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Florinis Irenaios: Agia Kyriaki resisted the pressures of an entire eratranslated

July 7, 2026 · 1 min read

On Tuesday morning, July 7, 2026, the Most Reverend Metropolitan of Florina, Prespa and Eordaia Mr. Irenaios officiated at the Orthros and the High Priestly Divine Liturgy at the celebratory Chapel of the Saint, which is located in the forest of Agios Panteleimon in Florina. The Holy Liturgy was attended by the President of the Florina Community, Ms. Christiana Tsoumita, as well as believers from the city of Florina.

In his sermon, His Holiness referred to the life and martyrdom of Saint Kyriaki, underlining the steadfastness of her faith and the courage with which she resisted the pressures of an entire era that asked her to deny Christ.

Then, he referred to the great temptation of compromise that modern man also faces, who is often asked to follow the current of the times and consider the values of the Gospel to be outdated. He emphasized that the Christian is not called to clash with people, but to remain firm in the truth with love, humility and courage.

Concluding his sermon, our Pastor referred to faith that overcomes fear, pointing out that the Saint faced threats, torture and death...

Source: Orthodoxia News Agency · Read the full story →

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Danica Ristić

Thank God that Bishop Irinej so clearly reminded of that great sin of compromise. I was really touched when he said that a Christian is not called to argue with people, but to stand in the truth with love and humility. Saint Kyriaki is really an example of how not to go with the flow of time.

Νίκος Αναγνώστου

Good morning. I loved that the Despot said that we are not called to quarrel with the world, but to stand firm in humility. Agia Kyriaki did not have an easy road, but she did not compromise. May he give us courage here in Florina.

Софья Павлова

Thank you for reminding me about the sermon. I especially liked how the Bishop said that a Christian should not quarrel with people, but simply stand in the truth with love and humility. Here in Voronezh, too, we often feel the urge to “go with the flow” so as not to stand out. Saint Kyriacia is truly an example that even in a forest chapel you can remember this and strengthen yourself.

Michael Young

The bishop nailed it when he said we’re not called to fight with people but to stand firm with love and humility. That part about not going with the flow of the age really hit home—easy to slip into compromise just to fit in. Saint Kyriaki’s example is tough but clear.

Sofija Kostić

I completely agree, Danica. That sentence about not having to fight with people, but to stay in the truth with love, really stuck in my head - especially when we encounter these "currents of time" every day at work or in the neighborhood. Saint Kyriaki really did not take the easy way, and we often look for shortcuts. Thanks for pointing that out.

Марија Николовска

Yes, exactly that sentence about which we do not argue with people but stand in the truth with love and humility stayed in my head. In our market, you often hear "come on, don't be so strict, the weather is like that". St. Kiriaki showed us that it is possible in another way, without compromise. Thank God for such sermons.

Ειρήνη Αντωνίου

Good morning. I was left with what the Despot said, that we are not called to fight with the world but to stand firm with humility and love. Here in Florina, I see every day how easy it is to say "okay, let me not stand out" so as not to be looked at strangely. Holy Sunday shows us that it is also possible.

Peter Evans

The bishop put it plain when he said we’re not called to quarrel with folks but to stand steady in the truth with love and humility. That line about the great temptation of compromise really stuck with me, especially living here where it’s easy to just go along with the age. Saint Kyriaki’s courage makes you stop and think twice before softening the Gospel to fit in.

Emily Adams

Yes, that line about not quarrelling with people but standing firm in the truth with love and humility stayed with me too. It’s easy to just nod along at the market or with neighbours here in Sydney when they say “that’s old-fashioned now”. Saint Kyriaki’s courage makes you stop and think.

Nicholas Anderson

Yes, that part about standing firm without quarrelling really struck me too. I’ve caught myself biting my tongue at bridge club when the talk turns to “who needs all those old rules anymore.” Saint Kyriaki’s example makes it clearer that quiet steadiness with a bit of humility goes further than arguing. Have you come across any other saints who faced the same pressure from their whole age?