What church holiday will be celebrated tomorrow in Ukraine according to the new calendar and to whom the faithful pray – read in the material of TSN.ua.
Tomorrow, May 8, in the Orthodox calendar the day of memory of Saint Arseny the Great. He was an early Christian saint and father of the church. His life was dedicated to ascetic feats, and he spent 55 years in monastic prisons, earning the nickname “The Great” from his contemporaries.
The main information about the saint is contained in Apophthegmata Patrum. He was born in 350-354 in a pious Christian family in Rome. He received a good education, studied Latin and Greek. As a young man, he became a deacon of one of the Roman churches. Later, he moved away to the Scythian desert, where he left the worldly life and became a monk. St. Arsenius gained popularity among Egyptian monasticism for his virtuous life and monastic teachings that were written down by his disciples.
The church holiday of May 8 is the day of memory of John the Theologian
He was a close disciple and witness of Jesus Christ. His life was permeated with great love for Christ and the preaching of the Gospel.
John the Theologian was one of the three apostles whom Jesus especially accepted to Himself and brought closer to His spiritual life. He was present during the resurrection of Jairus’ daughter and the Transfiguration of the Lord on Mount Tabor. He was also with Jesus during the Last Supper and in the Garden of Gethsemane during His arrest.
After the crucifixion of Christ on the Cross, John became the guardian of the Mother of God and served Her until Her Assumption. Later, by lot, he went to the city of Ephesus, where he preached the Gospel together with his disciple Prokhor. During their missionary journeys, they survived a shipwreck, but God preserved John the Theologian in the abyss of the sea, showing his special purpose.
The apostle John continued to preach Christ in Ephesus after his release from prison on the island of Patmos. He wrote messages in which he urged Christians to love God and neighbor. John the Theologian lived a long and long life, becoming the last living witness of the incarnation of Christ. During his departure, he ordered his disciples to prepare for him a grave in the shape of a cross, in which he lay. Then he ordered them to cover the grave with earth. When John’s other disciples came to his burial place, they found the tomb empty.
Signs of May 8
Folk signs on May 8 / Photo: Unsplash
- In the evening, the sky has a red tint – the next day will be good weather.
- Cherry blossoms have bloomed – you can sow wheat.
- Rain – to a large harvest of mushrooms.
What can’t be done tomorrow
On this day, our ancestors tried not to wash their clothes, even if they were very dirty. They believed that then all things would spoil quickly and they would have to be thrown away. It was also forbidden to quarrel with relatives – otherwise you will spend the whole year in quarrels.
What can be done tomorrow
The peasants planted cucumbers on John the Theologian, because there was a belief that they would then grow long and very tasty. Housewives baked pies, which had to be eaten or distributed to the poor before evening.
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