ON ST. THEODULUS, PRIEST AND MONK ON MOUNT SINAI.
Toward the end of the fifth century.
CommentaryTheodulus, Priest and monk on Mount Sinai (S.)
[1] The outstanding virtues of Theodulus, son of St. Nilus, were eloquently recounted above, when he described the slaughter of the Sinaite Fathers—which slaughter Theodulus, to the consolation of his aged parent, escaped by heavenly aid. Yet because he did not bear the laurel of martyrdom and survived those most valiant comrades of his, he merited separate mention, even though all the foregoing praise pertains to his commendation. Concerning him, then, Ferrarius writes on this day: "In the same place (on Mount Sinai), of St. Theodulus the monk." The feast of St. Theodulus. And the Menologion of Canisius: "On the same day, of St. Theodulus. He was the son of Nilus the Wise, who, having left the world, betook himself to Mount Sinai, where he practiced the monastic life with his son."
[2] The Menaea are fuller: "On the same day, the commemoration of our Holy Father Theodulus, son of Nilus the Wise." "Theodulus I shall fittingly praise, Theodulus (that is, servant of God) both in deed and in name." He was the son of Nilus the Wise, Summary of his life from the Menaea. who, when he had been Prefect of the city of Constantinople, spurning the glory of the world, withdrew to Mount Sinai and there led the monastic life with this his son. While these men and others were dwelling there and zealously pursuing the practice of the religious life, barbarians suddenly burst in; by whom some of the Fathers were slain—Nilus escaping by flight—but Theodulus his son was led away captive together with another young man, bound in chains. The barbarians, having pitched their tents, were preparing to slaughter both and sacrifice them to the star that rises before the sun. But when the other had also escaped, and they themselves, weighed down by a deep sleep, did not awaken until the sun had risen and the star had already disappeared, they spared Theodulus. They then put him up for sale; but when no one would buy him for more than two gold coins, a certain man drew his sword to kill him. Then a Bishop redeemed and manumitted him; and having at last lived out a pious life, he died. The feast of these holy Fathers is celebrated together in the venerable basilica of St. Paul the Apostle, which is in the orphanage.
[3] So the Menaea; which again on November 12, when they treat of St. Nilus, say: "He was buried, as is reported," they say, The translation. "both Nilus himself and his son Theodulus, together with other religious Fathers, in the venerable temple of the holy Apostles, in the orphanage, beneath the altar, having been translated there during the reign of Justin." But the same Menaea erroneously state on that day that St. Nilus lived under the Emperor Maurice—who, as we reported above from Nicephorus, was among the disciples of St. John Chrysostom. And how could the relics of him and his son have been translated by Justin the Younger, if he lived under Maurice, who was the third emperor after Justin? Concerning the translation, Nicephorus writes, book 14, chapter 54: "When he (Nilus) had died, the later Justin translated him from there and placed him at the base of the holier table, in the temple which he himself had built for Peter and Paul, the Princes of the Apostles, at the orphanage." Justin the Younger reigned from the end of the year 565 to October 4, 578.