Honouring the friends of God with much reverence, the Prophet-King David says, "But to me, exceedingly honourable are Thy friends, O Lord" (Ps. 138:16). And the divine Apostle, recounting the achievements of the Saints, and setting forth their memorial as an example that we might turn away from earthly things and from sin, and emulate their patience and courage in the struggles for virtue, says, "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every burden, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us" (Heb. 12:1).

This commemoration began as the Sunday (Synaxis) of All Martyrs; to them were added all the ranks of Saints who bore witness (the meaning of "Martyr" in Greek) to Christ in manifold ways, even if occasion did not require the shedding of their blood.

Therefore, guided by the teaching of the Divine Scriptures and Apostolic Tradition, we the pious honour all the Saints, the friends of God, for they are keepers of God's commandments, shining examples of virtue, and benefactors of mankind. Of course, we honour the known Saints especially on their own day of the year, as is evident in the Menologion. But since many Saints are unknown, and their number has increased with time, and will continue to increase until the end of time, the Church has appointed that once a year a common commemoration be made of all the Saints. This is the feast that we celebrate today. It is the harvest of the coming of the Holy Spirit into the world; it is the "much fruit" brought forth by that "Grain of wheat that fell into the earth and died" (John 12:24); it is the glorification of the Saints as "the foundation of the Church, the perfection of the Gospel, they who fulfilled in deed the sayings of the Saviour" (Sunday of All Saints, Doxasticon of Vespers).

In this celebration, then, we reverently honour and call blessed all the Righteous, the Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, Confessors, Shepherds, Teachers, and Holy Monastics, both men and women alike, known and unknown, who have been added to the choirs of the Saints and shall be added, from the time of Adam until the end of the world, who have been perfected in piety and have glorified God by their holy lives. All these, as well as the orders of the Angels, and especially our most holy Lady and Queen, the Ever-virgin Theotokos Mary, do we honour today, setting their life before us as an example of virtue, and entreating them to intercede in our behalf with God, Whose grace and boundless mercy be with us all. Amen.

St. Kevin, Abbot of Glendalough Monastery, Wonderworder of Ireland, (+618)

(Reposed at the age of 120)

Commemorated June 3

St. Kevin was born of noble parents in the province of Leinster, Ireland.  He may have been a descendant of the kings of Leinster. Tradition relates that when he was born, his mother felt no labour pains.  He is the first person in history to be called Kevin, which means “He of Blessed Birth.”  As a child, St. Kevin had a horrible temper and disliked people; however, he loved animals.

At age seven, St. Kevin’s parents sent him to the monastery run by St. Petroe in Cornwall. Tradition relates that while there, he was kneeling with his arms outstretched in prayer on the first day of Lent in a small hut in the wilderness when a blackbird landed on his palm and began to build a next. St. Kevin remained still so as not to disturb the bird, for the whole of Lent.  The blackbird fed him with nuts and berries.  At the end of Lent, the last of the blackbird hatchings had flown from the nest, which now was empty in his hand, and St. Kevin returned to the monastery for the Paschal celebration.  

After being ordained to the priesthood, St. Kevin lived seven years as a hermit in the mountains surrounding Glendalough.  He lived in a small, five by seven by three foot cave, known as St. Kevin’s Bed.  When he visited a nearby lake in the winter, he would stand up to his neck in the ice cold water to pray.  

St. Kevin returned to society when a pagan farmer stumbled upon his cave, and he taught the farmer and his family about Christ and the Gospel.  Soon, his tutelage grew to dozens of families, and he began to attract followers.  Seeing the need for a central place from which to teach, St. Kevin decided to establish a monastery at Glendalough.  Other monks came to help teach everyone who would come to learn and more buildings were added.  The monastery grew in fame and renown so much that it was considered equal to a pilgrimage to Rome for a penitent to travel seven times to Glendalough monastery.

It is said that St. Kevin was the fulfillment of the prophecy of St. Patrick that he (St. Kevin) was the one to come who would evangelize the region south of Dublin in Ireland. 

St. Kevin knew where God’s will lay, and he continued to teach and advise all people who came to him until he reposed in June 618.  The location of his gravesite is unknown, however, tradition relates that at dusk, when no one is around, blackbirds flock to an unmarked cross above a forgotten grave – the grave of a wild boy who held a blackbird’s next in his outstretched hand for forty days.

Alternate spellings: Kavin, Coemgen, Caoimhghin, Coemgenus