St. Isaac the Syrian

Isaac was made bishop of Nineveh but resigned after five months and went to live as a hermit in the mountains. His Ascetical Homilies on prayer, stillness and God’s mercy are among the most loved spiritual writings in Orthodoxy. He wrote of “a merciful heart, a heart that burns for all creation, for people, birds and animals, even for demons.”

• Feast: January 28 (New Calendar)
• Lived: 7th century
• Place: Nineveh