On the 12th of May, the Orthodox Church commemorates Saint Epiphanius of Cyprus

My beloved brothers and sisters in Our Risen Lord, God and Savior JESUS CHRIST,

CHRIST IS RISEN! TRULY HE IS RISEN! ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΑΝΕΣΤΗ! ΑΛΗΘΩΣ ΑΝΕΣΤΗ!

On the 12th of May, the Orthodox Church Commemorates
SAINT EPIPHANIUS OF CYPRUS,

Saint Epiphanius was born a Jew, but, seeing the power of the Christian faith, was baptized together with his sister, Callithrope. He became a monk at the age of twenty-six, in the monastery of Saint Hilarion. He later founded a monastery of his own, and became famed throughout Palestine and Egypt for his asceticism, his spiritual wisdom and the Wonders (Miracles) he worked. Fleeing the praise of men, he went off to Egypt. On the way, he met Paphnutius the Great, who prophesied that he would be a hierarch on the island of Cyprus. And indeed, many years later, by God’s Providence, Epiphanius came to Cyprus, where he was unexpectedly chosen as bishop. He became bishop of the town of Salamis at the age of fifty, and governed the Church of God for thirty-six years. In all, he lived nearly ninety years on earth, and entered into rest from this life to live eternally in the Kingdom of Christ. Before his death, he was invited to Constantinople by the Emperor Arcadius and his wife, Evdoxia, for the Council of Bishops which was forced, at the desire of the Emperor and Empress, to condemn Saint John Chrysostom. Arriving in Constantinople, he came to the Emperor’s court, where the Emperor and Empress talked with hm at great length, endeavouring to mae him declare against Saint John Chrysostom. The citizens and Saint John Chrysostom therefore wrote him a letter: "My brother Epiphanius, I hear that you have advised the Emperor that I should be banished: know that you will never again see your episcopal throne." To this, Epiphanius wrote in return: "John, my suffering brother, withstand insults, but know that you will not reach the place to which you are exiled." And these two prophecies of the two Saints soon came about. Refusing to agree with the Emperor on the exile of Saint John Chrysostom, Epiphanius took shp and set off for Cyprus, bud died on the voyage. The Emperor sent Saint John Chrysostom into exile in Armenia, but the Saint died on the road. Saint Epiphanius entered into rest in the year 403 A.D. Of his many writings the best-known is his ‘Medicine Chest,’ in Greek, in which he explains and refutes eight heresies. (Resource: The Prologue from Ochrid)

______________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
+Saint John Chrysostomos

+ + +

With sincere agape in Christ’s Glorious and Life-Giving Resurrection,
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George