St. Euphrosynos the Cook (Feast Day: September 11)

Today we celebrate the life of St. Euphrosynos the Cook!

St. Euphrosynos was born of poor and simple parents, (though he surpassed even those of noble lineage in good works). Because of his virtuous life he was translated to paradise, as we will see, and was shown to be an inhabitant there.

He lived in a Palestinian monastery where he served the brethren, laboring in the kitchen and serving them with great humility and submissiveness as though they were not men but God Himself. He labored in obedience day and night, but he never left off praying and fasting. His patience was inexpressible. He bore much abuse and disparagement and suffered frequent vexations. Scorched by the material fire of the cookstove, he was warmed by the spiritual fire of the love of God, and his heart burned with longing for the Lord. While passing his days preparing food for the brethren, he at the same time prepared a table for himself in the kingdom of God by his virtuous life, where" he would eat his fill with those of whom it is said, "Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God." He served the Lord secretly so that he might be rewarded by Him openly, even as it came to pass.

A priest of the monastery in praying asked the Lord to show him the blessings prepared for the righteous in the age to come. In a dream it seemed to the priest that he was standing in a garden. Of the scene, he contemplated its inexplicable beauty with fear and with joy.

In it he also saw St. Euphrosynos! Amazed at this encounter, the presbyter asked Euphrosynos how he came to be there. The saint replied that he was in Paradise through the great mercy of God. The priest then asked if Euphrosynos if he would be able to give him something from the surrounding beauty. In reply, St. Euphrosynus suggested the priest take whatever he wished, and so the priest pointed to three luscious apples growing in the garden of Paradise. Euphrosynos picked the three apples, wrapped them in a kerchief and gave them to his companion.

Then, in an assembly of the monastery brethren, the priest related everything he had experienced, pointing out the spiritual heights of Euphrosynos in pleasing God and to the fragrant fruit of Paradise. Deeply impressed by what they heard, the monks went to the kitchen to pay respect to St. Euphrosynos. However, they did not find him there...

Fleeing human glory, Euphrosynos had left the monastery. The place where he concealed himself remained unknown, but the monks always remembered that their monastic brother St. Euphrosynos had come upon Paradise, and that they, in being saved through the mercy of God, would meet him there. The pieces of the apples from Paradise, the brethren reverently kept and distributed for blessing and for healing.

To celebrate the Feast of St. Euphrosynos, consider reading your child The Boy, A Kitchen, And His Cave: The Tale of St. Euphrosynos the Cook by Catherine Contopoulos.



Have a snack of fresh apples or baked apple products and explain to your child the importance of the dream that the Priest had of St. Euphrosynos!

(photo by Illumination Learning)

Create a apple craft with the troparion to St. Euphrosynos.

(photo courtesy of Creative Hands Blog)


Bless your kitchen utensils with Agiasma (holy water) and incense, asking St. Euphrosynos for another year of successful cooking!


Troparion for St. Euphrosynos the Cook
You lived in great humility, in labors of asceticism and in purity of soul, O righteous Euphrosynos. By a mystical vision you demonstrated the Heavenly joy which you had found. Therefore make us worthy to be partakers of your intercessions.

Finally, have your children assist you in cooking a meal to honor the hard work that St. Euphrosynos dedicated his life to! If it's possible, visit a monastery in his memory!