E07439: Sophronius of Jerusalem, in his Miracles of the Saints Cyrus and John, recounts how *Kyros and Ioannes/Cyrus and John (physician and soldier, martyrs of Egypt, S00406) healed from blindness and converted a certain Ioannes, an heretical follower of Theodosius and Severus, at their shrine at Menouthis (near Alexandria, Lower Egypt). Written in Greek in Alexandria, 610/615.

Sophronius of Jerusalem, The Miracles of Saints Cyrus and John, 37

Summary:

There was a certain Ioannes from the city of Kyno [Cynopolis] in Egypt. He had leucomas in both his eyes, because of which he was totally deprived of light and could see absolutely nothing. Guided by other people, he came to the sanctuary of the martyrs Cyrus and John to seek their aid.

When he was there and was sleeping on his bed, in a dream he saw himself by the martyrs’ tomb, beseeching them for the restoration of his sight. He also saw the martyrs in the form and garments of presbyters (presbyteron morphais kai schemasin), sitting in front of their tomb (emprosthen tes oikeias sorou). They stood up, took Ioannes by the hand and led him to the divine altar (to theion thysiasterion). They gave him communion in the form of the holy life-giving bread which changed into Christ’s body (hagios zoopoios artos Christou soma genomenos) and the divine milk (theion gala). Afterwards the martyrs made the man go, and said that he was now on the way of the true life, and should take communion in the mysteries of Christ. Ioannes had the views of a heretic, as he held the position of subdeacon (hypodiakonos) in the sect of Theodosios and Severos.

When Ioannes woke up, he followed the instructions of the saints, as he believed they were of divine origin. He abandoned his previous beliefs and after three days he saw light with his own eyes again, which was also the enlightenment of his soul.

Yet, the Destroyer of Good out of jealousy then meddled in the course of events. Theodoros, Ioannes’ father, who was a deacon of the above mentioned sect, died. The followers of the heresy therefore came to Ioannes and persuaded him to take the position left by his father. Ioannes forgot the orders of the martyrs and went with them to Kyno to take up the position of deacon.

They were thus on their way, and were almost approaching Kyno which was only a mile away. The martyrs, however, came to meet him and in public struck his eyes and once again deprived him of the sight that had previously been restored to him. Ioannes realised what the cause of his misery was and repented; he was forgiven by the martyrs, and thanks to their miraculous aid he eventually regained his sight. He refused to return to Kyno and instead began serving the martyrs and was received among the clergy.

It all happened in the following way. He was sleeping that night and in his dream he heard a command calling him to return and calm the martyrs who were angered. He thus went to their shrine. Christodoros, the manager of the sanctuary (oikonomos) did not want to see him and place him between the sick, because Ioannes had previously left the shrine without his permission. So Ioannes lay in the holy hierateion (to septon hierateion) of the shrine, where guests stayed who had not found another place, because of the crowd of sick people. He stayed there for three days. Then he saw in a dream a deacon standing by the pulpit (ambon) who was holding the books of the holy Gospels in his hand and was reading them aloud. The reading was from the Gospel according Matthew (11:3-5), which recorded that when John the Baptist heard in prison about the deeds of Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him: "Are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another?" And Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.”

When Ioannes heard this, he woke up, being immediately delivered from his blindness and he saw the sunlight which illuminated his soul. However, he did not regain his health entirely, but carried in his eyes a mark as a reminder of his infidelity, so that when others saw it, they cared the more for their safety.

Text: Fernández Marcos 1976, lightly modified in the light of Gascou 2007. Summary: J. Doroszewska.