From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   March 5th - Saint Gerasimus   
      
   Saint Gerasimus was born in the province of Lycia in the southern part of   
   Asia Minor. His parents were wealthy, prosperous people. From a very early   
   age St. Gerasimus developed a great love of God and, as he grew older, he   
   found he had little in common with other young people of his own age, who   
   were only interested in having fun. He realized that the world and an   
   attachment to it only brought many needless cares and sufferings, so he   
   yearned to serve God and to be pleasing to Him.   
      
   Thus it was that St. Gerasimus became a monk and departed for the desert of   
   Egypt, to the region known as the Thebaid. He spent some time there, growing   
   in Spiritual strength and wisdom, and then he again returned to his native   
   province of Lycia. Later, towards the end of the reign of the holy Emperor   
   Theodosius the Younger (ruled 408-450), he went to Palestine, where he   
   settled in the wilderness near the Jordan River. There he built a monastery   
   and became renowned for the virtue of his life.   
      
   The monastery of St. Gerasimus was built approximately 25 miles from   
   Jerusalem and about 100 yards from the Jordan River. At that time there were   
   more than 70 desert dwellers there and St. Gerasimus established the   
   following rule for these strugglers. Five days a week each monk was to keep   
   silent in a solitary cell, doing simple handiwork such as weaving mats or   
   baskets out of palm leaves. During these five days no cooked food was eaten;   
   the only food was a small amount of dried bread, roots and water brought   
   from the monastery. On Saturdays and Sundays all the monks went to the   
   monastery to attend the Divine Liturgy and receive Holy Communion.   
   Afterwards they were served cooked food and a little wine at the refectory.   
   The work that had been completed during the week was given to the abbot. On   
   Sunday afternoon each monk departed once again for his solitary cell in the   
   wilderness, taking only a little bread, roots, a vessel of water and palm   
   branches to weave baskets. Each monk had only a single old robe, a mat on   
   which to sleep and a small vessel for water. Whenever the monks left their   
   cells, the doors were left open so that anyone could enter and take whatever   
   he wished of the monks' few possessions. In this way they prevented any   
   attachment to material possessions. During Great Lent St. Gerasimus ate   
   nothing at all until the radiant day of Pascha. His bodily and spiritual   
   strength was sustained solely by receiving the Holy Mysteries.   
      
   The monks of his monastery were fond of recalling how a lion came to greatly   
   love the saint and served him obediently and with great humility. One day,   
   as St. Gerasimus was walking through the Jordan desert, he met a lion. The   
   lion stretched out his paw and St. Gerasimus saw that it was infected and   
   very swollen. The lion gazed pleadingly and meekly at the elder who sat down   
   immediately to inspect the paw. He discovered that a thorn had lodged in the   
   lion's paw and this was the cause of his suffering. The saint carefully   
   removed the thorn, cleansed the wound of all the pus and then wrapped it   
   with his handkerchief. From then on the lion faithfully followed the saint   
   like a disciple. St. Gerasimus marveled at the lion's intelligence, meekness   
   and willingness to eat bread and whatever else could be found for him. The   
   lion was given an obedience in the monastery. The monks had a donkey which   
   carried water from the Jordan River for the brethren. The lion was entrusted   
   with the task of accompanying the donkey to the river and guarding it while   
   it grazed on the riverbank.   
      
   One day the lion fell asleep in the sun, leaving the donkey to graze   
   peacefully. Just then an Arabian merchant happened to pass by with his   
   caravan of camels and saw the donkey. Thinking the animal was a stray, he   
   tied it to his line of camels and took it with him. The lion awoke and began   
   to search for the donkey, but it was nowhere to be found. The beast returned   
   to the monastery and went immediately to St. Gerasimus who, seeing his   
   dejected expression, thought he had eaten the donkey and asked, "Where is   
   the donkey?" The lion stood in silence, hanging his head in shame. The elder   
   praised the lion for not running away after his evil deed and instructed him   
   to do the work of the donkey from then on. The monks loaded a large barrel   
   on the lion's hack, as they had done before with the donkey, and sent him to   
   the river to fetch water. One day a soldier came to the monastery to pray,   
   and seeing the lion carrying the water, took pity on him and gave the monks   
   three gold pieces to buy another donkey. The lion once again resumed his   
   former obedience of guarding the donkey.   
      
   Some time later, the Arabian merchant once again passed by the Jordan on his   
   way to sell wheat in Jerusalem. The donkey was still with him. That day, the   
   lion happened to be near the river and as the caravan approached he   
   recognized the donkey. Roaring loudly, he rushed towards him, frightening   
   the merchant and his companions who fled in great terror. The lion grasped   
   the donkey's reins in his teeth, as he had done previously, and led it   
   together with the string of camels to the saint. When he saw the saint he   
   roared joyously at having found the lost donkey. St. Gerasimus smiled gently   
   and told his monks that the lion had been blamed most unfairly. The lion was   
   given the name 'Jordan' and he continued to be a most faithful 'disciple'.   
   He was never absent from the monastery for more than five days at a time.   
      
   St. Gerasimus departed to the Lord in the year 475 and was buried by his   
   sorrowing brethren there in his monastery. The lion was not in the monastery   
   at that time. When later he arrived, he began to search for the saint. ...   
   Father Sabbatius tried to explain why it was that the elder could not be   
   found. "Jordan, our elder has left us orphans; he has departed to the Lord."   
   The lion was not to be comforted; he refused the food that was offered and   
   continued searching for his St. Gerasimus, roaring in great confusion. Fr.   
   Sabbatius and the other monks stroked Jordan gently on the back and pleaded,   
   "The elder has gone to the Lord; he has left us!" No words or explanations   
   could stop the sorrowful roaring of the lion. He kept searching, now in   
   great distress. Finally Fr. Sabbatius said, "If you do not believe us, then   
   come with us: we will show you the place where the elder rests." Jordan was   
   led to the tomb near the church where St. Gerasimus was buried. Fr.   
   Sabbatius explained to the lion, "We have buried our elder here." Fr.   
   Sabbatius then fell to his knees and with a heavy heart began to weep. The   
   Lion now realized what had happened. He gave one last mighty roar, struck   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)