November 9translatedThis page has been translated from Serbian to English. It may contain minor phrasing or syntactic issues.

John is numbered among the greatest ascetics of Egypt. Kolov means "the Short," for he was of small stature. He came to Scetis together with his brother Daniel, and with exceeding great zeal he gave himself to ascetic struggle, so much so that his brother Daniel had to moderate him. He was a disciple of Saint Pambo and later a teacher to Saint Arsenius the Great. His fellow disciple under Saint Pambo was also Saint Paisius the Great. Once when he and Paisius were discussing what manner of ascetic struggle to undertake, an angel of God appeared to them and commanded John to remain in his place and teach others, while Paisius was to go into the desert and live as a hermit. To test John's obedience, Saint Pambo commanded him to water a dry stick thrust into the ground until it turned green. Without thought or doubt, John watered this dry wood for three full years, day after day, until indeed, by God's power, that wood turned green and bore fruit. Then Pambo gathered the fruit from that tree, took it to the church and distributed it to the brethren, saying: "Come and taste of the fruit of obedience!" John Kolov had a multitude of disciples. Some of his wise sayings have been preserved. He reposed peacefully and departed to the joy of his Lord.

Matrona was from Perge in Pamphylia. Her marriage to a certain nobleman of Constantinople named Dometian quickly became unbearable to her, so she fled, disguised herself in men's clothing, and under the name Babylas entered the monastery of Saint Bassian in Constantinople. But since her husband ceaselessly searched for her, she was compelled to change many locations, such as Emesa, Sidon, Jerusalem, Beirut, and finally came again to Constantinople. She became a nun at the age of twenty-five and struggled ascetically for seventy-five years. She lived a full one hundred years, and as abbess of a monastery in Constantinople peacefully ended her life and departed to the joy of her Lord in the year 492.

These two were Serbs by origin, and kinsmen of high Byzantine aristocrats. Euthymius was first a companion of Saint Athanasius and steward of his Lavra, and later the founder of Dochiariou Monastery. He reposed peacefully in the year 990. His nephew Neophyte succeeded his uncle as abbot of Dochiariou, multiplied the brotherhood, and built a great church. He reposed at the beginning of the eleventh century.

Symeon was a gifted citizen of Constantinople. He had both secular and spiritual education. He became imperial logothete and first nobleman at the court. Yet he lived purely and blamelessly like a true ascetic. He was distinguished also by great military courage and wisdom in statecraft. For this reason Emperor Leo the Wise greatly esteemed him, and once sent him to Crete to negotiate peace with the Arabs, who at that time had occupied this island. Having successfully completed this mission, he returned to Constantinople, and soon withdrew from the world and worldly affairs. He wrote Lives of the saints, composing one hundred twenty-two new biographies and correcting five hundred thirty-nine biographies. He reposed around the year 960. From his body flowed fragrant and healing myrrh.

Born on the island of Lesbos, she became a nun at the age of seventeen. Wild Saracens attacked that island and captured all who came into their hands, including Theoctiste with her sister. When the Saracens brought the captives to market on the island of Paros, Theoctiste fled from the crowd and hid herself. She hid herself in the middle of the island in an abandoned church, where she struggled ascetically for thirty-five years. She reposed peacefully in the year 881.