Venerable Fathers Michael and Arsenius the Georgians (IX)

The Venerable Fathers Michael and Arsenius the Georgians, of Olympus, were contemporaries of Sergius, Patriarch of Jerusalem (843–859). The agapae of the Monastery of the Cross in Jerusalem commemorate “our holy fathers Michael and Arsenius, who built up Olympus”. It seems that Arsenius and Michael laid the foundation of Georgian monasticism on Olympus.

According to Pavle Ingorokva’s conjecture, one of those named — Arsenius — is the disciple of Saint Grigol of Khandzta, “a comely man, a good monk, perfect in wisdom, son of noble aznaurs, a kinsman of the great Ephrem, bishop of Matskveri”. He came from Khandzta to Palestine, where he laboured together with Macarius of Leteti, and then went on to Asia Minor and settled on Mount Olympus.

When, twenty years later, the Venerable Hilarion the Georgian (commemorated 19 November) came to Olympus, he found only three Georgians there — without doubt from among the disciples of Arsenius and Michael.

Saint Hilarion the Georgian, who had come to Olympus with two disciples, was met with hostility by the local monks. The superior of the Greek lavra wished to drive them out as “strangers, ignorant” of the Hellenic tongue, of whom he did not know “whether they intend good or hold the right faith”. For such an “unjust” intention the Theotokos said to the superior in reproach: “Knowest thou not that many who speak their tongue are to dwell on this mountain?”

After this the Georgians on Olympus grew many; in the second half of the tenth century the Venerable John (commemorated 12 July) and his son, the Venerable Euthymius (commemorated 13 May), laboured here.

The Apostolic Church of Georgia numbered among the saints the founders of the Georgian monastery on Olympus, the Venerable Fathers Michael and Arsenius.