The Church today commemorates Venerable Alexios, the Man of God, as he remains in the consciousness of believers within the Church.
He was born in Rome during the reign of Theodosios the Great. His parents were faithful and virtuous people, possessed a great fortune, and were distinguished for the virtue of alms. His parents’ persistence led the venerable to marriage, which he abandoned, with the consent of his wife. Taking enough money with him, he secretly left for Syria’s Edessa, where he lived for 17 years practicing asceticism, praying, and studying the word of God, without neglecting to provide for the poor.
Afterwards, he returned to Rome, where he met his parents and his wife and lived with them for another 17 years without revealing his identity. During this time, he did not stop ministering to his fellow humans and praying incessantly, with love and prudence.
The appellative “Man of God” was given to Alexios miraculously by God Himself, who informed Bishop Innocent I of Rome, at the time of the Divine Liturgy and before many witnesses, about the dormition of the monk Alexios, which would occur next day. His relatives were informed of his identity by a note he had kept in his belt and had prepared himself when he received information from the Lord about his upcoming departure from the world.
Source: Church of Cyprus
