[Readingsandsaints] Readings and saints

Sun May 13 05:00:31 CDT 2007

Scripture Readings and Saints for Sun May 13 2007

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------ READINGS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
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John 20:11-18  (8th Matins Gospel)
11 But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she
stooped down and looked into the tomb.
12 And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the
other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
13 Then they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to
them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where
they have laid Him."
14 Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus
standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus.
15 Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you
seeking?" She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, "Sir, if
You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will
take Him away."
16 Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him, "Rabboni!"
(which is to say, Teacher).
17 Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended
to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending
to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.' "
18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the
Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.
Scripture Reading 1 of 3

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Acts 16:16-34
16 Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl
possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters
much profit by fortune-telling.
17 This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, "These men
are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of
salvation."
18 And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned
and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to
come out of her." And he came out that very hour.
19 But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they
seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the
authorities.
20 And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, "These men,
being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city;
21 and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans,
to receive or observe.
22 Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the
magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten
with rods.
23 And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into
prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely.
24 Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison
and fastened their feet in the stocks.
25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to
God, and the prisoners were listening to them.
26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of
the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and
everyone's chains were loosed.
27 And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the
prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword
and was about to kill himself.
28 But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, "Do yourself no harm,
for we are all here."
29 Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before
Paul and Silas.
30 And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be
saved?"
31 So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be
saved, you and your household."
32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in
his house.
33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their
stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized.
34 Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before
them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.
Scripture Reading 2 of 3

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John 9:1-38
1 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth.
2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or
his parents, that he was born blind?"
3 Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that
the works of God should be revealed in him.
4 I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night
is coming when no one can work.
5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
6 When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay
with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the
clay.
7 And He said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which is
translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.
8 Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he
was blind said, "Is not this he who sat and begged?"
9 Some said, "This is he." Others said, "He is like him." He said, "I
am he."
10 Therefore they said to him, "How were your eyes opened?"
11 He answered and said, "A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my
eyes and said to me, 'Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.' So I went
and washed, and I received sight."
12 Then they said to him, "Where is He?" He said, "I do not know."
13 They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees.
14 Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes.
15 Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his
sight. He said to them, "He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I
see."
16 Therefore some of the Pharisees said, "This Man is not from God,
because He does not keep the Sabbath." Others said, "How can a man who
is a sinner do such signs?" And there was a division among them.
17 They said to the blind man again, "What do you say about Him
because He opened your eyes?" He said, "He is a prophet."
18 But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind
and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had
received his sight.
19 And they asked them, saying, "Is this your son, who you say was
born blind? How then does he now see?"
20 His parents answered them and said, "We know that this is our son,
and that he was born blind;
21 but by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his
eyes we do not know. He is of age; ask him. He will speak for himself.
22 His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the
Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ,
he would be put out of the synagogue.
23 Therefore his parents said, "He is of age; ask him."
24 So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, "Give
God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner."
25 He answered and said, "Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know.
One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see."
26 Then they said to him again, "What did He do to you? How did He
open your eyes?"
27 He answered them, "I told you already, and you did not listen. Why
do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His
disciples?"
28 Then they reviled him and said, "You are His disciple, but we are
Moses' disciples.
29 We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know
where He is from.
30 The man answered and said to them, "Why, this is a marvelous thing,
that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes!
31 Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a
worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him.
32 Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the
eyes of one who was born blind.
33 If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.
34 They answered and said to him, "You were completely born in sins,
and are you teaching us?" And they cast him out.
35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him,
He said to him, "Do you believe in the Son of God?"
36 He answered and said, "Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?"
37 And Jesus said to him, "You have both seen Him and it is He who is
talking with you."
38 Then he said, "Lord, I believe!" And he worshiped Him.
Scripture Reading 3 of 3

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Sunday of the Blind Man
After the Midfeast (John 7:14), the Lord Jesus Christ came to the
Temple again and taught the people who came to Him (John 8:2). After
leaving the Temple, He opened the eyes of a man "who was blind from
his birth (John 9:1).
The miracle described in today's Gospel (John 9:1-38) is even more
remarkable than it might seem at first.St Basil and other Fathers tell
us that this was not just a case of giving sight to a blind man born
with eyes that did not function, but to someone who had no eyes at
all! The second Exapostilarion for this Sunday says, "Along the way,
our Savior found a man who lacked both sight and eyes."
The Gospel says, "Since the world began, it was not heard that any man
opened the eyes of one who was born blind" (John 9:32). There are
examples in the Old (Tobit 2:17) and New (Mark 8:22-26) Testaments of
blind people receiving sight, but this is something completely
unprecedented.
The Savior placed clay in the man's empty sockets and told him to wash
in the pool of Siloam. When he obeyed these instructions, the eyes of
clay became living eyes!
In his MENAION, St Demetrius of Rostov calls the blind man St
Celidonius (see his account of St Lazarus in the Synaxis of the
Seventy Apostles on January 4).
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Virginmartyr Glyceria at Heraclea
Saint Glyceria suffered as a martyr for her faith in Christ in the
second century, during a persecution against Christians under the
emperor Antoninus (138-161). She came from an illustrious family, and
her father Macarius was a high-ranking Roman official. Later, the
family moved to the Thracian city of Trajanopolis.
St Glyceria lost both her father and mother at an early age. Falling
in with Christians, she converted to the true Faith, and she visited
the church every day. Sabinus, the prefect of Trajanopolis, received
the imperial edict ordering Christians to offer sacrifice to the
idols, and so he designated a certain day for the inhabitants of the
city to worship the idol Zeus.
St Glyceria firmly resolved to suffer for Christ. She told the
Christians of her intention, and she begged them to pray that the Lord
would give her the strength to undergo the sufferings. On the
appointed day St Glyceria made the Sign of the Cross on her forehead,
and went into the pagan temple.
The saint stood on a raised spot in the rays of the sun, and removed
the veil from her head, showing the holy Cross traced on her forehead.
She prayed fervently to God to bring the pagans to their senses and
destroy the stone idol of Zeus. Suddenly thunder was heard, and the
statue of Zeus crashed to the floor and smashed into little pieces.
In a rage, the prefect Sabinus and the pagan priests commanded the
people to pelt St Glyceria with stones, but the stones did not touch
the saint. They locked St Glyceria in prison, where the Christian
priest Philokrates came to her and encouraged the martyr in the
struggle before her.
In the morning, when the tortures had started, suddenly an angel
appeared in the midst of the torturers, and they fell to the ground,
overcome with terror. When the vision vanished, Sabinus, who was
hardly able to speak, ordered them to throw the saint into prison.
They shut the door securely and sealed it with the prefect's own ring,
so that no one could get in to her. While she was in prison, angels of
God brought St Glyceria food and drink. Many days afterwards, Sabinus
came to the prison and he himself removed the seal. Going in to the
saint, he was shaken when he saw her alive and well.
Setting off for the city of Heraclea in Thrace, Sabinus gave orders to
bring St Glyceria there also. The Christians of Heraclea came out to
meet her with Bishop Dometius at their head, and he prayed that the
Lord would strengthen the saint to endure martyrdom.
At Heraclea they cast St Glyceria into a red-hot furnace, but the fire
was extinguished at once. Then the prefect, in a mindless fury, gave
orders to rip the skin from St Glyceria's head. Then they threw the
martyr into prison onto sharp stones. She prayed incessantly, and at
midnight an angel appeared in the prison and healed her of her wounds.
When the jailer Laodicius came for the saint in the morning, he did
not recognize her. Thinking that the martyr had been taken away, he
feared he would be punished for letting her escape. He wanted to kill
himself, but St Glyceria stopped him. Shaken by the miracle, Laodicius
believed in the true God, and he entreated the saint to pray that he
might suffer and die for Christ with her.
"Follow Christ and you will be saved," the holy martyr replied.
Laodicius placed upon himself the chains with which the saint was
bound, and at the trial he told the prefect and everyone present about
the miraculous healing of St Glyceria by an angel, then he confessed
himself a Christian.
The newly chosen one of God was beheaded by the sword. Christians
secretly took up his remains, and reverently buried them. St Glyceria
was sentenced to be eaten by wild beasts. She went to execution with
great joy, but the lioness set loose upon the saint meekly crawled up
to her and lay at her feet.
Finally, the saint prayed to the Lord, imploring that He take her unto
Himself. In answer she heard a Voice from Heaven, summoning her to
heavenly bliss. At that moment, another lioness was set loose upon the
saint. It pounced upon the martyr and killed her, but did not tear her
apart. Bishop Dometius and the Christians of Heraclea reverently
buried the holy martyr Glyceria. She suffered for Christ around the
year 177. Her holy relics were glorified with a flow of healing myrrh.
St Glyceria, whose name means "sweetness," now rejoices in the
unending sweetness of the heavenly Kingdom.
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Martyr Laodicius the Keeper of the Prison
St Glyceria was tortured at Heraclea in Thrace during a persecution
against Christians under the emperor Antoninus (138-161).The martyr
was then thrown into prison onto sharp stones. She prayed incessantly,
and at midnight an angel appeared in the prison and healed her of her
wounds.
When the jailer Laodicius came for the saint in the morning, he did
not recognize her. Thinking that the martyr had been taken away, he
feared he would be punished for letting her escape. He wanted to kill
himself, but St Glyceria stopped him. Shaken by the miracle, Laodicius
believed in the true God, and he entreated the saint to pray that he
might suffer and die for Christ with her.
"Follow Christ and you will be saved," the holy martyr replied.
Laodicius placed upon himself the chains with which the saint was
bound, and at the trial he told the prefect and everyone present about
the miraculous healing of St Glyceria by an angel, then he confessed
himself a Christian.
The newly chosen one of God was beheaded by the sword. Christians
secretly took up his remains, and reverently buried them.
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Virginmartyr Glyceria of Novgorod
Righteous Virgin Glyceria of Novgorod, was the daughter of
Panteleimon, a starosta of Legoscha Street in Novgorod. The saint died
in the year 1522. Her incorrupt relics, according to the second
Novgorod Chronicle, were uncovered on July 14, 1572 near the stone
church of Sts Florus and Laurus. Archbishop Leonid of Novgorod,
assisted by his clergy, buried the holy relics in this church. During
the interment, healings occurred at the relics of the saint.
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Venerable Macarius the Archimandrite of Obruch (Kanev)
The Relics of the Hieromartyr Macarius, Archimandrite of Kanev, were
transferred on May 13, 1688 from Kanev to the city of Pereslavl
because of the threat of enemy invasion. The main Feast commemorating
St Macarius is on September 7.
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Martyr Alexander of Rome
The Holy Martyr Alexander suffered for Christ at the beginning of the
fourth century. He was a soldier serving in the regiment of the
tribune Tiberian at Rome. When he was eighteen, the Roman emperor
Maximian Hercules (284-305) issued an edict that all citizens were to
go to the temple of Jupiter outside the city on a designated day to
offer sacrifice.
The tribune Tiberian assembled his soldiers and he ordered them to go
to this festival, but Alexander, raised from childhood in the
Christian Faith, refused and said that he would not offer sacrifice to
devils. Tiberian reported to the emperor Maximian that there was a
soldier in his regiment who was a Christian. Soldiers were immediately
sent to arrest Alexander.
Alexander was asleep, but an angel woke him and warned him of his
impending martyrdom, saying that he would be with him during this
time. When the soldiers arrived, Alexander came out to meet them. His
face shone with a light so bright that the soldiers fell to the ground
when they saw him. The saint upbraided them and told them to carry out
their orders.
