Saint Xenophon, his wife Maria, and their sons Arkady and Ioann, were prominent citizens of Constantinople, living in the 5th century. Despite their wealth, they were distinguished by their simplicity of soul and kind hearts. Sending their sons to Beirut for education, they suffered shipwreck and were cast ashore in different places. Both brothers, grieving over their separation, devoted themselves to God and embraced monastic life. The parents received no news of their children for a long time and believed them to be lost, yet Xenophon maintained hope in the Lord and comforted Maria. After several years, while making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, the couple met their sons, who had been striving in different monasteries. Overjoyed, they thanked the Lord for the reunion of their family. The venerable Xenophon and Maria dedicated the rest of their lives to God and also took monastic vows. Arkady and Ioann, bidding farewell to their parents, went into the wilderness, where they became renowned for their gifts of miracles and discernment. The venerable elders Xenophon and Maria, striving in silence and strict fasting, also received from God the gift of miracles.
