Venerable Tytus of Kyiv

Titus of the Kiev Caves (died c. 1190) was a 12th-century presbyter and monk of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, venerated as a venerable saint in the Russian Orthodox Church. The Teraturgima, written by the Pechersk hieromonk Athanasius Kalnofoysky, identifies Titus as a brother in Christ of the venerable Anastasius of the Kiev Caves. In the Kiev Caves Patericon, the Tale of the Two Brothers, Titus the Priest and Evagrius the Deacon, who had enmity between them—part of the epistle from Bishop Simon of Vladimir and Suzdal to the monk Polycarp of the Caves—recounts the following: Titus and the deacon Evagrius were once close friends, but their friendship turned into enmity. When Titus fell gravely ill and lay on his deathbed, he sent for Evagrius to seek reconciliation, but Evagrius refused and continued to revile him. The brethren of the monastery forcibly brought the deacon to the dying man. Titus tearfully begged for forgiveness, saying, "Forgive me, brother, for the Lord's sake, for I have offended you with my anger," but Evagrius remained adamant, declaring before all that he would never forgive the presbyter. As soon as the deacon spoke these words, he fell down dead, and Titus was immediately restored to health. When the brethren asked Titus what had happened, he said: "During my illness, while still possessed by anger, I saw angels turn away from me. They wept bitterly over the ruin of my soul, while demons rejoiced that I held anger against my brother. That is why I asked you to go and seek forgiveness for me from the deacon Evagrius. When you brought him to me and I bowed to him, and he turned away, I saw a merciless angel strike Evagrius with a flaming spear, and he fell breathless.