Lives of the Saints

Lives of the Saints: A Treasury of Holy Witnesses

The Orthodox Church has preserved the memory of countless saints—holy men and women who have become living icons of Christ through their faith, humility, and perseverance. From apostles and martyrs to ascetics, bishops, and ordinary laypeople, their lives serve as spiritual guides, offering wisdom, encouragement, and intercession for all who seek to follow Christ.

The Lives of the Saints are more than historical accounts—they are witnesses to the transformative power of God’s grace. Whether through the fiery trials of the martyrs, the deep wisdom of the Church Fathers, or the ascetic struggles of the desert dwellers, each saint reflects a unique facet of divine holiness. Their stories continue to inspire the faithful, offering models of virtue, repentance, and unwavering devotion.

This section provides a variety of resources for learning about the saints, deepening your spiritual life, and incorporating their teachings into daily devotion.

Resources for the Lives of the Saints

Daily Readings & Synaxaria

The Synaxarion (from the Greek συναξάριον, meaning “gathering”) is the official collection of saints’ lives read daily in the Church. It follows the liturgical calendar, listing saints commemorated each day and providing brief accounts of their lives. Some essential resources include:

• 📖 The Synaxarion: The Lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church – compiled by Hieromonk Makarios of Simonopetra (Mount Athos), a multi-volume work covering saints for each day of the year.

• 📖 The Great Synaxaristes of the Orthodox Church – a Greek-language collection used in Orthodox monasteries and churches.

• 📖 The Prologue from Ohrid (St. Nikolai Velimirovich) – an excellent devotional text with daily saint readings, reflections, and homilies. Available in English online and in print.

• 🔗 Orthodox Church in America: Lives of the Saints, https://www.oca.org/saints/lives

• 📜 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese – Online Synaxarion

• 📜 Russian Orthodox Synaxarion (Church Slavonic & English)

• 📚 The Great Collection of the Lives of the Saints (Vols. I-XII: September-August) by St. Demetrius of Rostov, [Trans.] Fr. Thomas Marretta of St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood

• 📚 The Lives of the Desert Fathers, [Trans.] Benedicta Ward

• 📚 The Lives of the Saints (Butler’s Lives, Orthodox Edition), St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood

• 📚 The Great Synaxaristes of the Orthodox Church, Holy Apostles Convent and Dormition Skete

Comprehensive Collections & Biographies

For those who wish to explore more detailed biographies, several Orthodox books and websites offer in-depth narratives:

• 📖 The Lives of the Saints (St. Dmitry of Rostov) – a monumental 17th-century collection of saints’ lives, based on Byzantine and Western sources, still highly regarded in Russian Orthodox tradition.

• 📖 Orthodox Saints (Fr. George Poulos) – a four-volume English collection providing easy-to-read biographies.

• 📖 Everyday Saints and Other Stories (Archimandrite Tikhon Shevkunov) – a modern bestseller offering firsthand accounts of contemporary Orthodox holiness, including figures not yet canonized.

• 📖 The Lives of the Georgian Saints (St. Ilia II, Patriarch of Georgia) – a treasury of saints from the ancient Christian tradition of Georgia.

• 📜 Orthodox Wiki – Saints Index – a useful database with brief overviews.

• 📜 Mystagogy Resource Center – Lives of the Saints – provides translations of rare Greek Orthodox saint texts.

• 📜 ROCOR – Lives of Saints & Orthodox Elders – a focus on Russian saints and spiritual fathers.

Specialized Categories: Patron Saints & Local Traditions

Many saints hold a special place in Orthodox Christian devotion based on their spiritual gifts, miracles, or patronage over specific regions, vocations, or causes.

Patron Saints of Iconographers:

• 🎨 St. Luke the Evangelist – traditionally regarded as the first iconographer.

• 🎨 St. Andrei Rublev – the renowned Russian iconographer of the 15th century.

• 🎨 St. John of Damascus – defender of icons during the Iconoclast controversy.

Saints by Region & Tradition

Greek Saints

• ⛪ Greek Orthodox Saints – St. Nektarios of Aegina, St. Porphyrios, St. Paisios of Mount Athos.

• 🔗 Greek Orthodox Online Synaxarion, https://www.goarch.org/chapel/saints

Russian Saints

• 🔗 Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR) – Saints & Feast Days , synod.com/saints

• 🔗 Holy Trinity Monastery (Jordanville) – Orthodox Saints, jordanville.org/saints

• 📚 Northern Thebaid: Russian Saints, St. Herman Press

• 🔗 Lives of the Russian Saints, Aкафист website, [Russian]

• ⛪ Russian Orthodox Saints – St. Sergius of Radonezh, St. Seraphim of Sarov, the New Martyrs of Russia.

