The Eleventh Day

Of the Month of January

The Life of Our Holy Monastic Father

Theodosius the Coenobiarch

The venerable Theodosius was born in Mogariassus, a village in Cappadocia. His devout parents Proeresius and Eulogia raised him in piety and taught him letters. When he had studied the divine Scriptures thoroughly and reached a proper age, he was mad a reader. Theodosius’ elocution was unrivalled, but however much he delighted his hearers, no one profited more than he from the holy books he read. Familiarity with sacred literature stirred in his heart a desire to imitate Abraham, who left his country and kindred, and to fulfil the evangelical summons to attain eternal life by forsaking father, mother, and brethren. His sole desire was to abandon all things and follow Christ on the strait and narrow path, and he ever meditated on how to effect his intention. He promised God, Guide me, O Lord, in Thy way, and I will walk in Thy truth.

Putting his hope in the Most High, Theodosius set out for Jerusalem. Marcian was still emperor, but was approaching the end of his days. He had already convened the Fourth Ecumenical Council at Chalcedon to condemn Dioscorus and Eutyches. Passing through Antioch, the blessed Theodosius conceived a desire to see the godly Symeon the Stylite, to ask his prayers, and to receive his blessing. As he approached the column, the venerable one called down, “It is good that you have come, O Theodosius, chosen of God!” Hearing his mane shouted by the saint, who did not know him and had never seen him before, Theodosius fell to his knees; then, at the command of the elder, he ascended the pillar. The blessed youth prostrated himself before the stylite’s holy feet and kissed them; whereupon, Symeon lifted him up and prophesied that he would become a shepherd of rational sheep and rescue many from the jaws of the spiritual wolf. After foretelling the details of Theodosius’ life, Symeon permitted our father to depart.

Sped on by the blessing and prayers of Saint Symeon, Theodosius reached Jerusalem. Juvenal was patriarch at that time. After visiting the Holy Places and venerating the Sepulcher of Christ, Theodosius considered whether to embrace the solitary or the coenobitic life, and decided that it was dangerous to rush untrained into single combat with invisible foes. “o recruit throws himself into the hottest part of the fray; still less should I attempt to fight unaided against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. I should submit to experienced ascetics who will teach me how to defeat unseen enemies. The flower of virtue blooms in a community; ripe fruit is harvested in solitude,” said the godly one. Thus Theodosius came to a wise conclusion, having already acquired profound discretion.

One of the most renowned elders living near Jerusalem in those days was Longinus, who had his dwelling near the tower of David. He was a hermit who assiduously produced the honey of good deeds. The blessed Theodosius began his monastic labors under that peerless example of virtue, to whom he cleaved wholeheartedly. Eventually the elder sent Theodosius to a place called “The Old Kathisma.” A pious widow named Glykeria, a true handmaiden of Christ respected by all, was building a church there in honor of our immaculate Lady, the Theotokos, and persistently requested that our father be settled on the premises. Longinus agreed and Theodosius, the model of obedience, mortified his will and complied. While Theodosius was at the Kathisma, (The Greek word kathisma has the literal meaning of “sitting down.” The Old Kathisma is the name of a place along the road leading from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, where the most holy Theotokos, accompanied by Joseph, stopped to rest while on her way to Bethlehem. The church built there in honor of the Theotokos commemorated this event.) word of his blameless life spread. People began visiting him, seeking edification, and some stayed and tried to emulate his deeds. This was inevitable, for virtue illumines him who has acquired it, just as a candle sheds light on the man carrying it in the dark, making him visible to all.

After some time, the blessed one could no longer endure the adulation and bustle of his admirers and left the Old Kathisma. He settled on a hill in a cave where, according to ancient tradition, the three Magi rested while departing into their own country another way, after leaving gifts with Christ in Bethlehem. The change of abode was providential, because Christ God had ordained that the renowned lavra of Saint Theodosius be founded on that mount and intended to assemble many regiments of spiritual soldiers there.

