Din scrierile dreptmaritorilor. SELECTIUNI DIN VIETILE SFINTILOR [4]
Kyrill
Archbishop Innocent of Alaska.
Many years ago the late Hieromonk Seraphim (Rose) wrote: "The very
presence of Orthodoxy in America has a missionary purpose. Orthodoxy
is not the national religion of a few peoples, but the true Church of
Christ, and as such meant to be preached to all peoples...." Few
Orthodox Americans are perhaps aware of the promising beginning of the
Orthodox mission in the 18th and 19th centuries, when a serious
attempt was undertaken to make the riches of Holy Orthodoxy accessible
to Americans" (Orthodox Word, Vol. 1, No. 5, 1965).
The important first chapter written in American Orthodox history by
St. Herman of Alaska's holy life and labors on this continent is now
well-known to many, but fewer know and fully appreciate the second
chapter in that history, written by the evangelistic struggles of a
second righteous one in Alaska, Archbishop Innocent Veniaminov, often
called the "Apostle to America."
Born in 1797 and baptized with the name John, this future great
missionary bishop came from a pious clerical family, was educated in
the usual ecclesiastical manner, graduating at the head of his class,
and was ordained to the priesthood in 1821. This giant of a man (he
was six foot three, tall even for our times) now began work in the
crucible of pastoral activity, where he was to become a giant in the
spirit as well.
Although assigned to a regular parish — the Church of the Annunciation
in Irkutsk — it was necessary for him to supplement his large family's
material needs (he and his Matushka, Katherine, were to have seven
children) by making clocks and little barrel-organs — skills that were
to be very useful in later missionary activity.
A Missionary Summons.
In 1823 his bishop received instructions from the Holy Synod to send a
priest to the Russian-American colony in Alaska. In Father John's own
words: "When all the clergymen in the diocese were asked by order of
the late Bishop Michael if they would like to go to Unalaska — and if
not, then why? — I like all the others stated that I did not wish to
accept the position because it was too far away....Indeed, how could I
— why should I (humanly speaking) — have traveled God-knows where when
I had one of the best parishes in the city, when I enjoyed the love of
my parishioners and the good graces of the authorities, when I already
owned my own home and had a larger income than the salary being
offered to whomever was assigned to Unalaska?' Who among us could
doubt the sincerity of Fr. John's motives here; who would not identify
with his natural desire to stay in the familiar, comfortable and
secure world of a cathedral town in Old Russia?
But the Providence of God sent a Russian adventurer from Alaska his
way, whose inspiring tales were an instrument of the Holy Spirit in
changing Fr. John's heart and destiny: he "began to tell me of the
Aleuts' zeal in prayer and hearing the Word of God (I doubtless had
heard these same things from him many times before), when suddenly
Blessed be the Name of the Lord! — I began to burn with a desire to go
to such a people."
Calling Fr. John a "Son of Obedience," Bishop Michael enthusiastically
appointed him to this post, and saw to his missionary needs (holy
vessels, vestments, service books, two antimensia, as well as salary
and a qualified Reader — Fr. John's own nineteen year old brother). On
October 20, 1823 — a holy day in the history of American Orthodoxy —
this little missionary band arrived safely in Alaska After wintering
in Sitka, Fr. John arrived in Unalaska where he inaugurated his
missionary activity on August 1, 1824, the Feast of the Procession of
the Precious and Life-giving Cross. Fr. John could hardly contain his
joy when he wrote that "for the first time since the birth of Christ —
in fact, from the creation of the world," the Cross of the Lord had
been venerated in that remote and nearly inaccessible part of the
world.
There now began the years of hardship, intense missionary activity,
struggle, and holy glory, all of which was well documented at the time
and serves as a true model for those struggling to work in the
missionary fields of America today.
There are two important things "modelled" for us in Fr. John's
missionary approach.
First, he quite literally fell in love with the natives among whom he
lived and worked. This cannot be overstated as a necessary criterion
for successful missionary work. Externally, superficially, there was
nothing attractive about the Aleuts and Eskimos. To a refined and
cultured man from a priestly family, these natives might have appeared
dirty, ragged, and lazy, as they did to others. But Fr. John saw
beyond this to their joyful, affectionate, honest, and above all
patient souls. He saw in them decent and precious qualities of
character that were plainly lacking in most "civilized" races, and
these qualities warmed and melted his heart with deep Christ-like love
for them. As he himself later wrote:
"The more I become acquainted with these 'savages' the more I love
them and am convinced that we, for all our 'enlightenment' have,
without even noticing it, departed far, far from the paths of
perfection. Many a so-called 'savage' is morally superior to us
so-called 'enlightened' people." Indeed, he was to realize that,
"although it is painful and shameful to admit it, holy truth demands
we say that the present Russian Orthodox are themselves an obstacle to
spreading and confirming Christianity· Our exhortations here are
useless..." On a later visit to his homeland, Fr. John was to proudly
proclaim not that he was a' Russian, but "I'm from America — a
savage."
Thus he sought, in constant conversation and concourse, to understand
and deeply penetrate the tribal character, not seeking to "russify
them but to bring out and enhance their own native character, which
was, as he discovered, already "patient, meek, obedient, peaceful,
pious" and so forth...
Secondly, he realized immediately that for his missionary task to be
fruitful he must use the native languages wherever possible — not only
for preaching the Gospel, but also in translating Scripture, the
Catechism, and Divine Services. There was no hesitation in his own
mind about this, no thought of making the natives into Russians which,
had he tried to do so, would only have put massive and quite
unnecessary obstacles in the path of salvation for these new sheep of
Christ· Besides, it was much more practical for a few missionaries to
learn the languages of their flecks than for all of these tribes to
learn new tongues.
Devoting at least two hours a day to learning quite difficult native
languages, and then making translations for publication, Fr. John
encountered a familiar objection from Church authorities back in
Russia: how could they be sure that these native languages had the
proper terminology to express "accurately and with full force...the
lofty truths" of the Gospel?
Returning to Russia, he insured the future of his translating and
publishing activities, and won over both the Ober-Procurater and the
great and Blessed Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow, who quickly saw
something "apostolic" about Fr. John. He appeared before the Holy
Synod and also had a private audience with the pious Tsar Nicholas I,
all of whom enthusiastically gave their support — both moral and
financial — to missionary activity in the New World.
During this same visit to his homeland he was raised to the rank of
Archpriest and then, shortly, learned of the untimely death of his
beloved Matushka. After a pilgrimage to the Kiev Caves he accepted
monastic tonsure and was given the name Innocent — touchingly, on the
first anniversary of her repose, which was also her Nameday.
While he was still in Russia, the Holy Synod and the Tsar resolved to
crests a diocese out of Fr. John's (now Fr. Innocent's) missionary
territory. Of the three candidates nominated for bishop, the Tsar
chose Archimandrite Innocent because of "his outstanding ability and
true worth." Thus, on December 15, 1840, he was consecrated to the
episcopacy. One month later he was on his way back to his second
homeland, where his own orphaned children in the flesh and those
thousands in the spirit eagerly awaited their father's return.
Fields White With Harvest
The next year saw an amazing-one should say truly miraculous —
increase in missionary activity, establishing churches, schools, and
orphanages. In the words of one observer, "It is difficult to describe
in full the labors which this great worker took upon himself. Travel
on reindeer, sometimes lack of food, inclement weather — even foul
weather — hostile natives, and insults all around — all of this the
old man endured patiently and in good humor. Often, when I would
mention his incredible labors to him, he would tell me about patience
and the rewards in heaven which await those who do good for God and
their neighbor. Without rest for nine months the great old man
preached the true God before hundreds of savages. With animation,
zeal, and often tears in his eyes he taught them the truths of the
Gospel, and his labors did not prove in vain.
In particular he encouraged candidates for the priesthood from among
the natives themselves, establishing a seminary for this purpose, for
"One cannot doubt that there will be success," he wrote, "Of course,
everything comes from the Lord. God Himself — and not the preachers —
converts people to the path of Truth; these are only His 'weapons'."
After providing a vicar for himself in the New World, Archbishop
Innocent moved on to Yakutsk, where he continued his missionary
labors, particularly the arduous work of translating the Divine
Liturgy into the local vernacular. On the day (July 19, 1859) the
newly-translated service books were first presented and used in the
Cathedral, tribal leaders petitioned that that day be henceforth kept
as a feastday.
Now entering the autumn of his life, and soon to become Metropolitan
of Moscow, the greatest see in the Russian Church, Archbishop Innocent
first made detailed recommendations about the Church in America. He
was convinced that it was God's will that the Russian colonies be sold
to the United States for in this way, he wrote, Orthodoxy would spread
far beyond his former missionary diocese. He suggested (among other
things) that the residence of the bishop be moved to San Francisco and
that the bishop and his retinue be required not only to know English
but that they and all clerics of the Orthodox Church in America be
allowed to celebrate the Liturgy and other services in English (for
which purpose, obviously, the service books must be translated into
English). And further, that English rather than Russian (which must
sooner or later be replaced by English) be used "in all instruction in
the schools to be established in San Francisco and elsewhere to
prepare people for missionary and clerical positions."
After he was chosen Metropolitan of Moscow, he used his lofty position
and influence to encourage more, and still more missionary activity,
regardless of the odds and difficulties, convincing the populace at
large that it was their "sacred duty" to further — not an ethnic
culture, however old and beautiful — but the Gospel of Jesus Christ
throughout all the world. Thus, not only did he wisely govern the
Russian Church, but zealously kept his hand to the missionary plow
right up to his holy death on Great Saturday, 1878, as though whether
waking or sleeping, he could hear the voice of the Lord whispering in
his ear: "Go, and preach the Gospel to all nations…"
It is in this that the greatness , the saintliness of Archbishop
Innocent consists. His fearless single-mindedness seems quite awesome
to us today, so weighed down by our "sophistication," academic
credentials, and worldly comforts; so distracted by our jurisdictional
disputes, our modern technology and the signs of an approaching
Armaggedon. True, Archbishop Innocent lived in a much simpler age than
ours; yet in the balance, although his obstacles were different, ours
are no more formidable than his, for with God all things are possible.
There can be no doubt that the powerful personality, the great soul,
of this man stands over the Church in America today and, to a certain
extent, reproaches us for our weak-heartedness, our lack of missionary
zeal. The very fact that many of his own goals and recommendations for
Orthodoxy on this continent have waited now for more than 100 years to
be fully implemented should shame us all, and surely accounts for the
quite minimal success of Orthodoxy since his time. Yet, before his
repose 2,000 natives were being baptized every year, and 3,000 more
were catechumens!
What became of this wonderful promise, this amazing outpouring of the
Holy Spirit in our own times?
Saint Irene.
(Celebrated May 5).
Saint Irene was the only daughter of the Emperor Licinius and the
Empress Licinia. She was born in the city of Magethon near Salonika,
Greece and was originally named Penelope. Because of her beauty, and
because her father did not want her exposed to the Christian religion,
her parents confined Penelope in a castle with thirteen other maidens.
The castle was furnished very lavishly and contained a great store of
gold.
Penelope was tutored in the castle by an elderly man named Apellianos
and one day, during her studies, she saw a dove with an olive branch
in its beak, fly into the castle. The dove placed the olive branch on
a table. Then an eagle flew in through another window with a wreath of
flowers in its beak, and placed it on the table. Through another
window, a crow flew in holding a snake in its beak, the snake was also
placed on the table. Penelope was astounded and confused by these
events. Her tutor, Apellianos, interpreted the omen in the following
way. The dove symbolized education, while the olive branch stood for
baptism. An eagle is the king of all fowl and the wreath which it
carried foretold of future victories. The crow with the snake was
telling of tortures and sorrows which were to come. In total, the omen
was showing that Penelope would one day martyr for Christ. Our Church
history maintains that an angel descended from heaven and renamed
Penelope, Irene, meaning peace. This same angel instructed Irene to
obtain her salvation through Christianity. She was also told that
because of her actions, many souls would be saved. Finally, the angel
instructed her to wait for the pious priest, Timothy, who would soon
baptize her. After these events, Irene destroyed all of her father’s
idols.
When her father discovered what she had done and that she had
converted to Christianity, he became enraged. He tied the Saint to the
ground intending to have her trampled to death. Instead, the horses
turned towards the right and killed Licinius. The Saint was freed and
she began to pray. Her prayers were answered and her father was
resurrected. He and his wife, along with many witnesses, converted to
the Christian religion and were baptized. Licinius then left his
position in the government and went to the castle which he had built
for his daughter. Here he spent the remainder of his life in
meditation and repentance.
Upon Licinius’ abdication, the Emperor Sedecius came to power. He had
no tolerance for the Christians. After capturing Saint Irene, he tried
to force her to denounce her faith. Since she refused to do so, she
was thrown into a snake pit. Here, the Saint remained for fourteen
days, and when she was removed, it was discovered that she had not
been harmed. Sedecius then had the Saint’s feet amputated, but through
Divine Power, they grew back immediately.
Sedecius died and his son Savor succeeded him. He resumed the
Christian persecutions with even greater zeal. Saint Irene attempted
to stop these persecutions. She prayed, and Savor and his entire army
were blinded. She prayed again, and they regained their sight. In this
manner, she was trying to show the power of the true God. Even though
they could again see, the pagans remained blind to the truth. Thus,
they took the Saint and tied heavy sacks of sand to her. So burdened,
she was to walk three miles out of the city. Suddenly, the earth
trembled and the ground split. The crater swallowed hundreds of
idolaters. Even then Savor refused to recognize the power of God and
because of his insolence, he was struck and killed by a bolt of
lightning.
Saint Irene was then released and she returned to the castle where her
father and the priest, Timothy, lived. There, many people went to hear
her teach and she succeeded in converting hundreds of idolaters to
Christianity.
Saint Irene traveled to the city of Kalinikou where she confronted the
ruler, Noumerias, with her beliefs. He submitted her to tortures but
succeeded neither in killing her nor in making her sacrifice to the
false idols. Before his death, Noumerias had instructed his successor
to torture the Saint to death. The new ruler decided to burn the
Saint. When the fire was lit, it extinguished itself. Thus, this ruler
was convinced and he and his entire house converted to Christianity.
Saint Irene’s fame spread throughout the then known world. When word
reached the King of Persia, Savorios (ruler of Persia when Constantine
the Great ruled Byzantium, 330 A.D.), captured the Saint and beheaded
her. However, the omnipowerful and wise God was not ready to take the
Saint’s soul. He, therefore, dispatched one of his angels to resurrect
her. Saint Irene then went to the city of Mesimvrian. And as Saint
Irene entered the city she held an olive branch in her hand and
approached the ruler. When he perceived her holiness, he and many
others embraced Christianity. Satisfied, she left Mesimvrian and
returned to her home in Magethon, where she mourned her father’s
death.
Wanting to convert even more idolaters to Christianity to save them
from eternal damnation, she went to the city of Ephesus. Here she
retold Christ’s story. It was in Ephesus that she met her former
teacher, Apellianos.
