In August we have several major celebrations including the Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ on Thursday 6th and the The Dormition of our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos and Ever Virgin Mary on Saturday 15th.

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Day	Date	Start	End	Details	Also Celebrated	Gospel
Sunday	2nd	9:00	12:30	Matins & Divine Liturgy – 9th Sunday of Matthew		John 20:19-31, I Corinthians 3:9-17, Matthew 14:22-34
Monday	3rd	19:00	20:00	Vespers – Paraklisis to the Virgin Mary
Tuesday	4th	19:00	20:00	Vespers – Paraklisis to the Virgin Mary
Wednesday	5th	19:00	20:00	Vespers – Paraklisis to the Virgin Mary
Thursday	6th	9:00	11:30	Divine Liturgy – Transfiguration of our Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ		Luke 9:28-36, II Peter 1:10-19, Matthew 17:1-9
Thursday	6th	19:00	20:00	Vespers – Paraklisis to the Virgin Mary
Friday	7th	19:00	20:00	Vespers – Paraklisis to the Virgin Mary
Sunday	9th	9:00	12:30	Matins & Divine Liturgy – 10th Sunday of Matthew		John 21:1-14, I Corinthians 4:9-16, Matthew 17:14-23
Monday	10th	19:00	20:00	Vespers – Paraklisis to the Virgin Mary
Tuesday	11th	19:00	20:00	Vespers – Paraklisis to the Virgin Mary
Wednesday	12th	19:00	20:00	Vespers – Paraklisis to the Virgin Mary
Thursday	13th	19:00	20:00	Vespers – Paraklisis to the Virgin Mary
Friday	14th	19:00	20:00	Vespers – Dormition of our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos and Ever Virgin Mary
Saturday	15th	9:00	11:30	Divine Liturgy – Dormition of our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos and Ever Virgin Mary		Luke 1:39-49, 56, Philippians 2:5-11, Luke 10:38-42, 11:27-28
Sunday	16th	9:00	12:30	Matins & Divine Liturgy – 11th Sunday of Matthew		John 21:14-25, I Corinthians 9:2-12, Matthew 18:23-35
Sunday	23rd	9:00	12:30	Matins & Divine Liturgy – 12th Sunday of Matthew		Matthew 28:16-20, I Corinthians 15:1-11, Matthew 19:16-26
Thursday	27th	9:00	11:30	Divine Liturgy – St. Phanourios the Great Martyr		II Corinthians 10:7-18, Mark 3:28-35
Sunday	30th	9:00	12:30	Matins & Divine Liturgy – 13th Sunday of Matthew	Also celebrating: Beheading of the Holy & Glorious Prophet, Forerunner & Baptist John (29th)	Mark 16:1-8, I Corinthians 16:13-24, Matthew 21:33-42

The Transfiguration of Christ – Thursday 6th August

Our Lord had spoken to His disciples many times not only concerning His Passion, Cross, and Death, but also concerning the coming persecutions and afflictions that they themselves would endure.

Since all these evils were near at hand, but the enjoyment of good things which they hoped to receive in their stead was yet to come, our Savior desired to give them full assurance, evidently and openly, concerning that glory which is prepared for those who endure to the end. Therefore, fulfilling that which He had promised shortly before, that “there be some standing here which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in His Kingdom” (Matt. 16:28), He took His three foremost disciples and ascended Mount Tabor, where He was transfigured before them.

His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as the light. Suddenly, together with this dread and marvelous effulgence of light, there appeared those pinnacles of the Prophets, Moses and Elias, who spoke with the Lord Jesus concerning His saving Passion which was about to take place.

Standing before Him as reverent servants, they showed that He is the Lord of both the living and the dead, for Moses came forth from Hades, having died many centuries before, and Elias, as it were from heaven, whither he had been taken up while yet alive. After a little while a radiant cloud overshadowed them and out of the cloud they heard that same voice which had been heard at the Jordan at the Baptism of Christ, testifying to the Divinity of Jesus and saying: “This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well-pleased; hear ye Him” (Matt. 17: 5).

Such are the marvels, truly worthy of God, celebrated in this present feast, which is an image and prefiguring of the future state of the righteous, whose splendor the Lord spoke of, saying: “Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun” (Matt. 13:43).

It is because of this that the Kontakion of this Feast is said daily (when there is not a great feast) in the Service of the Typica in perpetual commemoration of the glory that will be the lot of the Saints. According to tradition, the Lord’s Transfiguration came to pass forty days before His Crucifixion; this is why the Transfiguration is celebrated forty days before the Exaltation of the Cross.

The Dormition of our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos and Ever Virgin Mary – Saturday 15th August

Concerning the Dormition of the Theotokos, this is what the Church has received from ancient times from the tradition of the Fathers. When the time drew nigh that our Savior was well-pleased to take His Mother to Himself, He declared unto her through an Angel that three days hence, He would translate her from this temporal life to eternity and bliss.

On hearing this, she went up with haste to the Mount of Olives, where she prayed continuously. Giving thanks to God, she returned to her house and prepared whatever was necessary for her burial. While these things were taking place, clouds caught up the Apostles from the ends of the earth, where each one happened to be preaching, and brought them at once to the house of the Mother of God, who informed them of the cause of their sudden gathering. As a mother, she consoled them in their affliction as was meet, and then raised her hands to Heaven and prayed for the peace of the world. She blessed the Apostles, and, reclining upon her bed with seemliness, gave up her all-holy spirit into the hands of her Son and God.

With reverence and many lights, and chanting burial hymns, the Apostles took up that God-receiving body and brought it to the sepulchre, while the Angels from Heaven chanted with them, and sent forth her who is higher than the Cherubim.

But one Jew, moved by malice, audaciously stretched forth his hand upon the bed and immediately received from divine judgment the wages of his audacity. Those daring hands were severed by an invisible blow. But when he repented and asked forgiveness, his hands were restored. When they had reached the place called Gethsemane, they buried there with honor the all-immaculate body of the Theotokos, which was the source of Life. But on the third day after the burial, when they were eating together, and raised up the artos (bread) in Jesus’ Name, as was their custom, the Theotokos appeared in the air, saying “Rejoice” to them. From this they learned concerning the bodily translation of the Theotokos into the Heavens.

These things has the Church received from the traditions of the Fathers, who have composed many hymns out of reverence, to the glory of the Mother of our God 

Agios Fanourios – Thursday 27th August

On August 27 the Greek Orthodox Church celebrates the Feast Day of Agios Fanourios, commemorating the Martyr and Miracle Worker who is asked to intercede when things are lost.

Fanouropita is also made on August 27th, to commemorate Saint Fanourios.

The story behind this is said to be that the Saint’s mother is said to have been a tough, and hard woman especially towards the poor, and behaved inhumanly and The Archangel Michael, along with Agios Fanourios, tried to help her change but couldn’t.

Agios Fanourios begged and prayed not for himself but for his mother to be forgiven and for her soul to rest in peace and this is said to have been heard by God. So now the faithful also turn to Agios Fanourios to intercede for them and to pray for them when they lose objects and ask for him to reveal them or to bring them something they desire, especially good health, fertility, or even a for a husband and wife for those who are single.

Churches Dedicated to Agios Fanourios

The best known church is located at the namesake street in the Medieval Town of Rhodes. It was built in the 13th century A.D. It’s cross shaped and the interior is adorned with wonderful frescos. It officiated as a mesgit (small mosque) during the ottoman occupation.

There is no known testimony for its name before the ottoman period. The interior was preserved in the 20’s by the Italian Archaeological Service and after WWII, Greeks took over the church. In 1946 the church was inaugurated and dedicated to Agios Fanourios.

The worship of Agios Fanourios seems to have started from Rhodes and then expanded initially to Crete and then to the rest of the country.

Different sources cite that, while workers were digging outside the southern walls to collect building materials, they uncovered the ruins of a church. Among other things, an icon was found depicting Agios Fanourios wearing a military uniform and surrounded by scenes of his martyrdom.

Obviously that icon was part of a fresco. Agios Fanourios’ first miracle was the liberation of three Cretan priests from pirates while transferring a copy of the archetypal icon to Crete.

There is a special church dedicated to Agios Fanourios, which is located at Lake Doxa, which is an artificial lake in western Corinthia, Greece. It is situated at an elevation of 900m, in the municipal unit Feneos, near the village Archaia Feneos.

Construction was completed in the late 1990s. It is fed and drained by the small river Doxa, which empties into the plain of Feneos. In the heart of the lake on a small peninsula features the small church of Agios Fanourios.

There is also a church dedicated to Saint Fanourios at Drapetzona in Piraeus.

The Tortures of Agios Fanourios

Saint Fanourios, who lived during Roman times, went up bravely against the idolatric world, for the Christian spirit of this man of God did not allow him to deny his unquestionably virtuous principles.

Thus, the 12 tortures that the Saint suffered constitute for us a strong motivation for perseverance and adherence to the moral values of Christianity, to come out victors from the in-cessant struggle of unbelief and injustice of our time.

This Saint teaches us with his real sacrifice that even though we do not struggle against Roman soldiers and vile Hagarenes, still we have to confront the more skillfully set traps of materialism and atheism, that attempt en masse to overwhelm the Christian order.

