John the Warrior
| John the Warrior | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Saint, Martyr | |
| Born | 4th century |
| Venerated in | Eastern Orthodox |
| Major shrine | According to a legend somewhere in Constantinople |
| Feast | 30 July (Julian) 12 August (Gregorian) |
John the Warrior (Greek: Ιωάννης ὁ στρατιώτης, Russian: Иоанн Воин, Ioann Voin) is a Christian saint and martyr. He was born in the 4th century and lived until his death in the Byzantine Empire. Forced by Julian the Apostate to serve as a warrior against Christianity, he was imprisoned after being caught helping people in need or defending Christians, and awaited there his death penalty. However, John the Warrior was released after the death of the emperor during a war.
The Warrior is always depicted as having dark hair and a beard, as well as weaing an weskit, trousers, boots, scale armour and a cape. Three symbols characterizes him; cross, spear and shield.
During the reign of Roman emperor Julian the Apostate in the last era of persecution towards Christians, John the Warrior served as a soldier in the army, and was forced by Julian to participate on Christian persecutions. However, as a Christian he warned other against attacks or possible imprisonments, and he sometimes visited prisoners. John was not only good towards Christians, but also towards the poor and people in need. He visited invalids and comforted the suffering. When Julian saw John supporting the Christians, he imprisoned him, where the warrior awaited his death penalty. However, in 363 BC Julian died during the Battle of Samarra, and subsequently John was released from the prison.
The exact date of death is unknown, but it is known that he died of very old age. According to a legend, he ordered the place of his funeral and subsequently a devout woman appeared. His relics were preserved in a church in Constantinople dedicated to John the Apostle. It is believed that his relics perform miracles. Believers ask the Saint for intercession and solace for casualties and bereaved people.
In the Russian Orthodox tradition, John the Warrior is regarded a helper in sorrow and poverty. Veneration was more common in Little Russia. According to Legends of the Saints (Сказании о святых), the saint was required to pray a special prayer to reobtain stolen things and escaped servants. In the prologs about the Warrior it is said that he "better prevents servants from fleeing, warns about theft and makes evident revelation". There is an icon in the Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kiev depicting John the Warrior with prayers and kontaktions to the saint. The first verses are,
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