Standing before Maximian, St Alexander boldly confessed his faith in
Christ and he refused to worship the idols. He said that he was not
afraid of the emperor, nor of his threats. The emperor tried to
persuade the young man with promises of honors, but Alexander remained
steadfast in his confession, and denounced the emperor and all the
pagans. They tortured the holy martyr, but he bravely endured all the
sufferings.
Maximian remanded St Alexander to the tribune Tiberian, who was being
sent to Thrace to persecute Christians there. So they brought the
martyr to Thrace, fettered in chains. At this time an angel told St
Alexander's mother, Pimenia, of her son's martyrdom. Pimenia found her
son in Carthage, where he stood before Tiberian and again he
steadfastly confessed himself a Christian.
They subjected him to torture before the eyes of his mother, and then
they took the prisoner on his final journey, walking behind Tiberian's
chariot. The brave Pimenia asked the soldiers to let her go to her
son, and she encouraged him to undergo torments for Christ. The
soldiers were astonished at the stoic strength of the martyr and they
said one to another, "Great is the God of the Christians!"
The angel appeared to the martyr several times, strengthening him. By
night a fearsome angel appeared to Tiberian with sword in hand, and
commanded the tribune to hasten to Byzantium, since the martyr's end
was drawing near. Tiberian hurried on his way.
In the city of Philippopolis, Tiberian retried St Alexander in the
presence of the city dignitaries gathered for this event. At this
trial St Alexander remained steadfast. During his grievous journey the
holy martyr had been repeatedly subjected to cruel tortures. He was
strengthened by God, however, and he endured all the torments.
He gave strength to the soldiers weakened by thirst, asking the Lord
to provide a spring of water for them. During the journey, the martyr
prayed beneath a tree, asking for strength in his sufferings, and the
fruit and leaves of this tree received a curative power. At a place
named Burtodexion, the saint again met his mother Pimenia, who fell
weeping at his feet. The holy martyr said to her, "Do not weep , my
mother, for the day after tomorrow, the Lord shall help me finish
matters."
In the city of Drizipera Tiberian imposed the death sentence on the
saint. The holy martyr gave thanks to the Lord for giving him the
strength to endure all the torments, and to accept martyrdom. The
soldier who was supposed to carry out the execution asked the saint's
forgiveness, and for a long time he could not bring himself to raise
his sword, for he saw angels waiting to take the soul of the martyr.
The saint prayed and asked God to remove the angels, since he wanted
to go to the Lord. Only then did he cut off the saint's holy head. The
saint's body was cast into a river, but four dogs dragged it out of
the water, and they would not let anyone near it, until St Alexander's
mother Pimenia came. She took up the remains of her martyred son and
reverently buried them near the River Ergina.
Healings began to take place at the grave of St Alexander. Soon the
holy martyr appeared to his mother in a dream, in which he comforted
her and said that soon she too would be transported to the heavenly
habitations.
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St Pausicacus the Bishop of Synnada
Saint Pausicacus, Bishop of Synada, lived at the end of the sixth
century in the Syrian city of Apamea. He had been raised in the
Christian Faith by his pious parents, and he began to lead an ascetic
life of prayer, vigil and fasting in his youth.
The Lord gave him the gift of healing sicknesses of both soul and
body. Patriarch Cyriacus of Constantinople (591-606) consecrated St
Pausicacus as Bishop of Synada. St Pausicacus wanted neither heretics
nor dissolute people in his flock. He constantly taught his flock
about the virtuous life, and his discourse was always powerful and
lively.
Having come to Constantinople on affairs of the Church, he healed the
emperor Mauricius of sickness, and on his return journey he asked the
Lord for water to quench the thirst of his companions. After the
prayer of the saint, a spring of pure water sprang up from the ground.
St Pausicacus died peacefully in the year 606.
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St George the Confessor, with his wife and children of
Constantinople
The Holy Confessor George suffered for the veneration of holy icons at
Constantinople in the first half of the ninth century. The emperor
Theophilus demanded that St George renounce the veneration of holy
icons, but the brave confessor refused the order and told the impious
emperor that in venerating holy icons, we offer worship to their
eternal Prototype [i.e. Christ the Logos].
