Sainted Tykhon, Bishop of Amaphuntum
Commemorated on June 16
Sainted Tykhon,
Bishop of Amaphuntum, was born in the city Amaphuntum on the island of
Cyprus. His parents raised their son in Christian piety, and taught him the
reading of Sacred books. There is an account extant, that the gift of
wonderworking appeared in Saint Tykhon at a still quite youthful age.
His father was the
owner of a bread bakery and he sent his son to distribute bread. The holy lad
gave bread free to the needy. Learning about this, his father became angry, but
the son answered, that he had read in the holy books, that "in giving to
God one receiveth back an hundredfold". "I too, – said the youth, –
gave to God the bread which was taken" and he persuaded his father to go
to where the grain was stored. With astonishment the father saw that the
granary which formerly was empty, was now filled to overflowing with wheat.
From that time the father did not hinder his son from distributing bread to the
needy.
A certain gardener
brought from the vineyard the dried prunings of vines. Saint Tykhon gathered
them, planted them in his garden and besought the Lord, that these branches
might take root and yield salubrious fruit for the health of people. The Lord
did so through the faith of the holy youth. The branches took root, and their
fruit had a particular and very pleasant taste and was used during the lifetime
of the saint and after his death for the wine in making the mystery of the Holy
Eucharist.
They accepted the
pious youth into the church clergy, made him a reader, and afterwards the
bishop of Amaphuntum Memnon ordained him to the dignity of deacon. After the
death of Bishop Memnon, Saint Tykhon by universal agreement was chosen as
bishop of Amaphuntum. The ordination was headed by Sainted Epiphanios, Bishop
of Cyprus (+ 403, Comm. 12 May).
Saint Tykhon laboured
zealously for the eradication of the remnants of paganism on Cyprus – he
destroyed an idolatrous temple and spread the Christian faith. The
sainted-bishop was generous, his doors were open to all, and with love he
listened to and fulfilled the request of each person who came to him. Fearing
neither threats nor tortures, he firmly and fearlessly confessed his faith
before pagans.
In the service to
Sainted Tykhon it is pointed out, that he foresaw the time of his death, which
occurred in the year 425.
The name of Sainted
Tykhon of Amaphuntum was accorded great honour in Russia. In honour of the
saint, temples were constructed at Moscow, at Nizhni Novgorod, at Kazan and other
cities. But the saint was particularly venerated in Voronezh diocese, where
there were three archpastors in succession sharing the name with the
Sainted-bishop of Amaphuntum: Sainted Tikhon I (Sokolov) (+ 1783, Comm. 13
August), Tikhon II (Yakubovsky, until 1785) and Tikhon III (Malinin, until
1788).
© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos.