St. John of Rila
St. John of Rila (c. 876-946) was born in the village of Skrino near Sredets (modern Sofia) and withdrew into the Rila mountains, where he lived for decades in extreme asceticism, dwelling in a cave, a hollow tree, and on a bare rock.
Disciples gathered around him and formed the community that became the great Rila Monastery, for which he left a surviving Testament written in 941, shortly before his repose on August 18, 946. His relics were translated to Trnovo on October 19, 1238, and returned to Rila Monastery in 1469, where they remain a source of grace-filled help; he is venerated as the heavenly protector of the Bulgarian people.
The communal life is in every way more useful for monks than the solitary one, for solitude is not suitable for the many, but only for a few who are perfect in all monastic virtues.
Keep yourselves away from the avaricious snake, for the love of money is the root of all evil.
Do not seek to sit in the best places or to be in command, but remember the One Who said: 'And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.'
Manual labor must not be neglected by you, however, but work must be in your hands, and the prayer 'Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner' must be permanently on your lips.
I, John, the humble and sinful, who has never done anything good on earth, when I came into this wilderness of Rila, I found no man over here, but only wild animals and impenetrable thickets.
Troparion · Tone 1
Your life was a foundation of repentance and a model of compunction, an image of consolation and spiritual perfection, equal to the angels, O venerable one. You persevered in prayer, fasting and tears, O Father John; intercede with Christ God for our souls.
Kontakion · Tone 8
Imitating the life of the angels and forsaking all earthly things, you fled to Christ, O venerable one. Protecting yourself with His commandments, you were shown to be an unshakable pillar against the attacks of the enemy. Therefore, we cry to you: Rejoice, O Father John, most brilliant light!
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