer who became a monk and founder of a monastery.

✠ Saint Hilary of Carcassonne – Fourth-century Bishop in Gaul.

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☦️ THE HOLY MARTYRS LUCIILLIAN, PAULA, AND THE CHILDREN CLAUDIUS, HYPATIUS, PAUL, AND DIONYSIUS

✠ Life

The Lord assured us that “the things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” What seems unattainable through human strength and reasoning can be accomplished by God’s power.

Who would have expected that a man who had spent almost his entire life in paganism—and had even served as a pagan priest—would become a Christian? Yet this is precisely what happened to the aged priest Lucillian, who lived during the reign of Emperor Aurelian (270 AD).

When Lucillian first heard the Christian preaching in his homeland of Nicomedia, divine grace shook his soul like an earthquake. His pagan beliefs, deeply rooted within him, collapsed like towers of cards. His aged eyes were opened, and with youthful zeal he publicly confessed his faith in Christ. He also began preaching and bringing others to the Christian faith.

This was reported to the governor Libanius. Brought before him, Lucillian boldly confessed Christ. Pressured by the pagan priests, who regarded him as a deserter from their religion, the governor ordered him to be tortured.

Afterward he was thrown into a fire, but a powerful rain extinguished the flames. He was then sent to Byzantium, where he was granted the crown of martyrdom through crucifixion.

While imprisoned, Saint Lucillian met four Christian boys—Claudius, Hypatius, Paul, and Dionysius—who had also been imprisoned for their faith. They were later beheaded.

After Lucillian’s martyrdom, the virgin Paula reverently collected and buried his holy relics. For this she was arrested, subjected to severe tortures, and finally beheaded, thus receiving the crown of eternal glory.

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☦️ THE VENERABLE SAINT IERIA

Troparion

“Being numbered among the wise virgins, O Ieria,
You were not shut out from the bridal chamber of the Lord.”

✠ Life

Very little information about Saint Ieria (or Hiereia) has survived in the Synaxaria. We know only that she reposed in peace and that her feast is celebrated on June 3.

Most of what is known comes from the Life of Saint Febronia.

During the reign of Emperor Diocletian, there was a convent at Nisibis in Mesopotamia, governed by the abbess Saint Bryaena. Among the nuns was the beautiful and virtuous Febronia.

One day Ieria, a young noblewoman from a pagan family, visited the convent and requested to speak with Febronia. Their conversation deeply moved her. She spent the entire night awake, weeping in compunction.

Returning home, she recounted everything she had heard and encouraged her family to embrace Christianity.

Later, when the Roman governor Selenus persecuted the convent, most of the nuns fled. Only Febronia and the nun Thomais remained. Febronia’s steadfast confession of Christ led to terrible tortures and finally martyrdom.

Ieria witnessed these sufferings firsthand. Unable to bear the sight, she cried out in protest and defended the saint. Yet her efforts were in vain.

The martyrdom of Febronia strengthened Ieria’s faith even further. She and her family were baptized, and she later became a nun in the convent of Abbess Bryaena. There she spent the remainder of her life in ascetic struggle and reposed peacefully beside the wonderworking relics of her beloved spiritual guide, Saint Febronia.

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☦️ SAINT KEVIN OF IRELAND

Saint Kevin was born into a noble Irish family and was educated by distinguished monks. Upon reaching maturity, he founded a monastery at Glendalough (“Valley of the Two Lakes”).

His holiness became so renowned that many monks gathered around him, and the monastic settlement eventually developed into a thriving town. After being consecrated bishop, he built a cathedral near the monastery.

He reposed in peace in 618 AD, according to tradition at the remarkable age of 120 years.

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☦️ SAINT CRONAN OF IRELAND

Saint Cronan lived during the seventh century and belonged to the spiritual brotherhood of Saint Kevin. He reposed peacefully in 617 AD.

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☦️ SAINT CLOTILDE OF FRANCE

Saint Clotilde was born in Lyons, France, in 474 AD. As queen, she played a decisive role in the conversion and baptism of her husband, King Clovis, as well as their children. She labored tirelessly for the spread of the Gospel among the Franks.

