Khan el-Ahmar - EUTHYMIUS

Paragraph: 
39-40
Translation: 

(39) <Euthymius, having foreknowledge of his own death, orders a vigil to be held in honour of St Anthony after announcing that he would put off his customary going out into the desert for a week> … During the vigil, Euthymius summoned the priests into the diakonikon and announced to them: “From now on I shall hold no more vigils with you while I am in this body. For God has called me: so go, send Domitian to me, and at morn gather all the fathers here’. And when all were gathered around him, he said: “My beloved brothers, I go the way of my fathers. As to yourselves, if you love me, keen these commandments. As beginning and end of all good deed always hold pure love, which is ‘the bond of perfection’ <Col. 3:14>. For as it is inadmissible to eat bread without salt, so it is impracticable to attain virtue without love. For all virtue is secured with endeavour, with time and with grace only through love and humility. Indeed humility exalts, but love prevent a fall from such height: for ‘he who humbles himself will be exalted’ <Luke 18:14>, but ‘love never falls’ <I Cor. 13:8, really to be understood: ‘love never fails’>. Love is greater than humility, for because of his love for us the God-Logos humbled himself by becoming a man like us. For this we must willingly give him praise and address hymns and thanksgiving prayers to God. This is a duty especially for ourselves, who are divorced from the manifold affairs of life, not only owing to the vows made to Him., but also because we were freed from the worldly confusion so that we may live this very life, not distracted (from uninterrupted prayer). For this reason let us offer Him with all zeal the purity of our soul, the chastity of our body and genuine love”. After these words, (Euthymius) asked (the brothers) whom would they have for hegumen, and they voted unanimously for Domitian. But the great man replied: “This is impossible, for Domitian will not linger in this life but for seven days after my departure”. And the fathers struck with amazement at the freedom of speech with which he predicted the future, asked to have as hegumen one Elias, a man from Jericho, who was administrator of the lower monastery. The great Euthymius said to him in the hearing of all: “Behold, all the fathers have chosen you as their father and shepherd: therefore take heed of yourself and of your flock, and first of all know this: God was pleased to decide that this will become a coenobium, and this will happen in the near future”. Then he gave orders about the place where the coenobium was to be built, about its constitution and the way to practise hospitality, about the zealous performance of the office of psalmody, about the need not to neglect the brothers in distress, especially those who are afflicted by temptations, but always to encourage and admonish them. These things he addressed to the appointed hegumen; to all the others he solemnly commanded: beloved brothers, do not close to anyone the gate of the coenobiun that is to be built., and God will supply you with His blessing Also keep my precepts unbroken, and, if I find freedom of speech in front of God, the first request I shall ask Him will be that I may be with you in spirit and with those who will reside here after you, for ever”. And after he said these words, he sent everybody away, except Domitian. He lay in the diakonicon for three days: then on Saturday night <20 Jan. 473> he went to rest and ‘was gathered to his fathers, an old man and full of years’ <Gen. 25:8>.

(40) … The rumour (of death) spread all over the. country around and brought an immense mob of monks and laymen; moreover, the most holy archbishop (of Jerusalem), Anastasius, came to the laura accompanied by a multitude of clergymen and soldiers; with him were Chrysippus, Gabriel and Fidus the deacon. Also the anchorites of the desert gathered from everywhere: among then, was our great father Gerasimus as well. God worked many astonishing miracles through Euthymius’ holy remains, so that the archbishop and the onlookers were struck with wonder, and till the ninth hour of the day they were unable to bury the (holy man’s) body, until by the archbishop’s order the soldiers drove away the mob. And so the fathers enclosed the body in a sarcophagus and deposited it in a suitable place. Martyrius and Elias cried and lamented the loss of their father. At Chrysippus the Cross Warden’s suggestion, the archbishop invited them to visit him frequently; then, leaving in the laura the deacon Fidus, who was to take care of the construction of the funeral chapel, in order that the venerable remains might be transferred to a worthy place, (the archbishop) went back to the holy city, whence he sent craftsmen and all the material needed for the building.

(transl. Leah Di Segni)

Summary: 
Death and burial of Euthymius, AD 473.
Key quotation(s): 
Gen. 25:8; Luke 18:14; I Cor. 13:8; Col. 3:14