SKU: 8548267105

St. Philaret the Merciful icon (2)

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St. Philaret the Merciful icon (2)Orthodox icon of Saint Philaret, Philaretos the Merciful. Protector Saint of Beekeepers. Commemorated December 1. Righteous Philaret the Merciful, son of George and Anna, was raised in piety and the fear of God. He lived during the eighth century in the village of Amnia in the Paphlagonian district of Asia Minor. His wife, Theoseba, was from a rich and illustrious family, and they had three children: a son John, and daughters Hypatia and Evanthia.

Orthodox icon of Saint Philaret, Philaretos the Merciful.

Protector Saint of Beekeepers.

Commemorated December 1.

Righteous Philaret the Merciful, son of George and Anna, was raised in piety and the fear of God. He lived during the eighth century in the village of Amnia in the Paphlagonian district of Asia Minor. His wife, Theoseba, was from a rich and illustrious family, and they had three children: a son John, and daughters Hypatia and Evanthia. Philaret was a rich and illustrious dignitary, but he did not hoard his wealth. Knowing that many people suffered from poverty, he remembered the words of the Savior about the dread Last Judgment and about these least ones (Mt. 25:40); the Apostle Paul's reminder that we will take nothing with us from this world (1 Tim 6:7); and the assertion of King David that the righteous would not be forsaken (Ps 36/37:25).

Philaret, whose name means lover of virtue, was famed for his love for the poor. One day Ishmaelites [Arabs] attacked Paphlagonia, devastating the land and plundering the estate of Philaret. There remained only two oxen, a donkey, a cow with her calf, some beehives, and the house. But he also shared them with the poor. His wife reproached him for being heartless and unconcerned for his own family. Mildly, yet firmly he endured the reproaches of his wife and the jeers of his children. I have hidden away riches and treasure, he told his family, so much that it would be enough for you to feed and clothe yourselves, even if you lived a hundred years without working.

The saint's gifts always brought good to the recipient. Whoever received anything from him found that the gift would multiply, and that person would become rich. Knowing this, a certain man came to St Philaret asking for a calf so that he could start a herd. The cow missed its calf and began to bellow. Theoseba said to her husband, You have no pity on us, you merciless man, but don't you feel sorry for the cow? You have separated her from her calf.

The saint praised his wife, and agreed that it was not right to separate the cow and the calf. Therefore, he called the poor man to whom he had given the calf and told him to take the cow as well. That year there was a famine, so St Philaret took the donkey and went to borrow six bushels of wheat from a friend of his. When he returned home, a poor man asked him for a little wheat, so he told his wife to give the man a bushel.

Theoseba said, First you must give a bushel to each of us in the family, then you can give away the rest as you choose. Philaretos then gave the man two bushels of wheat. Theoseba said sarcastically, Give him half the load so you can share it. The saint measured out a third bushel and gave it to the man. Then Theoseba said, Why don't you give him the bag, too, so he can carry it?He gave him the bag. The exasperated wife said, Just to spite me, why not give him all the wheat. St Philaret did so. Now the man was unable to lift the six bushels of wheat, so Theoseba told her husband to give him the donkey so he could carry the wheat home.

Blessing his wife, Philaret gave the donkey to the man, who went home rejoicing. Theoseba and the children wept because they were hungry. The Lord rewarded Philaret for his generosity: when the last measure of wheat was given away, a old friend sent him forty bushels. Theoseba kept most of the wheat for herself and the children, and the saint gave away his share to the poor and had nothing left. When his wife and children were eating, he would go to them and they gave him some food. Theoseba grumbled saying, How long are you going to keep that treasure of yours hidden? Take it out so we can buy food with it.

During this time the Byzantine empress Irene (797-802) was seeking a bride for her son, the future emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitos (780-797). Therefore, emissaries were sent throughout all the Empire to find a suitable girl, and the envoys came to Amneia. When Philaret and Theoseba learned that these most illustrious guests were to visit their house, Philaret was very happy, but Theoseba was sad, for they did not have enough food. But Philaret told his wife to light the fire and to decorate their home.

