ST. EUPHROSYNUS THE COOK (SEPT. 11TH)

A Contemporary Icon of St. Euphrosynus in Byzantine Style

Edited by Bp. Joseph (Ancient Church of the West) 

On this day, we commemorate St Euphrosynus of Alexandria, a humble and holy cook, whose life reveals the hidden and wondrous ways in which God’s grace is bestowed upon those who seek Him with pure hearts.

St. Euphrosynus was a monk in a Palestinian monastery, where he served faithfully in the kitchen, performing simple and menial tasks with deep humility, fasting, and constant prayer. Though his service seemed insignificant to the world, his soul was filled with love for God, and his obedience and patience were greatly pleasing to the Lord.

One night, a fellow monk fervently prayed to God, desiring a glimpse of the blessings reserved for the righteous in the world to come. In answer to this prayer, the Lord granted the monk a vision of Paradise. As he beheld its indescribable beauty, he was astonished to see St. Euphrosynus walking freely amidst the radiance of that heavenly place. Filled with wonder, the monk approached the saint and asked how a humble cook had attained such great favor with God. St. Euphrosynus, in all humility, replied that it was by the mercy of God alone that he had been brought to that place.

The monk, awed by this encounter, asked St. Euphrosynus if he might bring back something from Paradise. The saint kindly invited the monk to choose something, and the monk pointed to three beautiful apples nearby. St. Euphrosynus took the apples and gave them to the monk. Upon waking, the monk thought it had been merely a dream, but to his amazement, he found the three fragrant apples lying in his cell, just as he had seen in the vision.

Overcome with awe, the monk sought out St. Euphrosynus and, under oath, asked where he had been the previous night. The saint humbly confirmed that, by God’s grace, he had been in Paradise, and that God had answered the monk’s prayer by granting him the fruits of that holy place.

Hearing of this miraculous event, the monks sought to honor St. Euphrosynus. However, in his humility, the holy cook fled the monastery, seeking to avoid human praise and glory, and was never seen again. His brothers, deeply moved by the miracle, preserved the apples he had brought from Paradise, distributing them to those in need of healing and special blessings. Although St. Euphrosynus lived in obscurity, his sanctity was revealed in the humble service he performed, and the monks remembered him always, trusting in his intercession to help guide them into the Paradise he had seen.

COLLECT

O Almighty God, who didst manifest thy grace and mercy in the life of thy humble servant, Saint Euphrosynus the cook, grant us, we beseech thee, the grace of true humility and patient endurance in all our labours. As thou didst reveal to him the joys of Paradise through his steadfast faith and humble service, so lead us, by his example, to seek first thy Kingdom and to trust in thy boundless mercy. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.