I. ПОДВИЖНИЦЫ ОКРЕСТНОСТЕЙ АЛЕКСАНДРИИ

Paganism did not like virginity; it even punished the childless, but the first Christian emperor “almost revered the most holy host of virgins of God, being convinced that God Himself lived in their souls, to whom they dedicated themselves.” If St. Since the apostle so approved of the virgin life (1 Cor. 7:32-34), it is natural that since the times of the apostles pure virgins have appeared in the Church of God, spending their lives in prayer and abstinence. Disciple of the Apostolic St. Ignatius the God-Bearer even wrote a warning to one shepherd: “Do not place the yoke of virginity on anyone: for this acquisition is not safe and it is not easy to preserve it when it happens under compulsion.” In Alexandria, according to the news of St. Cassian, the founder of the virgin life was St. Evangelist Mark. Pure Virgins, flaming with love for their Heavenly Bridegroom, were usually the first martyrs in persecutions for the faith, and virgin life in turbulent times did not receive a definite structure. Just as the great Anthony was the founder of the desert hermit life, so St. Synklitikia was the head of a desert hostel for virgins and wives. She was born in Alexandria from parents who came from Macedonia, rich and pious. She had a sister and two brothers, and all the children were raised by good parents in Christian piety. The younger brother died early; another, when he was 25 years old, was getting ready to marry, but the young man escaped like a bird from a snare and went into the desert. The daughter of rich parents and a beautiful face, Syncletikia early saw suitors seeking her hand; her parents wanted to marry her off. But she rejected offers of marriage. She had desires for a different life. Neither the outfits nor the expensive stones pleased her eyes, and the music did not captivate her soul. She prayed and found the best consolation for herself in prayer. Convinced that her most dangerous enemy was her young body, she loved to fast and humbled her flesh through abstinence and labor. She so accustomed herself to a moderate life that if she happened to take food at a different time, it made her tired, her face became pale and her body weakened. The death of her parents gave her the freedom to fully indulge in the life that her soul had long chosen. She sold her property, distributed the money to the poor, took with her her blind sister, who loved solitude, and retired to one of the tombs close to the city, which belonged to her relative. The tombs there were large enough to be a home for two, although not spacious. This step of the great virgin was followed by another on the path of her renunciation of the world. Women of that time considered their hair to be the best adornment of their sex. Synklitikia invited the presbyter, and he, at her request, cut her hair. This meant that she had made a complete renunciation of the world and its joys. Modern St. Archpastor Alexander wrote to the virgin: “Your clothes should not be made of expensive material. Outerwear should be black, undyed; head cover of the same color, without fringe; the sleeves should be woolen, covering the hands up to the fingers; the hair on the head is cut in a circle; wool headband; The kukul and shoulder pad are without fringe. If you meet a man, cover your face and do not look at the man, but only at God.” The pious life of her parents' home prepared Syncletikia for the strict life that she began to lead in her new home. However, she balanced the severity of asceticism with the states of her soul and body. When she felt a strong uprising of carnal warfare, she ate only bran bread, did not drink water, and lay down on the bare ground. When the temptation weakened, her severity towards herself softened. She led her life with spiritual reasoning and was afraid to bring her body into disorder. We have seen, says her biographer, those who, by immoderate and reckless fasting, caused themselves more harm than the spirit of malice could have done. In spiritual warfare, Syncletikia acted as they do at sea. During a severe storm, they do not think about food or drink, but pay all their attention to saving the ship from destruction. When the storm passes, the tension eases and people take food and peace. On the ship they also know that they are in a changing and treacherous element. Therefore, they do not indulge in carefree laziness and bliss, but keep gear ready in case of a new storm. This is how it should be in spiritual life. This is how Syncletikia led her life! The great ascetic wanted to be unknown to everyone in her solitude. But the Lord wanted to use it for the sanctification of many other virgins and wives. People began to come to her to listen to her advice; others wanted to live with her in order to use, if not verbal instructions, then the example of her life. Syncletikia refused to offer advice for a long time and responded to requests with only sighs. But, finally, she gave in to the persistent desires of those zealous for spiritual salvation. This is how a hostel of virgins was formed under her, and she was the mother-mentor of many. The lifestyle of virgins was then prescribed by St. Afanasy. “Let it be,” he wrote to the maiden, “an exercise in the Holy Scriptures that will always be your occupation. Have the Psalter and learn the psalms. Let the rising sun see the book in your hands, and at the third hour attend the church meeting, at the sixth hour pray with psalms, weeping and petition, for at that hour the Son of God was hanged on the cross; at the ninth hour, in singing and glorifying, beg God, for at that hour the Lord, hanging on the cross, gave up his spirit to God. Rise at midnight and sing praises to the Lord your God, for at that hour our Lord rose from the dead and praised the Father. Having risen, first read the verse: “At midnight I rose to confess to You about the destinies of Your righteousness” (Ps. 119:62). Then pray and read Psalm 50. In the morning, read this psalm: “O God, my God, I come to You in the morning” (Ps. 63). Also: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men, let us bless You” (Luke 2:14) and so on. If there are virgins with you, then they too should sing psalms, and one after the other, pray; before the meal, thank the Lord in this way: “Blessed be God, who has mercy and nourished us from our youth and gives food to all flesh, fill our hearts with joy and gladness, that we, having all sufficiency, may abound for every good work, in Jesus Christ our Lord, with whom is due glory, honor and worship to you, with the Holy Spirit, forever and ever, amen.” When you have crushed the bread and put it on the table, read the entire “Our Father” prayer. When you get up from the table, read again “Blessed is God” and repeat three times: “The Lord is generous and merciful, He has given food to those who fear Him; glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.” If you sit at a meal with virgins, then eat with them everything that is offered. For when you do not eat, they will think that you are condemning them.” When St. Syncletikia, yielding to the wishes of others, began to teach advice to those who sought them, then the experienced wisdom of her advice turned out to be such that not only the virgins led by her deeply imprinted the advice in their hearts, but they were written down for future times, and they were then studied along with the advice of great spiritual mentors. “We all know,” she said, “how to be saved, but we are not saved through negligence. First of all, you need to keep this commandment: “You shall love the Lord your God... with all your soul and your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37–39). Those who come to God will have to endure a lot of work and deeds, but then joy awaits them. Those who want to make a fire first choke on the smoke and cry, and then they achieve what they are looking for; so we must ignite the divine fire in ourselves with tears and labors. Our calling is nothing more than renunciation of life and thoughts of death. Just as worldly nobles entrust various positions to servants: some are sent to villages to cultivate the land, and they multiply there, and children, if they are found good, are taken into their homes for service, so the Lord appoints the best children to serve himself. They are free from all worldly pursuits and eat from the Lord's table. If worldly wives, when married to their husbands, take a lot of care about washing, fragrant ointments and various decorations in order to be beautiful, then all the more we, doomed to the Heavenly Bridegroom, must surpass them in diligence, must wash away the filth of sins with asceticism.” “If you live in a hostel (cinema), then do not change places, otherwise great harm will come from it for you. If the bird flies from the eggs, they become chattering and sterile; so a monk or a maiden, if he moves from place to place, grows cold and dies for his faith.” “Living in Konovia, we must prefer obedience to asceticism. The latter leads to arrogance, and the former to humility. We must rule our souls with judgment. Since we live in cinnovia, we do not need to acquire property and we do not need to serve our own will; We, as if exiling ourselves, have handed over everything by faith to our spiritual father, renounced everything worldly, and should not look for where we came from.” “Even though we don’t want to, thieves break into our feelings,” she said. How can the inside of a house not turn black when it is surrounded by smoke and the windows are open? Isn’t it reprehensible to look at people naked to the point of obscenity and uttering immodest words on the street? This gives rise to disturbing and harmful thoughts.” “If you have overcome gross fornication, try to prevent the enemy from introducing fornication into your feelings. He often raises an internal battle, reminds the hermits of their beautiful faces and immodest conversations. One should not become friends with such ideas: they lay the path to sin. If the image of a beautiful face appears in your thoughts, drive it away - imagine the whole body of your beloved object in stinking wounds and pus, imagine it as a dead corpse - and the vicious desire will leave the soul. We who have taken the vow of purity must maintain the most perfect chastity. And the laity, apparently, has chastity, but they have a lot of foolishness, because they sin with all their senses: they look immodestly and laugh disorderly.” “There is no security for us in this century. Let him who stands, says the apostle, beware lest he fall. We are sailing in an unknown direction." “There are more dangerous places in the sea, and there are dead people. We are sailing on the calm side of the sea, while the worldly are in dangerous places. We sail in the light of the Sun of Truth, and they rush in the nights of ignorance. However, it happens that the worldly, sailing in darkness and danger, out of fear loudly shout before God, stay awake and thus save the ship; and through negligence we are drowning, leaving the administration of truth.” “It’s good not to be angry. But if you happen to indulge in anger, then you are not allowed to remain in this illness for even a day. “Let not the sun go down on your anger” (Eph.4:26). Why do you hate the person who insults you? Be angry at his illness, if you can, and not at the sick person. Anger is an even lesser evil; The heaviest evil is malicious remembrance of evil. Anger, having alarmed the soul for a short time, passes, and resentment makes it fiercer than a beast.” “Do not listen to slanderous speeches, so as not to be a receptacle for other people’s vices. If you accept unclean speech into yourself, you will put a stain on your prayer. After hearing enough bad reviews, you will look askance at everyone and hate them for no reason. Love your enemies, do not despise the careless and careless. The truly virtuous, imitating the Lord who ate with tax collectors and sinners, care about the salvation of sinners and use all means to instruct them on the path of salvation. However, it is dangerous for anyone who has not experienced active life to begin learning.” “The enemy attacks first with gluttony, indolence and fornication. These winds blow especially on the young age. When the soul has restrained the belly and conquered sensual pleasures with purity, pride or love of money appears; in the mind there are thoughts about primacy, teaching, talents, merits. The hermit, if such thoughts come to her, let her go to the cinema. Let her force herself to eat twice a day - she must perform all the services and listen to reproaches.” “An open treasure is easily stolen; in the same way, virtue, when it is published, can be lost. The wax melts from the fire, so the soul is weakened by praise and loses the firmness of virtue.” “When illness weighs us down, we do not need to grieve that due to pain and wounds we cannot sing psalms with our lips. Sickness and wounds serve to destroy lusts; and fasting and prostrations are also prescribed for us to tame our passions. If passions are expelled by illness, then there is nothing to worry about. It is a great feat to patiently endure illness and thank the Lord in the midst of it.” Synclitia's care for the souls entrusted to her never weakened. She excited some, encouraged others; She turned the forgetful to goodness with severity, supported the weak and cowardly with maternal love. In herself, Syncletikia showed an example of patience similar to the patience of Job. She was 80 years old when a debilitating fever struck her; she tormented her for more than three years, the fire devoured her, not giving her rest. Then her gums began to rot from a rotted tooth; the rot spread to the entire cheek; After 40 days, the bones were exposed, and the corrosive matter infected the entire body. The rotting and stench were so strong that those who served her with love suffered greatly. In this painful situation, the saint did not seek relief for herself, she endured everything patiently. When the doctor invited by the sisters appeared, she said: “Why do you want to stop the fight that is useful for me?” “We don’t think at all,” the doctor told her, “either to relieve or heal you, we only want to anoint the dead members of your body in order to stop the infection in them, which is dangerous for those who serve you.” “If it’s not for me, then let it be your way,” said the sufferer. She suffered for more than three months, and her life was maintained only by the will of God. She could not take any food at this time; her sleep was only for minutes. “In three days I will be separated from my insignificant body,” she said at last. And on the appointed day her soul flew away to the Lord, whom she loved so dearly on earth. Her blessed death followed around 350. According to ancient information, the blessed virgin Sarah was the abbess of the maiden community. She lived for sixty years in her cramped cell on the banks of the Nile and never once looked at the river. Her spiritual strength was amazing. Many different temptations happened to her, sometimes illness, sometimes resentment: she endured and prayed, remaining faithful to her vow. The annoying images of worldly vanity, sometimes charming and enchanting, were driven away by the fear of God. She struggled with the passion of fornication for 13 years and never asked for an end to the struggle, but only prayed: “Give me, Lord, strength.” Once, when the temptation was stronger and more persistent, she, in deep contrition and trembling before Gehenna, ascended to the roof of her cell and indulged in intense, fervent prayer. The demon, appearing to her in human form, bowed to her and said: “You have defeated me, Sarah.” She, understanding the meaning of his praise, answered: “It was the Lord Jesus who defeated you, and not I, a sinner.” The fame of her high asceticism called visitors to her. Two famous ascetics came from the Pelusian desert to see Sarah. Having talked with her about the benefits of the soul, they said goodbye: let’s teach the old woman humility. “Look,” they told her, “don’t be proud of your mind, don’t say: “So the hermits come to me, a woman.” Sarah answered: “Yes, I am definitely a weak and poor woman; but I try, as much as I can, to keep my soul cheerful and courageous.” She said this in those thoughts that the weakness of the sex does not relieve anyone from the duty of Christian struggle and that the title of servant of Christ obliges the wife, as well as the man, to spiritual zeal. She said: “If I want all people to be pleased with me, then I will have to stand with bows at everyone’s door. But I’d rather pray that my heart is pure before everyone.” She especially often thought about death and encouraged herself to be ready to stand at the Judgment of God not with shame and useless tightness. “When I lift my leg,” she said, “to climb the stairs, I imagine death and then I climb the stairs.” Among the instructions heard from her, the most common was her insistence on being merciful to the poor. “It’s good,” she said, “to give alms to people; let it be served according to people-pleasing, but, repeated, it will turn into a matter of pure love for God.” Memory of St. Sarah is celebrated on Cheese Saturday, when all the great ascetics are remembered. The holy virgin Theodora labored in Alexandria: according to the monuments it is called Alexandria. According to her instructions, it is more than likely that she was the abbess of a community of virgins. According to her words, it is clear that she lived at a time when the Alexandrian Church was ruled by Archbishop Theophilos. Between the letters of St. Isidore of Pelusiot, who lived during the time of Theophilus and Cyril of Alexandria, has a letter to the Alexandrian sandal nuns. This name means that the nuns are blessed. Theodores wore sandals on their feet, while the Thebaid hermits walked barefoot. “The female sex,” the monk wrote, “has no right to leniency: it can courageously resist seduction and repel attacks of desires. This is taught by the glorious Susanna, the daughter of Jephaah, and the amazing Judith... And the head of women’s victories and trophies, the all-praised Thekla, who stood as an unchanging pillar of virginity, like a fire, kindled among the waves of passions, sailed to a safe harbor. If you want to be such, keep the lamps unquenched: the Bridegroom will soon come. Let no sleep of voluptuousness lull you to sleep, which leaves the drowsy and careless outside the doors of the bridal chamber.” Blessed Theodora cheerfully awaited the Heavenly Bridegroom, vigilantly watched over the state of her soul, not allowing the power of sin over her. According to the monuments, the name St. remains with her. Theodora the generous. This means that she was distinguished in life by her special love for deeds of mercy. Through the exploits of many years, she achieved high spiritual experience, so that her instructions were written down and went into a book of spiritual advice. She invited us to choose the narrow path indicated by the Savior as the path necessary for spiritual improvement. “Try,” she said, “to enter through the narrow gate. If the trees were not exposed to the pressure of winds, rain and cold in cold times, they would not bear fruit in the summer. Earthly life with its hardships is our winter. If we do not endure sorrows and trials, do not expect peace beyond the grave.” “The benefits of a solitary life are invaluable, especially for young virgins and hermits. But you need to strictly monitor yourself so as not to drown in laziness or despondency. Under the pretext of desired spiritual peace, they indulge in physical peace and end up in spiritual troubles; there is a feeling of fatigue, relaxation of the knees, and now one illness or another appears. “I’m sick,” they say, “I can’t read the prescribed prayers.” But the point is that they do not excite themselves to firmness. One monk, when the hour of prayer approached, felt a fever and pain in his head. Once he says to himself: “Yes, I feel bad; Perhaps I’ll die: let me get up and pray to God more diligently than usual.” So he forced himself to stand in prayer and read the prescribed prayers. It turned out that he had not yet finished his prayers when he felt light, and when he read, all his illness disappeared. After that, he began to fight evil laziness in the same way and every time he felt fresh and healthy after prayer.” “A Christian, talking with a Manichaean, who insisted that the body is the source of evil and the work of a demon, answered him intelligently: “Submit your body to Christian mortification and make sure that the body was created by God.” “One respected man,” she also said, was showered with cruel abuse. Having listened to the abuse, he answered calmly: “I could answer you with the same abuse, but Christ’s law stops my mouth.” “Neither vigils nor physical labors will bring us to salvation if there is no humility in the soul. There was a holy hermit who drove out spirits from those possessed by demons. Once he asked the demon what drives him away, isn’t it fasting? “No,” he answered, “and we are fasting.” - “Isn’t it a vigil?” - “No, you know that we don’t sleep and are very active.” - “Isn’t life a desert?” - “No, and we walk through deserts.” - “What virtue drives you out?” “Humility defeats us, we do not tolerate humility,” he answered. You see,” Theodora continued, “humility is the virtue that gives us victory over evil spirits.” She did not allow anyone to leave her cell because of temptation. “Temptations,” she said, “will follow us everywhere. The hermit, tormented by temptation, was getting ready to go on the road to leave his cell. But suddenly he sees that someone in human form is putting on sandals and says to him: “Perhaps you are leaving here for my sake; but I assure you that I walk faster than you and, wherever you go, you will find me everywhere.” You see, he also laughed at the inexperienced hermit.” This is a wonderful lesson given by the saint for those in charge! “Whoever does not know how,” she said, “to lead other souls to salvation, let him give up the thought of being in charge. The boss should not harbor any pride or desire for power. He should not be the toy of flattery and should not be dazzled by gifts. The boss must be meek, full of humility, patient; he must be strictly honest and straightforward; should be, by the way, lenient and strict at the right time. His love should care for others as for himself.” St. Theodora died around 415. St. Alexander and St. Piamuka In the vicinity of Alexandria, at St. Chrysostom, there were many virgins who were saved. Some lived in separate cells, others in cinemas. “In the country of Egypt,” says the great preacher, “in Antioch, you can see the army of Christ, a wonderful society, a way of life characteristic of the heavenly powers. And this is not only between men, but also between women... And wives often surpass their husbands in their exploits and erect signs of a brilliant victory.” Near Alexandria, the great virgin Alexandra escaped and was saved in a grave cave. “I could not,” says Melania the Elder, a zealous visitor to eastern hermits, “to see this blessed one in the face, but, standing at the hole, I asked her to reveal the reason why she left the city and imprisoned herself in a grave cave. She answered me through the hole: “One man was crazy about me; so as not to upset or dishonor him, I decided it would be better to imprison myself alive in this tomb than to spoil the soul created in the image of God.” When I said to her: “How can you, servant of Christ, bear this, that you see no one at all and are alone struggling with sorrow and thoughts,” she answered: “From the very morning until about nine o’clock I pray; I've been spinning flax since one o'clock; during the rest of the day I remember the stories about the faith of the holy fathers and patriarchs about the exploits of the blessed apostles, prophets and martyrs; when evening comes, I, having brought praise to my Lord, eat my share of bread, and spend the whole night in prayer, waiting for my end, when I will be released from here with good hope and appear in the face of Christ.” One kind woman brought her food and passed it through the opening of the cave. Otherwise, the recluse did not show herself to either man or woman. This is how she labored until she was twelve years old! Feeling the approach of death, she prepared herself for burial. Once a woman, having brought food, does not receive any response from the recluse. Realizing that she had died, she let the city know about it. Whole crowds hurried from the city to the cave of the great ascetic, opened the entrance to the cave and saw that the Lord, in anticipation of the ascetic, accepted her into the village of the righteous.” Since Melania talked with the recluse no earlier than 373, and Palladius, who had been traveling through the deserts of Egypt since 388, no longer found her alive, the death of the Saint must be attributed to 376. The holy virgin Piamuka (Piama) ascended to a wondrous degree of spiritual perfection in her mother’s house. She lived here as if in a seclusion, alone, did not see empty people, ate food every other day, and after prayer she spun flax. This is what Palladium says about her life. With such simplicity of life, but also with vigilant observation of her soul, she so transformed her soul that the Lord honored her with the gift of insight. The latter opened on a special occasion. Since the Nile fertilizes the fields with its flood of water, the settlements, valuing the beneficial moisture, retain it in the fields with artificial fences; At the same time, human infirmities raise disputes and quarrels, often accompanied by fights. A community more populous than the one where Piamuka lived vowed to exterminate the weak settlement for water. Through the prayers of Amma Shyama, God saved her from crime and death. The angel revealed to Piamuka about the villainous plans of the neighbors. She, having called the elders of her village, announced to them the plan. “Go,” she said, “meet those who are coming at you, beg them to refrain from fighting.” The elders fell at her feet in fear and said: “We don’t dare go to meet them; we know their drunken life and their riotousness; show us a new kindness, go to them yourself and persuade them to leave us alone.” She did not act at their request, did not go to deal with people with whom she had long refused to communicate, but turned to the Lord; Retiring to her house, she spent the whole night in prayer. "God! - so she prayed. “You are the Judge of the earth and you do not love untruth, accept my prayer, send Your power, so that those who rush to our destruction will stand like pillars in the place where Your power will meet them!” And her prayer was heard. The enemies stopped on the third stone from the village and could not move. They were also given to know that the prayer of the righteous woman was delaying them. They sent their envoys to the village and asked for peace. “Give thanks,” they said, “to God, who, through the prayers of the virgin Piamuka, delivered your property from destruction.” Memory of St. Piamuka (Piama) is honored on the 3rd day of March and on Cheese Saturday. The kind of ascetic life that the blessed virgins Alexandra and Piamuk lived through has many advantages, but it is also associated with many dangers. According to the observations of spiritual experience, life alone brings one closer to pride or despair, and sometimes to a passion for self-interest, while the community takes away food from this last passion and breaks off angular pride. Here is an example given by Palladius from the life of contemporary Sts. Alexandra and Piamuka. There was a virgin in Alexandria. She was humble in appearance, but