Patriarchate of Jerusalem: The Feast Day of Saint John the New Hozevite
On Saturday, July 28 / August 10, 2024, the commemoration of Saint John the New Hozevite from Romania was celebrated in the Patriarchate.
This feast was celebrated in the Monastery of his repentance, of Saint George and John the Hosevites.
He came here from the Neamts Monastery in Romania. He lived since the middle of the 20th century, as well as in other monasteries in the area of the river Jordan and mainly in the area of the hermitage of the Dormition of Saint Anne near the Monastery of the Hozevites George and John, preceding his ordination as a deacon and Priest in the Holy and Life-giving Tomb.
He lived in extreme silence, fasting and humility. As a literate and excellent connoisseur of theology, he translated many paternal writings into Romanian and composed liturgical poems, as he was also gifted with the prophetic gift. On July 28, 1980, with the Patriarchal blessing of the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Benedictus, his holy relics, found incorrupt, were transferred from the Hermitage of St. Anne to the Holy Monastery of Hoseva. For this reason, the 28th of July was designated as the day of his commemoration. The Church of Jerusalem included him in its canon of Saints on January 18th / 31st of 2016.
In honour of his memory, an all-night vigil was held, presided over by His Beatitude Patriarch Theofilos of Jerusalem, with the co-celebration of His Eminence, Metropolitan Hesychios of Capitolias, Holy Sepulchre Archimandrites with first in rank the Master of Ceremonies Archimandrite Bartholomew, Archimandrite Christodoulos, Hieromonk Chrysogonos, Archdeacon Mark and Hierodeacon Dositheos. The chanting was delivered by the Secretary of the Holy Synod Hierodeacon Simeon and the monks of the Monastery. A few faithful from Jerusalem and monastics attended.
Before Holy Communion, His Beatitude proclaimed the divine word as follows:
“God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him” (Ps. 89,7), the psalmist proclaims.
Dear Holy Fathers and brethren in Christ,
Reverend Christians
The Lod, God of hosts (Ps. 89,8), has gathered us all in this holy Monastery of Hozeva, by the brook Chorath, near the River Jordan, where the “man of God” Prophet Elijah remained hiding, to celebrate the holy commemoration of our Father among the Saints John the New Hozevite from Romania.
John was praying to God from a young age with the psalm, “Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day” (Ps. 25, 4-5).
Indeed, our Father John endured all day and for all days of his life sorrows and tribulations for his salvation, in great patience, just as Saint Paul says, “Tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Romans 5,3-5).
The exceeding love, the Godly zeal of humble John for God, led his footsteps in this desert, but blessed place of the Jordan in Hozeva, where the Lord made known to him His ways and paths, that is the commandments and all things pleasing to Him, through which one walks toward Heaven without fail, according to Zigavinos.
As it is known, the Lavra of Hozeva became a workshop of salvation and a ladder of Christ’s virtues, leading to the Kingdom of Heaven. This is so, because in these Lavra, among a multitude of Holy martyrs and Saints, the great ascetics and teachers in Christ George and John the Hozevites were distinguished, the latter also became a Bishop of Caesarea of Cappadocia.
The incorrupt and fragrant relics of the sanctified John is an irrefutable testimony that indeed “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Romans 5,5). According to the interpreter Zigavinos, Saint Paul “calls the Holy Spirit ‘love of God’ …as a proof of God’s love to us” and according to Saint John the Evangelist, “perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love” (1 John 4,18).
In this is the great importance of baptism and of the gift of the seal of the Holy Spirit. “… so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death” (Romans 6,3), Saint Paul preaches. Behold, therefore, why the love of God, that is the Holy Spirit, casts out the fear, especially the fear of corruption and sin.
It is noteworthy, that Saint John was not only a strict ascetic but also a minister of the mystical blessing, of the mystery of the Holy Eucharist, through which we become communicants of the body and blood of our God and Saviour Christ, by God’s grace. We say this, because according to Saint Cyril of Alexandria,
“in the mystery of the Holy Eucharist, Christ is revealed and inspires all of us, both visibly and invisibly; invisibly as God, and visibly in body. He also allows His holy ones to touch His Holy flesh”.
Saint John was also given the revelation of the Holy Spirit, through Whom he received the gift of healing (c.f. 1 Cor. 12,7-9), which is accomplished by the power of the Holy Spirit. That is why the memory of our Holy Father John shines like the sun all over the world, which is governed by “natural men” who have surrendered to evil spirits (c.f. John 3,15). “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 3,14), Saint Paul preaches.
Today’s commemoration of Saint John in this holy place of Hozeva shines the joyous light of the peace of Christ. And we say this, because according to Saint Paul, “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace” (1 Cor. 14,33).
This luminary of the Monastery of Hozeva and the Jordan district, the shining star of the Church, let us entreat, along the Most Blessed Theotokos, so that he may be a steadfast protector for the salvation of our souls and bodies, so that “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4,7). Amen. Many happy and peaceful returns!”
After the Vigil, a meal was offered as a refreshment from the toil of vigilance and the heat of the desert.
From the General Secretariat
Source: Patriarchate of Jerusalem