Their neighbors, knowing that imperial envoys were expected, brought everything required for a rich feast. The envoys were impressed by the saint's daughters and granddaughters. Seeing their beauty, their deportment, their clothing, and their admirable qualities, the envoys agreed that Philaret granddaughter, Maria was exactly what they were looking for. This Maria exceeded all her rivals in quality and modesty and indeed became Constantine's wife, and the emperor rewarded Philaret. Thus fame and riches returned to Philaret. But just as before, this holy lover of the poor generously distributed alms and provided a feast for the poor.

He and his family served them at the meal. Everyone was astonished at his humility and said: This is a man of God, a true disciple of Christ. He ordered a servant to take three bags and fill one with gold, one with silver, and one with copper coins. When a beggar approached, Philaret ordered his servant to bring forth one of the bags, whichever God's providence would ordain. Then he would reach into the bag and give to each person, as much as God willed. St Philaret refused to wear fine clothes, nor would he accept any imperial rank. He said it was enough for him to be called the grandfather of the Empress.

The saint reached ninety years of age and knew his end was approaching. He went to the Rodolpheia (The Judgment) monastery in Constantinople. He gave some gold to the Abbess and asked her to allow him to be buried there, saying that he would depart this life in ten days. He returned home and became ill. On the tenth day he summoned his family, he exhorted them to imitate his love for the poor if they desired salvation. Then he fell asleep in the Lord.

He died in the year 792 and was buried in the Rodolpheia Judgment monastery in Constantinople. The appearance of a miracle after his death confirmed the sainthood of Righteous Philaret. As they bore the body of the saint to the cemetery, a certain man, possessed by the devil, followed the funeral procession and tried to overturn the coffin. When they reached the grave, the devil threw the man down on the ground and went out of him.

Many other miracles and healings also took place at the grave of the saint. After the death of the righteous Philaret, his wife Theoseba worked at restoring monasteries and churches devastated during a barbarian invasion.

Reference: O.C.A.

