- Our Venerable Father Euthymius the Great (473)
- 'This Saint, who was from Melitine
in Armenia, was the son of pious parents named Paul and Dionysia. He was born about
377. Since his mother had been barren, he was named Euthymius which means "good
cheer" or "joy" for this is what his parents experienced at his birth. He studied under
Eutroius, the Bishop of Melitene, by whom he was ordained and entrusted with the care
of the monasteries of Melitene. Then, after he had come to Palestine about the year 406,
he became the leader of a multitude of monks. Through him, a great tribe of Arabs was
turned to piety, when he healed the ailing son of their leader Aspebetos. Aspebetos was
baptized with all his people; he took the Christian name of Peter, and was later
consecrated Bishop for his tribe, being called the "Bishop of the Tents." Saint
Euthymius also fought against the Nestorians, Eutychians, and Manichaeans. When
Eudocia, the widow of Saint Theodosius the Younger, had made her dwelling in
Palestine, and had fallen into the heresy of the Monophysites which was championed in
Palestine by a certain Theodosius, she sent envoys to Saint Symeon the Stylite in Syria
(see Sept.1), asking him his opinion of Eutyches and the Council of Chalcedon which
had condemned him; Saint Symeon, praising the holiness and Orthodoxy of Saint
Euthymius near whom she dwelt, sent her to him to be delivered from her error (the
holy Empress Eudocia is commemorated Aug. 13). He became the divine oracle of the
Church, or rather, "the vessel of divine utterance," as a certain historian writes. He was
the instructor and elder of Saint Sabbas the Sanctified. Having lived for ninety-six years,
he reposed in 473, on January 20.' (Great Horologion)
source: http://www.abbamoses.com
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