Job of Pochayev

Saint Job of Pochayev
Iconof the "Holy Venerable Job,IgumenofPochayev" withrelicinserted at lower right
Hegumen
Born	c. 1551 nearKolomyia,Ruthenian Voivodeship,Kingdom of Poland
Died	28 October 1651 Pochayiv,Volhynian Voivodeship,Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
Venerated in	Eastern Orthodox Church
Majorshrine	Pochayev Lavra
Feast	October 10 (Synaxis) October 28 (Repose) May 6 (Feast day) August 28 (Uncovering of Relics)
Attributes	Vested as amonk,holding anabbot'scrozier

Job of Pochayev(Ukrainian:Йов Почаївський;c. 1551 – 28 October 1651), to the worldIvan Zalizo(Ukrainian:Іван Залізо), inGreat SchemaJohn(Ukrainian:Іоан) was anEastern Orthodoxmonkandsaint.

Childhood and early years

Job was born around 1551 near the city ofKolomyia,Galicia,when it was within thePolish kingdom.

His pious parents John and Agapia of the Zalizo (lit. "Iron" ) family, named him Ivan (John) afterJohn the Baptist.ThelivesofRastko Nemanjić,John of Damascusand "The Ladder" byJohn Climacuswere the models of virtuous life for the young Ivan. According to his biographer and disciple Dositheus, while he was young in years he was perfect in wisdom, and the boy differed from other children by his high spiritual aspirations, with never a contradiction in his words, knowledge and actions.

Joining Uhornytskyi monastery

At the age of 10 he secretly left home for theTransfigurationUgornikiMonastery,and asked thehegumen(abbot) to accept him to serve the brothers. When Ivan turned 12, he wastonsuredas a monk and was given the name Job. Since then, he began to follow the example of the biblical characterJobas a model of living. Reaching the age of 31 he was offeredpriestlyordination,which he accepted.

Transfer to Dubno monastery and literary work

After the repeated offers of a local,Konstantin Ostrozhsky,the defender of Orthodoxy, he was transferred to the island monastery of theExaltation of the Crossoutside ofDubnothat belonged to the duke's estates in theRivne region.The monastery was arranged after the canons ofTheodore the Studite.There, for 20 years, Job served as hegumen (abbot) and engaged himself in the writing of theological books.

The collection of his works,The Book of the Venerable Job of Pochayiv, Written by His Own Hand,contained 80 teachings, conversations, andsermonsof St. Job, as well as excerpts he himself compiled from the writings of theHoly Fathers.It was translated intoRussianand republished in 1881 under the titlePchela Pochayevskaya(The Bee of Pochayiv), edited by the professor of theKievTheological Academy, N. Petrov.

In his writings, Job defended Orthodoxy against theProtestantheresies(especially theSocinianists) that were spreading in western Malorossiya during his time, writing on the most important Orthodoxdogmasof theTrinity,thedivinity of Christ,about theMother of God,baptismand everything that was rejected by Protestant missionaries.

Job also critiquedRoman Catholicteachings regarding the use ofunleavened breadin theEucharist,among other doctrinal differences in the face of Roman Catholicpersecutionof Orthodoxy following theUnion of Brest(1596). Many Orthodox Christians living in Poland at the time were deprived of their rights, and attempts were made to force them to convert to Catholicism. A number of Orthodox bishops even becameapostatestoUniatism.To counteract this problem, Job and others defended Orthodoxy by copying and disseminating Orthodox books. Prince Ostrozhsky was also responsible for theOstrog Bible(1581), the first printed edition of the complete Orthodox Bible.

Hermit withdrawal to Pochayev

A view of thePochayivLavraas it appears today.

On account of his growing fame, he decided to withdraw as ahermitinto the mountaincaves monasteryatPochayevinKremenetsdistrict. Having joined the monastery in 1604, Job was eventually electedhegumen.

Job was quiet, brief in words, and the only sound heard from his lips was theJesus prayer.For many days and weeks he would retreat into his locked cave, so narrow that entry is difficult, and so small that it was impossible to sit, stand or lie conveniently. From the long periods of kneeling, his knees were covered with wounds, and wearing knee-marks into the rock floor. His disciple Dosyfey recounts that he sawsupernatural lightcoming from the depths of the cave, shining for two hours onto the opposite side of the church. Dosyfey records that at the sight he was terrified and fell to the ground.

Job introduced strict discipline and other reforms of monastic life. During his time in office, the monastery had to fend off incessant attacks byAndrzej Firlej,CastellanofBelz,who sued the monks over his grandmother's bequest of extensive lands and a miracle-working icon of the Mother of God. In 1623, Firlej raided the monastery, taking the holy icon with him and keeping it until 1641, when a court decision finally restituted the icon to the monks.

In 1628 Job attended theSynodof Kiev, called to defend the Orthodox Church against Uniatism.

Sometime after 1642, he was tonsured into theGreat Schema,and received the new monastic name of John.

Death and canonization

Icon of Saint Job of Pochayiv.

Job of Pochayev (1551-1651), the igumen of Pochayv Monastery. Oil, canvas, the end of the 19th century

Job died on 25 October 1651 and wasglorifiedas a saint shortly thereafter. After his death, Job appeared three times in avisionto Dionysius Balaban, theMetropolitan of Kiev,and instructed him that God wanted the Metropolitan to uncover the saint'srelics.

After the first two visions, Metropolitan Dionysius did not follow the order. Only after the third, when Job threatened him with misfortune should he continue to disobey, did Dionysius see in it God’s will. The same day, the Metropolitan departed forPochayevand gave orders to open the grave of Job immediately.

This took place on 28 August 1659. His body was found to beincorrupt,emitting a wonderful and heavenly fragrance. The relics were taken to theTrinity Cathedralof the Lavra for veneration.

A second "Uncovering of the Relics" of Job of Pochayev took place on 28 August 1833, at which his relics were solemnly transferred to a churchconsecratedto his honour which had been built at the Pochayev Lavra.

Every year, on 28 August a great number of Orthodoxpilgrimscome to Pochayev Lavra to honour Saint Job,veneratehis relics, and ask for hisintercession.

Healings and miracles

The Church dedicated to St. Job at the Pochayev Lavra.

During theZbarazh Warof 1675, the cloister was besieged by theTurks,who reputedly fled upon seeing the apparition of theTheotokos(Mother of God) accompanied by angels and Job. Numerous Turkish Muslims who witnessed the event during the siege converted to Christianity afterward. One of the monastery chapels commemorates this event.

The Battle of Pochayev during the Zbarazh War in 1675. TheTheotokosand Job are depicted above the monastery, defending the cloister while the battle rages below.

In 1759, a coach of CountMikołaj Bazyli Potockicapsized near the monastery walls. In a fit of anger, Potocki fired at his driver three times, all without avail. Attributing this failure to divine intervention, Potocki settled in Pochayiv and started to lavish gifts upon the cloister.

In 1773, Potocki (who was aRoman Catholic) petitioned the Pope to recognize the Pochayev icon as miraculous and Job as a Catholic saint. Only the former petition was satisfied.

On 28 October 1908 when theBishopofVolhyniaand the faithful celebrated thefeast dayof Saint Job, Job repeatedly appeared in a vision in front of the bishop and blessed theHoly Mysteries(Body and Blood of Christ).

The cave church of St Job contains a famous gift from Countess Orlova - a silver reliquary with relics of the saint.

The Printshop of St. Job of Pochaev atHoly Trinity MonasteryinJordanville, New York,is dedicated to Job, and is the principal press of theRussian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia,publishing liturgical and spiritual works inChurch Slavonic,RussianandEnglish.

Feast Days

TheEastern Orthodox Churchcelebrates his memory onOctober 28,the day of his repose (for those churches which follow theJulian CalendarOctober 28 falls on November 10 of theGregorian Calendar,a difference of 13 days).

OnAugust 28/September 10 the church celebrates the anniversary of the Uncovering of his Relics.In 1902, theHoly Synoddecreed that on this day the holy relics of St Job be carried inprocessionaround theDormition Cathedralof the Pochaev Lavra after theDivine Liturgy.

andOctober 10/23 (as one of the seven saints commemorated on the Synaxis of the Saints of Volhynia).

See also

• Pochayiv Lavra

External links

• Saints of Orthodox Volyn
• An Excerpt From the Life of St. Job of Pochayiv
• Wonders of the Pochayiv Mount
• (in Ukrainian)Blessed Job of Pochayiv
• Repose of the Venerable Job, Abbot and Wonderworker of PochaevOrthodoxiconandsynaxarion