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Erika
Massapequa, US
★★★★★ 4
🖤🖤4 Stars🖤🖤
Format: Kindle
“There are darknesses in life and there are lights. You are one of the lights...The light of all lights.” - Master of Salt & Bones. REVIEW: This book follows Isa who lives with her aunt on an island. Isa begins a new job as a caretaker for the dark, and mysterious Blackthorne family. A family who is disliked and even feared by the rest of the inhabitants of the island. However, as she grows closer to the man who they call the devil, Lucian Blackthorne, Isa sees for herself what the truth of Blackthorne manor really is. This book is a dark romance! Originally I was told it was fantasy, which I don’t agree with at all. It is more of an erotic, gothic feel with some mystery sprinkled in. The plot was very interesting and kept me intrigued. This book was also quite steamy, however, I felt those scenes were well done and didn’t take away from the rest of the book. Overall, the content in this book is quite dark and the backstories of the characters involve potentially triggering matters. Be aware to look these up if you feel like you need to. Overall, this is the first book I have read by Keri Lake, and I am excited to read more. SYNOPSIS: When I was a little girl, I dreamed a handsome knight would come and rescue me from my wretched mother. He'd ride up on his white steed and break the curse I've been fated to carry since the day I was born. Funny how things changed over time. How the fairy tale twisted into something far more crooked, darker than I ever imagined. In reality, my knight is scarred and broken, living alone in a castle of bones that overlooks the sea. He isn’t searching for me. He never was. Lucian Blackthorne is as cursed as I am, and equally shunned by the locals, the fishers of men, who believe him to be the devil in the flesh. Perhaps he is, with the way his amber eyes draw me in, ignite me like an infernal blaze. And the sins he whispers in my ear are as wickedly intoxicating as the man himself. Yet, his touch is heaven and his will is my weakness. He calls us forbidden, an unsalvageable tragedy, with no happy end. Maybe we are. But in this story, he’s the one who needs saving.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2020
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Paige Tocci
Lexington, US
★★★★★ 5
one of my top reads of 2023 🖤
Format: Paperback, Format: Paperback
Master of Salt & Bones by Keri Lake review (no spoilers) ♾️/5 ⭐️ 4/5🌶️ 🏰gothic dark romance 🎹murder/mysteries 🏰age gap 🎹spicy 🏰touch her & d!e 🎹secret society 🏰dual POV & a past timeline for Lucian “we’re the composers, the conductor’s of our own fate, and we write the notes to a beautiful, dark melody that no one else can hear.” this book was AMAZING ❤️‍🔥 i couldn’t put this book down for anything . this book gives beauty & the beast / phantom of the opera vibes with a lot more going on . Lucian hires Isadora to help take care of his mom, not his nurse but a companion for her . Isadora has a painful past & she’s willing to do anything to get out of town to make some money , even if that means working for a guy with a thousand bad rumors about him . the way Lucian talks to Isadora is like he’s speaking poetry without even trying . the wording & quotes in this book were chiefs kiss . the spice in this book was gold 🔥 the plot of this book is super original & sooooo twisty . i think there were 5 different twists at the end & i had my jaw on the floor at all of them . literally obsessed with this book . the writing was beautifully done 🫶🏼 this is my first book by Keri & i will now be ordering more from her immediately🖤 this book is definitely in my top reads of the year! as always check your TW 🤍
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Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2023
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Kindle Customer
Pawtucket, US
★★★★★ 5
So Worth the Read
Format: Audiobook
I absolutely loved this book. The pacing was great, the characters felt real, and the story kept me hooked the entire time. There were a few moments that genuinely surprised me, and I appreciated how everything came together at the end. Highly recommend for anyone who enjoys Dark Romance/ Gothic Fiction
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Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2026
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readbykaycee
Cuba, US
★★★★★ 4
4 star read - dark gothic romance
Format: Kindle
Master of Salt and Bones by Keri Lake 4 STAR READ “You’re my curse. Staying away from you, is like trying to hold my breath when the tide is rising.” This book reminds me a lot of Nightshade, also by Keri Lake, but without the fantasy element. It gives off the same gothic vibes, including flash backs, history of abuse, and sexual deviances. It also has some overlap with the older male character obsession that is seen in Nocticadia - though Lucien doesn’t hold a candle to Professor Bramwell. SUMMARY Lucien was abused, lied to, and manipulated his whole life, by everyone who should have protected and cared for him. A wealthy heir to a massive fortune, he is hard, dark, and delicious. The story unfolds across two timelines, jumping between Lucien’s past and present, and Isa’s POV. Lucien is viewed as the devil of Tempest Cove, covered in scars and rumors abound involving the death of his wife and son. Isa is the daughter of the town whore, who has struggle to fit in and cope with the tribulations of her life. Lucien hires Isa to be his mother’s companion, to keep her company and encourage her to get out of bed each day. As they continue to bump into each other and interact, their relationship develops beyond his dark obsession. Lucien is wary to get attached as his connection to a dangerous secret society puts everyone he cares about at risk, however there may be no way around Isa’s involvement. WHAT I LIKED and DISLIKED It was a great story full of tragedy and resilience. Both characters have deep back stories that unfold throughout the book, we get information at just the right time to make things make sense. It is really well told. It does feel a bit slow in the middle, I took a mid book break to read something else but came back to it and wondered why I stopped - the reason I gave 4 stars was because I had the need to take the break. Which tells me I lost interest during part of it. Lucien has so many layers and each one is full of sadness and devastation. Isa’s story is tragic in its own way, however her youth has her dealing with them in a difference way - she is definitely more detached in her own way. There is an age gap - Lucien is 33, Isa is 19 — I’m not usually a fan of this kind of age gap, but Isa isn’t childish or immature so it works. The book definitely gives Grumpy x sunshine vibes. The spice is well done and paced well throughout the book. If you like spicy, gothic, dark romance and have enjoyed other books by Keri Lake this book will not disappoint. There are references to rape, sexual abuse, physical abuse, and mental illness — I would check any triggers before reading
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Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2025
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