After teaching in Ephesus, Saint Irene accompanied by six people,
including Apellianos, departed from the city. They found a tomb in
which no one had ever been buried. Saint Irene entered the empty tomb
and Apellianos placed a boulder in front of the entrance. The Saint
had requested that no one was to move the boulder for four days. Two
days after the Saint had been entombed, Apellianos checked the grave
site. A miracle had occurred! The boulder had been rolled away and the
Saint’s body was gone. She was now with the Master.
Saint Irene martyred in Magethon, Kalinikou, and Mesimvrian and her
story was first told by Apellianos. The Church recognized this Saint
as being one of its greatest martyrs.
Saint Isidoros and Saint Myrope.
(Celebrated May 14; Celebrated December 2).
This great martyr of Christ, Isidores, lived during the time that
Decius was ruler of the Roman Empire (251 A.D). He was originally from
Alexandria and a soldier by profession. Arriving in Chios with a Roman
fleet, he admitted to being a Christian and denounced the Greek gods.
When Numerios, the captain of the fleet heard the words of Saint
Isidores, he ordered the other soldiers to bind the Saint and whip
him. The Saint faced the torture with great courage, since he knew
that he was being tortured for his love of Christ.
Isidores was then thrown into a furnace, however, with the help of
God, he was not harmed. He was then imprisoned until his trial.
Hearing of his son’s imprisonment, Isidores’ father left Alexandria
for Chios immediately. Upon his arrival in Chios, he went to the
prison and tried to make Isidores denounce Christ. He failed in his
attempts and thus went to the ruler of the island hoping that he would
free him to his custody. The ruler granted his wish and again he tried
to convince Isidores to denounce Christ. He asked him why he believed
in a person whom the Jews tortured and murdered. Isidores told his
father that Christ died for man’s salvation and that he would never
denounce Him. His father’s love turned to hatred. He had him tied to
two wild horses which wrenched his body. The Saint underwent this
torture with courage. After suffering this ordeal, his father had him
beheaded. Instead of blood, milk ran from the Saint’s fatal wound. His
body was thrown into a well so that it could be eaten by snakes and it
was guarded so that the Christians could not take it. However, a
virgin named Myrope, who admired the Saint, wanted the body buried.
She went with her servants during the night and found the soldiers
asleep, and thus took the Saint’s body.
When the ruler discovered that the body had been stolen, he had the
soldiers put in chains and made them search for the body. If they
failed they were to be beheaded. When Myrope saw the soldiers
suffering and heard of what would happen to them, she refused to be
the cause of their death. She confessed what she had done and was
taken to the governor. Myrope told the governor that he forced her to
steal the body because of his injustice and unpiousness. He ordered
his soldiers to take her throughout the capital and beat her. She was
beaten until almost dead and then was placed in prison. During the
night Saint Myrope saw a host of angels, and in the middle of this
group was Saint Isidores. The Saint told her that she had earned the
crown of martyrdom and she would soon be in the Kingdom of Heaven. As
Saint Myrope heard these words, she gave her soul up to the hands of
God. As she passed away, the prison filled with a loud chanting and
the guards ran with fear. All who were in prison and saw the miracle
were willing to die for Christ. Several Christians took Saint Myrope’s
body and buried it next to Saint Isidores. Their tombs, which are
covered by one wall, can still be seen today. It is believed that the
Emperor Constantine Pachonatos built a church over the tombs, but that
it was destroyed and only parts of it remain in the newer church. The
Genoese took the Saints’ bodies and for many years the Christians
worshipped their empty tombs. In recent years the body of Saint
Isidores has been returned by the Roman Catholic Church to the
Cathedral on the Island of Chios.
Saint John The Baptist.
(Celebrated January 7)
Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, was a God-fearing and just
priest. He lived with his wife Elizabeth in a small town named
Orienin, known today as Aem Karem. This village is approximately eight
kilometers from Jerusalem. The couple was not completely contented
since they did not have a child; therefore, they prayed each day for a
son. One day, while performing a liturgy in his church , Zacharias saw
the Archangel Gabriel who told him that his prayers had been answered.
God would grant them a son whom they would name John. Zacharias was
skeptical, since Elizabeth had long passed the child-bearing age. For
this reason, the Archangel took Zacharias' voice away.
Within the year, the news announced by Gabriel came true. Elizabeth
gave birth to a son and even though the relatives wanted her to follow
the tradition of naming the child after the father, Elizabeth insisted
that the child be named John. After John was born, Zacharias regained
his voice.
As the Archangel had predicted, John prepared himself as he grew older
to convince people to accept Christ as the true Savior. He, therefore,
went into the desert where he lived on wild honey, the sprouts of
trees, and insects. John prayed and meditated constantly and after
receiving a message from an angel, he left the desert and went to an
area near the Jordan River. Dressed in a garment made of camel hair
tied with a leather belt, he preached repentance for the remission of
sins and baptized those who confessed. He also preached generosity —
helping those who were less fortunate. Thousands of people came and
confessed to the Forerunner. (Saint John is also referred to as the
Forerunner because he prepared the way or the road for Christ.) They
were baptized in the Jordan, and prepared for the Messiah.
Because the people had previously heard of the Messiah, they began to
believe that John was the Messiah. Seeing that the people's respect
for him was turning to glory, he told them that he baptized them only
with water, whereas, the true Messiah would baptize them with the Holy
Spirit.
One day, as John was speaking of the Messiah, he looked up and saw
Christ. Christ asked John to baptize him. Awed, John refused, saying
that Christ should rather baptize him! Christ told him that it was the
will of God. John then baptized him. The heavens opened and the Holy
Spirit, in the form of a dove, came and sat on Christ's head. A voice
thundered from heaven, "This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well
pleased." This day is called Epiphany, for it was on this day that
Christ was shown to man as God. John then told the people that this
was the Son of the true God. This was the Messiah.
Herod of Antipus had married his brother’s wife, Herodia, which was
against Mosaic law. John publicly condemned him for this. Being
influenced by his wife, Herod had John imprisoned, hoping that the
people would forget his incestuous affair. He did not dare murder the
Forerunner because he highly respected this pious man and was afraid
of the people’s reaction, who considered John to be a prophet. His
wife tried to convince him to have John killed, but she was
unsuccessful. During one of the feast days, Herod’s stepdaughter,
Salome, danced for the king. He was so pleased that he offered to give
her anything she wanted. After conferring with her mother, Salome
asked for the head of John the Baptist. Though Herod was disgusted at
the request, he could not break his promise. He ordered his soldiers
to behead the Baptist. The Saint was executed and his head was
presented to Salome on a silver platter.
The Feast Day of Saint John the Baptist is celebrated on January 7,
because it is on this day that his arm arrived in Constantinople. The
body of the Saint was buried in a town called Sevastie. The Evangelist
Luke went to this town and cut off the right arm of the Saint. He took
the arm to Antioch, his home town. Here, many miracles were attributed
to this holy relic. When Constantine was ruler of the Byzantine
Empire, of which Antioch was a part, a man called Iov brought the arm
of the Saint to Constantinople. (This Constantine should not be
confused with Saint Constantine, the son of Saint Helen). This
occurred in the year 912 A.D. It was brought to the city on the day
after the Epiphany. The arm of Saint John the Baptist is now found in
the Topkapi Museum in Istanbul.
The Holy Head of Saint John the Forerunner was first found by two
monks in the palace of Herod, Saint John’s executioner. The monks were
on a pilgrimage to the Tomb of Jesus Christ, but decided to stop at
the palace to seek the Saint’s body. When they discovered Saint John’s
head, they took it to the town of Emesan. Here the monks protected the
relic faithfully. Before the death of the last monk, he instructed his
sister to guard Saint John’s head.
