St. Theotimus, Bishop and Confessor, A.D. about 400.
by VP
Posted on Saturday April 20, 2024 at 12:00AM in Saints
"He was bishop of Tomes in Scythia, in the fifth century. He had been brought up to a monastic life, and lived with great frugality, eating only when necessity required it. The Huns in the vicinity of the Danube so much admired his virtue, that they called him the God of the Romans. He was a man of so great sanctity and wonderful meekness, that he seemed fitted by heaven to deal with barbarous people, like the Huns, who often gave him disturbance, and with his own flock, whose natural roughness made his charge difficult enough. He was several times assaulted, and as often miraculously delivered; God manifested the sanctity of his servant by his particular protection of him. One day as he was walking in the territory of the Huns, he met some of them, who were going by the same road to Tomes, where he resided. His companions began to cry out, and give themselves up for lost: but he dismounted from his horse, and betook himself to prayer. The barbarians passed by without even seeing him, his attendants, or their horses. As they ill-treated the Scythians by their frequent incursions, he softened their barbarous nature by giving them food and making them presents. This made one of the barbarians imagine that he was rich. He sought to take him prisoner, and having prepared a rope with a slip-knot, he leaned upon his shield, and raising his arm to throw the noose over the saint, his hand remained stretched out in the air, nor could he move it till the holy man had prayed for him.
Let the example of this
saint encourage you to be moderate in your words and actions. Roughness
and passion destroy all society, and break peace: they are proofs of a
weak mind, and a bad education. Labour to avoid them by a softer and
more gentle method, as you desire to preserve your reputation, either as
to this world, or the next. A warm
reproof may sometimes be necessary; but a moderate remonstrance will be
more to your purpose than unseasonable heats. Suspect yourself as often
as you are disturbed: deliberate, rather than follow disordered reason.
Thus governing yourself, you will be in the best disposition for governing others." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother
