Faith and Life in the Orthodox Church Patron Saints of Parish Churches Book
309 Pages
24 X 17 cm
9 1/2" X 6 1/2"
WHAT is THE PLACE of Saints in our life? Why do we dedicate our parish churches to a certain Saint? Why do we, at our Baptism, receive the name of a Saint and call that Saint our own Patron Saint? What is the meaning of reading the life of a Saint? Why do we have icons of the Saints in our Church buildings?
Many people, even Orthodox believers, ask these questions. They want to understand what the place of Saints is in our spiritual life. In this book, concerning the lives of Patron Saints of Orthodox Parish Churches, we try to put stress on the fundamental connection between the two meanings: faith and life. These two words are a pair of meanings that give birth to deification. We can say that neither faith without life (that is Protestantism) nor life without faith (that is an Animistic position), can alone lead to salvation, to deification.
We cannot separate the lives of the Saints from the theological faith in the Church. For us the Orthodox faith and the lives of the Saints form one thing, because the Saints have lived the theology and applied it to their life. Theological writings are an expression of the experience of the faith and life of the Saints, which is the life of the God's grace, and they are not just an intellectual, abstract or theoretical expression. Salvation and Sainthood is the result of both: faith and life. We can see that clearly in the lives of the Saints.
Real and true faith and life became possible only with the Incarnation, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. This exact life is the life of the Saints
1 St. Alexis, the Man of God
2 St. Anastasios of Persia
3 St. Andrew the Apostle
4 St. Anthony the Great
5 St. Athanasios the Great
6 St. Barnabas the Apostle
7 St. Bartholomew the Apostle
8 St. Basil the Great
9 Sts Constantine and Helen
10 Sts Cosmas and Damian
11 St. Charalambus
12 St. Christopher
13 St. Cyril and Methodius
14 St. David of Evea
15 St. Demetrius, the Out-pourer of Myron
16 St. Eleftherius
17 St. Elijah the Prophet
18 St. Ephrosynos the Cook
19 Sts Forty Martyrs
20 St. Frumentius of Ethiopia
21 St. George, the Great Martyr
22 St. Gerasimus of Jordan
23 St. James, "The brother of Christ"
24 Sts Joachim and Anna
25 St. John the Baptist
26 St. John Chrysostom
27 St. Katherine
28 St. Lazarus
29 St. Luke the Evangelist
30 St. Macarius the Great
31 St. Mamas the Martyr
32 St. Mark the Apostle
33 St. Matrona
34 St. Matthew the Evangelist
35 Sts Michael and Gabriel
36 St. Meletios
37 St. Menas
38 St. Moses the Ethiopian
39 St. Nectarius of Pentapolis
40 St. Neophytus
41 St. Nicodemus of Athos
42 St. Nicholas Bishop of Myra
43 St. Nymphodora and her sisters Metrodora and Menodora
44 St. Panteleimon
45 St. Parthenius
46 St. Paul the Apostle
47 St. Peter the Apostle
48 St. Philip the Apostle
49 St. Photius, Patriarch of Constantinople
50 St. Polycarp
51 St. Porphyrius
52 Sts Raphael, Nicholas and Irene
53 St. Seraphim of Sarov
54 St. Silouan the Athonite
55 St. Sophia and her daughters, Faith, Hope and Love
56 St. Spyridon
57 St. Stephen the Deacon
58 St. Stylianus
59 St. Symeon the New Theologian
60 St. Titus the Apostle
61 Sts Three Hierarchs
62 St. Thomas the Apostle
63 Holy Twelve Apostles
APPENDIX
1 Annunciation of Virgin Mary
2 Ascension of Jesus Christ
3 Birth of Virgin Mary
4 Dormition of Theotokos
5 Elevation of the Holy Cross of Jesus Christ
6 Entrance of Virgin Mary in the Temple
7 Holy Trinity
8 Nativity of Jesus Christ
9 Holy Resurrection of Jesus Christ
10 Transfiguration of Christ
11 Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, "An imitating model"