Saint Polychronios,

Commemorated on February 23

      Saint Polychronios, a disciple of the monk Zevinos, copying the life of his elder spent both day and night in fasting and vigil. Chains the monk Polychronios had not, but at the time of prayer he put upon his shoulders an heavy oaken root, which he himself had extracted from the earth. By his prayer Saint Polychronios interceded with God for rain during a time of drought, and for the needy he filled up a stone vessel with oil.
      With the monk Polychronios there lived his student the Monk Moses. Copying his elder in everything, Saint Moses was the very model of austere ascetic life.
      Another student – the Monk Damian, withdrew to a monastery named Ieros and there pursued asceticism, having in his cell only a small box of lentils from which he ate.
      All these monastic fathers died peacefully in the V Century in Syria.

© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos.