Theophilus the Myrrh-⁠streamer

Venerable Theophilus the Myrrh-⁠streamer (also called Theophilus of Macedonia) was an Athonite monk and hieromonk, born about 1460 at Zilyakhovo, in Macedonia, and died on 8 July 1548, in the cell of Saint Basil at Karyes, Mount Athos. He is remembered on 8 July, on the old calendar. Our sources show no act of canonization: according to the Bulgarian source, he was counted a saint for the miracles at his relics, from which myrrh flowed.

Youth and service at the Patriarchate

He was born about 1460 at Zilyakhovo, in a pious family. He received a good education, knew Holy Scripture, lives and writings of the Holy Fathers and became an accomplished calligrapher. In 1504 he was tonsured a monk with the name Theodosius, and in 1506 was ordained hieromonk, according to the Bulgarian source by Bishop Acacius of Rendina, a friend of Patriarch Niphon II of Constantinople. Theophilus grew close to Acacius and accompanied him on his mission to Alexandria, entrusted by Patriarch Niphon, to look into the miracles of Patriarch Joachim of Alexandria, of whom it was said that he moved a mountain and drank a cup of poison. On the return, Acacius and Theophilus visited Mount Sinai and Jerusalem, where Acacius died. Through Damascus, with letters from the patriarchs of Alexandria, Jerusalem and Antioch, Theophilus returned to Constantinople, where, for his piety and learning, he was kept as notary and exarch of the Patriarchate by the new patriarch Pachomius I, also from Zichna.

Athos

Weary of the life of the world and of the honour paid him by the people, Theophilus withdrew after some years to the Vatopedi monastery on the Holy Mountain. There, under the guidance of the former bishop of Methymna, Malachias, who was at Vatopedi, he gave himself to spiritual life and served the Liturgy every day. After the death of Malachias, in 1511 he moved to the Iviron monastery, where he was a novice and copied books. One of his calligraphies and about thirty of his works, mostly of liturgical content, are preserved in the library of the Iviron monastery. According to some sources his stay at Vatopedi preceded the mission to Alexandria, of 1509.

His fame spread through Macedonia and the people of Thessalonica asked him to take the archbishop's see of the city. Patriarch Theoleptos I of Constantinople, who was at Thessalonica, summoned him also with the same intention. To refuse the request, about 1516 he received the great schema, which does not permit priestly service. In 1522, according to a note of his own in a codex, the abbot of the Iviron monastery allowed him to build a hut beside the ascetic proegumen Dionysius of Iviron, at Saint John the Forerunner, with whom he shared the weight of strict hermit life. Later he went to Karyes, to the ascetics Cyril and Seraphim, and at last settled in the cell of Saint Basil with his disciple Isaac, where he died on 8 July 1548.

Death and relics

Before his death Theophilus wrote a confession of faith and a spiritual testament. From his relics fragrant myrrh flowed, and for this reason he was called the Myrrh-⁠streamer. According to Christians, miracles of healing occur at his relics, and for this reason Theophilus was counted a saint.