ARSENIOS OF LATROS

Saint Arsenios was a monk, later abbot of the monastery, an ascetic and a miracle worker. His ascetic life took place in Paphlagonia - the historical region of Asia Minor, in the north of modern Turkey and Anatolia, where the borders of the latter extend to the Black Sea. The word “of Latros” is associated with the place of his ascetical exploits on Mount Latros in the same Paphlagonia.

The life of the saint conveys to us the image of a great ascetic, a mentor of monks and laity, who, by the power of grace, received from God the gift of performing signs and working miracles. However, and this is the amazing paradox of the image of this saint, neither the years of his life, nor even the century in which God, by the power of the grace given to him, visited His People, have been preserved.

It is assumed that he lived between the 8th and 10th centuries, at least until 1071, when the Empire of Constantinople was defeated by the Turks at the Battle of Manzikert. This event meant the loss of Asia Minor to Byzantium forever. The Orthodox inhabitants of these territories, among which was the once glorious Christian Cappadocia, continued their exodus to the west towards Constantinople, which from now on became widespread.

The Byzantine Empire shrank like shagreen leather, only to soon turn against itself and plunge into Hellenistic nationalism, which ultimately destroyed itself and the adjacent Orthodox countries and territories. This process was put to an end by the fall of Constantinople in May 1453. Then in this city, which by that time had become just a rebellious enclave of the Christian West (!), where the Genoese and the Venetians dominated, as, however, they defended and repeatedly saved the City from an even earlier conquest by the Ottomans. The total population of the former million-plus city numbered only a few tens of thousands of people.

All these upheavals contributed to the fact that the dating of Arsenios’ biography completely disappeared from the historical field of view. Nevertheless, the life has preserved some information about his exploits, the signs, and miracles he performed. Thus, an amazing feature of the life of Saint Arsenios is his attitude towards nature, the animal world, namely towards wild and harmful animals. The life tells us that at the request of the local people, through prayer and his very spirit-bearing presence, he drove out poisonous snakes and predatory animals from the surrounding villages.

In the 12th chapter of his Epistle to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul tells us about the diversity of gifts in the Church. This word applies to both ascetics and laity. Those of them who labored in solitude and solitude received from God the gift of taming wild animals. Thus, they showed on earth the image of Paradise, once lost by Adam. Gerasimus of Jordan and Mary of Egypt are examples of this. By the way, the image of Paradise was also represented by domestic animals. Gerasimus of Jordan was served by a lion (+475), but the great Doctor of the Carthaginian Church Augustine (354–430) visited his parishes on a donkey.

In the Arabic version of the life of the Seven Youths of Ephesus (+387), the dog died with them, and then, when the era of persecution passed, the dog also resurrected. By the way, the 18th Sura of the Koran is named in honor of the event of the amazing salvation of seven saints in the cave.

In them, domestic animals, the ascetics saw an example of resignation, obedience, and humility, which they often spoke about in their teachings. In the words of the writer Janusz Leon Wisniewski, “God, let me be at least a little like my dog ​​sees me.”

According to Paul’s words about gifts in the Church, saints served people in various ways. The confessors helped those who came with advice, the abbots led the monastery brethren. The elders had the gift of prophecy and healing. Arsenios of Latros was like that. God determined for him to labor among the monastic brethren and ordinary people. By the power of Grace, he served his neighbors.

It is noteworthy that, unlike many other great ascetics, he did not tame, but drove away from people dangerous and harmful animals, which people were afraid of then, and, probably, will be afraid of at all times, always, until the Glorious Coming of Christ, when, according to the word of Paul (1 Cor. 15:26), death, this ‘last enemy’, will not be destroyed.