Orthodox Edification

December 2013 Archives

Posts on Orthodox subjects such as spirituality, practices, saints, services, and history

St. Herman, Wonderworker of Alaska

Please see below for a short life of St. Herman of Alaska, as well as the troparion and kontakion dedicated to him. St Herman’s feast day occurs on Dec. 25th/12th (Old Calendar), although some calendars show Dec. 26th/13th.

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St Herman, for many the Patron of North America, was born near Moscow around 1756 to a pious merchant family, and entered monastic life at the age of sixteen, at the Trinity – St Sergius Lavra near St Petersburg. While there he was attacked by a cancer of the face, but the Mother of God appeared to him and healed him (more…)

Redeeming the Time

In the life of Saint Dimitri of Rostov, as told in St. Nicolai Velimirovic’s Prologue from Ochrid (October 28), we can read that the saint was in the salvific habit of chanting the hymn “O Theotokos and Virgin, Rejoice” every hour when the clock struck.

Of course, he was a monk and even a saint. He lived in a monastery, and led a life dedicated (more…)

Saint Philaret (Drozdov), Metropolitan of Moscow

Commemorated on November 19

Saint Philaret (Drozdov) was born on December 26, 1782 in Kolomna, a suburb of Moscow, and was named Basil in Baptism. His father was a deacon (who later became a priest).

The young Basil studied at the Kolomna seminary, where courses were taught in Latin. He was small in stature, and far from robust, but his talents set him apart from his classmates. (more…)