Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials of Saints
December 29 - Saints in the Byzantine Calendar
Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials of Saints
The Holy Innocents (first century A.D.) were put to death by King Herod in an effort to destroy the One who was to be born King of the Jews out of fear for his own throne (Matthew 2:16-18). They are venerated as martyrs who died not because of Christ, but instead of Christ, Learn more
St. Gaspar del Bufalo (1786-1837 A.D.) was the founder of the Society of the Precious Blood in 1815 A.D., an order of priests and brothers dedicated to parish ministry, parish missions and other forms of missionary work. They promote devotion to the Precious Blood as a sign of Christ's redemptive love for all humanity. (Pope Pius IX was an early member of the congregation.) St. Gaspar del Bufalo was canonized in 1954 A.D.
December 28 - Saints in the Byzantine Calendar
The 20,000 Martyrs of Nicomedia refers to victims of persecution of Christians in Nicomedia, Bithynia (modern Izmit, Turkey) by the Roman emperors Diocletian and Maximian in the early 4th century A.D.
According to various martyrologies, the persecution included the burning of a church that held numerous Christians on Christmas Day.
The story of their martyrdom began after the Emperor Maximian returned from battle and won against the Ethiopians in 304 A.D. To thank their gods after the victory Maximian acquired, everyone was ordered to sacrifice to idols. The Christians were in the church celebrating Christmas. When the Christians refused to sacrifice to idols, the Emperor Maximian and his soldiers entered the Church and told the Christians that they could escape punishment if they renounce Christ. Since the Christians refused to do so, Maximian ordered the soldiers to kill the priest Glycerius by burning him to death, including all the Christians in the church. Learn more from Wikipedia.org
Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials of Saints
St. John was born in Bethsaida, Galilee. He and his brother James followed Christ and became apostles, with John becoming Christ's beloved disciple. In the hour of Christ's death on the Cross, John was with Mary, the mother of Jesus, at the foot of the Cross. It was there before the death of Christ, that Christ entrusted His mother to John.
St. John was not only an apostle but also an evangelist like his companion-apostle Matthew. John's gospel is the last gospel to be written. Three letters are also attributed to John in the New Testament. John is the only apostle not to die as a martyr.
December 27 Saints in the Byzantine Calendar
Sts. Theodore (ca. 775-841 A.D.) and Theophanes (born ca. 778 A.D.) were born at Kerak, Moab (Transjordan) and became monks at St. Sabas Monastery. He and his brother Theophanes were exiled to an island in the Black Sea when they opposed the iconclastic activities of Emperor Leo the Armenian. Upon the death of Emperor Leo in 820 A.D., the brothers returned to Constantinople. They were again banished by Emperor Theophilus in 829 A.D.. When Theophilus died, Theophanes was brought back and was later named bishop of Nicaea. Both brothers are called Graptoi (written-on) because twelve lines of verses had been cut into their skins for their opposition to iconoclasm.
St. Theodore is commemorated in both the Roman Calendar and the Byzantine Calendar this day, December 27. St. Theophanes (called the Chronicler) is commemorated in the Roman Calendar every 12th of March.
