A disciple of the great monastic elders of Gaza, Saints Barsanuphius and John, Saint Dorotheus longed for a life of strict ascesis, but his weak bodily constitution wouldn’t allow it. Lest he fall into despair and thereby make himself a target of the Devil, the Great Old Man (Barsanuphius) consoled him and instructed him to make every effort to deny the will of the flesh through an inner ascesis of the heart. So, beginning at cutting of his will in small things, he was able to progressively cut off his will in larger things. Eventually this led him to a heavenly detachment and impassibility through which God was able to act to crush the invisible enemy. This also cultivated within him other virtues, chief among them that of humility, compassion, and resilience which he used to guide his own disciples, especially Saint Dositheus. On one occasion, the noonday demon ferociously assailed him with an overwhelming sadness and acedia. The Saint cried out to the Lord for help, and he was granted a vision of an angel in the form of a Bishop who struck Dorotheus on the breast three times repeating the Psalm verse, “With patience I waited patiently for the Lord, and He was attentive unto me, and he hearkened unto my supplication” (Psalm 39 LXX). As soon as this had happened, the angel disappeared, the demon fled, and the Saint’s heart was flooded with the Uncreated Light, joy, and peace. From that time forward he was never subjected again to sadness, acedia, or fear. The Saint’s most famous teaching on unity with both God and neighbor is known today as the Circle of Saint Dorotheos of Gaza wherein he describes a person as a point on the circumference of a circle. The person moves inward towards God represented as the point at the center of the circle. As the person draws nearer to God, they also draw near to others making the same journey as their paths converge. Thus he taught that, while our salvation is a gift from God, it also lies in our neighbor. Such a blessed unity cannot be overcome by the Enemy of Mankind.
Martyrs Basil and Theodore of the Lavra of the Kiev Caves
Hearing the Gospel call to forsake everything to follow the Lord, Saint Theodore, who was a wealthy nobleman, gave away all his possessions to the poor and became a monk in the Kiev Caves Lavra at the feet of the holy elder, Saint Basil. Making quick progress in his zeal but fragile in his inexperience, the Devil opposed him by suggesting worries about the future. Without recourse to the prior security of his wealth and status, Saint Theodore fell into despair as his anxieties took root. Recognizing the signs in his disciple, Saint Basil pulled him up from the abyss of doubt as the Lord did for Saint Peter by showing him that source of his struggle was a lack of faith and not any real vulnerability. Seeing the Saint’s befitting dependence upon his elder and enraged that his previous attack had only prompted the young monk to draw even closer to God, the Enemy of Mankind renewed his assault through an even more devious scheme. Saint Basil having left the monastery on a three month assignment, the Devil appeared to Saint Theodore in the guise of Basil, explained that he had returned early from his trip, and advised him to begin praying for the Lord to return his wealth again. The Evil One explained that, now that Theodore had been freed from his attachment to it, the money could be used for good purposes. In the days that followed, the Devil appeared in Saint Theodore’s dreams as an angel of light multiple times and revealed to him the location where a great treasure had been buried in the area in times past. Then, returning again as Pseudo Basil, the demon asked Saint Theodore to reveal to him the location of the treasure so that they could use the wealth for the Kingdom. Such were the lengths to which the Accuser was willing to go to enslave the Saint to his passions, and, having fallen prey again to deception, Saint Theodore succumbed to avarice and dreamed of absconding with the money to use for his own selfish purposes. As he was planning to act on his plan, the real Saint Basil returned and sought out his spiritual child. But Saint Theodore drove him away thinking that he had devised some ruse (“acting” as if he hadn’t seen him in a long time) to rob him of his precious treasure. Seeing that his victory was in a precarious position, the demon appeared yet again to the Saint exhorting him to leave the monastery that very night. In the meantime, the true Basil returned to Theodore’s cell with a group of faithful monks who testified to the fact that Saint Basil had indeed been away from the monastery for past three months. Realizing that he had again been tricked by the Devil and that his soul was in danger, Saint Theodore gave himself over again to repentance and was prescribed the obedience to let no one enter his cell without first reciting the Jesus Prayer that drives away the invisible foe. Then, he hid the accursed treasure again and prayed to God that he would forget its location permanently, a prayer which the Lord in His mercy granted. Finding peace and joy again, the now experienced warrior matured in the Faith and grew old under the guidance of Saint Basil in the wilderness to which they had retreated as hermits. Not willing to admit defeat, the Devil assailed Saint Theodore again by indirect means. The demon appeared in the guise of Saint Basil to a boyar close to Prince Mstislav and told him that the Monk Theodore had found the long-sought-for treasure. The Devil further explained that the Saint was looking for the right opportunity to leave the country and to take with him the wealth he had discovered. Hearing this, the Prince had Saints Theodore brought before him to question them on the matter. Warned by the God that something was amiss, Saint Basil left his retreat to join him. Saint Theodore freely revealed that he had once known the location of the treasure, but, by the prayers of Saint Basil, he had been blessed to forget it for his deliverance from the passions and the salvation of his soul. Thinking that he was being made to play the fool by two simple monks, the enraged Prince had the two men tortured and thrown into prison to await further interrogation. That night, however, the two Saints gave their souls into the Lord’s hands, having won the ultimate victory over the ever-thwarted Enemy.
