St. Luke the Apostle and Evangelist icon (2)

Orthodox icon of the Ladder of the Divine Ascent.

Copy of an icon of 12th cent. Monastery of Saint Catherine, Sinai Egypt.

Orthodox icon of the vision of Jacob. Icon of 16 cent. Mount Athos.

"He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it." (Genesis 28:12)

Orthodox icon of the Ladder of the Divine Ascent. The Vision of St. John of Climacus

Copy of an icon of 1663 cent. of Emmanuel Gante.

NOTE: The sizes of the icon ARE NOT EXACT

Orthodox icon of Saint Kalliope, Kalliopi, Calliope.

Commemorated June 6th.

It is unknown where the Holy Martyr Kalliope was from, who suffered during the years of the Emperor Decius (249-251 AD). She was known for her bodily and spiritual beauty, and also for her clear and deep piety. During the persecution of Christians of that era, she was arrested and led before the eparch for judgment.

He immediately observed Kalliope's beauty, and was occupied by evil thoughts and desires, and sought with promises and flattery to convince her to fulfill his guilty desires. But Kalliope remained indifferent to his promises and unshakable in her faith. This enraged the eparch, who saw that his hopes were proving false, ordered that she be immediately be tortured terribly until death.

Thus, having been whipped mercilessly, and having had her breasts cut off, they burned her with lit torches, and poured vinegar and salt on her wounds. In the end, they beheaded her, and thus St. Kalliope received the incorrupt crown of glory, and entered into the joy of her Bridegroom Christ.

Reference: G.O.A.A.