December 28 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

The Eastern Orthodox cross

December 27 - Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar - December 29

All fixed commemorations below are observed on January 10 by Orthodox Churches on Old Calendar.^{[note 1]}

For December 28th, Orthodox Churches on the Old Calendar commemorate the Saints listed on December 15.

Feasts

• Afterfeast of the Nativity of Christ.^[1][2]

Saints

• Apostle Nicanor the Deacon, one of the Seven Deacons, and one of the Seventy (34)^[1][3]
• Martyr Secundus, an Enlightener of Spain, sent by the Apostles to Spain to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ (1st century)^{[4][note 2]}
• The 20,000 Martyrs of Nicomedia (302),^[1][6][7] including:^[8]
  • Hieromartyr Glycerius, priest;
  • Deacons Theophilus and Migdonius;
  • Martyrs Zeno, Dorotheus, Mardonius, Indes, Gorgonius, Peter, and Euthymius;
  • Virgin-martyrs Agape, Domna (the former pagan priestess),^[9] Theophila, and others.
• Martyr Ploutodoros.^{[10][note 3]}
• Venerable Babylas of Tarsus in Cilicia.^[11][12]
• Venerable Stephen the Wonderworker.^{[13][note 4]}

Pre-Schism Western saints

• Martyrs Castor, Victor and Rogatian, in North Africa.^[14]
• Saint Domnio (Domnion), a righteous priest in Rome.^{[14][note 5]}
• Saints Romulus and Conindrus, two of the first people to preach Orthodoxy on the Isle of Man, they were contemporaries of St Patrick (c. 450)^{[14][note 6]}
• Saint Maughold (Maccaldus), a former brigand in Ireland, was converted by St Patrick and sent to the Isle of Man, where his episcopate was very fruitful (c. 488)^[14]
• Saint Antony of Lérins (Anthony the Hermit), renowned for miracles (c. 520)^{[14][15][note 7]}

Post-Schism Orthodox saints

• Saint Simon the Myrrh-gusher, founder of Simonopetra, Mt. Athos (1287)^{[1][12][17][18]}
• Saint Ignatius, Monk, of Loma (Vologda) (Ignatii of Lomsk and Yaroslavsk) (1591)^[1][12][19]
• Saint Cornelius, monk of Krypetsk Monastery (Pskov) (1903)^[1][12]

New martyrs and confessors

• New Hieromartyr Nikodim (Kononov), Bishop of Belgorod, at Solovki (1918)^[1][12][20]
• New Hieromartyr Arcadius Reshetnikov, Deacon (1918)^[1][12][20]
• New Hieromartyr Alexander, Priest (1920)^[12][20]
• New Hieromartyrs Theoctistus, Leonid, and Nicholas, Priests (1937)^[12][20]
• New Hieromartyrs Arethus, and Alexander, Priests (1938)^[12][20]

Other commemorations

• Repose of Joseph the Hesychast (Romania) (1828)^[1]

Icon gallery

• 
  Apostle Nicanor the Deacon.
• 
  Miniature from the Menologion of Basil II honoring the 20,000 Martyrs of Nicomedia.
• 
  Martyrs: Peter, Indes, Gorgonius by drowning; Zeno and Dorotheus by beheading; Mardonius and Hieromartyr Glycerius, by fire; Theophilus the Deacon by stoning; and Migdonius in a cesspool.
• 
  A primitive chapel dating from 6th to 11th centuries, at the cemetery of the church in the village named for Maughold.
• 
  New Hieromartyr Nikodim (Kononov), Bishop of Belgorod.

Notes

1. The notation Old Style or (OS) is sometimes used to indicate a date in the Julian Calendar (which is used by churches on the "Old Calendar").
   The notation New Style or (NS), indicates a date in the Revised Julian calendar (which is used by churches on the "New Calendar").
2. This Secundus is likely the same individual as the Secundus mentioned in the Seven Apostolic Men; see also May 15.^[5]
3. He is unknown in the Synaxaria. However his memory is recorded in Patmos Codex 256 as follows: "On this day, the contest of the Holy Martyr Ploutodoros"; ((in Greek): «τῇ αὕτῃ ἡμέρᾳ, ἄθλησις τοῦ Ἁγίου μάρτυρος Πλουτοδώρου»).
4. This is likely the same saint as the one commemorated on March 31; however a minority of Menologia place his memory here on December 28. In Parisian Codex 1623 f.1436 are found remnants of his Akolouthia. From this evidence it becomes clear that he was ascetic, although it is unknown when and where. S. Efstratiadis speculates that it is not at all unlikely, that this St Stephen is one and the same person as the Venerable Stephen of Mar Sabbas monastery, the Wonderworker, whose memory is celebrated on October 28.
5. "At Rome, St. Domnion, priest."^[15]
6. "ST. ROMULUS and ST. CONINDRUS were probably the first preachers of the Gospel in the island, and flourished while St. Patrick was exercising his apostolate in Ireland. St. Patrick himself is venerated as one of the chief Patrons of Man, and may have visited it some time during his life; but it does not seem reconcilable with his Acts to say, as some have done, that he was its first evangelist."^[16]
7. Born in Lower Pannonia, he served God as a hermit in several places north of the Alps until he found rest for the last two years of his life as a monk at Lérins in France.

References

1. December 28/January 10. Orthodox Calendar (PRAVOSLAVIE.RU).
2. Afterfeast of the Nativity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
3. Apostle Nicanor the Deacon of the Seventy. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
4. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek): Ὁ Ἅγιος Σεκοῦνδος ὁ Μάρτυρας. 28 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
5. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek): Οἱ Ἅγιοι Τορκουάτος, Κτησιφῶν, Σεκοῦνδος, Ἰνδαλέτιος, Καικίλιος, Ἡσύχιος καὶ Εὐφράσιος οἱ Μάρτυρες. 15 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
6. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek): Οἱ Ἅγιοι Δισμύριοι (20.000) Μάρτυρες οἱ ἐν Νικομηδείᾳ καέντες. 28 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
7. 20,000 Martyrs of Nicomedia. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
8. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek): Μνήμη τῶν Ἁγίων Συγκλητικῶν. 28 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
9. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek): Ἡ Ἁγία Δόμνα ἡ Μάρτυς. 28 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
10. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek): Ὁ Ἅγιος Πλουτόδωρος. 28 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
11. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek): Ὁ Ὅσιος Βάβυλας. 28 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
12. January 10 / December 28. HOLY TRINITY RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (A parish of the Patriarchate of Moscow).
13. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek): Ὁ Ὅσιος Στέφανος ὁ Θαυματουργός. 28 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
14. December 28. Latin Saints of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Rome.
15. The Roman Martyrology. Transl. by the Archbishop of Baltimore. Last Edition, According to the Copy Printed at Rome in 1914. Revised Edition, with the Imprimatur of His Eminence Cardinal Gibbons. Baltimore: John Murphy Company, 1916. p.400.
16. Rev. Richard Stanton. A Menology of England and Wales, or, Brief Memorials of the Ancient British and English Saints Arranged According to the Calendar, Together with the Martyrs of the 16th and 17th Centuries. London: Burns & Oates, 1892. pp.609-610.
17. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek): Ὁ Ὅσιος Σίμων ὁ Μυροβλήτης κτήτορας τῆς Ι. Μονῆς Σιμωνόπετρας. 28 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
18. Venerable Simon the Myrrh-gusher of Mt Athos. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
19. Venerable Ignatius of Loma and Yaroslav. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
20. (in Russian) 28 декабря (ст.ст.) 10 января 2013 (нов. ст.). Русская Православная Церковь Отдел внешних церковных связей. (DECR).

Sources

• December 28/January 10. Orthodox Calendar (PRAVOSLAVIE.RU).
• January 10 / December 28. HOLY TRINITY RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (A parish of the Patriarchate of Moscow).
• December 28. OCA - The Lives of the Saints.
• The Autonomous Orthodox Metropolia of Western Europe and the Americas (ROCOR). St. Hilarion Calendar of Saints for the year of our Lord 2004. St. Hilarion Press (Austin, TX). p. 3.
• December 28. Latin Saints of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Rome.
• The Roman Martyrology. Transl. by the Archbishop of Baltimore. Last Edition, According to the Copy Printed at Rome in 1914. Revised Edition, with the Imprimatur of His Eminence Cardinal Gibbons. Baltimore: John Murphy Company, 1916. pp. 399–400.

Greek Sources

• Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) 28 ΔΕΚΕΜΒΡΙΟΥ. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
• (in Greek) Συναξαριστής. 28 Δεκεμβρίου. ECCLESIA.GR. (H ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΟΣ).

Russian Sources

• (in Russian) 10 января (28 декабря). Православная Энциклопедия под редакцией Патриарха Московского и всея Руси Кирилла (электронная версия). (Orthodox Encyclopedia - Pravenc.ru).
• (in Russian) 28 декабря (ст.ст.) 10 января 2013 (нов. ст.). Русская Православная Церковь Отдел внешних церковных связей. (DECR).