New Eclogion

The New Eclogion was first published in Venice in 1803 by St. Nicodemus Svyatogorets collected unpublished lives from manuscripts of the Svyatogorsk monasteries in order to present them to readers as “a delicate bouquet of spiritual flowers.” His goal is to help believers, “having gotten rid of their passionate attachment to earthly things, experience intelligent spiritual pleasure, filling their soul with Divine love.” St. Nicodemus translated most of the ancient texts into accessible and understandable language. The book has a three-part structure, which reflects the chronological and thematic principle of the selection of lives. Part 1 covers the period from the 1st to the 5th centuries and includes the lives of the saints of the era of early Christianity: martyrs, confessors and the first ascetics (martyr Photina, martyr Polycarp of Smyrna, St. Epiphanius of Cyprus, St. Macrina (sisters of St. Basil the Great), St. Paisius the Great, etc.). Part 2 is dedicated to the saints of the V-XII centuries. Here are the lives of Byzantine saints: archbishops, saints and saints, whose exploits took place during the heyday of monasticism and the fight against heresies (St. Cyril of Alexandria, St. Andrew of Crete, St. Paul of Xiropotamia, St. Euthymius the New, St. Lazarus of Gallis, etc.). Part 3 covers the period from the 12th to the 19th centuries. Particular attention is paid to Athonite ascetics and saints of the late Byzantine and post-Byzantine era (St. Leontius of Jerusalem, St. Gregory of Sinaite, St. Maximus Kavsokalivit, St. Gregory Palamas, St. Nektarios of Athonite, etc.). The composition of the book is structured in such a way as to guide the reader through the entire history of Christian holiness, from apostolic times to a relatively recent period, showing the continuity of achievement and the diversity of paths to holiness. The collection ends with several edifying narratives that complement the main theme. *The title of the work in Greek is Νέον ᾿Εκλόγιον. The Pskov regional branch of the Literary Fund of Russia published the book “New Eclogion” by St. Nicodemus the Svyatogorets. It consisted of the lives of holy men and women, selected from the calendar of our holy Orthodox Church and retold by the Monk Nicodemus. For 35 years, Nikodim Svyatogorets lived in the Kapsala desert, near the Greek town of Karei, which is comparable to an oasis in the desert. The wretched ascetic kalivas, where sweat and God-loving tears are shed, are located on beautiful hills. According to the monks, the desert is similar to the Mount of Olives, where Christ prayed. Here the Lord is “a friend of the desert, here is a narrow and sorrowful path leading to life...”. In this refuge of the monks, the abba was both enlightened and sanctified. And, moved by the Spirit, following the fatherly tradition, he wrote his immortal works. Burning with the desire to show the Orthodox world the path of ascent to God, Saint Nicodemus was busy searching for teaching methods so that with their help, having gotten rid of his passionate attachment to earthly things, the believer could experience intelligent spiritual pleasure, filling his soul with Divine love and already here receiving eternal life. Thus, at the end of the 18th century, the “New Eclogion” was created, for which the monk selected unpublished lives from the manuscripts of the Svyatogorsk monasteries in order to present them as a delicate bouquet of spiritual flowers to our Orthodox people thirsting for truth. Using examples of a godly and holy life, he strengthened his weak will, sanctified his heart and enlightened his mind darkened by passions. For the sake of his illiterate “Brothers in Christ,” Nicodemus translated most of the lives from ancient texts into accessible language. The simple, understandable language of Nicodemus is filled with personal sacred experience, humility and joyful crying, love for God, glorifying boiling of the heart and liturgical feeling. You might be interested in: