Shio the Anchorite

St. John the Forerunner, the Theotokos and St. Shio

The venerable father Shio Mgvime was a Georgian anchorite whose preaching of the Word of God and ascetic life led to the founding of a number of monasteries in Georgia. He is remembered on May 9, the day of his repose, and on May 7 with St John of Zedazeni and his twelve disciples which included St Shio.

Life

Our venerable father Shio Mgvime was born in Syrian Antioch. His parents were Christians and raised their son as their only heir. The youth received a fine education; he studied the Holy Scripture, and by a young age he was accomplished in expounding the Word of God. After hearing about a holy ascetic named John, Shio secretly left his parents' home and went to the saint. However, John made the youth return to his parents, foretelling that they would become monastics. This prediction was soon fulfilled. Shio later distributed his inheritance and also received the monastic tonsure from St. John.

Twenty years later, Shio set off to Georgia to preach the Word of God with twelve other chosen disciples of St. John. With the blessing both of his teacher and of the Georgian Katholikos Eulabius, St. Shio settled in a cave west of the city of Mtskhet, where he made austere ascetic efforts and was vouchsafed miraculous visions. The solitary life of the ascetic became known, and soon the place of the saint's struggles was transformed into a monastery, where he established a church dedicated to the Most Holy Trinity.

Later on, other churches were built in honor of the Mother of God and St. John the Forerunner. All the churches were consecrated by the Katholikos Macarius. The number of brethren increased, and the monk gave his blessing for them to found the Mgvim monastery, while he continued his deeds of salvation in seclusion.

St. Shio reposed on May 9. On the night before his death, he partook of the Holy Mysteries and gave the brethren a final salvific instruction. The saint's relics were buried in the monastery he founded. St Shio is the author of 160 precepts for the brethren.

Sources

• Repose of the Venerable Shio the Anchorite of Georgia (OCA)
• Venerable Shio Mgvime (OCA)

External links

• Saint Shio from "Lives of the Georgian Saints"
• St. Shio of Mvgime