St. Tikhon Orthodox Christian Mission

06/18/2026

MARTYR ALENA of BELGIUM - June 18

St. Alena was born in Dilbeek, just outside Brussels, Belgium, in the seventh century. She was baptized without the knowledge of her pagan parents, who were of the nobility. St. Alena secretly attended the Christian liturgy, giving varying excuses to her parents. One night her father told his guards to follow her and, after tracking her for quite some time, they witnessed Alena entering a chapel in Vorst. Her father came to the conclusion that Christians had bewitched her into conversion, and ordered that she be arrested.

When her father’s guards attempted to arrest her she resisted. During the struggle, her arm was severed, and she offered her soul up to God (+640). It is said that the arm was taken by an angel and placed before the altar in the chapel where she regularly worshiped. Very soon after that, various miracles were claimed at the burial site of Alena's body, and one of her father's subjects, Duke Omundus, had his sight restored by invoking Alena's prayers. After witnessing these miracles, and exploring Christianity, her parents converted to Christianity.

In traditional art St. Alena is often portrayed with one arm severed, healing a blind man, or with an angel helping her.

Information and icon are from the Mystagogy Resource Center website.

06/17/2026

HOLY PERSIAN MARTYRS MANUEL, SABEL and ISHMAEL - June 17

Persian martyrs Manuel, Sabel and Ishmael were members of what later became the Church of the East. Brothers by birth, they were descended from an illustrious family. Their father was a pagan, but their mother was a Christian, and she raised them with firm faith in Christ. In adulthood the brothers entered military service. As emissaries for the Persian emperor Alamundar they were sent to conclude a peace treaty with the Byzantine emperor, Julian the Apostate.

Julian received the brothers with due honor and showed them his favor, but when they refused to take part in a pagan sacrifice, he became angry. He annulled the treaty and incarcerated the brothers like common criminals. He told them that if they scorned the gods he worshipped, it would be impossible to reach any peace or accord between the two sides. The brothers answered that they were sent as emissaries on matters of state, and not to argue about "gods." Seeing their firmness of faith, the emperor ordered the brothers to be tortured. While undergoing terrible trials the brothers sang hymns. An angel appeared to them and healed their wounds. Finally the brothers were beheaded. Christians reverently buried the bodies of the holy martyrs in 362. Since that time their relics have been glorified with miracles. When he heard about the murder of his emissaries, and that Julian was marching against him with a vast army, the Persian emperor Alamundar mustered his army and started off toward the border of his domain. The Persians vanquished the Greeks in a great battle, and Julian the Apostate was killed.

The solemn commemoration of these saints is very ancient. In 395, Emperor Theodosios the Great built a church in honor of the Holy Martyrs at Constantinople.

Information is from the OCA website, and the icon is from Mystaogy Resource Center.

06/16/2026

♥️

“Sailing Boats Off Seraglio Point, Constantinople” by M. Zeno Diemer (1867-1939)

06/16/2026

ST. TYCHON, BISHOP of AMATHUS - June 16

St. Tychon (Tikhon) was a wonderworker and Bishop of Amathus (Cyprus). As bishop Tychon labored zealously to eradicate the remnants of paganism on Cyprus; he destroyed a pagan temple and spread the Christian faith. The holy bishop was generous, his doors were open to all, and he listened to and lovingly fulfilled the request of each person who came to him. Fearing neither threats nor tortures, he firmly and fearlessly confessed his faith before pagans.

His biggest miracle, which has no resemblance with any other, is the following. The saint planted a vine, which was found to take root, and immediately sprouted leaves, then bloomed, then produced grapes, and these grapes were ripe and sweet. In which other area of Cyprus are ripe grapes produced on the 16th of June, which is the day the commemoration of the saint is celebrated? None, of course. This strange thing takes place in the following manner. The vine planted by the saint has unripe grapes when the Divine Liturgy begins on the feast, and then the unripe grapes of the vine begin to blacken and ripen. When the Divine Liturgy is completed, the grapes become ripe, sweet and serviceable to eat.

In the service to St. Tychon it is stated that he foresaw the time of his death, which occurred in the year 425.

Information is from the Mystagogy Resource Center website and the OCA website. Icon is from Mystagogy.

06/15/2026

06/15/2026

RIGHT-BELIEVING, GREAT MARTYR and KING, LAZAR of SERBIA - June 15

Holy Prince Lazar (Lazarus) lived in the 1300s. He was raised at the court of the king, and was chosen King of Serbia in 1371. He pacified neighboring princes and was concerned for the Christian enlightenment of the kingdom. He built churches, supported monasteries, founded the Monastery of St. Panteleimon on the Holy Mountain, restored the Hilandar monastery and supported the Russian monastery there as well. He sent a delegation to Constantinople to implore the patriarch to heal the Serbian-Constantinopolitan schism of 1352, and in 1375 full communion was established.

For 10 years of his rule Serbia was at peace. When the Turks began invading Serbia, St. Lazar fought on several occasions to protect his people. Finally, at the famous Battle of Kosovo, he was wounded and taken prisoner. On the orders of the sultan, he was beheaded with a sword on June 15, 1389. His relics were found to be incorrupt two years later.

Information and icon are from the OCA website.

06/15/2026

ST. AUGUSTINE, BISHOP of HIPPO - June 15

St. Augustine was born in the city of Thagaste in northern Africa. He was raised by his mother, St. Monica, and he received his education at Carthage. In the capacity of professor of rhetoric, Augustine arrived at Milan, Italy where St. Ambrose was bishop. Under the guidance of St. Ambrose, Augustine studied the Holy Scriptures. The Word of God produced in his soul a radical crisis; he accepted holy Baptism, gave all his wealth to the poor and was tonsured as a monk. In the year 391 Valerian, Bishop of Hippo, ordained Saint Augustine a priest, and in 395, appointed him vicar bishop of the see of Hippo. After the death of Bishop Valerian, St. Augustine took his place.

St. Augustine wrote many works (according to his student and biographer Possidias, the number approached 1030). His best known are: The City of God (De civitate Dei), The Confessions, 17 Books against the Pelagians, and Handbook of Christian Knowledge (The Enchiridion). St. Augustine was concerned above all else that his writings be intelligent and edifying. “It is better,” he said, “for them to condemn our grammar, than for people not to understand.” Many of his sermons have also survived, and he is particularly valued by the Orthodox Church for the wisdom and profundity of these.

St. Augustine died on August 28, 430. The Orthodox Church commemorates him on June 15, while the West commemorates him on August 28.

Information and icon are from theOCA website.

06/15/2026

Great story!

One day an American appeared to Saint Porphyrios the Kausokalyvitis and told him that he had come to the conclusion that there is no God. Saint Porphyrios did not react, he simply told him:

"You recently bought an estate in California. Now that you're back home, go to the east side of the estate, where the fountain is, dig 1-1.5 meters deep and you will find Spanish gold coins and an amphora. Go, do what I told you and then come and discuss whether there is a God. "

The American did not believe the words of the Elder, however when he returned to his homeland and went to his estate, he thought of digging out of curiosity. He did dig in that place and find exactly the number of coins and the date of the coins and the amphora, as the Holy Elder had told him. The American was shocked. The next summer he went to Saint Porphyrios again and told him everything. The Elder listened to him carefully and at the end said:

"My child, you do not know what is in your estate, how can you know what is in heaven?"

06/14/2026

Divine Liturgy on Sunday, June 14, commemorating All Saints of North America.

06/14/2026

The reading of the Holy Gospel from the Gospel Book, as it is done during each Divine Liturgy. This reading was on June 14, the second Sunday after Pentecost.