Venerable Theodore Trihinos
Theodore was a citizen of Constantinople and the son of wealthy parents. As a young man he left his parent's home and riches and entered a hermetical monastery in Thrace. Here, he imposed upon himself a most rigorous life of mortification. He slept on stones in order to sleep less. He traveled everywhere bareheaded and clothed himself in one garment made of "goat's hair," for which he was called Trihinos (Greek) Kostret (Serbian) for goat's hair. Because of his great self-mortification for the sake of the salvation of his soul, God bestowed upon him the great gift of miracle-working both during his lifetime and after death. He died peacefully about the year 400 A.D. His body was shown to be flowing with oil (Chrism).
Venerable Anastasius of Mount Sinai
Anastasius was the abbot of Mt. Sinai. In the beginning he was a monk for an extended period of time under the glorious Abbot John of the Ladder. After John's death, he then became abbot. Besides being a great ascetic, Anastasius was an eloquent author of the lives of the saints as well as instructional writings. He led a bitter struggle against the heretics, the so called Acephalites (Akefalita - Headless Ones), who denied the decisions of the Fourth Ecumenical Council (Chalcedon, 451 A.D.). He died in an old age in the year 685 A.D. and took up habitation with the Lord Whom he faithfully served.
Blessed Anastasius Sinaites, Patriarch of Antioch
While a monk on Mt. Sinai, Anastasius was elected patriarch of Antioch during the reign of Emperor Justinian. He was elevated to this rank by virtue of his charity, chaste life, great spiritual learning and a staunch faith. The Emperor Justinian fell into the heresy of Docetism (this heresy taught that Christ's sufferings were apparent and not real), which Eutychius the Patriarch of Constantinople and this Blessed Anastasius sharply rebelled against. The emperor banished Eutychius and also wanted to banish Anastasius but he was unable to find any reproach in his life. However, when Justinian died, repenting beforehand and re-instating Eutychius to the throne, then his successor Justin succeeded in banishing Anastasius on the basis of some spurious calumnies. Anastasius remained in exile for twenty-three years and was re-instated to the throne of Antioch during the reign of Maurice. He governed the Church of God for six years and ended his earthly sojourn in the year 599 A.D.
Blessed Gregory, Patriarch of Antioch
Gregory was an Armenian by birth. He was abbot of the Pharanite Monastery below Mt. Sinai. When Blessed Anastasius was banished from his throne Gregory, against his will, was installed as patriarch of Antioch. Blessed Patriarch Sophronius also writes very favorably about him in his "Spiritual Meadow." Gregory was especially distinguished by his very great compassion, especially toward sinners. He died in the Lord in the year 593 A.D.
Holy Apostle Zacchaeus
At first, Zacchaeus was a tax collector and a sinner. When our Lord saw him in Jericho in a tree and entered his home, Zacchaeus was brought to repentance. "He (Jesus) came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town. Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed the sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, Who was about to pass that way. When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said to him: "Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house." And he came down quickly and received Him with joy. When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner." But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over." And Jesus said to him, "today salvation has come to this house because this man is a descendant of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost" (St. Luke 19: 1-10). Later on, Zacchaeus followed the Apostle Peter who appointed him bishop of Caesarea in Palestine where he faithfully served the Gospel and died peacefully.
Venerable Athanasius of Meteora
Athanasius was born in 1310 A.D. He lived the ascetical life on Athos, the Holy Mountain. He founded the famous Meteora Monastery in Thessaly. He possessed the great "gift of discernment" and miracle-working.
Venerable Joasaf, Serbian Meteorite
Born about 1350. His baptismal name is John. His father Simeon (Sini{a), the ruler of Epirus, is a step brother of tsar Du{an (1331-1355). The word of his father's death reached him on the Holy Mountain. Soon after that he handed over the reign of his country to his kinsman Alexius Angel the Philantropist, the last Christian ruler of Thessaly. Before long he retired to the Great Monastery of Meteora and entered monastic order in 1381. He was a great donator of Meteora monasteries. When the Turks occupied Thessaly, he went in 1349 to the Vatoped monastery on the Holy Mountain. About 1410 he came back to Meteora, where, in a small cell, he lived the life of an ascetic until his death in 1422/23. His relics now repose at the Monastery of Transfiguration of our Lord at Meteora. Thus it came to pass that the Nemanyic dynasty ended with this venerable Joasaf. The founder of the dynasty, Stephen Nemanya (St. Simeon), and its last monarch John (monk Joasaf) have become holy men of God and are celebrated by the Serbian church as its saints.