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Justin Martyr

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Part 14

St. Ignatius

St. Daniel the Stylite

Introduction

Ch. 1-34

Ch. 35-70

Ch. 71-102

Notes

The Life of
St. Theodore
of Sykeon

Pass. 3-10

Pass. 11-20

Pass. 21-30

Pass. 31-40

Pass. 41-50

Pass. 51-60

Pass. 61-70

Pass. 71-80

Pass. 81-90

Pass. 91-100

Pass. 101-110

Pass. 111-120

Pass. 121-130

Pass. 131-140

Pass. 141-148

Notes

A homily of
St. Gregory Palamas
on Matthew 5:1-12

St. John Chrysostom Letters to Olympias

Letter 1

Letter 2

Letter 3

Letter 4

Letter 5

THE LIFE OF ST. THEODORE OF SYKEON

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

81

(Shortened.) Among the sick who came to him was a certain priest called Paul who was brought on a horse from a monastery in Lycaonia. His right hip was dislocated and his head was bent down towards his left foot-so that he could neither stand nor could he lie down flat on a bed-he was a piteous sight He had tried many baths and medicaments but all to no purpose. The blessed Theodore ordered him to stay three days in the monastery; and then when he had learnt the facts about him, he said to him, 'If you wish to be restored to health go back to your own country and be reconciled with him who has a grievance against you, and return before winter and God will give you health'. Paul however denied and said he had no difference whatever with anyone, then the holy man stopped him very sharply and said, 'Come, do not tell lies; you are at enmity with your abbot and have failed to obey him'. (And in fact Paul had engaged in great strife with him.) Paul then confessed the truth and begged Theodore to relieve him of his continuous pain before he started on his journey back This the Saint did by ordering him to have his clothes removed, then he rubbed his limbs, which were diseased, praying over him and anointing his whole body with a salve made of wax But the crookedness still remained; his attendants lifted him on to his horse and he returned to his own country. There he was reconciled to his abbot and came back to the monastery in the winter. The Saint was enclosed in a very narrow cell in the monastery of the holy Mother of God and through his prayers Paul was led back to health* and loosed from the malady which bound him. He was told to take a walk each day near the monastery, supporting himself on a staff which Theodore gave him and coming daily for a blessing. Later he was given a longer staff, and after Easter Theodore gave him yet another with these words: 'Hold this in your hand and go back whence you came; for very soon you will be deemed worthy of perfect health. But when this staff falls from your hand do not trouble to pick it up again.' After receiving a blessing the priest departed to his home, and one day while he was walking the stick fell from his hand; remembering the Saint's words he made no effort to recover it. He was completely restored to health and spoke to everybody of the miracle. Through the Saint's influence he was appointed priest to the oratory of the Mother of God in Sycae, in Constantinople, in the quarter of Galatius* (as the district was called), and later he became bishop of a town in Isauria.

82

About that time the holy servant of Christ received letters both from the Christloving Emperor Maurice and from the blessed Patriarch, Kyriakus, and from the magnates urging him to come up to Constantinople, the imperial city, and give them his blessing. Consequently, being thus compelled, he travelled to the divinely protected city, and after greeting the most blessed Patriarch, Kyriakus, and the Emperor and the senate and pronouncing a suitable blessing in each case, he sat down to table with them. The Emperor and the Empress and all the officers of the bedchamber shewed a tender regard for him and accorded him much honour. Further, by their sacred decree they bestowed upon his monasteries the right of sanctuary and transferred the appointment of abbots in them to the apostolic throne of the most holy great church of God in the imperial city so that they should not be subject to any other bishopric. Thus through this regulation by the dispensation of God and by the cooperation of the holy martyr George those who had renounced this world in these monasteries and those who celebrated the liturgy in them all alike received encouragement. During the short time Theodore stayed in the capital God through him performed great miracles in the City.

[We have thought it unnecessary to translate in full chapters 83 to 96, which describe the miracles performed by Saint Theodore while in Constantinople, but since there is in them material which may well be of interest to students of magic and of healings of the possessed we give a brief summary.]

83

A woman living near Saint Theodore in the quarter of Sporacius brought her blind child of four years old to the Saint who was lodging in the quarter of Varanas (or according to another reading, ch. 93, Euarane). He made the sign of the Cross over her eyes and blessed some water: with that she was to bathe her eyes every morning. This was done for three days and on the fourth day the child saw clearly. Her mother had previously been paralysed, Lying on her bed for seven months, but was cured by the Saint's prayer.

