Глава XI. Последнее время жизни, смерть и погребение Преосв. Феофана. Необычайные знамения памяти о нем в православном мире

“Life would have no value if there were no immortality.” “Who is afraid of death? To the one from whom she takes everything and sees him off to the next world with nothing. Those who have managed to stock up on imperishable wealth are comforted by hope at the hour of exodus.” “At the hour of death, the deeds of life pass in succession in the consciousness, reflecting in the eyes and face of the dying person either consolation or contrition, according to the deeds presented.” On January 6, 1894, the ascetic Vyshensky passed away. Death was not a surprise to him, both morally and physically. Rev. Feofan waited for her as a welcome guest, as the only way to transition to a better world, and always prepared to meet her with dignity. He wanted to die in the Lord, according to the words of the Apostle, “his desire was to be resolved and to be with Christ.” "Die? - says one letter, - this is not a peculiarity. And we have to wait. Just as someone who is awake during the day waits for the night to sleep, so those who live must see the end ahead in order to rest. Just grant, O God, to rest in the Lord, so that you can always be with the Lord.” 159 The saint was a stranger to and did not experience the usual human fear of death, for according to his teaching, death is terrible only to those “from whom it takes everything and sees him off to the next world with nothing. Those who have managed to stock up on imperishable wealth are comforted by hope at the hour of exodus” 160. The last words should primarily be attributed to their author himself, for he left for our edification great incorruptible wealth in the image of his truly ascetic life, in his virtues and especially in his soul-saving writings. Rev. Feofan, although he did not have a particularly strong physique by nature, enjoyed good health, with the exception of the last years of his life. Only from time to time was he exposed to random illnesses, mostly associated with his intense literary works and sedentary life. At Above, with complete freedom from urgent official duties, with peace of mind from the worries of life and under the influence of well-dissolved air, the saint at first felt completely healthy and completely ready for the great works that he undertook here and accomplished with such amazing success. But overly intense mental pursuits, a strict ascetic life, and finally, the years of old age gradually exhausted the body. Rheumatism, neuralgia, expressed in twitching of the arms and legs, intermittent pulse and dizziness were frequent visitors in recent years and began to bother all those who valued the life of a recluse. In numerous letters, the latter inquired with concern about his health. The saint complacently endured his infirmities and tried to calm his friends and admirers. He himself was especially burdened only by gradual blindness (cataracts), because it was accompanied by the greatest deprivation - the thought of the impossibility of indulging in expensive scientific and literary pursuits. For the sake of removing the cataract of the right eye, Rev. Feofan twice decided to make a great sacrifice for him - to leave his beloved solitude of the desert. In 1878, he traveled to Tambov, and the next year to Moscow for advice with doctors. Having not removed the cataract either one time or another due to its immaturity, he no longer left Vysha and was treated with home remedies from homeopathy and allopathy pharmacies. In 1888, the ascetic lost his right eye due to darkening of his lens, and for the last five years he continued to work tirelessly with one eye, tirelessly until his death. He died like a true warrior of Christ, on the spiritual battlefield with a pen in his hands and a prayer on his lips. The recluse, as we have seen, had a strict order of life and he did not change it to the end. Only five days before his death, precisely on January 1, 1894. the normal mode was somewhat upset. A conventional sign indicating the time of tea or lunch was not always given at a certain hour. On the eve of his death, on January 5, feeling weak, the Right Reverend asked to be helped to walk. The cell attendant walked him around the room several times; but the bishop, soon tired, sent him away and went to bed. On the very day of his death, without hearing the conventional sign, the servant looked into the study at one o'clock in the afternoon. The saint was sitting and writing something... Half an hour later there was a light knock. At lunch, half an egg and half a glass of milk were eaten. Not hearing the sign for tea, the cell attendant looked into the room again at half past five: the saint was lying on the bed. A loving heart sensed trouble. Approaching the bed with alarm, the servant found his master already deceased. The left hand lay on the chest, the right was folded as if for a bishop's blessing. When he was dressed in holy clothes, a smile clearly appeared on the face of the deceased for all to see. And then the wise, deeply truthful observation of the ascetic over the last moments of a person’s earthly life was fulfilled. “At the hour of death, the deeds of life pass in succession in the consciousness, reflecting in the eyes and face of the dying person either consolation or contrition, according to the deeds presented.” It is obvious that the recluse, whose whole life was an unceasing walk before God, had the consolation of dying in the hope of the inheritance of a blessed life. The body stood for three days in the house church and three days in the monastery cathedral, and decay did not touch it: the deceased had the appearance of a calmly sleeping man. Rev. Feofan died as a 79-year-old man, four days short of his 80th birthday. The deceased was buried in the crypt, in the right aisle of the Kazan Cold Cathedral of the Vyshenskaya Hermitage. Through the diligence of a zealous admirer, the rector of the monastery, Archimandrite Arkady, and the brethren, a beautiful marble monument-tomb has now been erected over his grave. And the earthly dwelling of the ascetic is the care of the same Fr. The archimandrite is preserved for posterity with its furnishings and, in particular, with its home shrine-church. Only one essential accessory is missing - a library. The latter was purchased from the saint’s heirs by a Muscovite (Losev) and donated to the church of St. Nicholas in Tolmachi. One cannot help but heartily regret that the library did not remain at the Above. If even now admirers of the ascetic come here to bow to the tomb and breathe the air of his home, then with a library there would undoubtedly be much more such visitors. Some might come with the express purpose of studying and taking advantage of its treasures, especially since on the pages of many publications they would find precious instructions from the saint himself in the form of inscriptions and notes in the margins. During a recent personal meeting with the venerable Fr. Archimandrite Arkady, we had to hear from him an expression of deep regret on this subject. He was sure that the library of Rev. Feofana will go to Moscow. spirit. Academy, which began the purchase process, and thus will become the property of science and its representatives. Otherwise, the Vyshenskaya Hermitage would have used all means to leave the precious monument in place. Ten years 161 have already passed since the great lamp of the Church of Christ went out. The writer of these lines, who was honored to take part in the burial of the saint, finds it difficult to believe. We have this significant burial now, as it were, before our eyes. The impression of him is so strong and vivid! The vast monastery cathedral was filled to the last minute with worshipers. Relatives and admirers of the deceased were present, a lot of clergy from Shatsky and other districts of the Tambov diocese gathered, there was a deputation from the Theological Academy; but the main mass consisted of our commoners. And here, as in many other cases, the remarkable attitude of the Russian common man to major phenomena of the moral world was reflected. Without being clearly aware with his mind, he knows how to determine their true meaning with his heart. Having heard a lot about the great works and exploits of the Reverend. Theophan in the mysterious retreat, our commoner, of course, did not clearly imagine their size and significance, but in the depths of his believing heart he felt that a great spiritual work was being created here for the glory of God and for the good of the Christian world. In his simplicity, even during the life of the saint, he ranked him among the host of the righteous, placing his name next to the still not publicly glorified ascetic of the neighboring monastery of Sarov, St. Elder Seraphim and calling sincere “Father Fr. Feofan." That is why the people rushed to Vysha at the first news of the death of the saint, came in large numbers and came from different directions (there were cases 200 miles away), occupied all the free rooms of the monastery and, with a shortage of them, picturesquely spread out with their simple carriages on the square, in the open air, despite the Epiphany cold. For him it was a true spiritual triumph, especially in the form in which it was celebrated then. Wonderful, truly church-artistic service of the Tambov Rev. Jerome, especially his wonderful voice, the beautiful singing of the then famous bishop's choir - all this gave the funeral service an unusual splendor and involuntarily encouraged prayer. In ordinary times, during the liturgy, the then rector of the Tambov Seminary, Archpriest P. I. Sokolov, delivered a word dedicated to the memory of the deceased bishop. The preacher, having chosen as his theme the revelation of the text of St. Apostle Paul: I have Christ to live and gain to die, from his point of view, characterized the personality of the deceased as a great Christian ascetic and determined the social significance of his life and work. The speaker’s speech sounded with heartfelt, genuine sorrow and made a deep impression. It was clear that the speaker was emotionally distressed by what he was saying, that the subject of speech was too dear and close to him. And this was understandable. And the Lord destined the preacher, among many others, to partake of and draw from the rich treasury of spiritual gifts of the deceased saint. In a moment of difficult life trial, having lost his wife at a young age, he turned to the Vyshensky teacher for spiritual consolation and received it. Funeral words to the venerable Fr. the archpriest was destined to become historical. It was the first precious stone woven into the wreath, so lovingly laid on the grave of the ascetic by his countless disciples and admirers. It laid the foundation for all subsequent literary works about the life and work of the saint - obituaries in newspapers, articles in magazines and, finally, entire books. This is the essential content of this edifying word-characteristic. “The now deceased saint of God, His Grace Bishop Theophan, is one of those few chosen ones of God who spend their lives on earth in no other way than in Christ and for Christ. Accustomed from an early age to looking at serving Christ as the task of life, Vladyka devoted his entire life to this service. For him, this service to Christ, he renounced the world, accepting the monastic rank; In the form of the same service, he left public service and, like the ancient desert dwellers, retired to a desert monastery, so that here, far from the world and worldly vanities, in solitude, through prayerful contemplation of God and self-absorption, he could become a perfect man, according to the age of the fulfillment of Christ (Eph. 4:13). We are not privy to the solitary life of the deceased saint, although we can imagine how difficult it is for a person. Having taken upon himself the most difficult vow of seclusion, the bishop removed himself from people for decades. With a few exceptions, during all this time he knew no other communication than prayer with Christ and His holy saints. Every day he celebrated all church services, every day he communed with the great mysteries of the Body and Blood of Christ. His always favorite pastime, in addition to fervent prayer, was the study of the Word of God; he devoted all his leisure time to it even when he served in the field of spiritual education and diocesanism; He gave himself to him for the entire time of his solitude in this holy monastery. The fruit of intense labor, coupled with extraordinary talents and multifaceted learning, were numerous printed works of the late saint on the interpretation of the Word of God and on the teaching of Christian morality. There are a lot of such printed works of the late archpastor and they constitute a great acquisition in Christian science. In terms of breadth and depth of thought, abundance of knowledge, accuracy and clarity of presentation, warmth and purity of feelings, the printed works of the late saint have no equal in our fatherland, so that not only now, but also for a long time in the future, they will serve as both a source and a guiding star for all workers of theological science and true Christian life. The printed works of the deceased on Christian morality are a particularly great acquisition for the Church of Christ and science. In them he revealed himself not only as a great thinker, but also as an extraordinary ascetic. He did not only teach instructions for moral life, but experienced them first and only then offered them for guidance to others. The works of the late saint on Christian morality are distinguished from this by their special charm; they present a holistic image of the Christian ascetic in full application to his powers and life.” “Having withdrawn from the world and its vanities, breaking off visible, direct communication with people, the deceased saint did this not out of lack of love for people, as some might think, but solely out of a desire to protect himself from everything that could distract him from his prayerful service to Christ. But loving the Lord, he also loved His servants, people, and this love for others was the most sublime, pure and holy for the deceased saint. Due to his extraordinary humility, the deceased saint little and rarely took advantage of the service of others, but he himself willingly and very much helped people. Always being unmercenary, he annually distributed his entire pension salary to the poor, leaving for himself only a small portion to purchase books needed for scientific works. But the deceased saint especially served the good of his neighbors morally. Who doesn’t know what an enormous correspondence the late archpastor had. They turned to him for advice, for resolution of perplexities, in him they looked for consolation in grief, relief in troubles, everyone, from dignitaries to the very last of the common people. He answered everyone with love: he gave wise and practical advice to some, he instructed others, he consoled others, he saved many from doubts, in a word, he was everything to everyone, so that, as St. apostle, save everyone, or at least some (1 Cor. 9:22). And what warmth, love, genuine sympathy and wise forethought the letters of the deceased saint were full of, those who had to receive such from him know about this. In moments of God, trials and my weakness, I was privileged to receive a word of consolation from the deceased God-wise teacher, and therefore, based on my own experience, I can testify that the deceased saint had a special, extraordinary gift to console and instruct.”162 At the end of the funeral rite, followed by an animated and deeply felt word from the representative of the Moscow Theological Academy, student-priest S. Nikolsky, a long farewell to the ashes of the deceased began. Everything here was touching and touching, but one moment was truly extraordinary. A venerable elder, abbot of the monastery, Fr. Archimandrite Arkady, who had seen and experienced a lot in his lifetime, was so shocked by the thought of separation from the saint that when saying goodbye, it was literally difficult to tear him away from his dear ashes. In deep heartache, he fell to the coffin, as if he did not want to part with it. It took a lot of time and effort to interrupt this last earthly communication of a modest and humble student with the dear remains of his great teacher. Such an external fact clearly testifies to the extraordinary moral charm that the late ruler exerted on everyone who came into contact with his person. ABOUT. The archimandrite, having lived in communion with the saint for 28 years, had him as his leader in all the most important cases of personal life and public service, without his advice and blessing he did not undertake a single serious undertaking. The Lord destined him to enjoy the contemplation of the ideal beauty of the spiritual and moral world of the saint for almost 30 years. And now this wondrous image disappeared and was hidden forever. Truly there was something to think deeply about and something to grieve with mental anguish. Another fact of the same kind. Cell attendant Fr. Eulampius, who spent his whole life with the saint, could not live without him even for a short time. From the day of the blessed death of the ascetic, he was deeply grieved and sad, did not take food, lost sleep, and two weeks later he was gone. What is the true, immediate and immediate reason for such personal charm? Where is that magical power that so powerfully conquers and attracts the hearts of people? Fiery faith in God, clearly overshadowed by divine grace, and selfless, selfless love for people, permeating the entire being of the Most Reverend. Theophan and forced him to completely forget his “I” - was that special moral force that, in combination with other high qualities of his spirit, involuntarily and irresistibly attracted him to him. People especially value in others those virtues that they themselves lack and which they would so much like to have. The saint in his feat differed significantly from the sinful world around him in that he did not have his own personal, private life at all. He belonged entirely to what he considered his duty and lot of public service. Everything for God and for people and absolutely nothing for oneself - this great, ideal principle, which was not only the main rule, but also the main element of the ascetic’s life, at the same time became an all-conquering moral force that attracted him. “The existence of such persons in the world,” let us say about the saint in his own words about a person under the special influence of divine grace, “is the great mercy of God. They replace the apostolic monks. Just as a lot of sawdust gathers around a strong magnet, or just as a strong character attracts the weak, so the power of the Spirit that dwells in them attracts everyone, especially those who have the beginnings of the spirit” 163. The great saint of God hid from us in body, but his spirit lives and will always live in the Orthodox world. We are not talking about the memory of him in science and among the educated part of Russian society, at least somewhat interested in issues of the religious and church life of our fatherland. It is indisputable that the name of the Most Reverend is already here. Feofana is so famous and enjoys such high authority that it can never be forgotten. With his numerous literary works, he truly erected a monument not made by hands, to which the path of Russian Orthodox thought and life will not grow. But here we mean the memory of the deceased ascetic in the depths of the hearts of the mass of believing Russian people of every rank and status, not excluding our common people. The very fact that the name Rev. Feofana is invariably listed in the memorial books of the peasants of the villages and villages adjacent to the Higher counties of Shatsky, Spassky, Morshansky and others, and until recently it always stood next to and directly behind the name of the great Sarov ascetic, now the famous all-Russian miracle worker, Ven. Seraphim. It is also remarkable that soon after the death of the saint they began to come to Fr. Archimandrite Arkady received letters from people who knew the deceased, with questions about whether there were any special phenomena and signs associated with his name. Some, simpler at heart, correspondents seemed to have no doubts and directly asked what miracles there were after the death of the Most Reverend. Feofan. The venerable old man was initially embarrassed by this phenomenon. For him, who lived for almost thirty years near the deceased ruler, in the midst of ordinary everyday life, it was difficult for him to renounce earthly images and ideas and take a different, supernatural point of view. But he soon calmed down in the depths of his believing heart for the memory of his dear teacher, seeing in the above-mentioned requests of Orthodox people a special sign of God’s mercy towards the late saint. And not in vain. This is what we personally heard on this subject from the chronicler of the Vyshenskaya monastery, hieromonk Fr. Nr, who deeply honors the memory of the Most Reverend. Feofan and interested in everything related to her. In May of this year (1904), said Fr. Well, - a peasant woman from the village came to Vysha. Saltykov But, Spassky district, severely ill with eyes, almost blind, and after mass she looked for a priest to serve a requiem mass at the grave of the Most Reverend. Feofan. I turned out to be another hieromonk and performed the service. Interested in this case, I asked the woman why she knew the name of Rev. Feofan and for what reason the memorial service was served. The peasant woman said that she had been suffering from a serious eye disease for a long time, she was treated by a doctor, but did not receive help. Then I began to pray to God at night for healing. During one of these night prayers, a monk appeared to me and told me to go to the Vyshenskaya hermitage and serve a requiem mass at the grave of the Most Reverend. Feofan. At first I didn't listen. The vision was repeated a second and third time, and now I am on Above. “After spending several days in fervent prayer during services in the churches of the monastery, the peasant woman returned to her homeland.” In conclusion of his story, Fr. Mr. expressed deep regret that he has no information about the further course of the woman’s illness. Whatever the consequences of the present incident, the very fact of the existence among the Russian common people of a living memory of the deceased saint, with deep faith in the possibility of receiving spiritual, grace-filled help from him in difficult moments of life, is very important for us. In June of the same year, the abbess of one of the Kostroma monasteries, F-ta, visited the Vyshenskaya Hermitage. After talking with the pilgrim, the same Fr. Nr learned that she was a great admirer of the memory of the Most Reverend. Feofan. During the life of the ascetic, she received several letters from him with solutions to dubious and perplexing questions, and now in all her difficult circumstances, during prayer, she turns to him for help and advice. Recently, during one of these appeals, the saint appeared to her and ordered her to pray intensely and, in particular, to pray on Above. Finally, the following fact is well known to us personally and has been carefully verified. In our city (Shatsk), an intelligent lady, the wife of a prominent official of the Ministry of Finance, Mrs. K-na, was recently widowed. By origin, she is the daughter of the leader of the nobility of the neighboring district, who was personally acquainted with the late Most Reverend. Feofan, and therefore she heard a lot about the life of the latter as a child, in her family. Terribly shocked by the death of her beloved husband, the widow looked everywhere for relief from her severe grief and found it nowhere. Finally, she turned to the deceased saint for spiritual consolation and received it. Such a significant phenomenon first became known to us only by hearsay. Wanting to make sure of it, we turned directly to Mrs. K-noy with a request to clarify and describe in detail the circumstances of the case and received in response a letter dated October 20, 1904 with the following content: “Having lived with my husband for almost 30 years in perfect harmony, it was hard for me to lose him. The first days after his death, I seemed not to be aware of the grief that befell me. All my feelings were dulled and I made the necessary orders for transporting the body to Sh-k and for burial, somehow instinctively, mechanically. After some time, the full force of grief consciously seized me and I completely fell under its oppression. The worst thing was that prayer not only did little to alleviate my suffering, but at times I could not pray at all. I fell into melancholy, as a result of which nervous constrictions in my throat appeared, suffocating me. Life itself seemed like a burden to me; I was positively exhausted in soul and body under the weight of this suffering. I asked many to pray for me, and surely someone’s prayer reached the Lord, for in one moment of grace I approached the Queen of Heaven, prayed fervently and, bowing my head under the holy icon, remained there for a long time, feeling that I felt good. I thanked the Intercessor and prayed to Her to enlighten me about what I should do to avoid melancholy and to relieve my soul from excessive sadness. As if in response to this plea, I heard a quiet voice, as if in a half-whisper, clearly pronounce the following words: “we must serve a requiem mass at the grave of the reclusive bishop.” At that moment, I could not understand which bishop was being mentioned and began to sort through in my memory those whom I knew as St. ascetics, but for some reason about Rev. Feofane did not remember and, wanting to clarify this question for myself, I began to ask the Queen of Heaven to help me clarify it. Almost immediately I remembered about Rev. Feofan and the thought barely flashed through my mind: “Is it about him?” when I heard a voice right next to my ear firmly, with special emphasis, pronounce the word: “yes!!” “Having decided to fulfill the Lord’s commandment at the first opportunity, I began to feel much better; asked for the prayers of the Reverend. Feofana and about me and about the soul of the deceased and little by little began to take up her usual activities. The rainy spring prevented me from going immediately to the Vyshenskaya hermitage, but on the first clear day I was there and with great joy I fulfilled what was indicated to me, and I can say as before God that since then melancholy has never attacked me, and since then I can again pray calmly, finding in prayer great consolation and support in life. To all of the above, I consider it necessary to add that, approaching the resting place of the Most Reverend. Feofana, I felt such a strange, extraordinary trepidation that I could not immediately approach the tomb, but only after first praying from afar, I decided and approached. After the funeral service, I didn’t want to leave this place. I felt that here, near this St. place, that grace reigns that healed my severe mental illness.” With the evidence presented, we, of course, do not even have the thought of prejudging the premature question of the supernatural significance of the very historical phenomenon of which they speak. We only wanted to establish the undoubted fact that the memory of the Most Reverend. Theophanes has been vividly preserved and lives in the hearts of believers. Experience testifies that those who benefited from the moral guidance of the saint during his life find it necessary and possible, in the depths of their believing spirit, to seek the same guidance after his death. Being on earth a true comforter of many sorrowing and embittered Christian souls, the ascetic continues to be the same in the afterlife. "Sunday Reading", 1894, No. 32. “Brief Thoughts for Every Day of the Year,” p. 85. The first edition of this book was published in memory of the tenth anniversary of the death of the saint. “Tambov Diocesan Gazette”, 1894, No. 5. "The Path to Salvation." Page 27.