Hypatius

Saint Hypatius was abbot of the Rufinianae monastery at Chalcedon, an ascetic and wonderworker, born in Phrygia in the time of the emperors Arcadius and Honorius and who died at a great age around the middle of the fifth century. The source consulted calls him venerable.

At eighteen, while still studying, he was beaten by his father for some faults, fled home and crossed into Thrace, where he entered a community monastery and became a monk, shining in fasting and self-⁠restraint. Once, tormented by the passion of lust, he spent eight days without food or drink. The abbot, learning of it, gave him with his own hand a cup of wine and a loaf after Compline, in front of the brethren, and at once he was freed from the torment of the passion. After a few years, on his spiritual father's advice, he went into the city to help one who had fallen into temptation, and helped his bodily father too. With two other brothers he crossed the sea and reached Chalcedon, at the old monastery of Rufinus, who had come from Rome and had brought Egyptian monks here. After Rufinus's death the monks scattered, the monastery stood uninhabited, overgrown with thorns and inhabited by unclean spirits. Hypatius drove out the spirits by prayer, cleansed the monastery of abominations and restored it to its former beauty. Each worked a craft: one wove hair cloth, another made baskets, and another tended the garden.

Later, crossing into Thrace, he went to his own monastery, but the brethren of Rufinianae came and took him with them as abbot. His struggles drew many, and the number of brothers reached thirty. God gave him the gift of healing, for people and for animals. He ate vegetables and greens and a little bread, late, at the ninth hour, and in old age a little wine. At eighty his head and beard were white as snow. For forty years he shepherded the flock of Christ, honouring the priesthood, and, after sending eighty disciples ahead of him to the Lord, he too departed, glorifying God. He is commemorated on 25 February.