December 20 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

The Eastern Orthodox cross

December 19 - Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar - December 21

All fixed commemorations below celebrated on January 2 by Orthodox Churches on the Old Calendar. ^{[note 1]}

For December 20th, Orthodox Churches on the Old Calendar commemorate the Saints listed on December 7 .

Feasts

• Forefeast of the Nativity of Christ. ^{[1] [2] [note 2]}

Saints

• Hieromartyr Ignatius the God-bearer, Bishop of Antioch (107) ^{[2] [3] [4]} (see also January 29 )
• Saint Philogonius, Bishop of Antioch, Confessor (323) ^{[2] [5] [6] [note 3] [note 4]}
• Saint Paul of Latrus (or Paul of Latra; died c. 956), a Greek hermit. ^[9]

Pre-Schism Western saints

• Martyrs Liberatus and Bajulus, at Rome. ^[10]
• Saint Ursicinus of Cahors, Bishop of Cahors in France (ca.585) ^{[10] [note 5]}
• Saint Dominic of Brescia, successor of St Anastasius as Bishop of Brescia in Italy (ca.612) ^[10]
• Saint Ursicinus of Saint-Ursanne, born in Ireland, he was a disciple of St Columbanus, and founded the monastery of St Ursanne (ca.625) ^[10]

Post-Schism Orthodox saints

• Saint Daniel II, Archbishop of Serbia (1338) ^{[2] [11]}
• Saint Ignatius, Archimandrite of the Kiev Caves (1435) ^{[2] [12]}
• New Martyr John of the island of Thasos, at Constantinople, by beheading (1652) ^{[2] [13] [14]}
• Saint Anthony (Smirnitsky), Archbishop of Voronezh (1846) ^[2]
• Righteous John of Kronstadt, Wonderworker (1908) ^{[2] [15] [16]} (see also October 19 )

New martyrs and confessors

• New Hieromartyr Nikolai Chernishev, Archpriest, of Udmurtia (east of Kazan), and New Martyr Barbara, his daughter (1919) ^{[17] [note 6]}

Other commemorations

• Novgorod Icon of the Theotokos, "Deliverance of the Drowning" ("Rescuer of the Drowning"). ^{[18] [19] [20]}

Icon gallery

• 
  Byzantine icon of Nativity of Christ (Byzantine & Christian Museum, Athens).
• 
  St. Ignatius of Antioch.
• 
  St. Ignatius of Antioch (Menologion of Basil II)
• 
  Relics of St. Ignatius of Antioch (Menologion of Basil II)
• 
  Church of Saint Dominic of Brescia, in Brescia (1883).
• 
  Saint Daniel II, Archbishop of Serbia (fresco from Patriarchate of Peć).
• 
  Saint Anthony (Smirnitsky), Archbishop of Voronezh.
• 
  St. John of Kronstadt.
• 
  St. John of Kronstadt.

Notes

1. The notation Old Style or (OS) is sometimes used to indicate a date in the Julian Calendar (which is used by churches on the "Old Calendar").
   The notation New Style or (NS), indicates a date in the Revised Julian calendar (which is used by churches on the "New Calendar").
2. The Forefeast of the Nativity of the Lord begins on December 20. From now on, most of the liturgical hymns will be concerned with the birth of the Savior. Many of the Church's hymns of this period are slightly modified versions of the hymns of Holy Week. ^[1]
3. "Saint Philogonios, Bishop of Antioch, before his installation upon the bishop's cathedra-seat, was a lawyer-advocate, who came forth in defense of the poor, the widowed and the orphaned. When his wife died, they chose him as bishop of Antioch. Distinguished by profound theological knowledge, Saint Philogonios successfully defended Orthodoxy against the Arian heresy and by this prevented unrest in the Church. During the time of persecution against Christians under the emperors Maximian (305-311) and Licinius (307-324), Saint Philogonios proved himself a confessor of the Orthodox faith. He died peacefully in about the year 323. In the year 386 Saint John Chrysostom preached an eulogy to Saint Philogonios." ^[7]
4. "At Antioch, the birthday of St. Philogonius, bishop, who was called by the will of God from the practice of law to the government of that church. With the saintly bishop Alexander and other auxiliaries, he engaged the first combat for the Catholic faith against Arius, and, being renowned for merits, rested in the Lord. His festival was commemorated by St. John Chrysostom with an excellent panegyric." ^[8]
5. He is often mentioned by St Gregory of Tours.
6. "Archpriest Nikolai Chernishev served as a priest of what is today known as Udmurtia, east of Kazan, from 1914 until his death in 1919. He was repeatedly awarded by diocesan authorities for his impeccable service to the Orthodox Church. He founded the local Sobriety Society with the blessing of St. John of Kronstadt... ...Archpriest Nikolai and his daughter Barbara were shot on January 2, 1920 (new style). Before his execution, Fr. Nikolai was required to move his cross, but he objected, “I am going to die, then you can remove it.” They were both buried in the cemetery at the Transfiguration Cathedral. Their graves have become a place of veneration and there are instances of miraculous help by the prayers of Fr. Nikolai for overcoming alcoholism." ^[17]

References

1. Forefeast of the Nativity of our Lord. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
2. December 20/January 2. Orthodox Calendar (PRAVOSLAVIE.RU).
3. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek): Ὁ Ἅγιος Ἰγνάτιος ὁ Ἱερομάρτυρας καὶ Θεοφόρος. 20 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
4. Hieromartyr Ignatius the God-Bearer the Bishop of Antioch. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
5. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek): Ὁ Ὅσιος Φιλογόνιος. 20 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
6. Rev. Sabine Baring-Gould (M.A.). "S. PHILOGONIUS, B. OF ANTIOCH (A.D. 323.)" In: The Lives of the Saints. Volume the Fifteenth: December. London: John C. Nimmo, 1898. p. 225.
7. Sainted Philogonios, Bishop of Antioch. HOLY TRINITY RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (A parish of the Patriarchate of Moscow).
8. The Roman Martyrology. Transl. by the Archbishop of Baltimore. Last Edition, According to the Copy Printed at Rome in 1914. Revised Edition, with the Imprimatur of His Eminence Cardinal Gibbons. Baltimore: John Murphy Company, 1916. pp.391-392.
9. Butler, Alban (1846), The Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Other Principal Saints, D. & J. Sadlier, retrieved 12 August 2021
10. December 20. Latin Saints of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Rome.
11. St Daniel II the Archbishop of Serbia. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
12. Venerable Ignatius the Archimandrite of the Kiev Caves. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
13. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek): Ὁ Ἅγιος Ἰωάννης ὁ Νεομάρτυρας ὁ ράφτης ἀπὸ τὴ Θάσο. 20 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
14. New-martyr John of Thasos. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
15. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek): Ὁ Ἅγιος Ἰωάννης τῆς Κρονστάνδης (Ρῶσος). 20 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
16. Repose of St John of Kronstadt. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
17. RUSSIAN CHURCH CANONIZES THREE NEW MARTYRS AND ESTONIAN MONASTIC SAINT. Orthodox Christianity. March 12, 2018.
18. "Novodvorskaya" and "Lenkovskaya" (Novgorod-Severny) named "Rescuer of the Drowning" Icons of the Mother of God. HOLY TRINITY RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (A parish of the Patriarchate of Moscow).
19. Icon of the Mother of God of Novgorod. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
20. The Autonomous Orthodox Metropolia of Western Europe and the Americas (ROCOR). St. Hilarion Calendar of Saints for the year of our Lord 2004. St. Hilarion Press (Austin, TX). p.1.

Sources

• December 20/January 2. Orthodox Calendar (PRAVOSLAVIE.RU).
• January 2 / December 20. HOLY TRINITY RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (A parish of the Patriarchate of Moscow).
• December 20. OCA - The Lives of the Saints.
• The Autonomous Orthodox Metropolia of Western Europe and the Americas (ROCOR). St. Hilarion Calendar of Saints for the year of our Lord 2004. St. Hilarion Press (Austin, TX). p. 1.
• December 20. Latin Saints of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Rome.
• The Roman Martyrology. Transl. by the Archbishop of Baltimore. Last Edition, According to the Copy Printed at Rome in 1914. Revised Edition, with the Imprimatur of His Eminence Cardinal Gibbons. Baltimore: John Murphy Company, 1916.

Greek Sources

• Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) 20 ΔΕΚΕΜΒΡΙΟΥ. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
• (in Greek) Συναξαριστής. 20 Δεκεμβρίου. ECCLESIA.GR. (H ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΟΣ).

Russian Sources

• (in Russian) 2 января (20 декабря). Православная Энциклопедия под редакцией Патриарха Московского и всея Руси Кирилла (электронная версия). (Orthodox Encyclopedia - Pravenc.ru).
• (in Russian) 20 декабря (ст.ст.) 2 января 2013 (нов. ст.). Русская Православная Церковь Отдел внешних церковных связей. (DECR).