Venerable Zōsimas the Wonderworker of Phœnicia

Saint Zōsimas of Phœnicia

Today, the eighth of June, we also celebrate the feast of Zōsimas the Wonderworker, a Syrian saint of Phœnicia who lived in the sixth century. He is not to be confused with his contemporary Saint Zōsimas of Palestine, another monk of the Holy Land who was closely connected to Saint Mary of Ægypt. Elder Zōsimas [Gr. Ζωσιμας, Ar. Zawsîmûs زوسيموس] was closely associated with Bishop John Hozebitēs, as his hagiography makes clear. The following hagiography is taken from Fr Stephen (Janos)’s translation of the Ohrid Prologue:

The Monk Zōsimas of Phœnicia was born in the Syrian village of Synda, near the city of Tyre. He accepted monasticism and was zealous as an ascetic by his fasting, prayer, labours and other virtues. The monk received from God the gift of perspicacity. When he was at Cæsarea, he foresaw the terrible earthquake which destroyed Antioch in the year 526.

One time, the patrician Arkesilaos visited the monk. During this while a messenger informed Arkesilaos, that his wife had punctured her eye with a needle and was suffering terribly. But the monk put his guest at ease and said, that the Cæsarea Sainted-bishop John Hozebitēs (commemorated 3 October) had [healed] his wife.

The Monk Zōsimas attained to such a degree of spiritual accomplishment, that wild beasts were submissive to him. One time on the way to Caesarea an hungry lion pounced upon the donkey of the monk, and dragged it away and started eating. Finding the beast, the monk said: ‘Friend, I have not the strength to carry the load because of old age. Do thou carry it, and then return into the wilderness and again be fierce according to thy nature.’ The lion meekly carried the load to Cæsarea, where the monk set him free.

I was only able to find one other resource on this saint – and that was a lengthy hagiographical treatment in Greek translated into Latin. That resource seems to have more about Saint Zōsimas’s relationship to Saint John Hozebitēs, though the main contours follow the Ohrid Prologue’s treatment. Holy wonderworker Zōsimas, tamer of wild beasts and of the passions, pray unto Christ our God that our souls may be saved!