Saint Ariston Whom We Commemorate on February 22

 

Back in the days of old, our island was called the Island of Aphrodite (Venus). It was thought that she was born one morning from the foam of the Sea at Paphos. The festivals that were held in her honor throughout antiquity were an extraordinary phenomenon. A certain time of the year a vast number of people, celebrants and followers of this goddess came from all over Europe to our island for her celebration. Thus, our Cyprus, the island of that goddess had become a place of license and corruption.

When "the grace of God, the salvation of mankind" deemed it possible, a ship, one of the type that comes to our island, carried on it as passengers the Apostles Barnabas, Paul, and Mark, who later became the Evangelist (45AD). The situation changed drastically once and for all. The sermon of the Gospel that was planted by the servants of Christ into the hearts of the natives of the island in the areas that they visited, and which was continued with persistence by their successors had a powerful impact. The worship of the idols with all its implications on the life of the inhabitants was replaced by the worship of Christ with all its well- known characteristics. A complete transformation took place. The Apostle Paul himself declared this: "Wherever sin abounded, grace was more abundant." A place where the cult of Aphrodite had elevated sin and iniquity into a mode of life, the higher life of the humble teacher of Galilee begins to establish itself everywhere. The abject and corrupt society of Cyprus is replaced by a new world of goodness, and collectiveness. A world of self-denial and love. The island of Aphrodite becomes in a short period the island of the Theotokos, the island of the Saints.

A great number of holy men were born on Cyprus and lived in it. Amongst these men stands the figure of Saint Ariston, commonly known to the people as Saint Aristos who lived at the end of the fourth century and the beginning of the fifth. All we know about him comes to us from Saint Neophytos the Recluse who gives a vague description, as very little is known about him. An encomium was written to our Saint by Neophytos and two other Bishops but few are the details mentioned about his life. In the encomium he is described as a stalwart and a bastion against the demons. Ariston, the celebrated Bishop of Arsinoe is dreaded by the demons. From that time on and until the subjugation of the Church of Cyprus to the Latins, (1220AD) in the Diocese of Paphos there were two bishops. One in the territory of Paphos with the Diocese in New Paphos, and the other in the territory of Arsinoe with the Diocese at Arsinoe, at the location where the city of Chysochous is situated today. According to St. Neophytos, Ariston the famous Saint is the second in order of all Bishops at Arsinoe. The first was someone named Nicholas. Ariston is next in line, and then we have Saints Nikon and Arcadios. All these three, Ariston, Nikon, and Arcadios are considered by Neophytos as equal in stature to the three great Fathers of our Church, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom.

The description of Saint Ariston as a dread blow to the demons, "aristos aristeus against the demons", gives us reason to believe that this great personage was born of parents who were devout and pious Christians, who guided him along in his Christian upbringing. The sacred letters were his preoccupation from the first years of his life. A virtuous conduct and its pursuit was Ariston's main goal.

The words of the Prophet Jeremiah "It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth," (Jer. 2:27), were always before him. With this type of instruction he developed his good character. His complete submission to the Lord helped him establish the virtue of meekness and with meekness the queen of all virtues, humility. And from it, obedience, and sanctity.

Our Saint was a chosen servant of God. It was natural that he received the rewards and blessings of Heaven. His was a life of grace and truth. (John 1:14). That is why among the numerous gifts that God bestowed upon him was the grace to perform miracles, even during his lifetime. Our Saint became a source of miracles. Miracles of healing and especially of those who were possessed. Rightfully does the Saint Neophytos describe him as a blow to the demons, "kata demonon pen aristos aristeus." His deep faith and devotion to God were the means that gave him such wondrous works, whose purpose was to comfort and of relieve those who suffered under all their tribulations and also to the glory of God. Saint Ariston retained this gift not only when he was alive but even after death. A simple call to him and with faith in God was enough to grant to the caller the favor that he sought. This is repeated to our own day.