Continued 👆🏽
There he entered not a palace, but a cave, and closed its door behind him that no one might see his face again. What did he carry with him from the world? Not gold, not armor, not parchment of royal edicts but only:
A mat
An earthenware cup
And the simple robes of a monk
His food was bread and salt. His drink was water. His soul, once acquainted with the burdens of kingship, now tasted the sweetness of obscurity and communion with God.
Yet even in his hiddenness, he did not forget the Lord's tomb: he sent his royal crown to Abba John, the Bishop of Jerusalem, to be hung at the tomb of the Word of God, where Christ triumphed over death. A sign not of abandonment, but of adoration.
There in that cave, the warrior laid down his sword, and the king laid down his crown. He spoke to no man, but spoke continually to God. And there he pleased the Lord and departed in unity and in love, known not to the world but to the heavens.
Final Exhortation
The path of holiness is not reserved only for the cloistered nor for the crowned, but for all who love God more than themselves. Caleb, though born into power, chose the greater portion: to be counted among the saints.
Let us imitate his zeal, his humility, his love of truth, and his disdain for worldly praise. Let emperors hear and be humbled. Let monks hear and be strengthened. Let the faithful hear and rejoice.
For the life of Caleb, the Monk-King, is a mirror of Christ’s own humility, and a testament to the power of prayer, courage, and sacrifice.
May the name of the Holy God be praised forever and ever in every tongue that He has created, today and always.
May the blessings of God's mother, the virgin, and the cross be upon us.
Amen.
© John's Repentance
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