Righteous Peter, Formerly a Tax-collector (VI)

The Righteous Peter, formerly a tax-collector, was the chief of the tax-gatherers in Africa in the reign of the Emperor Justinian (527–565). Once he threw a piece of bread at a beggar who had wearied him by asking for alms. That night Peter saw in a dream that he had died and that angels were weighing his deeds on the scales of justice. On the pan of good deeds there was nothing to put except the piece of bread thrown at the beggar in anger, but even this stopped the pan of evil deeds, which was already sinking. Peter understood the meaning of the vision in the dream, repented, and changed his whole way of life. From then on he helped the poor generously. Once Jesus Christ appeared to the blessed one in his sleep. He was wearing the garment Peter had once given to a beggar. Then Peter gave away all his property to the poor and ordered one of his slaves to sell him, too, as a slave, and to give the money received as alms. For many years the saint served his master diligently, but once merchants who knew him saw the blessed one and told his master who his slave was. Peter left the city at once. Before leaving he worked a miracle: a deaf-mute slave who kept the gate carried out the command Peter gave him in the name of Christ, opened the doors, and was granted hearing and speech. The saint vanished, and until his death no one heard anything of him. The Life of the blessed Peter was preserved for us by the hierarch John the Merciful, Patriarch of Alexandria (commemorated 12 November).