December 6 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

The Eastern Orthodox cross

December 5 - Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar - December 7

All fixed commemorations below celebrated on December 19 by Eastern Orthodox Churches on the Old Calendar. ^{[note 1]}

For December 6th, Orthodox Churches on the Old Calendar commemorate the Saints listed on November 23 .

Saints

• Saint Theophilus, Bishop of Antioch (181) ^{[1] [2]}
• Martyr Niser, under Maximian, by fire (c. 286-305) ^{[3] [note 2]}
• Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker (Nicholas of Myra), Archbishop of Myra in Lycia (c. 345) ^{[4] [5] [note 3] [note 4]}
• Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Patara, uncle of St. Nicholas of Myra (4th century) ^{[1] [2]}
• Saint Abramius, Bishop of Cratea (Kratia) in Bithynia (6th century) ^{[1] [2]}

Pre-Schism Western saints

• Saint Asella (406) ^{[8] [note 5] [note 6]}
• Saints Auxilius, Isserninus and Secundinus, missionaries with St Patrick in the enlightenment of Ireland (5th century) ^{[8] [note 7]}
• Martyrs Dionysia, Dativa, Leontia, Tertius, Emilian, Boniface, Majoricus, and Servus, in North Africa under the Arian Vandal Hunneric (c. 484) ^{[8] [note 8]}
• Saint Gertrude the Elder, founder and first Abbess of Hamaye (Hamay, Hamage) near Douai, in north France (649) ^[8]

Post-Schism Orthodox saints

• Blessed Maximus, Metropolitan of Kiev and all Rus (1305) ^{[1] [2] [10]}
• New Martyr Nicholas of Karamania, in Asia Minor (1657) ^[11] (see also March 19 ) ^[12]

New martyrs and confessors

• Hieromartyr Michael Uspensky, Priest of Moscow (1937) ^[2]
• Hieromartyr Grigol Peradze of Georgia, Archimandrite, Hieromartyr (1942) ^[13]

Other commemorations

• Icon of Our Lady of Tambov (1695) ^{[14] [15]}
• The miraculous apparition of St. Nicholas at the First Ecumenical Council (325) ^{[7] [note 9]}
• The Wonderworking icon of St. Nicholas the Drenched of St. Sophia's Cathedral in Kiev. ^[7]
• Name Day of Royal Passion-Bearer Tsar Nicholas II (1918)

Icon gallery

• 
  St. Nicholas. (Saint Catherine's Monastery, Sinai, 13th century).
• 
  St. Nicholas "Lipensky" (Russian icon from Lipnya Church of St. Nicholas in Novgorod, 1294).

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. Saint Niser is an unknown martyr that is found in the Synaxarion of Saint Nicodemus and in the Menaia.
3. "AT Myra, the metropolis of Lycia, the birthday of St. Nicholas, bishop and confessor, of whom it is related, among other miracles, that, while at a great distance from the emperor Constantine, he appeared to him in a vision and moved him to mercy so as to deter him from putting to death some persons who had implored his assistance." ^[6]
4. This is the feast day of "Cold Nicholas" as he is popularly called in Ukraine, his great festal day as the patron of children in particular. He is a patron of Ukraine and many legends surround his various patronages, including prayers in honour of his seven major miracles mentioned in his Life. ^[7]
5. 'A flower of the Lord', this virgin became a nun in Rome at the age of ten and then lived for many years until she became abbess, 'the mother of many virgins'.
6. "At Rome, St. Asella, virgin, who, according to the words of St. Jerome, being blessed from her mother's womb, lived to old age in fasting and prayer." ^[6]
7. "AUXILIUS and ISSERNINUS accompanied the great Apostle of Ireland from his own country to the field of his labours, and SECUNDINUS was either one of the party or followed soon afterwards. On the supposition that St. Patrick was born in Great Britain, these holy men also are counted as British Saints. After labouring with success for a certain time, they were sent to Britain, or Gaul, to receive episcopal consecration at the hands of three prelates, according to the sacred canons. There still remains an authentic and interesting decree, signed by Auxilius, Patrick, Secundinus, and Benignus, ordering that appeals from the Primate of Armagh should be carried to the Holy See of Rome." ^[9]
8. "In Africa, in the persecution of the Vandals, and under the Arian king Hunneric, the saintly women Dionysia, Dativa, Leontia, a religious man named Tertius, Aemilian, a physician, and Boniface, with three others, who were subjected to numberless most painful torments for the Catholic faith, and thus merited to rank among the confessors of Christ." ^[6]
9. While at the First Ecumenical Council that condemned Arianism, St. Nicholas punched Arius in the face and was censured by the Fathers of the Council for behaviour unbecoming a Bishop. His bishop’s mantle and gospel were taken away from him. But at that moment, an apparition occurred with the appearance of Christ and His Mother on either side of Nicholas, bearing a bishop’s mantle and a gospel-book. The Fathers then immediately reinstated Nicholas and icons of him to this day celebrate the miraculous event. ^[7]

References

1. December 6/19. Orthodox Calendar (pravoslavie.ru).
2. 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.91.
3. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) Ὁ Ἅγιος Νισέρ. 6 Δεκεμβρίου. Μεγασ Συναξαριστησ.
4. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) Ὁ Ἅγιος Νικόλαος ὁ Θαυματουργός Ἀρχιεπίσκοπος Μύρων τῆς Λυκίας. 6 Δεκεμβρίου. Μεγασ Συναξαριστησ.
5. Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
6. 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. 375-376.
7. Dr. Alexander Roman. December. Calendar of Ukrainian Orthodox Saints (Ukrainian Orthodoxy - Українське Православ'я).
8. December 6. Latin Saints of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Rome.
9. Rev. Richard Stanton. A Menology of England and Wales, or, Brief Memorials of the Ancient British and English Saints Arranged According to the Calendar, Together with the Martyrs of the 16th and 17th Centuries. London: Burns & Oates, 1892. p.587.
10. Saint Maximus, Metropolitan of Kiev. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
11. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) Ὁ Ἅγιος Νικόλαος ὁ Νεομάρτυρας ὁ Καραμάνος ἢ Κασσέτης. 6 Δεκεμβρίου. Μεγασ Συναξαριστησ.
12. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) Ὁ Ἅγιος Νικόλαος ὁ Νεομάρτυρας ὁ Καραμάνος (ἢ Κασσέτης). 19 Δεκεμβρίου. Μεγασ Συναξαριστησ.
13. Holy Hieromartyr Grigol (Peradze) (†1942). pravoslavie.ru.
14. "ТАМБОВСКАЯ КАЗАНСКАЯ ИКОНА БОЖИЕЙ МАТЕРИ - Древо". drevo-info.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2023-07-21.
15. "Е. Поселянин. Сказания о чудотворных иконах Богоматери.Декабрь". Церковно-Научный Центр "Православная Энциклопедия" (in Russian). Retrieved 2023-07-21.

Sources

• December 6/19. Orthodox Calendar (pravoslavie.ru).
• December 19 / December 6. Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church (a parish of the Patriarchate of Moscow).
• December 6. OCA - The Lives of the Saints.
• December 6. 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. pp. 375–376.
• Rev. Richard Stanton. A Menology of England and Wales, or, Brief Memorials of the Ancient British and English Saints Arranged According to the Calendar, Together with the Martyrs of the 16th and 17th Centuries. London: Burns & Oates, 1892. p. 587.

Greek Sources

• Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) 6 Δεκεμβριου. Μεγασ Συναξαριστησ.
• (in Greek) Συναξαριστής. 6 Δεκεμβρίου. Ecclesia.gr. (H Εκκλησια Τησ ΕλλαδοΣσ.

Russian Sources

• * (in Russian) 19 декабря (6 декабря). Православная Энциклопедия под редакцией Патриарха Московского и всея Руси Кирилла (электронная версия). (Orthodox Encyclopedia - Pravenc.ru).
• (in Russian) 6 декабря (ст.ст.) 19 декабря 2013 (нов. ст.). Русская Православная Церковь Отдел внешних церковных связей. (DECR).