28 February

Today, the holy fool Salos of Pskov is commemorated.

“In February 1570, Tsar Ivan the Terrible suspected the inhabitants of Pskov of treason. The Pskov Chronicler relates, ‘the Tsar came ... with great fierceness, like a roaring lion, to tear apart innocent people and to shed much blood.’

…Blessed Salos ran toward the Tsar riding on a stick like a horse offering food. He cried out: ‘Ivanushko, Ivanushko, eat our bread and salt, and not Christian blood.’

The Tsar gave orders to capture the holy fool, but he disappeared.

Though he had forbidden his men to kill, Ivan still intended to sack the city. The Tsar attended a prayer service at the cathedral, venerated the relics, and expressed his wish to receive the blessing of the holy fool Salos…

The fool for Christ invited the Tsar to visit his cell under the bell tower. When the Tsar arrived at the cell, the saint said, ‘Hush, come in and have a drink of water from us...’ Then the holy fool offered the Tsar a piece of raw meat.

‘I am a Christian and do not eat meat during Lent,’ said Ivan.

‘But you drink human blood,’ replied the saint.

…Ivan the Terrible ordered the looting to stop and fled from the city. The Tsar’s guards, witnessing this, wrote: ‘The mighty tyrant ... departed beaten and shamed, driven off as though by an enemy. Thus did a worthless beggar terrify and drive off the Tsar with his multitude of a thousand soldiers.’”

Also born on this day, Michel de Montaigne.