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Saint Andrew, Fool for Christ 10/15/2013
A Slav by descent. As a slave, he was purchased by a wealthy man called Theognostus at Constantinople, in the reign of the Emperor Leo the Wise, the son of the emperor Basil the Macedonian. Andrew was a wonderful boy, in his body and in his soul. Theognosticus came to love him and had him educated. Andrew ardently prayed to God and attended all church services with love. Following a heavenly vision, he devoted himself to the ascetic struggle of being a fool-for-Christ. And once, when he went to draw water from the well, he tore his clothes, cut them to pieces and pretended that he went mad. In deep sorrow for this, his master Theognostus put him in chains and took him to the Church of Saint Anastasia the Deliverer from Bonds, to read him a prayer. But, as Andrew did not get better in the eyes of his master, he let him go. Saint Andrew pretended to be mad at daytime, and at night he prayed to God. He lived as a vagrant without any kind of shelter. He slept in the field, he went about the streets half dressed, covered with a ragged cloak, he ate some bread now and then when the good people would give him. The alms he had received, he gave away to the poor at the same time offending them for fear that they may thank him. As he anticipated his reward from God only. For his great forbearance and humility the saint was filled with the grace of God, so he could discern people's secrets, he beheld angels and demons, drove the demons away from men, saved them from spiritual perils. He had seen wonderful visions of Heaven and the highest heavenly hosts; he saw the Lord Jesus Christ on the throne of His glory; with his disciple Epiphanius he saw the Most Holy Theotokos at the Blachernae church, covering the Christian congregation with her Veil.
