Righteous4th century

Martyr John the Soldier

fourth century; died at an advanced age, year unknown

Also known as John the Soldier of Constantinople

A soldier under Julian the Apostate who, sent to hunt down Christians, secretly warned and sheltered them instead, and after imprisonment lived out his days in holiness; he is invoked for the finding of lost things and lost people.

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The Holy Martyr John the Soldier

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Life

John the Soldier, also called John the Warrior, was a Christian who served in the Roman army during the reign of the emperor Julian the Apostate (361-363). Though enrolled among the troops sent to harass and arrest believers, he used his position to protect them instead, secretly remaining faithful while outwardly carrying out his duties.

Rather than persecute Christians, John warned them of impending arrests, freed those who had been seized, and helped others escape danger. He also cared more broadly for the suffering, visiting the sick and imprisoned, consoling the grieving, and aiding the poor. When his activities were discovered, he was arrested and imprisoned at Constantinople to await execution, but the death of Julian in 363 led to his release. He spent the remainder of his life in the service of his neighbor and reposed at an advanced age. He is venerated as a protector of those in sorrow and difficulty and is invoked for the recovery of stolen or lost things and for the return of runaways.

Kontakion & Troparion4 hymnsReadHide

KontakionTone 6

With hymns let us praise worthily the pious warrior of Christ,
who defeated the enemies of soul and body, the divinely-wise John the Martyr;
for by working miracles, he provides abundant healings to those who suffer,
and he entreats the Lord God to save the Orthodox from all misfortunes.

Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).

KontakionTone 3

You were revealed as a great joy for those who suffer misfortunes, O wonderworker John,
for you heal all the illnesses of those who pray to you by fulfilling their requests.
Therefore, even now, entreat the Lord
that He may save us by His mercy.

Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).

TroparionTone 4

O wonderworker John,
you became a truly faithful servant and warrior of the all-good God;
for after suffering courageously for the Faith and completing the course of your life in blessedness,
you beheld in the heavens the Lord and Creator of all most splendidly, and you help those who suffer all sorts of trials.
You strengthen soldiers in battle,
rescuing them from capture by the enemy, from wounds, from sudden death, and cruel misfortunes.
Therefore, O ever-memorable one, entreat the Master Christ, that He deal mercifully with us in every circumstance,
that He lead us not into temptations, but save our souls,
as the lover of mankind.

Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).

TroparionTone 8

Loving the blessedness of the Gospel, O divinely-wise John,
you have glorified the purity of your heart with virginity.
Therefore you rejected the vanity of this world, hastening to the contemplation of God,
Who glorified you with miracles of healing, to treat various sufferers.
Therefore, we implore you: "Entreat Christ the Lord to deliver us from all sorrows,
and that we may obtain the Kingdom of Heaven."

Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).

Timeline4 momentsReadHide

361-363Soldier under Julian the ApostateJohn served in the Roman army during the reign of Julian the Apostate. Compelled to take part in the persecution of Christians, he instead secretly aided them, freeing those arrested, warning others of danger, and helping them flee.
during Julian's reignArrest and imprisonmentWhen his support for Christians was discovered, John was arrested and imprisoned at Constantinople to await execution.
363Release after Julian's deathJulian died in 363 during his Persian campaign. With the persecution at an end, John was released from prison.
later lifeA life of holiness and the forgetting of his tombAfter his release John devoted himself to serving his neighbor, living in holiness and purity until his death at an advanced age. The year of his repose is unknown. By tradition he was buried in Pandekti, a cemetery for foreigners, and in time his grave was forgotten.

Contributions & Legacy

4 contributionsReadHide

Service in the Army of Julian

John lived in the fourth century and served as a soldier under the emperor Julian the Apostate, whose reign (361-363) saw a renewed official hostility toward Christianity. John was placed among those tasked with hunting down believers, but he remained a Christian in secret and turned his office to their protection.

According to the synaxarion he freed Christians who had been arrested, warned others of dangers threatening them, and assisted them in escaping. Beyond his fellow Christians, he is remembered for wider works of mercy: visiting the sick and the imprisoned, comforting the suffering, and helping those in poverty, while maintaining a personal discipline of prayer and fasting.

Imprisonment and Later Life

When Julian learned of John's secret support for Christians, he had him arrested and imprisoned at Constantinople, where John awaited a death sentence. The emperor's death in 363 during his Persian campaign brought the persecution to a close, and John was released.

He spent the rest of his life in the service of his neighbor, living in holiness and purity, and reposed at an advanced age. The exact year of his death is not known.

Relics & Shrines

After his burial his tomb fell into obscurity and was forgotten. Tradition relates that John later appeared to a devout woman, revealing his name and his life and indicating the location of his grave. His relics were uncovered and translated to the Church of the Apostle John the Theologian at Constantinople, where they were venerated as a source of healing for the grieving and afflicted.

Veneration and Intercession

John the Soldier is especially honored in the Russian Orthodox Church, where he is regarded as a great intercessor for those in sorrow, poverty, and difficult circumstances, and as a helper of the imprisoned. He is invoked in particular for the uncovering of thieves and the recovery of stolen or lost articles, and for the return of runaways. He is commemorated on July 30 in the Slavic tradition and on July 29 in the Greek tradition.

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Sources: OCA Synaxarion (oca.org), Lives of the Saints