John the Hermit

Holy Venerable John the Hermit, the Syrian, is commemorated together with the venerable Syrian hermits Antiochus, Antoninus, Moses, Zebinus, Polychronius, another Moses and Damian. John, a disciple of Saint Limnaeus (commemorated on 22 February), lived in the fifth century in Syria and chose the labour of "the life without shelter". He settled on a hill open to the winds from all sides and lived there twenty-⁠five years. He fed only on bread with salt and wore down his body with heavy chains. When a visitor planted an almond tree on the hill so that the venerable one might take shelter in its shade from the heat, the saint ordered it cut down, so as to give his body no respite.

Venerable Moses, following Saint John, settled on the top of a mountain near the village of Rama. In the same way struggled the venerable Antiochus and Antoninus, who continued their labours to old age, giving an example of spiritual strength that overcomes every weakness. Venerable Zebinus, an ascetic on the same mountain, reached deep old age, but never sat during his rule of prayer, only sometimes leaning on a staff. The people of the neighbourhood honoured him and received, through his prayers, great help in their troubles and needs. Saint Polychronius, disciple of Venerable Zebinus, followed the old man's life, spending day and night in fasting and vigil. He had no chains, but during prayer he laid on his shoulders a heavy oak root, which he had dug out of the ground himself. By his prayer he asked God for rain in a time of drought, and for the needy he filled a stone vessel with oil. With Venerable Polychronius lived his disciple, Venerable Moses, who, imitating his elder in everything, also showed an example of hard ascetic life. Another disciple, Venerable Damian, withdrew to a monastery called Hiera and struggled there, having in his cell only a small box with lentils, on which he fed. All these venerable fathers fell asleep in peace, in the fifth century, in Syria.

The Church commemorates Venerable John on 8 March, on a movable day, in the new style.