In the world, John was born in one of the villages near Kastoria (Greece) into a poor pious family. His parents' names were Martin and Paraskeva. In his youth, John tended flocks and gradually acquired his own sheep. His brother was jealous of John's success and reported to the local Turkish authorities that he had found a treasure. John was forced to leave his native place to avoid persecution by the Turks. He settled in Constantinople, began supplying lamb to the Sultan's court and gradually became rich. Once, while visiting a noble Turk, he heard a story about how Patriarch Niphon II (1486-1489, 1497-1498) healed the possessed wife of a Turk, while the Turk saw how, during the reading of the Gospel, the dome of the church opened and divine light filled the church. After this, John decided to go to the patriarch for a spiritual conversation. Under the influence of Patriarch Nifont, he distributed his estate (300 thousand gross) to the poor, retired to Athos and took monastic vows at the Dokhiar monastery.
Three years later, he restored the desolate monastery of St. John the Baptist, which belonged to the Iveron Monastery, and labored there for 6 years under the leadership of Elder Ignatius. After the death of the elder, like the ancient ascetics, he was subjected to temptations and demonic attacks, from which the Most Holy Theotokos delivered him.
Passing through obedience in various feats of self-sacrifice, the divine Jacob rose to such purity that he was awarded heavenly revelations: like the Apostle Paul, the venerable abodes of heaven and the prisons of hell were revealed to the saint. By gift from above, the Monk Jacob saw the secrets of the heart and innermost thoughts of each of those who came to him. The monk was also honored with the gift of miracles. Visiting Aetolia with his disciples, Rev. He performed many miracles, healing the sick and edifying everyone. Many people flocked to the saint. The Turkish authorities, taking advantage of a false denunciation against the saint that he, supposedly, by gathering people could cause a rebellion, tried to force the saint to renounce Orthodoxy. But St. Jacob and both of his disciples, hierodeacon Jacob and Dionysius the monk, having endured severe torture for many days, accepted martyrdom on November 1, 1520.
Christians bought the bodies of the saints and took them to the village of Arvanitochorion (according to other sources, Alvani, or Alvanitochorion) near Adrianople and buried them in 3 separate tombs. Every Sunday and on holidays, light emanated from the tombs of the venerable martyrs. Soon after the martyrdom of the holy saints. Nikolai from Arta went to visit his brother who lived on the Danube. On the way, in Adrianople, the priest's horse fell ill. Nicholas, who heard about Jacob’s martyrdom, turned to him with prayer, and the horse was healed. The priest went to the burial place of Jacob and told the residents of Arvanitochorion about what had happened. At his insistence, the tombs were opened. A wonderful fragrance emanated from the relics of Jacob. Priest Nicholas took the venerable head of the venerable martyr and part of his relics and took them to the disciples of the venerable martyr, who labored in the Athos monastery of Simonopetra. The housekeeper Neophyte and the priest received healing from the relics of Jacob. Callistus. The disciples sent with the priest.
Nicholas to Adrianople, one of the monks, named Theophilus, and transferred the remaining relics of Jacob, Jacob and Dionysius to Simonopetra. Afterwards Jacob's disciples moved to the village. Galatista on the Chalkidiki peninsula and restored the VMC monastery, which was in desolation. Anastasia the Pattern Maker. Miracles from the relics of the holy martyrs attracted a large number of brethren there - up to 150 people. Through prayer to Jacob, Philip, a Thessalonian, was saved from drowning during a storm. Healings occurred not only from the relics of Jacob, but also from his clothes (they made difficult childbirth easier). Currently, part of the relics of Jacob is also kept in the Dohiar monastery.
9
Icons of the Mother of God “Quick to Hear”