proud in her soul and loved money more than Christ. She was rich, but she did not give benefits to either the wanderer, or the virgin, or the monk, or the offended, or the poor, or to the church. She took her sister's daughter into her care. She promised her her property day and night, parting with her love for Heaven. The poor thing was deceiving herself. At first she became infected with a passion for money; then he brought his love for his niece to passion, under the influence of vanity. Whoever has enslaved his soul to the care of his relatives is subject to the judgment of the law for the fact that he valued his soul little. Presbyter Macarius, overseer of the almshouse for the crippled, decided to heal the sick virgin. In his youth he was a jeweler, as the maiden knew. Having come to her, he says: “I came across expensive stones - emeralds and yachts; I can’t say whether they were stolen or not, only high-priced stones; the owner sells them for 500 chervonets; This is a wonderful outfit for your niece.” The virgin, attached to her niece-bride, says: “Do me a favor, don’t give it up to anyone, here’s the money for you.” And she gave out 500 ducats. Saint Macarius used the money for the needs of the almshouse. A lot of time passed, and the virgin was ashamed to remind him about the stones. “He was highly respected as a very pious and merciful elder; he lived for about a hundred years, and I still found him alive,” notes Palladius. Finally, having met him in the church, the maiden says: “What about the stones for which 500 ducats were given?” He answered: “On the same day that you gave me the money, I paid it for the stones; Let's go to the hospice house, I have them there; If you don’t like these stones, take your money back.” When they arrived at the house, the elder said: “What do you want to see first: yachts or emeralds?” “Whatever you want,” she answered. Macarius took her upstairs and, pointing to the crippled and blind women, said: “These are the yachts!” Then, going down, he pointed to the same men with the words: “And these are emeralds! In my opinion, you won’t find more precious stones than these anywhere! However,” he added, “if you don’t like them, take your money back.” The ashamed virgin came out and, having come to her senses, fell ill with grief. But later she thanked the elder when her niece, having got married, died childless. She herself began to use her property as it should. In our regular monasteries, where money is divided between hands, we often come across such patients! “There are different paths to salvation,” begins the legend of the ancient Menolog about St. Euphrosyne. Under Theodosius the Younger, the good Christian Paphnutius, a very rich and respected man, lived in Alexandria. His wife was also a good Christian and did not bear children for a long time. Paphnutius did many good deeds for monasteries and the poor. Finally his daughter Euphrosyne was born. She was given an education according to her condition. At the age of 12, having lost her mother, the daughter was the subject of her father’s most tender care. Smart and beautiful, she captivated young people. The tender father made a choice between suitors and promised his daughter’s hand to a young man distinguished in mind, heart and noble origin. But blessed Euphrosyne, raised in piety from her youth, desired to live ardently for the Lord alone. She now grieved over whether her wish would be fulfilled. One of the brothers of the monastery, to whom Paphnutius especially did good, was sent by the abbot to invite the benefactor to the church festival of the monastery. Not finding his father at home, he saw his daughter. Euphrosyne, having asked him in detail about the life of the monastery, revealed to him that she really wanted to devote herself to serving God, but that her father, who passionately loved her, had already given his hand to her fiancé and would not agree to let her go to the monastery. The monk explained to her the advantages of virginity and gave advice to invite the elder, their hieromonk, to her when her father was at the holiday at the monastery. Euphrosyne did just that and spent the whole night in prayer for God’s will to be fulfilled over her. The elder who came, after a conversation about the meaning of Christian self-denial, cut her hair and dressed her in monastic clothes. All that remained was to hide in the monastery, but which one? In the maiden monastery, a passionate father could find her. Euphrosyne dressed in the clothes of a monk and appeared with the name of the eunuch Smaragd to the monastery of Theodosius, where there were up to 350 brethren, Theodosius, to whom Euphrosyne called herself a eunuch who served at the royal court, but was bored with worldly vanity, entrusted Smaragda to the experienced monk Agapit. Euphrosyne was then 18 years old. The beauty of Smaragd, similar to the beauty of a woman, became a source of embarrassment for some who had not yet overcome their infirmities, and they complained about this to the abbot. The abbot called Smaragd and invited him to live in a secluded cell. Euphrosyne happily accepted the advice. She lived in strict seclusion for 18 years. During this time, the father visited the monastery many times with grief over his missing daughter and asked the brethren to pray for finding traces of her. Once, when he was especially grieving before the abbot about his daughter, the abbot told him if he would like to talk with the pious brother who served at the imperial court. Feodosia? Paphnutius expressed his desire. The abbot ordered Agapit to take Pachomius to the recluse Smaragda. Euphrosyne, seeing her loving father, began to cry. But Paphnutius did not recognize his daughter: her beauty faded from vigils and tears, and she also covered her face with a head veil. She spoke to her father about eternity and heavenly glory, about humility and purity, about love and mercy that bring us closer to God - infinite goodness; she said that love for children should not exceed love for the Lord and that the sorrows of time, if endured patiently, perfect the soul for heaven; assured by the goodness of God that his daughter, with so many prayers, would certainly have been found if she had been on an evil path, and that, in any case, the Lord would console him in due time. The daughter's conversation revived the father's offended soul. “I received so much benefit from my brother, as if I had found my daughter,” he told the abbot. Let us not think that it was easy for a pure virgin to live in the company of men, or that when meeting with her tender father it was not hard to look at his mental suffering. She fought with nature, coughing up blood from fasting and fighting, but with the help of grace she defeated nature. The holy singer sings: “A strange sight, not easily understood by human nature... How did you pass through the fire without getting burned? You incinerated the sweets of lust with the fire of abstinence, and sought God with prayer and tears. Kindled by the fire of holy love, you burned away the ailments of weaknesses, and, ignited by the fire of love for the Lord, you, wonderful one, shone with the rays of miracles!” After brilliant victories over nature, St. Euphrosyne approached her death and lay seriously ill. At that time, Father arrived at the monastery. Having learned about Smaragd’s mortal illness, he spoke with deep sorrow: Smaragd’s death would be a heavy loss for him; To him alone he owes the submission to Providence with which he endures the loss of his daughter. He asked the abbot for permission to see the recluse for the last time. The sick recluse, on a meeting with Paphnutius, asked him to stay for three days in the monastery and promised to reveal something unexpected to him. Paphnutius believed that the recluse had a vision of his daughter and remained waiting. Three days later he came to Smaragd. Then the saint revealed to him that he was in the cell of his daughter, who had left her fiancé and father for the Lord; she asked her father not to allow anyone to touch her body, but let him, the father, wash the body of his sinful daughter; finally, she also asked that her father give the monastery property that could belong to her. And then she gave up her spirit in the arms of her father (about 445). The revealed secret, the death of his daughter, who had been looking for so long, had a stunning, but understandable effect on the father. With a loud cry, he fell unconscious on the floor. Agapit, hearing his cry, hastened to give him allowance and let the abbot know; Soon all the brethren gathered. The secret became known to everyone, and everyone gave praise to God, who provided the strength for victory in such a difficult struggle. Paphnutius gave a significant part of his estate to the monastery, distributed the rest to the poor and decided to spend the rest of his life in his daughter’s cell. 10 years later he died on the very matting on which his daughter died. The grace of God was miraculously revealed in Euphrosyne’s body, a few hours after her death. One of the brothers, blind in one eye, fell to the deceased, prayed with tears and suddenly stood up with a cheerful face: he suddenly received his sight. The Church celebrates the memory of Saint Euphrosyne on September 