For his disobedience, the emperor ordered St George's property to be
taken away and seized, and to drag him through the streets of
Constantinople with a rope about his neck, and then cast him into
prison. After this, St George was sent into exile with his wife Irene
and their children. St George died after suffering many afflictions in
exile.
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St Irene with her husband and children of Constantinople
Saint Irene lived in Constantinople in the first half of the ninth
century. When her husband St George was sent into exile because he
venerated the holy icons, she and their children went with him.
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St Euthymius the New, Founder of the Iveron Monastery and His
Fellow Georgian Saints of Mt. Athos
No information available at this time.
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Monkmartyr John of the Iveron Monastery on Mt Athos
No information available at this time.
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Monkmartyr George of the Iveron Monastery on Mt Athos
No information available at this time.
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Monkmartyr Gabriel of the Iveron Monastery on Mt Athos
No information available at this time.
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St Euthymius of Athos the translator
The venerable Euthymius of Mt. Athos was the son of St. John of Mt.
Athos, a military commander during the reign of King Davit
Kuropalates, who abandoned the world to enter the monastic life.
While St. John was laboring on Mt. Olympus, the Byzantine emperor
returned a large portion of the conquered Georgian lands, but in
exchange for this benefaction he ordered that the children of certain
eminent aristocrats be taken to Constantinople as surety.
Among his hostages was St. Johns young son, Euthymius. When John
discovered that his son was being held captive in Constantinople, he
departed immediately to appeal to the emperor for his release.
Eventually Johns request was granted, and he took Euthymius back with
him to the monastery. However, by this time the young Euthymius had
already forgotten his native language.
Soon St. Johns name was known in every monastery on Mt. Olympus, so
the holy father withdrew with his son and several disciples to Mt.
Athos, to the Lavra of St. Athanasius the Great, to escape the homage
and praise.
>From his youth Euthymius received great grace from the Holy Spirit.
While still a child he fell deeply ill, and his father, losing hope in
his recovery, sent for a priest to bring him Holy Communion. Then he
went into a church, knelt before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos,
and began to pray for his son. When he returned to his cell he was
greeted by the pleasant scent of myrrh and the sight of his son,
standing in perfect health.
Euthymius told his father that a magnificent Queen had appeared to him
and asked him in Georgian, What has happened to you? What has
disturbed you so, Euthymius?
I am dying, my Queen, he had said.
Then the Queen embraced him, saying, Arise, do not be afraid, but
speak freely in your native Georgian tongue!
After this miraculous healing the Georgian language flowed from
Euthymiuss mouth like water pouring forth from a clear spring, and the
young man surpassed all others in eloquence.
Venerable John gave great thanks to God and explained to his son the
meaning of the vision: My son! Our country is suffering from a
terrible shortage of books. But the Lord has bestowed upon you a gift,
and now you must labor diligently in order to more abundantly
recompence the Lord.
St. Euthymius began his new task with great joy, and many people
marveled at his success. St. Giorgi of Mt. Athos recorded the life of
St. Euthymius, and his account mentions more than fifty works that he
translated from the original Greek into Georgian.
After St. Johns death, Euthymius succeeded him as abbot of the Iveron
Monastery on Mt. Athos. (St. John had founded the Iveron Monastery
with St. John-Tornike.) His leadership of the monastery brought with
it many responsibilities, and Euthymius was obliged to continue his
translations at night.
St. Euthymius performed many miracles. Once, while his father was
still living, Byzantium was struck by a terrible drought. The earth
became cracked, trees and vineyards withered, and all the vegetation
dried up after four months without rain. St. John sent Euthymius and
his brothers to the Church of the Prophet Elijah to celebrate an
All-Night vigil. (During periods of drought Orthodox Christians have
traditionally turned to the Prophet Elijah to bring rain as he did in
the Old Testament.) During the Gospel reading a dark cloud formed in
the sky, and at the moment Euthymius received Holy Communion it began
to rain.
Once, during the Feast of the Transfiguration, the faithful of Mt.
Athos saw Fr. Euthymius embraced by divine fire. The crowd of
witnesses fell on their knees before him, but the saint calmed them,
saying, Do not be afraid, my brothers; God has looked down on us, and
Christ has glorified His feast!
But the devil could not tolerate the godly labors of the venerable
Euthymius and his brothers at the monastery, so he persuaded a certain
beggar, who resembled a monk, to kill the holy father.
When the killer approached Fr. Euthymiuss cell, two monks blocked his
way. So the assassin slashed them with his sword. Upon hearing the
noise, Father Euthymius came outside and served Holy Communion to his
fallen brothers. The two monks were fatally wounded and crowned as
martyrs of the Church, while the killer confessed his sin and died,
greatly afflicted in spirit.
Later a monastery gardener attempted to murder St. Euthymius, but when
he lifted his hand to strike the saint, it withered suddenly, and only
the prayers of Fr. Euthymius could heal it.
St. Euthymius labored as abbot of the Iveron Monastery on Mt. Athos
for fourteen years. His literary endeavors demanded much time and
great effort, so, according to his fathers will, he appointed a
certain George (later St. George of Mt. Athos, the Builder) his
successor.
Then he locked himself in his cell and dedicated himself exclusively
to his translations.
Once the Byzantine Emperor Constantine VIII (10271039) summoned Fr.
Euthymius to his court. Before departing for Constantinople, the
venerable father gathered his brothers, prepared for them a meal, and
asked them for their prayers. Then, just before he left on his
journey, he visited his childhood friend, the elder Theophan. When
they were bidding each other farewell, Theophan embraced him
tearfully, crying out, What grief I am suffering, O holy Father, for I
will not see you again in the flesh! The elders prophecy was soon
fulfilled.
The emperor received St. Euthymius with great honor. On May 8th,
following the Liturgy for the feast of St. John the Theologian, St.
Euthymius set off to visit a certain iconographer from whom he had
earlier commissioned an icon. He was seated on a young mule and sent
on his way. But along the road he was approached by a beggar, clad all
in black, who asked alms of him. The venerable father reached into his
pocket, but when the mule suddenly noticed the strange man by the
roadside, he was frightened, lurched violently, and cast the holy
father to the ground, killing him.
All of Byzantium mourned the death of St. Euthymius. His holy relics
are buried in the Church of St. John the Baptist at the Iveron
Monastery on Mt. Athos.
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Martyrs killed by the Latins at the Iveron Monastery on Mt.
Athos
Georgian monks began to settle on Mt. Athos in the middle of the 10th
century, and a Georgian monastery, Iveron, was founded there not long
after.
At that time foreign armies were constantly invading Mt. Athos. In the
13th century the Crusaders stormed through the region, and between
1259 and 1306 the popes private army devastated Mt. Athos several
times. Monks of Zographou and Vatopedi monasteries and the Protaton
were martyred for the Orthodox Faith, and the monks of the Iveron
Monastery eventually met the same fate.
During this period Georgian and Greek ascetics labored together at the
Iveron Monastery, and many young ascetics of the new generation began
to arrive from Georgia.
The Crusaders demanded that the Iveron monks convert to Catholicism
and acknowledge the primacy of the Roman pope. But the monks condemned
their fallacies and anathematized the doctrine of the Catholics.
According to the Patericon of Athos, the Iveron monks were forcibly
expelled from their monastery. Nearly two hundred elderly monks were
goaded like animals onto a ship that was subsequently sunk in the
depths of the sea. The younger, healthier monks were deported to Italy
and sold as slaves to the Jews.
Some sources claim this tragedy took place in the year 1259, while
others record that the Georgian monks of the Holy Mountain were
subject to the Latin persecutions over the course of four years, from
1276 to 1280.
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