The Life of our Venerable and God-Bearing Father Sergius, Wonderworker of Radonezh and All Russia

drawn from reliable sources, read in his Lavra at the all-night vigil, July 5, 1822. The path of the righteous shines like light, says the wise Solomon. The paths of the righteous are bright, firstly, for the righteous themselves, since they are sanctified by the lamp of God’s law and the Divine light of grace. Further, the same light shines on the paths of the righteous for other people, who, following in their footsteps, through purifying themselves by fulfilling the commandments, can also ascend to spiritual enlightenment and blissful union with God. And so it is useful for us to diligently consider the paths of the righteous, that is, the way of their life and deeds, in order to follow them, and so that, through ignorance and negligence, we do not deviate after the wicked, whose dark paths, as Solomon says, do not know how they stumble. With this intention, we undertake to survey the path of the holy life of our Venerable and God-bearing Father Sergius, and to outline it with brief but true features, which we will borrow especially from the modern writer of his life. Our Reverend Father Sergius was born in the summer of Christ 1315, under the Grand Duke Yuri Danilovich, under Archbishop Peter, Metropolitan of All Russia, in the city of Rostov, from noble and pious parents, Cyril and Mary. Even before he was born, an extraordinary case, or better to say, the wondrous Providence of God gave a sign about him that he would be of the blessed root of the holy branch. One day his mother came to Church for the Liturgy. Before reading the Gospel, suddenly the baby cried out in her womb. When the Cherubic Song began, he cried out a second time so loudly that his voice could be heard throughout the entire Church, and the mother fell into fear. When the priest exclaimed: Holy of Holies, the baby cried out for the third time, and the mother, almost falling from fear, began to cry. The other women, hearing the loud cry and seeing the mother’s confusion, wanted to see the baby, and she was forced to reveal that he was screaming not in her arms, but in her womb. In our time, witnesses to such an incident would probably have taken great care to find the cause that produced this extraordinary phenomenon. The most insightful, perhaps, dared to guess that the prayerful delight of the pious mother, at three important times of the priesthood, imparted an extraordinary excitement of life to the fetus that she carried in her womb. But at that time they loved not so much curious speculation as reverent observation of the ways of Providence: and the people left the Church, repeating what was written in the Gospel about John: what will happen to this boy? Epiphanius, the pious writer of the life of Sergius, brings to mind on this occasion the example of John, that he, also in his mother’s womb, felt the approach of Jesus Christ, just conceived by the Mother of God, and therefore leaped with joy. The immediate consequence of Sergius’s mother’s extraordinary adventure was that she became unusually attentive to her condition. During the rest of the pregnancy, she did not eat meat, milk, fish, or wine, but ate bread and seeds, and drank only water; and often secretly prayed with tears to the Lord who preserves babies. Thus, the fruit of her womb, in her very womb, was in some way purified and sanctified by fasting and prayer. Oh, parents! Would you know how much good or, on the contrary, how much evil you can communicate to your children even before they are born! You would be surprised at the accuracy of God's judgment, which blesses children in parents and parents in children; and passes on the sins of the fathers to the children; and thinking about this, you would reverently carry out the service entrusted to you from Him, from which every fatherland in heaven and on earth is called. The time of womb-bearing has come. The born son was named Bartholomew in baptism. Soon the mother, and after her others, again noticed something unusual in the baby, which either marked the mother’s previous dispositions in him, or showed the seeds of his future dispositions. When the mother was satisfied with rich food, the baby did not take her breasts. The same thing happened on Wednesdays and Fridays. This was attributed to illness: but the child did not suffer; but only the phenomenon resumed. When Bartholomew reached the seventh year of age, his parents sent him to learn to read, together with his older brother, Stefan, and his younger brother, Peter. The brothers studied successfully, but Bartholomew was far behind them. The teacher punished him, his peers reproached him, his parents admonished him; He himself prayed to God with tears, but the letter was not given. It was necessary that the youth, about whom there were such good omens, should learn from early experience no success, no knowledge, no ability to attribute to himself, but only to the Father of lights, from Whom from above comes every good gift and every perfect gift, and to humble himself under His mighty hand. One day, his father sent Bartholomew to look for horses. In the field, under an oak tree, he saw an unfamiliar elder, a monk, a presbyter, with a reverent and angelic appearance, standing in prayer and shedding tears. The youth bowed and stood close, waiting for the end of the prayer. Having finished the prayer, the elder turned to him and asked: “What do you need, child?” “I’m learning to read and write,” the boy answered, “but I don’t know how, pray to God for me, Holy Father, so that I can learn to read.” The elder raised his hands, raised his eyes to heaven and gave the youth part of the prosphora, saying: “This is given to you as a sign of the grace of God and the understanding of Holy Scripture.” Then he consoled him with hope, and after giving him instructions, the elder wanted to go on his way. The boy fell at his feet and began to call him to his parents, saying: “My parents love people like you very much, father.” The elder agreed, and entering the house of Bartholomew’s parents, he began to pray for hours, and ordered the youth to say a Psalm. In vain, the amazed youth denied his inability: the elder insisted that he speak the word of God without hesitation; and the boy, taking his blessing, began to read correctly and clearly. Before the elder left home, the parents, seeing spiritual strength and insight in him, told how their son, being in his mother’s womb, cried out three times in the Church, and asked to resolve their bewilderment about this extraordinary adventure. In response to this, the elder said, among other things, a mysterious word that the youth must become the abode of the Holy Trinity; and having said this, he went out and instantly disappeared. Having so unexpectedly received such perfect success in his studies, Sergius clung to church services and reading sacred books, and from a young age began to show the fruits of his studies in life; not like many long-lived scientists, whose teaching blooms in words, but does not mature in deeds. He did not bother with vain children's games, laughter and foul language. He grew and prospered in the fear of God. For some time he accepted a strict fast: on Wednesdays and Fridays he did not eat anything; and on other days he ate bread and water. He often spent whole nights without sleep in prayer. The prudent mother tried to moderate the severity of his fast, presenting to him that his body was still growing. But he answered her: didn’t you tell me that I was still in the cradle on Wednesday and fasted on Friday? Having heard this, can I now help but force myself to rise up to God, so that He will deliver me from my sins? But he continued to tame his flesh through abstinence and labor, in order to preserve mental and physical purity. All this happened in Rostov. There the first sparks of Divine desire began to kindle this great lamp, but it was not there that it should have been kindled. He was destined to shine in the dark desert, and from here to shine for the throne city and all the borders of Russia. Let's see how he was transferred here by the invisible hand of God's providence. Although Cyril, the father of Blessed Sergius, was one of the noble and wealthy boyars in Rostov, over time, from various adventures, especially from the oppression of the Tatars, he fell into poverty. Finally, hardships and oppression from the governor of the Grand Duke of Moscow, Ivan Danilovich, forced him, like many others, to permanently leave the Rostov region with his entire family. He chose Radonezh as a refuge: because the Grand Duke gave it into the possession of his youngest son Andrei; and his governor brought great relief to those settling in this place. Thus, Kirill settled in Radonezh, at the Church of the Nativity of Christ, where the village of Gorodok is now. His two sons entered into marriage: but Bartholomew, or otherwise Sergius, asked him for permission to enter into monastic life. “Slow down,” his parents told him, “we are old, weak and poor; your brothers take care of their wives; It’s good that you are concerned about how to please God; just serve us a little, lead us to the grave, then you will fulfill your desire.” The blessed son obeyed. An instructive example of both parental and filial obedience! Cyril and Maria do not try to extinguish the Divine desire that is kindling in their son, and to bind him with worldly ties, as many parents of this century do, but only by presenting to him their need, secretly, probably thinking more about his youth, I give him the opportunity to test himself more, and strengthen his intention, so that, having laid his hand on the head, he will not look back. But Bartholomew is not like the children of this age, many of whom, even in ordinary worldly affairs, do not want to subjugate the will of their parents to their will: he knows the dignity of what he desires; however, he agrees to languish with an unfulfilled desire for the time being, in order to maintain obedience to his parents, and thereby inherit their blessing. After some time, Cyril and Maria themselves wished to join the monasteries, and, living briefly in the monastic order, they went to God. Bartholomew accepted this as a sign given by God's providence to fulfill his intention. Having accompanied his parents with prayers and alms, he left the earthly inheritance to their younger brother Peter, and he himself went to seek the only heavenly inheritance. Meanwhile, his elder brother Stefan, living for a few years in marriage, had two sons: Clement and John (of whom the latter, under the name Theodore, was later Archimandrite of the Simon Monastery, and finally Archbishop of Rostov); after the death of his wife, he took up monastic life in the Intercession Khotkov Monastery. Having come to Stephen, Bartholomew asked him to go with him to look for places to live in the desert; and convinced him. After a long walk through the forests, they fell in love with one place, in a dense forest, which had water, remote not only from dwellings, but also from human paths. Having said a prayer, they began to cut down the forest, and erected a cell and a small wooden Church, which was later consecrated in the name of the Holy Trinity, with the blessing of His Grace Theognostus, Metropolitan of All Russia. This is the beginning of the Holy Trinity Lavra, glorified only after the name of St. Sergius! Stephen, after the consecration of the Church, did not remain long in the desert, which presented only labors and shortcomings; since nothing was arranged for a comfortable living, and there were no visitors or offerings. He went to Moscow, and there he entered the Epiphany Monastery, where he was a collaborator in choir singing for the holy monk Alexy, later the Metropolitan of Moscow; a after the Abbot of this Monastery and the Spiritual Father of the Grand Duke Simeon. But the young hermit did not waver in his intention. Only he was in no hurry to put on the angelic image. Being a youth in age, but a man in mind, he considered it not a thorough matter to commit himself to the vows of monasticism before he had severely tested himself in the great exercise, labor and feat of monastic life. Having accomplished this according to his strength and understanding, he finally indulged in the long-cherished desire for an angelic image; and, calling upon a certain Hegumen Mitrofan, he received tonsure from him in the twenty-fourth year of his life, the month of October on the seventh day, in memory of the Holy Martyrs Sergius and Bacchus, which is why, in accordance with the custom of that time, his name was given: Sergius. Having consoled and strengthened the new monk with prayer and the word of God, the Abbot left; and Sergius remained in the new monastic field without a predecessor and without a peer, without a mentor and without an assistant, with one God, omnipresent, and never abandoning those who left everything for Him. No matter how true this help may be, those who have experienced it know what difficulties monastic life in complete solitude is subject to - difficulties that those who have not experienced sometimes find it difficult to believe even in the story. How many battles does the solitary ascetic face before he reaches the serene land of dispassion and tastes the sweetness of the desert! Hunger, thirst, cold, fear of animals, fear of perishing from poverty, burden of the flesh, despondency of the soul, confusion and scattering of thoughts, even apparently innocent rest and natural sleep - these are the enemies with which he must fight. Most of all, invisible enemies, when they notice that a person, having left the world and despising the flesh, is trying to penetrate into the spiritual realm, to communicate with the heavenly Forces and God Himself, then, in order to prevent him, they rush at him with incredible audacity, so that they not only from afar shoot kindled arrows of nasty thoughts at him, but, so to speak, invading the limits of his imagination and feelings, they represent strange images and absurd dreams to him. The zealous ascetic Sergius did not escape these attacks, but he also accepted them fearlessly and repelled them tirelessly. Repeatedly, during night prayer, he was presented with terrible visions that threatened him with death and the place with destruction; he heard noise and screaming: run away from here; don't expect to live here! But the courageous ascetic was not afraid of these vain punishments, remembering the word of Scripture: do not fear from the fear of the night, and from the arrow that flies during the day, from the thing that passes in darkness, from the cloak and the demon of the midday. Taking advantage of his frequent reading of soul-helping books, he knew the art of spiritual warfare, which one of the experienced spiritual warriors teaches, saying: Beat the warriors in the name of Jesus. With strong, but humble, undistracted and tearful prayer, St. Sergius destroyed deserted fears and dreams; Seeing the covering grace above him, day and night he glorified God, who did not leave the rod of sinners for the lot of the righteous. As for the war against the flesh with its passions and desires, he trained himself in this war even before entering the desert; and therefore, in his desert life, as signs of unceasing victories, long-term fastings, unremitting labors, strong standing in prayer, frequent kneeling, and all-night vigils were visible. The fear of animals, it seems, was the last of the fears for the monk; so, having once seen a large bear in front of his hut, and noticing that it was not so much fierce as it was smooth, Sergius took pity on the beast, and, having brought out a piece of bread, offered him this desert lunch, instead of a table on a stump or on a log. The beast fell in love with the hermit's hospitality, and, often coming to the cell, expected ordinary treats. And the Reverend, for his part, was accustomed to showing mercy to the beast, so that he shared the last piece with it, and sometimes gave it all, as if he did not understand fasting, while he himself remained without food. So he trained himself in renouncing the most necessary needs, and perhaps, in this peaceful treatment of the ferocious creature, with the edification of his soul, he contemplated the traces of the original obedience of all creatures to innocent man. However, the Reverend could not live in his amiable solitude for long. Like a fragrant flower, although it is hidden in wild grass, it cannot hide, because its fragrance proclaims it far away; So Blessed Sergius, although he hid from every person in the depths of the forests, between wild animals, however, could not hide, because the fragrance of his holy life was heard by some people who had a purified spiritual sense, or at least seeking purification, and began to come to him and ask permission to live near him. At first he did not accept them, presenting to them the difficulties of desert life and the extreme poverty of the place, but how they did not deviate from him, and promised to endure everything with the help of God; Then he acted according to the word of the Savior: He who comes to me will not be cast out. Little by little, up to twelve brothers gathered. Cells were built. There is an unfinished fence surrounding it. In the Church, Midnight Office, Matins, Hours, Vespers and Compline were celebrated daily, and often in addition to these, prayer singing. To perform the Liturgy, the Presbyter or Abbot was called from there; because there was no one yet. Out of humility, St. Sergius did not want to accept the rank of either abbot or presbyterate; he governed only by example; and exactly according to the word of Christ, the first was the servant of all. He built three or four cells with his own hands; chopped wood and brought it to the cells; ground in millstones; baked bread; cooked food; he sewed clothes and shoes, carried water in two waterpots on his frame to the mountain, and supplied it to everyone’s cell. When, after several years, Hegumen Mitrofan, the same one from whom he had received monastic vows, came to the Monastery of St. Sergius, Sergius rejoiced especially because there was a need for an Hegumen. But Mitrofan, being old, died in a short time. Meanwhile, from day to day, everyone felt the need to have an Abbot. Communicating this feeling to one another, the brethren gathered together, and, coming to St. Sergius, they said: “Father! We cannot live without the Abbot; We wish you to be our Abbot, the Mentor of our souls and bodies, so that we come to you with repentance, and, revealing our sins to you, receive forgiveness from you every day; so that they see you performing the Holy Liturgy, and from your honest hands they partake of the Divine Mysteries.” Sergius denied, but the brethren insisted, telling him that they had come to this place for him. But how he still disagreed, with deep humiliation, explaining that he only had to cry about his sins: then they, seeing that they could not bend him to their desire with meekness and affection, approached him with tears and threats, and said: “If you do not want to care for our souls, and be our Shepherd; then we will all be forced to leave this place and break our vow; then we will wander like sheep without a Shepherd; and you will give an answer to the impartial Judge, God.” A wonderful feud! A discord almost superior to harmony itself, when the humility of the elder fights with the obedience of the younger! The only battle in which neither side loses, but both gain in every battle! How prosperous societies would be if their members would thus squabble among themselves for maintaining subordination, and not for seeking power! Finally brotherly love prevailed. I wish, said the Reverend, that you learn better than teach; It is better to obey than to command; but I am afraid of God's judgment; I don’t know what pleases God, the will of the Lord be done. Taking two elders with him, Sergius went to Athanasius, Bishop of Volyn, who at that time, in the absence of St. Alexis, Metropolitan of All Russia, ruled Pereyaslavl in Constantinople. Appearing before him, Sergius asked him for the Abbot. “I have heard about you,” said the Saint; you will be the Abbot of the monastery of the Holy Trinity.” Sergius also tried to deny, but Saint, you have no obedience! - told him; and with this word, disarming him, he soon installed him as Presbyter and Abbot. The brethren greeted the new Abbot, or rather their old Mentor, with joy, and he, having entered the Church, fell to the ground with tears, thinking about the importance of his service, and calling on higher help. Through prayer, turning to the brethren, with the word of God he encouraged them not to weaken in their exploits for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven, and as he gave them a blessing, he also committed himself to their prayers, confessing his weakness. However, having received the leadership, he did not change his behavior. II in this state, he did not teach the brethren in many words, but most of all he was an example for them in his deeds. I celebrated the Liturgy every day. In the Church, at every prayer service, he appeared before everyone else, and did not at all lean on the wall, which signified the thought planted in the thought of God, and the spirit not overcome by the laziness of the body. As before, he continued to serve the brethren in household chores: he made candles; He cooked kutia, and especially prepared the prosphora himself, not allowing any of the brethren to participate in this. He wore clothes made of such fabric, which others rejected as unsuitable, and, moreover, for the most part, shabby, covered with patches and soaked in sweat, so that the people who, as the proverb says, meet by their clothes, when they saw Him, did not want to believe that it was the famous Abbot Sergius. At the beginning of the Abbess of Sergius, about three years old, the number of brethren, besides him, was neither more nor less than twelve, so that if one died or left the monastery, another immediately appeared, and the previous number was restored. The first to come beyond this date was Archimandrite Simoi, who, having heard about the life of St. Sergius, left his abbot in Smolensk to live in obedience to him; and with his estate he helped him create a Church more expansive than before. From that time on, the number of brethren increased. One of the rules of order established by St. Sergius in his monastery was that after Compline, except in extreme need, the brethren should not walk from cell to cell and not talk with each other; but, each in his own cell, they practiced prayer and handicrafts. To observe this, after performing his cell prayer, in the late evening, especially on long nights, he secretly walked around all the cells of the brethren. And if he found anyone in prayer, or with a book, or at handicrafts, he rejoiced over this, thanked God, and prayed for his approval. And if he heard idle talkers, he hit the door or window to stop the unauthorized conversation, and left. In the morning, calling those to him, he entered into an edifying conversation with them, and, without denouncing, led them to a humble confession of sin; and he rebuked those who were unrecognizable and imposed penance. Another rule worthy of note was that if there was a shortage of what was needed for food, the brethren did not go from the monastery to villages to ask, but with patience, remaining in the Monastery, asked and expected mercy from God. A difficult rule even for such a monastery, which is not far from the villages, how much more so for this one, which for more than fifteen years was in such a situation that it was barely possible to get to it along a narrow and interrupted path! But Sergius believed, and it was according to his faith; he trusted, and his hope did not put him to shame. It happened that there was not enough wine to celebrate the Liturgy, incense for burning, and wax for candles. Then they lit a birch or pine torch, and with this lighting they performed the morning or all-night service. Since the Monastery was formed from desert living, and a perfect community had not yet been established, it happened that the shortage of food befell the Hegumen first of all. It once happened that he had neither bread nor salt; and throughout the Monastery there was a shortage of food. Sergius spent three days without food, and at dawn on the fourth he came to one of the brethren, named Daniel, and said to him: “I heard that you want to add a vestibule to your cell; I will build them for you so that my hands will not be idle. This work will not cost you much; I want rotten bread, but you have it.” In fact, Daniel had quite a few pieces of bread that he put aside because they were rotten, and he brought them out. “Save it,” said Sergius, until the ninth hour; I don’t take payment before work.” Having said this, he began to hammer pillars, hew boards, and by evening he had completely built the canopy. Then he took the rotten bread as a cut-off payment, blessed it through prayer, and began to eat it with only water, even without salt. Already some of the brethren had not eaten for two days. The Abbot’s patience also reinforced theirs, but some complained. “Obeying you,” one of them said to Sergius, “we are dying of hunger, tomorrow we will leave here, never to return.” Therefore, the Reverend gathered all the brethren and exhorted them not to faint in temptation. He reminded them of the words of the Savior: seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all this will be added to you. Look at the birds of the air, how they neither sow nor reap, nor gather into barns, but your Heavenly Father feeds them: how much more than you, you of little faith. He encouraged them that enduring temptation would be rewarded with great benefits, and finally said: “I believe that God will not forsake this place and those who live in it.” And truly, according to the faith of the righteous man, soon after this the unknown Lover of Christ sent a lot of bread and other foodstuffs to the name of Sergius and the brothers living with him, and this was renewed for three days in a row. You see that God does not leave this place, and will not forsake His servants who commune with us, Sergius said to the brethren; and no sooner did he touch the brought food than he performed a prayer and thanksgiving song with them to the merciful and nourishing God. Repeatedly, and in other cases, when either the edification of the brethren, or general love for mankind demanded it, the faith of St. Sergius appeared with the power that the Savior assigns to it when he says: everything that you ask in prayer as a believer, you will receive. Repeatedly the brethren complained to him that it was a long walk to get water, and even some said, why did he create a Monastery in such a place? To this the Reverend answered: I wanted to be silent here alone; God was pleased to erect a Monastery here; but be bold in prayer, whether He gave water to the rebellious Jewish people in the waterless desert; then will he despise you, who work for Him here day and night? After this, taking one brother, he went into the wilds near the Monastery, and, finding a little rain, he offered a prayer over it. Since then, a source has appeared in this place. The brethren began to call him Sergiev: but the humble Wonderworker, having learned this, strictly forbade them, saying: “It was not I, but the Lord who gave this water to us unworthy.” Someone living in the vicinity of the Monastery had one son, and this son fell ill. The father brought the boy to the Monastery and asked St. Sergius to pray over him. But when the Saint was still preparing to pray, the youth, from a severe attack, gave up the ghost. The amazed father went to prepare the coffin, and the Saint, taking pity on him, began to pray over the youth. When the father returned with the coffin; The saint said to him: “Your son is not dead; the seizure that happened to him on the road due to the cold has passed.” The father, seeing his son, fell at the feet of the Saint, expressing gratitude to him for the resurrection of his son, but the Saint restrained him and ordered him to remain silent, for fear that he would lose the boy. Over time, this became known from Sergiev’s student. A certain noble man who lived on the Volga fell into a frenzy of mind and an indomitable frenzy. Neighbors, hearing about the effect of the prayers of St. Sergius, brought the sufferer to the Monastery. When the Reverend, having performed the prayer service, marked him with the Cross: the enraged man, shouting in a wild voice that he was in flames, threw himself into the water, and from that moment regained his senses and health. The fame of Sergius’s spiritual exploits and the grace given to him spread from day to day, and therefore his place of residence became a discovery. In the days of Grand Duke Joain Ioaniovich, the surrounding forests were cut through; paths have been laid; new settlements have been established. People and nobles came to ask for Sergius' prayers; the monastics left their former monasteries and came to live under his guidance. Sergius, seeing the blessing hand of God over his Abode, prayed with greater boldness for the success of his brethren. One day in the late evening, during prayer, he heard a voice calling him: Sergius! Having said a prayer, he opened the window and saw an extraordinary light from heaven. “Sergius!” said the old voice; The Lord accepted your prayer for your children.” At this the Reverend saw many beautiful birds. The voice continued: “So the flock of your disciples will increase; and after you those who follow your steps will not fail.” The monk, in surprise and joy, wished to have a witness to this miraculous phenomenon, as one that concerned the entire brotherhood; and called Simon, about whom we spoke above, who still managed to see some of the remains of the phenomenon. After some time, messengers from the Patriarch of Constantinople came to St. Sergius and brought him a cross, a paramand and a schema, and a message from the Patriarch as a blessing. Are you sent to someone else? The humble Sergius said, and, having ordered the messengers to rest, he himself immediately went to Saint Alexy and reported to him about what had happened. The saint ordered the message to be read, and the following was read: “By the grace of God, Ecumenical Patriarch Cyrus Philotheus, Archbishop of Constantine: about the Holy Dus, to the son and fellow servant of our humility, Sergius. Grace and peace and our blessing be with you. We have heard that your life is virtuous according to God, and that you have greatly praised and glorified God. But one main thing is still not enough for you, as you do not acquire a common life. The Most Reverend One, and the Godfather Prophet David himself, who was bound by all things with reason, can praise nothing else, just as: behold, now what is good, or what is red, but the brethren live together. That’s why I give you good advice, that you may form a common life, and may God’s mercy and our blessing be with you.” “What do you command, Holy Master?” Sergius asked Alexy after reading the message. The Metropolitan, for his part, advised to act on the advice of the Patriarch: and from that time on, a perfect hostel was established in the Monastery of St. Sergius. Residential positions are distributed; and having property or calling anything your own is forbidden to everyone; everything should be common. When the improvement of the Monastery was thus completed, the number of disciples increased more than before, and all abundance was established in it. So that the excess would not lead to negligence or other vice, but would serve to increase blessings, the wise manager introduced hospitality into the Monastery, feeding the poor and giving alms to those who ask. He considered this institution so important for the Monastery that he did not hesitate to back it up with a special prophecy. Is there, he said to the brethren, keep this commandment of mine without grumbling; then after my departure from this life, this Abode will greatly expand. It seemed that the Abode of Sergius was already firmly established from everywhere, and safe from any vicissitudes. But who knows what the coming day will give birth to? Oh, how one must be vigilant so that outer peace and affirmation do not turn into all-destruction through passions and evil thoughts hidden in the depths of the heart! Suddenly a storm roared, which tore off the blessed cover from this monastery, and almost destroyed its very foundations. One Saturday, Saint Sergius was at the altar, performing the evening service himself: and his brother Stefan (who, apparently, returned to the Monastery of Sergius when abundance came to it) stood on the left choir. “Who gave you this book?” Stefan asked the canonarch. This one answered that the Abbot gave it. It is unknown why the spirit of anger and lust for power overtook Stefan. “Who is the Abbot here?” he said. “Was it not I who first founded this place?” And others uttered equally absurd and rebellious words, which Saint Sergius, being in the altar, heard. As much as the Abbess attracted Stephen, Sergius was ready to leave it, not wanting to rule those who did not want his rule, and, perhaps, burdened by glory, and wanting deep solitude, as was his original custom. Having finished Vespers, he, without entering his cell, left the Monastery and retired to a place called Kirzhach, where soon quite a few brethren gathered to him, and the Monastery was founded. There is no need to say how despondent the Trinity Monastery was by the accidental removal of St. Sergius. The brothers looked for him everywhere. Having learned that he had gone into the distant desert and intended to build a monastery, they consoled themselves with the fact that either he would return to them or they could move to him. And when he did not return, some went to Saint Alexy and begged him to return the Shepherd to them. Immediately the Saint sent two Archimandrites to Sergius, convincing him to return to the Trinity Monastery. Sergius, having learned from them the will of the Archpastor, answered them: tell my lord the Metropolitan: everything that came from Your mouth, as if from the mouth of Christ I accept. And, with the blessing of the Saint, leaving his disciple Roman as the Abbot of the newly built Monastery, he returned to Trinity. This return was a triumph of mutual love between the disciples and the Mentor. They came out to meet him with joyful praises to God; they kissed his hands, feet and very clothes, he also rejoiced spiritually, seeing the undoubted experience of their free and diligent obedience. Hitherto we have seen St. Sergius as a pious desert dweller and educator of a well-established monastery. In this kind of people the world usually does not think to see active members of the Fatherland and statesmen. The life of Sergius now gives us the opportunity to expose this delusion of the world by the example of the Venerable One, and to show in it the truth proclaimed by the Apostle, that piety is useful for everything, a promise that has the present life and the future. In the days of the Grand Duke Dimitri Ioannovich, the Prince of the Horde Tatars Mamai moved the entire horde to the Russian land, the Grand Duke, recognizing in St. Sergius a powerful faith and the very gift of prophecy, came to him and asked whether to resist a strong and terrible enemy? The monk, with blessing and prayer, said to him: “You must, Sovereign, take care of the flock of Christ given to you by God; and with His help you will gain victory.” Moreover, he gave him two monks Alexander Peresvet and Andrei Osleby. Moreover, when the Grand Duke, having gone out against the Tatars, having learned about the superiority of the enemy forces, again hesitated at what to decide: suddenly a messenger from St. Sergius came with a message in which he encouraged the Grand Duke without a doubt to go against the enemy, and encouraged God's help. The entire army was encouraged by this, and the battle on the Don resulted in a glorious victory over Mamai, which became the beginning of the liberation of Russia from the enslavement of the Tatars. Meanwhile, the Reverend, at the very time of the battle, standing with the brethren in prayer, to their consolation, announced to them about the success of the battle, and even named the slain, and offered a Prayer for them. The Grand Duke, returning in victory, hurried to the Reverend, with gratitude for his advice and reinforcement, and was generous to his Abode, giving villages for its maintenance. The love and faith of this Prince for the Reverend was so great that he had Sergius as the successor of his children from Holy Baptism. A thought worthy of a man who understands the power of Christian institutions is to choose a proven Spiritual mentor and prayer book as his successor! The piety and glory of Sergiev’s piety jointly contributed to the fact that his Abode became a hotbed of piety for many other places. During his lifetime, many monasteries were established by his disciples; somehow: Andronik - Androniev, by the will of Saint Alexy, Theodore - Simonov; Savva, by the will of Grand Duke Dimitri, in memory of the victory over Mamai - Savvin in Zvenigorod; Gregory - Golutvin in Kolomna; Afanasy Vysotsky in Serpukhov A high priest was also being prepared for this great lamp of the Church and the Fatherland, but his immutable destiny was to shine from the desert on the thrones, and not from the throne to shine on the Church and the Kingdom. Blessed Metropolitan Alexy, seeing himself exhausted and approaching death, calls upon Blessed Sergius and commands him to bring a precious cross for him. The monk renounces this gift, saying: “Forgive me, Master, I have not worn gold since my youth, all the more so in my old age I wish to remain in poverty.” The saint, in explanation of his gift, reveals to him that he intends to install him as a Bishop, and thus prepare him to take his place as a Metropolitan. The monk renounces this even more strongly, not only with deep humiliation, but even with some sorrow. The saint tries to convince him with the universal desire, from the Great Powers to the last, to bend him with the word of God; but the Reverend speak decisively: “Holy Master! If you don’t want to drive me away, don’t talk about this to me, who is unworthy.” The perspicacious Saint, seeing that further insistence would force Sergius to retire into the unknown desert, and through this the lamp would completely disappear, changed his speech to a soul-saving conversation, and, having consoled him, released him to the Monastery. Who can explain this sacred strife? The spiritual one, says the Apostle, strives for all, but he himself does not contend for one. We only know from the same Apostle that a special manifestation of the Spirit is given to each person for his benefit: and one gift cannot be changed arbitrarily for another. Saint Alexy soon died, and the Sovereigns again asked Saint Sergius to accept the Bishop's staff, but he remained adamant. Someone, Archimandrite Novospassky, Mikhail, ascended the throne of Bishops, and before his initiation he dared to put on some Holy robes; and began to arm himself against the Reverend, considering him a rival. But the Blessed One, having heard about this, said to the disciples: “Mikhail will not get what he wants and will not see Constantinople.” And truly, Mikhail died on the way to Constantinople. It would be a long story to tell about many other signs in which, due to the varied need for consolation and edification, the grace of the Spirit of the Lord present with Blessed Sergius appeared in various ways; for example, how once, sitting with the brethren at a meal, he suddenly stood up and bowed with prayer, and it was reliably learned that he gave a kiss to Stephen, Bishop of Perm, who was passing by the Monastery at some distance, on the way to Moscow; how sometimes during his sacred rite, they saw an Angel serving with him, and sometimes fire surrounding the Holy Table, and entering the holy chalice, at the time of communion. But we should not remain silent about one miraculous vision, which not only filled Blessed Sergius, but also should constantly fill everyone in this place with joy, hope and thanksgiving to God. One day in the dead of night, before the icon of the Mother of God, he sang an akathist, and often looking at Her image, he prayed to Her for intercession with Her Son and God, that he would look upon this place. Having finished the prayer, he sat down to rest; but suddenly he said to his disciple Micah: “Watch, child; we will have a wonderful visit. As soon as he said this, a voice was heard: The Most Pure One is coming. The saint, having heard, went out into the vestibule, and behold, a light shone on him, brighter than the sun, and he saw the Most Blessed Virgin, accompanied by the Apostles Peter and John. The saint fell on his face: but the Good Mother touched him and inspired him with words of grace: do not be afraid; your prayer for your disciples and for the seventh place has been heard; with you and for you, I will not depart from your Abode, and I will cover it. When the vision ended and the Saint came to his senses; then he saw the student lying as if dead, and picked him up. “Tell me, Father,” asked Micah, what is this wonderful vision? my soul almost separated from my body.” But Sergius could not yet speak from the movement of the spirit; only his face bloomed with joy. For a short time, he commanded to call two reverent men from the brethren, Isaac and Simon, and bring them common joy and hope. All together they performed a prayer service to the Mother of God; The saint remained awake all night, listening with his mind to the Divine vision. Finally, the time was approaching for Blessed Sergius to pass to the endless Divine vision in heaven. He foresaw his death in six months, and, calling on the brotherhood, entrusted it to his disciple, the Reverend Nikon; and he himself fell into complete silence. In the month of September, he felt sick, and, calling again the brethren, gave them the last instructions. Just before the release from the body, he partook of the Holy Mysteries, and with prayer gave up his spirit to God, in the summer of Christ 1393, September 25, alive 78 years. At the moment of resolution, a fragrance spread from his body, and his face, like an image of a purified spirit, was clean and bright. Thirty years after his consecrated body was laid in the ground according to the general law of the sons of men, it was found incorruptible, and with sacred triumph it was opened on the 5th day of July. When the coffin was opened, the fragrance spread again; and the very clothes on the Saint’s body turned out to be undamaged, despite the humidity of the place where he was buried. Since then, his honest tomb has remained an open source of grace-filled healings. Let us now run our thoughts from the first beginning of this God-saved Abode to its present times, and marvel with reverence at how far the blessing of one person can extend! How many benefits she acquired, and bestowed on others, through the grace of her founder! How many dangers were overcome through his prayers! In addition to the miracles performed on some in particular, which do not diminish even in our times when miraculous faith is scarce, how many public events in which the blessing of Sergius was miraculously marked over this place! During the time of the impostors, when Moscow and almost all of Russia were in captivity, this Lavra not only did not fall from a long siege, but also supported the falling Fatherland, and finally saw the conclusion of peace under its walls. During the troubled days of the reign of PETER the Great, more than once within the walls of this Abode He found the security of life, on which the fate of Russia depended so much. The image of Saint Sergius, written on the board of his tomb, accompanied PETER in all the campaigns of the long and dangerous Swedish War. In 1771, when a deadly plague devoured the inhabitants of both Moscow and the village adjacent to this Monastery, despite the fact that the Monastery was open daily for worshipers, not one of those belonging to it was affected by the infection. Finally, in the terrible time of the invasion of the Gauls, when God, angered by our sins, handed over both the ancient Capital and its very Churches to be trampled upon by the frantic; and the nearest cities, Dmitrov and Bogorodsk, much less important for selfish enemies, were occupied by their army; not a single foot of the wicked is allowed to set foot on this Holy place - not by force of arms, but by invisible and unknown force. May the One Trihypostatic God be glorified, wondrous in His Saints! Add more Thy mercy to this place! Open still Your beneficent hand to those praying at the feet of the Holy One, with faith, hope and love! Let the path of Thy Righteous One shine upon those who are partakers of his calling, earthly and heavenly, and through this Abode lead them to the abodes of Thy eternal Light! Extend through him an effective blessing on the Church and our Fatherland, may you be the glory of Your goodness forever. Amen. Some features of the life of our Venerable and God-Bearing Father Sergius of Radonezh after death, that is, some legends about his appearances and miracles, were copied from books and manuscripts in 1834 The life of our Venerable and God-Bearing Father Sergius has been described more than once and should be well known to those who honor his holy memory. But since the Righteous Ones live forever, as the Wise One says (Wis. 5:15): then their life on earth until temporary death is only the first and small part of their life; and is their life wonderful and instructive until their temporary death, when they are still striving to reach the rank of the Righteous, and to be established in it; then how much more wonderful and full of wisdom should their life be after death, when they, as the same Wise One says, will receive the Kingdom of splendor and the crown of kindness from the hand of the Lord? The corruptible body, which burdens the soul, and the earthly dwelling, which burdens the mind with much care (Wis. 9:15), do not allow us to see in the light of this Kingdom: however, this light must more or less penetrate from the invisible to the visible, from the spiritual to the physical, from heaven to earth, when the Righteous, as the Wise One also says, judge with the tongue, and possess people (Wis. 5:8), - possess through power miracles and signs - they are judged by the court of grace, mercies, good deeds, deliverance, instructions for salvation, and sometimes beneficial punishment to motivate piety. Therefore, let it not seem strange if you say that we now wish to present some, not many of the countless features of the life of St. Sergius after death, not in that unknown relationship to us, as his soul is, with the other souls of the Righteous in the hand of God (Wis. 3:1), but since this equal-angelic man, in the likeness of the Angels, is sent into service for those who want to inherit salvation (Heb. 1:14), and thus his heavenly life necessarily touches the earth. One of the first revealed communications between St. Sergius and the brethren of his Abode, after his blessed death, was the vision of the worthy monk of this Abode, Ignatius, that St. Sergius, during the all-night vigil, stood in his place and participated with the brethren in church singing. (See the print. Said about life and miracles. Pr. Ser. Ch. 35). The brethren of that time rejoiced when they heard about this vision. May those now laboring in prayer for such a participant and co-worker in them rejoice, and may those overcome by inattention and laziness feel the importance of church services, to which prayer books come from heaven. During the abbess of St. Nikon, one of his disciples, while cutting down wood to build a cell, accidentally received an ax wound in the face. In the late evening, sitting in his cell as if in a frenzy, he hears the usual prayer of someone coming at the window; and the one who came declared himself the Igumen, although the Igumen was not at home at that time. The brother wanted to open the door, but he could not get up because he was exhausted from the flow of blood. Suddenly the doors opened by themselves. A luminous elder and another in the Hierarch's garb entered. The light shone on the cell, and the sick brother mentally asked for blessings from those who came. The luminous elder showed the Saint the foundations of the cell; and this one blessed all places. Having walked around the cell, they became invisible. The sick man, having come to his senses, did not find any trace of his wound below. In one of those who appeared, he recognized the Monk Sergius, and about the other he concluded that it was the friend of the Monk Sergius during his earthly life, Saint Alexy. (Ch. 36.) One Tver nobleman, named Zakhary, suffered from a disease of the womb, which grew in such a way that it threatened him with death. Having faith in St. Sergius, he faithfully ate several pieces of bread from the Monastery of Sergius before his usual food, and in a short time he recovered. Therefore, he promised to go to the Monastery of the Monk for thanksgiving: but at first he postponed, and then forgot his promise. In order to enlighten him, God visited him again with a dental disease, so severe that it seemed to him that his jaws were crushed, and for many days he had no sleep and did not take food. One evening he placed the skufia of St. Sergius, which he had in his house, on his head, and, having received some relief, began to fall into a subtle slumber, however, in such a way that in his mind he was still praying for his healing through the intercession of the Rev. Suddenly he sees him in front of him, wants to get up, or speak, but cannot. The saint asks: “Do you want to go to my monastery and receive healing there? The patient answers: I want to, but I can’t. To this the Saint said: I will carry you, and the sick man imagined that he was taken, carried to the Abode of the Saint, and laid at the shrine of his relics. With tears and joy he kisses the shrine, feels his inner healing, returns to his home: and, having come to his senses, does not feel any remnant of his illness. Then with joy he fulfilled his previous vow of thanksgiving at the Monastery of St. Sergius. (Ch. 39, 40). A Moscow merchant named Simeon, born according to the prediction of St. Sergius, was so ill that for many days he lay on his bed, without food and without sleep, and could not move. One night, remembering the Venerable Sergius, the many healings that God performed for his sake, and the love that the Saint had for Simeon’s parents during his earthly life, this sick man prayed for a long time to the Saint for help. Late in the evening, while the family was sleeping, by the lamp, the Saint appeared to the sick man, in great light, accompanied by Saint Nikon, whom the sick man immediately recognized, because he personally knew him during his life; and from it he concluded that the first to appear was St. Sergius. Saint Sergius overshadowed the sick man with the cross, which he had in his hand, and ordered his disciple to overshadow him with the icon standing near the bed, which the Monk Nikon himself had once given him. Then it seemed to the patient that they took him by the hair and tore off all his skin from head to toe: and they became invisible. At that moment, Simeon felt so relieved from his illness that he stood up and, with earthly worship, expressed his gratitude to the Reverends in front of their icons. (chapter 11.) The youth Leonty, the son of one of the elders in Vyshgorod, for eight years had a withered hand attached to his ribs; and for this reason, for the sake of Christ, he traveled to many places. In one place of the Sergius Monastery, the Reverend appeared to him and ordered him to go to his Abode if he wanted to receive healing. The youth came to the Monastery, entered the church, stood at the shrine of the Reverend, and began to pray. What followed, we will retell in the ancient narrator’s own words: “All the brothers present, and I, the unworthy Pachomius, who was writing the life of the Saint at that time, terribly saw all the miracles. As if he had made the third bow, the youth fell to the tomb and cried out with a great voice, saying: Behold, my withered hand is healthy! And this river, I raised up the mountain, saying: behold, I see Saint Sergius standing at his tomb, and commanding mania, stretching out my dry hand. I give thanks to you, who is great in miracles.” (Ch. 46.) Having limited ourselves to the few examples of the beneficial miracles of St. Sergius on private individuals that have been cited so far from ancient legends, let us pay special attention to those cases in which his miraculous service had a more extensive direction towards the establishment of the Orthodox faith, for the good of the Church and the Fatherland. One should not wonder if we had not said that this great desert dweller was a high theologian; for the Holy Spirit divides (1 Cor. 12:11) spiritual gifts, and does not give everything to everyone: but what, perhaps, is not expected from a desert ascetic, we must say on the basis of experience that St. Sergius was a high and insightful Theologian. I will say in passing: was not the Theological spirit manifested in him even when he chose the name of the church he was building? His mind then rushed to the highest Christian dogma, in order to attract the minds of even infants of faith. Having dedicated the church to this name of the Most Holy Trinity, he did this: here, by the very reminder of the name of the church, every worshiper theologizes, confesses and glorifies the Life-Giving Trinity and, while theologizing, brings his prayer. St. Sergius demonstrated another experience of the theological spirit and defense of Orthodoxy in the following incident. When the Latins, taking advantage of the disastrous times of the Greek Empire, sought to subjugate the Eastern Church to the Roman Church, at the Council of Florence, then a certain Presbyter Simeon was at this council with the Russian Metropolitan Isidore. Not agreeing with Isidore to submit to Latin, this Presbyter suffered a lot from him for this; and, with the Tver ambassador Thomas, decided to flee from him to Russia. Having neither means, nor protection, nor knowledge of the ways, they pestered the traveling merchants, but these, approaching one formidably fortified city, drove them away, fearing to suffer for them, as for people unknown and dubious. On one mountain, tired and wondering about the path, Simeon and Thomas lay down and dozed off. Suddenly the Presbyter sees the elder, who, taking him by the right hand, said: “Are you blessed by the one who followed in the footsteps of the Apostles, Mark the Bishop of Ephesus?” He answered: “Yes, I saw this wonderful and strong man, and was blessed by him. Then the one who appeared further said: “Blessed is this man from God; because no one from the vain Latin Council bowed to him either with property, or with caresses, or with threats of torment. You saw this, and did not bow down to the delusion; and for that he suffered. Preach the teaching commanded to you from Saint Mark, wherever you go, to all the Orthodox, who contain the traditions of the Holy Apostles and Holy Fathers of the seven councils; and let him who has true understanding not deviate from this. Do not mourn your journey, I am always with you, and I will guide you safely through this impenetrable city. Now rise up and go; Having walked a little, you will see a place where there are two chambers, and next to them a wife named Eugene, who will take you into her house and put you to rest; and then soon you will pass through the city without being detained. The presbyter asked the elder who he was; and the one who appeared answered: I am Sergius Makovsky, whom you once called in prayer. You promised to come to my Abode; but did not come; and now you will not fulfill your promise, but you will be there in captivity. Having awakened, the Presbyter told the vision to his companion; and they went away joyfully. Everything happened as predicted: Evgenia invited them to rest; Then they passed through the city among many armed people, without being detained by anyone. Having reached Russia, the Presbyter slowed down somewhere and did not rush to the Monastery of St. Sergius. Meanwhile, Isidore came to Moscow, caught him, and, as if he were rebellious, put him in chains. But God, through the prayers of the Saints, enlightened Grand Duke Vasily: Isidore was not accepted by the Russian Church as having apostatized from it; Simeon was released from his shackles and given to the Abbot of the Sergius Monastery, Zinovy, and thus, exactly according to the prediction of St. Sergius, he was involuntarily brought to his Abode, where he told his adventures to the brethren with tears. (Chapter II.) The following incident was made known by Joasaph, Metropolitan of All Russia, having heard it directly from the lips of Grand Duke John Vasilyevich. The wife of this Sovereign, Sophia, having given birth to three daughters, wanted to have a son; and with prayer for this she undertook a journey from Moscow to the Monastery of St. Sergius on foot. She passed the sub-monastery village of Klementyevo, and, going down the mountain to the Monastery itself, she accidentally saw a sacredly sculptured monk coming to meet her, in appearance similar to the image of St. Sergius. He had a baby in his hands, and, approaching, suddenly put it in the Grand Duchess's bucket. She trembled and would have fallen if she had not been supported by the wives of the nobleman who were with her. She sat down and began to look in her bosom, but found nothing. Then she realized that it was a visit to St. Sergius; strengthened, and with hope brought her prayer to the Abode. After this, she conceived and gave birth to a son, Grand Duke Vasily. (Ch. 54.) When, by order of the Tsar and Grand Duke Ivan Vasilyevich, to facilitate the conquest of Kazan, Sviyazhsk was founded in the summer of 7059; and in it, among other things, a Monastery was created with churches in the name of St. Sergius: then from the image of the Wonderworker Sergius, many miraculous healings took place in this Monastery. Soon the elders of the Mountain Cheremis appeared in Sviyazhsk; and submitted to the Tsar of Russia. And this is what they said on this occasion: “Five years before the founding of this city, when this place was empty, when Kazan was calm, we often heard Russian church bells here. Surprised and in fear, we sent light young people to this place to see what was happening, and they heard voices singing beautifully, as if in a church, but they saw no one except one of your old monks, who walked with a cross, blessing in all directions, as if measuring the place where the city is now, and the whole place was filled with fragrance. When those we sent tried to catch him, he became invisible. When they shot arrows at him, the arrows did not wound him, but flew up, fell to the ground and broke. We told our princes about this, and they told the queen and the nobles in Kazan.” (Ch. 56) We, brethren, will now place ourselves in the mental vision of God’s providence, and we will wonder how He lays, before what is visible, an invisible foundation for human affairs through the blessing of the Saints; and thus gives them upward prosperity beyond their expectations. When, due to the impoverishment of the Royal tribe, our Fatherland was subjected to disorder and grave disasters, when jealousy for faith and Fatherland, in times of danger; prompted the Monastery of St. Sergius to take an active part in the domestic battle, and withstand the siege from the Poles and Lithuania: then St. Sergius primarily appeared in the rank of the Mounted Voivode, which is attributed to him in church hymns. He encouraged and protected those who fought for the faith and the Fatherland, terrified enemies, and multiplied his miracles, so that, with the multiplication of dangers, the hope of salvation would not fail. One Sunday morning, after Matins, he appeared to the sexton Irinarch while he was dozing, and predicted an attack by enemies. Then the same elder saw him walking along the fence and through the monastery services, and sprinkling the buildings with holy water. The next night an attack actually followed: but the enemies, thinking of making an unexpected attack, met an unexpected rebuff and were defeated. (Ch. 58.) Thus, in ancient times, the Prophet Elisha announced to the King of Israel about the impending attacks of the Syrian army from hidden places, and from there not a single one was observed twice (1 Samuel 6:10). At another time, when the besieged had almost lost hope of deliverance and were grieving that they could not send to Moscow to ask for help from the Tsar, the Reverend appeared to the same Irinarch and said: “Tell the brethren and all the military men: why are they grieving that it is impossible to send news to Moscow? I sent from myself to Moscow, to the house of the Most Pure Mother of God and to all the Moscow Wonderworkers, to perform a prayer service, three of my disciples: Micah, Bartholomew and Naum, at the third hour of the night. And your enemies saw them. Come out of the fence and tell your enemies: have you seen the elders? Why weren't they caught? Behold, a great victory will come from them; and in Moscow the whole city will have news from them.” Irinarch announced the vision; and from the testimony of the guard, from negotiations with the besiegers, especially from the interrogation of the prisoner, it was revealed that the besiegers that night saw and pursued three elders riding on thin horses, but could not catch up with them. The same vision was confirmed by other extraordinary circumstances. One sick old man, having heard about it, entered into childish doubt about the truth of it: on what horses did Saint Sergius send his three disciples? Suddenly the Monk Sergius appeared to him, and saying that he had sent him on blind horses, which, due to lack of food, had been driven out of the stone monastery fence, healed him of illness, and at the same time of unbelief. Having commanded this to be announced to everyone, the Saint concluded his conversation with the healed man with the following comforting and formidable prediction and teaching: the stench of laymen who sin fornication is not as disgusting to me as that of monks who are careless about their promise; and under the walls of my Abode I will destroy all the enemies who come; and in my Abode I will destroy those who live uncleanly and double-mindedly, and I will rule with those who are defiled. (Ch. 64, 65. Told about the siege. T.S.M. ch. 50.) Let us note here how the Wonderworker Sergius suddenly acted in a variety of ways: he terrified enemies, and encouraged those in danger, and warned against treason, and healed the sick, and corrected those of little faith, and taught all the monks with such teaching, which even now, brethren, should still resound in our ears. By the way, in this legend the names of Bartholomew and Nahum, not glorified by the Church, but, apparently, also Saints, are worthy of note, because otherwise they would not have been able to fulfill the holy commission of Saint Sergius. On the very day on which there was a vision in the Monastery of St. Sergius about the embassy of his disciples to Moscow, in Moscow, which was also under siege, many saw a gray-haired old man walking into the city, and behind him twelve carts filled with baked bread. Who are you? - Moscow residents asked; - and how did the troops get through such a multitude? - The elder answered: we are all from the house of the Most Holy and Life-Giving Trinity. And when they asked him: how much is the house of the Holy Trinity worth? He added: The Lord do not give up His name as a reproach with your tongue; Only yourselves, brothers, do not be shaken by earthly excuses. The rumor about those arriving from the Monastery of Sergius not only attracted many people to the Epiphany Monastery, as its courtyard; but Tsar Vasily also sent a message to ask Kelar Avramiya why he did not introduce those who had arrived to the Tsar. But no one saw them in the courtyard. It remained to conclude that it was a vision, the consequence of which was an abundance of bread in the Wonderworker’s farmstead beyond expectation. (Ch. 66.) Besieged Moscow needed bread. Neither the command of Tsar Vasily, nor the admonitions of Patriarch Hermogenes could persuade the merchants to lower the price of it. To achieve this, the Tsar and Patriarch convinced the Cellarer of the Sergius Monastery of Avramia to sell at a low price part of the bread from the farmstead's reserves. But when the price of bread rose again; and the Tsar and the Patriarch wanted to use the same means to lower it; Avramiy feared that there would be nothing to feed those living in the courtyard. However, calling upon St. Sergius for help, he ordered the grain to be brought out for sale again at a reduced price. At this time, a man named Spyridon, who was serving at the granary, was scooping up rye in the granary for the bread of the brethren, and from a hole in the wall he saw flowing rye. He shovels away, and she flows more. Surprised, he shows this to another servant, and both tell Kelar about this. The same thing continued when the Kelar arrived. Throughout the siege, not only those in the Wonderworker’s compound, but also many who came and asked were content with this bread. After the liberation of the Sergius Monastery from the great siege, Archimandrite Dionysius, seeing in the vicinity the people dying from the disasters of war, the poor without help, the sick and wounded without charity, lying along the roads, but in the forests, in the wilds, with tears he convinced the brethren to look after them in the Monastery, and to use the best reserves of bread and kvass in the Monastery for them, and, in case of need, to be content with oatmeal bread and water; because no supply could be hoped for, since the roads were not yet safe. At this time, the former Staritsky Archimandrite Pimen was sentenced to work in the Sergius Monastery in the bakery, because his son Amphilochius, having been sent to the Kazan Trinity Monastery subordinate to this Monastery in the Builders, agreed with ill-intentioned people and went out of obedience. The grain reserves were diminishing from day to day, and there was only one small scrap left, from which flour was taken daily for the brethren, the laity, and the military men. Pimen noticed that the depleted sever was filling up again; I told about this to Klyuchary Ivan Nasedkin, who was then in the Monastery; both noticed the same thing over the course of several days; and finally they realized that, through the prayers of St. Sergius, this was a blessing from above on the philanthropic deeds of Archimandrite Dionysius. (Manuscript about the new miracle. P.S. ch. 2.) Around this same time, the aforementioned Keykeeper John, staying in the Monastery of St. Sergius, one day, during cell prayer. about deliverance from the still-due wrath of God (because many cities were still in revolt, and the Poles were prevailing in some places), reflecting on the disasters of the Church, and remembering what was written in the Apocalypse about a woman fleeing from the serpent into the desert, I thought with tears that the Gentiles could completely overcome the Orthodox, and then there would no longer be Orthodoxy in Rus'. Exhausted from crying, he forgot himself, and heard a voice through the window: who are you, who thinks that there is no Orthodoxy in Rus', and wants to test the fate of God? But you don’t know that Basil the Great, Demetrius of Seluis, and your Venerable Sergius the miracle worker are praying to God for you; and there will be Orthodoxy in Rus' as before. Having come to his senses, John trembled and went to tell Archimandrite Dionysius about the seven. He found the Archimandrite standing in front of his cell on the platform, and to his new surprise, and at the same time to the confirmation of the voice he heard, he learned that at that very time the Monk Sergius worked miracles. Before the Archimandrite stood a youth, hitherto mute, as everyone knew; and in clear language he told the Archimandrite the following: “This hour I was sitting on the stove in the cell in which such and such a monk, relaxed, was lying in the corner facing the wall. Two bright-looking monks, gray-haired with braids, entered, approached the paralytic, and, having prayed to the name of Jesus, demanded that he turn his face to them. He said he couldn't. But the God-beloved monks, repeating their demand, added: “Is this, brother, your monasticism? Don't be stubborn; contact us." The patient, out of ignorance, answered even with anger: “Who are you? get away from me; don't you know how sick I am? How can I contact you? Then the Godly Elders, turning him to face them, put him on his feet by his bed, and said: “It is in vain that you are called sick; Here you are healthy." Coming out of the cell, they told me, calling me by name: go, tell Archimandrite Dionysius about this disobedient man, how he argued with us. With this word from them, my tongue was loosened; and I answered: “I will go and proclaim what you have commanded.” For this, the former relaxed monk came and confirmed what the youth had said. Cellarer Simon, in the manuscript about the recent miracles of St. Sergius, written at the behest of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, regarding the reliability of the now proposed legends about Klyuchar John, about the paralytic and about the dumb, explains that they are not only described directly from the words of John, but even some words of the description were corrected by John himself. (about the new part. Chapter 3.) In the manuscript of Kelar Simoia there is a remarkable legend about how the famous ascetic for the Fatherland, Nizhny Novgorod citizen Kosma Minin, was introduced to a feat that exceeded his rank. Cosmas was a pious man and had the custom from time to time, when he was away from his wife, to retire to a special church for prayer. One day, in this church, the Monk Sergius appeared to him and commanded him to collect the treasury for the military people, and to go to cleanse the Moscow State from enemies. Having come to his senses, Cosmas was in great fear: but he did not dare to do anything, thinking that the organization of the army was not his business. The vision was repeated, but he again remained inactive. After a short time, the Reverend appeared to him for the third time; renewed his command with rebuke, and added that it was the will of the righteous destinies of God to have mercy on Orthodox Christians, and to bring them into silence from great confusion; that the elders in the city will not be as involved in the work entrusted to Cosmas as the younger ones, and that their undertaking will lead to a good ending. This last vision left Cosmas not only in awe, but also in some illness: why he repented of his negligence, decided to begin to carry out what was commanded, and thought about how to start the business. Soon he was elected by the whole city to the zemstvo elders. Taking this as a sign of God's providence, Cosmas established his trust in God and in the intercession of St. Sergius; and in the zemstvo hut he began to talk with tears about the misfortunes of the Fatherland, and about the inactivity of his fellow citizens. Some walked away from these speeches with ridicule, and some, especially the younger ones, were touched by them, and said to their fathers: what is our wealth now, is it just encouragement for our enemies? Will they come and take our city? Will they not destroy it just as they destroyed others? Can one city survive? Let’s better put all our life and wealth into the will of God, let’s begin to use it for the military people; and whether there are any of us who can go into the army, we are also ready to lay down our heads for the deliverance of the Christian faith. The consequence of this excitement was the verdict of all Nizhny Novgorod citizens given to Cosma Minin to listen to him. He strengthened the authority given to him by bringing almost all of his property to the Fatherland; and, succeeding in zeal and power, became one of the first promoters of the salvation of the Fatherland. Walking with Prince Pozharsky and the army towards Moscow, past the Sergius Monastery, and performing a prayer service in it, Minin himself announced to Archimandrite Dionysius about the apparitions of St. Sergius to him. (about the new part. Ch. 9.). They glorify love for the Fatherland. Glorification is fair and useful! May God increase in our Fatherland people worthy of such glorification! But while glorifying love for the Fatherland, let us not forget to give due glory to piety, Divine help, and the prayers of heavenly citizens for the earthly Fatherland. The example now presented shows that love for the Fatherland is aroused, acts and succeeds when it is animated by piety, when it is guided and strengthened by help from above. The miracles of St. Sergius, as the Chosen Governor and Defender of the Fatherland, were rightly and fittingly marked by royal gratitude. And this was arranged by Providence, as can be seen from the Decree of Tsar Mikhail Feodorovich, given on the 15th day of October, 7125, in the name of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery Archimandrite Dionysius and Kelar Avramii Palitsyn, with the brethren, which depicts: “On the 5th day of October 7125, the steward and governor Alexander wrote to us from Starodub Nagovo and Ivan Kologrivov, that on the 20th day of September he came near Starodub Lisovsky with Lithuanian people, and stood near the city for a day and a half; and moved ten miles away from Starodub. And on the 26th day of September, five Lithuanian people arrived in our royal name in Starodub, and upon questioning they said that Lisovskoy and military men went from Starodub district to Komaritsa volost. And how will you be from Starodub 28 versts; and Lisovsky died soon after. He fell from his horse and died in their presence, on the 25th day of September, in memory of the Wonderworker of Sergius.” Further in the Decree it is said that this news was confirmed in another way; and it was commanded to give praise to the Almighty God, glorified in the Trinity, and to the great Wonderworker Sergius to specially celebrate a complete celebration with all triumph. (About the new chapter. Ch. 15). Thus, the oppressor of the Sergius Monastery was destined to die a sudden and disastrous death through the siege; and, moreover, on the very feast of the Wonderworker, whose feast he thought to destroy by destroying his Abode. But it is time for us, due to the predetermined intention of brevity, to stop the real story about the life of St. Sergius after death. And it is impossible otherwise than to stop this story, which cannot be completely finished: because the miraculous life of the one described, no longer mortal, continues, and by the unfading grace of God will continue. And in order to indicate at least one example of how the subject of this narrative continues to the times closest to us, bypassing oral traditions, which are easily eclipsed, and from which it is difficult to compile accurate information, we present evidence of the blessed memory of His Grace Metropolitan Plato, who on one little book of the life of St. Sergius described by him, kept in her Monastery, he personally ascribed the following words word by word: “And in the past 1782, as You all know quite well that one wife, having had her legs bound for more than ten years, and having never been able to walk in any way, which has been completely explored, crawled on the ground: she crawled to this cancer, as if to some source of healing power, suddenly rose to her feet, walking, and jumping, and praising God and the one He had chosen.” Finally, it is impossible not to mention here, albeit briefly, the repeated and, in recent times, miraculous preservation of the Monastery of St. Sergius and those staying in it from various disasters that, according to the fate of God, befell the whole country, such as in 1771 from a pestilence, in 1812 from the exterminating invasion of the Gauls, and in 1830 from the destructive disease of cholera. Who, if not St. Sergius, was the Guardian Angel of his Lavra, so that it would not be touched by the Destroyer Angel? Was it not he who, at the supreme intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, took up arms around his Abode with his prayers, and delivered it when no army took up arms for it, and when the neighboring towns were occupied by an army of enemies? It is worthy of note that on the very day when the inhabitants of the Sergius Lavra and the surrounding Posad, after a long languor among the surrounding dangers, without visible help, finally united in a common prayer, and with tenderness performed the procession of the cross around the entire village - on that very day, namely, on the feast of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos in 1812, the enemies began to retreat from the cities closest to the Lavra, occupied by them, and thus began their flight from all of Russia. As for the more private miraculous benefits shown by St. Sergius in our time out of benefit for those in need and those who ask by faith: they are partly known both to those staying in his Abode and to many outside it; in part, for all their importance, the essence is not always readable in the church, relating to persons still living, and incidents of private life, which often require a veil of secrecy. We hope that what has been said so far will be sufficient for those who are attentive and impartial, for the consolation of faith and for the affirmation of hope in God through the prayers of the Saints. For those who are inattentive and voluntarily enslaved by passions and vanity, according to the saying of the Truth itself, even if anyone rises from the dead, they do not have faith (Luke 16:31). To God, wondrous in His Saints through His one Church, heavenly and earthly, from all people whom He has mercy on, and those who are arranged in various ways for salvation, and from every creation of His, preserved and ruled by His Providence, glory, thanksgiving, and worship in awe and joy, forever. Amen.