After the death of this woman many people took possession of the head
until finally it became the possession of a monk-priest named
Efstathios. He had been excommunicated from the Church because of his
belief in the Arian Heresy. Consequently, he was also expelled from
the cave which he had occupied. The relic remained there until the
time of the Priest Marcellos and the Bishop Ouranios of Emesan, circa
431 A.D. The head was found in a clay vase and it was taken to a
church by Bishop Ouranios, where it performed many miracles for the
sick. This discovery is celebrated on the 24th of February.
The head of the Saint was now enclosed in a silver box, in a holy
place. This, a priest saw in his dream, for the head was lost again.
However, it was found and taken from Comana in Cappadocia to
Constantinople. The Emperor, Patriarch, and all the Christians
accepted the relic with deep humility.
In the year 1204, during the Crusades, Walto de Sarton took part of
the Holy Head, that is, all of the face except for the lower jaw, to
France.
After Saint John’s execution, several of his disciples took his body
from the palace and honorably interred it. During the reign of Julian
the Apostate, several pagans broke open the tomb and burnt part of the
Holy Relic. The remainder of the body was later given to Saint
Athanasius in Alexandria. The Emperor Theodosius built a Church over
the body of Saint John the Baptist in 396 A.D.
Saint John is considered to be a martyr, a doctor, and a prophet by
our Church.
Saint John Chrysostom.
(Celebrated November 13).
This beacon of Christianity was born in the city of Antioch in the
year 344 A.D. His parents, Secundus and Anthusa, had been wealthy
idolaters. Secounthos was also a respected general in the Roman army.
At the time of John’s birth, however, both were baptized Christians.
When John was still young he was baptized by Saint Meletius, who was
the then Patriarch of Antioch.
Secundus died early in the Saint’s life, and thus Anthousa became a
young widow left with John as her only comfort. She sought endlessly
to teach him Christianity’s love and faith. In addition, he was
educated by Libanius in rhetoric and by Andragatius in philosophy.
Therefore, the Saint became familiar with the wisdom of both the
Greeks and the Christians.
Soon, he departed Antioch and went to Athens where the Greeks had
built their universities. Within a short time, he became known as the
most eloquent speaker of the city. His fame spread throughout the
capital and all the lands of the Greek speaking world. He was summoned
many times to speak before the city’s governor. At one time, the
governor had invited all the philosophers of Athens to his palace. He
wanted to honor John, and therefore, sent a horse to the Saint’s home
to bear him to the palace. John refused the use of the horse. The
governor and the other philosophers saw him approaching on foot and
admired his humility. To honor him they sat him in the center of the
room. One of the pagan philosophers, named Anthemius, became extremely
jealous. He said to the governor, "You have done an injustice to your
honor. You have sat a stranger in the most honored seat and have
ignored philosophers who have spent their entire lives in Athens. Not
only this, but his religion is unlike ours." The governor replied, "We
have not done an injustice. We honor this man because he is from a
noble family and because of his great humility." Then Saint John
spoke, "It does not become you, Anthemius, to call yourself a
philosopher and then to be jealous of another’s honors. Jealousy does
not add to our attributes, but detracts from them. As for my religion,
I worship one God. This God created the world and tends his creation."
But Anthemius interrupted him saying, "It is our gods who supply us
with the three elements of the world — water, earth and fire." Before
he could finish his statement, he had a seizure and fell to the ground
shaking.
The other philosophers watched in amazement and then begged Saint John
to cure Anthemius. The Saint prayed and the philosopher was cured. As
it turned out, Anthemius was cured not only physically, but
spiritually as well, for he went to the Bishop of Athens, sought and
received baptism. Many other philosophers followed suit.
When John completed his formal education, he left Athens and went to
Antioch. There, he led a monastic life for many years with a friend
and former schoolmate named Basil (not Saint Basil the Great).
In Antioch, a monk named Eutichius admired Saint John and wanted to
emulate him in every way. One night, this monk had a strange dream. A
fierce looking white lamb came from heaven and stood in front of the
praying figure of Saint John. The Saint was so frightened that he fell
to his knees. The lamb said to the Saint, "Fear not, but have courage,
for I am Saint John the Theologian." He gave John a scroll and told
him that it contained the explanation of the Scriptures. Saint John
Chrysostom did not consider himself worthy of such an honor, but Saint
John the Theologian gave him courage and then ascended into heaven.
The other monks saw that Eutichius was troubled and asked him what his
concern was. He told them of his dream and they all agreed not to
reveal anything to Saint John. They expected to see great things
happen to the Saint.
A rich nobleman of Antioch became ill and a severe pain affected one
side of his head and his sight. He went to Saint John and begged him
to relieve his suffering. Saint John said to him, "You are suffering
because you do not truly believe in Christ and because you have led a
sinful life. If you strengthen your belief in Christ and repent for
your sins, you shall be cured." The nobleman prayed and asked
forgiveness. He then held onto the robes of the Saint. Immediately the
pain stopped and his vision was restored.
Another extremely rich man, named Archelaus, became ill in Antioch. He
spent much of his time and money on physicians, but none could cure
him. In the interim he had heard of Saint John’s greatness and power
and decided that the holy man was his last hope of salvation. Finding
the Saint in the monastery, he pleaded for assistance. Saint John
taught him how to live a true Christian life and then told him to
drink water from the monk’s cup. The nobleman drank the water and was
completely cured of his sickness. But the most significant part of
this story is that Archelaos was so moved that he distributed all of
his money among the poor of Antioch and then became a monk in the
monastery himself.
Many men in Antioch became monks, patterning their lives after that of
Saint John. One such man, Eucleos, who was blind in one eye, had come
to Saint John’s monastery. The Saint realized that this affliction was
a great burden to Eucleos. Thus, the Saint said to him "May God cure
you, my brother, and let you see both spiritually and physically."
Immediately Eucleos gained his sight.
In another instance, a woman had been suffering intermittent
hemorrhages for two years. I n those days, this was a common illness
for women, but it was also very serious. Her husband went to Saint
John and asked for help. The Saint instructed the man to tell his wife
to believe in Christ with all her heart, to be generous, and to lead a
pure life. The husband returned to his wife and did as he had been
told. His wife followed his directions explicitly, and within a short
period she was cured.
Also at that time, a lion had been terrorizing the farmers of Antioch.
So ferocious was he, that it became extremely dangerous for the
farmers to tend their fields. Many were killed by the beast while they
tilled their land. Finally, they turned to Saint John for assistance.
He scolded them for abandoning God. They asked forgiveness for their
negligence. The Saint forgave them and granted them a wooden cross.
They were instructed to place the cross on the road which led into
Antioch. The people did as the Saint instructed. The following
morning, the lion was found dead, lying before the cross.
Saint John remained in this monastery for four years, performing many
miracles and serving as an example of Christian life to the other
monks and to the citizens of Antioch. Wanting to lead the life of a
hermit monk, however, he eventually left the monastery and went into
the wilderness. Here he lived without any of the comforts of life. He
was subjected to the extreme heat of the day and the freezing cold of
the desert night. Because of these elements, John became ill and was
forced to return to Antioch. There, the Patriarch Meletius (who had
baptized him) welcomed John with open arms and made him a reader
(anagnostis). Later he was ordained a deacon by Flavianos. He remained
a deacon for five years and then returned to his former monastery.