With the move, the blessed one increased his austerities. He wanted to fulfill perfectly all the Lord’s commandments, and burned so hot with divine longing that he transcended all earthly things. His meditation was constant on God the Creator, Whom he loved with his whole soul, heart, and mind. His fervent devotion was manifested by strenuous bodily labors and the other struggles he undertook for the Lord. The saint’s prayer was ceaseless. He stood every night from dusk to dawn, glorifying God and shedding tears of repentance. His fasting was severe and beyond belief: for thirty years he ate no bread, but only herbs that grew in the desert, and dates, and pulse. These he consumed in a quantity barely sufficient to keep him alive. When this food failed him, he sustained himself on a paste made of date pits, meanwhile nourishing his soul with the word of God and divine vision. Living thus, he shone like a brilliant star, and his fame spread throughout Palestine, for a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.

Once more Theodosius began attracting lovers of virtue, men who preferred the stillness of a desert cave to the pleasures of the city. At first the venerable one had seven disciples. Knowing that nothing is more beneficial than the remembrance of death (which is true philosophy), he commanded them to dig a grave, that more often they would call to mind our common fate. When work was complete, the saint gathered his disciples and smiled, “Children, the grave is ready. Who will be first to make use of it?”

A priestmonk named Basil eagerly prostrated himself before the elder, saying, “Bless me, Father, to initiate its use.” The elder consented, and ordered that he be laid in the grave and commemorated as one dead on the third, the ninth, and the fortieth day, After the fortieth day, while sleeping, the blessed Basil reposed in the Lord, although he had been in excellent health. Forty days after his burial, the elder saw Basil chanting with the brethren in church. He prayed that God enable the monks to see him also, and the Lord deemed one of the brethren, Aetius, worthy of this. Overjoyed, Aetius attempted to touch Basil. Before he disappeared, everyone heard the reposed say: “Save yourselves, fathers and brethren. I shall visit earth no more.” The dead man’s return proved the truth of Christ’s words: He that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live, and also demonstrated the spiritual stature of the venerable Theodosius, under whose guidance Basil had prepared for death.

One year Great Saturday found Theodosius and his disciples (who now numbered twelve) without oil or anything to eat. Having no prosphora or wine, they could not even celebrate the Divine Liturgy on the Feast of feasts, and it seemed they would be deprived of the Holy Mysteries on Pascha. The monks grumbled against their father, but his trust in God was unshakeable. He told the brethren to adorn the altar and not to worry, saying, “He Who nourished Israel in the wilderness, and in the New Testament fed thousands with a few little loaves, will look after us. He is the same mighty God as in days of old, and never abandons us.”

The saint’s words proved true. The Lord, Who provided a ram in the thicket of Sabec for Abraham to sacrifice, furnished everything needed by the holy elder. At sunset a pious Christian arrived at the cave with two mules bearing food for the desert-dwellers. He also brought prosphora and wine for the Divine Liturgy, which especially encouraged the monks. They understood that God’s grace overshadowed the elder, and they joyously celebrated Pascha. The food lasted until Pentecost, and again they had nothing to eat and were downcast. At that time a certain rich man was giving abundant alms to the monasteries of Palestine, but he offered nothing to Thdodosius’ community, being unaware of its existence. The brethren implored our father to introduce himself to the man, in the hope that they would benefit, but the venerable one preferred obscurity and put his hope in God, Who opens His hand and fills every living thing with His favor. Theodosius consoled his disciples and told them that they should patiently await the Lord’s mercy, trusting in His Who giveth to the beast their food, and to the younglings of the ravens which call upon Him. “If God cares for birds and animals,” said the saint, “will He not provide for the needs of man, His rational creation?” Our father had not finished speaking when someone arrived with a mule loaded with provisions. He was not bound for Theodosius’ cave, but only passing by; however, the animal stopped and refused to proceed, despite the blows he laid on it. He understood that God’s power had halted the beast, so he loosed it. As though guided by an invisible hand, the mule walked straight to Saint Theodosius’ cave. The beast’s owner realized that the Lord wished to supply His servants and gave its pack to the holy elder and his disciples. After this the monks stopped complaining and, like the saint, put their trust in God.

Our father was a wellspring of grace, and virtue-loving souls were drawn to him like harts to fountains of water. The brotherhood grew quickly, and many wealthy noblemen placed themselves in obedience to him. The cave could not accommodate everyone, and the monks implored the venerable one to build a monastery large enough for all who wished to join his flock. “Father, do mot worry about money,” they said. “We shall build with our own hands.”

