"When I was young," said Abba Andrei, "I was very relaxed. I was living in disorder and cursing. So, together with nine comrades, we fled to Palestine. By the way, one of them was Jewish. In the wilderness he was weakened to utter exhaustion, and we were all clueless, not knowing how to deal with him. However, we did not abandon him, but every one of us, who had the strength, carried him with us.
We wanted to take him to the city or to some shelter so we wouldn't let him die in the desert. But the youth with hunger and burning thirst, with intense fever and terrible fatigue, was near death. Then, shedding tears over him, we decided to leave him in the desert. We were afraid that we ourselves could die of thirst.
Seeing us preparing to leave, he began to plead with us: "In the name of God, Who will come to judge the living and the dead, do not let me die as a Jew. I want to be a Christian. Have mercy, baptize me to end my life as a Christian and go to the Lord."
"Brother" we told him, "we are laymen, and this is the work of bishops and priests. There is nowhere to get water."
But he did not back down, asking us tearfully, "Christians, do not deprive me of this gift." We felt in great difficulty.
Then one of us, who was enlightened from above, suddenly said, "Lift him up and take off his clothes." With great difficulty we lifted him to his feet and undressed him.
He who received the inspiration from heaven filled his hands with sand, sprinkled the Jew three times upon his head, and said, "The servant of God Theodore is baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" we have proclaimed to every pronouncement of the Holy, One and Only Trinity "Amen!"
And Christ, the Son of the Living God, so healed and strengthened the weak that he had not the slightest sign of weakness. On the contrary, he was in good health, and with renewed strength, walked cheerfully before us through the desert.
Arriving in Askalon, we told of all that had happened to us to Bishop Dionysius, the city bishop. The holy man listened to our story and was greatly struck by the unusual miracle.
Spiritual Meadow
But he did not back down, asking us tearfully, "Christians, do not deprive me of this gift." We felt in great difficulty.
Then one of us, who was enlightened from above, suddenly said, "Lift him up and take off his clothes." With great difficulty we lifted him to his feet and undressed him.
He who received the inspiration from heaven filled his hands with sand, sprinkled the Jew three times upon his head, and said, "The servant of God Theodore is baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" we have proclaimed to every pronouncement of the Holy, One and Only Trinity "Amen!"
And Christ, the Son of the Living God, so healed and strengthened the weak that he had not the slightest sign of weakness. On the contrary, he was in good health, and with renewed strength, walked cheerfully before us through the desert.
Arriving in Askalon, we told of all that had happened to us to Bishop Dionysius, the city bishop. The holy man listened to our story and was greatly struck by the unusual miracle.
Spiritual Meadow
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