Long ago in the East there was a very infirm old man, who for the space of twelve years had not been able to do anything for himself. He was assisted day and night in his necessities by a man-servant called John. Now, although this servant attended faithfully to all the wants of his infirm master, he never received from him even one kind word. On the contrary, the old man treated him in the harshest manner possible, and spoke to him most rudely.

John did not get angry at this treatment, but continued to serve him with as much care and affection as if the man was always kind to him. He even denied himself little conveniences and comforts so that he could give them to the old man to make him more comfortable. John knew that it was the Will of God that he should attend to this poor old man, so he set about to care for him as well as he could, as if the old man was Jesus Himself.

So time passed on, and the old man drew near his end. When the monks who dwelt in the neighboring desert heard that he was dying, they assembled in great numbers around his bed to assist him in his passage out of this life into the next.

As they were kneeling around his humble couch, he said to them: "Go, call my servant, for I want to speak to him."

The servant came in at once to his master’s room. The dying man took John by the hand, and said three times these words: "Remain near to God."

Then, turning towards the disciples who were there, he said: "Do you see that man? Well, I recommend him to your special care when I am gone. He is not a man: he is an angel in the flesh; for during these twelve years of my illness he has watched over me and taken care of me with the most affectionate attention, and with a heart full of love; and during all that time he has never even once heard a kind word come from my lips. He did it all for God. Ah! yes, he is indeed an angel from Heaven, and God will reward him there for what he has done for me."

Then, the old man died. John was taken in by the pious hermits of Thebes, and afterwards became well-known among them for his holy life and the great perfection he attained.