As more aspirants to virtue requested the blessed Theodosius to become a pastor of their souls, his life of quiet was threatened. Sometimes his thoughts urged him to solitude, that sweet mother of wisdom; sometimes they impressed on him the importance of caring for the brethren, after the example of Christ the Lord, Who surrounded Himself with disciples and as the Good Shepherd laid down His life for the flock. Finally, realising that physical solitude as such is not the goal of monasticism, but well-being and serenity of soul, he put his trust in God, Who makes it possible to unite both ways of life when it is profitable, so that the fruits of stillness may be harvested while the brethren are guided and governed. The venerable one also remembered the prophecy of Symeon the Stylite, who foretold that he would become a shepherd of Christ’s sheep. Theodosius begged the Lord to reveal a sign indicating Heaven’s blessing to build a monastery. He put incense and charcoal into the censer, and departed into the desert, praying, “O God, by wonders Thou didst demonstrate to Israel Thy choice of Moses, changing a rod into a serpent, turning a prophet’s hand leprous as snow, and restoring it to the complexion of his other flesh. Thou didst transform water into blood and turn it back to water. By a fleece Thou didst assure Gideon of victory, O Creator and Ruler of all. Reversing the movement of the sundial’s shadow, Thou didst confirm that Hezekiah’s life would be prolonged. Thou didst hearken unto Elijah’s prayer and rain fire which consumed the wood, and the sacrifice, and the stones, and licked up the water, thereby converting the impious. Do Thou, the unchanging God, hear me, Thy servant, and show me where to build a church to honour Thy majesty and a monastery to house Thy servants, my disciples. Command this charcoal to ignite, and demonstrate Thy glory, that may be established in the truth.”

Repeating this and similar prayers, Saint Theodosius walked through the desert, halting at places that seemed suitable for a monastery. Finally he reached Coutila, near the Dead Sea, but the charcoal remained unlit. He was almost back at the cave when suddenly clouds of fragrant smoke rose from the censer. Oh, the miracle! Who can worthily praise Thy might, O King Immortal? After the saint received this clear assurance that God wanted the monastery there, his disciples began work at once, digging foundations for the church, sells, and wall. With the help of the Most High, the buildings were quickly completed. Soon the fame of the coenobitic lavra of the venerable Theodosius spread to every land.

God, Who is love itself, saw what compassion our father had for his neighbor, and bestowed aboundant blessings on the lavra’s inhabitants, enriching them with spiritual gifts and supplying their physical needs. He secretly multiplied the community’s stores so that the venerable Theodosius could feed not only the monks, but thousands of pilgrims, wanderers, the poor, and the infirm. The saint, who was most tender-hearted and merciful, served the high-born and the lowly without distinction. Like a slave he bandaged sores and wounds; wiped away pus and blood; and kissed, fed, and consoled lepers. Everyone who visited the lavra enjoyed his hospitality, found refreshments and repose, and testified to his love. For the ill, hungry, naked, and homeless, he provided a haven, hospital, home, and banquet hall. In that treasure house all enjoyed his affection, solicitude, and generosity. No one was ever turned away empty. The monks assigned to the refectory were amazed because meals were frequently served to over a hundred strangers and paupers at a time.

Once, there was a famine in Palestine, and on Palm Sunday a horde of poor people descended on the monastery, desperate for food. The monks’ faith faltered, and the brethren told the blessed one that they could not feed such a multitude. Theodosius glared at them and reproached them for unbelief. “Open the gates and let the suffering enter!” he commanded. The destitute, half-starved unfortunates were told to sit in rows, and the godly one ordered his disciples to bring bread. The dejected monks expected to find the bakery empty, but it was full of loaves. God, the Governor of creation, had restocked it, on account of His servant’s faith. The brethren praised the Lord for the miracle and marvelled at their father’s wondrous confidence in God’s love for mankind.

