Saint John the Almsgiver was a patriarch of Alexandria. He was born in Cyprus, of a wealthy Christian family. He was chosen as a patriarch through his brother Nicetas who had helped Emperor Heraclius came to power. He was a widower, and his children died young.

St. John attracted his people by demonstrating the power of almsgiving. He was very generous, and lived a simple life. He made himself accessible to everyone, by sitting, seen, in front of the church two days a weak. Many incredible anecdotes were told of his addiction to almsgiving. He was said to have distributed eighty thousand pieced of gold in his treasury to hospitals and monasteries and established new ones. He founded houses for poor, and gave help individually and collectively to whoever need it, Christians or from any creed or race, as he was exclusively concerned with almsgiving. He ordered a list of the poor, and of all he took under his protection. Their number amounted to seven thousand five hundred.

He also took care of the liturgy, and the church. On his way to visit emperor Heraclius at Constantinople in 619, he envisioned his near death. He told Nicetas: “ You invite me to the emperor of the earth; but the king of Heaven calls me to Himself”. So he sailed instead to his birthplace in Cyprus where he died.

INSPIRATIONAL EVENT:   One day, on his way to the church, a woman tried to stop him on the road, demanding justice against her son-in-law, who injured her. Some by-standers ordered her to step aside, and wait the patriarch’s return from church. He over heard them and stopped saying: “How can I expect that God will hear my own prayers if I disregard the petition of this woman!”

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Page Written By  H. G. Hanna     ãCopyright  2001