Our Church today honors the memory of Saint Isidore of Pelusium, Bishop Abraham of Arbela in Persia, and Holy Martyr Theoktistos.
Saint Isidore was born in Egypt around 360 AD. At a young age, he received rich theological and philosophical knowledge. At first, he worked as a teacher and catechist of the Church of Alexandria.
Seeking peace, however, in order to be able to study the Holy Scriptures and to further increase his struggle for the attainment of virtues, he withdrew to a monastery on Mount Pelusium.
Later, he was ordained a priest and then was elected abbot in the same monastery. Because of his immense theological training, he gained a great deal of prestige and reputation for being considered unique in the interpretation of complicated or obscure Bible passages.
With his word, Saint Isidore enlightened and comforted the faithful, guided the sinners on the right path, supported the fighters of the good and honοrable, reformed the impious and negligent in spiritual things.
He also intervened and consulted the kings and leaders of the people and controlled them accordingly, to make them care genuinely about the common good, without self-interest and partialities.
He slept peacefully in 440 AD, remaining in the conscience of the Church’s believers as a great 5th-century ecclesiastical writer and an authentic, timeless expressionist of the genuine Orthodox Monasticism.
Source: Church of Cyprus
