The Venerable John Kalyvites the Hut Dweller
Today we celebrate the feast of Venerable John Kalyvites the Hut Dweller. He was the only child of wealthy parents in Constantinople. He felt very drawn to living a life of spirituality and austerity, and went to live with monks in Asia Minor. He lived there for six years, living a life of abstinence, prayer, and obedience. He faced many temptations from the devil to leave the monastery, return to his parents, and life the life of a nobleman.
Venerable John Kalyvites did move back to live with his parents but went back dressed as a beggar and lived in their courtyard. He did not make himself known to his parents or their servants. His parents and the servants would send out scraps from their table to feed him. He lived in this way for three years, praying for his parents, but when he fell ill and felt death approaching he revealed himself to his parents by showing them a book of the Gospels which they gave to him in his childhood.
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