Commemorated on April 12
The PriestMonk
Zenon, Bishop of Verona, was born a Greek and came from Syria. In his early
years he accepted monasticism and toiled over the study of Holy Scripture.
Wandering through the monasteries, the saint came to the city of Verona and
settled there. The people chose him bishop of the city.
The emperors who then
ruled, Constantius (353-361) and Valens (364-378), were advocates of the Arian
heresy, which had been condemned at the First OEcumenical Council at Nicea in
the year 325. Under their patronage the Arians began a persecution against the
Orthodox. Saint Zenon bravely endured all the oppression from the heretics. In
his sermons and missives he firmly asserted the Orthodox teaching about the
Lord Jesus Christ as the Only-Begotten Son of God, Born of the Father before
all ages. Saint Zenon wrote 16 lengthy and 77 short discourses and directives.
He died in about the year 360.
Sainted Gregory
Dialogus (Comm. 12 March) speaks of a miracle, worked in the year 558 on the
day of memory of Saint Zenon. Springtime in Italy, it was heavily flooded. The
River Tiber overflowed its banks and inundated the surrounding area; the River
Atesis flowing past Verona also flooded. The water reached the church built in
the name of the PriestMartyr Zenon, and came up to the very windows of the
church. The doors of the temple were open, but the water did not rush into it,
but stopped at the wall, not harming the church.
© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos.
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