<On a Palm Sunday, a crowd of peasants and beggars gathered at the monastery, according to custom. Owing to their great number, the monks decided to limit the portion of bread to be given out to a pound (327 gr.) a head. But Theodosius ordered to throw open the gates and give bread freely to all. After the crowd had been satiated, the pantries were found as full as before.>
I shall confirm this story also by means of another event that happened precisely in the same way. Periodically, once a year, we celebrate the memorial day of the Mother of God. On this day many people had gathered - as fits this festival, as (the Mother of God) is much venerated - so that the brothers, in spite of their number, were scarcely enough to serve all these people. (The monks) had nothing to set before them, but one loaf of bread for each table: nevertheless they gathered so many baskets of left-over morsels, that not only the need of the brothers was satisfied by those (left-overs), but the surplus of the remnants, dried in the sun, even sufficed them for several days. These and yet greater gifts gives our Lord and Saviour to those who have absolute faith in Him, who proclaimed that ‘All things are possible to him who believes’ <Mark 9:23>. And who, seeing the tribe of the Egyptians coming to the (festival of the) Consecrations <Sept. 13-14> and the crowd gathering from all the corners of the world, would not wonder and almost refuse to believe that even the drinking water might suffice for the multitude assembled at that time? Nevertheless they are received with such largesse, that the quantity of bread and cooked food set before the guests is enough to entertain also the guests who come after them with the surplus of the remnants, and after such a welcome each is given a basket with a parting gift … As the care of the sick depends upon the love of one’s neighbours …
(transl. Leah Di Segni)