They draw beautiful names, we honor the patron saint of farmers and shepherds – society

The Orthodox Church celebrates St. Modestus, Patriarch of Jerusalem – St. Modestus is known as the patron saint of farmers and shepherds.

The name of Saint Modesto is rarely seen and heard throughout the ethnic Bulgarian territory, but in the region of Strandzha it is especially popular.

He is revered as a protector of livestock, which is probably why he is revered in Strandja, where cattle breeding is the main means of livelihood.

San Modesto, archbishop of Jerusalem, was born in Sebastia di Cappadocia (in Asia Minor), on the border with Armenia, into a Christian family and from an early age he felt the attraction for the rigid monastic life.

Beautiful names draw today

St. Modest took monastic vows and later headed the monastery of the Venerable Theodosius the Great, the founder of dormitory monasticism in Palestine, founded in the 4th century.

Around this time (614) the Persian king Chosroi joined the Jews in exterminating the Christians and undertook a devastating invasion of Syria and Palestine.

Tens of thousands of Christians were killed, Christian temples were destroyed, Patriarch of Jerusalem Zachary and many other Christians were taken prisoner along with the Holy Cross of the Lord.

In this troubled time of S. Modesto he was charged with temporarily governing the Church of Jerusalem as vicar of the patriarchal chair. He carefully collected the remains of the murdered monks from the monastery of St. Sava, consecrated them and buried them with honour.

With the help of St. Alexandrian Patriarch John the Merciful he stopped the destruction of the Jerusalem Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Bethlehem temple and other Christian holy places.

Fourteen years later, Patriarch Zachary returned from captivity with the Cross of the Lord. After his death, S. Modesto was appointed patriarch of Jerusalem (632).

The holiday is celebrated with colorful ritual practices. On this day, draft animals – buffaloes, horses, oxen – should not be harnessed. The women knead and distribute special ritual loaves and cakes, necessarily anointed with a lot of oil, “so that the necks of the cattle are anointed”.

If cattle often die in a house, the hosts that day place a small yoke or horn of aluminum, and sometimes of silver, in front of the icon of the saint.

They celebrate a name day Modesto, Modyu and Modeus.