The Monk Martinian
Commemorated on February 13
The Monk Martinian
at age 18 settled into the wilderness, somewhat off from the city of
Palestinian Caesarea, where he dwelt in ascetic deeds and silence for 25 years,
and he was granted a graced gift of healing illness. But the enemy of the race
of man would not stop bothering the hermit with various temptations. One time a
profligate woman got into a wager with some dissolute people, as to whether she
could seduce Saint Martinian, the fame of whose virtuous life had spread
throughout all the city. She came to him at night-time under the guise of a
wandering suppliant asking night lodging. The saint let her enter, since the
weather outside was inclement. But here the wicked guest changed over into her
good clothes and began to tempt the ascetic. The saint thereupon rushed out of
the cell, set alight a fire and put his bare feet upon the burning coals. He
said such as this to himself: "It is hard enough for thee, Martinian, to
suffer this temporal fire, now then wilt thou instead suffer the eternal fire,
prepared for thee by the devil?" The woman, shaken by the spectacle,
became repentant and besought the saint to guide her onto the way of
repentance. At his directing she set off to Bethlehem, to a monastery of
Saint Paula, where she dwelt for 12 years in strict ascetic deeds until
her blessed end. The name of this woman was Zoa.
Having recovered from
his scorching, Saint Martinian set off to an uninhabited rocky island, and
lived on it under the open sky for several years, nourished by the victuals
brought by a certain sailor from time to time, and in return the monk weaved
baskets for him.
One time a powerful
storm wrecked a ship, and to the island of Saint Martinian the waves carried on
the ship debris a maiden named Photinia. Saint Martinian helped her to survive
the island. "Remain here, – said he to her, – for here is bread and
water, and in two months a boat will come", – and he jumped into the sea
and swam off. Two dolphins carried him to dry land. Thereafter Blessed
Martinian began to lead the life of a wanderer. And so passed two years. One
time, having come to Athens, the saint fell ill, and sensing the nearness of
his end, he went into church and lay upon the floor, and calling out to the
bishop he besought him to give his body over to burial. This occurred in about
the year 422.
© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos.