On the 3rd day of January

From the «Lives of the Saints» of St. Demetrius (Dimitri) of Rostov

His Birth and Prophetic Ministry

The holy Prophet Malachi was born in Sopha, of the tribe of Zebulun, after the return of the Jews from the Babylonian captivity. From his youth he led a pure and blameless life. He prophesied of the coming of the Lord, and of the fearful judgement, and of the change of the statute and the law of Moses for the better, and of the new sacrifice.

Angelic Purity and His Blessed Repose

The name Malachi, which means “Angel”, was given him by all the people, both because his face was exceedingly fair, as an angel’s, and because he kept an angelic purity and holiness and was a friend to the angels. Many times he conversed with angels, who revealed to him the mysteries of God and taught him the foretelling of things to come; and those who were worthy came to know this certainly, hearing the angelic voice, though they could not see the angel himself. But the holy Malachi spoke with the angels face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. This holy prophet was the last of all the prophets, for no other arose after him in Israel. He died young in years, and was buried with his fathers in his own field.