April 22nd - St. Theodore of Sykeon, Prophet
(Also known as Theodore of Sikion)
Born in Sykeon, Galatia, Asia Minor; died April 22, 613. The beginning of
Theodore's life was infortuitous: He was the illegitimate child of a girl
named
Mary who, with her sister, kept an inn at the village of Sykeon. They
prostituted themselves to their customers. His father was a circus artist,
who
specialized in acrobatic camel-riding and had nothing to do with his son.
Perhaps his mother was a nominal Christian-she had her son baptized.
When Theodore was only six, Mary wanted him to enter the service of the
emperor.
She prepared for him a gold belt and expensive clothing to make him
presentable
at court. Then Saint George appeared to her in a dream and she abandoned
this
plan. Instead she arranged for Theodore's education with a local teacher.
About this time, the inn was transformed by the arrival of an elderly man,
named
Stephen, whose cooking transformed the inn into a place renowned for its
cuisine. Thus, the women were able to forego prostitution as an additional
source of income. Even as a child, Theodore showed a propensity for
holiness,
which was encouraged by Stephen and heightened following his recovery from
a
near fatal attack of the bubonic plague. Theodore would skip dinner,
depriving
himself of nourishment, in order to spend the time in church praying at
the
shrine of Saint George. He would shut himself up in the cellar or in a
cave
under a disused chapel at Arkea, about eight miles from home. Later his
mother
married a prominent businessman of Ankara and left him with his
grandmother
and
aunt, whom as a young man he converted to better ways.
Theodore himself became a monk when on a visit to Jerusalem. Reputedly at
the
age of 18, he was ordained to the priesthood by his own bishop. Theodore
exercised considerable influence, perhaps because of the gifts of prophecy
and
miracles bestowed on him by God. It is said that he grew suspicious of a
finely
wrought chalice that turned out to have been made from a prostitute's
chamber
pot. As a priest-monk he led an austere life: He lived on vegetables,
fasted
frequently, and wore an iron girdle. When he settled in Mossyna, he helped
in
the treatment of girls believed to be troubled by unclean spirits.
Strangely, it is recorded that he requested that he be placed in a wooden
cage
from Christmas to Palm Sunday. Later, he moved into an iron cage suspended
on
the face of the rock in mid-air above his cave. As a penance he wore an
iron
breastplate (perhaps in remembrance of his favorite Saint George?) and
iron
rings for his hands and feet and an iron collar and belt. As is recorded
of
many
Irish saints and desert Fathers, Saint Theodore is said to have been
familiar
with wild animals-even bears and wolves.
He founded monasteries in his own country and governed the one in his
native
town, although he frequently retired to a remote and secluded cell because
his
hermitage, transformed by many visitors seeking his counsel and disciples,
had
become a complex of buildings including a large church, monastery, and
guest
house.
In spite of his strong objection, about 590, Theodore was elected bishop
of
Anastasiopolis, not far from Turkey's capital of Ankara, and consecrated
by
Archbishop Paul of Ankara. His episcopate was marked by a long series of
miracles. An African monk, Antiochus, who came to see Theodore on behalf
of
a
town pillaged by barbarians describes the saint: "He had eyebrows that met
each
other . . . was about a hundred years old, the hair of his head was as
white
as
wool and hung down to his loins; so too did his beard, and his nails were
very
long. It was about sixty years since he had touched wine or oil, thirty
since he
had tasted bread. His food was uncooked vegetables with salt and vinegar;
his
drink water." Theodore helped Antiochus with his mission and consulted him
about
the possibility of resigning his episcopate.
Theodore wanted to resign because competing demands on his time- governing
his
abbey and diocese-left too little time for prayer. Often his prayers were
interrupted to settle disputes or deal with administrative details. The
final
straw was civil unrest in the villages that belonged to the Church and
were
entrusted to laymen who oppressed the villagers. Theodore was accused by
one
of
them, Theodosius, with instigating the peasants to revolt. Theodosius
finally
kicked away the chair on which the bishop was sitting and knocked him on
his
back.
After 10 years Theodore resigned this office and retired to Saint Michael
at
Acrena (Akreina) near Pidrum (Tchardak) and Heliopolis. He visited his
patron
Emperor Maurice at Constantinople and healing one of the princes of a skin
disease (leprosy or elephantiasis?). The emperor and empress invited him
to
their table. There it was decided that all the monasteries should have the
power
of sanctuary and that the appointment of abbots should be in the
jurisdiction of
the patriarch rather than the local bishops. Returning to his oratory, he
lived
as a monk again and continued to work miracles until his death at Sykeon.
He
was
also a great promoter of the cultus of Saint George.
A long vita of Saint Theodore was written by one of his disciples; it is
mostly
a record of healings of the sick and the possessed and other marvels
attributed
to this holy man, and of anecdotes illustrating the virtues of his
character. He
seems to have become a physician and had the gift of reconciling married
couples
which led to barren wives having children. It does, however, provide a
lively
picture of life in Asia Minor just before the Arab occupation. Theodore's
relics
were translated to Constantinople (Attwater, Benedictines, Dawes, Farmer,
Walsh).
Saint Quote:
For there are three ways of performing an act of mercy: the merciful word,
by
forgiving and by comforting; secondly, if you can offer no word, then pray
-
that too is mercy; and thirdly, deeds of mercy. And when the Last Day
comes,
we
shall be judged from this, and on this basis we shall receive the eternal
verdict.
--Saint Faustina Kowalska
Bible Quote
36 Now whilst they were speaking these things, Jesus stood in the midst of
them,
and saith to them: Peace be to you; it is I, fear not. (Luke 24:36)
<<>><<>>
A morning prayer:
I wish to consecrate this day and all the days of my life to Thy honor and
glory, O God.
All ye holy Angels and Saints of God, and especially you, my dear patron
Saint, pray for me! May the Lord bless me, preserve me from all evil, and
bring me to life everlasting. May the souls of the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
V. Eternal rest give to them, O Lord;
R. And let perpetual light shine upon them.
1902. Imprimatur: + John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York, Sept 19,
1908.
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