Even still, Decius tried to appeal to the saint to raise incense to the gods by telling him how much he loved him. St. Mercurius daringly replied, “Being tortured for the name of Christ is a great honor for me. I have voluntarily taken off all of your perishable honors and dignities. As a Christian, all I want is to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. My master and king, I have told you that I will never take your advice. Save yourself the trouble and do not ask me again. I am ready not only to suffer, but also to die for His holy name. Therefore, whatever you want to do to me, do not hesitate.”
Author: Bishoy
How to be a better Sunday School servant based on how St John of Kronstadt taught children
A few months ago, I finally completed reading St John of Kronstadt by IK Sursky. It didn't take me long. It was very well written, and better written than the previous Orthodox book I had purchased. To purchase it I used some birthday money that a friend kindly gifted me. If you've been closely following my instagram posts and stories, you'd know I have no lack of reverence for St John. He's my absolute favourite Russian saint. I believe everyone should read his extraordinary life. His life story was one of the first few saint stories I read in comprehensive detail when I first began to become a more avid and serious spiritual reader a decade ago.
Selected teachings or stories from Elder Porphyrios on prayer
During one of our meetings he said to me: “Why did God advise us to pray without ceasing? Is it because he perhaps wants us to “sit up and beg” before him? No, God does not want that. God wants us to benefit. He knows that when we glorify him, with our free will, like the angels, continually, day and night, our soul is truly given rest because our true interests lie there.”
The redemption of the drunkard monks
Admin: This story is taken from the classic and very famous book, Everyday saints and other stories, authored by Metropolitan Tikhon Shevkunov. I highly recommend this book to everyone! Its style provides a wonderful balance in spiritual depth, humor, edification, alternating chapter lengths, and mainly unrelated chapter contents (meaning you can almost read from anywhere). Many people report a very positive and edifying vibe after reading this book.
St Porphyrios: “Read the Holy Bible and the saints’ biographies”
Mr Anargryos Kalliatsos, one who was close to Elder Porphyrios for three decades, recounts: One afternoon, father Porphyrios and I set out to visit a convent. Papouli was in a good mood, very eager to talk and chant hymns! So, as soon as we left the monastery and entered the motorway, he told me: “Once, you used to chant very well! And papa-Yiannis was proud of you. Especially, when you read the epistles of the Disciples in the Liturgy, he came at the Beautiful Gate[31] and listened to you. He took pride in you and sometimes was moved as well. Your ever memorable father was very sensitive. Do you still chant? Do you want to chant a beautiful hymn for me? Whichever you want.”
A detailed and incredible account of the life of St Verena
This is taken from Coptic reader on 14th September, 2024. On this day (14th September), the missionary saint, the pure bride of Christ, and the teacher of cleanliness and hygiene, St. Verena, departed. This saint was born in the village of Garagous, in the Theban region, to Christian parents. They called her "Verena" which means… Continue reading A detailed and incredible account of the life of St Verena
The extraordinary reality of St Porphyrios’ prayers!
We have heard from many people that they felt Papouli’s prayer as serenity and solace, as relief and happiness, as a sense of bliss and peace, something that drove away every trouble and anguish, something that caused a feeling of safety and assurance, and a disposition to praying and glorifying God.
One of the most incredible miracles in Elder Porphyrios’ life!
Preparing the foundations for building the Holy Convent on those low hills was very expensive and time consuming. As a consequence, when Papouli began the project of building the monastery, he faced financial difficulties. We discussed the difficulties, but we found no solution as “without money nothing can be done that needs to be done.” Nevertheless, Papouli was not someone who would get easily disappointed. He never gave up since he had great faith that God would help him to face any difficulty. He usually said, “What is impossible for people, is possible for God.”
St. Pisentius, Bishop of Qift
On this day (20th July) Anba Pisentius, Bishop of Qift, departed. This saint was born in the village of Shamir, district of Armant, about the year 284 of the martyrs (568 A.D.) to pious Christian parents who raised him up with evangelical principles. He learned the church subjects since his young age and memorized many of the holy books. He longed for the monastic life so he went and became a monk in the monastery of Abi FAM on mount Shamah. He was discipled at the hands of the saint Anba Elijah the great and spent most of his monastic life on el-Asas mount.
Elder Porphyrios’ advice on marriage/celibacy
The following are extracts of stories about Elder Porphyrios giving advice on the topic of marriage - about if to get married or be celibate, how to fix a broken marriage, about how to pick the right partner, and i think a few other things. I present them here merely as a GUIDE of how someone could be successful in marriage or celibacy. These stories are about specific scenarios pertaining to a specific person, and it's unwise to wholly, absolutely apply it to yourself.
The Art of Orthodoxy 