Though he was married and had two children, Saint Theodore kept death foremost in his mind so much so that he eventually left his home and family seeking seclusion. His goal was the abandoned island of Cythera. However, before he could put this plan into action, he was discovered and his wife asked the Bishop to convince him to come home. When the saint found out, he saw this as a ruse from the Devil, knowing that the best thing he could do for his family was to continue his ascetic life and to pray for them. Thus, he was able to resist the wiles of the evil one. Theodore redoubled his ascetic efforts and eventually attaining to such holiness that he was able to predict the day of his death. His body was later found to be incorrupt.
Category: Ascetic
Indicates ascetic saints.
Martyr Nicolas the New of Vouneni
A commander in the army of Byzantine Emperor Leo VI the Wise, Saint Nicolas was sent to guard the town of Larissa. Under threat of invasion by Arab military attachments who were ravaging the outskirts of the empire, he ordered the evacuation of the city and retreated into the mountains to a skete of ascetics with 14 faithful companions. After devoting themselves to prayer and fasting, they were warned by an angel to prepare to offer their lives to the Lord as His martyrs. They were eventually overrun, captured and tortured by their enemies, and all but Saint Nicolas were martyred. Having survived this initial ordeal, he found and dwelt in a cave wherein he lived the hesychast life to prepare to join his friends in martyrdom. As a result of his ascetic efforts he overcame the passions and the assaults of the demons who attempted to put him off his purpose. Having won the spiritual victory, he eventually carried off the crown martyrdom at the hands of the same barbarians had been searching for him since his escape.
Arsenius the Great
Born of a noble family and renowned for his learning, even after devoting himself to obtaining spiritual knowledge above all, Saint Arsenius found himself at the heart of society as the tutor for Emperor of the East, Theodosius the Great’s, children. Resisting the temptations afforded by such a privileged position, one night Arsenius heard a voice from heaving telling him to flee the company of men in order to be saved. He immediately left for the Egyptian desert where he joined the anchorite community at Scetis and began living in solitude some 30 miles from the church. After begging God for more guidance, he heard yet another voice telling him to flee conversation and remain in silence in order to be saved. From this he understood that, while possible for some, it was not possible for him to live with both God and men and keep his nous focused on the Lord. In his silence and solitude, he was assailed by the demons who incessantly brought to mind thoughts of his past life. The holy hermit, however, thwarted their attacks by always asking God for the grace to begin anew and by prolonged perseverance in the life to which God had called him.
Hymnography
O Righteous Father Arsenius, into all the earth hath the sound of thine achievements gone forth; wherefore thou hast found in the Heavens the reward of thy labors. Thou didst destroy the ranks of demons; thou didst attain to the orders of the Angels, whose life thou didst emulate without blame. Since thou hast boldness with Christ God, pray that peace be granted unto our souls.
(First Troparion of Saint Arsenius; The Entreaty at Great Vespers)
Receiving succor from God because of thy contrite heart, O Father Arsenius, thou didst dash down the attacks of hostile and unclean spirits and didst bear away the trophy through thy humility.
(Ode Three, Second Troparion of the Righteous One; Orthros Canon)
Knowing well the enemy’s cunning, O Father, in thy godliness thou didst reject him that mediated the first transgression of first-formed Adam. Therefore, while dancing for joy in the immaculate meadow of delight, make entreaty unto Christ the Master.
(Ode Five, First Troparion of the Righteous One; Orthros Canon)
John of Zedazneni
An accomplished ascetic, wonderworker, and hermit from the region of Antioch, Saint John was sent by the Theotokos to Georgia along with twelve disciples chosen with the help of angels to the further establish the Faith their and provide a foundation for the monastic life. Once in Georgia, the Lord revealed a cave on Mount Zaden where the saint was to do battle with the demons. Formerly a stronghold of idolatry, Saint John assaulted and broke the power of the enemy with superhuman feats of fasting and night prayer. The demons fled in terror, and the mountain became a beacon giving light to the whole country. Routed but not willing to utterly abandon their former stronghold, the demons mounted assault after assault on the man of God, hoping to regain a foothold, but the saint held off their every attack like a bulwark. As a result, the monastic life took root and began to bear fruit as Saint John sent out his disciples as missionaries whom he taught to preach like the apostles. They too were granted power to tread on serpents and scorpions and to expose and dismantle all the Devil’s devices. Even at the end of his life, Saint John was continually aware that, without God’s grace sustaining him, the Devil would attempt to sift him like wheat as a new Peter. Victorious to the end, a great number of saints and angels appeared to escort his soul to Paradise.
Theodosius, Abbot of the Lavra of the Kiev Caves
The founder of the coenobitic life in Russia, each Great Lent Saint Theodosius withdrew to the cave in which he began the ascetic life at the feet of Saint Antony (July 10th). There he prepared for the Feast of Feasts through fasting and prayer, by which he also overcame the repeated assaults of the demons. The holy abbot primarily taught the Faith through prayer, placing a special emphasis on caring for the poor. For his perseverance in prayer and charity, the Lord granted him the ability to cast out unclean spirits, heal the sick, and to know the hearts of those who came to him for help.
Peter the Wonderworker, Bishop of Argos
From a pious family zealous for the Faith, Saint Peter was brought up in the monastic life by his brother, Paul, who instilled in him a love for hesychia. Abandoning himself completely to the ascetic life, he quickly surpassed his brother and was eventually granted the grace of working miracles. Although he tried to avoid it out of humility, he was eventually made Bishop of Argos after the people of city prevailed upon him with tears. The holy bishop immediately became a source of consolation, and no one who came to him left without receiving his help — both physically and spiritually. His charity was so immense before the God, that, by his prayers, the Lord delivered from bondage those who had been possessed by demons. Saint Peter remains the patron and protector of the city of Argos to this day.
Joannicius of Devich
A lover of prayer and solitude, Saint Joannicius led the ascetic life in a cave on the Ibar River in eastern Serbia. Later, having established a monastery for the faithful who had gathered around him, he fled deeper into the wilderness of Devich in Kosovo where he lived in complete solitude for many years. There he held off the assaults of the demons who tried in vain to interrupt his ceaseless prayer of the heart. Word eventually came to the Despot of Serbia, George Brankovich (Saint Maksim), who brought his daughter who was mentally ill and possessed by a demon to the hermit, seeking his aide. Saint Joannicius delivered her by his prayer, and her grateful father had a church and monastery built there to thank God for his benefactions through his servant. After his death, the saint’s relics continued to work healings, especially for those tormented by the demons and mental illness.
Sylvester of Obnora
Appearing in the forest of Obnora like a burst of sunlight, the hermit monk Sylvester was a disciple of Saint Sergius of Radonezh who had been given a blessing to live the eremitic life in the Russian wilderness. After being revealed, the local population sought him out in large numbers to receive guidance in the spiritual life. Having presented himself to Saint Alexis, the Metropolitan of Moscow, Saint Sylvester founded a monastery in the place where he had lived the ascetic life. After falling asleep in peace, many miracles occurred at his tomb including the deliverance of those who had been possessed by demons.