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The Holy Prophet Amos, the third of the Twelve Minor Prophets,1 lived during the eighth century before Christ. He was from Juda and was born at Thecua in the land of Zebulon, six miles south of Bethlehem.
At that time, the Hebrew nation was divided into two Kingdoms: Juda in the south, and Israel in the north. King Uzzias ruled in Jerusalem, but the other ten tribes of Israel were ruled by Jeroboam II, who was an idolater. At Bethel he set up an idol in the shape of a golden calf, which the people worshipped, turning away from the true God.
Simple and uneducated, yet fervent in his faith and zealous for the glory of God, this former shepherd of sheep and goats, and a dresser of sycamore trees (Amos 7:14-15) was chosen by the Lord for prophetic service. He was sent to the Kingdom of Israel to denounce King Jeroboam's impiety, as well as that of the Israelites. The Prophet predicted great misfortunes which would befall Israel because of its ungodliness. As a result of his denunciations, Amos repeatedly endured beatings and torture.
Amazias, the chief priest of the royal sanctuary at Bethel, hated Amos, who predicted that the Gentiles would conquer Israel; that they will slay the King, as well as Amazias's children; that Amazias's wife would become a harlot; and that Amazias himself would die in a pagan land because he led the people into adultery with idols (7:17). Amazias became furious and had Amos beaten, but all of these prophecies were fulfilled.
According to a later tradition, Uzzias, the son of Amazias, struck the Prophet Amos with a club, seriously wounding him. He was taken to his native village of Thecua in Juda and died there after two days (circa 787 B.C.) He should not be confused with Amoz, the father of the Prophet Isaias.
In iconography, Amos is depicted as an old man with a pointed beard. His scroll reads: It is he who builds his ascent up to Heaven (Amos 9:6).
1 The terms major and minor Prophets refer to the length of their books, not to their individual prominence. Although Amos is ranked third, his prophecy was the first to be recorded.
At that time, the Hebrew nation was divided into two Kingdoms: Juda in the south, and Israel in the north. King Uzzias ruled in Jerusalem, but the other ten tribes of Israel were ruled by Jeroboam II, who was an idolater. At Bethel he set up an idol in the shape of a golden calf, which the people worshipped, turning away from the true God.
Simple and uneducated, yet fervent in his faith and zealous for the glory of God, this former shepherd of sheep and goats, and a dresser of sycamore trees (Amos 7:14-15) was chosen by the Lord for prophetic service. He was sent to the Kingdom of Israel to denounce King Jeroboam's impiety, as well as that of the Israelites. The Prophet predicted great misfortunes which would befall Israel because of its ungodliness. As a result of his denunciations, Amos repeatedly endured beatings and torture.
Amazias, the chief priest of the royal sanctuary at Bethel, hated Amos, who predicted that the Gentiles would conquer Israel; that they will slay the King, as well as Amazias's children; that Amazias's wife would become a harlot; and that Amazias himself would die in a pagan land because he led the people into adultery with idols (7:17). Amazias became furious and had Amos beaten, but all of these prophecies were fulfilled.
According to a later tradition, Uzzias, the son of Amazias, struck the Prophet Amos with a club, seriously wounding him. He was taken to his native village of Thecua in Juda and died there after two days (circa 787 B.C.) He should not be confused with Amoz, the father of the Prophet Isaias.
In iconography, Amos is depicted as an old man with a pointed beard. His scroll reads: It is he who builds his ascent up to Heaven (Amos 9:6).
1 The terms major and minor Prophets refer to the length of their books, not to their individual prominence. Although Amos is ranked third, his prophecy was the first to be recorded.
Troparion — Tone 2
We celebrate the memory / of Your prophet Amos, O Lord; / through him we entreat You, / "Save our souls."
Kontakion — Tone 4
Having purified your heart spiritually, O glorious Prophet Amos, / you received the gift of prophecy from on high / and proclaimed to all: / “This is our God and beside Him, there is no other.”
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Saint Jerome of Stridon was born into a Christian family in the city of Stridon located on the border between Dalmatia and Pannonia. His full name is Eusebius Hieronymos Sophronius. His parents sent him to Rome, where he studied the secular sciences. At the beginning of his life in the capital, the youth was captivated by worldly vanities and fell into temptation. At the end of his time in Rome, Jerome resolved to change his life and to live in goodness and purity. When the youth was about 20 years old, he accepted holy Baptism. After this he visited in Gaul (France). Then Saint Jerome decided to dedicate himself totally to God and become a monk.
