Holy Martyr Zosimas the Hermit — September 19 / October 2 (Julian Calendar)

On this day, September 19 according to the Julian Calendar (October 2 civil calendar), the Georgian Orthodox Church commemorates the Holy Martyr Zosimas the Hermit.

The Holy Martyr Zosimas the Hermit lived in the fourth century. Once, while hunting, Domentianus, the governor of Cilicia, came upon an elder who was speaking calmly and gently with the beasts gathered around him. At the sight of the hunters the animals took fright and scattered. They asked the elder who he was and why he lived in this wilderness, and he answered: “My name is Zosimas, I am a Christian, and I prefer to live with the wild animals rather than in the city beside the enemies of Jesus Christ.” Domentianus threatened him: “If you worship the Nazarene, I will torture you cruelly in public in Nazareth and force you to deny Christ.” Then he asked the saint by what power he tamed wild animals. The old man replied: “I am a Christian, and every soul obeys Christ.”

The godless seized the father who hoped in the Savior, took him to Nazareth, and inflicted cruel torments upon him. They hung the saint head downward, tied a great stone to his neck, and began to tear his body with iron forks. The executioners said to the martyr: “If even the beasts obey you, command one of them to appear here, and then we too will believe in your God.”

Zosimas prayed to the Lord, and suddenly an enormous lion ran to the place of torture. All fled in terror, but the lion approached the saint and lightened the stone tied to his neck. The governor begged Zosimas to restrain the beast and ordered the executioners to take the saint down so that he could be brought before the emperor, but Zosimas committed his holy soul to the Lord on the spot. (The memory of St. Zosimas is also commemorated on January 4.)