Saint Theodore of Shoteb

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The Roman King Nomarios sent his general Anastasius to Upper Egypt to gather strong men to fight the war against the Persians. He arrived at Shoteb (a small town beside Asiut in Upper Egypt) and was highly impressed by Youhanna (John) of Shoteb and took him back to Antioch.

In Antioch God gave him grace and found favor at the king and was not permitted to go to war. Anastasius the general took him to his house and Youhanna married the general 's daughter Osania and they had Theodore (which means the sacrifice of God).

Osania asked Youhanna to pay homage to her idols. He refused and said to her that when Theodore would grow up he would take him to Egypt and baptize him and make him make him live as a good Christian. Osania got scared to loose her son and began threatening Youhanna. Jesus Christ appeared to Youhanna and relieved him his fears and asked him to return to Egypt and God will take care of his son.

Theodore grew up. He learned form his neighbors that his father in not dead as his mother made him believe and that he is a Christian from Shoteb in Egypt. He faced his mother with these facts and crushed the idols in the palace , this made the devils furious and threatened him. He then left the palace and got baptized, at the age of 16.

He was appointed a general officer (Stratelates). During one of his regiment's patrols he saw a deer and between his horns a lamb in a circle of light telling him "Theodore, I am the lamb of God, that takes away the sin of the world, I am the God of your father Youhanna". Theodore tried to catch the deer, so he said to him "Do not try to catch me my beloved Theodore, it is me who catches you by the net of me divinity, go see your father Youhanna in Egypt before you get martyred on my name".

He appointed a friend of his in command of the army in his absence and went to Shoteb looking for his father. He found him five days before his death and Theodore ordered that his body would be buried beside his father. He then returned back to the command of the army.

War rose between the Romans and the Persians. Diocletian gathered his armies and conquered the Persians. In this war St. Theodore of Shoteb met St. Theodore the Oriental.

The governor of Euchaita died and Diocletian appointed St. Theodore of Shoteb in his place. A dragon used to attack the city oftenly and the town's people would offer him some boys to appease him. It happened at that time a widow arrived town with her two sons, they kidnapped her sons and tied them to a siris tree as offerings for the dragon. The wido appealed for the aid of St. Theodore. He killed the dragon and saved her sons. The town people believed in Jesus Christ and St. Theodore destroyed the pagan's temple. When the priests of the idols saw their Goods destroyed they complained to Diocletian .

Diocletian sent for St. Theodore. He was not scared and confessed his faith in Christ. The emperor tortured him severely. He died four times in three times the Lord raised him and in the fourth he obtained the garland of martyrdom on Abib 20, 36 A.M. July 27, 320 A.D.