Jonas

ON ST. JONAS, MONK AND GARDENER OF THE MONASTERY OF MUCHONSE IN EGYPT.

In the fourth century of Christ.

Jonas, monk in Egypt (St.)

G. H.

[1] The monk Jonas is inscribed in the Roman Fasti on the eleventh of February with these words: In Egypt, St. Jonas the monk, renowned for his virtues. Where Baronius annotates that this Jonas is different from the Jonas whom the Greeks venerate on the twenty-first of September: because the latter practiced the monastic life in Palestine in the monastery of St. Sabas; The feast of St. Jonas while the former, of whom we now treat, lived in Egypt, under the discipline of St. Pachomius, Acts taken from the Life of St. Pachomius at least toward the end. We give his Acts excerpted from the Life of the same St. Pachomius, which are found in Lipomanus volume 6 and Surius May 14, rendered from Greek into Latin by Gentianus Hervetus. Each point will be carefully examined in its proper place.

LIFE.

Jonas, monk in Egypt (St.)

from the Lives of the Fathers.

[1] A certain elder, named Eponychus, the superior of a monastery of the most ancient and perfect Brethren, Several monasteries are placed under St. Pachomius entreated the great Pachomius to take him and join him to himself, and to receive his monastery, which was called Chenoboscia, together with its Brethren, and unite it to his own monastery. And he, assenting to him, also brought Brethren thither from his own monastery. And when he had prayed to God for them, also the monastery of Muchonse and had instructed the Brethren who had previously been there to follow his rules entirely; and had also provided them with patterns according to custom, and had ordained that they should live in conformity with the rules of the first monastery; he himself gave thanks to the Lord for the salvation of the Brethren. In the same manner, again being requested by the Brethren who dwelt in the monastery of Muchonse to undertake their care after God, the Father yielded: and when he had established for them also the same constitutions and had enrolled them among his own Brethren, he commended them also to the Lord, who works wonders, and delivers and commits those who wish to be saved to his Saints.

[2] In this monastery there was a certain elder, exceedingly holy, In this monastery dwelt St. Jonas loving the Lord, named Jonas, a most accomplished practitioner of the ascetic life, whose manner of living I shall narrate, with God's help, for the benefit of many. For when the great Pachomius had studiously and diligently appointed in each monastery Brethren powerful in spirit to govern the rest, and himself visited the monasteries at fixed intervals, and had come there also; as he entered the monastery, a very tall fig tree stood there, upon which certain boys were accustomed to climb secretly and take its fruits and eat them. When that great man had seen this and had approached it, he sees a certain unclean spirit sitting upon it. a gardener When he had recognized that this was the demon of gluttony, and had ascertained that this was the one who most deceived the youths, he called the aforementioned Brother, who was the gardener of the monastery, and said to him: Cut down this fig tree, Brother. For it is unseemly for it to stand in the midst of the monastery, because it brings offense to those who are by no means established in knowledge. But when that man had heard this, he was affected with great sorrow, and said to that great man: By no means, O Father: for we are accustomed to obtain great fruit from it. When he had seen him affected with distress, and knew his admirable and useful life, he did not wish to press him further, lest he be afflicted with greater sadness. But on the following day the tree appeared so dry that neither a green leaf nor any fruit whatsoever was found on it. taught ready obedience by a miracle When therefore the blessed Jonas (for so the elder was called) had seen what had happened, he received greater sorrow from his disobedience, because when the Saint had spoken, he had not immediately cut it down with all zeal and eagerness of spirit.

[3] This man, having spent eighty-five years in the monastery, and having led a life exceedingly honorable and venerable, and alone tending the garden, for 85 years he did not taste its fruit though he himself had planted the fruit-bearing trees, he never tasted any fruit whatsoever until his death, while all the Brethren, guests, and those who dwelt round about ate the fruits to satiety.

[4] His clothing was of this kind: having joined together only three sheepskins, he was content with these alone for all covering of his body, wearing nothing else, his garment neither in winter nor in summer. He had, however, one tunic, which he put on at the time of the divine and immaculate Sacraments of the body of our Lord Jesus Christ: and as soon as he had communicated, he again took it off and put it away, keeping it clean for eighty-five years. What bodily rest might be, he did not know, since he himself always worked willingly and with great zeal and eagerness of spirit. Nor did he ever take anything cooked: but throughout the whole time of his life he ate raw vegetables chopped up with vinegar. his food Moreover certain of the Brethren asserted that he could not even know the house of the infirmary.

[5] In addition to all these things, he never lay upon his back until death: his sleep but during the day

he worked the garden: and about sunset, when he had taken food, he entered his cell, and sitting in his chair, in the middle of the cell he wove ropes until the nocturnal assembly: and thus it befell him to see a little sleep on account of the natural necessity of the body, sitting and holding in his hands the rushes which he was weaving. This moreover he did not by lamplight, or by any fire, but sitting in dark shadows and reciting the Scriptures from memory. dying in this posture Many other things also worthy of praise the blessed elder Jonas did, which it is not for the present time to write: lest, if we extend our discourse to infinite length, we bring weariness to the more negligent hearers. It is reported that he fell asleep in a novel manner. For sitting in his chair and weaving rushes as was his custom, he so departed that the rushes were found in his hands when he was dead. The Brethren moreover narrate a truly wonderful thing concerning his burial, and worthy of being committed to writing. For since his feet could not be straightened, because they had hardened like wood in the posture in which he had died: neither could his hands be drawn together or brought close to the rest of his body: he is buried in his garments nor again would it yield that the leather tunic be removed, wrapping him up as they would a bundle of sticks, they were compelled to commit him to burial thus.