The Glorious Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist John was the older cousin of our Lord. He was born miraculously of his aged parents, specially chosen by God to prepare the way for Christ, the Messiah. It was John who identified Jesus as "the Lamb of God...

Outside the city of Constantinople, there was a sacred spring dedicated to the Virgin Mary. A monastery grew up there in the 5th century, and over time the spring was overgrown by a grove of trees. The Byzantine Emperor encountered a blind man who was...

The Apostle James, Son of Alphaeus, was the brother of the Apostle Matthew. After Pentecost, he and the Apostle Andrew preached throughout Palestine, healed the sick, and converted many to Christ. Saint James was finally crucified by pagans in Egypt...

Saint George, sometimes called “the Trophy-bearer,” was born in the province of Cappadocia, Asia Minor (Turkey), in the third century and raised as a Christian. About age 20, he joined the Roman army under the emperor Diocletian,...

This 17th century icon comes from the Hilander monastery on Mount Athos. It features four prominent warrior saints, from left to right, Demetrios the Myrrh-streaming (also spelled Demetrius/Dmitri), George the Trophy-bearer, Prokopios (or Procopius),...

This popular icon tells the story of a certain young man who, despite his sinful way of life,  kept a prayerful devotion to the Mother of God. One day, he prayed before the icon of the Theotokos as he was leaving his house to commit a sin...

Saint George, sometimes called “the Trophy-bearer,” was born in the province of Cappadocia, Asia Minor (Turkey), in the third century and raised as a Christian. About age 20, he joined the Roman army under the emperor Diocletian,...

Emperor Constantine the Great, Equal-to-the-Apostles, legalized Christianity in the Roman Empire. He once saw a vision of the Cross in the sky and heard a voice say, "In this sign conquer." His mother, Helen, served as his Empress. She was devoted to...

The equals-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine, who legalized and defended Christianity in the Roman Empire, and his mother Helen, who discovered the precious Cross of the Lord, are celebrated together on May 21.

Saint Tikhon was the first Patriarch of Moscow after the patriarchate was restored in 1917. But before this, he served as Bishop of the Aleuts and North America, and became an American citizen. He worked tirelessly to establish new churches in America,...

Saint Christopher of Lycia was a third-century martyr. Originally named Reprobus, the Roman authorities became aware of him when he converted a group of soldiers to Christ. He was baptized with the name Christopher, which means "Christ-bearer." This is...

Saint Mary lived in the fifth century. As a girl, she left her Christian family in order to follow her pleasures in unbridled sinful living. At one point she joined a group of pilgrims to Jerusalem, selling herself in exchange for passage. When they...

This 19th century Old Believer icon of the great penitent Saint Mary of Egypt comes from Mstera, Russia. She stands in the center, surrounded by scenes of her meetings with Abba Zosimas. She is commemorated on April 1, and in the Orthodox Church, the...

This historic Greek icon depicts the beloved Apostle John the Theologian. Exiled to the Mediterranean island of Patmos in his old age, he is shown receiving the revelation of the apocalypse (unfolding) and dictating to his scribe, St. Prochorus. This...

This 19th century Byzantine icon of the Apostle John the Theologian uniquely depicts him contemplating the stories of Christ in silence. Whether writing or reading his own Gospel account, his face reflects the depth of love that he shared with the Lord...

This historic icon of the Apostle John the Theologian dates from the 14th century and depicts him holding his Gospel. St. John the Evangelist did not only author a Gospel, but was a much-beloved Apostle and minister of Jesus. He and his brother...

This historic icon of the Apostle John the Theologian dates from the 15th century. It depicts him holding his Gospel while being overseen by an angelic visitor. St. John the Evangelist did not only author a Gospel, but was a much-beloved Apostle and...

The Glorious Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist John was the older cousin of our Lord. He was born miraculously of his aged parents, specially chosen by God to prepare the way for Christ, the Messiah. It was John who identified Jesus as "the Lamb of God...

While Elijah and Elisha are both notable for their prophetic deeds, Isaiah (or Isaias), who appears in the Bible shortly after Elisha’s death, is a more traditional prophet of words. Isaiah advised Hezekiah, a God-fearing king, passing on...

Saints Cyril and Methodius were 9th-century Greek brothers born in Thessalonica in Macedonia, in the Byzantine Empire. They dedicated their lives to the evangelism of the Russian peoples, and they are known as the Apostles to the Slavs. Saint Cyril is...

The Glorious Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist John was the older cousin of our Lord. He was born miraculously of his aged parents, specially chosen by God to prepare the way for Christ, the Messiah. It was John who identified Jesus as "the Lamb of God...

"I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is; you hold fast my name and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells." — Revelation 2:13 (RSV) Saint Antipas...

When the Forerunner was beheaded by Herod, his head was placed on a platter and given to his daughter at the request of her mother. This 19th century Russian icon depicts the Forerunner's sacred head, which is commemorated on several feast days during...

Saint Alexis was a Hungarian-American Greek Catholic priest. After being mistreated by a series of bishops, he converted to Orthodoxy and worked tirelessly to bring other uniate communities into the Orthodox Church. Saint Alexis died in 1909. His feast...

Job was a descendent of Abraham, and righteous in every way. For this, he was richly blessed with wealth and power. God saw fit to test Job. All at once, he lost his children and his wealth. His body was afflicted with painful sores. Job's few...

This unique Greek icon of the Theotokos depicts her offering a blooming rose stalk to the infant Christ. According to tradition, the rose represents the Virgin's purity, offered as a sacrifice in order to give birth to the Son of God. The icon includes...

  Outside the city of Constantinople, there was a sacred spring dedicated to the Virgin Mary. A monastery grew up there in the 5th century, and over time the spring was overgrown by a grove of trees. The Byzantine Emperor encountered a blind man who...

This 16th-century icon depicts the Fathers of the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, where the Nicene Creed was written. The Fathers of this Council are commemorated on the Sunday before Pentecost, on May 29, and the first six Ecumenical Councils are all...

This beautiful fresco from the Stavropoleos Monastery in Romania, depicts the Fathers of the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, where the Nicene Creed was written. Emperor St. Constantine the Great sits in the center, surrounded by the holy bishops, who...

John the Evangelist did not only author a Gospel, but was a much-beloved Apostle and minister of Jesus. He and his brother James were both fishermen and both called by Jesus at the same time and place. Jesus also gave him the surname Boanerges,...

While not himself one of the Twelve Apostles, the Evangelist St. Mark is said to have been present at Jesus’ arrest. In the Gospel of Mark, the “young man” who ran away from the scene, and apparently watched the Crucifixion from...

Saints Constantine and Helen are important figures in the history of the Church: Constantine for Christianizing the Roman Empire, and Helen for building churches and encouraging others with her strong devotion and piety. This matching icon set depicts...

This early 19th century Greek icon depicts the life and martyrdom of Saint George. It was painted in 1823, in the midst of the Greek war of independence, and surely brought strength and inspiration to those who viewed it. George was a soldier of noble...

Saint Dunstan was born in the southwest of England around the year 909. He was educated by Irish monks, and around the age of 25 he was ordained a priest. He lived as a hermit for nine years, until King Edmund appointed him the abbot of Glastonbury...

The Glorious Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist John was the older cousin of our Lord. He was born miraculously of his aged parents, specially chosen by God to prepare the way for Christ, the Messiah. It was John who identified Jesus as "the Lamb of God...

This famous 13th century icon depicts the life and martyrdom of Saint George. George was a soldier of noble birth from Cappadocia, and was put to death under Emperor Diocletian at Nicomedia on 23 April 303. The center icon depicts the most famous...

This stunning Ethiopian icon of St. George depicts the renowned soldier of Christ in combat with the dragon.  Saint George, sometimes called “the Trophy-bearer,” was born in the province of Cappadocia, Asia Minor (Turkey), in the third...

Evgeny (Yevgeny or Eugene) Rodionov was born in western Russia in 1977. He was conscripted into the Russian army in 1995 and deployed to Chechnya in the midst of the First Chechen War. While guarding a checkpoint, Evgeny and two other soldiers were...

Saints Boris (in baptism, Romanus) and Gleb (in baptism, David) were sons of Saint Vladimir the Great Prince of Kiev. When their father was near death in the year 1015, their elder brother Svyatopolk planned to kill his brothers in order to seize power...

Saint Brendan was born in the year 484 in County Kerry, Ireland. He was educated in the monastery school at Tuam. When he was 26, he was ordained a priest and undertook several missionary journeys throughout the Scottish Isles and Britain. An...