By the prayers of...Saint Irene of Chrysovalantou

St. Irene of Chrysovalantou

I would be remiss not to mention that today new calendar is

St. Irene of Chrysovalantou's day!

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I still remember my Godmother asking me

who I had chosen as my Patron Saint!

10 days before I was chrismated,

I found her!

St. Irene's icon and story was in the church bulletin

and her bravery, determination and decisiveness captured my

attention;

now I would say it is her gentleness and peace that keep me

returning to her,

asking her prayers...

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My official name's Saint is

St. Elizabeth the Mother of John the Baptist

but

St. Irene is still my first patron;

though St. Herman of Alaska was my first Saint who I knew loved me...

I still remember looking at the iconostasis of my first church

and looking at St. Herman.

*

Today I had lunch a good friend's house

and remembered that last year too I was blessed with a meal

at a friend's house!

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It is such a blessing to ask one's patron's prayers daily;

By the prayers of the Saints

lies our salvation.

*

Apolytikion:

Not a temporal kingdom on earth didst thou obtain,

but Christ, thy most comely Bridegroom, vouchsafed thee heavenly crowns,

and thou reignest as a queen with Him eternally;

for thou didst dedicate thyself unto Him with all thy soul,

O Irene, our righteous Mother, thou boast of Chrysovalantou,

and mighty help of all the Orthodox.

Kontakion:

Leaving all the world behind with its impermanent glory,

thou wast wedded unto Christ, the King immortal and holy,

bringing Him as precious dowry thy maiden beauty

and thy trophies won through abstinence over demons.

O Irene, our righteous Mother,

entreat thy Bridegroom to show His mercy to us.