February: Day 29: Venerable Cassian the Roman

February: Day 29:
Venerable Cassian the Roman
 
(On Leaving the World for God)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Venerable Cassian, whose memory is celebrated today, lived at the end of the fourth and the first half of the fifth century. At that time, spiritual enlightenment was most widespread in the East. In the East, the ascetic life developed in all its strength; the deserts and mountains were populated by holy monks, whose glorious names were honored by the entire Christian world. Striving for spiritual perfection, Cassian in his youth left the home of his parents and all the pleasures of the world, left his fatherland, Rome, and came to the East. He lived for some time in the desert of Scetis, took monastic vows in Bethlehem, went around all the desert monasteries of the Thebaid, listened to Saint John Chrysostom in Constantinople, and only after many years returned to Rome. This was during the persecution raised against John Chrysostom; Cassian was one of those who sought his protection.

The Irony of the Only Greek Orthodox Church Dedicated to Saint John Cassian Being in Nicosia

It is ironic that the only Greek Orthodox Church dedicated to Saint John Cassian is located in Nicosia of Cyprus. According to a folk tradition among Greeks, which stems from the fact that Saint John Cassian is only celebrated every four years because his feast falls on February 29th, the binary leap year, he is considered the only officially "unfairly treated" Saint of the Church. It is said that this day was imposed on him because in Paradise he was being "mischeivous" and would disperse "fiery demons" from there. The respected Professor of Modern Greek History at the University of Cyprus, Mr. Petros Papapolyvios, informs us that in modern Greek literature, Georgios Vizyinos (1884) and Christos Christovasilis (1903) refer to this specific punishment. Nicosia also, as the capital of Cyprus, is divided into a binary, with half of it being under the Greeks while the other half under the Turks. During the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, the invasion stopped just 30 meters away from the Church of Saint Cassian, which is considered a miracle on his part, and from there the binary division took place.