Saint Dorotheus of Gaza 6th Century
Saint Dorotheus of Gaza was born about 500 and died about 580. He was a Christian monk and abbot. He lived as a monk at the monastery of Seridus near Gaza and wrote instructions on the ascetic life that influenced both Eastern and Western monasticism. When one considers the effect Saint Dorotheus’ instructions had on thousands of people, one can appreciate his vast reach. Contacts between the intellectual environment of Gaza, especially of the rhetorical school of Gaza, and the monastic communities around the city are well known. Have you ever considered the strong effect of monks?
Saint Dorotheus Biography
Saint Dorotheus was born at the beginning of the sixth century into a prosperous family in Antioch in Syria. Not much is known about his childhood, but we know he was ill, and he battled illness for his entire life. He was close to his brother, who was also an astechic monk. Together, they built a hospital.
Throughout Saint Dorotheus’ life at the monastery, he was in close contact with the so-called Great Old Men, Barsanuphius and John, through the letters, the way they corresponded with other people. These great writers influenced him, and he influenced them. When the personal assistant to John fell ill, Dorotheus became the direct contact person between John and his petitioners, both in the monastic community and others.
Saint Dorotheus served in this position for nine years; during that time, he continued to mature spiritually, moving into a separate cell from the common dormitory and also starting to give spiritual direction to younger monks who came to him with their spiritual problems.
After the deaths of John and Seridus and the subsequent seclusion of Saint Barsanuphius between 540 and 543, the fate of Dorotheus becomes unknown. It has been suggested that he left the monastery and either joined or established a new monastery between Gaza and Maiuma, or that he also finally retired to a more secluded hermitage and devoted himself fully to contemplative life while possibly still serving as archimandrite to the surrounding monasteries. According to the legendary biography of Barsanuphius from the twelfth century southern Italy, Dorotheus died either in the 560s or 580s.
Saint Dorotheus Writings
Saint Dorotheus’ main work is called the Didaskaliai, a set of spiritual instructions in twenty-four sections regarding the ascetic life. Eight of his letters and a small collection of aphorisms also survive. These writings show Saint Dorotheus as a spiritual father himself and, in time, became better known than the Correspondence of Barsanuphius and John the Prophet.
As their most intimate disciple, the influence of Barsanuphius and John on Saint Dorotheus is significant. Similar to Barsanuphius, Dorotheus was less disposed towards speculative discussion and more interested in practical guidance for monks. There are also at least fifty-five references to the Sayings of the Desert Fathers in his writings, and he has also been considered the compiler of at least a part of these sayings. Finally, he has also been suggested as the editor of the Alloquia (conversations) of Abba Zosimas
So, Saint Dorotheus was a prolific writer. The title given to the Didaskaliai in the manuscripts starts with “Discourses from our holy father Dorotheos to his disciples, when he withdrew from that of Abba Seridos and, with God, founded his own monastery, after the death of Abba John the Prophet and the complete silence of Barsanuphius.”
Conclusion
Saint Dorotheus is yet another case of a saint from long ago that we know about because he left us extensive writings. In particular, he wrote the rules for living an aesthetic life. It is also interesting that he suffered from illness throughout his life. This is like many other saints. He shows that if you write a lot you will have a legacy, and that one can overcome health concerns to achieve great things.
