Dius of Constantinople

Holy Venerable Dius of Constantinople was born at the end of the fourth century in Antioch of Syria, in a pious Christian family, and became abbot of a monastery near Constantinople. He departed to the Lord around the year 430. He is commemorated on 1 August.

From youth he was distinguished by abstinence: he ate little and not every day, and humbled his body by vigil and unceasing prayer. For these labours the Lord gave him freedom from the passions and the gift of working wonders. In a vision the Lord commanded him to go to Constantinople and there to serve Him and people. Dius settled outside the city, in a secluded place in which people were afraid to live. He fought bravely with the evil spirits who tried to drive him from that place, and defeated them by prayer and firm hope in the help of God. Praying earnestly, the saint thrust his staff into the ground, asking the Lord to give life to the dry staff, if it pleased Him that Dius should remain in that place. The Lord heard the prayer of His chosen one: the staff took root, began to grow and in time became a huge oak, which stood for a long time even after the death of Dius.

The people of the surrounding area began to come to this righteous man for counsel and teaching and to ask for healing of the illnesses of soul and body. Venerable Dius healed illnesses by prayer, and what was given to him he distributed to the poor, to strangers and to the sick. His fame reached Emperor Theodosius the Younger, who came to him, with the patriarch of Constantinople Atticus (406-425), for a blessing. The emperor wished a monastery to be raised on the place of Dius's labours and gave the means for building it. The patriarch ordained the venerable one and made him abbot. Soon a multitude of monastic brothers gathered to him. The monastery needed a well, which was dug for a long time in vain. By the prayer of the venerable one, the Lord brought forth a spring of pure water, which filled the well. Once, after prayer, the saint raised a drowned man. Many other wonders the Lord wrought through His chosen one.

In deep old age Venerable Dius fell gravely ill. He took leave of the brothers, communed of the Holy Mysteries and lay on his bed as if dead. To the monastery came, to perform the burial, the holy patriarch Atticus and the patriarch of Antioch, Alexander, who was in Constantinople. The holy elder suddenly rose from his deathbed and said that the Lord had given him another fifteen years of life. Great was the joy of the brothers. Saint Dius did indeed live another fifteen years, helping all by counsel and teaching, healing the sick, caring for the poor and for strangers. Shortly before his death, in the altar of the church a bright man in priestly vestments appeared to him and informed him of the day of his death. Thanking the Lord for the announcement, Saint Dius fell asleep quietly and was buried in his monastery.