Theodosius the New

Holy Venerable Theodosius the New, the physician, was born in Athens in the year 862, of noble and God-⁠fearing parents, and was raised in "the discipline and instruction of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4). Sent to school to learn the sacred sciences, being gifted by nature, he quickly mastered them. He had great reverence toward God and, attending church services and hearing of the labours of the saints, he marvelled at their zeal and patience. Wherever he found them he read the lives of the saints attentively and greatly wished to imitate their struggles.

Ascetic life

After a short time his parents died. After the burial the blessed Theodosius at once gave all his property to the poor and, renouncing the world and what is in the world, left his homeland to visit a spiritual elder. From the elder, after all manner of trials, he received the monastic habit and gave himself to spiritual labours. He advanced so far in living according to Christ that after a little while he wished to withdraw into stillness, to converse alone with God in noetic prayer. Moving from place to place in search of stillness, he came to the Morea. In the diocese of Argos he finally found a solitary place suited to stillness and remained there. At once the good labourer began to add labours to labours, living an almost immaterial and bodiless life, in the greatest abstinence, long fasts, vigils, prostrations, lying on the bare ground, unremitting prayers in which he stood like an immovable pillar, constant weeping and superhuman poverty, rising to humility, meekness, purity of soul and body, firm faith, strong hope and love, the crown of all virtues. He was a stranger in this world, a heavenly man and an earthly angel.

Vision and miracles

For this he was granted a divine vision. One night the Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John appeared to him and, greeting him, encouraged him in his spiritual labours and commanded him to build a church, promising to help him and to be his companion through all his life. Filled with spiritual joy, the venerable one glorified God with all his soul. Beginning the work, with God's help he built a monastery in the name of the Honourable Forerunner. By God's grace he also received the gift of working miracles and healings, and was therefore called wonderworker and healer. The report of his pure life spread everywhere, for God wished to reveal and glorify His servant. The more the saint fled the world and its glory, the more wonder and veneration he aroused, for from all sides those tormented by various diseases came to him and quickly received healing. Some of them, hearing the venerable one's spiritual teachings, which healed illnesses of the soul, that is, sins, from which bodily illnesses for the most part come, took care to be healed of these too, receiving a double healing.

Bishop Peter

At that time the bishop of the place, Peter, hearing untrue opinions about the saint, enticed by the deceitful words of the envious, decided to drive the venerable one from the diocese. But he received a letter from the patriarch in Constantinople, who summoned him as soon as possible to a council to decide an urgent church question. Divine providence prevented the banishment of Theodosius, for the bishop left for Constantinople, resolving to expel the venerable one immediately on his return. But God hindered him again and arranged that the virtue of His servant Theodosius and his boldness before Him should be shown still more to his greater glory. Theodosius appeared in a dream to Bishop Peter and told him not to wrong a servant of Christ, or the Lord would deliver him up. The bishop, frightened, woke and repented of his decision. Then a servant of the patriarch came to him, calling him to the patriarch, because Theodosius had appeared in a dream to the patriarch too, telling him all and asking him to stop Peter from wronging him. Asked who he was, he answered, "I am the servant of Christ Theodosius, who live within the bounds of Argos." Bishop Peter then went to his hermitage, and when he saw him he dismounted and kissed him. The venerable one bowed low to him. The bishop asked forgiveness, passed on the patriarch's words, and then ordained him deacon and priest, although the venerable one, in his humility, refused. From then on the bishop and those around him regarded the venerable one as a model of virtue.

Repose

The Venerable Theodosius gave his soul into the hands of God, raising his hands to Him and saying, "Lord, into Your hands I commit my spirit," on the seventh day of August (old style). His relics have been preserved to this day in the same place, giving off a spiritual fragrance and moving the hearts of those who come with faith. He is commemorated on 20 August (new style), that is 7 August by the old calendar.