Saint John was born in 1758 near the city of Monemvasia. His father was a priest from Geraki, and his mother was from the neighboring village of Gouves. It was in Gouves that John's father was assigned as a priest, and there John was born. From a young age John tried to emulate his father by helping him work in the church. He was known for his exemplary behavior, and referred to by other children as the "priest's son."

In the year 1770 the army of the Albanian Hatzi Osman defeated the Greek resistance, and arriving in Monemvasia they killed John's father and enslaved both him and his mother. They were taken to Larisa, where they were sold separately two or three times.

After two years they were bought by the same man, a Turkish landowner. This Turk had no children, and recognizing John's good qualities (he was exceptionally intelligent for his age, obedient, and a hard worker), the man wanted to adopt John after converting him to Islam. Every day they tried to persuade him to abandon the Christian Faith and become a Turk. Initially, they used flattery and promises, but later they used terrible tortures to overcome John's steadfastness (he was only 15 years old), but he remained unwavering in his Christian faith.

One day his master, tired of trying to convince him to convert, and in anger led him to the courtyard of the mosque. Many Muslims were gathered there, and with blows and terrible threats they urged him to convert and become a Turk. John's response was clear: "I am not a Turk, I am a Christian and I shall die as a Christian."

In addition, the Turk and his wife tried every day with magic and evil spells to make the Saint lose his mind and give in to carnal desires, and then to become a Turk. But John remained pure, for the grace of Christ protected him from all of the diabolical devices of the Turk's wife.

Soon came the fifteen days of fasting before the Dormition of the Theotokos. The Turk realized that John did not wish to break the fast, so he locked him up in a barn. He kept him there for the entire fifteen days and hung him up, lighting a fire in the straw beneath him to cause smoke, and struck him with the flat of his sword, all the while trying to make him eat their abominable foods and break the fast. But Saint John did not even taste the food, but prayed to the Mother of God, in whose honor the Fast is observed, asking her to help him keep the fast, for he preferred to die rather than break his fast.

The master, seeing that he remained unconvinced, left him without food for two and three days at a time. His mother, seeing him weakened by the tortures and the fasting, tried to convince him to give in, saying: "Eat these foods, my son, so that you do not perish. God and the Panagia will forgive you, because you would not be doing this voluntarily, but out of necessity. Pity me, your poor mother. Do not die and leave me alone in this foreign land, for by having you here, I feel as if I am not a slave."

John replied: "Why are you doing this, Mother, and why are you crying? Why don't you emulate the Patriarch Abraham, who for the love of God wanted to sacrifice his only son, yet you only cry and weep. I am a priest's son and I should be keeping the laws and customs of our Church more than the sons of laymen, for if we don't keep the small things [of the faith], how can we keep the larger things?"

Soon after this response the furious Turk stabbed him in the heart on October 19, 1773. After two days Saint John died and received the crown of martyrdom.

Saint John's skull and portions of his hand and feet are located at the Zermbitsa Monastery in Sparta, and other portions of his relics are in the churches of the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste in Larisa and Voulkanou Monastery in Messenia.

SOURCE" https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/0999/10/21/100509-new-martyr-john-of-monemvasia

Evidence is presented which indicates that bacteria swabbed on the polished surface of the silver chalice die off rapidly. Experiments on the transmission of test organisms from one person to another by common use of the chalice showed that approximately 0.001% of the organisms are transferred even under the most favorable conditions; when conditions approximated those of actual use, no transmission could be detected. Only small numbers of bacteria from the normal mouth could be recovered from the chalice immediately after its use by 4 persons. It is concluded that in practice the silver communion cup is not an important vector of infectious disease.

