St Theophilus the Fool for Christ's Sake:  Strange People In Our Midstes

One of the great Ukrainian Saints of recent years is Theophil of the Kyiv Caves Lavra who belonged to that elusive Choir of God's holy ones known as "Fools for Christ's Sake."  Who was this Penitent Prophet and why did he act the way he did?  What was this fellow, whom some thought of as an Orthodox "Whirling Dervish" of his day, trying to accomplish?

Theophil never had an easy time of it.  He was born into a priest's family that was already burdened with many children.

On top of everything, he was born blind.

His mother thought this was all too much for her and so she came to the terrible decision to drown Theophil in the River Dnipro.

Throwing the blind baby in, a floating log intercepted him and carried him to shore.  His mother then went to him and flung him back in again.  And again he made it back to shore.

His mother, refusing to see the Hand of God in all this, threw her son back into the river a third time.  And again - you guessed it!

An elderly couple that was looking on in horror at this quickly went and saved Theophil from any more swimming exercises . . .

They adopted Theophil who soon overcame his blindness.  In addition, Theophil developed a keen spiritual insight.

He entered the Kyivan Brotherhood Monastery and then later attached himself to the Kyivan Caves Lavra as a Monk.

A great ascetic, Theophil prayed in a hollowed out oak-tree overlooking the Dnipro.  In his hide-away he had an Icon of the Mother of God and three candles burning before it, one for each of the three times he believed the Mother of God, his best Mother of all, saved him from drowning.

Among his favourite ascetical feats, Theophil used to strip down to his birthday suit and smear himself with honey so that insects, including bees, would bite him.  This was in the spirit of self-discipline, lest anyone think his actions were a "stinging indictment" of asceticism . . .

He prayed the Jesus Prayer and the Psalms continuously.  He also had a favourite Icon of "Czestochowa" or "Kyiv-Belz" (depending on which side of the Polish-Ukrainian border your family comes from) in the kitchen of his monastery.  He would get his brother monks to join him to sing a Canon before it daily.

Theophil lived the life of a hermit in a cottage in the garden of the monastery.  In it, following the practices of his day, was his wooden coffin (for a remembrance of death).  In it, he kept foodstuffs that he distributed to the poor.  (I wonder if they knew about his unique storage space?)

Theophil was soon graced with the ability to read hearts and to predict the future as a Clairvoyant.

Many people used to visit him to get his advice.  And some of them got it good!

A Ukrainian actress, known for her affairs with young men, came to visit Theophil in his hut.

He went out to meet her with a jar of kvas, used mainly for pickling cucumbers.  He asked her to life up her skirts, which, after some wonderment, she did. 

Theophil then poured the sour liquid right over her fine attire all the while chastising her for her immorality.  She repented and led an examplary life afterwards.

The Metropolitan of Kyiv, the future Saint Philaret, once cut short his morning prayers when he realized he was late for an appointment.  Travelling in his carriage along a road lined with white horse-chestnut trees, he looked up and saw none other than Theophil sitting on a branch, reciting his Psalter . . .

"What are you doing up there, Brother Theophil?" asked the Metropolitan.

"Well, Vladika, I was climbing up this tree, you see," said Theophil.  "It then occurred to me that I had not finished my prayers, and so I decided to say them on my way up!"

"Yes, yes, you are talking about me," said the Metropolitan who ordered him to come down and travel with him so that they could pray together!

Another woman whose husband was in the fishing business was warned by Theophilus that he should not try to promote the eating of fish on Wednesdays and Fridays and during the Great Fast, instead of meat.  The Orthodox Church regards fish as meat as it has a back-bone.

The man did not stop and met a cruel end.  Potato latkes anyone?

A seminarian at the Kyiv Academy at this time was suffering from terrible sexual temptations.  They were so bad that his confessors felt that he was being attacked by the devil himself.

Theophil, whom he had never met before, once ran out to meet him.  Theophil said, "Gregory come join me and we will have lascivious thoughts together!"

At this, Gregory realized that even strangers knew about his problem and he began to cry out loud.  Theophil came up to him and said, "Never mind, it is nothing."

Theophil prayed over him for about thirty minutes and then turned to him and said, "Go your way - you will never be troubled by bad thoughts again."  Would you like to bet on how right he was?

The Tsar of Russia himself came to see Theophilus at the height of the Crimean War.  When he entered the humble hut with the Archimandrite, Theophil was lying on the ground, with arms crossed over his chest, covered in mud.

"I am not used to not having people stand when I enter a room!" the Tsar said.

"You must forgive Theophil, Sir, as he has a special gift from the Holy Spirit," said the Archimandrite.  "He is trying to tell us something with his strange behaviour, even though I don't know what it is!"

What he was telling the Tsar was that he would lose the Crimean War and die . . .

Theophil actually tamed a wild bullock who then used to pull a cart around Kyiv with Theophil in it without reins.  Theophil would sing out the Psalter while people would come out and drop food into the cart.  The bullock would then go to the poor districts of Kyiv where Theophil would distribute the food.  

As late as the 1960's, there were elderly people still living in Kyiv who were eye-witnesses to Theophil's charitable outings . . .

Another eye-witness, a Monk, accompanied Theophil during a pilgrimage.  They were soon met by three lay persons who were very hungry.

Theophil told his assistant they would feed their friends.  But the Monk knew they had no food with them.

Theophil then had him bring a bucket of water from the Dnipro and placed this over a small pile of wood.

The assistant then said he saw Theophil bow his head to the ground and pray over the wood.  Soon it was engulfed in flames and the water was boiling!

Theophil then took three fine stones, prayed over them and put them into the water.  He then told his assistant to stir.  After a while, the assistant looked into the pot and tasted what he was stirring.  Whatever it was, it was some of the best tasting Semolina he had ever had.

He then turned to run away before this mystery, but Theophil jumped on him and told him to get back to his post since everyone was hungry . . .

Toward the end of her life, Theophil's mother who tried to drown him, came to him asking his forgiveness.

He held her in his arms as she breathed her last and he then buried her with respect.

After his own repose, Theophil gained reknown as a great Elder and Miracle-Worker.  He is an example of true penitence to us all.  He will pray for us in our needs when we invoke him.  He invites us to share in the Life of Christ that he so admirably participated in during his holy life.

In being true to Christ, we ourselves must run the risk of appearing foolish in the eyes of the world.  God may even call us to be prophets in these modern times.

With St Theophil, the Fool for Christ's Sake, let us take heart for Christ has overcome the world!

Dr. Alexander Roman  alex@unicorne.org