Theophanes of Meteora

Holy Venerable Theophanes of Meteora, a founder, was born toward the end of the fifteenth century, together with his brother Nectarius, in the ancient family of the Apsarades of Ioannina. Both received an excellent education, but they abandoned the glory and illusions of the world and became monks under the guidance of the elder Sabbas (commemorated on 3 February), on one of the islands of Lake Ioannina. The elder taught them the foundations of the ascetic life, and all their lives they did not depart from a strict way: they never used oil, often ate only every second day, and Theophanes wore heavy chains on his body to the end. After some time they were ordained priests.

Ioannina and Athos

After ten years the elder departed to the Lord. The brothers felt orphaned and set out for the Holy Mountain of Athos. They came to the Monastery of Dionysiou, renowned for its strictness, to speak with the holy patriarch Nephon (commemorated on 11 August, old style). He advised them to return to their solitude and live by the elder's instructions. Returning, they found that the lay patrons of the monastery were demanding payment for the rights of ownership. To keep their peace of soul and avoid litigation, the brothers gave up their rightful claims and went deep into the island to found a new monastery.

They built two churches, one dedicated to the Forerunner of the Lord and the other to Saint Nicholas (1507). Near the second three of their sisters settled, with other relatives, to live an angelic life. But even there, at the prompting of the enemy, the church and civil authorities kept troubling them, although the brothers had received from the patriarch every right to an independent monastery in that place. Remembering the counsel of Saint Nephon, who had once told them, if an obstacle arises, do not resist, but flee from that place and find another where you can live in peace, they decided once more to leave all that they had built with hard labour, great expense and love of quiet. They set out for Thessaly, to the largest monastic centre of the time, Meteora.

Meteora

With the permission of the abbot of the Monastery of the Transfiguration, they spent seven years in an eagle's nest on the rock called the pillar of the Forerunner. Then, in 1518, they moved to the unassailable rock of Barlaam, where a monk of that name had once built the church of the Three Hierarchs, which had fallen into ruin. The brothers restored it and began a life of ascetic struggle.

Soon their piety drew many monks. The community quickly grew to thirty members, so that a new church, dedicated to All Saints, had to be built. The brothers also provided the other buildings needed for the hermit life and set the farming in order, so that the monks, free of cares, could give themselves to the service of the Lord. Saints Nectarius and Theophanes guided the monks toward the perfection of the soul both by word and by their own example.

The end

Near the end of their lives they left an account of their life and a testament, calling the monks to be united like parts of one body and to compete with one another only in zeal and steadfastness. When, on 17 May 1544, the building of the church was finished, Theophanes, gravely ill for the last ten months, ordered himself carried there to see with his own eyes the fruit of his labours. He glorified the Lord, blessed the brotherhood and the builders, then returned to his cell and prepared for death. As the monks sang the canon for the departure of the soul, a bright star shone in the sky, and when Saint Theophanes gave up his soul to God, the star vanished. Saint Nectarius departed to the Lord on 7 April 1550.

The Azbyka page gives 30 May for the commemoration of Theophanes, following the Greek calendar, and notes that he is not in the present calendar of the Russian Church.