Our venerable father Job was born about 1571 to the Zhelezo family in Volynia (Southwestern Ukraine) and was baptized John. Having wisdom and piety beyond his years, John zealously entered the Ugoinitsky Monastery at the age of ten. He was tonsured exactly two years later with the new name Job. At the age of 30 he was ordained a priest, and shortly thereafter was tonsured into the great and angelic schema. He was then given the task of overseeing the Holy Cross monastery at Dubno. This was a difficult time for the Orthodox in a land so close to Catholic Poland. A false union of the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches was declared in 1596. This allowed the Catholic missionaries to spread their lies farther than before. But St. Job was a fearless defender of Orthodoxy, and under his direction, many Orthodox books were distributed, including the first complete Slavonic Bible. Due to the great turmoil, though, St. Job withdrew to the ancient Pochaev monastery, where the miraculous icon of te Pochaev Mother of God was kept. The monks there felt the sanctity of St. Job, and thus elected him abbot. He set about immediately to organize the brethren, build a stone church (which still exists), and start the printing of Orthodox books. St. Job was able to enlist the help of wealthy Orthodox patrons, but he also angered the Catholic nobles by his zeal. One named Firlei was able to confiscate the land and possessions of the Pochaev monastery (and even the icon!). St. Job had to turn to the Polish courts for their return. The venerable Job also participated at the council convened at Kiev in 1628, which was a great uplift for the Orthodox pastors of Polish occupied Russia.

St. Job was a true ascetic as well as an able administrator. He would often withdraw to a cave where he would spend nights in prayer. His vigils were so long that his feet would bleed, and divine light was seen to shine forth from the cave.

Seven days before he reposed, St. Job received a revelation as to exactly when he would die. On October 28,1651, after serving Divine Liturgy, St. Job reposed peacefully. His relics were discovered to be whole and incorrupt after seven years, and transferred to the church of the Holy Trinity on August 28,1659. Dozens of miracles issued forth from the relics, witnessed by not only Orthodox but also by Catholics as well, into whose hands the Pochaev monastery passed for 110 years. After the return of the monastery to the Orthodox church, miracles continued, as they do to this day, as a service and akathist were composed to the saint. The Church has designated two feasts to St. Job: August 28, the uncovering of his relics and October 28, his repose. In these times when many call for a false union with the enemies of Orthodoxy, let us call upon St. Job the Wonderworker of Pochaev to pray for us to Christ God, who is glorified with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen!