5-го числа

St. Muchch. Theopemptus, Bishop of Nicomidai, and Theon the Magus St. Muchch. Theopemptos, Bishop of Nicomedia, and Theona the Magus They suffered in the first year of Diocletian's persecution. During the torment accepted for the confession of the Christian faith by Bishop Theopemptus, God was pleased to show the great power of His miracles over him. Throwed into a hot furnace, languished in prison for 22 days, given poison to drink, and hanged from a tree with a stone around his neck, he remained unharmed. Amazed by this, but not enlightened by the power of God, the tormentor attributed the miracles that happened in his eyes to the art of sorcery, and wished to find a similar pagan sorcerer who could defeat and eclipse all manifestations of this mysterious power for him, which seemed to him nothing more than magic. After some time, the sorcerer Feon appeared and promised to perform even greater miracles. But when the poisonous composition, the deadly power of which he could not doubt, remained harmless to the martyr, he himself was so amazed by this miracle that he said: if another, undoubtedly murderous drug does not have the proven effect, then I will consider myself defeated and will believe in the God of Theopemptov, - and invited Theopemptus to drink an infusion of one of the most poisonous plants. But in fulfillment of the words of Jesus Christ: “I give you power over snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will harm you” (Luke 10:19), the bishop drank this infusion without harm. The defeated sorcerer fell at his feet and exclaimed: “There is no other God but Jesus in whom one must believe,” and, turning to the tormentor, confessed himself to be a Christian. “Christians have great knowledge of magic,” the torturer decided, even in this case he did not recognize a higher, non-human power that works miracles, and ordered both confessors to be taken to prison. Here the saint enlightened the pagan Theona with the truths of the faith and, having baptized him, called him Synesius, that is, full of reason. The next day, both confessors were given over to torture, but nothing could force them to renounce Christ. St. Theopempt was condemned to die by the sword, and St. Feona, who by his treatment brought upon himself the increased wrath of his tormentor, was thrown into a deep ditch and covered with earth. † Memory of Rev. Synclitics Paganism did not like virginity; it even punished the childless; but the first Christian emperor “almost stood in awe of the most holy host of virgins of God, being convinced that God Himself lived in their souls, to whom they dedicated themselves” 12. If St. 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 abstaining. 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” 13 . In Alexandria, according to the news of St. Cassian, the founder of the virgin life was St. Evangelist Mark 14. Pure virgins, flaming with love for their Heavenly Bridegroom, were usually the first martyrs in persecutions for the faith, 15 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 16. 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 marriage proposals. She had desires for a different life. Neither the outfits nor the expensive stones pleased her vision, and the music did not captivate her soul. She prayed, and in prayer she found the best consolation for herself. 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 the wrong 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 17. This step of the great virgin was followed by another on the path of her renunciation from 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." 18 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 a psalter and learn psalms. Let the rising sun see the book in your hands and at the third hour attend a 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 praising, beseech 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. 119:69). Then pray and read Psalm 50. In the morning read this psalm: O God, my God, to Thee this morning (Ps. 63). Also: glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men; we praise Thee, bless Thee, and so on. If there are virgins with you, then they should sing psalms, and one after the other, pray; Before the meal, thank the Lord in this way: “Blessed be God, who has had mercy and nourished us from our youth and given 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, having crushed the bread, you put it on the table, read the entire prayer: Our Father. 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” 19. 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 her 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: love the Lord your God with all your soul, and your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37, 39).” “Those who come to God face many labors 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. Like worldly nobles, they 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 places the best children in His service. 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 a bird flies from its eggs, they become chattering and sterile, and so a monk or a maiden, if he moves from place to place, grows cold and dies for faith” 20. “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, handed over everything by faith to our spiritual father, renounced everything worldly, and should not look for where we came from.”21 “Thieves break into our feelings,” she said, “even if we didn’t want to. How can the inside of the house not be blackened when it is surrounded by smoke and the windows are open? 22 Is it not reprehensible to see people naked to the point of obscenity in the street and uttering immodest words? From this, disturbing and harmful thoughts are born” 23. “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 pave the way 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 - a vicious desire to leave the soul. We who have taken the vow of purity must maintain the most perfect chastity. And the Laymen, apparently, have chastity - but they have a lot of foolishness, because they sin with all their senses - they look immodestly and laugh unruly” 24. “There is no security for us in this century. Let anyone who is worthwhile, says the Apostle, be careful 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 in the calm side of the sea, and the worldly ones 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” 25. “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 for 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, and virtue, when it is published, can be lost. The wax melts from the fire, so the soul is weakened by praise and loses the strength of virtue” 26. “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 passions. If passions are expelled by illness, then there is nothing to worry about. It is a great feat to patiently endure illnesses and to thank the Lord in the midst of them.” 27 Synclitia's care for the souls entrusted to her never weakened. She excited some, encouraged others; she turned the forgetful to goodness with severity; She 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 rotten tooth; the rotting spread to the entire cheek; after 40 days the bones were exposed; the corrosive matter infected the entire body. The rotting and stench were so strong that those who were served with love suffered greatly. In this painful situation, the saint did not seek relief for herself, she endured everything patiently. When a 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 lasted 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 28. † St. Apollinaria, maiden Apollinaria 29 was the granddaughter of the pious emperor Marcian; about her parent Anthima, son-in-law of Marcian, first the first minister, then the emperor of the west (468–471) 30, St. Theophan says in his chronicle: “He was a most Christian man and ruled the kingdom in Rome piously” 31 . 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 worshiped the holy places of Jerusalem, giving 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 had changed so much from 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 32. 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 pm). “Recently eating food does not allow one to have light and subtle thoughts in prayer. Therefore, it is recognized as 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 doxology” 33. This is how the eunuch Dorotheus labored. Apollinaria spent her time in exploits, 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 placed (in 470) on the eastern side of the church, in the cave of St. Macarius, and many miracles were performed from her tomb. In upper Egypt, otherwise known as Thebaid, there were many monasteries for women in the 4th and 5th centuries. In the city of Oxyrhynchus, now almost covered with sand, there were up to 20 thousand nuns. Ancient public buildings and churches, previously dedicated to false deities, were converted into monastic monasteries. The influence of monastic life on the townspeople was amazing. They had such a love for reassuring strangers that they sent servants to the city gates and went out themselves to see if any stranger was approaching somewhere? If the wanderer was a monk, they ran to meet him, each one pulling him towards him; they grabbed his shoulders, his clothes, just to have the happiness of calming him down. Rufinus says as an eyewitness that in his time there was not a single pagan and not a single heretic in Oxyrhynchus, so that the bishop could preach with the same freedom in the square as in churches 34. Bishop Anfiy was also marvelous here. When he was a monk, he led a very strict life; and when he became a bishop, he wanted to lead the same strict life among the world, but he could not. Prostrating himself before God, he said: Was it really because of the episcopacy that grace departed from me? And it was revealed to him: “No, but then you were in the desert, there was not a single person there - and God helped you, but now you