† St. Cuv. Hariton the Confessor; St. Prophet Baruch; St. Cuv. Neophyte the Latter of Cyprustranslated

Orthodox calendar, September 28 St. Cuv. Hariton The pious Hariton the Confessor († 274) was born in the city of Lycaonia - Asia Minor. He was caught during the reign of Emperor Aurelian (270-275), subjected to torture and imprisoned. Only after the death of the emperor did the Reverend Hariton regain his freedom.

Retreating into the desert, he is caught by robbers, from whose hands he miraculously escapes. While the robbers are drinking wine, they die poisoned by the snake that had entered the vessel containing the wine. With the gold that Venerable Hariton finds in the robbers' cave, he makes a church out of that very cave, and later founds a monastery.

Leaving one of the monks as abbot here, he retired into hermitage, but other monks and believers came to him, thus founding two other monasteries. Finally he retired to a high rock, and when he felt his end approaching he returned to the first monastery where he died.

Troparion – Voice 8

With the flow of your tears you worked the unfruitful desert and with the sighs from the deep you made your labors fruitful; and you became a light to the world, shining with miracles, Hariton, our father.