Thursday, May 9 today, and the Orthodox Church honors the memory of Prophet Isaiah, Saint Christopher the Great Martyr (Polyuchos Agrinius, Pikermius), Saint Nicholas of Vounenois.
Saint Jerome of Simonopetritis and Saint Joseph of Optina are also celebrated.
The prophet Isaiah
Isaiah was a Jew and one of the Great Prophets, the first to be mentioned in the series, of the Old Testament, to whom is traditionally attributed the writing of the book of the same name in the Holy Bible. He is considered the most important prophet by New Testament scholars.
His name in the Hebrew language means “God saves.” He was the son of Amos and was probably born in Jerusalem around 765 BC. He was married and had two sons who were symbolically named Yasuv (Shiar Zashiuv), which according to the O΄ means “the rest will return”, and the other Maher Shalal-has-waz, meaning “quickly dogged, sharply favoured.”
The official divine invitation of Isaiah to the prophetic office as he himself testifies is determined around 738 BC, that is, in the last year of the reign of Uzzi and the first year of the reign of Joatham.
In fact, according to him this happened when one day he was in the sanctuary: “he saw the Lord sitting on a high and exalted throne” while the temple was flooded with the light of glory. And the six-winged Seraphim stood around the throne addressing and contradicting each other praising God saying: “holy, holy, holy Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory”.
Under this divine vision, Isaiah, reflecting on his unworthiness, to those where he exclaims in surprise: “A man of unclean lips” was entitled to see “the King of the Lord, Sabaoth”.
Then the following event happened: Considering the above statement as a clear sign of humiliation, one of the six-winged men with tongs in his hand took a burning coal from the altar, which was burning incense, and touching Isaiah’s lips with it, he said to him: “Behold this high of your lips and forgives your iniquities and cleanses your sins”. He was 27 years old.
Who have their name day?
Today they celebrate:
- Isaiah, Isaiah, Isaiah
- Christoforos, Christoforis, Christofora, Christofia, Christofina, Christoforia,