Niphon, Patriarch of Constantinople
Drawn to the study of Holy Scripture and the writings of the Church Fathers from an early age, and raised with a monastic bearing at the feet of a local hermit whose way of life he admired, Saint Niphon was a bright light of the Church as well as a rod of correction for the erring during the aftermath of the false union that emerged from the Council of Florence. Though he longed for hesychia, he and his elder were frequently sent out to teach and confirm the people in the Faith that had been handed down to them. The combination of his personal piety and his ability to rightly divide the truth, Saint Niphon was eventually consecrated a Bishop. Despite his commitments he saw prayer for the world as his first responsibility and the firm foundation on which the rest of his ministry would be built, so he withdrew to the Holy Mountain, eventually settling in the Monastery of Dionysiou. Because of his reputation as the teacher of Athos, he was summoned to the imperial city to take part in a meeting of the Holy Synod. When the Patriarch died near the start of the meeting, Saint Niphon was unanimously elected to succeed him. Jealous that he had no claim to the holy Hierarch and seeing this as his chance to topple a a strong adversary, Satan sent envious men to oppose and impede the work of the new Ecumenical Patriarch. But despite slavery to the Turks and the word of the evil one, the Church flowered as in the springtime of a new martyrdom, guided along by the steady hand, clear teaching, and patient endurance of the Saint. Suffering repeated humiliations, depositions, and exiles at the hands of both political supporters and adversaries, the Saint turned everything to prayer and even hid himself by entering his former Monastery again as a simple novice. But such a light cannot be hidden under a bushel, and by the grace of God he was revealed so that he could continue profiting the Church with his God-inspired teachings until his blessed falling asleep.
Martyr Laurence the Archdeacon of Rome
When Pope Saint Sixtus was denounced and arrested under the policies of the Emperor Valerian, Saint Laurence, his deacon, wanted to join him immediately in his sufferings. But the holy Bishop put him off to administer the affairs of the Church, foretelling that he would face even greater challenges. Longing to suffer, with His Father and Christ, Laurence set about his work with haste, faithfully distributing the Church’s goods to the poor and ensuring the election of the next Pope despite the persecution the Church faced. Having completed his task, he returned to the cortege before Pope Sixtus’ martyrdom had been accomplished and took his place at his side as as the Holy Table. Having heard him speak of the treasures of the Church, the Saint was made to appear before the Emperor and ordered to reveal the location of the riches. The Holy Deacon asked for three carts, took them into the city, loaded them with the poor and the sick and the lame, and brought them back to Valerian, presenting them as the true riches of the Church. Infuriated by this display of heavenly virtue, the tyrant demanded that Laurence sacrifice to idols or suffer torture and death. The Martyr replied by saying he would never worship the impotent demons that inhabited the idols in lieu of the Creator of all. As a result, he was cast into prison and tortured until he could be interrogated twice more. Each time he returned to the prison, God granted him the grace to work countless miracles for the imprisoned faithful, encouraging them to hold fast to the Faith. Finally, being placed on a grid iron, after some time he quipped that he was done on one side and needed to be turned over, so that he could properly offer himself as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. Though the flames were to him as moist as dew, he gave up his soul to the Lord as a victorious athlete and soldier of Christ.
Hymnography
Having with thee the trophy of the Cross, O wondrous Laurence, thou didst advance mightily against thine adversaries; and when thou overcamest, thou wast shown to be a crown-bearer.
(Ode Three, First Troparion; Orthros Canon)
Walled about with the law of the life that is in Christ, O Martyr Laurence, thou didst not incline thy mind unto the legislators of death and corruption, as thou didst sing: O God of our Fathers, blessed art Thou.
(Ode Seven, Second Troparion; Orthros Canon)
Theodora of Sihla
Married but unable to bear children, Saint Theodora and her husband entered a monastery in Moldavia. Not long after, however, the Turks invaded and she fled into the mountains with her Spiritual Mother. Dwelling in the wilderness, they showed manly courage battling both the conditions and the demons which never ceased to assault them. Emerging victorious over the passions and the adversary, she lived life as a new Mary of Egypt, dedicated to the Jesus Prayer. She spent her nights in prayer and her days in fasting, drinking only rainwater that gathered in the cleft of a rock that miraculously flowed like a spring. The Turkish scourge continued to ravage the region, and she gave up her cell to other nuns that had been driven from their monastery as well. Seeing this as a chance to regain some ground, the demons renewed their attacks, but they proved as powerless as before, unable to even get the attention of the athlete of Christ who treated them with utter disdain. Similar to her Egyptian predecessor, she was discovered by two monks that had been guided to her retreat by a pillar of light. Asking for a cloak to cover her nakedness, she greeted the men and begged for them to send a priest to her with the Holy Gifts. After receiving the Body and Blood of Christ, she departed this life in peace, her body giving off the fragrance of paradise.
Nicanor the Wonderworker of Mount Callistratus
Born to childless parents after a vision of the Great Martyr Means, Saint Nicanor was raised in piety and in the love of Holy Scriptures. His ged parents having departed this life, the Saint quickly gave all of his possessions to the poor and became a monastic. After being made a Deacon, he heard a voice telling him to retire to Mount Callistratus where he would find hesychia. He found a high and inaccessible cave where he gave himself to unceasing prayer and extreme fasting. Hoping to impede his progress, the Devil assailed the Holy Ascetic with endless trials, but he overcame through the Name of Christ and the sign of Cross. The light of Christ shining through him was so bright that it could not be hidden, and he was soon surrounded by disciples who helped him to build a monastery and several dependencies that were renowned for their careful attention to the Typikon of Mar Sabas.
Theodosius the New, the Wonderworker
Born in Athens, Saint Theodosius chose to pursue the Philosophy of the Kingdom rather than that of the world, and, as soon as he was able, received the Angelic Habit and departed for the wilderness in search of silence. There he was vouchsafed a vision of another desert-dweller, St. John the Forerunner, who encouraged him in the ascetic life and tasked him with building a Church. Overcoming the flesh and advancing in the direct experience of God, Saint Theodosius was granted the grace to work miracles and cast out demons. Motivated by fear, the Devil incited some unscrupulous men to accuse the Man of God of performing magic through the aid of demons. Banished by the Bishop of the Diocese, the Saint endured his exile with patience until the truth of the situation was revealed by a vision from the Lord. Thus, he vanquished the enemy through humility and obedience.
Martyr Dometius of Persia
While searching for the truth about God as a young boy in Mesopotamia, a holy man who was passing through introduced Saint Dometius to the Christian Faith. That brief conversation filled him with zeal and an insatiable hunger for the Lord. He immediately entered the monastery where he skipped the refectory but devoured the Holy Scriptures. In order not to be a source of scandal or division amongst the brethren, he left for the wilderness. Along the way, he was approached by a man who offered to guide him and a group of pilgrims he had encountered to another monastery which was more suitable to his way of life. But after being led deeper into a desolate and unforgiving land of cliffs and clefts, Saint Dometius realized that they were being led astray by a demon, and he quickly drove the deceiver away by his prayers. Finally arriving at his destination, the eventual Martyr found a Spiritual Father whom he imitated with precision. Becoming a hermit, he lived in extreme asceticism till the day when, denounced to Julian the Apostate by some jealous locals, he was set upon in his cave and carried off the martyr’s crown.
Hymnography
The whole armor of the Cross didst thou put on thee with courage; and the indestructible breastplate of the Faith of Christ girded thee about. Thus wast thou terrible to the fierce battalions of the demons, whom thou dravest off wielding the dreaded scourge of thy steadfast faith and thy prayers to God; and from the demons’ wicked harm, thou didst save the wayfarers found with thee , O our righteous Father Dometius, thou servant of Christ God, Whom do thou boldly implore for us, praying in our souls behalf.
(Lord, I have cried, Third Troparion of the Saint; Vespers)
Thou didst endure temptation furiously hurled against thee by the enemy and adversary, O all-blessed Dometius; and being tried in many ways and contending with his malice, thou didst prove the victor, O admirable Martyr.
(Ode Six, First Troparion; Orthros Canon)
John of Chozeba
A Romanian orphan, Saint John became a monastic at the prompting of the Lord Himself who promised to be with the young boy as he wept at the grave of the grandmother who raised him. The grace of God enlightened his intelligence and he served the Church by translating spiritual books from Greek into his native language for the benefit of his countrymen. After serving as abbot of the Romanian monastery in the Jordan Valley during the Second World War, the Saint was finally allowed to seek hesychia in a cave where Saint Anna, the mother of the Theotokos had prayed. For seven years he devoted himself to ceaseless prayer, the composition of hymns, and spiritual reading. His way of life being a threat to the demons, they attacked him mercilessly with the hope of driving him from his cave, but he easily repulsed them by quoting the services of the Church. Being made aware of the date of his departure in a vision, Saint John peacefully gave his soul into God’s hands in his cave. During his funeral, his body was adorned by a flock of wild birds who lamented his passing with their song. 20 years later, his body was found to be incorrupt. His relics were translated to the Monastery of Chozeba where they are venerated to this day.
Martyr Eusignius of Antioch
A veteran soldier who had served in the imperial army for over 50 years, Saint Eusignius was denounced to the Apostate Emperor, Julian, for being a Christian. His years of long service ensuring him a public trial, the Martyr, in imitation of the Prophet King David in the Psalms (Psalm 95 LXX) and the Holy Apostle Paul in his first Epistle to the Corinthians, revealed the Greek gods and idols to be nothing more than demons, defeating them by his utter disdain. When many soldiers who witnessed this spectacle indicated their willingness to be converted in response to the Martyr’s kingly bearing in suffering, Julian had Saint Eusignius beheaded immediately.
Hymnography
O Eusignius, thou didst prove an invincible man of war; being hedged about with the weapon of the Cross, thou wentest forth to contend against the merciless enemy; dashing him upon the ground, thou didst triumph most splendidly. Now thou hast received the bright crown of thy vic’try from the only Lord and Setter of the contest, He that is King everlastingly.
(Lord, I have cried, Second Troparion of the Saint; Vespers)
Since thou hadst achieved humility through godly ways, O prizewinner, thou overthrewest the proud spirit of him that fell through wickedness.
(Ode Four, Third Troparion of the Saint; Orthros Canon)
When thou foughtest in war, thou wast seen to be an invincible soldier; and when thou underwentest martyrdom, thou didst utterly destroy incorporeal adversaries.
(Ode Four, Fourth Troparion of the Saint; Orthros Canon)
With thy noble ways, thou didst establish in thy heart the understanding of the truth,, and wast not ignorant of the adversary’s devices; wherefore, when thou rannest to the conflict, thou didst destroy his battalions with the Cross as thine ally.
(Ode Six, First Troparion of the Saint; Orthros Canon)
When the demons’ servants learned that thou wast a servant of the Holy Trinity, they subjected thee to torments, prisons, and an unjust death, O all-blessed Martyr Eusignius; but they were conquered by thine invincible resistance.
(Ode Six, Second Troparion of the Saint; Orthros Canon)
The torrents of thy blood have dried up the miry torrents of iniquity, and the rivers of godlessness, and the wicked floods of the deceiver, O Martyr; but for the faithful they are an inextinguishable sea of healings.
(Ode Six, Third Troparion of the Saint; Orthros Canon)
By the power of Christ thou hast slain the powerless enemy, who is puffed up and vaunteth himself now truly for nought; and thou hast bowed thy neck to the stroke of the sword, O Martyr, and hast sanctified the whole earth with the flow of thy blood.
(Ode Nine, First Troparion of the Saint; Orthros Canon)
O Jesus, Son of Glory, Who hast today made bright the memorial of Thy prizewinner, by his intercessions enlighten my soul, darkened with the serpent’s deceit, I pray Thee, that I may glorify Thee as true God and the Friend of man.
(Ode Nine, Fourth Troparion of the Saint; Orthros Canon)