St. Euthymius

Euthymius was born of wealthy parents at Militene, Armenia. He studied under the bishop there and was ordained. He was appointed supervisor of the monasteries in the diocese but when twenty-nine, he became a monk at the Pharan laura near Jerusalem. About 411, he left to live with a companion in a cave near Jericho, attracted numerous disciples, left his companion, Theoctistus, as superior, and moved to a more remote spot. He still attracted many and converted so many, including a great many Arabs, that Patriarch Juvenal of Jerusalem consecrated him bishop to minister to them. Juvenal built him a laura on the rode from Jerusalem to Jericho, which Euthymius ruled by vicars. He attracted enormous crowds among them, Eudoxia, the widow of Emperor Theodosius II, who followed his advice to give up her allegiance to the Eutychians and return to orthodoxy in 459. He died on January 20 after sixty-six years in the desert. His feast day is January 20.