John the Silent

John Hesychastes (also Sabaites, Silentiarius ); ( Born January 8, 454 in Nicopolis, now Koyulhisar in the province of Sivas, † January 8 559 in Jerusalem) was 482-491 Bishop of Kolonia.

At the age of 18 he inherited from his parents a large fortune, with whom he founded a monastery in Nicopolis and a church was built. As 482 the Bishop of Kolonia in Armenia ( Aksaray ) died, he took over the office. 491 he fled to Sabas in the Great Lavra in Jerusalem, where he concealed his identity. 503-509 he lived as a hermit in the desert and then returned to the Lavra. Its created by Cyril of Scythopolis, Vita reported amazing occurrences. John said to have become 105 years old.

Named after John Hesychasm has gained new momentum in the 19th and early 20th century by the Russian Imjaslavie movement and is today in the Orthodox Church in Russia, a widespread practice of prayer. December 7 ( Catholic) and March 30 and 3 December (Orthodox ) are given as a memorial.