Shio the Anchorite

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

Our father among Saints, Venerable Shio Mgvime, Anchorite of Georgia, 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 already in his early years he became accomplished in his ability to expound the Word of God. After hearing about a holy ascetic named John, Shio secretly left his parental home and went to the saint. John made the youth return to his parents, and foretold that his parents would become monastics. The prediction was soon fulfilled. Shio distributed his inheritance and 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.

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