Published by: St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite Publication Society & The Sacred Hermitage of St. John the Forerunner (Metamorphosis, Chalcidice Greece) Translated in English by: Fr. Nicholas Palis Edited by: Rev. Theodore Petrides In the noetic firmament of our Church, many brilliant starts (in other words, familiar saints), belong to the ranks of the laity. Aside from the martyrs and the neomartyrs, the majority of whom were lay people, there are also many lay saints. Hence, sanctity is not the exclusive privilege of monks and priests but it is, rather, possible for every Christian who has correct Faith, repentance and a mindset to struggle. In this collection, we present biographies of people who lived in various parts of Greece and other countries, and from various times, the Turkish occupation down to today. They were of different ages, races and states (clergymen or laypeople, family men or pay monastics). They each had their character and their personal struggle, but they also had some common characteristics between them: strong faith and great love for Christ. Today, especially we have need of such bright examples. Now that another type of person is being formulated, a selfish and egocentric one, the showcasing and imitation of these graceful souls will help strengthen out lay ascetic tradition. By living it we may return to our original beauty, as we were first created, and re-depict the true image of man, which unfortunately, is buried in the passions and justifications of our contemporary fleshly people. So be it. – Prologue