25th. The same path along which St. walked. Euphrosyne, an ascetic of the Lycopolis desert, walked 50 years before her and reached the Kingdom of Heaven. It is criminal, insulting to a clear conscience, if a wife appears in a man’s clothes out of frivolity, out of the movements of sin, especially a woman who lays claim to a man’s activities in a public circle – a great, ugly phenomenon. This is not a woman or a man, but a dead member of humanity. In relation to society, nature has indicated a place for a woman - the family, here she is a useful figure. It’s another matter when they want to live only for themselves and the Lord, they seek their salvation. A man's clothing may be necessary for his wife, even to save her bodily life. In relation to spiritual salvation, if a man’s clothing protects a woman from the idle curiosity of wives, the most annoying and most fruitless, - and this is already a great benefit for the soul; but she cannot save her wife from the lustful eyes of a man. If a wife combines deep silence with a man’s clothes, then she accomplishes the most difficult feat, since talkativeness is an unfortunate weakness of the female organization. Abba Vissarion of the Skete, who died no later than 390, wandering with his disciple Duloya through the desert near Lycopolis, entered a cave. The mentor and student found here an old hermit who was weaving ropes from palm leaves; Upon their entrance, the hermit did not pay any attention to them, did not greet them, did not address them with a question or request, but continued in silence with his work - work and prayer. “Let’s get out of here,” the Abba said to the disciple, “the elder did not receive notice to speak with us.” After some time, returning back, they walked past the cave again. Abba Vissarion said to his disciple: “Let’s come here again, maybe God wills that this old man will talk to us.” They enter the cave and see that the hermit has died. The mentor said to the student: “Let’s bury the deceased, that’s what God sent us here for.” When they began to perform the burial ceremony, they saw that it was his wife. Both teacher and student were amazed. “Look, child,” said the Abba, “the women in the desert are successfully fighting the spirit of evil and overcoming it, but we are not awake.” The teacher and student glorified the Lord. Abba Daniel, who lived in a hostel for 40 years, then lived as a hermit in the Skete desert from 420, came with his disciple to Alexandria, and the following happened with them: the son of an Octodekad monk had a young wife, Thomaida. The father, visiting his son, was inflamed with lust for his daughter-in-law, hugged and kissed her, she accepted these caresses, in the simplicity of a pure soul, as an expression of parental love. One night, fellow fishermen called their fisherman son to go fishing. The father began to pester his daughter-in-law with an obvious sinful demand. “What's wrong with you, father? Protect yourself with the sign of the Lord’s cross and go away,” said Thomaida. He, inflamed with lust, did not leave, but pestered. Thomaida resisted firmly. There was a sword hanging over his son's bed. Grabbing the sword, the father began to threaten Thomaida that he would kill her if she did not listen to him. Thomaida answered firmly: “Even if they cut me into pieces, I will never agree to lawlessness.” Inflamed with anger, the unfortunate criminal struck Thomaida with a sword and killed him. Other fishermen come to call their son and see the murder. The father tells them: “Take me to the prince, I am a murderer.” Abba Daniel, having learned about this, tells the disciple: “We must bury the body of the sufferer with honor.” He goes to the Octodekad monastery of Alexandria; he was met by the abbot and the brethren. The elder said to the monks: “The body of Thomaida should be laid to rest only with the fathers.” Others responded with a murmur: “He orders the body to be laid down with the fathers.” The elder said: “This is a girl - amma (mother) to me and to you, she died for purity.” Then no one objected to the elder anymore and she was buried with her fathers. At one time, a prodigal war against his brother arose in the monastery, and he announced this to Abba Daniel. “Go,” the elder told him, “to the Octodecad monastery, to the tomb of the fathers and pray there like this: “God, for the prayers of Saint Thomaida, help me.” The brother did as the elder ordered, and, returning from the Octodekad monastery, fell at the feet of the elder. “God, through your prayers, delivered me from fornication,” said the brother. “That’s not what you’re saying, tell me, how did you free yourself?” - said the old man. The brother answered: “I made only 12 bows and, leaning over the tomb, fell asleep. A young woman comes and says to me: “Accept this blessing and go in peace to your cell.” And I felt that the scolding had stopped. But I don’t understand what that blessing means.” The elder said: “The blessing is the gift of the martyr of chastity; Ascetics of purity have such boldness before God.” The Russian admirer of shrines, monk Zosima, wrote about Constantinople in 1420: “The women’s monastery, where the martyrs Kozma and Damian lie, and here lies the blessed Thomaida, even after she was flogged by her father-in-law... And God will give her healing, even to whom carnal warfare comes. And they lie down and worship her tomb, and the battle goes away with her prayers.” Loyalty to the home of marriage is rewarded by the Lord in this life. “We came to Ascalon,” writes Blessed John Moschus, “and Abba Eugene, the presbyter, told us. One merchant from our city, having set out to sea, lost everything of his own and that of others, only he himself was saved. When he arrived here, he was taken by his creditors, put in prison and stripped of everything that he had in the house, so that he had nothing left except what he and his wife wore. His wife, from severe grief and care, could barely feed her husband bread. One day, when she was sitting and eating with her husband in prison, some important man came to give alms to the prisoners, and, seeing his wife sitting with her husband, he was stung by his love for her (she was very pretty), and told her through the prison guard to come to him. She went willingly, thinking of receiving alms. Taking her aside, the man asked her: “Who are you and why are you here?” She told him everything. He said to her: “If I pay the debt for you, will you sleep with me this night?” The beautiful and at the same time chaste wife answered him: “I have heard, my lord, the words of the apostle that the wife does not control her body, but the husband; So, sir, let me ask my husband about this; whatever he orders, I will do.” She went and told her husband about everything. The prudent husband, out of love for his wife, did not want to free himself from prison by such means. But, sighing heavily, he said to his wife with tears: “Go, sister, refuse this man and say: I told my husband, but he did not agree; God will not abandon us." At the same time, one robber was imprisoned, who heard the entire conversation between the husband and his wife and, sighing, said to himself: “What an extreme they are in and, however, they did not want to buy their freedom with money; they preferred chastity to any wealth, they neglected everything in this life! And I, unfortunate one, what am I doing? I never even thought that there was a God, and that’s why I’m guilty of so many atrocities.” Calling them through the window to the place where he was imprisoned, the robber told them: “I was a robber and did a lot of evil, and killed many, and I know that when the boss comes, I will be executed as a murderer. Seeing your chastity, I grieved for you. Go to this place of the city wall, dig up and take the money you find there, and pray for me so that I may find mercy.” A few days later, the chief arrived in the city and ordered the robber to be taken out and beheaded. A day later, the wife said to her husband: “Let me, my lord, go to the place about which the robber told us, I’ll see if he was telling the truth?” The husband answered: “If you wish, go.” The wife took a furrower, went to that place in the evening and, after digging, found a pot of gold. She acted prudently: she gave the money to the lenders little by little, so that they would think that she was borrowing money from others; I finally paid everyone. So she freed her husband. The one who told us this added: “Behold, they kept the commandment of God, and the Lord our God magnified his mercy over them.” The skete fathers John Kolov and his brother Daniel were jealous not only of their own salvation, but also of the salvation of others. Abba John Kolov said: “You cannot build houses from the top, but start from the foundation.” What is the basis? “The foundation is love for one’s neighbor, caring for his salvation,” says Abba. It was because of this love that Abba loved to speak and do useful things for others. It was this love that brought Taisiya, who had strayed from the good path, back to the Lord. Taisiya was the daughter of rich and kind parents; they taught her goodness, and their lessons were not fruitless in the daughter’s soul. Left orphaned, she turned her house into a shelter for wanderers. The monks of the monastery, sent by the elders to the city for various needs, especially found peace with her. Thus, for a considerable time she received desert fathers with generous love. Finally, her funds were greatly reduced. I had to become familiar with the needs and bitterness of poverty. Bad people came to the young girl, and she, having lost her innocence, began to engage in fornication in Alexandria. The skete elders, having heard about this, greatly grieved over the damage to the poor girl. In the general meeting it was said to John Kolov: “God has given you wisdom; Sister Taisiya, who has done so much good for us and to whom we should show love for her goodness, is heard to live poorly; Ask, Abba, to visit her and talk to her, see if she comes to her senses.” Avva went. Arriving at Taisiya’s house, he asked the servant to tell Mrs. Taisiya about him. “You monks ate and robbed her,” the old servant answered angrily. Abba endured the battle with meekness. “Report to the lady,” he said affectionately, “that I can bring her good things.” She reported. “Yes, it may very well be,” said Taisiya, “monks walk along the seashore, and they come across expensive things, pearls, stones; let him come in." Avva, entering, sat down near Taisiya and, looking at her, burst into tears. “What are you crying about, Abba?” – Taisiya asked anxiously. “I see,” Abba answered, “Satan is playing on your cheeks and in your eyes, how can I not cry?” Hearing this, Taisiya, who had previously loved goodness so much, felt the abomination of her new life. “Is there repentance for people like me, Abba?” – she asked. “Yes,” answered the Abba. “Lead me wherever you want,” said the penitent sinner. And, getting up, she followed Abba. He, walking ahead, was amazed and said to himself: “That’s how I abandoned everything at once, without even making orders about the house.” Arriving in the evening in a deserted place, the elder made a bed of sand for Taisia ​​and, overshadowing her with the sign of the cross, said: “Sleep peacefully.” Then, having prepared a similar bed for himself not far away, he prayed and fell asleep. Waking up at midnight, he sees some bright path going from Taisiya’s bed to heaven and Angels lifting up the soul. He stood up and, approaching, pushed Taisiya. It turned out that she died. Confused by all that had happened, he fell to the ground and fervently prayed to the Lord to reveal His will. And then he hears a voice: “And one hour of Taisia’s repentance was accepted by the Lord, and was accepted better than the long, but insincere repentance of others.” The beautiful daughter of rich parents was chosen to marry a kind young man. The young husband loved his young wife, and their life was an example of a happy married life. Unfortunately, the young rich man fell passionately in love with Theodora. He showered gifts and money, assurances and affection in order to seduce Theodora from the path of duty. She did not succumb to sin. He turned for help to a clever woman who was engaged in deception of various kinds; a corrupt soul took on a young, inexperienced woman; after many satanic seductions, she managed to instill in Theodora the idea that God does not see night sins, and the crime was committed at night. But as soon as the heinous sin was committed, Theodora felt burning repentance. Tormented by her conscience, she could not bear the presence of her husband, her relatives and friends. In vain did she tell herself that her sin was unknown to good people and to God. Her conscience convicted her of infidelity to her husband and did not give her peace. Finally, she made a firm decision to run away from home and in a deserted place to atone for the crime with strict repentance. First she appeared at a nunnery, where she was received with love. The abbess, noticing her melancholy, gave her the Gospel to read. When she read here: “nothing... is covered, it will not be revealed” (Matthew 10:26); she was stupefied with horror. Tearing at her hair, she now confessed her crime to the abbess. “If there is repentance for me,” she said, “then I will break ties with the world and begin to pray to God for mercy.” Fearing that her husband would find her in a nunnery and would not allow her to perform feats of repentance, she decided to hide in a monastery. She came to the Octodecad monastery in men's clothing. The abbot for the first time did not order an answer until the morning. She stayed behind the monastery at night. Then it is said: “You are a young and pampered eunuch, and the rules of the monastery are strict, harsh, it is impossible to accept you.” “I will die of hunger, but I will not leave the monastery,” answered the eunuch. The abbot relented. Theodore is now in the very monastery where the relics of St. Thomaida, who gave her life for maintaining marital fidelity. It is clear how her determination for heroic deeds should have strengthened. It is clear why she wanted to die, but not move away from the walls of the Octodecade. She considered her admission to the Octodecade a sign that her desires - to repent - would not be rejected by heaven. She was entrusted with work in the monastery garden, carrying water where it was needed, and finally cleaning the entire yard; at the same time, she did not exempt herself from fasting, vigils, private and general prayers. Theodora humbly told herself that, judging by the importance of her crime, the obedience imposed on her was too easy and lenient. She herself wanted to intensify her work and brought her jealousy to the point that she ate food only once a week. Her successes in spiritual exploits attracted the mercy of the Savior to her, and she amazed the abbot and the brethren with her exploits, so crucified was she on the cross of death, constantly falling, like a new harlot, at the feet of Christ, day and night washing them with tears of repentance, that not only was her sin forgiven, but she became at a high degree of spiritual perfection. Divine grace began to be visibly revealed in her. So, once the crocodile, which devoured people, died at her word. And yet, the Lord allowed the ascetic to be under a terrible test. The abbot sent her to the city with camels, on which she was supposed to load oil and bread and return to the monastery. She was ordered, if night fell on the way, to stop at the ninth monastery (it was located nine miles from Alexandria). Here the girl, mistaking Theodora for a man, wanted to persuade her to sin, but was rejected with humble indignation and threw herself in a shameful frenzy into the arms of some passer-by. Having become pregnant, she, at the insistence of her parents, who wanted to find out who her seducer was, answered that the culprit of her crime was a monk of the ninth monastery, and determined the day, hour and place where she met him. After filing complaints and carrying out a search in this monastery, it turned out that Theodore was the culprit. The monks of the ninth monastery made loud complaints to the abbot of the monastery in which the ascetic lived, demanding strict punishment for insulting all monasticism. The humble Theodora, of course, could have justified herself immediately, but she, deeply feeling her shortcomings before the holiness of God, decided to perfect her soul through voluntary sorrows. She was kicked out of the monastery; she had to hide in a beggar's hut, which she herself had erected near the monastery. When the girl who accused Theodora gave birth, they brought the child to Theodora, as to the father who was supposed to nourish him; she fed this foster child with milk, which neighboring shepherds gave her out of compassion. She herself was content with wild desert herbs, and drank sea water to quench her thirst. How many sorrows did this gentle female soul endure under the hail of ridicule of daring righteousness! What was it worth to endure both the heat of the hot climate and the cold of the damp winter air! Deprived of the right to live with people, she lived with the desert animals. And she endured all this with silent love for seven whole years. Seven years after the expulsion, the monks of the ninth monastery, demanding the punishment of Theodora, came to the abbot who expelled her and asked to accept the repentant eunuch. She was accepted, but on the condition that she locked herself with her child in a secluded cell and would not leave it. This seclusion lasted two years. Shortly before her death, her monastery suffered a great disaster: due to drought, there was no water in the wells and even in the lake itself. The abbot, having called the brethren, said: “Only Father Theodore, with the grace of God resting on him, can save us.” Calling Theodora from a secluded cell, he ordered her to take a vessel and bring water from the well, which was completely dry. With the word “Bless, Father,” she went and drew water from the well, which instantly filled with water and was not without water during the rest of the drought. Before her death, Theodora offered the most edifying advice to the child, who considered her his father. She exhorted him to stay in the monastery, to be obedient, patient, and helpful. She begged him never and under no circumstances to condemn anyone, to pray for those who sinned, to pray to the only Sinless One, to answer questions modestly, not to defile your lips with either idle or blasphemous words, to serve the monks with love, especially to care for the sick, to resort to God in all sorrows and temptations and to make a remembrance of her before the Lord, Who has to judge not only the sins, but also the righteousness of people. In conclusion, she told her imaginary son that she was entrusting him to Almighty God, who would not leave him, for He is the father and mother of all orphans, a mentor and guide to salvation. Some of the monks heard these last pieces of advice to her child. After fervent prayer, she rested from her labors. Seeing that she died, the child began to sob loudly; The monks, who heard the teachings and her wondrous last prayer, recounted this to the abbot, but God had already revealed to him both the sex and the spiritual merits of the deceased. The abbot did not want to discover this except in the presence of the hermits of the ninth monastery, for whom he sent. They all arrived with the abbot. The mystery of sex, angelic purity, long, wonderful patience, feats of self-denial, and the innocence of Theodora were solemnly recognized. Providence was pleased to bring her husband to the monastery; he learned only at this time both about the reason for his wife’s removal from home and about her asceticism; deeply struck by the example, he left the world, sold his property, became a monk, settled in Theodora’s cell and was buried in the same grave with her. The child grew in virtue and subsequently became the abbot of this very monastery. Blessed Theodora labored under Emperor Zeno (474–490). Apollinaria was the granddaughter of the pious emperor. Marciana; about her parent Anthima, son-in-law of Marcian, first the first minister, then the emperor of the West (468–471), St. Theophan says in his chronicle: “He was a most Christian man and ruled the kingdom in Rome piously.” It is clear in itself that the daughter of such parents received the best education. But on earth the soul is bored in any situation, if only the soul looks closely at itself and the earth. Apollinaria strongly desired to hide from the vanities of the world and devote her life to serving the Lord. Her parents loved her passionately and wanted to see her married. She rejected marriage proposals and begged permission to venerate the holy places of the East. Her pious parents instructed her to distribute rich gifts to the churches and monasteries of the East. She was sent with many servants and maidservants, with reserves of silver and gold. A storm drove her ship to Ascalon. Having performed veneration to St. places in Jerusalem, having distributed generous alms to churches, monasteries and the poor, she gave freedom to the servants and maids and left with her only the elder and the eunuch. From Jerusalem she went to Egypt to venerate the relics of the torment. Mines. Having rested at the monastery of St. Mina, said that she had to visit the skete fathers. On the road at night near the spring, which was later called the spring of Apollinaria, when the servants fell asleep, she dressed in the clothes of a monk and disappeared into the reeds of a neighboring lake. Here she courageously waged the initial struggle with passions. Swarms of mosquitoes soon turned her soft body into dry skin; Her whole appearance was so changed by insects and fasting that it was not easy for anyone who knew her to recognize her in the clothes of a hermit; the date tree provided her with meager food. Abba Euthymius met her in the desert. She asked him for permission to live with the brothers and, when asked about the name, added: “The sinful eunuch Dorotheus wants to save his soul.” Abba gave the eunuch a cell and ordered him to weave reed ropes. The skete fathers then already made it a rule to take food not in the evening, as was the case before, but at the ninth hour of the day (at 2 p.m.). “Recently eating food does not allow one to have light and subtle thoughts in prayer. Why is it considered beneficial to take rest at the ninth hour of the day? When the food has already been digested in the stomach, the monk feels light not only during the night vigil, but also during the evening praise.” This is how the eunuch Dorotheus labored. Apollinaria spent her time in labors, unknown to anyone in the monastery; They knew only the eunuch - monk Dorotheus. Apollinaria's parents had another daughter; she was possessed by a demon. Her parents sent her to the skete fathers with a request to pray for the healing of the sick woman. The abbot entrusted the sick woman to Dorofey, although he refused. Through the prayers of Apollinaria the sick woman was healed. Returning to her parents, the sister soon fell ill again, and the evil spirit accused the monk Dorotheus of molesting the girl. There was an uproar against the monks. Messengers were sent to take the criminal Dorotheus for trial and punishment. “Let it be permitted to speak with the king and queen in a private room,” said the imaginary eunuch. In a secluded room, the eunuch begged a promise to let him go into the desert when the secret was revealed. Then he opened his chest and added that they saw their daughter Apollinaria; the sick sister was healed at the same time. In raptures of joy, the parents cried that they saw their beloved daughter - and which one? They asked her to stay with them in the monastery; but it was necessary to fulfill this word, and they asked to pray for them before the Lord. Returning to the monastery, Apollinaria foresaw that her death was near. She asked the abbot not to touch the body of the deceased during burial. “How is this possible?” - the abbot answered Dorotheus. After the death of the imaginary eunuch, the monks who were preparing the body for burial learned that it was God’s servant Apollinaria. It was laid (in 470) on the eastern side of the church, in the cave of St. Macarius, and many miracles were performed from her tomb. The church celebrates the memory of St. Apollinaria January 5th day. A pious man, Eugene, lived in Bithynia. Having buried his wife, he decided to leave the world. He had a small daughter and a significant estate. He entrusted both to the supervision of his faithful friend. Having settled in a monastery located 32 miles from the city of Alexandria, he performed his obedience here with love, and the abbot loved him more than others, as a faithful and zealous servant of God. After some time, the father's love brought his daughter to mind, and he began to feel sad. The abbot, noticing his grief, asked him: What is he sad about? “I have a young child left in the house,” answered the father. “Well, take him here with you,” said the abbot, who did not know and did not realize that this was a daughter and not a son. Evgeny came to the house. The girl, after the raptures of joy about meeting her father, announced that she did not want to remain in the world, but did not want to part with her father. “What should we do,” says the father, “don’t let the girl live in a monastery.” She replies that she will cut her hair and dress in the clothes of a novice and thus will work in the monastery. The father and daughter distributed their property to the poor, the daughter was transformed into the humble novice Marin, and they were accepted into the monastery. The father taught his daughter to read the psalms. Marin was a zealous novice. When his daughter was 14 years old, her father, concerned about her salvation, said: “Look, my daughter, living among monks is the same as living near a fire, take care of yourself.” The daughter made a firm vow before her father and the Lord to preserve the purity of her soul and body. The father also made his daughter promise that she would not let anyone or herself know anything about her gender until the grave. Everyone in the monastery thought that the eunuch Marin lived with them. The daughter was 17 years old when her father died. Monk Marin’s obedience and love for work, especially in the church, were such that those in the monastery looked at Marin with respect. But then the blessed one encountered an unexpected and cruel temptation. There was a pair of oxen in the monastery, with which the monks went three miles to the sea pier to buy what they needed for the monastery. At the pier itself there was a common hotel, where at times the monks of the monastery had to stay overnight. At one time the abbot says: “Brother Marin! Why don’t you go along with the others and help at the pier?” - “If you command, Abba, I will fulfill this obedience.” And Marin began to set off with a cart and oxen, and if they were late, they stopped for the night at an inn. The hotel owner had a daughter. She fell in with some passing soldier and became ready to give birth. The parents demanded to know: with whom did she sin? The crafty sinner replied that the monk Marin raped her and she conceived from him. Parents and their daughter came to the monastery and told the abbot: “This is what the monk Marin did! He raped his daughter." “We’ll interrogate him,” answered the abbot. “Marin! he said. “Have you committed a sin with a girl?” Marin thought and sighed for a long time and finally said: “I have sinned, Abba, I repent of my sin, pray for me.” The abbot became very angry and ordered the sinner monk