Today is Bright Wednesday during Bright Week of Great Lent, Wednesday, April 19th, A.D. 2017 according to the Julian Calendar used by a majority of Eastern/Oriental/Assyrian Orthodox/Catholic Christian Churches.
Today I will first list all of the Saints and commemorations of the day for Western Christians. Next I will list all the Saints and commemorations of the day for Eastern Christians. Finally, I will list Saints and commemorations held in common today by both Western and Eastern Christianity.
Note when I say Western Christianity, I mean the Roman Catholic Christian Church. When I say Eastern Christianity, I mean the 23 Eastern Catholic Christian Churches in full communion with the Holy See of Rome, all of the Eastern Orthodox Catholic Christian Churches, all of the Oriental Orthodox Catholic Christian Churches (though I may miss some of their saints and commemorations as well as the Assyrians because I'm using an Eastern Orthodox source for my Eastern commemorations), and both of the Assyrian Catholic Churches - the Assyrian Church of the East - officially the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East, and the Ancient Church of the East - officially the Ancient Holy Apostolic Catholic Church of the East.
I do not include in these Churches groups such as Old Believer Russian Orthodox, Old Calendarists who are not in communion with the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, Polish National Catholics, Society of Saint Pius X, Society of St. Josaphat, the dozens of non canonical orthodox churches, the dozens of schismatic catholic churches, or any non canonical, schismatical group.
The reason I only include the canonical Catholic Christian Church (the Roman Catholic Church and the 23 Eastern Catholic Churches), and the canonical Eastern/Oriental/Assyrian Orthodox/Catholic Christian Churches is because according to Catholic dogma, these canonical bodies, though lacking full communion with Rome (except for the Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion), they are all in possession of valid and grace filled Sacraments due to valid Apostolic Succession.
You would have to study Catholic Canon Law and the Magisterial Documents authored by the Holy Spirit and the Church Fathers of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council to understand this situation fully. Technically, the Eastern Orthodox Catholic Christian Churches are the closest to full Communion with Rome than any other Eastern Church - they possess valid Sacraments and Apostolic Succession and have 100% orthodox Catholic belief. The issue is the fact that technically they are illictly celebrating the Sacraments because they are severed from the Head of the Church, the See of Rome, and St. Peter the Prince of the Apostles.
I won't go into much more detail, but all these canonical Eastern Churches are grace filled Churches, and in my opinion, are dear brothers and sisters in Christ even if their canonical status is irregular - that is between Christ, the individual members of these Churches, and the Patriarchs and Primates of these Churches to hammer out and judge - not a lowly layman like myself.
Now, I do not include in Western Christianity any other body besides the Roman Catholic Church simply because the Roman Church is the only Western Christian Church with valid Sacraments and Apostolic Succession. Certain Anglican, Episcopalian, Lutheran, Methodist and Presbyterian Protestant Christian Churches, while having valid baptism and so being members of the body of Christ, lack the authority to confer the Sacraments and so I do not count them amongst the ancient Churches.
The Roman Catholic and Eastern Catholic Churches, the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox and Assyrian Catholic Churches can all trace their Apostolic succession, their doctrines, their communities, all the way back to the time of the Apostles and Jesus.
The schismatic and noncanonical catholic/orthodox churches cannot do that because they can only go as far back as to when they broke away from the Apostolic Church which they originated from. For example - the "Association of Croatian Orthodox Believers", who call themselves "the Croatian Orthodox Church", can only trace there lineage back to September of 2010. Hence they are not an Apostolic Church, they do not have valid Sacraments, they do not have a valid Priesthood, and they may or may not have a valid baptism (they likely do, though I'm not familiar enough with the group to judge).
Likewise, in Western Christianity, no Protestant Christian Community can trace its lineage back any further than the 12th century of Christ at the very earliest, and the most ancient Protestant Community still in existence traces its origins to the mid 15th century - this is the Moravian Church, which originated in the year 1457 in Bohemia (modern Czech Republic) and were followers of Jan Hus and Petr Chelcicky.
Similarly, other Protestant Communities can trace their roots back to the 16th century and Martin Luther - Lutheran Protestant Christian Communities. Certain Anabaptists and Calvinists can trace their lineage back to the 16th century to men such as Huldrych Zwingli or John Calvin. The English Reformation and the Church of England, the Anglican and Episcopal Churches, some of which are the closest to legitimate Western Catholic Christian Churches in existence, trace their lineage back to 16th century England and King Henry VIII. They had splits that led to groups like the Lollards and Puritants, etc.
Continuing on through the centuries, we have the Congregationalists springing into existence in 1592 and founded by Robert Browne, and later the Unitarians who split from them near the end of the 18th century. The mid 16th century reformer John Knox and the founding of Presbyterian churches with the Church of Scotland. Other churches like the Baptists and Methodists with John Wesley and so many more, too many to list in even 1000 pages, were rooted in this time as well.
Leaving the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries behind, we arrive in America in the 18th century. The "first great awakening" was a religious revival that swept across the American colonies in the 1730s and 40s, forever impacting American Christianity. Out of this grew the Quakers and the Shakers, the Pilgrims and the Puritans of the New World.
Moving into the 19th century, we have modern "prophets" arising and founding even more sects - leading to the Millerites and the "great disappointment" when the false prophet William Miller convinced thousands of people to give up all their possessions because Jesus was going to return to earth on March 21st, 1844. When March 21st 1844 came and went, chaos ensued. Some people lost their faith. Some rioted. It is suspected even some suicides and murders were influenced by this disaster.
