The commemoration of Saint John the New Hozevite from Romania was celebrated in the Patriarchate of Jerusalem on Saturday, August 10, 2024.
This feast took place at the Monastery of Saint George and John the Hozevites, where Saint John lived after coming from the Neamts Monastery in Romania. He spent his life in extreme silence, fasting, and humility, translating paternal writings into Romanian and composing liturgical poems.
His holy relics, found to be incorrupt, were transferred to the Holy Monastery of Hozeva on July 28, 1980, and since then, this date has been designated as the day of his commemoration. The Church of Jerusalem officially recognized him as a saint on January 18/31, 2016.
To honor his memory, an all-night vigil was held with Patriarch Theofilos of Jerusalem presiding, along with other clergy members. The Patriarch delivered a divine message, emphasizing Saint John’s dedication to God and his spiritual journey.
Saint John’s life was marked by prayer, patience, and love for God, leading him to the desert of Hozeva where he received divine guidance. His relics serve as a testament to the love of God and the presence of the Holy Spirit.
His ministry included administering the Holy Eucharist and performing healing miracles, all through the power of the Holy Spirit. Today, his memory shines as a beacon of peace and joy in the world, guiding believers towards salvation and spiritual discernment.
After the Vigil, a meal was offered as a refreshment from the toil of vigilance and the heat of the desert. This luminary of the Monastery of Hozeva and the Jordan district, the shining star of the Church, let us entreat, along with the Most Blessed Theotokos, so that he may be a steadfast protector for the salvation of our souls and bodies, so that “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4,7). Amen. Many happy and peaceful returns!
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