Saint John of Rila

The Lives of the Saints No. I (XXI) / 2026 The Life of the Venerable John of Rila, the Wonder-worker, written by Saint Euthymius, Patriarch of Tarnovo The Saint Eftimie

The Life of Saint John of Rila, as recounted by a medieval hagiographer, traces the saint’s Bulgarian origins in the village of Skrino, his ascetic life in the Rila Mountains, his conversations with Tsar Peter and John Asan, the miracles he performed, the pilgrimages of his relics through Sredets, Esztergom and Tarnovo, and their solemn transfer in 1195 at the behest of John Asan.

The Lives of the Saints No. I (XXI) / 2026 The Testament of Saint John of Rila The Saint Ioan din Rila

The Testament of Saint John of Rila, written in the year 941 and addressed to his disciples in the Rila wilderness, contains exhortations concerning the preservation of the Orthodox faith, the renunciation of the love of money, communal life as the highest form of monasticism, unceasing prayer, brotherly unity and the avoidance of divisions within the monastic community.

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