Saint Fanourios also taught us that the crown of a virtuous life is not easily won but only through continuous tests – with boldness, patience and perseverance. Therefore, as true fighters of the faith let us imitate the exemplary and irreproachable life of the Saint, so that we too may be found worthy to honour the Christian name we bear, as he so fittingly did.

The icon of Fanourios often depicts the 12 tortures/tribulations that he was subjected to as the pagan Roman rulers tried to force him to denounce his Christian beliefs. Below is what the icon typically shows.

1. The Saint is present in front of the Roman magistrate, standing and looking like he is boldly testifying and defending his Christian faith.

2. Here the soldiers are intervening and striking Fanourios’ head and the mouth with stones to force him to succumb and deny the Lord.

3. The soldiers have thus far become enraged by the persistence of Fanourios, throwing him to the ground and beating him mercilessly with sticks and clubs to break his steadfast resistance.

4. Fanourios is in jail and is being tortured in a most abominable way. He appears totally naked and the surrounding soldiers are tearing his flesh with sharp metal instruments. The Saint is silently enduring his frightful martyrdom.

5. Fanourios is back in jail praying to God to strengthen him to the end of his tortures.

6. The Saint is again brought before the Roman magistrate to give a defense for his posi-tion. By the peaceful expression on his face it appears that neither the tortures he suf-fered nor the future threats of the tyrant can shake his faith, and thus being undeterred he is waiting for further tortures.

7. The torturers of Fanourios with rage and cruelty are burning his naked body with lit torches, thus showing his insuperable sacrifice for the Crucified One. The Saint wins again with his indomitable will and fortitude for the Lord.

8. Here his savage torturers are making use of mechanical means to achieve the worse of his tortures. They have tied the Saint on a press which crushes his bones when rotated. He is suffering without grumbling, but on his beautiful face there is an inexpressible exul-tation since he is suffering for the sake of the Lord.

9. Fanourios is cast into a pit to become prey to wild beasts and his torturers are watching from above to witness his end. The beasts, however, are totally docile through the grace of God and silently surround him like lambs to enjoy his magnificent company.

10. The torturers were not satisfied by the latest result so they removed him from the hole and are crushing him under a huge rock, convinced that they will finish him off. However, even this time they do not succeed.

11. The scene presents the Saint in front of an altar, where the torturers are urging him to sacrifice, placing burning coal in his hands. Fanourios also passes this test victoriously and a devil in the form of a dragon is shown flying in the air and crying over its failure.

12. The last scene is the end of his martyrdom, with Fanourios being cast into a large furnace standing on a stool and surrounded by flames and smoke. The Saint seems to be praying intently to God, without complaining or grumbling, and thus unwavering and without giving in, he flew to heaven, full of contentment for all the tortures he had suffered for the sake of the Lord.

This is why Agios Fanourios is known as ‘The Undefeated One’.

The Saint For Finding Lost Things

Agios Fanourios’ name is from the Greek word ‘fanerono’ which means reveal.

The tradition of baking a Fanouropita is a great honour bestowed upon the Saint.

Many Greeks worldwide today will make a Fanouropita and take it to church to be blessed and then they will share it amongst family and friends.

When you make the cake, you are also meant to say-

“Lord have mercy on the soul of Agios Fanourios’ mother.”

Today is also the name day of Fanourios, Fanouria.

Xronia Polla!

Agios Fanourios’ name is from the Greek word ‘fanerono’ which means reveal.

The tradition of baking a Fanouropita is a great honour bestowed upon the Saint.

Many Greeks worldwide today will make a Fanouropita and take it to church to be blessed and then they will share it amongst family and friends.

When you make the cake, you are also meant to say-

“Lord have mercy on the soul of Agios Fanourios’ mother.”

Today is also the name day of Fanourios, Fanouria.

Xronia Polla!

 Here is an easy to follow recipe-

Ingredients →

• 1 x cup olive oil
• 1 ¼ cups fresh orange juice
• 2 x teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 x teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 x cup sugar
• 2 x cups self-raising flour, sifted
• 1 x cup walnuts, chopped
• 1 x teaspoon baking powder
• Icing sugar for garnishing (optional)

Method →

• Preheat the oven to 160°C and line a 20–25 cm round cake tin with baking paper.
• Place the olive oil, orange juice, cinnamon, cloves and sugar in a bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon until the sugar dissolves a little.
• 
Gradually add the flour, mixing well, then add the walnuts, followed by the baking powder. Stir until well combined.
• Pour the cake mix into the tin and bake for 15 minutes.
• Reduce the temperature to 130°C and bake for a further 40 minutes or until cooked (a skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean). Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly.
• Dust with icing sugar and serve warm or at room temperature.