Saint Theodore the Recruit

A life of faith

Theodore served as a newly enlisted soldier at Amaseia when he was ordered to offer pagan sacrifice. He confessed Christ and spent the interval granted for reconsideration in prayer. The received life describes imprisonment and repeated refusal to abandon his faith before death by burning. Later Orthodox tradition connects him with a warning to Christians during the first week of Lent and the use of boiled wheat, or kolyva. The Church therefore remembers him both on his fixed feast and on the first Saturday of Great Lent. His title refers to a recruit, rather than to the city of Tyre.

The Eastern Orthodox Church remembers saints in prayer and commemoration. Their lives offer examples for Christians learning to live their faith.

A reflection

Use a short pause under pressure for prayer and clear thought. Choose fidelity through a responsible action rather than through a display of anger or contempt.

Read the Orthodox source

Feast dates follow the linked source. Local calendars and commemorations may vary. Themes describe a saint’s life; quiz suggestions do not assign a baptismal patron. Discuss choosing a patron saint with your priest.