November 23, 2018

Saint Ischyrion the Bishop

St. Ischyrion the Bishop (Feast Day - November 23)


Verses

Ischyrion lived as one mighty in the Church,
Who though dead noetically strengthens.

Saint Ischyrion the Bishop met his end in peace. Some sources have him as a Bishop of Tarsus. Others regard him as the Holy Abba of Egypt of whom the following saying is attributed:

"The holy Fathers were prophesying about the last generation. They said, ‘What have we ourselves done?’ One of them, the great Abba Ischyrion replied, ‘We ourselves have fulfilled the commandments of God.’ The others replied, 'And those who come after us, what will they do?’ He said, ‘They will struggle to achieve half our works.’ They said, 'And to those who come after them, what will happen?’ He said, ‘The men of that generation will not accomplish any works at all and temptation will come upon them; and those who will be approved in that day will be greater than either us or our Fathers.’"