to be beaten. “Since you have done such a dirty trick,” said the abbot, you will no longer live in the monastery.” And he kicked Marin out of the monastery. Without saying a word to anyone about her secret, since she had given her word to her father not to reveal her gender to anyone, the blessed one remained outside the monastery in the open air and asked everyone who entered the monastery to pray for the sinful soul. She spent three years like this, without moving away from the monastery. Meanwhile, the sinner gave birth to a son and nursed him. Her mother brought the child to Marin and said: “Please feed your child.” And, leaving the child, she left. The holy virgin took the child as if it were her own and fed him with a piece of bread, which was given for Christ by those who went to the monastery. So two years passed. Finally, the brethren of the monastery took pity on Marin and asked the abbot: “Abba! Forgive brother Marin and accept him; For five years now he has been doing repentance at the gates of the monastery, accept him as our Lord Jesus Christ accepted the repentant.” The abbot ordered Marin to enter the monastery, called him to him and said: “Your father was a holy man, as you know, and brought you to the holy monastery when you were still small. He did not think that you would do what you did, and no one in the monastery expected it. Now you have entered the monastery with your son, the fruit of your sin, for repentance. I order you to clean all the latrines of the monastery, to wash the hair shirts of the brethren alone and to serve everyone, only in this way will you earn my love.” The saint, having willingly accepted the assignment with her soul, fulfilled everything that was ordered to her. A few days later, blessed Marina rested in the Lord. The brethren announced to the Abba: Brother Marin had died. The strict abbot said: “You see, brothers, what his sin is: he did not deserve to bring repentance. Go, wash and bury far from the monastery.” When they began to wash, they found out that it was his wife. Everyone started saying: such patience, such a wonderful life! No one learned the secret, but everyone only crowded the saint! With tears they said to Abba: “Abba! Go, look at Brother Marin, come, look at the wondrous works of God.” Abba, seeing the deceased, was horrified, fell and, hitting his head on the ground, shouted: “I adjure you by the Lord Jesus, do not accuse me before God for oppressing you like this. I was ignorant, you, lady, did not reveal your secret, and I did not know your holy life.” He ordered her holy body to be buried inside the monastery, in the church itself, on December 4th. Her memory is in the Greek church on February 12. It's December for the Copts. 8 (4) “Mother Marina”. As for the day of death, we must prefer the testimony of the Copts as local, especially since February 12 was probably the day the relics were transferred to Constantinople. On the same day, that sinner, tormented by an evil spirit, came to the monastery, confessed her sin and said from whom she conceived. On the seventh day, she got rid of the demon in the church. Having heard about the wondrous deeds, those who were in the marina and neighboring monasteries, taking crosses and candles, glorifying the Lord with sacred songs and psalms, came to the monastery and in the church where the body of the blessed one rested, they praised God. Here, through the prayers of the holy virgin, Christ performed many miracles to her glory. This was at the beginning of the 6th century. The life of a wondrous ascetic, first of all, gives us a lesson so that we do not judge others. Someone else's soul is open only to the Lord, and we easily make mistakes, even bearing in mind the signs of the sin of someone else's soul. The daughter labored in the simplicity of her soul, in the clothes of a monk, first out of childish love for her father, then out of ardent love for the Lord. The Lord helped her to endure her unexpected terrible test, due to her strong love for God. But what strong love could endure, weak souls should not take upon themselves, lest they fall into a cruel fall. Our job is to follow St. Marina in her patience, endure the sorrows that the Lord sends us. Saint Marina was put into a bitter test by the promise given to her father, and did not volunteer for the test. And we should not be tempted. It’s another matter if, as a result of a given vow, you have to endure grief, shame, and hunger: do not break the vow, no matter what the cost, may the glory be to the Lord. St. Anastasia, by birth, was from the highest noble family of the Constantinople court, and was married to the first dignitary of the empire. That's why they called her a patrician. After the death of her husband, she lived in the fear of God and diligently fulfilled the commandments of God. She was universally respected for her virtues and rare beauty. Emperor Justinian paid special attention to the young widow. This alone was the reason for the obvious persecution raised by the empress against the God-fearing widow. Anastasia, more noble in soul than even good people thought of her, said to herself: “Here is an opportunity to save your soul, you must save the empress from jealousy, go into the desert, so you can earn a heavenly crown, they are driving you away from the court, why not leave?” Taking the money and jewelry that she could collect, Anastasia, without saying a word at court, set off on a ship to Egypt. She built a monastery not far from Alexandria and began to strive in prayer with zeal. This monastery was called the Patrician Monastery for a long time even after Anastasia. Anastasia humbly engaged in simple women's needlework, read edifying books, sang psalms in church and was at peace. The Empress died. Emperor Justinian, retaining respect for Anastasia’s high qualities, ordered to look for her everywhere, with an invitation to return to court. When rumors of this reached Alexandria and Anastasia, Anastasia became greatly alarmed by the king’s order. She fell in love with solitude, love for the Lord grew in her, and the royal court now seemed to her only a dwelling of turmoil, intrigue, anxiety - sometimes completely useless, sometimes completely harmful to the soul; at least for herself, she now considered court life unbearable. Fear of being forced to return to court forced her to flee into the deep desert. At night she left her monastery. Having found Abba Daniel, the head of the hermitages, she threw herself at his feet, told him everything and asked him to help her. Avva, having prayed, gave her the clothes of a novice and, with the name of the eunuch Anastasia, locked her in a cave. He gave her rules by which she must live. The most important rule was never to leave the cave, under any pretext, and not to accept anyone with you. One of the novices was ordered to deliver bread and a vessel with water to the eunuch Anastasia once a week, place it near the cave and leave without uttering a word. Anastasia, who had previously lived in luxury and honor, in the bliss and noise of the court, now lived in severe fasting, with extreme deprivation, in deep solitude. The strong soul followed the Abba’s rules with all precision. Only God knows and He, the Good One, appreciated the sorrows and struggles that the recluse had to endure. So she lived for 17 years and became a vessel of the Holy Spirit. The Lord revealed to His servant the day of her death. She inscribed the words on the shard: “Honest father, take with you the disciple who brought me bread and water; bring tools to bury your child, the eunuch Anastasia.” At the same time, God revealed to Abba the nearness of Anastasia’s death. He sent a novice to the cave, and he found a shard with an inscription. The Abba and the disciple who came after them found the eunuch sick. Abba said with tears: “Blessed are you, brother Anastasy, remembering death, you neglected earthly glory, pray for us to the Lord.” “I need your prayers,” answered the eunuch. “We must fulfill our request as the first,” said the elder. Sitting on the mat, the saint hugged the elder’s head and quietly prayed. The elder, taking the student, bent him down at her feet with the words: “Bless my student, your child.” “God is my father,” said the saint, “who is ready to separate me from the earth, may the spirit of the father rest on his son, just as the spirit of Elijah rested on Elisha.” Then the eunuch said: “For the Lord’s sake, do not take off my clothes from me.” The elder communed the saint with the Holy Mysteries. Her face shone like fire. Protecting herself with the sign of the cross, she said: “Lord! I commend my spirit into Your hands,” and she died. Abba and the disciple dug a grave in front of the cave; the elder took off his cassock. “Dress your brother,” he told the student. He, while dressing, saw that it was his wife: her breasts were dry like leaves. On the road, the disciple said to the elder: “Do you know, Abba, that this is a wife?” “Yes, I know,” the Abba answered and said that he dressed her in eunuch clothes out of necessity - they demanded her to the court, where she could not be. Then others learned the story of the marvelous Anastasia. The saint reposed in 565, the same year as the blessed emperor. You might be interested in: