8. Строитель Иеромонах Исаия

The Eighth Builder of the Sarov Desert, Hieromonk Isaiah, is a worthy successor to the reverent Elder Pachomius; originally from the city of Suzdal, merchant class, from the Zubkov family. In the 22nd year of his birth, he left the world and first entered the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, where he worked in obedience at the age of 7. In 1770, according to his needs, he returned to his homeland - to Suzdal, and, having learned about the state of this Sarov monastery, that its place is secluded and convenient for the salvation of the soul, that there are many great elders of an experienced and abstinent life in it, adorned with piety and the fear of God, having learned that at a distance from the monastery - in the forest, several hermits still live in solitude in small huts, Isaiah inflamed in spirit, entered the Sarov Hermitage as a novice, was tonsured a monk in this desert in 1772, on April 27 was ordained Hierodeacon in the same year, Hieromonk in 1777, July 6, elected by common consent of the brethren to Treasurer in 1785, and to Builder in 1794: in total he lived in Sarov for 37 years. Isaiah was zealously zealous for the benefits of a cheap monastic life and did not cease to encourage the spiritual flock entrusted to him - the honest brethren of the monastery - to monastic exploits, and thereby acquired and gradually increased trust in himself and favor from the brotherhood. He in fact fulfilled the vows of monastic life he had accepted and at the same time was a caring, wise and kind Shepherd of the verbal flock. He was mainly distinguished by: fear of God, humility, meekness, patience, kindness, love of poverty and brotherly love in the spirit of the true Gospel. Glorifying the Lord with his life, he acquired the affection not only of the brethren, who revered him for his pious life and for his instructions, but also of many strangers. The fame of his virtues soon reached the most remote places and attracted a considerable number of other reverent monks and worldly people seeking salvation to live with him. Pleasing God with fasting and prayer with tears, he repeatedly gave the following remarkable spiritual edifications to the monastic brethren under his leadership, imbued with wise experience and warmed by the spirit of fatherly love: 1) The foundation and affirmation of all virtues - the hedgehog for a monk who wants to be saved in his cell; 2) have constant prayer; 3) refrain your belly from foodstuffs and 4) keep your tongue from speaking too much. Anyone who is careless about these four virtues, but the message is that they are not only digging up the foundation of all the virtues; but the source of passions and the abyss of confusion instills in itself. The cell is for a monk, like a coffin for the dead; a dead man never moves in his grave, but a monk sitting in his cell never sins. Because he sits alone in his cell apart from the whole world, and even those who are in the world do not hear, do not see, nor speak; Only God is with him and good deeds. A silent person is also afraid of being a demon, since they do not know the secrets of the devil’s heart, even if they are silent with their lips: but one who loves verbosity will not escape from sin. For this reason, brethren, let us not be lazy; do not put off good deeds, hour after hour, and day after day, and week after week, and month after month, and time after time, and year after year. Always expect the sound of the trumpet; Before the life of this age has yet passed and the spiritual separation from the body has not befallen us, let us hasten without laziness, let us through exploits and virtues buy for ourselves the kingdom of heaven, and endless joy, and unceasing peace, and with God and with the Angels and with all the Saints, together with abiding, and sweet singing, and unceasing praise. In truth, whatever a person buys in this world through labor, he will find peace in the future, just like a farmer, whatever grain he sows in the ground, that is what he will reap. That we will waste our saving time, given to us for salvation; Do we please our own body for the entire life of our body? What good do we get from the flesh? Will we then begin to strive for our salvation and do the virtues of Christ when mortal death befalls us unprepared? Now, while there is time, let us not be lazy in practicing virtue. Our life is temporary, like water flows quickly; The days of our years, like smoke in the air, disappear; The human age is like a cloud rising from the face of the earth. Will we then begin to work to correct the virtues of the Fatherland when the end of our life and death comes? What will we do then, damned sinners; What kind of intercessor will we have for ourselves? Work, pray, strive unceasingly, for every hour before the death beating and before mental separation from the body, and before being sent to hell, into bitter torment. Then neither father, nor mother, nor children, nor tears of repentance will help; then no more virtues are achieved, no repentance occurs, no sin is forgiven; then neither God nor the Angels pray, if we do not die to sin, we will not be revived in soul for a blessed life.” The builder Isaiah, taking care of the planting of virtues in the spiritual churches of the brethren, both by his own example and fatherly admonitions, took diligent care to bring the desert into greater prosperity in external terms. He diligently took care that church services were performed, as before him, with meek reverence, and that all the accepted rules of desert living were strictly and exactly followed. The humble and reverent elder Isaiah, for his virtuous, ascetic life, was revered by the Hierarch, who was famous in his time for both his special gift of teaching and his virtuous life, Nicephorus Archbishop of Astrakhan. He respected the Sarov monastery for observing strict monastic rules, and had correspondence with its abbot, of which one letter is attached here. Reverend Father Builder Isaiah! I kiss you with a holy kiss. Your mark, confirming that you remember me, filled my heart with joy. As for your request, here is my answer. The Holy Fathers, i.e. Basil the Great, St. Nile the Faster, Ephraim the Syrian, Abba Dorotheus, Isaac the Syrian, John Climacus, Macarius of Egypt, Theodore the Studite, wrote such an instruction for monastics that now whoever wants to admonish the monks must either rewrite what they previously wrote, or be completely silent, for fear of so as not to sin by preaching something alien and displeasing. Add to these Fathers the Philocalia (Philokalia), which, however, should be read with great intelligence and reasoning. Since I have no doubt that the books of the mentioned creators are in your famous monastery and are often read, then copying parts from them and sending them to you is an idle task. However, I highly praise your holy zeal and wish from my heart that both you and your other brethren and novices benefit from reading the above-mentioned works of our Holy Fathers and rise to the perfection of monastic life. Asking for God's blessing on you and your monastery all-benevolent pilgrim In addition to many personal virtues, and in addition to his general concern for his brethren, the Builder Father Isaiah was compassionate towards the poor and needy. He diligently observed the ancient custom in Sarov, so that the surplus of the monastic income was used for them. Since ancient times, in this monastery it was established on the 1st of October, on the Feast of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, to distribute clothes to the poor; for this day, clothes were prepared: sheepskin coats, caftans, boots and mittens. That is why many poor people came to this day. At the end of the Liturgy, they were gathered into the enclosure in the guest courtyard and, depending on the needs of the person, were given a dress. This pious custom is observed to this day; but not every year they distribute clothes, and sometimes money, because it is not always convenient to prepare a large supply of clothes in a deserted place. The builder Isaiah, having become ill, partly from old age, and more from the labors undertaken to save his soul and for the benefit of the monastery, asked the Diocesan Bishop for dismissal from the difficult position of Superior, and, upon request, was dismissed. In his own place, with the voice of all the brethren, he elected Hieromonk Niphon, Treasurer of this desert, as the Builder. Having lived one year in illness, the valiant Isaiah fell asleep in the sleep of the righteous, moved to eternal rest in the Lord, leaving behind him a good memory; he died on December 1807, 4 days old, 67 years old. Under him, the bell tower was completed in 1799, a stone building on two floors was built behind the monastery, in the lower one there was a forge, and in the upper one there were living cells for working people. In 1800, the second floor was built on the building of the fraternal cells, which is located on the eastern side of the monastery. 1802, two towers of three floors and covered with domes were built on the front side from the west at the corners; They contain several cells for prosphora and storage tents. In the same year, a mezzanine was built over the hospital cells and vestibule to house the hospital brethren.