Venerable John the Hermit (IV)

The Venerable John the Hermit (IV). During the persecution of Christians the pious widow Juliana hid from the pagans with her young children, John and Themestia. The mother taught her children to pray and to read Holy Scripture. From time to time the boy John went to a monastery nearby. Once a certain Christian advised John to look for a more secluded place for prayer. The son took leave of his mother, went to the hermit Tarmunis, and with his blessing withdrew into the desert. In the desert the young ascetic found a dried-up well full of reptiles; he prayed and went down into it. At the bottom of the well he spent forty days in prayer without food or drink. After that the young hermit had to overcome many temptations. The evil spirits took on the appearance of his mother, his sister, relatives and acquaintances, and begged him to come up out of the well. At such times Saint John prayed, and the evil spirits vanished.

The Venerable John sat in the well to the end of his life. Angels brought him food. His death was revealed to the elder Chrysichus, who had lived in the desert for thirty years. After his death many miracles were worked at the place of Saint John’s labours.