During this time, the Second Ecumenical Council was called in the city
of Constantinople. Meletius left Antioch and went to Constantinople to
attend the Council. While in Constantinople, he died and Flavianos
became Patriarch of Antioch. One night, Patriarch Flavianos saw a
dream where an angel instructed him to go to the monastery and take
Saint John to the Patriarchal Church. There, he was to ordain him into
the priesthood. That same night, Saint John, while praying, was told
by an angel that the Patriarch would come to him the next day and he
was to go with him, for this was the will of God. The next morning,
Saint John told the other monks of his vision. They wept, for they
were to lose their beloved brother. The Patriarch arrived at the
monastery and he told Saint John of his vision. They held a Liturgy at
the monastery and prepared to leave. The other monks gathered around
John. Crying, they begged him not to leave them. Flavianos comforted
the monks and, together with Saint John, departed for Antioch. When
the people of Antioch heard of the Saint’s arrival, they gathered at
the church to witness the ordination. As the ceremony progressed, a
vision of a white dove appeared in the church. The Patriarch was about
to ordain John when the dove descended and sat on the Saint’s head.
This symbolized the blessing given by the Holy Spirit.
Because of his teachings, and his explanations of the Scriptures (all
of which he did eloquently), the people of Antioch called him "the
mouth of Christ," "the second Paul," and "Chrysostom" (golden mouth).
The name Chrysostom was used most frequently and it is this name that
we still associate with Saint John.
An affluent woman, named Euclea, had five sons, four of which had
died. The fifth became extremely ill with a burning fever. Fearing for
the life of her only remaining son, she ran with her husband to the
church where Saint John was performing the Liturgy. When they arrived,
the Saint was reading the scripture where the woman begged Christ to
cure her sick daughter. Euclea fell at the Saint’s feet and begged him
to cure her only child. John realized that the son was suffering
because of the sins of his parents. The Saint told Euclea and her
husband that to save their son, they would have to repent for the sins
which they had committed. They shed bitter tears and Saint John
instructed them to bring their son to the church. He took a chalice of
water and blessed it. Then he gave three sips of the Holy Water to the
boy. His fever fell immediately.
The Antiochian governor at that time was a heretic and wanted to
spread the false teachings of Markianus. Markianus taught that there
were four gods. The first, the Father, was innocence and no one was
capable of knowing him. The second god was the Great or, who created
the four elements — earth, air, fire, and water. The third god was
named Wise, and he borrowed the four elements of the Creator and
formed the Earth and mankind. Christ was the fourth god, but he was
considered inferior to the other gods. During the time that the
governor supported this heresy, his wife became ill with dysentery.
Many doctors tried to cure her and many heretics prayed for her, but
their efforts were in vain. Finally they carried the woman to the
church where John was teaching. When Saint John saw them, he ordered
them to leave the church for they were heretics and thus enemies of
Christ. The governor maintained that this was the religion they had
been taught from childhood and that was why they accepted it. They
were, however, willing to change their beliefs. Saint John then
ordered them to bring water which he blessed and sprinkled on the
woman. She was immediately cured and walked back to her home. Both the
governor and his wife subsequently believed in the orthodox teachings.
They did many philanthropic deeds, such as building homes for the
poor, hospitals, orphanages and churches.
When the others who believed in this heresy saw that the governor and
his wife had denounced the Markian teachings, they began to curse
Saint John, calling him a magician and a heretic. John warned them to
change their ways or else suffer the consequences. Within a few days
an earthquake shook the city of Antioch and leveled the houses of the
heretics. Not one Christian home was damaged. This disaster caused the
heretics to denounce their ideas. For many days, they came to Saint
John to be baptized as Christians.
Towards the end of the 4th century, the Patriarch of Constantinople,
Nectarius, died. He had succeeded Saint Gregory the Theologian. The
question arose as to whom to elect as the new Patriarch. After a great
deal of turmoil, five men decided to go to Antioch, bring back Saint
John to Constantinople, and ordain him Patriarch. With the consent of
the Emperor Arcadius and that of the other bishops, a letter was
written to Flavianos, Patriarch of Antioch, informing him of the death
of Nectarios and of the election of John the Chrysostom to the
position of Patriarch of Constantinople. When John was informed of
this decision, he was deeply troubled, for he did not deem himself
capable of fulfilling the great responsibilities of this position.
When the people were informed, a riot nearly ensued in Antioch. They
refused to let their teacher and father leave. Flavianos tried by
every means to calm them, but to no avail. Fearing that blood would be
shed if they persisted, the representatives of the Emperor Arcadius
returned to Constantinople without John.
Arcadius wrote a letter to the governor of Antioch instructing him to
send Saint John to him even if the Saint refused. The governor was to
do this secretly so that the people would not be aware of the Saint’s
departure. Thus a note was written to the Saint asking him to go to
the Martyr’s Church outside the city for someone needed his help. The
note was not signed. When he arrived, he saw a carriage in front of
the church. This seemed strange to him for people rich enough to own
carriages did not frequently attend church. Suddenly, five soldiers
surrounded him and instructed him to go with them. Saint John was
placed in the carriage and taken to Constantinople. When they neared
the city, thousands of people, including many priests and bishops,
came to welcome the new Patriarch. Among them was Theophilus who was
the Patriarch of Alexandria and the nephew of the Empress Eudoxia.
Theophilus ordained John, Patriarch of Constantinople, on December 15,
398 A.D. The next day, the Emperor and other officials went to the
Patriarchate and received the Patriarch’s blessing.
As Patriarch, Saint John had one overriding duty — to save the souls
of his people. He wrote many speeches instructing the people to lead
Christian lives in order to obtain salvation.
The people in the area of Phoenicia were still idolaters. Saint John
was determined to convert these people to Christianity. Thus, with the
consent of Arcadius, soldiers went to Phoenicia and destroyed all the
heathen temples. In their place they erected churches and monasteries.
Monks were then sent to these monasteries and within a short time,
they converted the Phoenicians to Christianity. In addition to this,
John was also successful in halting the spread of heresy throughout
the rest of the kingdom.
Saint John was renowned for his explanations of the Holy Scriptures.
He also interpreted the Epistles of Saint Paul, whom he admired
greatly. In order to assure himself that the interpretations of the
Epistles were correct, he asked God to offer him a sign.
At that same time, a nobleman had risen against Emperor Arcadius. The
Emperor, in turn, confiscated all of the man’s possessions and
threatened to execute him. The nobleman became desperate and decided
to ask for Saint John’s assistance. When he arrived at the
Patriarchate, Saint John could not offer him an audience immediately,
but instructed him to return that evening. Saint John told the
assistant priest, Proclos (who later succeeded Saint John as
Patriarch), to show the nobleman to the Saint’s room when he arrived.
That evening, the nobleman returned and Proclos went to inform the
Patriarch of his arrival. The door to the room was shut, so Proclos
looked through the keyhole. He saw Saint John sitting at his desk
writing, with a bald-headed man, slightly bent, looking over his
shoulder. Seeing this, Proclos returned to the nobleman and told him
that the Patriarch was in conference. Proclos returned to the
Patriarch’s room several times during the night, but the man was still
talking with John. Thus the nobleman waited the entire night to see
Saint John. Morning came and the Patriarch prepared to perform the
Matins, realizing neither that the nobleman had waited all night for
him, nor that Proclos had seen the vision.
That morning the nobleman returned to the Patriarchate since it was of
the utmost importance for him to see the Patriarch. Proclos went again
to inform John of the nobleman’s arrival, but again saw the same man
in the Patriarch’s room. John looked extremely interested in what the
man was telling him. Proclos was bewildered on how the man was
entering, since everyone had to come by him.
