529 St. Theodosius
the Cenobiarch Abbot founder various nationalities of monks many healings and other miracles
In Judæa sancti Theodósii Cœnobiárchæ, in
vico Cappadóciæ Magariásso nati; qui, multa passus pro
fide cathólica, in pace tandem quiévit in eo monastério,
quod ille super solitárium Hierosolymitánæ diœcésis
montem exstrúxerat.
In Judea, St.
Theodosius, abbot, born in Cappadocia in the village of Magarisso, who, after
having endured great sufferings for the Catholic faith, took his rest in
peace at the monastery which he had erected on a lonely hill in the diocese
of Jerusalem.
Born at Garissus, Cappadocia
(modern Turkey), in 423, he undertook a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and after
meeting with the famed St. Simeon Stylites,
he entered a monastery.
He was named the head of a church between Jerusalem and Bethlehem,
but departed to live as a hermit near the Dead Sea. As he attracted a large
number of followers, Theodosius established a monastery which was divided
among the various nationalities of the monks (Greek, Armenian, etc.), each
with their own church. Appointed by the patriarch of Jerusalem to the post
of visitor to all the cenobitical communities of Palestine, he used his influence
as cenobiarch to oppose the spread of the heretical doctrines of Eutychianism,
displaying such zeal in his preaching that Emperor Anastasius I (r. 491-518),
who was sympathetic to the Eutychians, exiled him.
Recalled by Emperor Justin soon after Anastasius' death, Theodosius
spent his last years in poor health.
Saint Theodosius the Great
lived during the fifth-sixth centuries, and was the founder of
cenobitic monasticism. He was born in Cappadocia of pious parents. Endowed
with a splendid voice, he zealously toiled at church reading and singing.
St Theodosius prayed fervently that the Lord would guide him on the way to
salvation. In his early years he visited the Holy Land and met with St Simeon the Stylite (September 1), who
blessed him and predicted future pastoral service for him.
Yearning for the solitary life, Saint Theodosius settled in Palestine
into a desolate cave, in which, according to Tradition, the three Magi had
spent the night, having come to worship the Savior after His Nativity. He
lived there for thirty years in great abstinence and unceasing prayer. People
flocked to the ascetic, wishing to live under his guidance. When the cave
could no longer hold all the monks, St Theodosius prayed that the Lord Himself
would indicate a place for the monks. Taking a censer with cold charcoal
and incense, the monk started walking into the desert.
At a certain spot the charcoal ignited by itself and the incense smoke began
to rise. Here the monk established the first
cenobitic monastery, or Lavra (meaning "broad" or populous").
Soon the Lavra of St Theodosius
became renowned, and up to 700 monks gathered at it. According to the final
testament of St Theodosius, the Lavra rendered service to neighbor, giving
aid to the poor and providing shelter for wanderers.
St Theodosius was extremely compassionate. Once, when there was
a famine in Palestine and a multitude of people gathered at the monastery,
the monk gave orders to allow everyone into the monastery enclosure. His
disciples were annoyed, knowing that the monastery did not have the means
to feed all those who had come. But when they went into the bakery, they
saw that through the prayers of the abba, it was filled with bread. This
miracle was repeated every time St Theodosius wanted to help the destitute.
At the monastery St Theodosius built an home for taking in strangers,
separate infirmaries for monks and laymen, and also a shelter for the dying.
Seeing that people from various lands gathered at the Lavra, the saint arranged
for services in the various languages: Greek, Georgian and Armenian. All
gathered to receive the Holy Mysteries in the large church, where divine
services were chanted in Greek.
During the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Anastasius (491-518)
there arose the heresy of Eutychius and Severus, which recognized neither
the sacraments nor the clergy. The emperor accepted the false teaching, and
the Orthodox began to suffer persecution. St Theodosius stood firmly in defense
of Orthodoxy and wrote a letter to the emperor on behalf of the monks, in
which they denounced him and refuted the heresy with the teachings of the
Ecumenical Councils. He affirmed moreover, that the desert-dwellers and monks
would firmly support the Orthodox teaching. The emperor showed restraint
for a short while, but then he renewed his persecution of the Orthodox. The
holy Elder then showed great zeal for the truth. Leaving the monastery, he
came to Jerusalem and in the church, he stood at the high place and cried
out for all to hear: "Whoever does not honor the four Ecumenical Councils,
let him be anathema!" For this bold deed the monk was sent to prison, but
soon returned after the death of the emperor.