Henry Emmons, one of the Millerites, wrote thus "I waited all Tuesday [October 22] and dear Jesus did not come;– I waited all the forenoon of Wednesday, and was well in body as I ever was, but after 12 o’clock I began to feel faint, and before dark I needed someone to help me up to my chamber, as my natural strength was leaving me very fast, and I lay prostrate for 2 days without any pain– sick with disappointment"
Out of this movement came another false prophet, Ellen G White, an epileptic who claimed visions of Jesus and heaven and claimed that the Catholic Church was the antichrist, that Sunday worship was satanic, and all sorts of ludacris heretical doctrines which the Seventh Day Adventists still believe today.
Other false prophets arose in the 19th century who's heresies are still being felt around the world today as well. Joseph Smith was a con artist, a charlatan, a womanizing pervert and false prophet. Over 10 million people are hypnotized by his demonic heresy and the various Mormon/ Latter Day "saint" organizations.
And coming to our current days, Baptists and Pentecostals gave rise to Fundamentalist American Protestants, "Bible only" and "non denominational" Christians, and all sorts of other sects.
This is how we ended up with over 30,000 contradictory sects in Western Christianity. This is the rotten fruit of disobedience to the Apostolic See of St. Peter. This is scandal which causes the world to look at Christendom and say "Christianity can't possibly be true, which one of the 30,000 churches and 10,000 preachers and 5,000 false prophets who are all preaching contradictory messages are teaching the truth?"
Anyways, today is my 5 year wedding anniversary with my wife and I have to get ready in a few minutes, so after that long interlude and half cocked history lesson, let's get on with our Litany of Western and Eastern Christian Saints.
Eastern Christian Saints and Commemorations:
Synaxis of the Venerable Fathers of the Holy Mount Sinai (movable holiday on the Wednesday of the Bright Week).
"Kasperov" Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos (movable holiday on the Wednesday of the Bright Week).
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| The Kasperovsk Icon of the MostHoly Mother of God during the War of 1853‑1855 defended the city of Odessa against an incursion of hostile forces. O Most Holy Theotokos, save us! Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen! |
St. and New Hieromartyr John the Priest, pray for us!
St. and New Hieromartyr James the Priest, pray for us!
St. Sebastian, Elder of Optina and Karaganda, pray for us!
St. Methodius, Equal-to-the-Apostles, enlightener of the Slavs, pray for us!
St. Martyrs Jeremiah and Archilias the Presbyter, pray for us!
St. Venerable Gregory of St. Athanasius monastery on Mt. Athos, instructor of St. Gregory Palamas, and St. Palamas, pray for us!
St. Venerable Gregory the Sinaite, pray for us!
The 2 Martyr Saints from Ascalon, pray for us!
St. and New Martyr Nicholas of Lesbos, pray for us!
St. and New Monk-martyr Gennadius of Dionysiou, Mt. Athos, who suffered at Constantinople, pray for us!
St. New Martyrs Manuel, Theodore, George, Michael, and another George, of Samothrace, pray for us!
All you holy Saints of God, pray for us!
Western Christian Saints and Commemorations:
St. Agrarius the Martyr, pray for us!
St. Amand of Grisalba, pray for us!
St. Berthanc of Kirkwall, pray for us!
St. Brychan of Brycheiniog, pray for us!
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| O St. Brychan of Brycheiniog, thou holy Welsh King, pray for us! |
Bl. Catherine of Pallanza, pray for us!
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| Glorious and Blessed Catherine of Pallanza, pray for us! |
St. Diogenes of Philippi, pray for us!
St. Elstan of Abingdon, pray for us!
St. Galla of Rome, pray for us!
St. Gennard, pray for us!
Bl. Guglielmo of San Romano, pray for us!
St. Irenaeus of Sirmium, pray for us!
Bl. Jan Franciszek Czartoryski, pray for us!
St. Marcellinus the Martyr, pray for us!
Bl. Maria Karlowska, pray for us!
Bl. Michele Rua, pray for us!
Bl. Notkar Balbulus, pray for us!
St. Phaolô Lê Bao Tinh, pray for us!
St. Philaret of Calabria, pray for us!
Bl. Pierina Morosini, pray for us!
St. Prudentius of Troyes, pray for us!
St. Timothy of Philippi, pray for us!
St. Ulched, pray for us!
St. Urban of Peñalba, pray for us!
St. William of Eskilsoe, pray for us!
St. Winebald, pray for us!
Bl. Zefirino Agostini, pray for us!
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| Blessed Zefirino Agostini, pray for us! |
The Seven Saint Martyrs of Sirmium, pray for us!
All those Martyred in the Spanish Civil War, pray for us!
Especially the Spanish Martry Saints Enric Gispert Domenech and Josep Gomis Martorell, pray for us!
St. Cronan Beg of Clonmacnoise, pray for us!
All you holy Saints of God, pray for us!
Finally, Christian Saints and Commerations for today celebrated by both Eastern and Western Christians:
St. Eutichio (Eutychius), Patriarch of Constantinople, pray for us!
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| Holy Father St. Eutychius, thou holy Patriarch of Constantinople, please pray for peace between the Apostolic Sees of St. Peter of Rome and St. Andrew of Constantinople, and peace and unity amongst all those who call themselves Christians! |
St. Venerable Platonides (Platonida) of Ashkelon/Nisibis, pray for us!
The 120 holy Saint-Martyrs of Hadiab-Persia, pray for us!
All you holy Saints of God, pray for us!
O Most Holy Trinity, Our God, Glory to Thee!
As always, credit to my sources for making this series possible! Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church, Catholic Saints dot info, The Omniscient Google, The ever handy Wikipedia!
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