Burrows, William, and Elizabeth S. Hemmens. “Survival of Bacteria on the Silver Communion Cup.” The Journal of Infectious Diseases, vol. 73, no. 3, 1943, pp. 180–90. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/30085137. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

The paper concludes that the transmission of contagious diseases through shared utensils during Holy Communion has never been scientifically proven. The author argues that adjustments like disinfecting utensils or using individual cups lack evidence of benefit and may undermine faith. The Greek Orthodox Church insists that Holy Communion cannot transmit diseases, citing the millions who partake versus relatively few COVID-19 cases. Experts state it has never been scientifically confirmed that saliva from communion spreads infection. The author emphasizes that Holy Communion is a spiritual mystery beyond natural laws, and those who believe in its divine presence should participate without fear of coronavirus.

Anyfantakis, D. (2021) ‘Holly Sacrament: the medicine of spiritual immortality or a vehicle for contamination?’, Medicinski Glasnik, 18(2), pp. 334–337. doi:10.17392/1334-21. https://openurl.ebsco.com/EPDB%3Agcd%3A4%3A9270548/detailv2?sid=ebsco%3Aplink%3Acrawler-gcd&id=ebsco%3Agcd%3A155247959&crl=c&jrnl=18400132&link_origin=scholar.google.com.tr

Interest and concern that the shared communion cup may act as a vehicle for indirectly transmitting infectious disease was reawakened when the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was detected in the saliva of infected persons. Bacteriological experiments have shown that the occasional transmission of micro-organisms is unaffected by the alcoholic content of the wine, the constituent material of the cup or the practice of partially rotating it, but is appreciably reduced when a cloth is used to wipe the lip of the cup between communicants. Nevertheless, transmission does not necessarily imply inoculation or infection.

Consideration of the epidemiology of micro-organisms that may be transmitted via saliva, particularly the herpes group of viruses, suggests that indirect transmission of infection is rare and in most instances a much greater opportunity exists for direct transmission by other means. There is substantial evidence that neither infection with hepatitis B virus nor HIV can be transmitted directly via saliva so that indirect transmission via inanimate objects is even less likely. No episode of disease attributable to the shared communion cup has ever been reported. Currently available data do not provide any support for suggesting that the practice of sharing a common communion cup should be abandoned because it might spread infection.

O. Noēl Gill, The hazard of infection from the shared communion cup, Journal of Infection, Volume 16, Issue 1, 1988, Pages 3-23, ISSN 0163-4453, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0163-4453(88)96029-X96029-X). (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016344538896029X)

The problem of a risk of infection from the common use of chalices has been discussed controversially in literature. Opinions were mainly based on laboratory experiments and theoretical considerations. The authors examined bacterial counts and species existing under normal conditions after communion. For this purpose, contact samples were taken from the inside and outside of chalices at the rim. Staphylococci and alpha-haemolytic streptococci were found on all chalices examined. On more than 80%, there were apathogenic micrococci, nonhaemolytic streptococci, apathogenic neisseria and apathogenic corynebacteria as well as lactobacilli and bacilli. Staphylococcus aureus was found on 26.4% of chalices. Although the risk of infection for healthy persons from a commonly used chalice can be rated as low, it should not be underestimated for persons with reduced resistance and immunocompetence, or with reduced defences as a result of therapeutic measures. From the hygienic point of view, the most favourable approaches to avoid infection would be the use of individual chalices for all participants in the communion or the immersion of wafers or bread in wine or in grape juice by the priest (intinction).

Fiedler K, Lindner M, Edel B, Wallbrecht F. [Danger of infection from communion cups--an underestimated risk?]. Zentralblatt fur Hygiene und Umweltmedizin = International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Medicine. 1998 Jun;201(2):167-188. PMID: 9686446. https://europepmc.org/article/med/9686446

