The Lives of the Saints for Every Day of the Year - January: Volume 1 - with Old and New Calendar Dates - Annotated Paperback – January 17, 2026

VOLUME 1 of 12The Lives of the Saints for Every Day of the Year – Januaryby Saint Demetrius of RostovThis volume presents the Lives of the Saints for the month of January, opening the annual cycle of daily hagiographical readings according to the calendar of the Orthodox Church.January’s commemorations are closely tied to the revelation of Christ and the call to repentance and spiritual renewal. The saints remembered during this month include apostles, prophets, hierarchs, martyrs, ascetics, and teachers whose lives shaped the foundations of Christian belief and practice. Among them are figures such as Saint Basil the Great, Saint Gregory the Theologian, Saint Anthony the Great, Saint John the Baptist, Saint Macarius of Egypt, Saint Nina of Georgia, and many others whose witness spans the apostolic age, the rise of monasticism, and the early centuries of the Church.Each entry is arranged by calendar date and written as a substantial hagiographical account rather than a brief devotional summary. These lives present the concrete realities of Christian faith as it is lived—through repentance, ascetic struggle, pastoral responsibility, martyrdom, prayer, and long obedience. The solitude of the desert fathers stands beside the public ministry of bishops and missionaries, offering a wide and grounded portrait of holiness across different vocations and circumstances.This book forms part of Saint Demetrius of Rostov’s monumental Lives of the Saints, traditionally known as the Minei-Chetii. For centuries, this collection has served as one of the most important sources of Orthodox hagiography, read daily in monasteries, parishes, and Christian households. This edition presents the text in a modern English translation that remains faithful to the theology, tone, and seriousness of the original while remaining clear and readable for contemporary readers.January’s readings emphasize beginnings: illumination through Christ, the call to repentance, and the lifelong struggle toward sanctity. As the first volume of the series, it establishes the rhythm of daily reading that carries through the entire Church year.Organized for daily reading according to the Church calendar, this volume is well suited for personal devotion, clergy and homiletic reference, monastic use, or sustained study of Orthodox saints and Church history. It may be read straight through or used as intended—one day at a time, in harmony with the liturgical life of the Church.Volume One: January serves as the natural entry point into the twelve-volume Lives of the Saints cycle, setting the foundation for a yearlong journey through the witness of the saints and the spiritual memory of the Church. Read more