Our Holy Father Dositheus.

Commemorated February 19 in the Orthodox Christian Menaion

From the Prologue

Dositheus was a disciple of the famous Abba Dorotheus, who lived with Saints Seridus, John and Barsanuphius the Great. He was kinsman to a general and travelled to Jerusalem to see the holy places. While he was looking at a picture of the Dreadful Judgement in some church, a woman in purple robes came up and explained many things to him. Finally, at parting, she told him that, if he sought salvation, he must fast and not eat meat, and pray frequently to God. This was the most holy Mother of God. The heart of the young Dositheus was set afire and he desired the monastic life. Dorotheus received him as his cell-servant and commanded him utterly to forsake his own will and obey his spiritual father. He left him for several days to eat as much as he wanted, then after a certain time cut his food down to a quarter, and after a while to a quarter of that, until he became accustomed to living on the smallest amount of food, always telling him: 'Eating is a habit, and one eats what one is used to eating.' He was saved and glorified by total obedience. He remains forever as an example of monastic obedience and devotion to one's spiritual father. This young saint lived early in the 6th century.

From The Prologue From Ochrid by Bishop Nikolai Velimirovich
©1985 Lazarica Press, Birmingham UK