Among the inhabitants of Constantinople disputes raged over which of three saints was the greatest. These three were the "three great torch-bearers of the triune Godhead": Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom.

Some called themselves Basilians, others referred to themselves as Gregorians, and others as Johnites.
The most remarkable thing about these disputes was that the three hierarchs settled it themselves.

[The Three Holy Hierarchs 2/2] By the will of God, Basil, Gregory and John appeared to St John Mauropous ('Black-foot') Bishop of Euchaita. They told him they were equal before God: "There are no divisions among us, and no opposition to one another." St John chose January 30 for their Feast, thus peacefully ending the division among the people.

“Let us who love their words gather together
And honor with hymns the three great torch-bearers of the triune Godhead:
Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom.
These men have enlightened the world with the rays of their divine doctrines.
They are sweetly-flowing rivers of wisdom filling all creation with springs of heavenly knowledge.
Ceaselessly they intercede for us before the Holy Trinity!” —Troparion (Tone 1)

Troparion for Wednesday: The Holy Cross

O LORD save your people and bless your inheritance. Grant victory to the Orthodox Christians over their adversaries and by the virtue of your cross preserve your habitation!

Kontakion for the Holy Cross

As You were voluntarily crucified for our sake, grant mercy to those who are called by your name; make all Orthodox Christians glad by Your power, granting them victory over their adversaries, by bestowing upon them the invincible trophy, your weapon of peace.

☦️ St Maximos the Confessor

Taste the Fountain of Immortality.

Make me worthy of your care, O pure one and heal my feeble soul. Grant me health through your intercessions, Most Holy Theotokos.

"Whoever wants to purely pray, he should not pay any attention to newspaper news, should not read unwholesome books, or be curious to know anything about the lives of others. All this brings to mind a lot of impure thoughts, and when people try to understand them, they become more and more confusing and tempt the soul."

+ St Silouan the Athonite

Feb 1: We commemorate St Brigid, “the Mary of the Gael,” known for her compassion for the poor.

St. Brigid established a monastery on land given to her by the King of Leinster. The land was called Cill Dara (Kildare), or “the church of the oak.” This was the beginning of women’s cenobitic monasticism in Ireland.

One of the most remarkable of St Brigid's many miracles is her healing of a blind nun named Dara. Once, during a particularly beautiful sunrise, the Saint took pity on Dara, making the sign of the cross and praying that Dara would be healed of her blindness, so as to experience the beauty of the sunrise. Dara's eyes were opened and she saw the sun in the east, and the trees and flowers sparkled with dew. Then, after awhile she turned to St Brigid and said, “Close my eyes again, dear Mother, for when the world is visible to the eyes, then God is seen less clearly by the soul.” St Brigid prayed and Dara again became blind.

[2/2] Devotion to St Brigid remains strong in Ireland. With St. Patrick of Ireland (March 17) and St. Columba of Iona (June 9), she is one of the three patron saints of Ireland. She is also venerated in northern Italy, France, and Wales.

"Holy Brigid, You shower grace upon the world, and multiply miracles. Intercede with Christ our God that He may save our souls."

Do not be distressed if you do not at once receive from God what you ask. He wishes to give you something better — to make you persevere in your prayer. For what is better than to enjoy the love of God and to be in communion with Him? —The Philokalia

And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: Lord, now let Your servant depart in peace, according to Your Word, for my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples: a light to enlighten the Gentiles and the glory of Your people Israel.

✝️ Luke 2:25-32, from the Gospel Reading for The Meeting of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, in the Temple

O eternal King and God of all creation, who have granted me to reach this hour, forgive me the sins which I have committed during this day in thought, word or deed, and cleanse, O Lord, my humble soul from all stain of flesh and spirit.

At the Meeting of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, in the Temple, the Holy, Righteous Anna the Prophetess (Synaxsis of Ss. Symeon and Anna Feb 3/ Feb 16) was there, giving thanks and bearing witness of Him "to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem."

"Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem. " +Luke 2:36-38

"Enlightened by the Spirit, your pure heart became the dwelling place of most splendid prophecy; for you saw things far off as if they were near. Therefore, we honour you, blessed and glorious Prophetess Anna."

Glory to Thee for calling me into being
Glory to Thee, showing me the beauty of the universe
Glory to Thee, spreading out before me heaven and earth
Like the pages in a book of eternal wisdom
Glory to Thee for Thine eternity in this fleeting world
Glory to Thee for Thy mercies, seen and unseen
Glory to Thee through every sigh of my sorrow
Glory to Thee for every step of my life's journey
For every moment of glory
Glory to Thee, O God, from age to age

-from Ikos 1, "Akathist of Thanksgiving," found among the effects of Protopresbyter Gregory Petrov upon his death in a prison camp in 1940. The title is from the words of Saint John Chrysostom-- "Glory to God for all things" -- as he was dying in exile.

Born into nobility but joyfully declaring herself a slave of Christ, the virgin-martyr Agatha of Palermo in Sicily (Feb 5/ Feb 18) was a model of courage even in the midst of the cruelest tortures. “Corn does not reach the granary until it is threshed, and my soul cannot attain eternal blessedness until it is separated by sufferings from my body.”

Holy Agatha, pray for us, that we may overcome our weakness, and be numbered with the Righteous.

The Orthodox Church is the One Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Tried. Tested. True.

The number of the New Martyrs of Russia (Sunday closest to Jan. 25) far exceeds that of all the martyrs who died for Christ during the first three centuries of Christianity. The Russian Church lost millions of its sons and daughters, not only at the hands of external enemies, but also those of their own country. Among those who were murdered and tortured in the years of persecution were countless Orthodox: laity, monks, priests, and bishops, whose only “crime” was their unshakable faith in God.

Among those who suffered for their faith were some who labored in America before the Russian Revolution: St. Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia (April 7); St. Alexander Hotovitzky (Dec. 4); St. John Kochurov (Oct. 31).

☦️ Holy New Martyrs of Russia, pray for us!