St Eutychius, Archbishop of Constantinople (+582)
Saint Eutychius, Archbishop of Constantinople (+582), was born in Phrygia. His father Alexander was a soldier, and his mother Synesia was the daughter of Hesychius, a priest of the church of Augustopolis. Saint Eutychius received his first education and Christian upbringing from his grandfather. Once, while playing, the little Eutychius wrote his own name with the title of patriarch, as though foretelling his future. At twelve Eutychius was sent to Constantinople to continue his studies. The youth mastered various sciences brilliantly and understood that all human wisdom is as nothing before divine revelation. He decided to become a monk. Saint Eutychius went to one of the monasteries of Amasea. Because of his God-pleasing life he was soon chosen archimandrite of all the monasteries of Amasea.
When the Fifth Ecumenical Council was being prepared in the time of the pious Emperor Justinian (527–565), the Metropolitan of Amasea fell ill and sent Saint Eutychius to Constantinople in his place. There the aged Patriarch, Saint Menas (536–552, commemorated 25 August), saw the saint and foretold that he would be patriarch. After the death of Saint Menas the Apostle Peter appeared to the Emperor Justinian and made known to him the will of the Lord: Eutychius was to be enthroned on the widowed see.
At the beginning of Saint Eutychius’s patriarchate the Fifth Ecumenical Council (553) was convened, at which the fathers judged and anathematised the heresies that had arisen. A few years later a new heresy appeared in the Church, which taught that Christ had not undergone sufferings.
Saint Eutychius fearlessly denounced this heresy, for which he was exiled.
The patriarch bore his exile obediently, spent his days in prayer and fasting, and worked many miracles and healings: through his prayer the wife of the pious Androgynus, who until then had always borne dead children, had two healthy sons; two deaf-mutes began to speak; a painter was healed by anointing with oil and the sign of the cross; two gravely sick children were healed too. The holy patriarch healed not only bodily but also spiritual ailments: he drove out of an infant an evil spirit that would not let the child come to Holy Communion, and drove an evil spirit out of a youth who had run away from a monastery; he healed lepers and drunkards.
When the Persians invaded Amasea and famine settled on the city, at the patriarch’s direction they began to bring grain out of the monastery storehouses and distribute it to the people, but through Saint Eutychius’s prayer the grain in the monastery did not run out.
Saint Eutychius received from God the gift of foresight. He foretold the names of Justinian’s two successors, Justin (565–578) and Tiberius (578–582).
After the death of the holy Patriarch John Scholasticus, in 577, Saint Eutychius returned from twelve years of exile and took charge of his flock again.
Four and a half years after his return to the patriarchal throne, on Thomas Sunday in 582, Saint Eutychius gathered his flock, blessed them, bade farewell to all, and peacefully gave up his soul to the Lord.
