The second Sunday of Great Lent is dedicated to the prominent 14th century theologian Saint Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessaloniki. He defended the Orthodox faith by developing the doctrine of divine energies and hesychasm. His memory is also celebrated on November 14, on which day he died in 1359.
The memory of St. Hypatius and the Reverend Apollonius is also celebrated.
Saint Hypatius was a native of the region of Cilicia, Asia Minor, and lived in the III-IV century. He was known for his holy life and deep knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, and he had grace from God to work miracles. Elected bishop of the city of Gangra in the region of Paphlagonia (today the city of Çankara in northern Turkey), he was one of the 318 holy fathers who participated in the First Ecumenical Council. The Council was convened by Emperor Constantine the Great in 325 in the city of Nicaea (today Iznik, Turkey) to oppose the heresy of the Alexandrian priest Arius, who claimed that the Son of God was not equal to God the Father and was His creation.
Even before the ecumenical council, Saint Hypatius diligently taught the Christians in his diocese about the Orthodox faith, in order to avoid both the Arian deviations and the heresy of the Roman priest Novatian, who came to Asia Minor. This heretic lived in the 3rd century and taught that those who apostatized during the persecutions should not be readmitted to the Church if they repented. This opinion of his was supported by many in the West and a great schism was created in the Church, although the Orthodox teaching about sinners is that the doors of repentance are always open to all. Gradually, followers of Novatian appeared in various parts of the empire. And when Saint Hypatius was returning to his diocese from the Council of Nicaea, he was attacked and killed by Novatian heretics in 326.
The Venerable Apollonius was a native of Egypt. From his youth he desired a secluded spiritual life and retired to the desert, where he spent forty years in monastic asceticism. When he gained spiritual experience, Apollonius founded a monastery near Ermopol, where many monks gradually gathered. The monk Apollonius was a strict faster and prayer-monger, and his example was followed by the monks in his monastery. The holy ascetic rested in the IV century.
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