Further reading: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-jan-01-me-beliefs1-story.html

https://epublications.marquette.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?params=/context/lnq/article/2488/&path_info=LQ_Vol47_No04_dorff.pdf

https://www.sjrl.org/risk-of-infectious-disease-transmission-from-a-common-communion-cup/

https://www.europe.anglican.org/note-about-receiving-holy-communion-intinction

Saint Hilarion the Great was born in 291 in the Palestinian settlement called Tabatha. He was sent to Alexandria to study science. In Alexandria he got acquainted with a group of Christians and was baptized afterwards. When Saint Hilarion learned about the pious living of Saint Anthony the Great (feast day on January 17), he decided to visit the Saint so that he could teach him how to please God. Shortly he came back to his native settlement. He found out, that his parents had died already. Saint Hilarion took a decision to hand out all the property he got from his parents to his living relatives and to the poor. Then he settled down in the desert near the city of Mayuma. Saint Hilarion was fighting against constant impure wishes, torturing his mind and body. However, he managed to cope with them with the help of strict fasting and wholehearted prayer. The devil tried to frighten Saint Hilarion and sent different ghosts and visions to disturb him. During prayer the Saint heard children weeping, women mourning and wild beasts roaring. Saint Hilarion knew that all that horror was caused by the demons in order to make him leave the desert. That is why he prevailed over his fear with the help of prayer.

Once, a group of robbers fell upon Saint Hilarion. The Saint managed to persuade them to forsake their life of crime just with the power of his own word. Soon the Holy Ascetic became well-known all over Palestine. The Lord granted to Saint Hilarion the power to cast out evil spirits and demons. That gift of God let the Saint to help many of the afflicted people. The sick came to him for healing, and the Saint cured them for free. As he said by himself, “the grace of God is not for sale”.

By the smell of someone’s clothing, Saint Hilarion could find out, which passions afflicted his soul. People came to him and asked for help and guidance to save their souls. With the blessing of Saint Hilarion, many monasteries were opened throughout the land of Palestine. The Saint went from one monastery to another and preached an ascetic way of life. Seven years before his death (371-372), Saint Hilarion came back to Cyprus, where he settled in a quiet place and lived there until the Lord summoned his soul.

SOURCE: https://catalogueofstelisabethconvent.blogspot.com/2016/11/saint-hilarion-great.html?m=1

Like the 1 meter plus long ropes? Are they just a novelty?

Edit: I mean the ones that if you hold up to your neck and it touches the floor, I don’t know why I said 1 meter

My wife and I (Orthodox) went to a ROCOR parish on a whim one Sunday instead of our usual Church, needless to say it was rough, everyone stared at us constantly, even when purchasing candles it was obvious they didn’t want us there and made us feel very, very unwelcome, commented on our children etc. I get the feeling this is just how Russians are in general? Is ROCOR like this? We’ve never been treated this way by anyone when we were Catholic everyone was quite happy to have us at their parish, makes me wary to try any other parish other than our usual if I’m being honest, I don’t understand why everything has to be so ethnically focused.

Sometimes it makes me remember/yearn for when we were Catholic and never had to worry about visiting any parish, or suspicions about me and my family.

Before you converted did you ever feel like you couldn’t get Christ out of your head? Like this thing pulling your mind back to it. What did you do? What did you read ? What did you listen too. What was the light build that went off in your head

I don’t understand in acts chapter 5 why ananaias and sapphira have to be struck dead-I get that it was an immensely grave sin but I don’t understand how to reconcile this with a God of Love and mercy

Suddenly, my spiritual life changed drastically. From caring about praying, reading, and helping, to not doing it and seeming like I don't care.

I have grown cold, I have become worldly, and I have fallen too deeply into sin

I don't know how to get back, and I have no way of approaching a priest.

Help please

Any orthodox theologians out here that can point me to good academic (PhD level) resources about the Orthodox Theology of Theosis?

Honestly this would be difficult for me. I have a very intimate relationship with God & I want to be able to understand the sermon.

I genuinely don't understand why the entire sermon is in Greek when this church is in Cape Town, South Africa.

Has anyone experienced this?

I found out about Wisdom 2 only recently and it honestly strikes me as even more clear messianic prophecy than Isaiah 53. Despite this, even in Orthodox circles, I haven’t really heard it being brought up, as well as in the discourse with non-Orthodox. I understand that for most of the internet and interfaith discussions, Wisdom 2 is not used due to Protestants not accepting it as a canonical book.

Is it correct to consider it as a messianic prophecy? Wisdom 2:17-18 looks strikingly similar to Matthew 27:39-43. The overall narrative is even more explicit than that of Isaiah. Despite it, this passage for some reason doesn’t get explicitly cited in the NT, except for this allusion which can also be related to Psalms.

Is there something I am completely missing for why it’s rarely used and even NT authors seem to basically ignore it. Especially for us, with 73 books, it shouldn’t be a stretch to use it as messianic.

Through some quick search, I found that Cyprian of Carthage and Augustine, along some other early church fathers, did use it. So why does it rarely show up in modern discourse?

Hello!

I am not a Christian, but I respect your faith and would love to hear what you have to say to my argument. I will base the argument on 2 premises. If you're going to respond, please first say "I concede to the premises" or "I do not concede to the premises" to avoid moving the goalpost.

Premise 1

One must be part of the Christian faith to be saved by the grace of God. Fully understanding God's nature is not necessary (as is taught officially by the EO Church,) but those who know of the Church and actively reject it or aren't fully convinced will not qualify for the grace of God.

Premise 2

The human is fallible in nature. We were already born as faulty creatures from the start. Both the Bible and human behavior affirms this.

The Dilemma/Argument

The human, who are fallible in nature, is expected to discover the correct information in order for them to receive the grace of God. For example, if a person studies theology by themselves and becomes Muslim, or Jewish, or Mormon, they are as confident that their religion is true as you are. Yet, the only one who receives grace is the one who happens to be correct.

Take an educated Muslim living in the west. Not only has he heard of Orthodoxy, he has actively studied the faith. By his own conclusion, he remained not convinced and experiences the exact same subjective certainty that an Orthodox Christian feels. From a human perspective, he did not reject Christianity out of malicious intent, he rejected it because he simply didn't arrive at the correct information from his fallible intuition.

Question:

How does one justify a system of justice where a human is expected to arrive at the 100% correct conclusion, when they were using the same flawed cognitive tools as everyone else?

I inherited these icons a few years ago from an aunt. She wasn't Orthodox, but I suspect she got them on a trip to Russia shortly after the fall of the USSR. I would love to know as much about them as I can, especially who is depicted. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I see Theosis similarly to how Buddhists view “enlightenment”. I know that EO’s don’t view “enlightenment” as being a real thing (correct me if I’m wrong). In Eastern religion there is a concept called “non-duality” which means that the separation between subject and object collapses - now I view this concept as being fraught with philosophical errors that I don’t wish to get into now, but I see Christianity and simply being the ultimate truth, and Theosis being that truth. ““Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.” John‬ ‭14‬:‭6‬. This begs the question, is full Theosis required to enter into heaven? If so - then the verse talking about the path to hell being wide makes A WHOLE LOT OF SENSE. Christianity is the true “non/duality” because it also affirms that God created each and every one of us a personal beings with identities, I’m just wondering about your guys’s views on this. Thanks.

So for some background info I had a conversation with my friend the other day about how I thought the monastic lifestyle was intriguing, although I did not say I want to outright be a monk I did admit that the lifestyle has an appeal to me that made sense to me.

He told me that the lifestyle is in direct defiance of Gods command to go forth and make new disciples of all nations because living in a monastery away from people and society does not allow you to be out in the world meeting new people and evangelizing to them and making new disciples.

I pointed out that I don’t personally see anything wrong with devoting your life to prayer and worship of God while also working hard and living a simplistic life. monastery’s do make new disciples and even serve the many visitors who come.

Plus it’s my understanding that we all have different talents that we excel at so not everyone is going to be a priest,pastor,preacher etc and not every one is going to go forth into broken nations and reach people who may have not read the Bible and don’t have a relationship with God. Honestly I never became a follower of Christ because someone preached to me but rather because I saw how someone carried themselves and how they lived and acted and realized how I wanted to be like that and not live the way I was living. Everybody has a talent that they can use to reach people and make disciples and it doesn’t have to be down the exact same way Jesus did it by walking around from town to town

I should also note neither of us are orthodox Christian’s

What kind version of the Bible does Orthodox Christians. I’m very new to all of this and the only bibles I have are king Jame, NLV, and ESV. I’m so lost. Please help. I’m planing my first visit to an Orthodox Church in December. Thank you and God bless.

Hello all - I have been struggling with stress/anxiety/controlling especially related to work to the point where it is seriously impacting my health.

I have been praying for humility and for help in letting go and trusting and honoring the will of God but am still struggling.

Does anyone know any prayers specifically geared toward this or any Saints who can help with this?

Holy Great Martyr Artemios of Antioch was a prominent military leader during the reigns of the emperor Constantine the Great (May 21), and his son and successor Constantius (337-361). Artemios received many awards for distinguished service and courage. He was appointed viceroy of Egypt. In this official position he did much for the spreading and strengthening Christianity in Egypt.

Saint Artemios was sent by the emperor Constantius to bring the relics of the holy Apostle Andrew from Patras, and the relics of the holy Apostle Luke from Thebes of Boeotia, to Constantinople. The holy relics were placed in the Church of the Holy Apostles beneath the table of oblation. The emperor rewarded him by making him ruler of Egypt.

The emperor Constantius was succeeded on the throne by Julian the Apostate (361-363). Julian in his desire to restore paganism was extremely antagonistic towards Christians, sending hundreds to their death. At Antioch he ordered the torture of two bishops unwilling to forsake the Christian Faith.

During this time, Saint Artemios arrived in Antioch and publicly denounced Julian for his impiety. The enraged Julian subjected the saint to terrible tortures and threw the Great Martyr Artemios into prison. While Artemios was praying, Christ, surrounded by angels, appeared to him and said, “Take courage, Artemios! I am with you and will preserve you from every hurt which is inflicted upon you, and I already have prepared your crown of glory. Since you have confessed Me before the people on earth, so shall I confess you before My Heavenly Father. Therefore, take courage and rejoice, you shall be with Me in My Kingdom.” Hearing this, Artemios rejoiced and offered up glory and thanksgiving to Him.

On the following day, Julian demanded that Saint Artemios honor the pagan gods. Meeting with steadfast refusal, the emperor resorted to further tortures. The saint endured all without a single moan. The saint told Julian that he would be justly recompensed for his persecution of Christians. Julian became furious and resorted to even more savage tortures, but they did not break the will of the saint. Finally the Great Martyr Artemios was beheaded.

His relics were buried by Christians. After the death of Saint Artemios, his prophecy about Julian the Apostate’s impending death came true.

Julian left Antioch for a war with the Persians. Near the Persian city of Ctesiphon, Julian came upon an elderly Persian, who agreed to betray his countrymen and guide Julian’s army. The old man deceived Julian and led his army into the Karmanite wilderness, where there was neither food nor water. Tired from hunger and thirst, Julian’s army battled against fresh Persian forces.

Divine retribution caught up with Julian the Apostate. During the battle he was mortally wounded by an unseen hand and an unseen weapon. Julian groaned deeply said, “You have conquered, Galilean!” After the death of the apostate emperor, the relics of the Great Martyr Artemios were transferred with honor from Antioch to Constantinople.

Saint Artemios is invoked by those suffering from hernias.

SOURCE: https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2020/10/20/103005-greatmartyr-artemius-at-antioch

Hi everyone. As above. I have been dealing with kidney failure for nearly 3 years now. It has messed my life up. It is sometimes reversible, but not at the stage I'm at.

There's a guy on FB called Tim Goyetche of Tim Goyetche Institute (not sure if I'm allowed to link his profile) who for the past 7 years has been developing a cure for it. He has finally released it. I've ordered it, though he said he isn't sure if it'll work for me, since I'm on dialysis and the minerals it contains might get washed out with dialysis.

My issue isn't whether or not it's snake oil. I have to try. My issue is from a Christian perspective. This guy's handle is "witch doctor". He seems to live a quite moral life, trying to do things for the good of people, I've seen one of his posts where he mentions God, and about not engaging in low vibration things such as cheating. I assume he's one of the "spiritual" types, as opposed to religious types. The witch doctor handle bothers me. Also, he's shared a link about another doctor who talks about frequencies and chakras. In his latest post, he says he's going to share a story about an alien abduction, alien implants, metaphysical surgery and miraculous healing, all true apparently, and all experienced by him.

Now...those things unless the aliens were angels and saints, go against Christianity. I believe that his cure, with the help and grace of God, will help me. And I have said to God that if it does heal me, I will financially help those who can't afford it, to get the treatment (to the best of my financial ability)

His page isn't overly new agey. It's 90% posts about things like clove bud extract, mineral deficiencies, forgiveness and its importance in emotional healing, research papers, EMFs, etc. And then a bit (5%?) about things like he has touched people and can feel their energy, and they cry etc.

He apparently also works with Brunswick University, and was an epigenetics consultant. So if it wasn't for the 5-10% total new age stuff and his handle, I wouldn't have any qualms about this medication. The ingredients aren't what I'm worried about. It's just natural stuff in it. It's more worry about who I'm buying it from.

I have been praying for miraculous healing since day 1 of diagnosis, and nothing has come. And maybe it's so I can be healed with this, and help others too. I dunno. Or maybe I wasn't faithful enough to be miraculously healed. In any case...I'm now at a crossroads where I'm worried this guy's medication might invite bad spirits into my life.

My plan was to just pray over this medication, add some Holy water to it, and ask God to protect me from any harm that may be around it. And to pray if it's Good, and His will that I may be healed from it by His Grace. And if it's not good, that I'm not healed with it.

Any thoughts? Thanks

Before I came to know God, prejudices used to stop me from helping people on the street. I thought they just didn't want to work, so I gave them nothing. But when I entered the Church, everything changed. I started giving money, increasing the amounts as I began working and earning more. Sometimes I fell into the trap of pride, thinking highly of myself, but in reality, I was only giving out of my abundance. It didn't cost me anything or affect my comfort.

After my train accident and my recent lung surgery, things transformed completely. My resources decreased, and sometimes I felt deeply sorry that I could only offer so little. It was only then that I truly understood the Gospel story of the poor widow. True almsgiving is not about giving from our excess, but about the giving that we actually feel as a personal sacrifice.

I learned that throwing money in a hurry can just be a way to get rid of a beggar or to quiet our own conscience. But almsgiving without love is worth nothing. As Saint Paul says: "And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing." (1 Cor. 13:3). God cannot be bought with churches, hospitals, or billions of dollars if these things do not change our hearts. "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart" (Psalm 50:17).

The next step in showing mercy is not just offering material goods, but making friends with the sick and the poor. We need to welcome them into our lives, talk to them, and treat them as equals. How can we be truly happy when we know others are living day-to-day right next to us under the open sky? Just as we long for the attention of the influential, those in need long for our attention.

What is the limit of mercy? To show mercy to those around us exactly as God shows mercy to us. Only then will we realize that all our deeds are almost nothing compared to the immense love with which He surrounds us every single moment.

The future Saint Jonah was born in 1888 in Kaluga, Russia, with the name Vladimir Pokrovsky. He was orphaned at the age of 8 and was taken in by a deacon, who ensured he received an education. He went on to attend, graduate, and eventually teach at the Kazan Theological Academy. While attending as a student, he was tonsured a monk of the Optina Brotherhood and given the name Jonah. He took a teaching position at the academy only out of obedience to the Elder Gabriel of Optina.

