John the Hairy
Encyclopedia
Blessed John the Hairy was a holy fool (Yurodivy
), of the Russian Orthodox Church
in the second half of the 16th century. He endured a great many trials in his lifetime. "He did not have a permanent shelter, and at times took his rest at the house of his spiritual Father, a priest at the church of the All-Holy, or with one of the aged widows."
According to Orthodox Church in America
sources, Blessed John,
Blessed John the Hairy is commemorated on November 12 in the Eastern Orthodox Church
.
Yurodivy
Foolishness for Christ refers to behavior such as giving up all one's worldly possessions upon joining a monastic order. It can also refer to deliberate flouting of society's conventions to serve a religious purpose — particularly of Christianity. The term fools for Christ derives from the writings...
), of the Russian Orthodox Church
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
in the second half of the 16th century. He endured a great many trials in his lifetime. "He did not have a permanent shelter, and at times took his rest at the house of his spiritual Father, a priest at the church of the All-Holy, or with one of the aged widows."
According to Orthodox Church in America
Orthodox Church in America
The Orthodox Church in America is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church in North America. Its primate is Metropolitan Jonah , who was elected on November 12, 2008, and was formally installed on December 28, 2008...
sources, Blessed John,
"Living in humility, patience and unceasing prayer... spiritually nourished many people, among them St IrenarchusSt IrenarchusSaint Irenarch or Irenarchus the Recluse of Rostov is honoured in the Russian Orthodox Church.Irenarchus, Hermit of Rostov, was born into a peasant family in the village of Kondakovo in the Rostov district of Russia. In Baptism he received the name Elias. In his thirtieth year, he was tonsured a...
, HermitHermitA hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
of Rostov (January 13). After a long life of pursuing asceticismAsceticismAsceticism describes a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from various sorts of worldly pleasures often with the aim of pursuing religious and spiritual goals...
, he died on September 3, 1580 and was buried, according to his final wishes, beside the church of Saint BlaiseSaint BlaiseSaint Blaise was a physician, and bishop of Sebastea . According to his Acta Sanctorum, he was martyred by being beaten, attacked with iron carding combs, and beheaded...
beyond the altar."
He had "hair upon his head abundantly," therefore he was called "Hairy." The title "Merciful" was given to Blessed John because of the many healings that occurred at his grave, and also in connection with the memory of the holy Patriarch John the MercifulJohn the MercifulJohn the Merciful was the Patriarch of Alexandria in the early 7th century and a christian saint.- Early life :He was born at Amathus...
(November 12), whose name he shared.http://www.oca.org/FSlives.asp
Blessed John the Hairy is commemorated on November 12 in the Eastern Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
.
See also
- Eastern Catholicism
- Basil Fool for ChristBasil Fool for ChristBasil the Blessed is a Russian Orthodox saint of the type known as yurodivy or "holy fool for Christ"....
- Xenia of Saint PetersburgXenia of Saint PetersburgSaint Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg is a patron saint of St...
- Blessed John of Moscow the Fool-For-ChristBlessed John of Moscow the Fool-For-ChristBorn on the outskirts of Vologda in Russia, Blessed John of Moscow the Fool for Christ, Wonderworker of Moscow, spent his youth as a labourer in a local saltworks and as a water-carrier...
- Sign of contradictionSign of contradictionA sign of contradiction, in Catholic theology, is someone who, upon manifesting holiness, is subject to extreme opposition. The term is from the biblical phrase "sign that is spoken against", found in and in , which refer to Jesus Christ and the early Christians...
- God: Sole SatisfierGod: Sole SatisfierSole Satisfier is a term in Christian theology which refers to God as the only one who can satisfy human beings. The terminology is based on the teachings of St...
External links
- St John the Hairy Orthodox Icon and Synaxarion