Venerable Melania, a native of Rome, lived in the years of Emperor Honorius (395-423), son of Theodosius the Great.

Her noble parents married her off at an early age and she had two children.

But she was overcome by great trials.

Both her children died young, and after some time her husband also died suddenly. 

Then Melania, at the behest of Christ, decided to devote her time and means to helping the poor and sick, sheltering strangers, visiting prisoners.

At that time in Rome there was great interest in the cradle of Christianity - the Holy Land.

Many people went to Palestine and Egypt to see the shrines, worship them, and learn from the saints of the early Church. 

Likewise, the Latin writer St. Jerome settled in Palestine, where he learned Hebrew and translated the entire Bible into Latin.

Melania's grandmother, whose name she bore, was also on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, where she spent a lot of time.

The pious and educated widow Melania also went there. 

After visiting many places in North Africa and especially in Egypt, she reached Jerusalem, where she lived in a modest cell.

Gradually, other women gathered around her and a monastery was formed with dozens of ascetics.

But after years of hard work and fasting, the saint fell ill with pleurisy.

Despite the care given to her, she rested after receiving communion with the holy mysteries.

We celebrate the memory of the holy martyr Anisia

Saint Theophylact was born on the island of Euboea (today in Greece) and lived in the XI century.

He became a cleric in Constantinople, and then was elected "Archbishop of Bulgaria" with seat in Ohrid. 

He was a notable ecclesiastical writer who interpreted the Holy Scriptures, compiled services and lives of Bulgarian saints, and provided valuable historical information about the activities of Saint Prince Boris and Tsar Simeon the Great.

The Orthodox Church observes