Venerable Father John Shavteli and Eulogius the Prophet, Fool-for-Christ, Contemporaries of King Tamar (XIII)

The Venerable John Shavteli was one of the outstanding poets, philosophers and rhetoricians of Georgia in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. “The Life of Kartli” mentions him as “a composer of verses and renowned in ascetic labours”.

In his youth the Venerable John received a higher education at the academy attached to the monastery of Gelati, where he studied the writings of the holy fathers, ancient and Arabic history, philosophy and literature; then he was tonsured a monk and laboured long in the monastery of Vardzia.

Through ceaseless spiritual labour, unbroken prayer and a life pleasing to God the Venerable John received from the Lord the grace of wise speech.

When the Georgian host under the leadership of David Soslan set out for Basiani to fight Rukn ad-Din, the sultan of Iconium, the holy and right-believing King Tamar went to Odzrkhe to pray. With her went Theodore, catholicos of Kartli, a holy and good man, together with many bishops and monks, among whom shone “John Shavteli, a man all-renowned and wonderful in ascetic labours, and a composer of verses”.

Here a miracle took place: during the Liturgy Eulogius the Fool-for-Christ, gifted by God with the grace of foreknowledge, fell to the ground three times, then raised his hands and cried out: “Behold, glory to God! Christ is mighty. O hands of Eulogius, fear not the Persians; let go, that he may go in peace. The mercy of God has come upon the house of Tamar.” All understood that Eulogius had received a divine revelation. The Venerable John Shavteli said to the king: “Know, O king, that he who is thought a fool has seen a vision, but I think the vision good!”

Eulogius the Fool-for-Christ disclosed the secret to John Shavteli. With God’s help the Georgians defeated the enemy at Basiani and won a brilliant victory.

Saint Eulogius, who hid his spiritual labour in feigned folly for Christ’s sake, this time too fled from the praise of men: “at once he went away from before their face and hid himself.”

In thanksgiving for the victory in the battle of Basiani Saint John Shavteli wrote “Hymns to the Theotokos of Vardzia”. To him also belongs the famous ode “Abdul-Mesia” (servant of Christ the Messiah).

The Venerable John Shavteli died in deep old age, and immediately after his death he was numbered among the choir of the saints.

The Orthodox Church of Georgia commemorates the Venerable John Shavteli twice: on 1 April, together with Eulogius the Fool-for-Christ, and on 9 June.