St. Cuv. John the Great; St. Mc. Nicandru and Hermeu; St. Cuv. Gheorghe the Confessor from Dramatranslated

Orthodox calendar November 4 St. Cuv. John the Great Saint Reverend Ioannichius the Great was born during the reign of Emperor Leo the Isaurus (717-741), in the village of Maricat in Bithynia (Asia Minor). His parents, Mitrichie and Anastasia, having a poor financial situation, could not send him to school. Later he was taken into the army, where in the war started by Emperor Leo IV (775-780) against the Bulgarians, Ioannichie performed many brave deeds.

For this, the emperor ordered that he be entered in the soldiers' merit book, and after the war be rewarded with many material goods. However, Ioanichie chose his faith in our Savior Jesus Christ. He fell into the heresy of fighting against the holy icons and being enlightened by an old hermit felt the need to repent.

Thus, he labored at several monasteries such as Avgarov, where abbot Grigorie was a real father to him; Utotelos, monastery where he began to learn to write and read; Antidin, monastery where he stayed for two years and in the hermitage in Mount Trihalix.

Because people had begun to come to him to ask for his blessing, Venerable Ioannichie retired to a mountain near the village...