Job of Pochayev

Saint Job of Pochayev
Pochayev Lavra
Feast	October 10 (Synaxis) October 28 (Repose) May 6 (Feast day) August 28 (Uncovering of Relics)[1]
Attributes	Vested as a monk, holding an abbot's crozier

Job of Pochayev (

.

Childhood and early years

Job was born around 1551 near the city of

Polish kingdom

.

His pious parents John and Agapia of the Zalizo (lit. "Iron") family, named him Ivan (John) after John the Baptist. The lives of Rastko Nemanjić, John of Damascus and "The Ladder" by John Climacus were the models of virtuous life for the young Ivan. According to his biographer and disciple Dositheus, while he was young in years he was perfect in wisdom, and the boy differed from other children by his high spiritual aspirations, with never a contradiction in his words, knowledge and actions.

Joining Uhornytskyi monastery

At the age of 10 he secretly left home for the Transfiguration Ugorniki Monastery, and asked the hegumen (abbot) to accept him to serve the brothers. When Ivan turned 12, he was tonsured as a monk and was given the name Job. Since then, he began to follow the example of the biblical character Job as a model of living. Reaching the age of 31 he was offered priestly ordination, which he accepted.

Transfer to Dubno monastery and literary work

After the repeated offers of a local,

. There, for 20 years, Job served as hegumen (abbot) and engaged himself in the writing of theological books.

The collection of his works, The Book of the Venerable Job of Pochayiv, Written by His Own Hand, contained 80 teachings, conversations, and

Kiev

Theological Academy, N. Petrov.

In his writings, Job defended Orthodoxy against the

and everything that was rejected by Protestant missionaries.

Job also critiqued

(1581), the first printed edition of the complete Orthodox Bible.

Hermit withdrawal to Pochayev

Pochayiv Lavra

as it appears today.

On account of his growing fame, he decided to withdraw as a

.

Job was quiet, brief in words, and the only sound heard from his lips was the

supernatural light

coming from the depths of the cave, shining for two hours onto the opposite side of the church. Dosyfey records that at the sight he was terrified and fell to the ground.

Job introduced strict discipline and other reforms of monastic life. During his time in office, the monastery had to fend off incessant attacks by Andrzej Firlej, Castellan of Belz, who sued the monks over his grandmother's bequest of extensive lands and a miracle-working icon of the Mother of God. In 1623, Firlej raided the monastery, taking the holy icon with him and keeping it until 1641, when a court decision finally restituted the icon to the monks.

In 1628 Job attended the Synod of Kiev, called to defend the Orthodox Church against Uniatism.

Sometime after 1642, he was tonsured into the

, and received the new monastic name of John.

Death and canonization

Job died on 25 October 1651 and was

.

After the first two visions, Metropolitan Dionysius did not follow the order. Only after the third, when Job threatened him with misfortune should he continue to disobey, did Dionysius see in it God’s will. The same day, the Metropolitan departed for

and gave orders to open the grave of Job immediately.

This took place on 28 August 1659. His body was found to be

of the Lavra for veneration.

A second "Uncovering of the Relics" of Job of Pochayev took place on 28 August 1833, at which his relics were solemnly transferred to a church

consecrated

to his honour which had been built at the Pochayev Lavra.

Every year, on 28 August a great number of Orthodox pilgrims come to Pochayev Lavra to honour Saint Job, venerate his relics, and ask for his intercession.

Healings and miracles

During the

) accompanied by angels and Job. Numerous Turkish Muslims who witnessed the event during the siege converted to Christianity afterward. One of the monastery chapels commemorates this event.

In 1759, a coach of Count Mikołaj Bazyli Potocki capsized near the monastery walls. In a fit of anger, Potocki fired at his driver three times, all without avail. Attributing this failure to divine intervention, Potocki settled in Pochayiv and started to lavish gifts upon the cloister.

In 1773, Potocki (who was a

]

On 28 October 1908 when the

Holy Mysteries

(Body and Blood of Christ).

The cave church of St Job contains a famous gift from Countess Orlova - a silver reliquary with relics of the saint.

The Printshop of St. Job of Pochaev at Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, New York, is dedicated to Job, and is the principal press of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, publishing liturgical and spiritual works in Church Slavonic, Russian and English.

Feast Days

The

, a difference of 13 days).

On

.

and October 10/23 (as one of the seven saints commemorated on the Synaxis of the Saints of Volhynia).^[4]

See also

• Pochayiv Lavra

References

External links

• Saints of Orthodox Volyn
• An Excerpt From the Life of St. Job of Pochayiv
• Wonders of the Pochayiv Mount
• (in Ukrainian) Blessed Job of Pochayiv
• Repose of the Venerable Job, Abbot and Wonderworker of Pochaev Orthodox
  synaxarion