Month: January 2020

Xenophon of Constantinople (V cent.), his wife Maria, and their sons Arcadius and John. Xenophon, a senator, sent his sons to law school in Beirut. Tragically their ship foundered at sea (can a ship founder anywhere else?), and they washed ashore miles apart. Each thought the other had perished, and each was nursed back to… Continue reading January 26 – Xenophon of Constantinople and Family; Paula of Rome →

Gregory Nazianzen (ca. 329–389) (aka Gregory the Theologian) was a theologian from Nazianzus. There, got that out of the way. Our sources say his mother converted his father, a hypsisterian[1] (not to be confused with hip Cistercians, French monks who brew really good beer[2]), to the episcopacy of Nazianzus. After schooling, a come-to-Jesus moment on… Continue reading January 25 – Gregory Nazianzen; Dwynwen of Llanddwyn →

Xenia of Petersburg, Fool for Christ* (ca. 1731–1803) is one of the most famous and popular saints of Russia. Xenia married a dashing army officer (and an Orthodox reader), and when he died suddenly and young, she was distraught. Fearing he might have unconfessed sins, she put on his clothes, called herself by his name,… Continue reading January 24 – Xenia of Petersburg; Francis de Sales →

Gennadius of Kostroma (d. 1565) spent his teenage years visiting monasteries and pining, much to his rich parents’ dismay. Finally, one night he changed into ragged clothes, climbed out onto the roof, shimmied down the drainpipe, and fled from their home, catching the next footpath to Moscow. But although he had spent his whole life… Continue reading January 23 – Gennadius of Kostroma; John the Almsgiver →

Timothy the Apostle (ca. 17–97) was a disciple of St. Paul (of Bible fame) and sometime bishop of Ephesus. We read in the Acts of the Apostles that he was widely known to have a Greek father, so when Paul deputized him for preaching to the Jewish diaspora, he had him, erm, adjusted, to avoid… Continue reading January 22 – Timothy the Apostle; William Joseph Chaminade →