are in the world - and people help you” 35. On the eastern bank of the Nile stood the city of Antinous, and opposite Antinous - Hermopolis, now, since the 7th century, Anshuneim. On the eastern shore, the continued Arabian Mountains are dotted with caves: these are the most ancient quarries and tombs. And here were the Thebaid solitudes, glorified by the deeds of Christian ascetics and ascetics. They started from present-day Mingueta and stretched far to the south. In Sheikh Abad, near the disappeared Antinous, in the mosque they show the tomb of the Antinian bishop Ammon, who signed the definition of the council of 394 36. According to Palladius, there were 12 women’s monasteries in Antinous, where they led a life pleasing to God. Among the Antinoan ascetics, Elder Amma (mother) Talida 37 was distinguished by a particularly high spiritual life. She had already been in asceticism for eighty years when Palladius saw her. Sixty virgins lived with her. According to her instructions, they lived a fasting and pure life. They all respected and loved her so much that the gates of the monastery were not closed, as in other monasteries; only love and respect for the will of Amma kept them within the walls of the monastery, and they firmly preserved the purity of soul and body for eternal glory. The words of the Apostle, conveyed to them by Amma, constantly sounded in their ears and hearts: “Walk worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and meekness and long-suffering, bearing with one another in love, trying to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:1-3). Amma Talida achieved imperturbable spiritual purity. “When I came to her and sat down,” says Palladius, “she sat down next to me and put her hands on my shoulders, with amazing trust in Christ, who preserves the purity of her thoughts.” What is this dispassion of Talida? Isn't this a characteristic of a decrepit organism? ABOUT! no, in the world there are old men and women of 80 years old such that unclean sin plays strongly in their members. On the other hand, one lived in the desert since childhood, but when he saw women on the road for the first time, he said to his father: “These are the same ones who came to me at night in the monastery.” Abba Anthony said: “I think that the body has a natural movement, innate to it, but it does not act when the soul does not want, and there is movement without lust. There is another movement that comes from nourishing and heating the body with food and drink. The heat of the blood arising from them produces impure excitement in the body. That is why the Apostle said: do not get drunk with wine, for there is fornication in it (Eph. 5:19); Likewise, the Lord in the Gospel said to the disciples: take heed, lest your hearts be burdened with gluttony or drunkenness (Luke 21:34). In ascetics there is also another movement from the deceit and envy of the devil” 38. Apply these words to Talida and you will see the truth. The one who ascended from earth to heaven said about himself that before separation from his body he did not consider himself free from danger: but at the same time, the will, strong by grace, now and yesterday gains victories over the natural movements of the corrupted flesh and from time to time leaves earth for heaven. In the same Antinoian monastery lived the virgin Taora, a disciple of St. Talids. She had already labored for 30 years when Palladium saw her. “She never wanted to take a new tunic, a maforta (μαθόριον), or shoes” 39. There is no need for me, she said, otherwise they would not be forced to go out of the gate. When the other sisters usually went to church on Sunday (and only on Sunday) to receive Holy Communion. secrets, she, covered with rags, remained in the monastery, constantly busy with work. Her face was so beautiful that the most determined could hardly help but be carried away by her beauty, but her asceticism inspired involuntary fear even in the most shameless eye. The faithful servant of God denied herself spiritual consolation - a visit to the church of God, because she was afraid of tempting someone with her face, and she saved herself from dangerous temptation. A glance at a man is caustic or hurt, says spiritual experience. “A virgin,” wrote the great Anthony, “should not harbor feelings characteristic of a wife; she must avoid unclean thoughts, pride and everything that pleases the devil; must love everyone, flee from worldly glory, be devoted to God, bridle the tongue and strictly observe fasting.” This is how the Monk Taora labored 40. “There was also in Antinous,” says Palladius, “a true virgin who vigilantly performed the work of asceticism. She lived not far from me.” Palladius traveled through the deserts of Egypt in 388–392, including living in Antinous 41. “I haven’t seen her in person,” he continues; - she, as those who knew her said, never left her cell since she renounced the world and spent 60 years in asceticism with her mother. When the time finally came for her to pass from this life to eternal life, the holy martyr Kolluf, who was famous for his courage in that place, appeared to her and said: “Today you will go to your Lord and see all the saints. Therefore, come and share a meal with us in the monastery.” The blessed one, getting up early in the morning, got dressed, put bread, olives and several vegetables in her basket and, after so many years of seclusion, went to the church of the martyr. Here she prayed, sat down, and waited all day for the time to eat. At the ninth hour, when the time came to taste the food, and there was no one in the church, she laid out the food and turned to the martyr with a prayer: “Bless my food, Saint Collufe, and may your prayers accompany me!” After that, she sat down and tasted it. Then, after praying some more, she came home around sunset. Here she conveyed to her mother the interpretation of the stromatopist Clement on the prophet Amos with the words: “Tell this to the bishop who was sent to prison, and tell him to pray for me - I am going to the Lord.” That same night she died: without suffering from a fever or a headache, she prepared herself for burial and gave up her spirit into the hands of God” 42. About 420, Abba Daniel, visiting the deserts of Thebaid, came to Hermopolis and said to his disciple: go to that convent and tell the abbess that I want to be with them. It was a monastery founded by Fr. Jeremiah - there were up to 300 sisters in it. The disciple knocked on the gate. The gatekeeper quietly asked: “What do you need?” The student answered: “Tell the abbess that a certain monk wants to talk with her.” The abbess came and asked: what do you need? The brother answered: “Create love, let me and my brother spend the night in your monastery, so that otherwise the animals will not eat us.” The abbess answered: “A man never enters here, and it is more beneficial for you to be food for animals than for passions.” The disciple announced that Abba Daniel of the monastery wanted to visit them. Then the abbess ordered both gates to be opened and immediately summoned all the sisters. The fasting women from the gate to the place where the elder stood covered the path with carpets and, bowing to him, kissed his feet - and joyfully led him into the monastery. The abbess ordered a basin to be brought and, pouring warm water, putting fragrant herbs in the water, placing the sisters in two rows, she herself washed his feet and the feet of his disciple with her own hands, and then sprinkled that water on all the sisters and washed her own head. The fasting women stood silent - and only made signs to let them know what was needed; They walked very quietly and modestly. The elder said to the abbess: “Are the sisters ashamed of us, or are they always like this?” “Always like that,” answered the abbess. “Tell my disciple,” the elder said, “let him learn silence; he is a true Gothian to me” (German). One of the nuns lay in the monastery with her clothes torn. The elder asked the abbess: “Who is this lying?” The abbess answered: “This is one of the sisters, not sober; I don’t know what to do with her? I'm afraid to kick me out of the monastery, lest I sin; holding it is an embarrassment for others.” The elder said to the disciple: “Take a washbasin and pour water on it.” When he did this, she stood up as if drunk. “She is always like this,” said the abbess. Then the abbess led the elder to the meal and offered supper for him and the sisters. “Bless your slaves, father, to eat in your presence,” said the abbess. She herself and the other one sat down with the elder. The elder was offered: pickled lentils, uncooked vegetables, dates and water; The student was given bread, boiled vegetables and wine diluted with water; The nuns were offered various boiled foods, fish and wine. When the elder got up from the meal, he said to the abbess: “Why is this like this with you? We should have eaten the best food, but with you you ate the best.” The abbess answered: “You, father, are a monk, and you have been offered monastic food; Your disciple has been given food suitable for the disciple of a great elder; and my sisters, like beginners, ate the food of beginners.” “May the Lord reward you for your love, for a lesson useful to us,” said the elder. When everyone had gone to bed, the elder ordered the disciple to go and see where the drunk woman would sleep. He looked and said: in the latrine. The elder said: Let's watch this night. When the nuns fell asleep, the elder and the disciple came to the place where the supposed drunken woman was, and they saw: she was standing with her hands raised to the sky, tears flowing down her cheeks - she bowed earnestly. When my sister went out to relieve herself, she lay down as if drunk and snored. Call the abbess and her second in line to me, the elder said to the disciple. They arrived and watched all night. The abbess said with tears: how much trouble I caused her! When they hit the beater, the abbess told all the fasting women about the feat of the imaginary drunkard. But when she saw that they recognized her, she secretly came to where the elder was sleeping, took away his staff with the mantle, opened the gate and wrote on the gate: “Forgive me, sisters, for what I have sinned, and pray for me.” Then she disappeared. The sisters looked for her all day and, not finding her, saw her farewell words on the gate. The sisters cried for her. The elder told them: these are the kind of drunkards God loves 43. The first St. the prophet is called in contrast to the second saint. the prophet Micah, who lived 130 years ago. Later. The Holy Prophet Micah 1 prophesied orally; was a contemporary of St. Prophet Elijah; predicted to Achaab, king of Israel, that he would be killed in the war with the Assyrians. “I saw,” he said, “the Lord, surrounded by heavenly power and sending a spirit of lies to deceive King Achaab, deceiving him through false prophets with the promise of victory...” (2 Chronicles 18). For these words he was taken to prison and, leaving there, said: “If King Achaab returns in peace, then I will agree that God did not tell me about him”... His words came true. Ahab died in the war, about 897 BC. According to the Chet-Minea, St. the prophet died as a martyr. St. Reverend Martyr Roman, who lived at the end of the 17th century in Karpenisi, in Morea Born a commoner, unlearned and even illiterate, Roman had the good fortune of being the son of pious parents. In their piety, he drew that real spiritual enlightenment, which, the surest of all earthly paths, leads to the one true goal: union with God. The simple but true judgments of his Christian parents, amid their humble everyday activities, kindled the spark of God in his soul... and so, it gradually flared up and began to illuminate the circumstances of his life for him, and finally turned into that fiery outburst of love for God, for which he laid down his life... Having once heard stories from neighbors about St. Holy Sepulcher, his Christianly prepared soul did not remain indifferent to what he heard; Touched and excited by new impressions for his dark mind, he decided to immediately go to Jerusalem himself. God helped him get to St. places where, having venerated the shrines, he came to the Lavra of St. Savva the consecrated. Here he happened to hear reading about martyrs who were subjected to all kinds of suffering for the sake of future eternal benefits. – What kind of benefits are these? - asked Roman, who had no idea about the tenets of the faith, which knew nothing except that he was born a Christian. Having received from the good monks a solution to various questions that arose in his soul, Roman himself wished to achieve the Kingdom of God through martyrdom and announced his desire to the Patriarch of Jerusalem. He stopped him, fearing the outcome of such a sudden, immature decision, and also fearing that this would not serve to show hostility on the part of the Turks towards the Holy Sepulcher itself. Roman left Jerusalem for Thessaloniki; here he appeared before the city judge and boldly confessed his faith in Christ before him; He called the faith in Mohammed false and his teaching a deception. The Turks, although they did not torture Christians at that time, allowed them to live peacefully in their possessions, but never tolerated an open rebellion against their faith. The judge decided to punish the voluntary confessor; he ordered to beat him and torture him without any mercy, but, seeing his firmness, he condemned him to beheading. At the same time, it happened that the captain of the Thessalonica ships; he asked the judge to give him the martyr as a worker on the ship, pretending that this would be worse than death for him, because in this service he would suffer all his life. The judge agreed, and Roman was taken onto the ship. Some time after this, several Christians, who were on good terms with the captain, ransomed the martyr from grave captivity and provided him with the means to go to Athos. Here he accepted monasticism, but his soul continued to thirst for higher achievement. He felt like a stranger on earth... He immersed himself in prayer and, through strict fasting, prepared himself to complete the feat. Finally, he decided to go to Constantinople, where he again began to expose the false belief in Mohammed. They stopped him, threw him into a dry well, kept him there for 40 days without any food, demanding that he renounce the Christian faith. But seeing that no torment could shake him, the vizier ordered his head to be cut off. This is how the Venerable Martyr Roman suffered in 1694. The English sailors who were there bought his holy remains for 600 piastres and took them on their ship to England. This is what he writes about St. Domnina, who was a contemporary of her life, Blessed Theodoret 44: “the wonderful Domnina tried to imitate the life of St. Marona 45. She built herself a small thatched hut in her mother's garden. With the roosters crowing, she goes to the church of God; She does this even at the end of the day. She reverently honors the Church of God and teaches others to do the same. For this reason, she cares a lot about the church and persuades her mother and brothers to use their property for the church. Her food is lentils soaked in water. Her body is withered and half-dead, but it endures any kind of labor. Her voice is sonorous and expressive, but her words are always accompanied by tears. The one who has such a wealth of philosophy, crying, sighing, what word can praise? Strong love for God gives birth to these tears. She takes care of those who come to her, giving them everything they need. The property of her mother and brothers is open to her for spending, and for this her mother is blessed by heaven.” Blessed is the soul that has shone in the world with a life similar to that of an angel! Eusebius on the life of Constantine, book. 4, § 26, 28. St. Helena in Jerusalem “invited virgins included in the church lists to her table and, serving them herself, brought food to the table.” Socrates East. 1, 17. Epistles of St. Clement of Rome to virgins, known to Jerome and Epiphanius, are still known today. De coenobii instit. With. 3. The monastics adopted the way of life from St. Evangelist Mark, the first high priest of Alexandra, lived not only as it is written in the Acts of the Apostles about the first believers: “they had everything in common, but they strived for a higher life, retired to hidden country places and, spending their lives in strict abstinence, amazed the pagans.” The First Martyr Thekla suffered from her mother and the mayor for her love of childhood and faith, Sept. 24. St. M. Lucia belonged to the “society of dedicated virgins” (junii July 24, 4). Eusebius on the Palestinian martyrs ch. 5: “The judge delivers harlots to their keepers for shame—virgins who dedicated their lives to God.” In the story of the sufferings of Saturninus, St. Victoria, having abandoned her groom, “runs to the church of purity, to the refuge of modesty, to the church and, dedicating her hair to God, preserves her virginity in purity” (Ar. Ruinartum, Acta S. Saturnini § 16). In the history of St. Theodotus we see “three virgins, whom the apotactites (separated, monks) consider theirs”; then the seven virgins pray: “Lord Jesus Christ! as long as it was in our power to preserve virginity, we have zealously preserved it to this day” (Ar. Aninartum, Acta S. Theodoti § 13, 19). Virgin martyrs of the 2nd century: Drosida (March 22), Hermione (Sept. 4), (Evdokia March 1), Glyceria (May 13), Paraskeva (July 25), Tatiana the Virgin, deaconess (Jan. 12); virgin martyrs of the 3rd century: Agnia (Jan. 21), Eknafa, Valentina and Paul (Feb. 10 according to Eusebius, adorned with the crown of virginity, O martyred, ch. 3:9), Eugenia (Dec. 24), Anthusa (Aug. 22) Pelagia (Oct. 8), Juliana (Dec. 21), Pelagia (May 4), Sosanna (Aug. 11), Euphemia (Sept. 16), etc. In Alexandria under Diocletian, “voluntary virgin ascetics” (αὐτοπαρθεναι ἀσκητριαι) were handed over to desecration (Eusebius on the martyr. Chapter 5). In Christ. Thurs. 1824, part 16 ep. "St. Athanasius of Alexandria, the life and deeds of our holy and glorious mother Synclitia.” Only Nicephorus Callistus (Ist. 8:40) passes off this life as the work of the great Athanasius, but none of the ancients indicated this life between his works. Neither the style, nor the language, nor the eloquence of life belongs to the great teacher. According to the manuscripts of the instructions of St. The synclitikia ends with the following note: “hitherto the instructions were written down by Arseny of Pegad.” Since the style of speech is the same both in the historical story and in the instructions, we must recognize the entire biography as the work of Arseny of Pegad, a contemporary of St. Syncliticia. In Greek the life was published by Cotelier: Monum. eccl. gr. 1, 201–277. int. opera spuria S. Athanasii in Minh Op. 4. In Chet-Mineya, the extract from the life is very short. Description of one of them, which was a church with cells, in Christ. read 1866 Athanasii alea de virginitate, Op. 4, 263. The biographer of the Saint does not mention changing clothes, as a matter known for a long time. The clothes of virgins were special. Saint Asterius speaks of St. Euphemia: “a maid stood, wearing short clothes and a cloak, professing philosophy” (Concil. nic. act. 4). Bl. Jerome about the virgin, “puts on a poor shirt, covers herself with an even poorer cloak.” Vili tunica induitur, viliori tegitur pallio. Ep. 130 ad Demetriadem, ed. Migne p. 1110. “A narrow shirt does not get dirty when it is thrown to the ground... A leather belt tightens the clothes and does not tear them.” Er. 38 ad Marcellan. ed. Migne p. 464, 465. The hair on the virgin’s head was not cut, but only trimmed, or, as St. Athanasius, they were cut all around: the first was not allowed so that otherwise the Christian virgin would not resemble the priestess of Isis. Vitae patrum, lib. V. s. 7.n. 15. Vitae patrum, lib. V. c. 14. n. 5, 10. Vitae patrum, lib. V. c. 11 no. 32. St. Isidore Pelusiot wrote to a virgin in one monastery, “you do not care about the honor of the sex and your asceticism; they were not afraid of the seductions that the city presents both to the eye and to the ear; They were not afraid of future punishment when they went into the city. If you visit again, then, unwillingly, you will be tempted. Flee the battle of worldly noise, which strikes asceticism with terrible arrows.” Lib. 2. er. 367. Vitae patr. lib. V s. 4.n. 41. Vitae patr. lib. V. c. 11.n. 34. Rufini lib. 111.n. 123. Vitae patr. Lb. V. c. 8.n. 19. Some of the above instructions can be read in memorable legends about the asceticism of the Fathers, or in the ABC Patericon, pp. 321–327, M. 1846. The Orthodox Church, like the Roman Church, celebrates her memory on January. 5. Baronius in his comments on the martyrology: “lived during the imperial period. Constantine." Her life was in the national Patericon under the banner. a, ch. 38 and in the Prologue; Metaphrasto's legend about Chetya-Minea January 4. Acta Sanct. 5 January I, 260–261. Patericon: “Anthemia, who was appointed by Leo the Great to live together in Rome, having been a daughter.” The translation is incorrect. Anthimius was elevated to imp. Leo the Thracian to the imperial throne of the Western Empire, and not to the bishopric. In Chet-Minea, following Baronius, Anfimius is called not an emperor, but an anfipat. But this amendment is unsuccessful. Baronius received Anfimus, the emperor's son-in-law. Mauritius, for Anfim - the guardian of the emperor. Theodosius the Younger. But here the mistake is obvious: if Theodosius’s guardian had been a Western emperor († 471), then he would have had about one hundred and ten years before his death. See Evagria ist. 2, 16. Theophanes' chronicle. Du-Cang. Const. chr. r. 152. Familiae byzant. p. 70. 79. Theoph. chronogr. The same Sidonius in panegirico Anthemio 482. In Metaphrastus and in the history of monasticism. M., 1854, p. 254, it is said that in the desert he met Apollinaria and gave her a cell to the Rev. Macarius of Egypt. This could not have happened, because the Monk Macarius of Egypt had died 70 years earlier. According to the prologue, the cell was given to the eunuch Dorotheus by Abba Euthymius. Cassiani collat. 2 cap. 6. Rufini hist. monach. c. 5 Aegypt. mon. hist. in. ecclesiae graec. monum. 3, 175. Venimus ad civitatem quandam Thebaidis, says Rufinus, speaking of Oxyrhynchus. The hon. sayings about fathers, p. 58. Ammianus Marcellinus lib. 22. There are many cities in Thebaid; more famous than the others Hermopolis, Koptos and Antinous, which was imp. Hadrian built it in honor of his favorite Antinous. According to its founder, Antinous was called Adrianople. So is St. Ammon, under the definitions of the council of 394, signed: “Ammon of Adrianople,” while Theophilus, Archbishop. Alex. wrote a letter to Ammon, bishop of Thebaid. About the bishops of Thebaid Le-Quin. Or. chr. 2, 593–604. G. Norov calls Bishop Ammon, whose tomb stands in the mosque, a martyr (travel to Egypt 2, 14, 24–26). But this is not in accordance with reality. Bishop Ammon, who died a martyr under Diocletian, was bishop of Latopol or Asna, Le-Quin Or. chr. 610. About the ascetics of Hermopolis and Antinous. East. monk 2, 154–174. In the Russian translation of Lavsaik (p. 278), as in the Latin, Ammatalida. This is a mistake: two words, a common noun and a personal one, are combined into one. Amma - mother, a common Coptic name for respected ascetics. Palladius Pitirim about St. Isidore: “she is Amma for you and for me,” and Palladius added: “that’s what spiritual mothers are called there.” In Heraclides (ch. 48) Talida is called Amata. For Ludolf, Amat is the slave of Amat, Vaged is the slave of the Only One, that is, the Son of God. Comm. r. 412. Vitae patr. lib. 4 c. 5 i. 1, 23. According to the old Slavic translation: “you can never take a new robe or a mantle or a donkey if you want.” See note. pp. 68 and 69. Talide and Taore Lavzaik ch. 137–138. Heraclides ch. 48. The Legend of Lavsaik in the combined Patericon under the banner. k., but the text is spoiled and the translation is dark. Memory of St. Talide and Taore on cheese Saturday. The Abyssinians have St. Amata of Christ May 28 (23). Ludolf comment, p. 417. See note. page 75. Lavsaik ch. 1, 19. Sl. Peregrinatio Palladii in vit. Patr. p. 1065–1068, ed. Migne. Lavsaik ch. 123. Heraclides ch. 48. Prefabricated Patericon under the banner. j. Memory of the martyr Kolufu, burned under Maximian, May 19 o'clock. The name of the saint about whom Palladius speaks is not shown to them and remains unknown. There are many nameless saints in the Greek month. See Vershinsky's Monthly Book, pp. 298–301. Egyptian Patericon, ch. 54. Prefabricated Patericon under the banner. d. Bogolyubskaya history, ch. 30. Ave. Maron, a Syrian, labored in the desert. Lived in the 4th century. His memory is February 14.