Lives of the Saints Orthodox Calendar, books and essentials for Orthodox Christians… for over 30 years. It can be purchased at www.LivesoftheSaintsCalendar.com.
This calendar follows the Revised Julian Church calendar (New Calendar) of the Eastern Orthodox Church. The 'Lives of the Saints Calendar' is a 365-page calendar. Each day features the life of a saint, an insightful Orthodox teaching from the saints and elders, a comprehensive list of the day's commemorations, Gospel and Epistle readings, fasting guidelines, and references to feasts. The stories i
03/22/2026
The Sunday of St. John Climacus is observed on the Fourth Sunday of Great Lent in the Orthodox Church. It commemorates John Climacus, the author of The Ladder of Divine Ascent, a spiritual work describing the soul’s ascent to God through repentance, humility, and virtue. During the Lenten journey toward Pascha, this Sunday reminds the faithful that spiritual life is a continual struggle to rise toward Christ step by step, overcoming passions and growing in holiness.
03/20/2026
The Seven Virgin-Martyrs of Amisus were young Christian women who suffered martyrdom in the city of Amisus (in Pontus, in present-day Turkey) during the persecutions of the early centuries of the Church. Refusing to renounce Christ despite threats and torture, they remained steadfast in their faith and were put to death for their confession. The Orthodox Church honors their courage and purity of faith, commemorating them on March 20 as witnesses to Christ even unto death.
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03/19/2026
"We must always think of others because if we all pray Our Father, then we consider all people our brothers." ~ Saint Sofian of Antim
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03/17/2026
March 17: SAINT PATRICK OF IRELAND
St. Patrick (5th century) was a missionary bishop who brought Christianity to Ireland after once being taken there as a slave in his youth. After escaping and later becoming a bishop, he returned to Ireland out of love for the people who had once enslaved him and preached the Gospel throughout the land. Through his preaching, baptisms, and establishment of churches, much of Ireland embraced Christianity, and he became known as the Enlightener of Ireland. His humility, missionary zeal, and forgiveness remain a powerful witness of Christian faith.
Troparion
O Holy Hierarch Patrick,
Enlightener of Ireland,
Pray to Christ our God
That He may save our souls.
03/15/2026
“The Cross is the hope of Christians, the resurrection of the dead, the guide of the blind, the staff of the lame, the consolation of the poor, the curb of the rich, the destruction of the proud, and the victory over the demons.” ~ St. John Chrysostom
This teaching reminds the faithful that the Cross stands at the center of the Christian life—a source of strength, victory, and salvation as we continue the Lenten journey toward Pascha.
2026 Lives of the Saints Calendar Correction
Prescribed readings for March 14:
Hebrews 10:32-38; Mark 2:14-17
03/13/2026
Saint Christina of Persia was a Christian woman who suffered martyrdom in Persia for her unwavering confession of Christ. Despite persecution and suffering, she remained steadfast in her faith, choosing loyalty to Christ over her own life. Her witness reminds us that true faith endures even in the face of hardship and persecution.
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03/12/2026
“Do not say that it is impossible to receive the Spirit of God.
Do not say that it is possible to be saved without Him.
Do not say that anyone can possess Him without knowing it.
Do not say that God does not manifest Himself to man.”
~ St. Symeon the New Theologian (commemorated 3/12)
This quote reflects one of St. Symeon’s central teachings: that the Christian life is not merely theoretical, but a living and transformative experience of God’s grace and light.
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03/11/2026
In the Orthodox Church, Confession is a sacred mystery of healing and restoration, where we bring our sins before Christ and receive His mercy and forgiveness. Through sincere repentance and humility, the soul is cleansed and strengthened to continue the journey toward holiness.
"Fasting and prayer are the only way to prepare for true confession."
~ St. Nektarios of Aegina
03/09/2026
Today the Orthodox Church commemorates the Forty Holy Martyrs of Sebaste, soldiers who courageously confessed Christ during the persecutions of the early fourth century.
Refusing to sacrifice to pagan gods, they were condemned to stand naked on a frozen lake during the cold winter night. Nearby, warm baths were prepared to tempt them to abandon Christ. One soldier did falter, but a guard watching their faith was so moved that he confessed Christ himself and joined them on the ice—restoring the number to forty.
Their martyrdom reminds us that faithfulness, even in suffering, leads to the crown of eternal life.
“Forty wrestlers entered the stadium; forty were crowned.”
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03/08/2026
On the Second Sunday of Great Lent, the Orthodox Church commemorates St. Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessalonica and one of the great theologians of the Church.
St. Gregory defended the teaching that through prayer, repentance, and purification of the heart, human beings may truly experience the grace of God. He taught that while God’s essence remains unknowable, we participate in His uncreated energies, the same divine light revealed at the Transfiguration of Christ.
This Sunday reminds us that Great Lent is a journey not merely of external fasting, but of inner transformation—a call to deeper prayer and communion with God.
“Through stillness and prayer the heart becomes illumined by divine grace.” — St. Gregory Palamas
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03/06/2026
Take great care of your children. We live at a time when much freedom is given to the expression of thought, but little care is taken that thoughts should be founded on truth. Teach them to love truth.
~ St. Macarius of Optina
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Our story begins before I met Georgia. I would go to the Jersey shore with my Lives of the Saints books and bags of Almond Joys, devouring both.
Later, I would share these stories with Georgia. We lamented that only the saints’ names were remembered each day on the church calendar that hung on our kitchen wall.
As I shared these stories with my high school Sunday school students, I saw how genuinely interested they were. So, with the blessing of our spiritual father, Geronda Ephraim of Arizona, and our Bishop, Maximos of Pittsburgh, we created our first calendar in 1996.
We condensed these stories into almost sound bites that we have all become conditioned to. We pray that we do justice to the saints’ struggles. Some of the miracles seem so far outside the laws of nature that we wonder if fairy tales found their inspiration in them, perhaps even as a means to discredit the miracles. For example, the Seven Saints of Ephesus, whom the Lord put into a miraculous sleep for nearly two centuries, brings to mind the tale of Rip Van Winkle and the miracle of St. Spyridon turning a snake into gold reminds us of King Midas.
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