Former Popular Tik Toker Speaks Out On Why She Left Everything to Become an Orthodox Nun

On the evening of July 20th 2024, as the feast of the Prophet Elijah was drawing to a close, Metropolitan Makarios of Sidirokastro officiated at the Post-Festal Vespers at the Monastery of the Prophet Elijah in Kato Poroia, a village in Serres of Greece. There, in an atmosphere of reverence and solemnity, the Metropolitan tonsured two women as nuns. One of these women was named Katherine and she received the Great Schema along with the new name Makrina, while the other was a 23-year-old young woman named Helen Mazlou and she received the Small Schema along with the new name Ypomoni.

The feast drew a large crowd to the monastery that day, most of which were outdoors in the excessive summer heat, and this also is where the tonsurings took place, underneath the pine trees. After the tonsuring, the Metropolitan spoke words of advice and encouragement to the new nuns, and also addressed their Elders, Fathers Ioanikkios Kotsonis and Dositheos. This was followed with a rich feast.

September: Day 17: Teaching 1: Holy Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia

September: Day 17: Teaching 1: 

Holy Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia
 
(How Ancient Christians Raised and Taught Their Children)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Holy Martyrs Sophia and her three daughters: Faith, Hope and Love suffered in Rome during the reign of Hadrian in the 2nd century. During the persecution of Christians in 137, Sophia, a pious widow, was summoned to trial with her daughters Faith, Hope and Love, the eldest of whom was 12 years old and the youngest only 9.

"Lord! Do not abandon us, but help us not to be afraid of torment, not to be afraid of death! Help us, our Savior, not to turn away from You!" - the Christian mother cried out in prayer, with her three daughters, in whom she had already managed to establish the faith of Christ. And having prayed, they calmly went to court, surrendering themselves to the will of Him Who commanded us to not fear those who kill the body, but rather who kills the soul.

Introduction to the Life and Miracles of the Holy Great Martyr Euphemia (St. John of Kronstadt)

St. John of Kronstadt wrote the following introduction to the Life of Saint Euphemia that appears to have been published during his lifetime.

"God is wondrous in His saints" (Ps. 68:36).

"Praise God in His saints" (Ps. 150:1).

In the present age, the age of materialism, one can often meet among Christian people those who reject the existence of spirits and do not believe in the rational and conscious existence of human souls after the death of the body; in the eternity of blessedness for the righteous and the eternity of torment for sinners; in the miraculous incorruptibility of holy relics and in the miracles performed by them through the power of the Holy Spirit. One can meet people who treat holy relics and holy icons with disrespect in their speech, and call their due veneration idolatry. Finally, there are people who assert that all our torments and pleasures are only here on earth, and that therefore we must use time to enjoy everything that comes our way, more and faster, while we are alive and death has not overtaken us: for after death we, many of them say, will be destroyed, as if we had never existed. For such carnal people, who do not have the spirit, who "count it pleasure to revel in the daytime" (2 Pet. 2:13), in order to heal them from this disease of the spirit, called materialism, or simply sensuality, carnality ("My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh" - Gen. 6:3), one must advise abstinence, and with abstinence there should be prayer and diligent reading of the word of God and the lives of the saints. Abstinence and prayer will thin the carnality of their hearts ("For the hearts of this people have grown fat" - Matt. 13:15), humble their proud spirit and give access to the grace of the Holy Spirit to their hearts; the word of God will open and enlighten the eyes of their hearts, blinded by unbelief and carnality; and the lives of the saints will confirm to them by their very deeds the truth of the word of God written and given, for example: the truth of the existence of the spiritual world, the truth of the existence of human souls after the death of the body ("For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him" - Lk. 20:38), the possibility of their communication with us living on earth, the truth of future reward, the truth of the veneration of holy relics and holy icons, etc. 

 

September: Day 16: Teaching 1: Holy Great Martyr Euphemia

September: Day 16: Teaching 1: 

Holy Great Martyr Euphemia
 
(On the Education of Children in the Spirit of Faith and Piety)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Today the Holy Church celebrates the memory of the Holy Great Martyr Euphemia. She suffered during the most severe persecution of Diocletian. She was a virgin and at a very young age. All 49 Christians were taken with her. The other Christian martyrs feared for the young maiden Euphemia and exhorted her to be firm in the faith. When they were brought before the judge, he soon noticed the young maiden Euphemia, who, raising her eyes and hands to heaven, cried out: "Do not abandon me, Lord Jesus Christ. I trust in You, strengthen me, Your weak servant." The judge meanwhile turned to her with an admonition to renounce Christ. But she firmly answered: "Do not think that I am deceived by your words. Of course, I am a woman and by nature weak in body and young in years, but my heart is strong, faith strengthens my weakness, and by this faith I am stronger than you and wiser than the wise men who worship soulless gods." The judge ordered the girl to be tied to a wheel on which there were many sharp knives. Euphemia prayed and suddenly the wheel stopped. The torturer ordered her to be thrown into a fiery furnace, but the soldiers saw two angels and refused to fulfill the judge's command, and they themselves believed in Christ, while the others who threw her in were themselves scorched, and the Saint glorified God in the fire. The torturer condemned Euphemia to be devoured by wild beasts. The Saint, when brought to them, began to pray: "Lord of hosts! You have shown Your invincible power in me, now stop my suffering, accept my sacrifice, brought with a contrite heart and a spirit of humility, and grant rest to my soul, for You are blessed forever." While she was praying, animals, lions and bears were released upon her. But instead of attacking her, they licked her legs. Finally, one bear slightly wounded her leg. The Saint heard a voice from heaven and immediately gave up her soul to God. Suddenly, a terrible storm with an earthquake arose and everyone ran home in fear. Her parents buried her body.

September: Day 15: Teaching 1: Holy Great Martyr Niketas the Goth

Day 15: Teaching 1: 

Holy Great Martyr Niketas the Goth
 
(Sorrows Must be Borne with Magnanimity)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The now glorified Holy Great Martyr Niketas, was a Goth by birth, lived on the banks of the Danube and, having accepted the Christian faith, spread it among the Goths. At that time, there was an internecine war among the Goths. Two Goth kings, Fritigern and Athanaric, competed for power. Fritigern was a Christian, and Athanaric worshiped idols. Fritigern was defeated, fled to Greece, and, having gathered an army here, returned to the banks of the Danube. The military banners of his regiments were decorated with the sign of the cross. Having defeated Athanaric and taken the throne, Fritigern began to convert his subjects to the Christian faith. Bishop Ulfilas contributed to this matter by inventing the Gothic alphabet, and likewise Niketas by preaching and the example of a holy life.