84

The slave girl of a magnate had been possessed secretly by a demon for twentyeight years so that she was always ill and did not know what caused the malady. Her master brought her to the Saint praying that either by death or a restoration to health she might be liberated from her sickness. Saint Theodore took hold of her head and prayed that the cause of her illness might be made known and driven away. Immediately the demon in her was disturbed and tore her, shouting: 'You are burning me, ironeater, spare me, strangler of demons, I adjure you by the God who gives you power against me.' Theodore bade the demon be silent and told the girl to return in a week's time. On the following Wednesday she came and once more the demon in her became excited and abusive: 'Oh this violence that I suffer from this harlot's child! Twentyeight years I have possessed this girl* and none of the saints found me out, and now this harlot's son has come and has made me manifest and handed me over to dread punishment. Cursed be the day on which you were born and the day that brought you here!' Theodore rebuked the demon with the sign of the Cross: 'Even if I am the harlot's son, nevertheless to the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God I bid you in His name leave the girl* and never take possession of her again.' The demon shouted in reply: 'I do your bidding and go out of her, but after three days she will die.' The Saint answered: 'Come forth and the will of the Lord be done. For a Godfearing man may not trust you, since your words are vain and false.' The demon tore the girl, threw her down at the Saint's feet and went out of her. And she, coming to herself, said: 'It is through your holy prayers, father, that I have been healed, for I saw the demon coming out of my mouth like a foul crawling thing.' Theodore prayed over her and dismissed her, bidding her remain in the church for seven days. And the word of the demon proved to be false, for after some days the girl and her master returned to the Saint giving glory to God.

85

A woman who was paralysed was brought to the Saint by her attendants: he bade them put her on the ground: he seized hold of her head with his left hand, and stretching out his right hand to the East, he prayed to the God Who gives healing and had cured the paralytic. He anointed her with oil, made the sign of the Cross over her, raised her up and straightway she began to walk.

86

One Peter, a merchant's son, was smitten by a demon and 'was devoured in his heart'; he did not know the cause of his sickness. His father brought him to the Saint who recognized the cause of his trouble and took him to his cell. He made the sign of the Cross over his face and struck him over his heart saying: 'Do not hide yourself, unclean spirit, for your working is disclosed. The Lord Jesus Christ Who knoweth secret things bids you come out of him.' And forthwith the demon was set in motion and shouted: 'I am coming out, ironeater: I will not disobey you, for I cannot bear your threats. I cannot bear the fire which proceeds from your mouth and scorches me.' This and much more the demon said, and then, loudly wailing, left the sufferer who, coming to himself, said to the Saint, 'I saw the demon, as he freed himself from me, in the form of a black woman and he was chased by you through the window howling at the top of his voice'. Theodore told the boy to wait for a day znd on the morrow he restored him to his father cured of his malady.

87

A sailor had been put under a spell by someone and was troubled by an unclean spirit: his limbs trembled and he suffered from many other symptoms so that he was reduced to penury. The Saint prayed over him and blessed oil with which he was to anoint himself and dismissed him. After some days the sailor returned cured to the Saint: his affairs were prospering and 'by way of fruitbearing and as a memento' he brought the tackle of his boat to Theodore who was only induced to accept it after much insistence.

88

A wrestler, wrought upon by an unclean spirit, suffered terribly in his head and all his limbs and came to the Saint for healing. Theodore prayed over him and gave him wine and oil: 'Go, my son,' he said, 'to your home and when you lie down to sleep on your bed in the evening anoint yourself with the wine and oil and whatever you see in a dream come and tell me.' The next day the wrestler returned and said that in his sleep he had seen a young man wearing a cloak and 'coming to me, as it seemed, from your holiness: he seized me by the hair of my head and drew me to himself and immediately all the pain was drawn off from my joints and bones and from all my limbs and through my hair there came forth, as it were, a violent wind'. The man was cured and Theodore explained to 0 him that the young man whom he had seen in his sleep was Christ's glorious martyr, George.

89

Mannas, one of the leading guardsmen of the Court, suffered ! from a terrible, secret, internal malady caused by the working of the Devil. He came several times to the Saint, but was ashamed to tell him of his illness. So on one of his visits the Saint took him aside privately and brought him to his cell and with a smile he said: 'Many times, my son, you have come to me in order to pluck up courage and tell me some secret and you have checked yourself. Why do you do this, my son? Can't you just once pluck up courage and tell me secretly what the matter is?' Mannas then told him everything, begged for healing and implored the Saint to come and bless all those of his household. The Saint fixed a day for the visit and dismissed him. Theodore paid his visit, and that night the silentiary, as usual, was sorely troubled and the Saint prayed that he might be delivered from his malady. And on that same night after the psalms for the day had been sung, one of his disciples named Julianus saw in a dream the Saint standing by the sea shore and there came to him the silentiary carrying in his arms a great threeheaded wild goose which was screeching loudly, and he brought it to the Saint. Theodore grasped it and it became a kitten* and was thrown by him into the depths of the sea. The next day after the morning service they were sitting at breakfast when the Saint said to the silentiary: 'Courage! my son: give glory to God, for I believe that in His goodness He has driven away from you your malady: from today it will trouble you no more.' Then the disciple remembered and recounted his dream. The guardsman was cured, and the Saint blessed him, his wife, who was a fervent Christian, and all his household and then returned to his cell.

90

The guardsman's wife, Theodora, besought the Saint on behalf of herself and her husband to tell her which of them would die first. It was with great difficulty that the Saint was persuaded to do as she wished; he prayed to God and received a revelation that her husband 'would be short-lived in comparison with her'. Day after day with many tears she besought Theodore to pray to God that He would quickly transport her from this present life. At last the Saint was persuaded and prayed to his master Christ, Who has a ready ear, to grant her desire. And assured by a divine revelation, he said to her: 'God has granted your request; now look to yourself, for it will not be many days before you die.' With great joy she set her affairs in order, and after forty days she departed from human life.

 

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