December 27 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

The Eastern Orthodox cross

December 26 - Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar - December 28

All fixed commemorations below are observed on January 9 by Eastern Orthodox Churches on the Old Calendar.[note 1]

For December 27th, Orthodox Churches on the Old Calendar commemorate the Saints listed on December 14.

Feasts

• Third Day of the Feast of the Nativity.[1][note 2]

Saints

• Archdeacon Stephen the Protomartyr (34)[1][3][4]
• Saint Maximus, Pope of Alexandria (282)[1][5][note 3][note 4]
• Martyrs Maurice, with his son Photinus, and 70 soldiers, at Apamea (286-305)[1][8][note 5] (see also: February 22)
• Saint Theodore, Patriarch of Constantinople (686)[1][9][10]
• Venerable Theodore the Branded (Theodore Graptus), of Palestine and Bithynia, Confessor (840)[1][11][12][note 6][note 7]
• Venerable Luke, Abbot of the Monastery of the Deep Stream in Triglia, in Bithynia.[1][13][note 8]

Pre-Schism Western saints

• Saint Fabiola, a patrician in Rome who gave up all earthly pleasures and devoted herself to the practice of Christian asceticism and charitable work (399)[14][note 9]

Post-Schism Orthodox saints

• Venerable Abbot Boniface (Vinogradsky), founder of St. Panteleimon Monastery, Kiev (1871)[15][16][note 10]

New martyrs and confessors

• New Hieromartyrs Tikhon (Nikanorov), Archbishop of Voronezh, and with him 160 martyred priests (1919)[1][17][18]
• Virgin-Martyr Antonina (1937)[5][18]

Other commemorations

• Uncovering of Relics (1514) of Venerable Pherapont (Therapont) of Mozhaisk, Luzhetsk.[5][17][19] (see also: May 27 - feast day.)
• Repose of Nicholas Ilminsky, Missionary to the Tatars (1891)[1]
• Repose of Archimandrite Agathangelus of Svir and Valaam (1909)[1]
• Repose of Helen Ivanovna Motovilova (1910)[1]
• Repose of Abbot Athanasius of Grigoriou Monastery, Mt. Athos (1953)[1]
• Repose of Archimandrite Seraphim (Rozenberg) of the Pskov-Caves Monastery (1993)[1]

Icons

• Icon of the Mother of God "the Merciful".[17][20]

Icon gallery

• 
  Martyrdom of Archdeacon Stephen
  (Menologion of Basil II, 10th century)
• 
  Russian icon of Protomartyr Archdeacon Stephen
  (16th century)
• 
  Saint Sviatoslav II of Kiev (far right), with his family.
• 
  St. Therapont of White Lake.
• 
  Virgin Eleousa of Kykkos
  (Simon Ushakov, 1626–1686)

Notes

1. The notation Old Style or (OS) is sometimes used to indicate a date in the Julian Calendar (which is used by churches on the "Old Calendar").
   The notation New Style or (NS), indicates a date in the Revised Julian calendar (which is used by churches on the "New Calendar").
2. The third day of the Nativity is dedicated to the Protomartyr St Stephen. This is the third day of the three-day Winter Pascha.[2]
3. He participated in the Synod of Antioch against the teachings of Paul of Samosata.[6]
4. "At Alexandria, St. Maximus, bishop, who became a renowned and distinguished confessor of the faith."[7]
5. The Greek text states that this Apamea was in Bithynia, of Pontus - ((in Greek): Ἀπάμεια τῆς Βιθυνίας τοῦ Πόντου).
6. Brother of St. Theophanes the Confessor and Hymnographer.
7. "At Constantinople, the holy confessors Theodore and Theophanes, brothers, who were brought up from their childhood in the Monastery of St. Sabbas. Afterwards, combating bravely for the worship of holy images against Leo the Armenian, they were scourged by his command and banished. After his death, they again firmly opposed the emperor Theophilus, who was imbued with the same impiety, and were scourged a second time and driven into exile, where Theodore expired in prison. Theophanes, after peace had at length been restored to the Church, was made bishop of Nicea and rested in the Lord."[7]
8. He was likely Abbot of the Monastery of the Deep Stream in Triglia, in Bithynia. He reposed peacefully.[13]
9. A patrician in Rome who married and divorced. She married again, causing scandal. After the death of her second husband, she repented and devoted her wealth to the care of the sick in a hospital which she established. She also founded a hostel for pilgrims in Rome and was greatly venerated.[14]
10. "On February 20, 2011, on the Sunday of the Prodigal Son, His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev and All Ukraine presided over the solemn canonization of Abbot Boniface (Vinogradsky) (+ December 27, 1871), the founder of the St. Panteleimon Monastery in Feofania (Kiev) and ascetic of piety, reports Patriarchia.ru. Abbot Boniface is now a locally canonized saint of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church."[15]

References

1. December 27/January 9. Orthodox Calendar (PRAVOSLAVIE.RU).
2. Third Day of the Nativity of our Lord. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
3. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek): Ὁ Ἅγιος Στέφανος ὁ Πρωτομάρτυρας καὶ Ἀρχιδιάκονος. 27 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
4. Protomartyr and Archdeacon Stephen. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
5. January 9 / December 27. HOLY TRINITY RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (A parish of the Patriarchate of Moscow).
6. MAXIMUS (265-282). Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa. Retrieved 2012-11-05.
7. The Roman Martyrology. Transl. by the Archbishop of Baltimore. Last Edition, According to the Copy Printed at Rome in 1914. Revised Edition, with the Imprimatur of His Eminence Cardinal Gibbons. Baltimore: John Murphy Company, 1916. pp.398-399.
8. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek): Ὁ Ἅγιος Μαυρίκιος ὁ Μάρτυρας καὶ οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ. 27 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
9. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek): Ὁ Ἅγιος Θεόδωρος ὁ Α’ Ἀρχιεπίσκοπος Κωνσταντινουπόλεως. 27 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
10. St Theodore the Archbishop of Constantinople. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
11. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek): Ὁ Ἅγιος Θεόδωρος ὁ Γραπτὸς. 27 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
12. Venerable Theodore Graptus, "the branded," Confessor. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
13. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek): Ὁ Ὅσιος Λουκᾶς ὁ Τριγλινός. 27 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
14. December 27. Latin Saints of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Rome.
15. Abbot Boniface (Vinogradsky), founder of St. Panteleimon Monastery, Kiev, canonized. PRAVOSLAVIE.RU. Kiev, February 21, 2011.
16. (in Russian): ВОНИФАТИЙ. «Православная Энциклопедия» (Orthodox Encyclopedia).
17. The Autonomous Orthodox Metropolia of Western Europe and the Americas (ROCOR). St. Hilarion Calendar of Saints for the year of our Lord 2004. St. Hilarion Press (Austin, TX). p.3.
18. (in Russian) 27 декабря (ст.ст.) 9 января 2013 (нов. ст.). Русская Православная Церковь Отдел внешних церковных связей. (DECR).
19. The Monk Pherapont of Mozhaisk, Luzhetsk (Uncovering of Relics, 1514). HOLY TRINITY RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (A parish of the Patriarchate of Moscow).
20. Icon of the Mother of God "the Merciful". OCA - Feasts and Saints.

Sources

• December 27/January 9. Orthodox Calendar (PRAVOSLAVIE.RU).
• January 9 / December 27. HOLY TRINITY RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (A parish of the Patriarchate of Moscow).
• December 27. OCA - The Lives of the Saints.
• The Autonomous Orthodox Metropolia of Western Europe and the Americas (ROCOR). St. Hilarion Calendar of Saints for the year of our Lord 2004. St. Hilarion Press (Austin, TX). p. 3.
• December 27. Latin Saints of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Rome.
• The Roman Martyrology. Transl. by the Archbishop of Baltimore. Last Edition, According to the Copy Printed at Rome in 1914. Revised Edition, with the Imprimatur of His Eminence Cardinal Gibbons. Baltimore: John Murphy Company, 1916. pp. 398–399.

Greek Sources

• Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) 27 ΔΕΚΕΜΒΡΙΟΥ. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
• (in Greek) Συναξαριστής. 27 Δεκεμβρίου. ECCLESIA.GR. (H ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΟΣ).

Russian Sources

• (in Russian) 9 января (27 декабря). Православная Энциклопедия под редакцией Патриарха Московского и всея Руси Кирилла (электронная версия). (Orthodox Encyclopedia - Pravenc.ru).
• (in Russian) 27 декабря (ст.ст.) 9 января 2013 (нов. ст.). Русская Православная Церковь Отдел внешних церковных связей. (DECR).