Venerable
Venerable John Kolov (the Dwarf) of Scetis
ок. 339 — †409
Also known as: Иоанн Малый, Иоанн Колов
Venerable John Kolov (the Dwarf) — one of the most renowned Fathers of Scetis, whose sayings figure prominently in the "Sayings of the Desert Fathers"; famed for the parable of the dry vine-branch, which he watered in obedience for three years until it blossomed and bore fruit.
Venerable John, nicknamed Kolov ("the Short" or "the Dwarf"), was born around 339 near Oxyrhynchus in Egypt. In the second half of the 4th century he came to the Scetis desert, where he began his monastic labors.
He became renowned for the parable of obedience: at his elder's command he planted a dry stick and watered it daily for three years, until it miraculously blossomed and bore fruit — "the fruit of obedience," which became a classic example in monastic tradition. According to the Patericon of St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov), this trial was given to him by Venerable Pimen the Great; a separate account states that earlier in his monastic formation John served an elder named Ammoi for twelve years — both traditions apparently refer to different stages of his ascetic path rather than contradicting each other.
He was noted for exceptional humility and gentleness — in the words of contemporaries, he "held all of Scetis on his little finger" through his spiritual influence. He is also credited with authoring the Life of Venerable Paisius the Great.
After Berber raids forced the monks of Scetis to flee the desert, he reposed in 409 at Clysma (present-day Suez).
His feast is kept on November 9/22. Azbyka.ru titles his commemoration "John Kolov, the Younger" — a clarifying epithet distinguishing him from an unrelated 9th-century Athonite ascetic of the same name; the biographical content under this title is unambiguously that of the famous 4th-5th century Father of Scetis described above.