“St John Jacob the New Chozebite is a great miracle worker and a fervent intercessor for the Romanian people, as well as for all who honour him with reverence and faith,” Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop Paisie of Sinaia emphasised on Wednesday at the chapel of Romania’s National Cathedral.
The bishop recalled the principal moments of the saint’s life, explaining that he directed his entire existence towards God, “training his mind to dwell only on spiritual things” and embracing a rigorous monastic life marked by fasting, asceticism, and vigilance over his thoughts.
“Having a pure soul and, from childhood, an inclination towards holy pursuits, in the summer of 1933, before he had even reached the age of twenty, the young Ilie chose to dedicate his life to God by entering the brotherhood of Neamţ Monastery.”
Bishop Paisie also recalled St John Jacob’s obedience during his years at the historic monastery.
“Because of his skill and compassion for the sick and suffering, he served for three years as an assistant in the monastery infirmary, caring for elderly and ailing monks.”
“He was entrusted with the obedience of librarian at Neamţ Monastery, the oldest and richest monastic library in our country. There, he was able to discover for himself the treasures of the writings of the Holy Fathers,” the bishop added.
A Romanian monk in the Holy Land
Bishop Paisie explained why St John Jacob decided to leave Romania for the Holy Land.
“Longing to walk in the footsteps of Christ the Saviour, he went to venerate the Holy Places where our Lord Jesus Christ was born, suffered, died, and rose again.”
“He served with great devotion as abbot of the Romanian Skete at the River Jordan for nearly six years (1947–1952). Assisted by several Romanian monks and faithful, he built a number of monastic cells near the church for both the resident monks and the pilgrims who stopped there,” His Grace said.
The Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop also highlighted the miraculous discovery of the saint’s relics in 1980 and his inclusion in the calendar of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem in 2015.
“Venerable John Jacob was enlisted in the Synaxarion of the Saints of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem under the name St John the New Chozebite, becoming the first saint of Romanian origin to be included in the Jerusalem Patriarchate’s Synaxarion.”
Prayer for the new National Cathedral chapel
In the concluding part of his homily, Bishop Paisie spoke about the progress of the new underground chapel of Romania’s National Cathedral, located 11 metres below ground level and dedicated to St John Jacob of Neamţ (Choziba) and St Daniel the Hesychast.
The bishop expressed hope that, with God’s help and the intercession of the chapel’s patron saints, the work would be successfully completed.
On the feast of St John Jacob of Neamţ, a reliquary containing a fragment of the saint’s holy relics, ordinarily kept in the historic chapel of the Patriarchal Residence, was brought for the veneration of the faithful.
Photo: Basilica.ro / Raluca-Emanuela Ene
