St. Theodosius the Cenobiarch

From, a cotemporary Writer, published "by Bollandus.

THEODOSIUS, surnamed the Cenobiarch, from the multitude of religious whom he trained up in a conventual life, was born near Cesarea in Cappadocia, anno 423. Being educated by his parents in the fear of God, he from his tender years gave such proofs of virtue and piety as to be ordained a lector to read the holy Scriptures to the faithful in the church. What, he read to others penetrated and made a deep impression on his own heart. The words of God to Abraham, Gen. xii. Go forth out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and out of thy father's house, <fec. affected him as much as if they had been addressed to himself; as also that promise of our Lord in the Gospel of conferring everlasting life on those who should quit all things for love of him. By frequently meditating on these and such like passages of holy writ, he was at length determined to follow the call of God, and forsake every thing in this world, that he might more securely find the kingdom of heaven.

In consequence of this resolution he set out to go find visit the holy places at Jerusalem, taking Antioch in his way, in the neighborhood of which St. Simon Stylites was then living upon his pillar. Theodosius went to see the Saint, being desirous to recommend himself to Ins prayers, and receive his benediction. No sooner had he come near the pillar, than Simon cried out, Welcome Theodosius, servant of God, and presently desired he would ascend to him by a ladder. After mutual embraces, he foretold to him all that.should afterwards befal him, and in particular that he should have the direction of a numerous flock, and should rescue by the aid of divine grace, many souls from the jaws of the infernal wolf. Theodosius being confirmed in his good resolution by his conference with so great a Saint, proceeded in his journey to Jerusalem, where, after reverencing the holv places, ho went and placed himself under the direction of Longinus, an eminent servant of God, who dwelt by him self in a small lodge in the tower of David, where partly under him, partly under Marinus and Lucas, disciples of St. Euthymius, he learnt the true science of the saints to such perfection, as to become himself a most excellent master and teacher, both by word and example, of this heavenly discipline.

Some time after he was moved, by divine inspiration, to seek a more retired solitude, where he might lead an anchoretical life. For this purpose, withdrawing himself into the wilderness, he made choice of a cavern, which he found on the side of a mountain, for the place of his habitation during the remainder of the days of his mortality. Here he lived for the space of thirty years in a mortal body, as if he had been an immortal spirit, in the constant exercise of watching, fasting and prayer, together with such a continual re collection of thought, fervor of spirit, humility of heart, and abundance of tears, as could not fail to draw down the graces and gifts of the spirit of God, in the most abundant manner upon his soul. His only food during this long period of time, was dates or pulse, moistened in cold water, or wild herbs, with out any bread whatsoever. He embraced labors with as much ardor as others do their pleasures, and avoided pleasures as much as others do labors. Although he desired nothing so much as to live concealed from the eyes of men, yet it was impossible for him to keep himself so secretly in his cavern, but that the bright light of his extraordinary sanctity should break out and cast its rays both far and near, and invite many to him, who were desirous to place themselves under his conduct, and learn the secrets of religious perfec fection. It was with difficulty he at first received any one into his company; but his charitable solicitude foi the salvation of the souls of his neighbors, prevailed over his love of solitude, and the great success which attended his conduct and direction of souls, proved that it was the holy will of God he should be thus employed.

Although the number of his disciples did not at the beginning exceed six or seven, who all lived with him in his cavern, yet they gradually increased; and as they all made it their business to seek in the first place the kingdom of God with all their power, divine Pro* vidence never failed to add over and above the neces saries of this present life. One Easter-eve, when the Saint had now twelve disciples with him in his cavern, it happened that they had nothing whatever to eat: but what gave them most concern was, that they had not even bread for the divine sacrifice. This they re presented to their holy superior, who being full of confidence in God, bid them nevertheless prepare the altar for the celebrating mass on Easter-day; when behold, about sun-set Providence sent a man to their cavern with two mules laden with bread and other provisions in such quantity as abundantly sufficed them until Whitsuntide. At another time, when they were reduced to the same extremity, Providence sent them i supply in a manner still more remarkable, which happened thus: As a man was leading his horse with a load of provisions to some other place, when &e came into the neighborhood of the cavern whew the servants of God dwelt, he could not, with all his might, force his horse to go forward; so that conceiving there rtust be something supernatural in the case, he gave him liberty of *he bridle to go which way ho pleased. The horse being then left to himself, immediately, as if he were guided by an invisible hand, went straight up to the cavern, where the master perceiving the distress of this holy community, relieved them very plentifully, and glorified God for having thus wonderfully made him the instrument of his di vine goodness, in supplying his servants with food.

But the number of the disciples of the Saint, amongst whom were persons considerable for their worldly birth and fortune, daily increasing, and his cavern beina^ too small to contain them, they with difficulty prevailed upon "him to consent to the building a spacious monastery and a church, close by, in the very place appointed to him by heaven, by the remarkable circumstance of the coals in his censor catching fire of themselves. Here he received all that came to him; and as their number became very considerable, he was afterwards obliged to add several other buildings, as well for the relief of the spiritual as the corporal necessities of the multitude that resorted to him. In no place was hospitality exercised with greater affection, or with more cheerfulness and joy than in this monastery; for amongst all the virtues of the Saint, his tender compassion and charity for his neighbors, and diligence in relieving all their necessities, seemed to claim the first place. So great was his solicitude for the sick and distressed, that he even built several hospitals and infirmaries about his monastery for their accommodation; of which extensive charity of his servant, God was pleased to testify his approbation more than once in a miraculous manner. At the time of a great famine, when an incredible multitude of people flocked to the monastery upon a Palm-Sun day, and the religious not having wherewith to feed so great a crowd, would have kept the gates shut, the Saint, trusting in God, bid them open the gates and give them all to eat. And though the number was so great as to fill every part of the house, yet by a miracle not unlike that wrought by our Lord in feeding the five thousand in the desert, they all eat and were filled; and there still remained more bread than they had at first. The like miracle happened also another time, upon the feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin.

As to the disciples of our Saint, the number who put themselves under his conduct was so great, that, according to our author, during the time of his superiority, he buried with his own hands no less than six hundred and ninety-three religious men, whom he had trained up in the way of sanctity; and that his successor, St. Sophronius, did as much for four hundred more, who both in life and death followed the same happy course. lie also adds, that many illustrious bishops and abbots were taken out of this monastery; that many others who had been here brought up under our Saint, betook themselves afterwards to an anchoretical life, in which they became eminent for holiness; — that several who had followed the profession of arms quitted the service of Caesar to enrol themselves amongst the soldiers of Jesus Christ, and to learn his -heavenly discipline of Theodosius; that many who enjoyed posts of honor in the world, as well as several who were renowned for their learning, came also to our Saint, to take up, under his direction, the sweet yoke of Christian simplicity and humility, and become his scholars in the study of the science of the saints. His conduct towards all who were under his care was ever regulated by so consummate a prudence as to accommodate his directions and prescrip tions to the different exigencies and dispositions, as well as to the strength of his disciples. Whenever any of them were guilty of a fault, instead of penances, he only used words of admonition, correction, and ex hortation, which were animated with such unction as made them penetrate into the very midst of their souls. In these corrections he had the art of associating meekness and affability with a just severity, in so engaging a manner as to make himself at once be both feared and loved. The lessons of all virtues which he c^ave to others, were enforced by his own practice. His conversation was always extremely edifying and instructive, and his spirit ever attentive to God. Whether alone or in company, or in whatsoever manner he was employed, his temper was ever calm and e-ver,, always the same. His chief delight consisted in reading the holy Scriptures, which he made the subject of his perpetual meditation both day and night, even to the day of his death. Although our Saint had not been educated to any degree in secular learning, nor ever studied the rules of human eloquence, yet in the discourses which he delivered to his disciples, he far excelled the greatest orators in the arts of moving and exciting the affections, and inflaming the heart; be cause his words did not proceed from human wisdom, but from divine grace and the spirit of God. He was always so great an admirer and imitator of St. Basil, that in his words and with his spirit he would often address himself to his monks to the following effect: " I beseech you, my children, by the charity of our Lord Jesus Christ, who delivered himself up to death for our sins, let us, once for all be quite in earnest, as leriously to set about the business of saving our souls. Let us conceive a lively sorrow for having passed our time hitherto so unprofitably; let us now at least be gin to fight manfully in the service of God and of his Son Jesus Christ, that we may be made partakers one day in their glory. Let us shake off this sluggishness and lassitude, which makes us still love to put off from day to day the laboring in good earnest to advance in virtue; for if by suffering ourselves to be deceived by ihe enemy, we be found void of good works here, we can have no pretension hereafter to the joys of heaven, but shall hereafter lament in vain for having let slip the time and means of working out our salvation, when it shall not be in our power to recover them. The nature of this life, and of that which is to come, are quite opposite; the one is a time of penance, and the other of reward; — the one a time of labor, the other of repose; — the one a time of suffering, and the other of consolation. At present God is infinitely good to those who turn from their evil ways, and are converted to him; but then he shall be a just and h* exorable judge, who will call us to a strict account fo» all our thoughts, words, and actions. Now he is patient, but then he shall be terrible. How long then shall we remain deaf to the voice of Jesus Christ, who invites us to the possession of an eternal inheritance? Shall we never awake out of this long and profound sleep? Shall we not, now at least, renounce our ill-spent life, to embrace evangelical perfection? Ah! tvhy do we not tremble at the thoughts of that dreadful day of the Lord, when he shall receive those whose good works shall entitle them to a place at his right hand, into his kingdom; and shall condemn thoss wjio, being void of good works, shall be placed at his left, to eternal fire? We say indeed that we desire ta go to heaven; but do we labor in earnest; do we pur sue the means of acquiring and securing to ourselves that eternal kingdom? It' we neglect to put in practice what our Lord has commanded, it is in vain that we flatter ourselves with the expectation of receiving from him that glorious recompense wherewith he will reward those only who shall persevere to the end in fighting courageously against sin."

So far the Saint in the words of St. Brasil.

St. Theodosius was also inflamed with an extraordinary zoal for maintaining the Catholic faith against all condemned heresies; of which he gave signal proofs during the reign of the emperor Anastasius, who was a great abettor of tho Eutychian heresy, condemned by the general council of Chalcedon. This prince, in hopes of drawing our Saint over to favor his impious tenets, sent him a very considerable sum of money by the way of an alms, as he pretended, for the relief of the poor, and the comfort of his religious in their sicknesses. The Saint thought it not prudent to offend the emperor, by refusing his charity, though he suspected that an 511 design lay concealed under this specious pretence. Not long after Anastasius sent to desire of him a confession of his faith, agreeable to the Eutychian heresy. Theodosius, instead of coming into his measures, declared himself ready to suffer a thousand deaths, rather than betray his conscience, or consent to heresy. The emperor, though chagrined and disappointed, dissembled his resentment, and pro ceeded at that time no farther: but not long after be furiously attacked the Catholic faith, and raised a violent persecution against its professors. In this distressed state of the church, when the orthodox pastors were either banished from their churches, or intimi dated into a criminal silence, which is always advantageous to error, — when the heretics triumphed, and a great part of the people either joined with them, or were in doubt which side to take, the Saint seeing the dreadful danger to which the sheep of Christ lay exposed in the midst of these wolves, fearless of the raire of the emperor, or of the violence of his officers and ministers, went boldly into the great church of Jerusalem, at the time of the divine service, and going up to the tribune from whence the holy Scriptures used to be read to the people, pronounced a loud anathema against all who did not receive and revere, like the four Gospels, the four general councils of Nice, Constantinople, Ephesus, and Chalcedon, in which the Incarnation of the Son of God, had been defined and declared against the Arians, Macedonians, Nestofians, and Eutychians. This courageous profession of h's faith in so public and solemn a mariner, made a wonderful impression on the minds of the people in favor of the Catholic religion, and struck all who heard him with such astonishment, that none of his adversaries, as he passed through the crowd to go out of

•2fi the church, durst so much as open their mouths to Fpeak one word to him, much less presume to stop him. After this he was seized with a long and painful illness, which he bore with extraordinary patience and fortitude; until it pleased his Divine Master to call him to the enjoyment of that reward which he has prepared for all who labor and suffer for his sake. Theodoret, in his Philotheus, has given us the acts of another saint, named also Theodosius, a native of Antioch, who led a life of wonderful austerity and sanctity in a mountain of Cilicia, ever praying and singing psalms, without ceasing to labor with his hands, and training up many disciples in the same exercises. In order to accommodate the monastery he had built for them, he miraculously caused a neve*- failing stream of water to flow from the hard rock on which it was erected. So great and general was th«> esteem in which he was held, even amongst the bar barians and infidels, on account of his sanctity and miracles, that such as were in danger at sea, though at ever so great a distance off from his place of residence, who called upon the God of Theodosius, sav» the tempest immediately cease by the invocation of his name. He flovrished in the fourth century.