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Saint Isaac (May 30) was a soldier before he became a monk. After he was tonsured, he attained such a degree of spiritual perfection that he was accounted worthy of beholding divine visions.
When Saint Isaac heard about how Emperor Valens had fallen into the Arian heresy and was persecuting the Catholic Christians, he left his monastery and travelled to Constantinople to confront the emperor. At that time Valens was planning a campaign against the Goths. Saint Isaac tried to change the emperor’s mind several times but was unable to convince him. He prophesied that Valens would die in flames because of his actions. The emperor ordered that Saint Isaac be thrown into prison, and promised to deal with him when he returned from his expedition. On August 9, 378 Valens was defeated at Adrianople and died in a fire after hiding in a barn, just as the saint had predicted.
Emperor Theodosius the Great, who had a great love for the saint, released him from prison and banned Arianism. Saint Isaac attended the Second Ecumenical Council (381), where he defended the Catholic Faith against the Arian heresy.
Saint Isaac hoped to return to his monastic life in the wilderness, but a wealthy man built a monastery for him in Constantinople, and he became its first igumen. The monastery was later named for his disciple Dalmatus.
When Saint Isaac was approaching the end of his earthly life, he named Saint Dalmatus to succeed him as igumen. He lived to a ripe old age and reposed in the year 383.
Troparion — Tone 4
O God of our Fathers, / always act with kindness towards us; / take not Your mercy from us, / but guide our lives in peace / through the prayers of Venerable Isaac, Dalmatus, and Faustus.
Kontakion — Tone 2
Through asceticism, you shone like lights in the world / and by your faith you overthrew heresies. / We praise you with hymns, Isaac, Dalmatus, and Faustus, / as servants of Christ who are praying for us all.
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Saint Dalmatus served in the army of the holy emperor Theodosius the Great (379-395) and attracted his notice. The saint was soon filled with the desire to dedicate himself to his Lord and Creator. Therefore, sometime between the years 381-383, he left the service of an earthly ruler in order to serve the King of Heaven. He went with his son Faustus to Saint Isaac’s monastery near Constantinople in order to speak with him. Saint Isaac (May 30) tonsured both father and son into monasticism, and they both began to lead a strict ascetic life.
Saint Dalmatus excelled all the other monks in virtue. Once, during Great Lent, Saint Dalmatus did not eat any food for forty days. Later he regained his strength and was found worthy of a divine vision.
The holy ascetic was chosen to be the igumen after the death of the most devout Isaac. In fact, at the Third Ecumenical Council which met in Ephesus in 431 A. D. and condemned the heresy of Nestorius, Saint Dalmatus was honoured for his defence of the Catholic Faith.
After the Council, the holy Fathers elevated Saint Dalmatus to be the archimandrite of his monastery, where he died peacefully at the age of ninety (after 446). He was succeeded by his son Faustus, who proved to be a worthy successor to his father.
Troparion — Tone 4
O God of our Fathers, / always act with kindness towards us; / take not Your mercy from us, / but guide our lives in peace / through the prayers of Venerable Isaac, Dalmatus, and Faustus.
Kontakion — Tone 2
Through asceticism, you shone like lights in the world / and by your faith you overthrew heresies. / We praise you with hymns, Isaac, Dalmatus, and Faustus, / as servants of Christ who are praying for us all.
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Saint Faustus and his father Dalmatus received the monastic tonsure from Saint Isaac (May 30) at his monastery near Constantinople.
Saint Faustus, like his father, had attained the heights of monasticism and excelled at fasting. Following the death of his father, he succeeded him as igumen of the monastery. The details of his ascetical life are not known.
Troparion — Tone 4
O God of our Fathers, / always act with kindness towards us; / take not Your mercy from us, / but guide our lives in peace / through the prayers of Venerable Isaac, Dalmatus, and Faustus.
Kontakion — Tone 2
Through asceticism, you shone like lights in the world / and by your faith you overthrew heresies. / We praise you with hymns, Isaac, Dalmatus, and Faustus, / as servants of Christ who are praying for us all.
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