PETER THE HERMIT OF GALATIA

In 444, the teacher of the Ancient Church, Blessed Theodoret of Cyrus (393–457), wrote “The Religious History.” In this work, he outlined the lives of 36 Syrian ascetics, many of whom he knew personally. The memory of these men and women is alternately celebrated by our Church, day after day during the Lenten period, as well as on some days before Christmas.

It is surprising that, in modern terms, our calendar is literally encoded with the memory of the Syrian lovers of God on important days for the Church. But for most believers this, unfortunately, remains unknown, and the memory of the great Syrian ascetics passes unnoticed.

One of those whom Theodoret wrote about was Peter of Galatia. Named after his place of origin in Galatia, an ancient land centered on the capital of modern Turkey, Ankara, the saint lived to be 99 years old. At the age of seven, he got lost on the road because he fell behind his parents, but the Lord saved his life.

Already in adulthood, he visited the Holy Land, traveled, and completed his acetic exploits in the vicinity of Antioch. Theodoret knew him there and witnessed his presence and signs.

Thus, the ascetic twice healed Theodoret’s mother, from an eye disease and severe fever, when the doctors were powerless. The Lord gave healing even through parts of the saint’s clothing, preserved by believers. Let us remember that, according to the Book of Acts: “They placed handkerchiefs and aprons from the body of the Apostle Paul on the sick, and their illnesses ceased, and the evil spirits came out of them” (Acts 19:12). This correspondence of gifts between the apostolic era and the life of the Syrian ascetic suggests that the asceticism of the lovers of God was not an end in itself, but a special, grace-filled contextualization of the service of the gospel precisely for that time.

Peter chose a cave tomb as his dwelling, from where he climbed the stairs to the roof to pray in front of the open sky. In response to the abundance of miracles given to him by God, the saint took upon himself the feat of silence.

This rare type of asceticism of the ancient saints was an amazing way of acquiring likeness to God. Just as the Creator and Redeemer seems to be silent, hiding from people in the splendor of creation and the mysteries of the biblical word, Saint Peter the Silent did good to others without speaking. Thus, people’s thanksgiving was given exclusively to the One God, who is merciful and merciful in Jesus Christ.