Palladius of Galatia ca. 364-430
They approached Comana, but passed through the town as men cross a
river by a bridge, and lodged outside the wall in the shrine of a
martyr, five or six miles from the town. The name of the martyr of the
place was Basiliscus, who was Bishop of Comana, martyred under Maximian
at Nicomedia, at the same time as Lucianus, priest of the Church of
Antioch in Bithynia. That night the martyr stood by him and said, “Be of
good cheer, brother; to-morrow we shall be together.” It is said that
he had first called to the priest who shared his abode, “Get ready the
place for our brother John; he is coming.” John took this as a sure
warning, and next day begged them to stay where they were till eleven
o’clock. They refused, and pushed on; but when they had covered about
thirty furlongs, he had such a sharp attack of illness, that they had to
return to the shrine from which they had started. On his arrival, he
asked for white clothes —-clothes befitting his life—-and taking off
those he was wearing, he put these on, deliberately changing everything
down to his shoes. All but these he distributed among those present.
Then he partook of the symbols of the Lord’s appointment, and offered
his last prayer, in the presence of those who stood by, using his
customary formula, “Glory to God for all things;” and signing himself at
the last “Amen”, he raised his feet, which were so beautiful as they
sped for the salvation of those who chose repentance, and the reproof of
those who persistently cultivate the fields of sin. If reproof did not
benefit the wicked, it was not from the carelessness of him who had
spoken out so fearlessly, but from the recklessness of those who would
not accept them.
Thus was he gathered to his fathers, shaking off the dust from his
feet, and passing over to Christ, as it is written, “Thou shalt come to
thy grave, as ripe corn gathered in its season; but the souls of the
transgressors shall die before their time.” Such a concourse of virgins
and ascetics and men renowned for their devout lives came together from
Syria, and Cilicia, and Pontus, and Armenia, that many supposed that
they had been summoned by signal. The rites of internment and the
funeral gathering took place; and so his poor body, like a victorious athlete’s, was buried in the same shrine as Basiliscus. (The Dialogue of Palladius concerning the Life of St. John Chrysostom)
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