In 1918 the Revolution forced the young hieromonk to leave Kazan. He was arrested by the communists and suffered beatings to the point of loss of consciousness and imprisonment. Father Jonah was freed by the White Army, was soon raised to the rank of igumen, and assigned as the senior priest of the southern volunteer troops. Father Jonah withdrew to the borders of Western China with the army of Alexander Dutov, being subjected to many hardships while crossing the Pamir cliffs, often forced to grab on to the sparse shrubbery and jagged ledges of the ice covered cliffs with wounded hands] After crossing the Gobi Desert, they finally reached Beijing, where Father Jonah was received into the Ecclesiastical Mission there and soon consecrated bishop of Manzhuria. (Saint Jonah was officially the bishop of Hankou, in the Hubei province, but actually ministered and worked in the town of Manzhuria, the modern day border town of Manzhouli, not to be confused with the region of Manchuria, of which this town is a part.)

During his short time as bishop, Saint Jonah transformed the Orthodox community in Manzhuria. He established an orphanage, a school, and a dining hall for the poor.

Bishop Jonah had been caring for a priest who died of typhoid fever. He subsequently contracted chronic tonsillitis and then, due to complications, developed blood poisoning. As he was dying, he wrote a final epistle to his flock, reminding them of the need to love one another, confessed one final time to Archbishop Methodius of Beijing, received Holy Communion, blessed those who were in his room, and then he put on the epitrachelion and cuffs which had belonged to Elder Ambrose of Optina and began, "loudly and with prostrations", to read the canon for the departure of the soul. Finally "overcome with weakness", he laid down on his bed and said, "God's will be done. Now I shall die," and, he indeed died within minutes.

That same evening, a ten-year-old boy named Nicholas Dergachev, who was crippled, had been suffering from an inflammation of the knee joints. All medical efforts had proven fruitless. He was unable to walk, or even to stand. The boy had a dream. "A hierarch vested in white appeared to him and said, "Here, take my legs. I don't need them anymore. And give me yours." He woke up and "was miraculously healed". From a photograph he later identified the hierarch in his dream as Bishop Jonah, who had died that same night, October 7/20, 1925."

Though his life was short, his memory endured long after his death. Saint John (Maximovitch) said of Saint Jonah:

"Already here in the diaspora we have righteous ones in our time. Although they are not yet glorified, people receive wondrous signs from them. For example Bishop Jonah of Manchuria." (From the book "Sermons," by Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco)

There was an attempt to excavate the relics of Saint Jonah in July 1994 which was unsuccessful in locating the site of his grave. In 1997, new information was provided that may have located the site, but so far no second attempt has been made.

SOURCE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonah_of_Hankou

(editing this because my internet sucks)

To start I would like to say that I am a catechumen at my parish and realize this topic is intense for such a young Orthodox, I also acknowledge most of you will probably say to talk to my priest, and normally I do but he is in the next town over so sometimes I forget my questions for him.

I just saw online a video talking about universal salvation vs annihilationism. Tldr universal salvation says that hell is empty because everyone who goes there is just purging their sin and eventually everyone will be in heaven, whereas annihilationism is the more mainstream idea of if you end up in hell you're there forever. This video also claimed that both the Catholic and Orthodox church teach because of saints like saint Gregory of nyssa. My two problems with this are that 1. Universal salvation to me just seems like purgatory with a different name and 2. What about people who commit the unforgivable sin of blasphemy? Is hell empty except for blasphemers? Or can the unforgivable sin be forgiven? If so why suffer in this life if we can just suffer in the afterlife and attain heaven no matter what? Just curious, God bless.

Hi i grew up orthodox and from last year till August this year i have been battling with intrusive thoughts. However in August I noticed myself having patterns of spoken blasphemy although I'm not too sure and after a rough day yesterday when I lost myself idk if I blasohemed at the Holy Spirit put loud in anger. Idk what to do i have gone to confession once and I plan on going again but im lost and I feel empty