What saint is commemorated today, April 25, 2024?

St. Pious Basil from Poiana Marului was born in 1692 in Poltava, Ukraine. He comes to the Romanian Country, very probably during the time of Constantin Brancoveanu and Metropolitan Antim Ivireanu, when the church and cultural life of the Romanian Country was at its peak. Together with his disciple, the hieromonk Mihail, and other monks, he entered the community of the Dalhauti Monastery, near the town of Focsani, where he remained for 20 years. Here he was ordained a priest and soon after appointed abbot, even though he was not yet 30 years old. Saint Vasile gathers around him a community of over 40 hermit monks, whom he accustoms to obedience, humility, silence and the prayer of the mind. Thus, abbot Vasile makes his community a real school of hesychast living.

After founding several monasteries in Buzau and Vrancea, he settled at Poiana Marului Monastery.

The name of Venerable Vasile from Poiana Marului is associated with the existence of Romanian hesychasm, that is, the practice of the prayer of the mind. In addition to his chosen spiritual-ascetic life, abbot Vasile was also a good connoisseur of patristic and post-patristic writings, from which he made certain translations. As a teacher of prayer, the great abbot also wrote some “Words” about guarding the mind, about prayer and spiritual growth, short introductions to philolocal writings, theological-ascetic works, in the Slavonic language, which remained in manuscript.
He was the spiritual father of the future abbot Paisie from Neamt, whom he made a monk in 1750, in Athos.
Saint Pious Vasile from Poiana Marului passed to eternal life on April 25, 1767. Due to his holy life, the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, in its meeting of March 4-5, 2003, decided that he should be passed into the ranks of the Pious Fathers of God, with the date of celebration April 25.

Troparion of Saint Basil from Poiana Marului

Teacher of the right reverence for God, teacher of monks, preacher of grace, teacher of the prayer of the sober mind, Reverend Father Basil, always ask Christ God to save our souls.

Saint Apostle and Evangelist Mark accompanied Saint Apostle Paul and Barnabas, his cousin, on the first missionary journey, and after going with Barnabas to Cyprus, he again accompanied Saint Apostle Paul to Rome. There he meets the Holy Apostle Peter and after his sermon he will write the Gospel that bears his name. According to tradition, Saint Mark founded the Church of Alexandria, where he was appointed bishop. It is believed that he died a martyr during the Easter holidays, being taken out of the catacomb where he was celebrating the Holy Liturgy, tied with ropes and dragged through the city.

Saint Mark the Evangelist, commemorated by our Church on April 25, is the founder and protector of the Patriarchate of Alexandria. The lion, the distinctive sign of Saint Mark, is on the coat of arms of the Patriarchate to show the apostolic origin of Christianity in this area of ​​Africa. This is one of the five ancient patriarchates of the Church, a member of the “Pentarchy”. It occupies the second place in diptychs, after the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

Also today, we commemorate:
– To the Holy Hierarch of Macedonia, Patriarch of Constantinople;
– Saint Martyr Nichi;

Article and photo: Calendarortodox.ro

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