The nobleman returned for the fourth time and Proclos assured him that
the Patriarch was alone, for he had made certain that no one passed
without his knowledge. When Proclos went to the Patriarch’s room, he
was shocked to find the same man still there. He returned to the
nobleman and told him to go to his home for it was impossible for him
to see John.
That third day, the Saint had remembered the nobleman and inquired
about him. Proclos told John that the man had come three times, but
each time, the Patriarch was busy talking to the same man. John asked
Proclos whom he had seen in the room. Proclos told him that it looked
as if it were the Apostle Paul whose icon sat on the Saint’s desk.
Joyously, Saint John realized that this was the sign he had asked for
from God concerning his interpretations of the Apostle’s epistles.
Thus, Saint John wrote The Fourteen Epistles of the Apostle Paul
containing the explanation of the letters. This book is one of the
greatest works in the writings of the Orthodox Church.
After conferring with the nobleman, the Patriarch agreed to act as
mediator between the nobleman and the Emperor. Within a short time,
the differences were settled and the nobleman was again granted his
confiscated property.
The Saint began to acquire many enemies, during his stay in office. He
spoke openly and condemned anyone who did not live according to the
Christian teachings. He expelled many priests, either for false
teachings or because of their involvement in scandalous affairs. He
also condemned the royalty for their extravagant way of life. Thus the
Empress, and other pleasure-loving people turned against him. These
enemies were to cause the Saint a great amount of uneasiness and
unhappiness.
Eutropios, the Chamberlain of the Emperor, was one of the bitterest
enemies of the Saint. He was a heathen and did everything in his power
to cause trouble in the Church. In his desire for power, Eutropios
began to oppose the Emperor and Empress, He erected statues to
himself, claiming to be the second founder of Constantinople. Finally,
he insulted the Empress. She ordered that Eutropios be arrested and
executed. He fled to the church of the Patriarchate and begged for
asylum. The soldiers followed him and entered the church. John
immediately stepped between the soldiers and Eutropios and instructed
the soldiers to leave. They returned to the Empress to tell her what
had happened. The next day the soldiers gathered outside of the church
and demanded Eutropios’ death. Saint John ascended the pulpit and gave
one of the most famous speeches of his life. Thus he dispersed the
soldiers and saved the heathen from execution.
Another event occurred at this time to arouse more problems for the
Patriarch. There were many people in Constantinople who believed in
the Arian Heresy. They had their own churches and tried to convert the
orthodox Christians. Thus, Saint John asked Arcadius to give the
heretics a choice — either to return to the orthodox thinking or to
leave Constantinople. Arcadius agreed and related his decision to the
Arian priests. Many heretics, not wishing to leave their homes and the
city, returned to the Christian Church. Others left Constantinople and
resettled in the city’s outlying areas. During the great feast days of
the Church, the heretics would return to the city and sing hymns
against the Orthodox Church. To try to stop this, Saint John wrote
hymns against the heretics and called them antiphona (against the
voices). So much hatred arose between the two groups, that blood was
eventually shed.
A eunuch named Brison was singing the antiphona with the Christians on
one such Feast Day when heretics began to throw rocks at them.
Brisanas was struck in the forehead and killed. From that time on the
Arians were not allowed to chant in Constantinople.
A Church Council was held in Constantinople in which twenty-two
Bishops from Anatolia attended. During the meeting, Bishop Eusebius,
from Valentinopolis, handed Saint John a letter listing several
charges against the Metropolitan of Ephesus, Anthony. These charges
were that:
1. He gave the golden and silver pieces in the Metropolitan Church to
smiths, who melted them down and made jewelry which was sold at his
son’s jewelry exchange.
2. Much marble which was in the Church was taken by the Metropolitan
and put in his personal bath house.
3. Money planned for use by the Church was taken by the Metropolitan
and used to build his son a house.
4. Anthony’s son had committed murder which had gone unpunished.
5. The lands that had been given to the Church by the mother of Julian
the Apostate had been sold by Anthony.
6. Anthony’s former wife had returned to live with him and that she
had another child by him while he was a bishop.
7. He made those who wanted to be ordained pay for the service. This
was considered to be the most serious of the charges.
When Saint John read these charges he asked Eusebius if they had been
written out of hatred for Anthony. Eusebius answered that he had
written the truth for the good of the church. John warned him that
once these charges were read to the clergy and laity, the decision
would be out of his hands. The charges were read and it was decided
that Anthony should stand trial for the last charge. If he were found
guilty, the other charges would just support the accusation. John was
satisfied with this decision.
Several priests whom Anthony had ordained were summoned before the
bishops, but they denied having paid Anthony. Thus John saw that it
would be difficult to accuse Anthony without a witness. He, therefore,
decided to go to Ephesus. Anthony, knowing what John would discover,
persuaded the Emperor’s representative not to allow the Patriarch to
leave Constantinople. The Patriarch sent two other bishops and
Eusebius to Ephesus to discover if the charges were valid. He gave
them two months in which to find witnesses. If they failed, Eusebius
would be punished for his false accusations.
Meanwhile, Eusebius received many gifts and favors from Anthony and he
no longer wanted the charges to be proven true. He, therefore, did not
bring forth any witnesses. After two months, the bishops departed for
Constantinople. Midway there, Eusebius summoned them to return to
Ephesus, saying that he had found witnesses. He did this so that the
bishops would not have him punished for the false accusation. The
bishops returned to Ephesus to question the witnesses. However, by
that time, all the bishops had left Constantinople. Within a year of
the first accusations, Anthony died and the case was forgotten. The
people of Ephesus did ask Saint John to go to their city to clear the
Church of other scandalous priests.
John boarded one of the royal ships and went to Apemian, the seaport
of Ephesus. Here he was met by other bishops and taken to the city.
There, bishops were questioned as to what amount they had paid to be
ordained. The amount was reimbursed from the estate of the late Bishop
Anthony. A new bishop was also elected to serve that area and Eusebius
was duly punished.
It was Saint John’s habit to publicly criticize all people who were
greedy, unjust, and selfish. Many of the nobility of Constantinople
objected to this, even though the Saint would never mention names.
There was a nobleman named Theodorichus in Constantinople who was
extremely rich. The Empress Eudoxia had become jealous of this man and
wanted to destroy him. However, she could find no valid excuse to do
this. She, therefore, decided to ask him to lend a large sum of money
to the Empire. If he gave the money, she would never return it to him;
and if he refused, she could easily ruin him. Theodorichos realized
what Eudoxia was attempting to do and thus went to Saint John for
help. The Patriarch wrote a letter to the Empress and suppressed her
scheme. Afterwards, Saint John told Theodorichus that if God had not
intervened no doubt he would have given his money to the Empress.
Therefore, he should be generous with his money and share it with the
Church. Theodorichus donated a large portion of the money to the
Church’s treasury, keeping just enough to support himself and his
family. When Eudoxia discovered what Theodorichus had done with his
fortune, she was furious. She immediately sent a letter to Saint John
accusing him of scheming to obtain Theodorichus’ wealth for himself.
Saint John, considering himself innocent of this accusation, responded
to the Empress’ letter. He explained to her that long ago he had
distributed his own inheritance among the poor, and that he had done
the same with the money he received from Theodorichus. He also stated
that the nobleman himself had decided to give the money to the Church
so that the Empress’ greed could not be satisfied. Unfortunately, this
insult enraged Eudoxia and she became the Saint’s ardent enemy.
Still another event caused Eudoxia to be bitter against Saint John.
