St. Vitalis of the monastery of Abba Serid (Seridos) at Gaza (609-620)
Commemorated on January 11 and April 22
He lived for many years as a monk in Palestine, then went to
Alexandria to labor for the salvation of women living as prostitutes. He worked
with his hands by day, keeping only a tenth of his earnings for himself. By
night, he would take the rest of his earnings to the prostitutes' quarter and
offer his money to one of them, on condition that she would not give herself up
to sin that night, but instead stay with him, praying all night for his
salvation. When he left her, he would make her promise to tell no one of this
arrangement. Not surprisingly, complaints soon reached the Patriarch, St John
the Merciful (November 12) about this monk who was causing scandal by his
immoral life; but the Patriarch, discerning Vitalis' heart, did nothing. When St
Vitalis died, a writing tablet was found near his body, on which was written:
"Inhabitants of Alexandria, judge not before the time, until the coming of the
Day of the Lord." Then many women who had been converted from an immoral life by
the Saint came forward and told of his good deeds. The people of Alexandria
honored him with a lavish funeral.
Saint Vitalis shows us in at least two ways that the wisdom of the holy is
foolishness to the world: He never sought to justify himself in the eyes of the
world, but on the contrary did everything he could to hide his virtues; and, for
all his holiness, he counted himself more sinful than the "fallen," , asking
them to pray for his salvation.