One year, on the monastery’s patronal feast, the Dormition of the immaculate Theotokos, such a crowd arrived that it seemed impossible to feed everyone. Saint Theodosius looked up to heaven, blessed a number of small loaves, and commanded that they be divided among the visitors. God multiplied them as He had once the five loaves. The throng had more than enough and took home a large amount of bread. Even so, the monks filled many baskets with remnants, which fed the brotherhood for a long time, On several occasions visitors drank the cistern dry, but the unfailing hand of the divine Benefactor straightway filled it again.

The venerable one erected a number of guest houses and infirmaries, some for monks and some for laymen. He also built lodgings where aged, infirm ascetics could live out their last days. He frequently visited the hermits living in caves and remote parts of the desert, and like as a father that hath compassion on his sons, provided for their physical and spiritual needs, teaching them, reproving them when necessary, and delivering many from satanic deception.

The saint’s disciples spoke various languages; therefore, so that everyone could praise God in his own tongue, he built several churches. In the great church of the immaculate Theotokos, Greek was used; in another, Georgian; and in a third, Armenian. In each, services were held seven times daily, so that the monks could say like David, seven times a day have I praised Thee. There was a separate church connected to the infirmary. The entire brotherhood, however, assembled in the main church to partake of the most pure Mysteries. Whatever language they spoke, all the monks were equally regarded as sons by our holy father, who sired them spiritually, reared them in piety, and instructed them in virtue. Their number reached 693. Many became abbots of other monasteries, having learned well how to govern a community by observing Saint Theodosius, a wise and discreet man who did not punish with the rod but guided by his word, which was seasoned with the salt of grace. Although his counsel unfailingly touched the depths of hearers’ souls, he was always careful to provide an example for his flock. As the situation demanded, he could either be tender and compassionate, or quite harsh. Yet even while upbraiding someone, he conveyed loving-kindness. It was marvelous how, never having been instructed in secular philosophy or Greek literature, he could speak more eloquently than any orator. For he was taught not by human tutors, but by the grace of the Holy Spirit, Who could mystically say concerning him: Behold, I have put My words in thy mouth. To support his teaching, the blessed on invariably quoted the apostles, the saying of the Fathers, or the ascetical writings of the great Basil, whose books he especially loved and who served as his exemplar in all things. Saint Theodosius frequently instructed his monks, but mindful of the need for brevity, we shall quote just one of his discourses:

“I beseech you, brethren, for the love of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who laid down His life for our sake, once and for all to dedicate yourselves without reservation to the salvation of your souls. Let us repent for having wasted our life until now and resolve to labor henceforth for the glory of God and His Son. May we not remain idle forever, squandering time in despondency and postponing a good beginning till tomorrow, lest we be summoned before the Judge empty of virtue and be shut out of the bridal chamber. May we not weep for all eternity because we have misused the present life: for after death tears are of no avail. Now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation. We must repent today, if we are to be rewarded tomorrow. Today God is the Helper of those who forsake the path of evil; tomorrow He searcheth the reins and hearts. In vain do we imagine that anything can be hid from Him! Take advantage of His forbearance, because the day is coming when we shall face His justice. Some of us will rise to inherit unending tortures, other everlasting life, each according to his deeds. Oh, how long will we ignore Christ summoning us into the heavenly kingdom! The hour has come for us to rise: our conversion from a life of vanity to evangelic perfection is many years overdue. We know what awaits us on the dread day of the Lord. Those with good deeds to their credit shall enter the kingdom and stand at God’s right hand, but the heedless shall be assigned to the left and have as their lot the flames of Gehenna, unending darkness, and the gnashing of teeth. We say that we desire heaven, but do nothing to reach it. We make no attempt to fulfill the Lord’s commandments, yet foolishly hope for the same reward as those who resist sin valiantly.” By means of such admonitions the venerable one incited the utmost zeal for salvation in his disciples.

Although he was meek and kindly, Saint Theodosius was also a mighty champion of Orthodoxy, a flame consuming our enemies, a sharp sickle cutting them down to stubble, and a mighty sword wreaking slaughter in their midst. During those days the ruler was Anastasius, successor to Leo the Great and Zeno. At the beginning of his reign, the flock of Christ grazed undisturbed in celestial pastures, but eventually the Emperor adopted the blasphemous doctrines of Eutyches and Severus Akephalos. The ruler drove the Lord’s rational sheep into a barren wilderness of impiety where many perished, drinking filthy waters poisoned by misbelief. He rejected the Fourth Ecumenical Council, held in Chalcedon: drove Orthodox hierarchs from their sees; and replaced them with dissenters. By threats and gifts he persuaded many to abandon the truth, and senselessly attempted to topple the unshakeable pillar of faith, our venerable father Theodosius. He sent thirty pounds of gold to the saint, ostensibly to help Theodosius feed and clothe the poor, but actually to win the blessed one’s cooperation, knowing that all Palestine followed his lead. Our father understood Anastasius’ intention, but like a soaring eagle remained unsnared and hunted down the huntsman. To avoid angering the Emperor from the onset, he accepted the gold and distributed it as alms, begging God to have mercy on Anastasius and guide him to the path of truth. The ruler’s charity, however, was unacceptable to the Lord, for it was intended to buy Theodosius as an ally.

After some time the Emperor requested the godly one to send him a confession of faith, hoping that the saint would endorse the teachings of Eutyches and Severus. The holy Theodosius, that heroic commander of spiritual soldiers, summoned the fathers of the desert, conferred with them, and taking up arms against heresy, sent Anastasius this reply:

“Your Majesty! We prefer to die for the patristic dogmas than to be enslaved, that is, to embrace the blasphemous doctrines of the Akephaloi.  Adhering steadfastly to the traditions of the Fathers, we reject every innovation. We anathematize those who introduce novelties and refuse to accept anyone whose orders derive from the Akephaloi, even if he was ordained unwillingly. May we never yield, O Christ our King! God, Whom the miscreants so shamelessly blaspheme, is our witness that if any attempt is made to force us to apostatize, we shall resist unto death. We are as ready to lay down our lives for the faith as for your empire. Never will we surrender, even if we see the Holy Places going up in flames. If profaned by heretics, they would be holy merely in name. We take exception to every thought or word contrary to the determinations of the ecumenical synods. May fire, the sword, and cruelest death be our lot, if we defy the rulings of the holy councils! Of these the first, attended by 318 fathers, condemned the wretched Arius and expelled him from the Church because he demeaned the Son’s divine nature, reckoning it inferior to the Father’s, and thereby perverted the tenets of faith. The second convened in Constantinople and judged Macedonius, the reviler of the Holy Spirit. The third met in Ephesus and convicted the shameless, execrable Nestorius, Who blasphemed the flesh Christ assumed from the immaculate Virgin. The fourth took place in Chalcedon, attended by 630 godbearing fathers; it confirmed and explicated the dogmas of the earlier synods, reaffirmed the apostolic faith, and excommunicated the odious, depraved Eutyches and Dioscorus, as well as anyone else who speculates contrary to the teachings of Christ’s Church. We will never abandon piety; we will never disgrace ourselves by rejecting the traditions handed down by our fathers! They struggled resolutely to defend the immutable truth, to which we adhere firmly. Let those who care for their souls show obedience to the Lord and follow our example. May the peace f God, which passeth all understanding, keep your empire invulnerable and guide you always.”

Anastasius was put to shame by this letter, which plainly testified to the venerable one’s burning zeal for Orthodoxy. His anger cooled, and for a while he stopped persecuting the faithful. To exonerate himself, he wrote the following reply, blaming others for the upheaval disturbing the Church:

“O man of God, we call upon the Lord as our Witness that we are not responsible for the innovations in question. They were devised by men who ought to have understood that the mysteries of piety are best honored by reverent silence. Eager for fame, they trumpet their Orthodoxy, stir up controversy, defame anyone who contradicts them, and spare no effort to win our favor. Surely you must know, holy Father, that the instigators are clerics and monks.”

Soon, however, the Emperor was corrupted again by heretics. He issued a proclamation denouncing the ecumenical councils (especially that of Chalcedon) and ordered it posted throughout the realm, even in the Holy City. Out of fear, everyone else remained silent or assented to impiety; but the venerable Theodosius, like a vigorous soldier eager for battle, mounted the ambo of the great church in Jerusalem, motioned the people to silence, and exclaimed, “Anathema to anyone who rejects the four Gospels or the four ecumenical councils!” his words awed the people as though they were the proclamation of an angel, and no one dared gainsay him. Then, taking his most zealous disciples, he made the rounds of town and country, stamping out heresy and confirming the faith. Word of this reached the Emperor, who, unaware that death was at his door, ordered the saint exiled. Shortly after the godly one reached his place of banishment, Anastasius breathed his last. Theodosius and the other confessors of truth were soon released. The saint returned to his monastery and received letters of thanks from the bishops Agapetus of old Rome and Ephraim of Antioch. Both extolled the blessed one for his zeal, and his willingness to face exile and death for Christ.

Now the time has come to relate some of the saint’s miracles. When word reached the Holy City of Anastasius’ espousal of heresy, the godly Theodosius summoned the Palestinian fathers, as was explained. They met at a chapel built by Constantine the Great and called the “Hierathion.” Every year the service of the Elevation of the Cross was performed in this church, since a portion of the precious Wood was kept there. While the fathers were assembled, a woman with cancer of the breast approached them. She had received no help from physicians and could hardly walk. With tears in her eyes, she asked the venerable Isidore (later superior of the lavra of Souka) whether Theodosius was present and what he looked like. Isidore pointed out the saint, and she approached him from behind and touched her breast to his habit. She was healed at once, like the woman with the issue of blood. Turning around, the saint repeated the words of the Master: Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. The blessed Isidore examined the woman’s breast and found that the ulcer had vanished.

After the Emperor’s death and the saint’s return from exile, our father began visiting Bethlehem to pray. Once, he tired on the way and stopped at the godly Marcian’s monastery to rest. Marcian warmly received his honored guest and the two holy men spoke about spiritual matters. At suppertime Marcian ordered his disciples to boil pulse, since they had no bread. In view of the hosts’ poverty, Theodosius told his monks to open their bags and offer the loaves they were carrying. Marcian pleaded with the venerable Theodosius, “Do not be offended, Father, or criticize us for providing such poor hospitality. We are destitute, and entirely without wheat or bread.”

While Marcian was speaking, the wondrous Theodosius noticed a grain of wheat in his beard. Our saint smiled, removed it, and said, “What do you mean, you have no wheat?

The blessed Marcian put the kernel in the granary, confident that by Saint Theodosius’ prayers it would produce an abundant harvest. At dawn, after Theodosius left, Marcian’s disciples rushed to the granary. They could scarcely push open the door a crack, because the building was full of wheat. Marcian sent word of the miracle to the godly Theodosius and thanked him, but the saint laughed and replied with this message: “Why thank me, Father? Wheat sprouts in your beard!”

Once a noblewoman from Alexandria came with her son to the venerable Theodosius’ monastery. Catching sight of the elder from afar, the boy pointed at him and excitedly told his mother, “See, there is the monk who saved me from drowning!”

The mother ran to the saint and fell at his feet. Upon rising, she explained, “While playing with his friends, my child tumbled into a well. We were certain he was killed by the fall or drowned, and we mourned him as dead. A man was let down the shaft to remove the corpse, but found the boy sitting on the water. We were amazed and asked the lad who saved him. He said, ‘An old monk grabbed my had and prevented me from sinking.’ Since then I have been travelling through towns, the mountains, and deserts, hoping to find our helper. Today, Father, my search is concluded!”

Another woman suffered excruciating pain every time she went into labor, but all her pregnancies ended in stillbirths. She begged our venerable father Theodosius to pray that without extreme travail she bear a living infant. She also requested permission to name the child Theodosius if it was a boy, saying, “If he is named after you, he will be healthy.” The saint offered up fervent supplication and her next delivery was easy. She brought forth a healthy boy, whom she called Theodosius. After he was weaned, she took him to the lavra and dedicated him to the monastic life.

There was another woman, from Bethlehem, whose children were all stillborn. Finally one survived and she named him Theodosius. He enjoyed excellent health and became a skilled architect.

Once there was a plague of caterpillars and locusts in Palestine. The venerable one was already old and could not walk, so his disciples carried him to a threatened field. He halted the insects with these words: “Our Master forbids you to destroy the food of the poor.” The locusts dissipated like a cloud and the caterpillars perished.

On another occasion, for lack of funds, the brethren were reduced to wearing rags. They complained bitterly to Theodosius, but he could only console them with the Master’s saying: Take no thought for the morrow, but seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him. The saint had not finished speaking when a stranger arrived. Without identifying himself, he gave the venerable one a hundred gold coins, then left. Saint Theodosius thanked God and ordered that the money be used for clothes. Much time passed before any of his disciples needed new habits.

In his youth Julian, pastor of the Church of Bostra, studied holy books with the venerable one. He related the following:

“One day, before I became a bishop, we visited Bostra with our holy father, and a woman known for her argumentative character confronted us. She berated Theodosius to his face as a fraud; whereupon, the wrath of God overtook her and she dropped lifeless to the ground.”

He also told this story:

“We were walking past a monastery infested with followers of Severus’ heresy. They caught sight of us and struck the semantron, although it was not time for a service. Saint Theodosius understood that the heretics were plotting wickedness, was filled with righteous indignation, and repeated the Lord’s prophecy: There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. Before long his words were fulfilled. Hagarenes slipped into the monastery by night, stole everything, took the monks captive, and put the buildings to the torch.”

Cyricus, commander of the Greek army and Count of the East, was a man dauntless in battle but full of the fear of God. While on his way to fight the Persians, he stopped in Jerusalem to venerate the Holy Places and beseech the Lord’s assistance. He visited Theodosius’ monastery, since the fame of our father’s holiness had spread everywhere and drew all men to him. While there he spoke with the saint and profited greatly. Theodosius told him not to trust in the bow or in the size of his army, but in the invincible power of God, Who enables one man to put a thousand to flight, or two, ten thousand. The Count asked Theodosius for his hair shirt and left a fervent admirer of the elder. Wearing the hair shirt instead of a breastplate, Cyricus threw himself into the thick of battle and remained unharmed. Returning after peace was concluded, he informed the saint, “Father, I saw you helping me in the fray. You made me fearsome to my enemies and did not leave my side until victory was ours.” Saint Theodosius miraculously appeared to many other people as well, providing timely assistance: to some being buffeted by storms at sea, to others lost in the desert, and to others about to be devoured by wild beasts. Some saw him in dreams, others while awake. Animals also had the great one as protector. A man encountered a lion on the road. Ignoring the traveler, the lion hurled itself upon his donkey. The terrified man shouted, “Help, Theodosius, servant of God!” and the lion fled into the wilderness.

Shortly before his death, the clairvoyant elder commanded that the semantron be beaten to summon the monks. When the brethren had assembled, he sighed and lamented, “Weep, fathers and brethren, for the wrath of God is befalling the East.” Seven days later word arrived that Antioch and its suburbs had been reduced to rubble by a terrible earthquake, which occurred at the very hour the saint had called together the brotherhood.

Our venerable father lay ill for an entire year before his blessed repose. During that time he prayed unceasingly. Even while he slept, his lips moved, repeating psalms and prayers, so that in him David’s words were fulfilled: By night His ode shall be with me, my prayer unto the God of my life. In his last months he took advantage of every opportunity to instruct the brethren in the acquisition of virtue. Three days before breathing his last, Theodosius summoned three bishops whom he loved greatly and informed them that he was about to depart this life. Then he gave a last kiss to his grieving disciples. He was praying when he surrendered his spirit into the Lord’s hands, having reached the age of 105, or a little more. Just before his burial, God confirmed his holiness by expelling a devil from an Alexandrian named Stephen. The man had been possessed for a long time, but touching the venerable one’s bier, he was straightway delivered from demonic oppression. Word of Saint Theodosius’ death spread quickly, and monks and layfolk hastened to his monastery. The funeral was served by Peter, the Most Holy Patriarch of Jerusalem, assisted by his bishops. The hierarchs laid our venerable father’s body to rest in the cave where he had earlier struggled, unto the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is praised with the Father and the Holy Spirit forever.

Amen.

On this same day we commemorate our holy monastic father Theodosius of Antioch, and our holy monastic father Michael of klops, the new wonder-worker.