Bishops Gerasim, Pitirim, and Jonah
January 29/Feb 11
The celebration of the memory of Gerasim, Pitirim, and Jonah, who labored among the newly enlightened Perm people in the 15th century, was established in 1607 during the patriarchate of Germogen. Saint Gerasim was appointed to the Perm chair after 1416. He carried out heavy labors, admonishing the neighboring Permians - the warlike pagan Voguls, as well as the Novgorodians and Vyatichians to stop the cruel attacks on Perm lands. He received a martyr's death at the hands of a newly baptized servant, who strangled the bishop with his omophorion. Saint Pitirim, who was the bishop of Perm from 1447-1455, was a worthy successor to the enlightening and peace-making labors of Bishop Gerasim and, like him, died a martyr's death. Under the next bishop, Jonah, the Perm region was already securely protected by Moscow's troops from marauding raids. He founded several monasteries in the diocese. He died peacefully in 1470 after managing the diocese for 15 years.
---
"Children of God and children of the devil are evident in this way: everyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. For this is the message you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another... We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers; whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. By this we know love, that He laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
If anyone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him: whoever loves God must also love his brother."
(1 John 3:10-11, 14-16; 4:7-8, 20-21)