OUR VENERABLE FATHER TITUS THE PRESBYTER

(27 FEBRUARY/12 MARCH)

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth (Rom. 1, 18). And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4, 7).

The Lord clearly demonstrated this through his servant, the blessed Titus the presbyter. St Titus, a monk at the Cave Monastery, was honoured with the priestly rank, and he lived a life worthy of the joy of the saints.

This blessed monk had a spiritual brother, a deacon, Evagrius by the name. St Titus bore a strong and unfeigned love for the deacon. Their harmonious and sincere disposition was a source of inspiration for other monks.

The enemy of mankind, because of his hatred of all good, worked long and hard to sow weeds among the wheat (Mt. 13, 25). He succeeded in rising up anger and bitterness between the two friends. He darkened them with such hatred, that if one of them approached while censing the church, the other would turn and walk away from the incense, or if he failed to walk away, the one censing would walk by without censing his former friend. They remained in this spiritual darkness for a long time, and even dared to serve and to bear the Holy Gifts and take the Communion without reconciliation. The brethren constantly begged them to reconcile, but they did not even want to hear of it.

At length, Fr Titus became seriously ill. Realizing that he was approaching his last day, he began to weep over his sins and sent for Fr Evagrius with the words, ‘Forgive me, brother, for the Lord’s sake for having offended you with my anger.’

Not only did the deacon refuse to forgive the presbyter, but he even began to curse him with cruel words. The brothers saw that Fr Titus was approaching his last breath and they dragged Fr Evagrius by force to the dying monk’s cell to make amends with him. When the deacon was brought in, the ill priest immediately drew himself from his bed and fell at the feet of his former friend, tearfully beseeching, ‘Forgive me, father, and bless me!’

Fr Evagrius, being unmerciful and inhuman, tore himself away from the brothers and loudly declared to everyone present,

‘I will never reconcile With him, neither this age nor the other!’

Hardly had he said these words, as he fell to the floor. The brothers tried to raise him up but they saw that he was lifeless. They could neither bend his arms nor even close his lips and eyes. At the same time, Fr Titus rose to his feet completely well.

Terror fell upon everyone at the sight of this sudden dreadful death accompanied by such a miraculous healing. The brethren began to ask the healed monk what he had seen. The saint related in detail what had happened and what had been revealed to him, saying,

‘When I was ill, still ensnared in anger, I saw angels shrinking back from me and weeping over the ruin of my soul. The demons, however, were rejoicing over my anger. Because of this, I begged you to ask the brother for forgiving. When you brought him to me, and I bowed to him, he turned away from me. I saw an unmerciful herald standing nearby holding a fiery spear with which he struck the unforgiving man who then fell dead, That very angel gave me his hand and raised me to health.’

The fearful brethren wept over Fr Evagrius and his woeful death, and buried him, his eyes and lips still open, his arms stretched out. After that, the brethren began to vigilantly guard themselves against anger, forgiving each other any offense or quarrel (Col. 3, 13), and because of this special revelation, vividly reminding the words of the Lord, Everyone who continues in anger with his brother or harbours malice against him, shall be unable to escape judgment (Mt. 5, 22).

St Titus himself, seeing that as a result of seeking peace with his brother he found peace with God, began to reject the thought of anger. He rooted it out and acquired in its place a never—ending love in God for all the brethren (Col. 3, 14). The perfect peace of this righteous struggler clearly reflected the Promise of the Apostle, God’s Kingdom is not food and drink but truth and peace (Rom. 14, 17). Through this peace, St Titus was made worthy of a heavenly repose. His relics rest in the caves.

By prayers of St Titus, may we too become worthy of forgiveness and free from anger, and receive peace from Christ our Saviour; for He is God of love and peace. Amen!