Venerable Malchus

Life

Malchus was a farmer from the vicinity of Antioch, and from his youth had directed his whole spirit toward God. Arabs captured him, and in captivity compelled him to take an Arab woman as his wife. But he led her to the faith of Christ and lived with her as brother with sister. They agreed and escaped from captivity. But the Arabs nearly caught them. They took refuge in a cave, in which they saw a lioness with her cubs and were frightened. But God preserved them. The lioness did not harm them, but slew an Arab who tried to enter the cave to seize the fugitives. Having arrived at his home, Malchus placed his wife in a women's monastery, and he himself went to a men's monastery. He lived for many years in ascetic labor and departed among the citizens of heaven, in the fourth century.