Saints

One of my favorite things about Advent is the collection of Advent Saints. While still in November there is St. Catherine's Day (and when my little boys are older we willbe having the traditional St. Catherines Day Party, with the wheels and lambs wool and everything.) an there is St. Nicholas day and St.Ambrose's Day and today is a collection of very famous saints.

St Lucy of Syracuse is one of the Holy Martyrs who obtained their crowns during the reign of Diocletian. Her name means 'light" and ironically part of the torture she endured was the tearing out of her eyes. After her victory she appeared clothed in light walking on a lake in Sweden where she gave aid to people suffering from a terrible famine. You better believe that if I had a daughter she would be wearing that hat made of candles today.

St. Eustratius and his companions killed in Armenia, also during the riegn of Diocletion. Together they are called the "Five Companions". Someof the prayers they uttered while being tortured were incorporated into the Church's services.

And today is the repose of St. Herman the Wonderworker of Alaska. Working alone and forgotten by his countrymen,he evangelized the natives on Spruce Island, worked miracles, founded a school, invented an alphabet, and translated the services and Biblical texts.

I'm sure there are others, but these are the only ones I know.