Romanos, our Holy Father, hailed from Syria, having as his hometown the Hellenized city of Emesa, which is now Homs, situated on the Orontes River. He offered himself wholly to Christ from his youth and was even then adorned with the virtues. When he came of age, he flourished in his service as a deacon of the Church of Berythus (Beirut).

The Sacred Feast of the Holy Protection of our Most Holy and Glorious Lady and Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary is celebrated today, brethren, in remembrance of a vision beheld by our Holy Father among the Saints, the Venerable Andrew, the fool-for-Christ's sake, during the reign of Emperor Leo. Saint Andrew' struggle and labors for God, amid the most severe deprivations, took him through the streets of Constantinople. He was vouchsafed many visions, but the last recorded one, which took place during a vigil he attended, served as the basis for the establishment of this holy Feast of Vlachernai, at the Church of the Theotokos. This church is described as follows by an anonymous Byzantine hymnographer:

Saint John Chrysostom sees that the role of priests in the Mysteries (Sacraments) of Reconciliation/Confession, Baptism and Eucharist makes our salvation dependent upon them! "For if anyone will consider how great a thing it is for one, being a man, and compassed with flesh and blood, to be enabled to draw near to that blessed and pure nature, he will then clearly see that great honor the grace of the Spirit has vouchsafed to priests; since by their agency these rites are celebrated, and others nowise inferior to these both in respect of our dignity and our salvation.

The priesthood is an institution of Christianity for which a man "of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom" (Acts 6:3) is ordained a priest and held the post of serving the Church. About this diakonia many of the early Church Holy Fathers wrote as well as how to live a priestly life. Saint John Chrysostom is the one of the main Church Holy Fathers who wrote about the sacred Priesthood. He wrote around six books which dealt with the Christian Priesthood.

Orthodoxy is faith "in one, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church".  

The Orthodox Church, as "the pillar and ground of the truth" (1 Timothy 3:15), as a living organism, against which even "the gates of hell shall not prevail" (St. Matthew 16:18), and which has Christ Himself as its Head, abiding with it "always, even to the end of the age" (St. Matthew 28:20).

"And they besought Him that they might touch if it were, but the border of His garment; and as many as touched Him were made whole" (St. Mark 6:56).