Saint John the Short
🔹 Early Life and Dedication to God
Saint Yoannis was from Betsa in Upper Egypt, born to a family rich in faith and good deeds. At eighteen, he turned away from worldly desires, longing for monastic life. Guided by divine grace, he went to the Wilderness of Scetis, where he met the holy elder Abba Bamouy of Bahnasa.
🔹 Obedience and Endurance
When tested by Abba Bamouy, who warned him that the desert was full of hardship, Yoannis humbly insisted, “Do not turn me away for God’s sake.” God revealed to the elder in a vision that this young man would be a chosen vessel. After receiving the monastic habit, Yoannis lived a strict life of fasting and humility. Even when his teacher expelled him to test him, he waited outside for seven days saying, “I have sinned, Father,” until angels appeared crowning him with seven crowns.
🔹 The Fruit of Obedience
When Abba Bamouy gave him a dry stick and ordered him to plant and water it daily—though the water source was twelve miles away—Yoannis obeyed faithfully, and after three years the stick became a fruitful tree. The elder rejoiced, saying, “Eat from the fruit of obedience.” That tree still stands as a testimony of faith.
🔹 Service to His Master
For twelve years, Yoannis lovingly cared for his sick teacher without complaint. Before dying, Abba Bamouy told the other monks, “Keep this one carefully, for he is an angel, not a man.”
🔹 The Chosen Saint
He was later ordained a priest by Patriarch Theophilus, and those present heard a heavenly voice say, “Worthy, worthy.” He was granted the gift of discerning who was worthy to receive Communion. When sent to Babylon of the Chaldeans to bring the relics of the three holy youths, God revealed to him that they must remain there, and when he returned, the church lamps miraculously lit by themselves as a divine sign.
🔹 Humility and Compassion
When barbarians attacked the desert, Yoannis left not out of fear, but to spare his potential killer from condemnation, saying, “I do not wish to be at peace while another suffers because of me.” He went to Mount Saint Anthony, where a faithful man cared for him.
🔹 His Peaceful Departure and the Vision of Angels
Saints Anthony and Macarius appeared to him, announcing his upcoming rest. On Sunday night, angels and saints came to carry his pure soul to heaven. His servant saw them shining, with Saint Anthony in front like the sun. He found Yoannis’s body kneeling in prayer as he had departed, and when the villagers carried his body with great honor, God performed many miracles through it.
