ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY Orthodox Calendar
Orthodox Calendar 2026
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Святитель Василий Амасийский Свт. Игнатий Брянчанинов Святитель Никита, епископ Новгородский
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Old Style
April 30 		Wednesday
New Style
May 13
5th Week after Pascha. Tone 4.
Fast Day.
Fish, wine and oil allowed.

Apodosis of Mid-Pentecost. Совершается служба с полиелеемHoly Apostle James, the brother of St. John the Theologian (44). Cовершается служба, не отмеченная в Типиконе никаким знакомUncovering of the relics of St. Nicetas, recluse, of the Kiev Caves, bishop of Novgorod (1558). Совершается служба с полиелеемSt. Ignatius (Brianchaninov), bishop of the Caucasus and Stavropol (1867).

St. Donatus, bishop of Euroea in Epirus (ca. 387). Uncovering of the relics of Hieromartyr Basil, bishop of Amasea (4th c.). Martyr Maximus of Ephesus.

Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Of the Passion.”

Martyrs Eutropius and Estelle, of Saintes (Gaul) (3rd c.). St. Erconwald, bishop of London (ca. 693). St. Clement the Hymnographer, abbot, of the Studion (9th c.). New Martyr Argyra of Prusa, at Constantinople (1725).

Repose of Schema-abbess Martha (Protasieva) (1813), disciple of St. Paisius (Velichkovsky), and Hieromonk Clement (Sederholm) of Optina Monastery (1878). Slaying of Priest Igor Rozin of Tyrnyauz (Kabardino-Balkar Republic, Russia) (2001).

Thoughts for Each Day of the Year
According to the Daily Church Readings from the Word of God
By St. Theophan the Recluse

St. Theophan the Recluse

Wednesday. [Acts 13:13–24; John 6:5–14]

   The disciples told the Lord to send the multitude away so they could buy themselves food in the villages; but the Lord said to them: They need not depart; give ye them to eat (Matt. 14:16). This preceded the miracle of feeding the five thousand people, beside women and children, with five loaves of bread and two fishes. Such an event, which had particular significance in the life of the Lord, offers also the following lesson. The multitude is an image of humanity, hungering and thirsting after the truth. When the Lord said to the apostles: give ye them to eat, by this He indicated in advance to them their future service to the human race—to feed it with the truth. The apostles did this for their times; in subsequent times they passed this service on to the pastorate which succeeded them. The Lord’s words extend to the present pastorate as well: Give ye them to eat. And the pastorate should keep this obligation in their conscience—to feed the people with the truth. In church there should be unceasing preaching of the word of God. What sort of pastors are silent pastors? And yet they are often silent—silent beyond measure. But it is impossible to say that this has occurred because there is no faith in their heart. It is just their misunderstanding, a bad habit. Nevertheless, this is no justification.

Articles

Apostle James the Brother of St John the Theologian

The Holy Apostle James, the son of Zebedee, was the brother of Saint John the Theologian, and one of the Twelve Apostles.

Venerable Nikita of the Kiev Caves, Far Caves the Bishop of Novgorod

Saint Nikita, Bishop of Novgorod, in his youth entered the Kiev Caves monastery and soon wished to become a hermit.

Champion of the Arena—Bishop Ignatius Brianchaninov

Archpriest Nicholas Deputatov

That piety so characteristic of all levels of society in Holy Russia. was rapidly evaporating from the 19th century high society intelligentsia when God raised up from its very midst a true ascetic and Church writer, Bishop Ignatius Brianchaninov. In him was combined a rare eloquence of style and a profound understanding of the Christian life of struggle through which he was able to inspire many souls, blinded by Western "enlightened" ideas, to return to the saving enclosure of the Church.

Sayings of St. Ignatius Brianchaninov

St. Ignatius Brianchaninov stands out as one of the greatest patristic writers of the nineteenth century. On this commemoration day of Holy Hierarch Ignatius Brianchaninov, we have translated some quotes from his ascetical writings.

St. Ignatius Brianchaninov

A Brief Life of St. Ignatius Brianchaninov

St. Ignatius (Dimitry Alexandrovich Brianchaninov in the world) was born on February 5, 1807 on his father’s estate in the village of Pokrov in the Vologda Province. His mother gave birth to him after a prolonged infertility, by her fervent prayers and travels to the surrounding holy places. The boy spent his childhood in the solitude of village life; from his earliest years he was inexplicably attracted to the monastic life. His religious temper appeared all the more noticeably with age, being manifested in a special disposition towards prayer and the reading of spiritual books.

St. Donatus the Bishop of Euroea in Epirus

Saint Donatus lived during the reign of the holy Emperor Theodosius the Great (379-397) and was bishop of the city of Euroea (in Albania).

Hieromartyr Basil the Bishop of Amasea

The Hieromartyr Basil, Bishop of Amasea, lived at the beginning of the fourth century in the Pontine city of Amasea.

Martyr Maximus of Ephesus

The Holy Martyr Maximus suffered for his faith in Christ.

Holy Hierarch Erconwald, Bishop of London

Dmitry Lapa

According to early Orthodox tradition, Christianity was brought to London by the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul who both preached there. The tradition holds that St. Peter founded a church “in the west” which was a predecessor of what is now Westminster Abbey, while St. Paul erected a church “in the east”, which was a predecessor of what is now St. Paul’s Cathedral on Ludgate Hill.

New Martyr Argyra

The holy New Martyr Argyra lived in Proussa, Bithynia, and came from a pious family. She was a beautiful and virtuous woman.
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