Blessed Barbarus was once a robber. He was moved to repentance when he came to recognize the weight of his sins. Touched by the divine grace, he abandoned his sinful life and came to the church, where he confessed to the priest, acknowledging his guilt in all robberies and murders. In deep humility, Barbarus began to live like a beast, crawling his hands and knees on the ground. He spent three years in such a state, until he withdrew to an ascetic life in isolation. He continued to live a life of repentance for another twelve years, living naked and feeding with grass.
Through the divine revelation, he learned that his sins had been forgiven and that he was soon to complete his martyrdom. One day, he accidentally got involved into a group of merchants and got struck by their arrows. As he surrendered his soul to God, he asked them to inform the priest of his death. When the priest came to the place of his martyrdom, Barbarus’s body was found radiant. After his burial, numerous healings began to occur through his holy relics. His incorrupt body was translated to the church with great honor, while everyone was glorifying God for His abundant mercy.
