Eulogius the Hospitable

Holy Righteous Eulogius the Hospitable was a stonecutter in the Egyptian Thebaid, known for his welcome of strangers. According to the tradition of his veneration he lived in the fourth century, although the surviving story about him places him in the time of the Emperor Justin, uncle of Justinian. He is commemorated on 10 May (new style).

The story is told by Abba Daniel, a priest of Scetis. Travelling to the Thebaid with a disciple, he stopped in a village and sat in the middle of it like a stranger. In the evening a very old man came with a lantern in his hand, looking for guests in the streets. He took them both into his house, washed their feet and set a meal before them. The crumbs that were left he threw to the dogs, for he never kept a single morsel of the supper bread for the next day. Abba Daniel spoke with him privately until morning.

The disciple pleaded with the elder to tell him who the man was, and after long refusal Abba Daniel gave in. It was Eulogius, a stonecutter, who laboured all day without eating until evening and earned one gold coin a day. Forty years earlier Abba Daniel had marvelled at his life, and had fasted and prayed that God would give him wealth so that he might receive more strangers.

In a vision Christ told him that Eulogius's state was better for him as it was, but Abba Daniel insisted and offered his own soul as surety for Eulogius's soul. Soon after, striking the rock, Eulogius found a cave full of gold. He carried it home at night with oxen and stopped receiving strangers. He sailed to Constantinople, gave gold to the emperor and the nobles, received the rank of eparch and bought palaces called the Egyptian palaces.

Abba Daniel saw in a dream Eulogius driven from before the Christ Child. He went to his village, learned of his rise, and came to Constantinople. For four weeks he sat at the palace gate, beaten by the servants and battered by rain and snow, unable to speak with him. In a vision he was called to account for his surety and was told to stop troubling God and go home, for the Lord would bring Eulogius back to his former good life.

After three months the Emperor Justin died, and his successor began a persecution of Justin's officials. Eulogius's wealth was plundered and he fled Constantinople by night. He returned to his village dressed as he used to be, told himself to rise and work, and took up his tools again. Little by little the Lord brought him back to his former humility.

Some years later Abba Daniel came again to the village. Eulogius received him as before, washed his feet, and they wept together. Abba Daniel told him he would receive no great wealth now, only one gold coin a day, and this God granted him for his daily bread. The story ends with the command to the disciple not to tell it to anyone.