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THE FIFTH MONTH IN THE NAME
OF THE FATHER AND THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT, On this day took place the burning of the bones of the blessed Saint George (Gregory), the fighter, and chief of the martyrs. And on this day also died the holy father, the fighter and ascetic, Abba Jacob, Bishop of the city of Nisibis, the teacher of Saint Ephraim. The saint and fighter was born and brought up in the city of Nisibis, and he was a Syrian; from his early years he adopted the garb of the monastic life. He wore sackcloth made of hair, and he fought the fight by night and by day, with fasting, and prayer, and prostrations, and vigils, and the heat of summer, and the cold of winter, and he never took off his apparel of hairy sackcloth. His food was the herbs of the earth, and his drink was rain-water only, and for this reason his body shone, and his soul sent forth much light, and God gave him the gift of prophecy, and the power to work signs and miracles. And he used to tell people what was going to happen before it happened, and this power he possessed to a remarkable degree. One day he saw a number of women laughing and playing together in a lewd manner by a fountain of water, and he dried up the fountain of water and made the hair of their heads turn white. And having repented and made entreaty to him, and bowed low before him, they begged him to restore to them that fountain of water, and he restored it to its former state; but the hair of their heads remained white, so that they might be patient and not magnify themselves [in future]. One day whilst he was journeying along the road he found a number of men who were laying out and covering for burial a man who was not dead, and they asked the saint to give them cloths wherewith to swathe him, but the saint by his prayer made the dying man to live. When the men came back and found the dead man [alive], they entreated him, and repented, and he healed them. And the virtues and the righteousness of this saint becoming known, the priests chose him to be Bishop of the city of Nisibis. And having been appointed he protected the flock of the Lord Christ, and he ruled them well, and he guarded them well against the Arian wolves. When the Emperor Constantine gathered together the Council of the Saints in the city of Nicea this father was with them, and he excommunicated Arius and drove him out of the church; and he drew up the Prayer of the True and Holy Faith with the holy Fathers, and it is the Sign to all believers and Christian people. And he raised a man from the dead at the coming of the Emperor Constantine, even as the Book of the Council testifieth. And when the King of Persia came to the city of Nisibis and attacked it, this holy man brought a dense and smoky cloud over their horses and buffaloes, and it caused them pain, and they backed and broke the ropes which held them, and stampeded. When the King of Persia saw this he was afraid with a great fear, and he rose up and fled and departed as far away as possible from the city of Nisibis. And this saint having finished his strife, and illumined his own soul, and the souls of his flock, he died in peace, and went to God Whom he loved, and inherited everlasting life. Salutation to Jacob of Nisibis. Salutation to the burning of the bones of Saint George (Gregory). Glory
be to God Who is glorified in His Saints.
Amen. |
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