THE LIFE OF ST. THEODORE OF SYKEON

[An asterisk * indicates a note, keyed by chapter, at the end of the life.]

121

(Summary) Relates the cure from severe gastric trouble of S Phocas, an imperial secretary, coming from the capital. The cure is effected on the homeward journey at the bridge over @ the river Siberis.

122

(Summary.) A blind cleric, a treasurer of one of the towns in the neighbourhood of Sebasteia,* crawls to Theodore's feet and begs him to cure him. However, he is bidden to rest two days and then go home again. He obeys reluctantly, spends the night at Arania (five miles from Sykeon), and on washing next morning his sight is restored to him. He wished to return to the Saint but did not venture to do so without his consent. So he sent a messenger to report that he was healed and to ask if he should come. Theodore told him to continue his journey giving glory to God.

123

(Summary) A sea captain from Kalleoi in Pontus, by name Theodoulus, was afflicted with a demon under his skin, which appeared in the shape of a mouse.* When the Saint put his hand on the man's body he felt the demon running about as though trying to escape. He confined it to the captain's arms and after prayer he made the sign of the Cross over the arm, and the demon disappeared and the man was cured.

124

One day the headman, Antipadus by name, from the village of Aiantoi, the priest Demetrius, dear unto God, of the village of Silindoucomis, and Aetius, the headman from the village of Alectoria, honourable men, came to the Saint when he was in the nunnery of Saint Christopher; at dinner time he invited them to dine with him. Now it happened that the stewingpot had been left uncovered and, by the machinations of the wicked one, a green lizard fell into the vegetables that were being boiled and got boiled with them; when the servant placed the dish on the table, he kept back some of the vegetables in which the creeping thing still remained. When the Saint had given thanks, they ate the vegetables placed before them, and then he told the servant to set what remained before them, so he emptied out the rest and served it to them. As they ate, the green lizard was discovered, and on recognizing it they cried out saying, 'Oh holy father, we are dead men, we are dead men! what shall we do? for this creature is the venomous green lizard'. While they were lamenting and commiserating themselves-since they would never, they exclaimed, see their children and wives again-the servant of God said to them, 'Do not fear, children, for if you trust God and believe me, the humble Theodore, you will take no harm at all; for the God invoked by Elisha the prophet when the gourd fell into the pot [2 Kings 4:38-41] is still the same true God Who said, "If you drink any deadly thing it shall in no wise hurt you." [Mark 16:18] After preparing a draught and blessing the cup, he gave it to them to drink and not one of them suffered any ill. On the morrow he dismissed them while they glorified God.

125

Again, a man called George, Cappadocian, was passing along the public road, bound with chains about his neck, hands and feet, and in the custody of a strong contingent of the imperial guard and soldiers. He was charged, they said, with making insurrection against the Emperor Phocas. This man eagerly desired to go up to the Saint and be deemed worthy of his prayers, and as his guard had the same wish, they ascended to the monastery with him, and after praying in the oratories of the saints, they also went to the cell in which the Saint was. After doing reverence to him they received his blessing. The guards besought him to advise the captive to behave himself reasonably on the journey and not to harbour any evil designs against himself or against one of them, so that they themselves might not run the risk of punishment at the Emperor's hands. And this the Saint did, admonishing the prisoner from the Holy Scriptures, saying, 'Things here are temporal, son, but things there are eternal; and it is good that one who has suffered violence from another should die like just Abel, and God's blameless priest, Zacharias, and the holy John the Baptist, and Christ's holy apostles and martyrs, rather than meditate injury to himself and become subject to eternal condemnation. For think of this, son; if you undergo death either for the crime of which you are now accused or for any other reason, accept it willingly as thereby taking your punishment in this world and going away guiltless to the next life. But if you are innocent of any crime and are to suffer death unjustly here, you will receive a crown from God like his saints who were violently put to death.' With these and many other words from the sacred Scriptures the man's despair was cured and he then asked to be allowed to partake of the Holy Mysteries. The Saint said to the soldiers who held him, 'Shew honour, my sons, to our Master's Holy Mystery, and loose this man from his chains until he has partaken; for it is not right that a faithful man should be in bonds to receive the Christ Who suffered for us and loosed us from the bonds of Hades'. But they said he must excuse them, as they did not dare to do it because the man was brave, and if perchance he were to commit any folly, they would no longer be able to restrain him. The inspired man then took the holy cup of the Communion to give to him and looking up to heaven groaned, whereupon the captive's fetters were immediately loosened and the chains which bound him fell to the ground with a clatter. The guards were alarmed and ran to the doors and bolted them to prevent his running out and escaping from them, but the Saint said to them, 'Do not be afraid of him at all, for I know the man's mind and he will not commit any folly'. After administering the Holy Mysteries to him he arranged for him to have a meal together with his guards; after that his chains were put on again and they went their way.

126

On the sixteenth of July, when the festival of the holy martyr and athlete for Christ, Antiochus, was being celebrated in his oratory, the Saint was officiating. When he took the paten according to the custom of the country to raise the holy bread on high, and was beginning to chant the 'Holy things to the Holy', the consecrated bread began to manifest openly in the sight of all present that the offering of the celebrant was acceptable, for it made the motions of one that skipped for joy by rising high above the paten and coming down with a little thump on to the paten. This was heard and seen by all, for the bread ascended and descended regularly so that all we who stood there and saw it were amazed and terrified at this mighty wonder, and the Saint himself, filled with exceeding joy, though weeping from contrition, joined with us in glorifying our God's unsurpassable goodness.

127

One day the true lover of Christ, Photius (a wellknown patrician who afterwards became exarch of Rome and whose son Gregory the Saint himself received at the holy font) came to him and stayed for the sacred Liturgy. Whilst the God-inspired man was making the oblation in the church of the holy greatmartyr George, Photius observed that the holy bread of oblation was stale wheatenbread, yet he noticed that much steam seemed to be rising from it and he concluded that the bread must be fresh and for this reason was steaming. At the moment of the administration of the sacrament when he went up to partake of the elements he found that the piece of bread given to him was exceedingly stale and he marvelled. After the dismissal of the congregation he approached the Saint, told him what he had seen and begged him to give him an explanation of it. The Saint replied, 'This sign has been shown to you, son, because you are worthy; for the grace of the saints is being collected and ascends from us into the heavens on account of our unworthiness and our sins in order that on earth our State may have experience of many afflictions and dangers; but let us pray to the God of pity that whatever He ordains, may be done in mercy'. When the distinguished patrician heard these words he wept, and after receiving the Saint's blessing he left the monastery and went his way.

When the folk of the towns and villages round about went in procession singing their litanies the little crosses that they carried in the procession began to jump about and make a rattle; it was a terrible and piteous sight to see. And when men asked the Godinspired man what it might mean, he said, Pray, my children, since great afflictions and disasters are threatening the world'.

128

(Summary) Domnitziolus sent to the Saint a gold cross for processions and worship; in its central boss Thomas (who had succeeded Kyriakus as Patriarch of Constantinople*) had the following relics inserted-a piece of the Holy Cross and a piece of the stone of Golgotha and a piece of the holy tomb of our ;Saviour God, and the hem of the Holy Virgin's tippet. Thomas asked the deacon Epiphanius, Theodore's 'apocrisiarius' whom he had sent to Constantinople to fetch the Cross, whether the story about the crosses in the religious processions in Galatia (ch. 127) was true, and on being assured that it was, he was terrified at this strange phenomenon, and wrote to Theodore, bidding him come up forthwith to the capital.

129

(Summary) The Saint restores to his senses Theodore, an imperial groom, who had come to him from Upper Pylae;* his mind had been deranged by the demons inhabiting his house. Theodore promises when on his way to the capital to pass through Pylae to bring salvation to his house.

130

(Summary) Philoumenus, the abbot of the monastery, dies and the priest, John, though against his will, consents to be appointed his successor. (He wanted to retire to the East but Theodore threatened that if he did not obey he would in future have no part with him.) Theodore starts for the capital and visits Dorylleon* on his way thus answering the prayers of the inhabitants and the monks and of his former disciples, Photius and Kerykus, the heads of the monastery of St. George called 'the Monastery of the Fountains'.