Limni is a town and a community in the northwestern part of the island of Evia (Euboea), Greece. At the end of the beach of Limni is the Hermitage of Saint Christodoulos. It is the location where Saint Christodoulos lived the last years of his ascetic life at the end of the 11th century.
Saint Christodoulos was the founder of the Monastery of Saint John the Theologian on Patmos. After pirate raids on Patmos, he fled to Limni in the year 1092, together with Patmos monks and residents. He resided in this cave of Limni until the end of his life in 1093. After his death, monks from Patmos took his relics and transferred them to the island of the Apocalypse.
During his stay in Limni, the Saint composed his "Testament" and "Codicil" (March 1093). This Testament, in order to be valid, is signed by seven officials of the episcopal authority and the city of Euripos (Halkida), namely Leo, presbyter and sacerdotal officer of the city of Euripos, John, presbyter and notary of the see of Euripos, Michael… of the see of Euripos, Basil the lowly deacon… and notary of Euripos, etc.
In particular, Metropolitan John of Rhodes, in his work “Life and Conduct of the Venerable Father Christodoulos” recounts the stay and repose of Saint Christodoulos in Euripos, which occurred in the year 1093 AD, as well as the retrieval of his holy relics and their transfer to Patmos, writing the following:
“And the Saint arrived there with the brotherhood, where the sea water flows inward and then retreats again, creating a narrow sea, which the ancients called the Strait of Euripos. And there, having become the object of admiration of all and having earned due honor, as if he were an Angel in mortal flesh, he admonished his flock, so that they would not be displeased with frequent movements, nor foolishly resist the will of God, who saves everything in wisdom. But one of the monks, because he could not endure hardships, nor the twists and turns of virtue, like Judas of the twelve, departed from the company of the brothers and replaced that spiritual gathering with a garden that he rented. And, as the devil entered Judas and pushed him to betrayal, in the same way and with a wicked demon he tormented the monk who had been separated from the brotherhood and the illness of the small-minded brother was announced to the father. He, meek and forbearing, giving way to anger, after taking the holy Gospel, comes in the evening to the raging and insane man, reads the words of the Holy Spirit for the sick man and immediately the position of the sick man improves, who no longer wishes to be occupied with planting trees and watering gardens, but becomes willing to cultivate the land of virtue, thus returning once again to the flock, from which he had been wrongly cut off before. After a short period of time, he prophesies to those who followed him that he will depart to the Lord, that the Hagarenes will not dwell on the islands until the end and that his bosom friend will not be indifferent to them, but that as soon as the storm of the sea ceases, they will return again to the spiritual fold. He therefore begs that they take his dead body with them from this foreign land and place it in the temple, for which he had labored so much. Having foretold these things to those with whom he associated and having sanctified everyone with farewell words, he gave up his spirit to God on the 16th of March. At the same time as the prophecy was fulfilled and the pirates disappeared from the sea by the power of the ruler, his good disciples remembered the prophecy of the virtuous shepherd and were preparing to set sail. For those who inhabited that country, having heard that they would be deprived of that honorable body, having gathered from the surrounding places, openly said that they would not allow this for any reason. For they thought it would be foolish and completely unwise to allow others to move it wherever they wanted, because (the Saint) was for them a savior, a physician and a healer of every disease. That is why they guarded the deceased with strictness. But the prophecy of the blessed one was not to be denied. That is why, since the night had now advanced, escaping the attention of the guards, they carried the deceased on their shoulders and put him on board a ship and, having found a calm wind, they reached the island, disembarked the sacred tabernacle in a magnificent procession, praising God and perfuming the air with perfumes. And now the relic lies intact and unharmed in the church of the Apostle and gushes forth miraculous springs, and those who embrace it with faith sense a certain smell of myrrh and with the mere touch are sanctified and freed from all bodily harm.”
Saint Christodoulos was the founder of the Monastery of Saint John the Theologian on Patmos. After pirate raids on Patmos, he fled to Limni in the year 1092, together with Patmos monks and residents. He resided in this cave of Limni until the end of his life in 1093. After his death, monks from Patmos took his relics and transferred them to the island of the Apocalypse.
During his stay in Limni, the Saint composed his "Testament" and "Codicil" (March 1093). This Testament, in order to be valid, is signed by seven officials of the episcopal authority and the city of Euripos (Halkida), namely Leo, presbyter and sacerdotal officer of the city of Euripos, John, presbyter and notary of the see of Euripos, Michael… of the see of Euripos, Basil the lowly deacon… and notary of Euripos, etc.
In particular, Metropolitan John of Rhodes, in his work “Life and Conduct of the Venerable Father Christodoulos” recounts the stay and repose of Saint Christodoulos in Euripos, which occurred in the year 1093 AD, as well as the retrieval of his holy relics and their transfer to Patmos, writing the following:
“And the Saint arrived there with the brotherhood, where the sea water flows inward and then retreats again, creating a narrow sea, which the ancients called the Strait of Euripos. And there, having become the object of admiration of all and having earned due honor, as if he were an Angel in mortal flesh, he admonished his flock, so that they would not be displeased with frequent movements, nor foolishly resist the will of God, who saves everything in wisdom. But one of the monks, because he could not endure hardships, nor the twists and turns of virtue, like Judas of the twelve, departed from the company of the brothers and replaced that spiritual gathering with a garden that he rented. And, as the devil entered Judas and pushed him to betrayal, in the same way and with a wicked demon he tormented the monk who had been separated from the brotherhood and the illness of the small-minded brother was announced to the father. He, meek and forbearing, giving way to anger, after taking the holy Gospel, comes in the evening to the raging and insane man, reads the words of the Holy Spirit for the sick man and immediately the position of the sick man improves, who no longer wishes to be occupied with planting trees and watering gardens, but becomes willing to cultivate the land of virtue, thus returning once again to the flock, from which he had been wrongly cut off before. After a short period of time, he prophesies to those who followed him that he will depart to the Lord, that the Hagarenes will not dwell on the islands until the end and that his bosom friend will not be indifferent to them, but that as soon as the storm of the sea ceases, they will return again to the spiritual fold. He therefore begs that they take his dead body with them from this foreign land and place it in the temple, for which he had labored so much. Having foretold these things to those with whom he associated and having sanctified everyone with farewell words, he gave up his spirit to God on the 16th of March. At the same time as the prophecy was fulfilled and the pirates disappeared from the sea by the power of the ruler, his good disciples remembered the prophecy of the virtuous shepherd and were preparing to set sail. For those who inhabited that country, having heard that they would be deprived of that honorable body, having gathered from the surrounding places, openly said that they would not allow this for any reason. For they thought it would be foolish and completely unwise to allow others to move it wherever they wanted, because (the Saint) was for them a savior, a physician and a healer of every disease. That is why they guarded the deceased with strictness. But the prophecy of the blessed one was not to be denied. That is why, since the night had now advanced, escaping the attention of the guards, they carried the deceased on their shoulders and put him on board a ship and, having found a calm wind, they reached the island, disembarked the sacred tabernacle in a magnificent procession, praising God and perfuming the air with perfumes. And now the relic lies intact and unharmed in the church of the Apostle and gushes forth miraculous springs, and those who embrace it with faith sense a certain smell of myrrh and with the mere touch are sanctified and freed from all bodily harm.”
