With great humility, he visited the elder monks, asking them for guidance in his spiritual life. A few years later, Thomas received a blessing for a solitary desert life and, strengthened by a special revelation received through the holy prophet of God Elijah, retired to Mount Malea (the eastern part of Athos). Being completely alone, Saint Thomas fought against invisible enemies with the same courage as before in the war against the visible enemies of the fatherland.
The life and exploits of Saint Thomas could not be hidden from those around him; people who were seeking spiritual guidance, as well as those suffering from illnesses, began to flock to him, for he received from God the grace of healing ailments.
Many believers received help through the prayers of the monk and after his departure to God (X).
8
St. Theophilus the Myrrh-Streaming, Athos († 1548, commemorated July 8)
Our Reverend Father Theophilus, i.e. “loving God”, was born in the town of Ziki, located in Macedonia, from pious and virtuous parents, and therefore received a truly Christian upbringing. When he came of age, he was sent to school for primary education, and then he devoted himself to higher sciences. With innate abilities of the mind, he completed his external education in a short time, but with the success of external wisdom, he especially tried to educate the heart in the rules of strict Christian morality: his favorite pastime was, avoiding youthful conversations, most often disorderly, to enter into communication with elders and virtuous men. In addition, he devoted most of his time to reading the Divine Scriptures, according to the commandment of the wise Sirach, who says: “Let your meditation be with those who understand, and all your story be in the law of the Most High” (9:20). The consequence of this was that the pious young man, succeeding in various deeds of virtue, was, in the words of Saint David, “like a tree by springs of water, yielding its fruit in season” (Ps. 1:3).
Reading the Divine Scripture and the lives of saints and pious men involuntarily disposed him to imitate them as much as possible: thus, he imitated Abraham in hospitality, the beautiful Joseph in chastity, Job in patience and courage, Moses and David in meekness, and other righteous people in various exploits. And this very thing drew general attention to him, so that finally, as an example of a virtuous life, he was elevated to the degree of priesthood. From that time on, he went around different places, edifying Christians with the word and example of his life; Subsequently, for the edification of his soul, he himself clung to the Bishop of Randinia, Acacius, and remained with him. This bishop was ordained to this rank by Patriarch Niphon of Constantinople and was his most sincere friend.
At that time, the most holy Patriarch Niphon received letters from Egypt, in which he was informed about the great glorious miracles revealed by God through the then holy Patriarch of Alexandria Joachim to shame and shame the deicide of the Jewish race, in praise and confirmation of the Orthodox and true faith of us and all of us Christians. The miracles were as follows.
A terrible plague raged throughout Egypt. One of the Jewish doctors, an avowed enemy of Christians, spread a rumor among the Turks everywhere that the misfortune that befell them was caused by Christians, for Christians, the Jew explained to them, put the cross into the water, which became the cause of this mortal disease. This slander against Christians spread everywhere, so that it finally became known to the Egyptian Sultan. Although the Sultan was a Muslim, he loved and revered the holy patriarch very much, both for his virtue and for his wisdom and prudence, and therefore he ignored the report of the enemies of the cross of Christ against Christians. The accursed Jew, seeing that he had not achieved his goal with such slander, invented a new plot against Christians. The Supreme Vizier was a natural Jew. The Jewish doctor chose this favorite of the Tsarev as an instrument of his malice against Christians. The Vizier managed to bring the Sultan to the point that he, despite his respect for the Patriarch, demanded him to the Divan for personal explanations of the slander against Christians. The Patriarch appeared at the trial.
The Sultan first had a long conversation with him about faith and finally, seeing that with strong conviction and clear evidence he had justified the Christian faith and disparaged Islamism, he ordered him, in order to justify the words of the Gospel, to move the mountain neighboring Cairo. His Holiness the Patriarch did not waver in the spirit of faith. Having asked for several days for prayer, he, with faithful Christians, propitiated the Lord with fasting, vigil and prayers and asked that he not disgrace them in the sight of the infidels and that they not blaspheme His holy name. At the appointed time, with a gathering of many people, the patriarch, in the name of Christ, told the mountain to move from its place and move to another: the mountain shook at its foundation and left its place. Finally stopped by the same name of Christ, it is still called in Turkish Dur-Dago, Stan-mountain. This miracle amazed the wicked.
Not knowing how to shake the power of Christ’s faith, its enemies prepared a deadly poison and convinced the king to command the patriarch to drink it, for Christ, they said, said in the Gospel: “Even if they drink death, do not harm them” (Mark 16:18). The Sultan accepted this too and ordered poison to be served to the patriarch. Full of faith in the power of the cross of Christ, the patriarch crossed the death cup and drank what was served. It was in vain that they expected him to die immediately: the patriarch remained completely unharmed. After this, having rinsed the glass with water, he asked the Jew to drink it: it was impossible to refuse, because the Sultan himself demanded it. So he drank the water and died at that very moment. Amazed by such miracles, the Sultan ordered the vizier to be beheaded, and imposed a fine on other Jews so that water pipes from the Nile into Cairo would be built at their expense, and he honored the holy patriarch.
When Patriarch Niphon in Constantinople learned about these wondrous events from letters, he immediately sent Bishop Acacius of Randinia, about whom was mentioned above, to Alexandria with the Monk Theophilus and others, so that they would learn in detail and verify with their own eyes what had happened. At the same time, Saint Niphon wrote to Patriarch Joachim of Alexandria, thanking the Lord that He had heard his prayer and through him performed such miracles for the glory and greatness of the Christian race, and then asked to favorably accept the people sent from him. So, they immediately went to Alexandria and were received with great joy and favor by the most holy patriarch, who kept them with him for quite some time. The Monk Theophilus attracted his special attention with his virtue and education. From Alexandria, with Bishop Akakios and others, he went to Mount Sinai, and from there through the desert to the holy city of Jerusalem. There they worshiped the life-receiving tomb of our Lord Jesus Christ and other holy places, and visited Mount Tabor and Damascus.
Here they met the Patriarch of Antioch, from whom they were given letters to the Patriarch of Constantinople. From Damascus they returned again to Jerusalem, where Bishop Akakios fell ill and died. After the death of Akakios, encouraged by the blessing of the Patriarch of Jerusalem, with letters to be delivered to the Patriarch of Constantinople, they returned to Constantinople and introduced themselves to the then most holy Patriarch Pachomius, the former Metropolitan of Sichniya, because the holy Patriarch Niphon, who sent them with these instructions, left the department during their wanderings. Patriarch Pachomius received them with honor and blessed the labors they undertook during the journey; in Saint Theophilus he saw a virtuous and learned man, kept him with him and entrusted him with the written affairs of the patriarchate, with the post of notary and exarch of the great Church. Theophilus carried out these duties for quite a long time and was respected by everyone for his virtues.
But seeing and feeling that, despite the contentment of external life and the respect shown to him, there was no or little essential food for the spirit, he left his position and retired to the Holy Mountain, to the Vatopedi monastery.