ON ST. THOMAS THE CONFESSOR
ON MOUNT MALEON IN LACONIA.
An account from the Menaea.
Thomas, Confessor, on Mount Maleon in Laconia (S.)
J. P.
Concerning the arena of the virtues and merits of St. Thomas, while he lived among mortals, I forbear here to treat at length; content to have indicated in passing that Mount Maleon lies in Laconia, the farthest province of the Peloponnese, The arena of his virtues, and indeed on its southern shore, which extends toward the islands of Cythera and Crete, as was said on the fourth of April, when we treated of St. George of Maleon, where you will find more concerning this mountain.
[2] Among the Greeks the memory of our Confessor is famous enough. his cult, The printed Menaea report him with verses and an elogium; the Typicum of St. Sabas, Maximus bishop of Cythera, the Slavo-Russian Menology and that of the Ambrosian library; the Supplement to the printed Greek Menaea, consisting of the Synaxary of Sirmond and the manuscript of Chifflet; in which he is thus announced: Μνήμη τοῦ ὁσίου Πατρὸς ἡμῶν Θωμᾶ, τοῦ Θαυματουργοῦ, τοῦ ἐν τῷ Μαλαίῳ. The memory of our holy Father Thomas the Wonderworker in Maleon. There is added this distich:
Διεὶς πτέρυγας, εἶπεν ἂν Μώσης, Πάτερ, Ὡς ἀετός τις ἐξανέπτης πρὸς πόλον.
Spreading thy wings, Moses would have said, Father, like some eagle thou soarest in flight to the stars.
[3] These verses are followed in the same place by an elogium; which nearly coincides with the Basilian, which is as follows: the elogium, Our holy Father Thomas, when he led a secular life, was illustrious, and conspicuous for riches and power: nay, he brought back very many trophies from the barbarians. But when, for the desire of Christ, he sent word of dismissal to the world and to the bitter waves of this life, and became a monk, he came forth so much more illustrious, that by night he appeared like a pillar of fire, the great Prophet Elias visiting him, whose example also he was zealous to imitate; always free for himself, and immovably praying to God on the mountain which is called Maleon; whence also, having received the grace of healings, he cast out demons, and by his prayers made a fountain of water gush forth; and gave sight to the blind, gait to the lame. And, many other miracles being wrought in the name of Christ, when he had become wonderful to all, and had served God, as far as man can, rejoicing and exulting he departed to him.
[4] It is added in the said Supplement: Ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν βίον λιπὼν, καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τῷ Θεῷ παραθέμενος, οὐ παύεται τοῦς αὐτῷ καθ᾽ ἑκάστην πίστει προσιόντας, καὶ νόσων παντοίων ἀπολυτρούμενος ἐκ τῶν βλυζόντων ναμάτων τῆς θείας αὐτοῦ λάρνακος. Nay even, after he left life and gave his spirit to God, he ceases not to free those who day by day come to him with faith from every kind of disease, through the waters gushing from his sacred urn. The elogium which the printed Menaea exhibit reports nothing singular for which we should be compelled to transcribe it here; and otherwise it agrees well enough with that which we have already given. Wherefore it will suffice to have brought forward the following distich, excerpted from the same:
Ζωὴν ἐκλιπὼν ὁ Θωμᾶς μετρουμένην Ζωὴν ἐφεῦρεν ὄντως οὐ μετρουμένην.
Leaving by death the measured spans of life, Thomas found in truth immeasurable spans and life.
From the Greeks this Saint passed also to the Fasti of the Latins. Molanus reckoned him among his additions to the Usuardine Martyrology; as after him Castellanus among his additions to the Roman Martyrology; which it is not amiss to have here observed.
ON ST. ACACIUS
An account from the Greek and Syriac tables.
Acacius, among the Greeks (S.)
J. P.
To the Saint today famous enough in the sacred tables of the Greeks, Thomas on Mount Maleon, there is joined in the Typicum of St. Sabas, in the fame of his name in the Menologies far inferior to him, the holy Acacius ἐν κλίμακι, that is "in the ladder," his surname perhaps taken from the place in which he dwelt for the most part. In the Slavo-Russian Menology is read the memory of Acacius of the Ladder, the testifier, that is perhaps, the confessor; which last Acacius, whether he be the same as the former or different, I do not know.