She reposed in peace in 545 AD.

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☦️ SAINT GENESIUS, BISHOP OF CLERMONT

Saint Genesius served as bishop of Clermont during the seventh century. He became known for his strict way of life, his generosity to the poor, and his compassion toward the suffering.

After shepherding his flock in a God-pleasing manner, he reposed in peace in 662 AD.

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☦️ SAINT ISAAC OF SPAIN

Saint Isaac was born in Cordoba, Spain, in 825 AD. He first worked as a notary and later embraced the monastic life in a monastery near his birthplace.

He suffered martyrdom for Christ at the hands of the Muslim authorities in 852 AD, receiving the crown of an ascetic martyr.

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☦️ SAINT URBICIUS

Saint Urbicius lived during the sixth century. He practiced the ascetic life together with Saint Lifardus and later succeeded him as abbot of the Monastery of Menat. After a holy life of ascetic labor, he reposed in peace.

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☦️ SAINT LIFARDUS OF ORLEANS

Saint Lifardus was born in Orleans and lived during the sixth century. Having studied law, he eventually devoted himself to Scripture, prayer, and the sacramental life of the Church.

At the age of forty he embraced monasticism and was ordained a deacon. Together with Saint Urbicius he lived a life of remarkable austerity. Because of his virtue he was later ordained a priest and became abbot of the monastery they had founded.

He reposed in peace in 550 AD.

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☦️ SAINT HILARY, BISHOP OF CARCASSONNE

Saint Hilary lived during the fourth century and served as bishop of Carcassonne in the region of Toulouse, Gaul (France). After faithfully serving the Church, he reposed in peace.

☦️ Holy Saints of God,
Pray to God for us.

02/06/2026

The Gift of Grace

“How could I not seek You?
You were the first to find me.
You granted me to experience the sweetness of Your Holy Spirit, and my soul came to love You.

The soul that has come to know the Lord cannot forget Him and longs for Him intensely, for in Him are its life and its joy.

The soul that has lost grace withers away far from its Lord and weeps as Adam wept when he was driven out of Paradise. Therefore, no one can comfort it except God.

The soul is like a bride, and the Lord like a bridegroom. They love one another and greatly desire one another. In His love, the Lord eagerly awaits the soul and grieves when He sees that there is no place within it for the Holy Spirit.”

— Saint Silouan the Athonite

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De Gave van de Genade

“Hoe zou ik U niet kunnen zoeken?
U hebt mij het eerst gevonden.
U hebt mij de zoetheid van Uw Heilige Geest doen ervaren, en mijn ziel heeft U liefgekregen.

De ziel die de Heer heeft leren kennen, kan Hem niet vergeten en verlangt vurig naar Hem, want in Hem vindt zij haar leven en haar vreugde.

De ziel die de genade heeft verloren, verdort ver van haar Heer en weent zoals Adam weende toen hij uit het Paradijs werd verdreven. Daarom kan niemand haar troosten behalve God.

De ziel lijkt op een bruid en de Heer op een bruidegom. Zij hebben elkaar lief en verlangen sterk naar elkaar. In Zijn liefde wacht de Heer vol verlangen op de ziel en bedroeft Hij Zich wanneer Hij ziet dat er in haar geen plaats is voor de Heilige Geest.”

— Saint Silouan the Athonite

02/06/2026

The Apostles changed completely with the advent of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit changed them.
They simply remained there near the Lord with their shortcomings, their weaknesses, their faults, with human thinking. They remained there and the Lord, committed to going to the heavens, gave them the assurance and the mission: stay there and wait (Lk 24:49), and the power from on high would come, the Holy Spirit would come. And they listened. Of course, they thought as men, but they were listening to Christ.
This is important. Because immediately one would ask: 'But what would we do for the Holy Spirit to finally come, for us to start to think in the Holy Spirit, to feel that we are in the Holy Spirit, and for there to be in us a spiritual condition?
Let us listen, let us listen, until our own hour arrives. There is no other way. Let us listen to the word of God and obey.

Elder Symeon Kragiopoulos

02/06/2026

☦️ Synaxarion – 2 June

🙏 Saint Nicephorus the Confessor, Patriarch of Constantinople; Synaxis of All Our Holy Fathers, the Archbishops and Patriarchs of Constantinople

☦️ Saint Nicephorus was born in Constantinople in 758 A.D. His parents, Theodore and Eudocia, belonged to the noble and distinguished social class, yet they were pious and virtuous people who nurtured their son with the teachings of the Holy Scriptures. His father’s devotion to the Orthodox faith became the cause of his persecution and exile by the iconoclast and impious Emperor Constantine V Copronymus to Nicaea, where he eventually died.

Endowed with exceptional spiritual gifts, Nicephorus received an extensive theological and secular education. He soon withdrew to an estate he owned on the Bosporus, where he devoted himself to asceticism and the study of the Holy Scriptures. However, the emperor compelled him to take charge of the great poorhouse of Constantinople.

When Patriarch Tarasius of Constantinople fell asleep in the Lord, Emperor Nicephorus I proposed Nicephorus as his worthy successor. Accordingly, on Pascha Sunday in 806, he ascended the Patriarchal Throne—a throne that proved to be equivalent to Golgotha.

He waged strenuous struggles for the honor and veneration of the holy Icons. However, when the impious Leo V the Armenian ascended the imperial throne in 813 A.D., a great and relentless persecution was unleashed against the defenders of the holy Icons. Nicephorus’ steadfastness and unwavering commitment to the protection of Orthodoxy provoked the emperor’s wrath, and he was removed from the patriarchal throne.

He endured many hardships and sufferings, and finally, worn down by his trials, he surrendered his soul to God, the righteous Rewarder, on 2 June 822 A.D.

01/06/2026

Synaxarion for June 1

☦️ The Holy Spirit

Let every breath praise the Spirit of the Lord;
before Him the boldness of evil spirits vanishes.

“And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father; who together with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified; who spoke through the prophets.”

On the Monday after Pentecost, our Church celebrates the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Holy Trinity, proceeding from the Father. He is consubstantial with the Father and the Son and, according to the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, is “worshipped and glorified together” with the Father and the Son, equal in honor and adoration.

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Great indeed, and beyond human understanding, are the gifts that the loving God has bestowed upon us today. Therefore let us all rejoice together and, filled with gladness, praise our Lord. For today is a feast and a festival for us.

Just as the seasons and the movements of the sun follow one another in succession, so also in the Church one feast follows another, leading us from one celebration to the next. Not long ago we celebrated the Cross, the Passion, and the Resurrection, and after these the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ into heaven. Today we have reached the summit of blessings, the crown of feasts, the fulfillment of the Lord’s promises.

“For if I depart,” He says, “I will send you another Comforter, and I will not leave you orphaned” (John 16:7).

Do you see His fatherly care? Do you see His indescribable love for mankind? A few days ago He ascended into heaven and sat upon the royal throne at the right hand of the Father, and today He sends us the gifts of the Holy Spirit, bestowing upon us countless heavenly blessings.

For tell me, what good necessary for our salvation has not been given to us through the Holy Spirit?

By His grace we are freed from the slavery of the devil, called into the freedom of Christ, led to heavenly adoption, born anew, and relieved of the heavy burden of our sins. Through the grace of the Holy Spirit there are priests, teachers of the Church, prophecies, gifts of healing, and all the other blessings that adorn the Church of God.

As Saint Paul proclaims:

“But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills” (1 Corinthians 12:11).

“As He wills,” he says—not as one commanded. He distributes but is not distributed; He possesses authority but is not subject to authority. The Apostle teaches that the Holy Spirit possesses the same authority as the Father. Just as he says of the Father, “God is the One who works all things in all,” so he also says of the Spirit that He distributes His gifts “as He wills.”

Do you see His perfect authority? Those who share the same nature and essence clearly share the same authority. Those equal in dignity possess one power and one dominion.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit we have been cleansed from sin and washed from every stain. Through His gift, although remaining human, we become like angels, provided we willingly cooperate with His grace. Our nature is not changed; rather, while remaining human, we acquire an angelic way of life.

Such is the power of the Holy Spirit.

Just as natural fire hardens soft clay into strong pottery, so the fire of the Holy Spirit, when it finds a prudent soul—even one softer than clay—makes it stronger than iron. In an instant He makes brighter than the sun one who was previously stained by sin.

“In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

Do you see, beloved, the power of the Holy Spirit? Do you see how He abolishes every vice and raises those formerly enslaved to sin to the highest honor?

— Saint John Chrysostom

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☦️ Saint Justin the Philosopher and Martyr

Saint Justin Martyr was born in Flavia Neapolis in Palestine around A.D. 100. His parents were Greek pagans, and his father was named Priscus Bacchius. They ensured that Justin received an excellent education in philosophy and theology. Yet philosophy alone could not satisfy the questions of his restless soul.

Seeing the sincerity of his search, God guided him wondrously. One day, while walking by the sea, he encountered an elderly man deeply versed in the Holy Scriptures. Through their conversation, Justin was introduced to the Christian faith.

During the reign of Emperor Antoninus Pius, Justin went to Rome and presented an Apology to the emperor. In it he explained the fundamental teachings of Christianity, refuted the accusations against Christians, and demonstrated the falsehood of pagan idolatry through arguments drawn from Scripture. Because of this work, he became known as “the Apologist.”

His tireless preaching and writing in defense of the faith aroused the hostility of the pagans. He was arrested, subjected to various tortures, and finally beheaded in A.D. 165, becoming not only a defender of the Orthodox faith but also a victorious martyr of Christ.

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☦️ Saint Justin Popović

Saint Justin Popović was born on March 25, 1894, the Feast of the Annunciation, in Vranje, southern Serbia. His baptismal name was Blagoje (Evangelos). Coming from a long line of priests, he grew up in a deeply Orthodox family and from childhood frequently visited the Monastery of Saint Prochorus of Pčinja.

Three influences especially shaped his spiritual life:

1. Constant reading of the Holy Gospel.
2. Ascetic struggle and prayer.
3. The Synaxaria and the writings of the Holy Fathers.

He often said:

“Orthodoxy is not a library that one studies, but a life that one is called to live. Orthodoxy is first and foremost holy living, and only then doctrine.”

Gifted with a philosophical mind and a thirst for knowledge, he entered the Seminary of Saint Sava in Belgrade in 1905, where one of his teachers was Saint Nikolai Velimirović.

During World War I he served as a medical orderly and accompanied the Serbian army through Albania to Corfu. There, in 1916, he received monastic tonsure and took the name Justin in honor of Saint Justin Martyr.

He later studied in Saint Petersburg, Oxford, and Athens. In 1926 he earned a doctorate in Patrology with a dissertation on Saint Macarius of Egypt. He mastered numerous languages, including Greek, Latin, Russian, English, German, and French.

Throughout his life he taught theology, engaged in missionary work, wrote extensively, and defended Orthodox doctrine. Following the communist takeover of Yugoslavia in 1945, he was expelled from the University of Belgrade, imprisoned, and subjected to continual surveillance.

For many years he lived in relative confinement at the Monastery of Ćelije, where he continued to pray, write, celebrate the Divine Liturgy, and guide countless visitors.

He reposed in the Lord on March 25, 1979, the Feast of the Annunciation and also the day of his birth.

Among his greatest works are:

* The Orthodox Philosophy of Truth (his Dogmatics)
* Lives of the Saints (12 volumes)
* Commentary on the New Testament (7 volumes)

His theology centers on two themes:

* Love for the God-Man, Jesus Christ.
* Absolute fidelity to the teachings of the Holy Fathers.

Today he is revered as one of the greatest Orthodox theologians and confessors of the twentieth century.

The Monastery of Ćelije

The Monastery of Ćelije is located about six kilometers southwest of the city of Valjevo, on the banks of the Gradac River. Hidden among mountains and valleys, it became the spiritual home of Saint Justin Popović for twenty-eight years.

The monastery church is dedicated to the Synaxis of the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel. Its greatest treasure is the simple tomb of Saint Justin, which continues to attract pilgrims seeking his prayers and blessing.

