John the Almoner
Martyrological notice
[t. John was married, but when his wife and two chil- dren died he considered it a call from God to lead a perfect life. He began to give away all he possessed in alms, and became known throughout the East as the Al- moner. He was appointed Patriarch of Alexandria; but before he would take possession of his see he told his serv- ants to go over the town and bring him a list of his lords — meaning the poor. They brought word that there were seventy-five hundred of them, and these he undertook to feed every day. On Wednesday and Friday in every week he sat on a bench before the church, to hear the complaints of the needy and aggrieved ; nor would he permit his serv- ants to taste food until their wrongs were redressed. The fear of death was ever before him, and he never spoke an idle word. He turned those out of church whom he saw talking, and forbade all detractors to enter his house. He
Alban Butler — Lives of the Saints, with Reflections for Every Day in the Year (1894) · ST. JOHN THE ALMONER.
[t. John was married, but when his wife and two chil- dren died he considered it a call from God to lead a perfect life. He began to give away all he possessed in alms, and became known throughout the East as the Al- moner. He was appointed Patriarch of Alexandria; but before he would take possession of his see he told his serv- ants to go over the town and bring him a list of his lords — meaning the poor. They brought word that there were seventy-five hundred of them, and these he undertook to feed every day. On Wednesday and Friday in every week he sat on a bench before the church, to hear the complaints of the needy and aggrieved ; nor would he permit his serv- ants to taste food until their wrongs were redressed. The fear of death was ever before him, and he never spoke an idle word. He turned those out of church whom he saw talking, and forbade all detractors to enter his house. He left seventy churches in Alexandria, where he had found but seven. A merchant received from St. John five pounds weight of gold to buy merchandise. Having suffered ship- wreck and lost all, he had again recourse to John, who said, "Some of your merchandise was ill-gotten,'^ and gave him ten pounds more; but the next voyage he lost ship as well as goods. John then said, "The ship was wrongfully acquired. Take fifteen pounds of gold, buy
Little pictorial lives of the saints : with reflections for every day in the year : compiled from "Butler's Lives" and other approved sources : to which are added lives of the American saints : placed on the calendar for the United States by special petition of the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore · ST. JOHN THE ALMONER.
BT. John was married, but when his wife and two chil- dren died he considered it a call from God to lead a perfect life. He began to give away all he possessed in alms, and became known throughout the East as the Almoner. He was appointed Patriarch of Alexandria ; but before he would take possession of his see he told his ser- vants to go over the town and bring him a list of his lords — meaning the poor. They brought word that there were seventy-five hundred of them, and these he undertook to feed every day. On Wednesday and Friday in every week he sat on a bench before the church, to hear the complaints of the needy and aggrieved ; nor would he permit his ser- vants to taste food until their wrongs were redressed. The fear of death was ever before him, and he never spoke an idle word. He turned those out of church whom he saw talking, and forbade all detractors to enter his house. He
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