St. Jacob the Recluse (Mor Ya'cub Hbishoyo)

St. Jacob the Recluse (Mor Ya'cub Hbishoyo)

September 18th is the commemoration of the dukhrono of St. Jacob the Recluse +421 according to the Liturgical Calendar of the Syriac Orthodox Church.Mor Yac'ub hbishoyo, the "luminous example" was born in 330 AD. in Egypt. In his school days, he was considered the "shining example".He went to the desert on the edge of Alexandria, where he founded a monastery with Elisha, Mark, Joseph and Isaiah.When, however, Julianus released a decision either to renounce Christian faith or to be delivered terrible torture, he, as a foreign huntsman, asked his brothers, saying, "Come, let us worship God, and He will open His way for us. They neither drank nor ate nothing all the day and all night till they finally fell asleep. Mor Jakob saw a man in a dream, who asked him, "Take your brethren, and go into this wilderness, for the Lord hath made a place for you there."Their journey took them to Syria, where they sailed for three days. When they arrived, they saw a pillar built by a Gabriel who served to pray. The travelers sat down there and Gabriel, who was in the pillar, saw a light/ radiation, shouted out of the window to Jacob: "Blessed Jacob." Jacob answered, "Yes, sir!" Gabriel: "Why are you sitting there? Get up and come to your brother. The Lord has prepared you, and I ask you to carry out my funeral. After they had eaten and drunk, he asked Gabriel to pray and asked for the peace of the world. After ten psalms, the blessed Gabriel knelt before them, saying, "My brethren, come and bring me the word of the Lord, for He will not allow me to rejoice with you even a day. Come closer now, give me peace and close my eyes. "During the conversation, he died and all of them were crying. Immediately they heard a voice calling to them, "Welcome, O man, who has performed the will of the Lord. The sanctuary of the righteous long after thee." When they received this words with astonishment, they got up and buried the corpse of Gabriel in his grave, which was under the pillar. After three years Satan tried to dissuade them from the truth. They were rehearsed by hallucinations for seven years. Then Mor Jacob brethren became tired and asked the saint to pray for God's help, but the Blessed One demanded their patience. Then the Holy Father went down to the foot of the pillar, and wept before God, and said, "Lord God, you gave serpents to the apostles, to whom they will fight, and to fight against all the evil forces do not perish thy servants, who trust in the Holy Name, and wait for thy rich gifts: confound and humble this enemy who will take you out of thy camp."After two years, the Lord sent an angel with the message: "Your prayers have been heard. Now get up quickly, and go into the city of Amida, for there is the Lord's delight in resting you from your work." After sending his brothers away, he wandered around the desert and was abducted by the Holy Spirit. When he awoke, he found himself at the foot of the bank. When he saw a ship sailing on the sea, he wandered on the water to the ship. When he was asked of the crew, who thought to see a phantom, where he wanted to go, he said to Tarsus. When he got onto the ship a strong wind came up and the ship was at the port of Tarsus. There he first healed a terrible wound of a boy named Antonius and he healed many people in the city. Abbot Bar Shabo, from Tur Abdin, heard of him and invited him to the monastery for the night. The mayor of Hasankefh, Rufus and the metropolitan of the city, Mor Sergis, were also invited.After two months a general of the Persians marched into these regions and the people fled into the castles. But the general surrounded the entire region with his entourage, and he himself stood in front of the castle. In the near was a village, Shiloh (Saleh), where there was a temple of the Persians. Also the general went to this temple. There, in the monastery, Bar Shabo and his ten disciples were tired up, the General called Bar Shabo, led by the devil, he told him to renounce their Christian faith, but Bar Shabo replied by spitting in his face. Then he and his ten disciples were beheaded. When Mor Jacob saw this, he rejoiced, and cried to his brethren, "My sons, do not relax from the truth, see, today the Messiah calls us to his wedding." After a joy, he said, "Those who are with us will be invited by the Messiah. "And also they were beheaded by the sword except Mor Jacob.One of the servants saw, as angels of God placed crowns on the heads of each who was beheaded and raised them up into heaven. This servant took off his clothes and dressed himself in one of the beheaded clothes and said, "The Messiah calls me to his feast." And he too was beheaded. With them was fulfilled the word of David: "We are led like lambs to the slaughter." A cloud came up and the sound of the angels sounded. Everyone ran away, but they drowned in the Tigris. When it was all over, and Mor Jacob saw what had happened, he was afraid of his holiness, and he cried and prayed, for the fear of God was great, for he blamed himself that this martyr was found, for it was him who did not allow people to flee.He built an apartment from earth, for he would not leave this place. The name of St. Jacob was known and since he did not want to accept riches, they built a temple over the place where Bar Shabo and his followers were beheaded. In the night you could hear the call: "Hallelujah". Until today it is called the House of the martyr Bar Shabo and his eleven disciples. Many people have been cured threw him. When his time approached, he went to the people, crucified the multitude, and said, "The grace of the Lord shall come upon you. May He give you a good reward in His kingdom. The Lord should surround you with a strong wall. He shall keep you crossed under His Victory. Mor Jacob made the cross on himself and on 18th September of the year 421 he gave his soul to his Creator.Oh Mor Yac'ub hbishoyo! Plead for us before God's throne of grace. Amen.Biography courtesy of translation by Ranya Kucukkaplan in 'Syriac Orthodox Theology Facebook group'Life of St. Jacob: https://bit.ly/LifeJacobRecluseRSoH