Sophronius was born in Damascus around 550 AD. He was interested in philosophy, and proved to be gifted in all his studies, earning the title Sophronius the Wise. However, he was unsatisfied with these gifts as they were not yet accompanied by spiritual perfection. His pursuit for the true philosophy began in then-Palestine, where he venerated the Holy Places before arriving at the monastery founded by St Theodosius. Here he developed a kinship with John Moschus, a monk with whom Sophronius discovered wonderful spiritual wisdom. John Moschus became Sophronius’ spiritual father, and together they travelled to Alexandria to learn from [...]