In about the year 372 Saint Jerome returned to his native city, but his parents had already departed this life. On him fell the responsibility of raising his younger sisters and his brother Paulinian. These cares forced him to put aside his plans to enter a monastery, at least for a time.
Having made arrangements for the care of his siblings, he journeyed to the East with several of his friends. In 374, he decided to dwell in the desert of Chalcis southeast of Antioch. There he remained for about 5 years, combining work on the Holy Scriptures with austere ascetic deeds. Besides this, Saint Jerome mastered the Hebrew and Chaldean languages. During this period he began his correspondence with numerous persons upon a variety of questions. About 120 letters, considered as authentically written by Saint Jerome, have been preserved.
At the beginning of the 360s, there arose a controversy between the proponents of bishops Meletius, Paulinos and Vitalis. The controversy also reached the monastery where Saint Jerome toiled. In consequence, the disputes caused him to leave the monastery and go to Antioch. Here Bishop Paulinos ordained him to the priesthood. Afterwards, Saint Jerome visited Constantinople and conversed with the holy hierarchs Gregory the Theologian and Gregory of Nyssa In the year 381 he set off for Rome. In Rome, he continued his studies. The holy Pope Damasus I (366-384), who also devoted much of his time to the study of Holy Scripture, made Jerome his secretary.
But because the saint denounced the morals of the contemporary Christian society, a whole party of those bearing malice towards the saint came forward to spread slanders about him. After a three year stay at Rome, Saint Jerome felt compelled to abandon this city for good. Together with his brother Paulinian and friends, Saint Jerome visited the Holy Land, and also the monks of the Nitria wilderness monastery. In the year 386 he settled into a cave at Bethlehem near the cave where Christ was born, and there he began a life of austere asceticism.
This was the period of blossoming of his creative activity. Attending to the studies of his time, Saint Jerome left to the Church a rich written legacy: collections of dogmatic-polemic works, moral-ascetic works, commentaries on Scripture, and historical works. But the most important of his works was a new translation of the books of the Old and New Testaments into the Latin language. This Latin translation is called the “Vulgate,” and it passed into general use throughout the Western Church.
Saint Jerome lived through the fall of his beloved city Rome, which was sacked by the Goths in the year 410. In the year 411 a new ordeal beset the saint, Bethlehem was invaded by wild Bedouin Arabs. Only through the mercy of God was the community of the aged ascetic saved from complete destruction. He finished his life at the cave in Bethlehem. Saint Jerome is believed to have reposed in 420. His relics were transferred from Bethlehem to Rome in 642, but their present location is unknown. His hand is enshrined in a church near Rome’s Piazza Farnese.
Troparion — Tone 8
By a flood of tears, you made the desert fertile, / and your longing for God brought forth fruits in abundance. / By the radiance of miracles you illumined the whole universe! / O our holy father Jerome, pray to Christ our God to save our souls!
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Saint Crescentia suffered for Christ during the reign of Emperor Diocletian (284-305) with the holy martyrs Vitus and Modestus. She was the governess of Saint Vitus and tried to save the boy when his father wanted to kill him because he would not abandon his faith in Christ.
Saint Crescentia and the boy’s tutor Saint Modestus, who were Christians, secretly took him from his parental home. They found a boat on the river, and an angel entered the boat with them. They reached the Italian district of Lucanium, where the saints lived quietly, hiding from those who would persecute them. The holy youth continued to heal the sick and convert pagans to Christianity. His fame soon spread throughout the region.
Saints Vitus and Modestus were arrested and thrown into prison, and then Diocletian had them tortured. Saint Crescentia came out of the crowd of spectators and confessed herself as a Christian. She reproached the emperor for his cruelty, and he also sentenced her to torture.
Saint Vitus called out to God, “O God, save us by Thy power and deliver us.” Then an earthquake struck, and many pagans perished beneath the collapsed buildings. Diocletian fled to his chambers in fear. An angel released the martyrs from the pillars and took them to Lucanium.
Saint Vitus prayed that God would accept their souls in peace and not deprive those who kept their memory of His benefaction. A Voice came from Heaven, “Thy prayer is heard.” Then the saints joyfully surrendered their souls to God.
Troparion — Tone 4
Your holy martyrs O Lord, / through their sufferings have received incorruptible crowns from You, our God. / For having Your strength, they laid low their adversaries, / and shattered the powerless boldness of demons. / Through their intercessions, save our souls!
Saint Crescentia is also commemorated on May 16.
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