Note: Saint Justin Popović was glorified by the Serbian Orthodox Church, which follows the Julian Calendar. His feast is appointed for June 1, the same day as Saint Justin Martyr, whose name he bore.

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☦️ Venerable Agapitus of the Kiev Caves, Unmercenary Healer

Saint Agapitus of the Kiev Caves lived in Russia during the eleventh century and practiced the ascetic life in the Great Lavra of Kiev during the time of Saint Anthony of the Caves.

Beloved of God, he was granted the gift of miracles and healing. His fame spread far and wide, and many people came to him seeking cures for their illnesses. For this reason he became known as a physician and healer.

Among those whom he healed was Prince Vladimir Vsevolodovich of Chernigov, who later became Grand Prince of Kiev and was known as “Monomakh.”

Saint Agapitus reposed in peace, and his holy relics are preserved in the Cave of Saint Anthony in Kiev.

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Through the prayers of the Holy Spirit’s saints, O Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.

31/05/2026

☦️ Synaxarion – 31 May

☦️ Pentecost Sunday

“On this day, the eighth Sunday after Pascha, we celebrate Holy Pentecost.

With a mighty breath and tongues of fire, Christ distributes the Divine Spirit to the Apostles.
The Spirit has been poured forth upon the fishermen in one great rushing wind.
Through the intercessions of the holy Apostles, O Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen.”

After the Ascension of the Lord into heaven, the Apostles and His other disciples, together with the women who had followed Him from the beginning, the Most Holy Virgin Mary His Mother, and about 120 persons in total, returned from the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem. Entering the upper room of the house, they awaited in prayer the descent of the Holy Spirit, according to the promise of Christ the Savior. During this time, they also chose Matthias and numbered him among the eleven Apostles.

Then, being filled with the Holy Spirit, they began to preach and to call people to be baptized and to receive the grace of the Holy Spirit. Everything they had heard and experienced while living with Christ, but had not fully understood at the time, they now came to know through the Holy Spirit and proclaimed to the people.

Now they understood the purpose and destiny of the new life in Christ and how they were to lead the people. Therefore, they guided the first three thousand who were baptized to the Supper of Life, the Table of the Divine Eucharist, where the Church would henceforth be gathered as the Body of Christ, nourished by the Body and Blood of the Lord, and thus participate in the eternal life of the Kingdom of God.

With Pentecost, the Church was not born as a mere institution, but as the continual presence of the grace of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, Pentecost is not simply an event that occurred once in the past, but the very life of the Church as an unceasing communion in the Holy Spirit.

Pentecost is the birthday of the Church.

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☦️ Holy Martyr Hermeias

Verse

You baptize yourself in the shell of your own blood,
O Hermeias, being cut down—O dye that can never be washed away!
On the thirty-first day the sword slew Hermeias.

Life of the Saint

The Holy Martyr Hermeias lived in Comana of Cappadocia during the time of the Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius. From his youth he had enlisted in the imperial army and quickly distinguished himself by his courage, bravery, and steadfast spirit, all of which sprang from his faith in Jesus Christ.

During the reign of Marcus Aurelius (138–161 A.D.), a great persecution broke out against the Christians. Among the first to be arrested was Hermeias, despite his distinguished service to his country and his venerable old age. He was brought before the governor Sebastianus, who ordered him to sacrifice to the idols.

The saint, however, remained firm and unconquerable. He refused to betray his Lord or to offer sacrifice to the impure idols of paganism. With the gentleness that characterized him, he replied to the exhortations of his persecutors:

“It would be very foolish, my honorable ruler, to abandon the light and choose darkness; to forsake the truth and embrace falsehood; to renounce life and prefer death. It would therefore be irrational, at the end of my life, to lose these precious blessings.”

Enraged by this response, the governor ordered that he be subjected to severe tortures and then thrown into the fire. Yet through the intervention and grace of God, the saint emerged unharmed from all these dreadful torments.

Finally, in the year 160 A.D., he was beheaded, thus receiving the crown of glory and martyrdom.

Orthodoxe Kerk van de heilige Bonifatius te Kampen

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