St Theodosius accomplished many
healings and other miracles during his life, coming to the aid of the needy.
Through his prayers he once destroyed the locusts devastating the fields
in Palestine. Also by his intercession, soldiers were saved from death, and
he also saved those perishing in shipwrecks and those lost in the desert.
Once, the saint gave orders to strike the semandron (a piece of
wood hit with a mallet), so that the brethren would gather at prayer. He told
them, "The wrath of God draws near the East." After several days it became
known that a strong earthquake had destroyed the city of Antioch at the very
hour when the saint had summoned the brethren to prayer.
Before his death, St Theodosius summoned to him three beloved
bishops and revealed to them that he would soon depart to the Lord. After
three days, he died at the age of 105. The saint's body was buried with reverence
in the cave in which he lived at the beginning of his ascetic deeds.
529 St Theodosius The Cenobiarch
St Theodosius was born at Garissus, incorrectly,
it seems, called Mogarissus, in Cappadocia in 423. He was ordained reader,
but being moved by Abraham’s example in quitting his country and friends,
he resolved to do likewise. He accordingly started for Jerusalem, but went
out of his road to visit the famous St Simeon Stylites on his pillar, who
foretold many circumstances of his future life, and gave him advice regarding
them. Having satisfied his devotion in visiting the holy places in Jerusalem,
he began to consider in what manner he should dedicate himself to God. The
dangers of living without a guide made him prefer a monastery to a hermitage;
and he therefore put himself under the direction of a holy man named Longinus,
who soon conceived a warm affection for his disciple. A lady having built
a church on the high road to Bethlehem, Longinus could not well refuse her
request that his pupil should undertake the charge of it; but Theodosius
could not easily be induced to consent: absolute commands were necessary
before he would undertake the charge. Nor did he govern long; instead he
retired to a cave at the top of a neighbouring mountain.
When many sought to serve God under his direction Theodosius at
first determined only to admit six or seven, but was soon obliged to
receive a greater number, and at length came to a resolution never to reject
any that presented themselves with dispositions that seemed sincere. The
first lesson that he taught his monks was by means of a great grave he had
dug, which might serve for the common burial-place of the community, that
by the presence of this reminder they might more perfectly learn to die daily.
The burial-place being made, the abbot one day said, “The grave is made;
who will first occupy it?” Basil, a priest, falling on his knees, said to
St Theodosius, “Let me be the first, if only you will give me your blessing.”
The abbot ordered the prayers of the Church for the dead to be offered up
for him, and on the fortieth day Basil departed to the Lord in peace, without
any apparent sickness.
When the holy company of disciples was twelve in number, it happened
that at Easter they had nothing to eat—they had not even bread for the sacrifice.
Some murmured, but the saint bade them trust in God and He would provide:
which was soon remarkably verified by the arrival of a train of mules loaded
with provisions.
The sanctity and miracles of St Theodosius attracting numbers who
desired to serve God under his direction, the available space proved too
small for their reception. Accordingly he built a spacious monastery at a
place called Cathismus, not far from Bethlehem, and it was soon filled with
monks. To this monastery were annexed three infirmaries: one for the sick;
another for the aged and feeble; the third for such as had lost their reason,
a condition then commonly ascribed to diabolical possession, but due, it
would seem, in many cases, to rash and extravagant practices of asceticism.
All succours, spiritual and temporal, were afforded in these infirmaries,
with admirable order and benevolence. There were other buildings for the
reception of strangers, in which Theodosius exercised an unbounded hospitality.
We are told, indeed, that there were one day above a hundred tables served;
and that food, when insufficient for the number of guests, was more than
once miraculously multiplied by his prayers.
The monastery
itself was like a city of saints in the midst of a desert, and in it reigned
regularity, silence, charity and peace. There were four churches belonging
to it, one for each of the three several nations of which his community was
chiefly composed, each speaking a different language; the fourth was for
the use of such as were in a state of penance, including those recovering
from their lunatic or possessed condition before-mentioned.
The nations into
which his community was divided were the Greeks, who were by far the most
numerous, and consisted of all those that came from any province of the empire;
the Armenians, with whom were joined the Arabians and Persians; and, thirdly,
the Bessi, who comprehended all the northern nations below Thrace, or all
who used the Slavonic tongue. Each nation sang the first part of the Eucharistic
Liturgy to the end of the gospel in their own church, but after the gospel
all met in the church of the Greeks, where they celebrated the essential
part of the liturgy in Greek, and communicated all together. The monks passed
a considerable part of the day and night in the church, and at the times
not set apart for public prayer and necessary rest everyone was obliged to
apply himself to some trade or manual labour not incompatible with recollection,
in order that the house might be supplied with conveniences.
Sallust, Patriarch of Jerusalem, appointed St Sabas
head of all the hermits, and our saint of the cenobites, or men living in
community, throughout Palestine, whence he was styled “the Cenobiarch”.
These two great servants of God lived in close
friendship, and it was not long before they were also united in their sufferings
for the Church.
The Emperor Anastasius patronized
the Eutychian heresy, and used all possible means to win our saint over to
his own views. In 513 he deposed Elias, Patriarch of Jerusalem, just as he
had previously banished Flavian II of Antioch, and intruded Severus into
that see. Theodosius and Sabas maintained boldly the rights of Elias, and
of John his successor; whereupon the imperial officers thought it advisable
to connive at their proceedings, considering the great authority they had
acquired by their sanctity. Soon after, the emperor sent Theodosius a considerable
sum of money, for charitable uses in appearance, but in reality to engage
him in his interest. The saint accepted it, and distributed it all among
the poor. Anastasius, now persuading himself that Theodosius was as good
as gained over to his cause, sent him a heretical profession of faith, in
which the divine and human natures in Christ were confounded into one, and
desired him to sign it. The saint wrote him an answer full of apostolic spirit,
and for a time the emperor was more peaceable. But he soon renewed his persecuting
edicts against the orthodox, dispatching troops everywhere to have them put
into execution. On intelligence of this, Theodosius travelled through Palestine,
exhorting all to stand firm in the faith of the four general councils. At
Jerusalem he cried out from the pulpit, “If anyone receives not the four
general councils as the four gospels, let him be anathema.” So bold an action
put courage into those whom the edicts had terrified. His discourses had
a wonderful effect on the people, and God gave a sanction to his zeal by
some striking miracles. One of these was, that on his going out of the church
at Jerusalem, a woman was healed of a cancer by touching his garments. The
emperor sent an order for his banishment, which was executed; but dying soon
after, Theodosius was recalled by his successor, Justin.
During
the last year of his life St Theodosius was afflicted with a painful infirmity,
in which he gave proof of heroic patience and submission to the will of God;
for being advised by a witness of his sufferings to pray that God would grant
him some ease, he would give no ear to the suggestion, alleging that such
ideas implied a lack of patience. Perceiving that his end was close at hand,
he addressed a last exhortation to his disciples, and foretold many things
that came to pass after his death. He went to his reward in 529, in the one
hundred and fifth year of his age. Peter, Patriarch of Jerusalem, and the
whole country were present at his funeral, which was honoured by miracles.
He was buried in his first cell, called the cave of the Magi, because the
wise men who came to find Christ soon after his birth were said to have lodged
in it. A military commander, on his march against the Persians, begged to
have the hair shirt, which the saint used to wear, and believed that he owed
the victory that he obtained over them to the prayers of St Theodosius.
There
are two main sources for the history of St Theodosius, one the biography
written by his disciple Theodore, Bishop of Petra, the other a shorter abstract
by Cyril of Skythopolis. The Greek text of both of these was printed for
the first time by H. Usener see his book Der Heilige Theodosios
(1890). To the critical material thus provided, K. Krumbacher has
made important additions in the Sitzungsberichte of the Munich
Academy for 1892, pp. 220—379.
Cf. also the Byzantinische Zeitschrift
(1897), vol. vi, pp. 357 seq. Acta Sanctorum, January
11 and E. Schwartz, Kyrillos von Skythopolis (1939), for
text of the shorter life.
Saint Theodosius
the Great lived during the fifth-sixth centuries, and was the founder of
cenobitic monasticism. He was born in Cappadocia of pious parents. Endowed
with a splendid voice, he zealously toiled at church reading and singing.
St Theodosius prayed fervently that the Lord would guide him on the way to
salvation. In his early years he visited the Holy Land and met with St Simeon
the Stylite (September 1), who blessed him and predicted future pastoral
service for him.
Yearning for the solitary life, Saint Theodosius settled in Palestine into
a desolate cave, in which, according to Tradition, the three Magi had spent
the night, having come to worship the Savior after His Nativity. He lived
there for thirty years in great abstinence and unceasing prayer. People flocked
to the ascetic, wishing to live under his guidance. When the cave could no
longer hold all the monks, St Theodosius prayed that the Lord Himself would
indicate a place for the monks. Taking a censer with cold charcoal and incense,
the monk started walking into the desert.
At a certain spot the charcoal ignited by itself and the incense smoke began
to rise. Here the monk established the first cenobitic monastery, or Lavra
(meaning "broad" or populous"). Soon the Lavra of St Theodosius became renowned,
and up to 700 monks gathered at it. According to the final testament of St
Theodosius, the Lavra rendered service to neighbor, giving aid to the poor
and providing shelter for wanderers.
St Theodosius was extremely compassionate. Once, when there was
a famine in Palestine and a multitude of people gathered at the monastery,
the monk gave orders to allow everyone into the monastery enclosure. His
disciples were annoyed, knowing that the monastery did not have the means
to feed all those who had come. But when they went into the bakery, they
saw that through the prayers of the abba, it was filled with bread. This
miracle was repeated every time St Theodosius wanted to help the destitute.
At the monastery St Theodosius built an home for taking in strangers, separate
infirmaries for monks and laymen, and also a shelter for the dying. Seeing
that people from various lands gathered at the Lavra, the saint arranged
for services in the various languages: Greek, Georgian and Armenian. All
gathered to receive the Holy Mysteries in the large church, where divine
services were chanted in Greek.
During the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Anastasius (491-518) there arose
the heresy of Eutychius and Severus, which recognized neither the sacraments
nor the clergy. The emperor accepted the false teaching, and the Orthodox
began to suffer persecution. St Theodosius stood firmly in defense of Orthodoxy
and wrote a letter to the emperor on behalf of the monks, in which they denounced
him and refuted the heresy with the teachings of the Ecumenical Councils.
He affirmed moreover, that the desert-dwellers and monks would firmly support
the Orthodox teaching. The emperor showed restraint for a short while, but
then he renewed his persecution of the Orthodox. The holy Elder then showed
great zeal for the truth. Leaving the monastery, he came to Jerusalem and
in the church, he stood at the high place and cried out for all to hear: "Whoever
does not honor the four Ecumenical Councils, let him be anathema!" For this
bold deed the monk was sent to prison, but soon returned after the death
of the emperor.
St Theodosiusaccomplished many healings and other miracles during his life,
coming to the aid of the needy. Through his prayers he once destroyed the
locusts devastating the fields in Palestine. Also by his intercession, soldiers
were saved from death, and he also saved those perishing in shipwrecks and
those lost in the desert.
Once, the saint gave orders to strike the semandron (a piece of wood hit
with a mallet), so that the brethren would gather at prayer. He told them,
"The wrath of God draws near the East." After several days it became known
that a strong earthquake had destroyed the city of Antioch at the very hour
when the saint had summoned the brethren to prayer.
Before his death, St Theodosius summoned to him three beloved bishops and
revealed to them that he would soon depart to the Lord. After three days,
he died at the age of 105. The saint's body was buried with reverence in
the cave in which he lived at the beginning of his ascetic deeds.
|
Saints of January 11 Tértio Idus Januárii
The
fifth day of the Afterfeast of Theophany
Quote:
Pope Paul VI’s 1969 
Benedict XVI met
with Aram I Catholicos of Cilicia,
the highest authority of the
Orthodox Church.
The Pope remembered the
martyrs of the Armenian Church and the
Armenian genocide, without explicitly
mentioning it, and denounced the
persecution of Christians in modern times.
Benedict XVI
Among the most important
titles we have in the Catholic Church for the Blessed Virgin Mary are
Our Lady of Victory and Our Lady of the Rosary. These titles can be
traced back to one of the most decisive times in the history of the world
and Christendom. The Battle of Lepanto took place on October 7 (date
of feast of Our Lady of Rosary), 1571. This proved to be the most crucial
battle for the Christian forces against the radical Muslim navy of Turkey.
Pope Pius V led a procession around St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City
praying the Rosary. He showed true pastoral leadership in recognizing
the danger posed to Christendom by the radical Muslim forces, and in using
the means necessary to defeat it. Spiritual battles require spiritual
weapons, and this more than anything was a battle that had its origins
in the spiritual order—a true battle between good and evil.
Item Romæ natális sancti Melchíadis, Papæ
et Mártyris; qui multa, in persecutióne Maximiáni, passus
est, atque, réddita Ecclésiæ pace, quiévit in
Dómino. Ipsíus autem festívitas quarto Idus Decémbris
celebrátur. 