Ukrainian Saints

• ⛪ Ukrainian Orthodox Saints – St. Theodosius of the Kyiv Caves, St. Job of Pochaiv.

Coptic Saints

• ⛪ Coptic Orthodox Saints – St. Anthony the Great, St. Shenouda the Archimandrite.

• ⛪ Coptic Orthodox Saints – St. Anthony the Great, St. Shenouda the Archimandrite.

Serbian, Romanian, and Balkan Saints

• 🔗 Serbian Orthodox Church – Lives of the Saints, https://spc.rs/en/pretraga/

• 🔗 Romanian Patriarchate – Orthodox Saints, https://basilica.ro/en/category/feasts-and-saints/

American Saints

• 📚 Glorified in America: Laborers in the New World from Saint Alexis to Elder Ephraim, [Trans.]Psaropoulou-Brits, The Monastery of St John the Forerunner of Mesa Potamos

Western Saints

• ⛪ Western Orthodox Saints – St. Patrick of Ireland, St. Benedict of Nursia, St. Cuthbert of Lindisfarne.

For those seeking a patron saint, Orthodox tradition encourages reading their lives, praying for their intercession, and honoring them on their feast days.

Miracles, Sayings, & Writings of the Saints

Many Orthodox saints left behind spiritual writings, homilies, and sayings, which continue to guide the faithful today.

• 📖 The Philokalia – a collection of writings from the Desert Fathers and Byzantine ascetics, focused on inner prayer and spiritual purification.

• 📖 St. Isaac the Syrian – Ascetical Homilies – a classic work of Eastern Christian mysticism.

• 📖 St. Seraphim of Sarov – Conversations with Motovilov – teachings on the Holy Spirit and the path to holiness.

• 📖 The Ladder of Divine Ascent (St. John Climacus) – a 7th-century spiritual classic read every Great Lent.

Online repositories of saintly sayings & teachings:

• 📜 St. Paisios’ Teachings (Athos), https://www.orthodoxpath.org/

• 📜 The Sayings of the Desert Fathers, https://www.desertfathers.com

How to Read the Lives of the Saints

1. As Daily Readings: Many Orthodox Christians incorporate the saints’ lives into daily prayer by reading about the saint of the day.

2. For Guidance in Spiritual Life: Different saints embody different virtues—some emphasize prayer and asceticism, others charity and humility. Finding a saint whose life speaks to you can offer profound spiritual encouragement.

3. As an Aid to Prayer & Intercession: Praying with the saints—asking for their intercession, reading their prayers, and venerating their icons—connects us to the great “cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1).

4. As a Connection to Orthodox Tradition: Learning about the saints of different Orthodox lands helps deepen appreciation for the rich spiritual heritage of the Church.

Conclusion: Walking with the Saints

The saints are not distant figures of the past but living intercessors, shining with the light of Christ. Their lives reveal how God works in every generation, calling His people to holiness. Through these resources, may we come to know and love the saints, seeking their prayers and following their example in our own journey toward the Kingdom of Heaven.

“God is wondrous in His saints!” (Psalm 67:36 LXX)

Individual Saint Resources

Heavenly Hosts

• 📚 An Iconographers Prayers for the Heavenly Hosts (see Resources)

The Theotokos

• 📚 Iconographers Prayers for the Theotokos

• 📚 Framing Mary: The Mother of God in Modern, Revolutionary, and Post-Soviet Russian Culture; Amy Singleton Adams and Vera Sevzov

• 📚 Images of the Mother of God: Perceptions of the Theotokos in Byzantium; Maria Vassilaki

• 📚 Mother of God Representations of the Virgin in Byzantine Art; Maria Vassilaki

The Holy Prophets

• 📚Book of Akathists IV - To the Holy Prophets (in translation / under development)

John the Baptist

• 📚 An Iconographers Prayers for John the Baptist (see Resources)

The Holy Apostles

• 📚Book of Akathiests V - The Holy Apostles  (in translation / under development)

Mary Magdalene

• 📚 An Iconographers Prayers for the Mary Magdelene (see Resources)

• 📚 Mary Magdalene: Iconographic Studies form the Middle Ages to the Baroque, Erhardt & Morris, Studies in Religion and the Arts

The Holy Patriarchs and Fathers

• 📚Book of Akathiests VI - The Holy Patriarchs and Fathers (see Resources) [in progress]

Andre Rublev

• 📚 The Rublev Trinity, Gabriel Bunge