Synaxarium

On this day, the pure holy mother Theodora departed. This saint was the only daughter of wealthy Christian parents in Alexandria. They wished to marry her off and brought her many precious jewels and fine clothes. But this saint did not accept that because her heart inclined toward worshiping God and striving for His name. She sold all that her parents had brought her and distributed it among the poor. Then she built a church outside Alexandria on the western side. After that, she went to the holy father Athanasius the Apostolic (in the fourth century A.D.), who tonsured her and made her a nun outside Alexandria. She lived a life of great asceticism and spiritual struggle until she was worthy to see divine revelations, distinguish angels from demons, and recognize thoughts. Pope Athanasius missed her greatly for her teachings, so much so that when he was exiled, he corresponded with her from his exile with beneficial sermons. She remained steadfast in her struggle until her last days and lived during the times of five patriarchs: Alexandros, Athanasius, Peter, Timothy, and Theophilus. She left many useful sayings, some from the grace she possessed and others learned from those fathers. She was once asked, "If a person speaks to another with bad talk, should one say to him: Be silent, or rebuke him, or turn away from hearing him?" She answered: "Just as if you have many good and pleasant foods before you, you cannot say to the one who placed them: Remove this or that because it harms me. Rather, you leave them and eat what pleases your soul. So, nothing should be said to one who talks badly to another, but it suffices for a person not to let his hearing delight in what he hears." She was also asked: "How does a person overcome his enemy, the devil?" She said: "By fasting, prayer, and almsgiving." When she completed her struggle, she departed in peace at the age of one hundred years. May her prayers be with us. Amen.

On this day is the commemoration of the departure of Anba John, Bishop of Gaza. May his intercession be with us, and glory be to the Lord forever. Amen.