When the roaring began, everyone within earshot was terrified.
Everyone, that is, except the humble monk Gerasimus. A simple man who had learned how to love all of God’s creatures by living among them as an ascetic in the wilderness, this gentle monastic cocked one ear and listened to the ferocious growling for a few moments. Then he reassured his fellow monks in words like these: Do not be afraid. That lion is not going to hurt anyone. He is simply crying out because he is in terrible pain!
With that, the fearless ascetic began walking toward the fierce snarls that were emanating from a tangle of date palms, only fifty yards distant. Wild-eyed, the other monks gaped at each other. Had their leader taken leave of his senses? Hardly daring to look, they waited for the ghastly attack that was certain to end the life of the pious and God-fearing abbot who had founded this community of monks in Palestine
It took the Venerable Gerasimus less than 60 seconds to reach the great cat, who was sitting on the ground and howling with anguish. Smiling calmly, the renowned desert monk – a veteran of many years of living alone in the arid fastnesses of Egypt , before coming to Palestine
From that moment forward, the lion was content to live as a mild-mannered pet at the monastery . . . while the 70 monks who shared these austere quarters on the River Jordan with their spiritual master were daily amazed by the animal’s docile, friendly nature.
For the Venerable Gerasimus, one of the most humble and self-denying monastics in the early history of the Holy Church
Born in the Asia Minor city of Soft-spoken and easygoing, Gerasimus had a natural affinity for living in the great outdoors. Content to eat a few dates or seeds that he managed to locate, he rarely cooked his food. Sleeping was also a simple matter. If it was dry and warm, he simply stretched out on the ground where he happened to be standing, and thanked God for a free night’s lodging. If the ground was soaked with rain, on the other hand, he looked around for an empty cavern where he might sleep for a few hours. He lived this way for a long time in Egypt and was quite content, but then he decided that he wanted to visit the Holy Sites in Palestine
At the River Jordan, he settled down with a small group of fellow-devotees around 450, and this small community soon grew into one of the larger monasteries (or lavras) in the Middle East . (It still exists today.) Content to perform simple chores as a way of glorifying God, the newly installed abbot drew up a new kind of schedule (or Rule) for his monks, in which they spent their weekdays weaving baskets and making mats in their cells. On these days, they did not cook, but ate only dates and dry bread.
The Rule worked very well. Under the thoughtful guidance of the Venerable Gerasimus, the brothers were never permitted to lock their cells – which meant that when they left them, anyone was free to enter and take whatever he pleased. Since the monks owned no property, they did not mind this arrangement in the least. On the weekends, they would attend simple worship serves in church, and then gather for a celebratory meal that usually included vegetables and a little wine. At the height of the festivities, each monk would come forward and place the baskets or mats that he had crafted that week at the feet of the smiling abbot.
The simplicity of these arrangements made life much easier than it might otherwise have been. Example: By restricting each monk to a single robe, the problem of washing and distributing “laundry” was solved forever. If a monk wanted to clean his robe, he simply wore it down to the river, walked out into the current, and began washing it to his heart’s content!
Perhaps the Venerable Gerasimus preferred this very simple existence because he had learned – painfully – that complicated ideas and concepts can be the source of endless trouble. As a young man, he had been tempted for a while by one of the great heresies of the Fifth Century – the school of thought advocated by clerics who were known as “Monophysites.” Developed by two deep thinkers named Eutyches and Dioscorus, this widespread heresy was based on the idea that Jesus Christ possessed only an Infinite Aspect as part of the Holy Trinity, and was not at the same time a mortal human being. (In other words, He was God, but not also a man.)
Although St. Gerasimus had been attracted to this notion early on, he soon saw the error of his ways – thanks to the insights and urgings he received from his dear friend, the great heresy-fighter St. Euthymius – and then spent many years resisting the false doctrine and fighting hard for Orthodoxy in the Holy Church Palestine who would play a large part in refuting the Monophysites and protecting the True Dogma of the Holy Church
The Venerable Gerasimus died in the year 475 A.D. By then he was a beloved figure who was known everywhere for both his humble piety and his love of all the wild creatures who roamed the earth. When he finally breathed his last, the lion that had been relieved of his painful thorn – the same lion that had lived as a tame and friendly pet at the monastery for so many years – also expired and was buried nearby. To this day, the kindly lion is depicted on the saint’s Icon, where he rests at his feet.
The life of the Venerable Gerasimus shows us the great value of living a simple, unadorned life in the eyes of Almighty God. For those who know how to give thanks to the Lord God for every breath they take, a slice of bread or a handful of dates is a banquet that cannot be surpassed!
Apolytikion in the First Tone
Thou didst prove to be a citizen of the desert, an angel in the flesh, and a wonderworker, O Gerasimus, our God-bearing Father. By fasting, vigil and prayer thou didst obtain heavenly gifts, and thou healest the sick and the souls of them that have recourse to thee with faith. Glory to Him that hath given thee strength. Glory to Him that hath crowned thee. Glory to Him that worketh healings for all through thee.
Kontakion in the Fourth Tone
As a star resplendent with the light of virtues, thou didst make the wilderness of Jordan