There lived a very rich widow in Alexandria, named Kallitrope. The
governor of Alexandria, Pavlacios, wanted to rob this woman of her
money. Accusing her of a false crime, he demanded five-hundred gold
pieces as a fine.
Two years later, Paulacius was summoned to Constantinople to pay his
taxes to the Empire. With this opportunity, Kallitrope also went to
the capital city, hoping to present her case to the Emperor. Upon
telling the Emperor of the injustice that Paulacius had subjected her
to, the Emperor handed the case over to the Eparch of Constantinople.
Unfortunately, he sided with Pavlacios since this money was part of
the taxes which Paulacius had to pay.
Seeing that she would not receive fair treatment from these men,
Kallitrope decided to go to Eudoxia, thinking that, being a woman, the
Empress would stop this injustice. Eudoxia was nonetheless greedy. She
gave the widow only eighty gold pieces and told her to leave the
palace. Filled with despair, Kallitrope departed and went to Saint
John. Hearing the widow’s case, the Patriarch summoned Paulacius to
the Patriarchate and ordered him to return the money to the widow. He
informed the Saint that he had given the money to the Emperor. Thus
Saint John had Paulacius jailed in the prison of the Partriarchate.
When Eudoxia heard of Paulacius’ imprisonment, she went to Saint John
and ordered him to release the nobleman. The Patriarch refused and
told Eudoxia that unless the money were returned to the widow, he
would not release Paulacius. The Empress ordered two hundred soldiers
to go to the Patriarchate and free Paulacius. When the soldiers
arrived at the gates of the prison, they saw an angel of the Lord who
held a spear and ordered the soldiers to leave. When they returned and
told the Empress of the event, she became frightened. She called upon
a nobleman named Flumentius who was a friend of Saint John and
instructed him to go to the Patriarch to convince him to free
Paulacius. Flumentius could not persuade the Patriarch to free the
prisoner. Thus, he returned to Eudoxia and informed her of the
Patriarch’s steadfastness in the matter. Flumenius then went to his
home, got five-hundred gold pieces, and took them to the Patriarch who
in turn released the prisoner.
Eudoxia again sent a message to Saint John. She informed him that the
rulers of the Empire did not interfere in ecclesiastical affairs and
that the Patriarch should not interfere with the affairs of the State.
Also, she requested that he refrain from criticizing her. His reply
was that he would continue to criticize her until she would change her
lifestyle so as to permit her soul to receive the riches of heaven.
Eudoxia was now determined to have the Saint deposed. Thus, she and
other enemies including Patriarch Theophilos of Alexandria, laid a
trap. Together they asked the bishops to call a council. Here false
accusations were made against Saint John, especially from Patriarch
Theophilos. The council of bishops heard forty accusations against the
Saint. The accusations included:
1. Selling the marble of the Church of Saint Anastasia
2. Putting several monks in irons
3. Beating the son of a nobleman
4. Selling many jewels of the Church
5. Cursing several clergymen
6. Having a man named Servius murdered
7. Not giving an account of the Church’s income
The bishops who were against the Patriarch outnumbered those who were
on the side of his righteousness. They signed the documents deposing
the Patriarch and suggested to the Emperor that he send the spiritual
head of the Church into exile. The Emperor Arcadius ordered his
soldiers to patrol the city since the citizens were almost in a state
of riot due to the council’s decision. When the Bishop of Rome,
Ignatius heard of the council’s decision, he wrote a letter to
Arcadius condemning him for his actions.
The night that Saint John was exiled, an earthquake shook the city of
Constantinople. Arcadius became extremely frightened and sent a
messenger recalling John from Prametus, the Saint’s place of exile.
When the citizenry of Constantinople heard that Patriarch John was
returning, they crowded the narrow streets of the city and awaited the
arrival of their leader. Saint John reached the gates of
Constantinople and stopped. He requested that another council come and
re-examine him. The crowd yelled so much for him to enter the city,
that the Patriarch honored their request. Upon reaching the
Patriarchate, Saint John was hesitant about taking the Patriarchal
chair. However, the citizens again forced him to take his rightful
place.
The Emperor and his wife were not so easily swayed. They were
determined to be rid of this uncooperative hierarch. Eventually, they
slaughtered hundreds of Christians, and threatening to kill many more,
they succeeded in coercing Saint John into exile.
He was escorted to the small Armenian village of Cucussus. Even here,
however, he attracted more followers. Fearing that his power would
grow, his enemies forced him to undertake a long and tedious journey.
On this journey, John’s ill ness and age took their toll. He felt that
the end was near. And so, one morning he dressed in white garments,
raised his hands towards the sky, and said, "Glory be to God for all
things." With that his soul passed into heaven.
Years after his death, a dispute arose as to the superiority of
Chrysostom over Basil the Great and Gregory the Theologian. Basil was
the most philosophical, Gregory the most theological and Saint John
the most eloquent of all the pillars of Orthodoxy. All three were
undoubtably the great Fathers of the Orthodox Church. I n order to
illustrate the equality of the Three Great Hierarchs, the Church has
sanctioned a common feast for all three, celebrated on January 30.
The Transfer of Saint John Chrysostom’s Body to Constantinople.
(Celebrated January 27).
After the death of the Saint in his place of exile, the Empress
Eudoxia began hemorrhaging and her entire body began to decay. She
realized that she was suffering because of her injustices to Patriarch
John. During her last days oh earth, she tried to remedy these
injustices. Even after her death the Empress did not rest in peace,
for her grave trembled for thirty-three years until the body of Saint
John was returned to Constantinople.
Eudoxia left as her heirs four daughters, Poulcheria, Foulia, Arcadia
and Mary, and one son, Theodosius. The Emperor Arcadius ruled for
fourteen years upon Eudoxia’s death. Her daughters remained unwed.
Poulcheria ruled after Arcadius, for nineteen years until Theodosius
came of age to rule. After thirty years of Theodosius’ reign, Proclus,
a student of Saint John was elected Patriarch of Constantinople. In
435, he approached Emperor Theodosius and requested that the relics of
Saint John be brought to Constantinople.
Upon the Emperor’s consent, his representatives were sent to Komana
(the burial place of the Saint) where they requested the citizens to
show them the spot where Saint John rested. Not wanting to deny an
imperial order, the citizens took the representatives to the tomb of
Saint John. By the power of God, the men were not able to budge the
boulder which covered the tomb. Not until Theodosius wrote a letter of
apology in the Saint’s name and prayed that he permit his body to be
brought to Constantinople were the men able to move the boulder.
A procession started from Comana to Constantinople. The Saint’s body
was placed in a golden coffin and hundreds of people, chanting and
holding candles led the procession. When they approached Chalcedon,
the citizens of Constantinople prepared to accept the Saint’s body.
Hundreds of ships crowded the harbor of Constantinople and thousands
of people lined the streets. Just before they reached Constantinople,
the coffin was placed on one of the Imperial barges. Suddenly, a
fierce storm arose and all the boats which were in the harbor listed.
The imperial barge landed in front of the home of Kallitrope, a widow
whom Eudoxia had wronged. The storm then subsided. After several
moments, the current of the Hellespont changed, and the barge floated
to the Church of Saint Thomas where the Empress Eudoxia was buried. As
the barge docked there, the grave of the Empress, which had trembled
for thirty-three years, became peaceful.
The Emperor was unsure as to where to bury the body of the Saint.
Therefore, it was taken to the Church of Saint Irene and placed in
front of the altar, however, nothing happened. It was then placed on a
royal coach and taken to the Church of the Holy Apostles. When the
body was placed in front of this altar, a voice was heard to say,
"Peace be with you." The body was buried in this Church, where it
remains today.
St. John the Russian.
May 27
One of the most popular saints among Greeks today is St. John the
Russian whose incorrupt relics are the boast of the island of Euboia.
The multitudes who visit his shrine are such that there is daily bus
service to the shrine from Athens. Countless miracles flow from his
relics and icons, and even now-when the spirit of the world is having
such an oppressive effect on traditional Greek piety — icons of the
Saint are often found in buses and in nearly all Orthodox homes. St.
John was neither a celebrated hierarch, nor an eloquent theologian,
but a simple young man who spent the better part of his life in a
stable.
St. John was born in the south of Russia of pious Orthodox parents. He
was still young when, in 1711, he took part in the battle against the
Turks. Sharing the unhappy fate of many other Russian soldiers, the
Saint was captured and sold as a slave to a Turkish cavalry commander
from the village of Procopion near Caesarea in Asia Minor. Fanatic in
their Moslem beliefs, the Turks inflicted cruel tortures upon their
Christian slaves in trying to force them to renounce their faith.
While some succumbed to this form of persuasion, many preferred to
suffer death and a whole multitude of martyrs was thus added to the
heavenly choir. In their misguided zeal the Turks would also kidnap
the sons of Christians and raise them as fanatical Moslem soldiers.
Procopion was the army-camp of these Christian-hating Janissaries and
the new slave of the Turkish Agha became a target of their derisions.
But neither their insults nor the beatings of his Turkish master were
able to shake the faith of the pious Russian youth who confessed
outright that he would sooner die than lose what he treasured above
all — the holy Orthodox faith.
The blessed John was assigned to work in the stable where he was also
told to sleep. Recalling the lowly Bethlehem cave and The manger where
the Saviour of the world first lay His head, the Saint rejoiced in his
rude dwelling place. In his humility he regarded his dark corner of
the stable as a little paradise where he could freely offer prayer and
praise to the true God. The unshakable firmness of his faith, his
patience, fortitude, and gentleness of spirit, gradually won the
hearts of the Agha and his wife who offered the meek stable boy to
sleep in a small room near the hayloft. John, however, preferred to
remain in the stable where he could toil more assiduously in the
ascetic life, bringing his body into subjection to the spirit
according to the Apostle's command. He ate very sparingly and spent
long hours in prayer with the Psalms of David continually on his lips.
Weekly he prepared himself to partake of the Most Holy Mysteries in a
nearby church, for he knew that without the strength of Christ he was
powerless to persevere on the path of the true Faith. At night he
would secretly go and keep vigil in the narthex of the church. The
Lord rewarded the labors of His faithful servant and through him
bestowed blessings also upon his Turkish master who became one of the
wealthy and powerful men of Procopion. The Agha understood the cause
of his new prosperity and did not shrink from telling it to his fellow
citizens.
Once the Agha undertook a pilgrimage to Mecca, the city most sacred to
the Moslems. While he was away, his wife invited friends and relatives
to pray for the Agha's safe return from such an arduous journey. As
they were getting ready to eat. the mistress turned to John, who was
serving at the table, and said, "How much pleasure your master would
have, Gavan, if he were here now and ate this pilaff with us!" The
pilaff, a common grain dish of the Middle East, was a favorite with
the Agha. Wishing the best for his master and firmly believing in the
almighty power of God, John asked for a plate full of pilaff from his
mistress, saying that he would send it to his master in Mecca. The
guests laughed but the mistress asked the cook to comply with the
youth's request, thinking that he would take it to some poor Christian
family as was his custom.
Those who are familiar with the Gospel should not be astonished at
what happened next, for did the Lord not say that faith as small as a
mustard seed is enough to move mountains? Strong in his faith, the
blessed one returned with the plate of pilaff to the stable and, as he
was petitioning the Lord, in answer to his firm entreaty, the plate
disappeared. What was the amazement of the entire household when the
Agha finally returned from Mecca bringing with him the copper plate
which had held the food. He had been equally astonished to discover
the steaming plate of pilaff upon his return from the Mosque to the
locked room where he was staying. Still greater was his confusion when
he realized that the copper plate was engraved with his initials —
just as all the vessels in his house. "For the sake of Allah, I cannot
understand how it came even unto Mecca and who brought it!" When his
wife told him of John's request, they recognized the strange
occurrence to be a miracle of God, and henceforth all considered John
as a righteous man who had found favor with God.
Once again the Agha and his wife tried to persuade the blessed one to
change his dwelling place, but the Saint preferred to remain among the
animals, willingly fulfilling his duties and continuing steadfast in
his ascetic struggles.
· He persevered in this manner of life until, after a few years, he
became ill. Foreseeing his end, he called for a priest and asked to
partake of the Holy Mysteries. Fearing the fanaticism of the Turks,
the priest did not want to bring the Holy Mysteries openly to the
stable, but receiving wisdom from above, he thought to hollow out an
apple; lining the cavity with beeswax, he placed the Holy Mysteries
inside and was thus able to safely bring Communion to the Saint. Upon
receiving the immaculate Body and Blood of the Lord, the blessed one
surrendered his holy soul into the hands of God Whom he loved so much.
He reposed on the 27 of May, 1730, having spent some forty years in
this temporal vale of sin and sorrow.
The Saint was given a Christian burial by order of the Agha who, as a
token of his love and great respect for the Saint, gave an expensive
cloth to cover his relics. Three years later a light appeared over the
tomb which was seen by many. At the same time, the Saint appeared in a
dream to his father confessor revealing that it was the will of God
that his relics be exhumed, for his body was incorrupt. Until 1924 the
relics were kept in the church of St. George there in Procopion. When,
however, the exchange of population took place between Greece and
Turkey, and many of the Christian inhabitants of Procopion were
resettled on the island of Euboia, the relics of their beloved St.
John were also moved and were received with great acclaim and
veneration by the Greeks who built a majestic temple in his honor
there in the village of New Procopion. To this day, streams of pious
Greek pilgrims make their way to this village on the island of Euboia,
where the Saint answers the faith of their earnest petitions with his
strong and quick intercession before the throne of God.
Some Miracles of Saint John
The Saint performed many wonders even after his blessed repose. A
descendent of the Agha told many of the following miracle: "My
children would not live except for a short time, and would die while
yet infants. Their unfortunate mother, after she had lost hope in the
wisdom of medicine, fled without my knowledge to the relics of the
slave John, so that be might grant her a little child which would not
die while yet young, so that we also might rejoice to see it as a
young man or even a young girl .... In truth the righteous John heard
the supplication of my wife. God granted us a strong little boy whom
we called, as you know, Kole Guvan Oglu (that is, "Son of the Slave
John"), and he lives through the power of God and the prayers of John
even until today."
Several times St. John has appeared in dreams and visions warning of
impending dangers. Once he warned some Greek school children that the
roof was about to fall; they had time enough to jump underneath their
desks and when the roof fell, its beams came down upon the desks
without striking even one of the children.
More recently we have heard about the miraculous healings of two
severe cases of meningitis — one a 19 year old shepherd boy in
southern Greece and the other a 3-year old boy in London.
Today a part of the right hand of St. John is enshrined in a special
silver reliquary in the Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Boston, where
many people come to venerate it and to ask the prayers of this simple
Confessor of the Christian faith, knowing that the Lord — Who
resisteth the proud — hears speedily the prayers of the meek.
Missionary Leaflet # EA25
Copyright © 2003 Holy Trinity Orthodox Mission
466 Foothill Blvd, Box 397, La Canada, Ca 91011
Editor: Bishop Alexander (Mileant)