Venerable
Venerable Luke the New Stylite of Chalcedon
X век (Х†ок. 979/980)
Venerable Luke the New Stylite — formerly a soldier of Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus, who survived the Bulgarian war of 917 unharmed and for this reason took monastic vows; he practiced pillar-asceticism first at one location (3 years), then on Mount Olympus in Bithynia, in Constantinople, and finally for 45 years in Chalcedon, becoming renowned as a wonderworker.
Venerable Luke in his youth served as a soldier in the Byzantine army under Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus (r. 912-959). He survived unharmed the war against the Bulgarians in 917 (the era of the Battle of Anchialus) — an event he understood as a clear act of Divine Providence, prompting him to leave military service for the monastic path.
He took monastic vows, advanced in asceticism, and was ordained to the priesthood (hieromonk). Putting on chains, he began pillar-asceticism: he stood on a pillar for three years at his first place of struggle. Guided from above, he moved to Mount Olympus in Bithynia, then to Constantinople (where, according to tradition, he kept a vow of silence by holding a stone in his mouth), and finally settled permanently in Chalcedon, where he spent 45 years on his pillar, becoming known as a wonderworker who healed the bodily and spiritual ailments of those who came to him.
He reposed around 979-980.
His feast is kept on December 11/24.
IMPORTANT CORRECTION: the impossible dating "4th-15th century" has been removed (correctly, 10th century). The contaminated date shared by five different saints named Luke ("April 22/May 5/October 18/April 11/April 24") has been replaced with the correct individual date, December 11/24. This venerable is distinct both from St. Symeon the Stylite (5th c., Syria) and from St. Luke of Steiris/Hellas (a contemporary era, but a cenobiarch-hermit in mainland Greece, not a stylite in Asia Minor).