The August Fast begins on August 1st. On this day our Holy Orthodox Christian Church celebrates the Procession of the Precious and Life-giving Cross. The Holy Seven Maccabee Children, Solomone, their mother, and Eleazar, their teacher.

From Apostolic times and to our days all who truly love Christ give veneration to Her Who gave birth to Him, raised Him and protected Him in the day of His youth. If God the Father chose Her, God the Holy Spirit descended upon Her, and God the Son dwelt in Her, submitted to Her in the days of His youth, was concerned for Her when hanging on the Cross--then should not everyone who confesses the Holy Trinity venerate Her?

Saint Panteleimon, the Great Martyr, was born at the end of the 3rd century A.D. His father, Efstrogios (Eustrogios), was not only very rich but was well known for his zeal in idol worship; whereas his mother Saint Evoule (Euboule) was a faithful Orthodox Christian full of Holy Spirit, love and kindness. Her only interest was to guide her only begotten son in the True faith and virtuous life.

The holy and glorious Virgin-Martyr Saint Paraskevi was arrested during the reign of the pagan Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius (138-161 A.D.) under the penalty of refusing to worship idols and adhering to the state pagan religion. After enduring many tortures, she was eventually released by the emperor, continuing to profess Christ. She was eventually tortured and beheaded by the Roman governor Tarasius in the year 180 A.D. The Church commemorates her on July 26.

Faith and hope are indispensable for everyone who faces many challenges in life. Without either faith or hope, a person cannot endure disappointments, failure, pain, suffering, sadness, and even death. Those who lack either one of them fall into despair and hopelessness. When one loses faith and hope in God is not able to face life at it is and tragically it leads some to turn to drugs, alcohol, and even suicide. Suicide among many young people has increased dramatically over the years because they lack both faith and hope in God.

According to the same Holy Father, Saint John, who authored the famous spiritual book, The Ladder (Climacus), true prayer is both mother and daughter of tears. Contrition and compunction are their regular companions. Compunctious prayer is based on an attentive life attentive to the ever-presence of God in our life, to the purity of our heart, to the genuine humility of our spirit, and to the mystery of death which we must ever remember and contemplate.