E05343: John Moschus, in his Spiritual Meadow, recounts that in Syrian Antioch, at the 'Place of the Cherubim', there was an icon of Jesus Christ. One day, Christ appeared in a dream to the supervisor of a charity; he came down out of the icon and admonished the man to be open-handed when distributing garments to the poor, even if they came many times. Written in Greek, probably in Rome, in the 620s or 630s.

John Moschus, The Spiritual Meadow, 230

In this chapter Moschus recounts that in Antioch the Great in Syria there were different kinds of charitable services. There was a man, who was in charge of providing linen garments to the poor. It happened that a poor man came to him and received a garment, not only once, but a second and a third time. When he came a fourth time, the supervisor of the charity told him not to come any more, for there were other people in need of garments like him. So the poor man withdrew, ashamed.

τῇ ἐπιούσῃ νυκτὶ ὁρᾷ ἑαυτὸν ὁ προεστὼς τῆς διακονίας ἐν τῷ Χερουβὶμ οὕτω καλουμένῳ τόπῳ ἱστάμενον·
ἐστὶν δὲ ὁ τόπος πάνυ σεβάσμιος, ἐν ᾧ τόπῳ λέγουσιν οἱ εἰδότες εἰκόνα ἵστασθαι φοβερωτάτην τὸ ἐκτύπωμα τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἔχουσαν. ὡς δὲ ἐκεῖ σύννους ἵστατο, ὁρᾷ τὸν σωτῆρα ἐκ τῆς εἰκόνος πρὸς αὐτὸν κατελθόντα καὶ ψέγοντα αὐτὸν πάντως διὰ τὰ τέσσαρα ἱμάτια, ἅπερ ὁ πτωχὸς ἔλαβεν. τοῦ δὲ πάλιν ὁμοίως σιωπῶντος ἀνακαλύψας τὸν χιτῶνα, ὃν ἐφόρει, δείκνυσιν αὐτῷ τὰ ἐντὸς ἀριθμῶν ἅμα καὶ λέγων· „ἰδοὺ ἕν, ἰδοὺ δύο, ἰδοὺ τρία, ἰδοὺ τέτταρα. μηδὲν οὖν λυπηθῇς· πίστευε γάρ, ἐξότε τῷ πτωχῷ ταῦτα παρέσχες, ἐμοὶ ἔνδυμα ἐγένετο.“ ἐπιγνοὺς οὖν τὰ ἱμάτια προσπίπτει τοῖς ποσὶν αὐτοῦ λέγων. „συγχώρησον τῇ ὀλιγοψυχίᾳ μου, δέσποτα, ὅτι ὡς ἄνθρωπος τοῦτο ἐλογισάμην.“

'The following night, the supervisor of the charity [in a dream] saw himself standing in what is called the Place of Cherubim. It is a very sacred place and those who know say that in that place there is a very awesome icon bearing the likeness of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. As he stood there in deep thought, he saw the Saviour coming down to him out of the icon and censuring him especially on account of the four garments which the poor man received. Then, falling silent again, [Christ] removed the tunic he was wearing and showed him the number of his undergarments while saying: "Behold, one; behold, two; behold, three; behold, four. Do not be dismayed; inasmuch [cf. Matthew 26:40] as you provided those things for the poor man, they became my raiment" '

The man, since he recognised the garments, fell down at his feet and begged God to forgive him his faint-heartedness, as he had reckoned this matter in human terms. When he woke up he thanked God who had shown him this revelation.

Text: Nissen 1938. Translation: Wortley 1992, lightly modified. Summary: J. Doroszewska.