Saint Isaacius is commemorated on May 30. He embraced monastic life at a young age and exemplified every virtue. A staunch defender of the Orthodox Faith, he was also blessed with the gift of prophecy. Saint Isaacius resided in a humble dwelling near Constantinople.
During the reign of Valens the Arian, when the Emperor marched against the Goths at the Danube River, Saint Isaacius boldly confronted him. He warned the Emperor that his actions had provoked God to bring the barbarians against him, due to his persecution of God’s true worshippers and promotion of heresy. The Saint foretold that defeat awaited the Emperor unless he repented and embraced Orthodoxy.
Despite the warning, the Emperor imprisoned Saint Isaacius with the intention of executing him upon his return from battle. However, Valens suffered a crushing defeat and perished in a fire in 378. Saint Isaacius, having prophesied the Emperor’s demise, was eventually released from prison.
Renowned for his prophetic gifts, Saint Isaacius continued to defend Orthodoxy fervently, particularly during the Second Ecumenical Council in 381. A monastery was established in Constantinople in his honor, where he guided fellow ascetics in the pursuit of holiness. He passed away peacefully towards the end of the fourth century, appointing Dalmatus as his successor.
Saint Dalmatus, a former soldier, joined Saint Isaacius’s monastery with his son Faustus and embraced the monastic life. Known for his piety, he actively participated in the Third Ecumenical Council in Ephesus in 431, opposing the heresies of Nestorius. The Council appointed him as the Archimandrite of the monasteries in Constantinople. Saint Dalmatus lived a virtuous life for over eighty years before entering into eternal rest.