What is the church holiday on May 26 and to whom to pray today

On May 26, the Orthodox Church celebrates the day of the transfer of the relics of the reverend martyr Makaria KanivskyiArchimandrite of Ovrutskyi, Abbot of Pinskyi, Pereyaslavsky Miracle Worker.

Makariy was born in 1605 in the city of Ovruch in the noble family of the Tokarevskys – famous zealots of piety. He began his monastic life from a very young age, and his archimandrite ordination was performed by a prominent church figure, the bishop Lazar Baranovich. Macarius wisely managed the Pinsk and Kupyatsky male monasteries, and later he headed the Ovrutsk Dormition Monastery, where he once received tonsure.

Photo: kyiv-pravosl.info

The ascetic put all his strength into strengthening the monastery and protecting it from the Poles, and only the destruction by the Tatars forced Macarius to leave the walls of the monastery. Instead, the Metropolitan of Kyiv Joseph Tukalskyiat the request of the hetman Petra Doroshenko, entrusted Makaria with another stronghold – the famous Kaniv monastery. There, in 1678, he met his martyrdom at the hands of the Turks, who, dissatisfied with the transfer of the Right Bank to the Moscow Tsar, carried out a bloody raid into Ukraine.

The body of Archimandrite Macarius was found in the burning of the Kaniv temple and buried under the altar. When they decided to rebuild the temple 10 years later, they found the imperishable relics of the holy martyr. Fearing punitive raids by the Poles, the Orthodox decided to move the relics beyond the Dnipro, to Pereyaslavl, to the cathedral monastery of St. Michael.

Numerous healings near the relics of the holy martyr Macarius only confirmed his holiness. The relics themselves were moved several more times, and since 1965 they have been in the Cherkasy Cathedral. In prayer to Macarius, they ask for intercession, peace and harmony.

Also today, the Orthodox Church prayerfully honors the memory of St. Confessor George of Constantinople, Martyr Alexander of Rome, St. Pavsikakis, Bishop of Synad, Rev. Euthymius of Iversky.

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George of Constantinople suffered for the veneration of holy icons in Constantinople in the first half of the 9th century. Emperor Theophilus forced Saint George to renounce the worship of holy icons, but the courageous confessor refused to comply with the order, announcing to the godless emperor that by worshiping holy icons, he bowed to their Eternal Prototype.

For disobedience, the emperor ordered to seize and loot the property of St. George, and to drag him with a rope around his neck through the streets of Constantinople and throw him into prison. After that, George was sent into exile with his wife Irina and children. Having experienced many sorrows in exile, the holy confessor George died.

Holy martyr Alexander of Rome was born in 284. He was a soldier in Rome in the regiment of the tribune Tiberian. When by order of the Roman emperor Maximian all the regiments had to go to the temple for the rite of sacrifice Zeus, 18-year-old Alexander refused and announced that he was a Christian. The young man was escorted to the imperial palace, where he was tempted with all kinds of honors, but he was firm in his faith. Therefore, Oleksandr was subjected to torture.

And then, shackled, led to Thrace. On the way, the martyr was repeatedly subjected to cruel torture. In the city of Drizipera in 305, Tiberianus pronounced the death sentence on Alexander the martyr and was executed by beheading with a sword.

Saint Martyr Alexander of Rome is prayed to get rid of laziness.

Saint Pawsikakiy, bishop of Synad, during his lifetime became famous for his piety and strict observance of asceticism. Subsisting only on a small amount of bread and water, Pavsikakii achieved through prayer the gift of healing physical and mental ailments. Known as a zealous defender of the faith, he sought out from his flock people who deliberately led a corrupt and immoral lifestyle. The saint died in 606.

Reverend Euthymius of Iversky born Georgian. He became famous for being the abbot of the Iver monastery on Mount Athos, and also worked on translations of the Holy Scriptures from Greek to Georgian. Over time, for the sake of work on translations, he gave up the rectorship. He died in 1028 at the age of 65 in Constantinople, where he arrived on monastery business. After his death, he received the gift of miracles.