Philaret the Merciful

Righteous Philaret the Merciful of Amnia in Paphlagonia, famed for his boundless almsgiving.

Righteous Philaret lived in the eighth century at Amnia in Paphlagonia, a wealthy landowner who gave to every needy person who came to his door until he had reduced his own household to poverty. His wife and children reproached him, but he continued to give away even his last ox and his last measure of grain, trusting in God.

Tradition relates that his granddaughter Maria was chosen as bride for the emperor Constantine VI, and that Philaret used the honours that followed only to feed the poor of Constantinople, where he reposed in peace.

Feast day

On the New Calendar, Philaret the Merciful is commemorated on December 1. Churches on the Old (Julian) Calendar keep the feast on December 14 of the civil calendar.

Who celebrates a name day

People with these names keep their name day on this feast:

Filaretos, Philaretos, Philaret, Filareti

Also commemorated on December 1

• 

  Nahum the Prophet

  Prophet, Ναούμ

  Prophet Nahum.

  Name days: Naoum, Nahum

• Ananias the Persian

  Martyr, Ανανίας ο Πέρσης

  Holy Martyr Ananias of Persia.

  Name days: Ananias

• Onesimus of Ephesus

  Hierarch, Ονήσιμος Εφέσου

  Onesimus, Archbishop of Ephesus, who reposed in peace.

• Theokletos of Lacedaemonia

  Hierarch, Θεόκλητος Λακεδαιμονίας

  Theokletos the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Lacedaemonia (Sparta).

  Name days: Theoklitos, Theocletus

• Antony the New

  Venerable, Αντώνιος ο Νέος

  Venerable Antony the New, ascetic.