Venerable Serapion the Monk

The Venerable Serapion the Monk (V) was an Egyptian. From childhood he grew up in poverty, sometimes going without food for several days in a row. Once the Venerable Serapion put his own tunic on a beggar shivering with cold, and was left half-naked himself. A Greek philosopher decided to test his freedom from greed; he gave him a gold coin and began to watch him. With the money he had been given the saint bought one loaf, paying no attention to the value of the coin. Saint Serapion laboured especially for the conversion of others. Once he sold himself as a slave to a Greek actor whom he wished to convert. The actor begged the Venerable Serapion to stay with him as teacher and friend, but the saint did not stay, nor did he take any payment. Later the Venerable Serapion came to Rome and continued his usual labours there.