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Day one. Memory of St. Procopius of Czech
Procopius, the son of pious parents of an eminent family who lived in Bohemia (at the end of the 10th and at the beginning of the 11th century), was born in the village of Khotish; from childhood he was taught Slavic literacy and therefore had the opportunity to study sciences taught in the Slavic language. Having completed his studies, he entered the clergy according to his desire and, having received the rank of priest, zealously spread and supported the Orthodox Christian teaching. Subsequently, leaving the world, he indulged in hermitic deeds in desert solitude. Here Duke Ulrich once found him in a cave, hunting for animals in a deep forest. The duke treated the hermit with sympathy, entered into a conversation with him and, having learned about Procopius’s desire to have a church built here in the name of St. John the Baptist, willingly fulfilled the hermit’s desire, and thus the foundation of a monastery was laid on the Sozava River (around 1012), which, through the efforts of Procopius and the duke’s benefits, soon came to a flourishing position. Ulrich's successor, King Bryachislav, also patronized this monastery.
Despite this, it was difficult for Procopius to support Orthodoxy in the fight against the influence of the papists and he had to accept many insults from them.
Shortly before his death, Procopius predicted to the brethren that persecution would soon come against them, but that they should not lose heart, since it would not last long. And so it happened. Procopius reposed on April 1, 1053, and in 1055 “The Sozavian monks were showered with various insults; instilling in the prince (Spitignev) various inventions and slander, they told him that heresy was introduced by Slavic writing, and they were completely spoiled by hypocrisy; therefore it is necessary to drive them out and bring in the Latin abbot and his brothers.”
And the Orthodox monks were expelled and placed in the monastery of German priests. But King Vratislav in 1061 returned the exiles to their monastery, and even turned to the pope with a request that he approve the Slavic Divine service with his voice. In response to this, the Pope (Gregory VIII) answered the king: “Your Highness asked that your service be performed in the Slavic language; There is no way we can be favorable to your request. We are convinced that it was not in vain that God wished that some passages of the Holy Scripture should be hidden and that it should not be clear and understandable to everyone, so that through this it would not come into disdain, or misunderstand it mislead. Therefore, despite your unreasonable demand, we command the authority of blessed Peter and for the glory of God to resist vain insolence 505 with all our might.”
However, Vratislav did not pay attention to the will of the pope: the Slavic service continued in the Sosavsky monastery (see other September 16).
Memory of Saint Melito, Bishop of Sardinia, in Lydia, Asia Minor
To get an idea of the personality of Bishop Meliton, remembered today by the Holy Church, wouldn’t it be closest and most accessible to get acquainted with his way of thinking, which is expressed, for example, in his letter to the Roman Emperor Antoninus: “Shameless informers,” St. Meliton writes among other things, “greedy for the things of others, finding a favorable reason for them in the imperial decrees, they clearly commit robbery, robbing innocent people day and night... If this whatever is done according to your command, let it be done in order; but it cannot be that a just emperor would want an unjust one. We willingly receive rewards for such a death, but we ask you one thing, so that you yourself recognize in advance the ascetics of such firmness... our philosophy initially flourished among the barbarians; then, during the powerful reign of Augustus, your ancestor, she met with the peoples subject to him and became a good cover for your kingdom.”
Having later recalled that Christians were persecuted only by people like Nero and Domitian, he continues: “We do not honor insensitive stones, but we honor the One God, Who is first and above all, and His Christ - the true God, the eternal Word. It is difficult to lead someone who has been in error for a long time onto the path of truth.
But it is possible. Whoever gradually begins to recognize error begins to remember the truth. Some people think that if they are mistaken with others, they do not offend the truth. No, I can't forgive them. If the stupidity of one is great, the stupidity of many is greater. I call it stupidity if a person deviates from the truth and accepts something that does not exist. True reality is what God is. Everything exists by His power; He was not created and did not begin to be, He is from eternity to eternity. He remains unchanged when everything changes, invisible with the eyes, incomprehensible with the mind, indescribable in words... If someone, departing from the light, calls something else God, he recognizes creation as God. What are pagan gods? Dead people. What are idols? Wood or metal. It is a shame for a free mind to serve such a tangible lie. It is a shame not to recognize Him Who is so easy to recognize both in your soul and in the whole world. Some say: we honor what our fathers betrayed. Why do the children of the poor or uneducated people gain wealth or education? Why do children of the blind see, and children of the lame walk?
No, truth does not require that a person follow ancestors who lived poorly; she demands that he retreat from their path so as not to perish like them. If your father walked the straight path, go you too; but if you have walked a bad path, turn away from that path and go on the straight path, then your children will follow you. Grief that your father was in error - this sorrow can be useful to him. And tell your children: God is the Father of all, God is without beginning and not created, everything is subject to His will. If you learn this, O Emperor Antoninus, and your children with you, you will give them as an inheritance treasures that do not perish, you will save your soul and the souls of your children from what will happen to all the inhabitants of the earth at the Righteous Judgment.”
These few lines characterize the blessed bishop both as a person and as a writer. They express the height of a Christian speaking to a pagan, and the height of a man who can speak the truth to a powerful emperor without partiality.
Bishop Meliton in general was one of the most remarkable men of the 2nd century - in his extensive education, in his pastoral activities and in his writings, the subject of which was the Holy Scripture. To study it, so to speak, on the spot, he traveled to Palestine. He himself says: “In the very place where the sermon and events took place, I studied the books of the Old Testament.”
Under Emperor Marcus Aurelius, Bishop Melito, respected by all the Churches of Asia Minor, took an active and conciliatory part in the disputes about the time of celebrating Easter that worried the Laodicean Church; after the death of its shepherd, the martyr Sagarius (his memory on October 6), he reposed peacefully in 177 and was buried in Sardis 506.
Day two. Memory of St. Titus the Wonderworker, presbyter
From a young age, a monk and ascetic (probably in the Studite monastery of Constantinople), was a presbyter and was distinguished by meekness, love and mercy to everyone; God glorified him with many miracles. Died in the 9th century.
Day three. Repose of the Venerable Nektary of Bezhetsk
In the handwritten calendar we read about the saints of the city of Tver: “Reverend Nektarios, head of the Vvedensky Monastery of the Most Holy Theotokos, reposed in the summer of April 7000 (1492), 3 days.” According to these words, the Monk Nektary was the founder of the Vvedensky Monastery, located in Bezhetsk and closed since 1764. His relics rest in secret 507.
Day four. Memory of St. Zosima of Vorbozom
The Venerable Zosima of Vorbozomsky, the same name as the Venerable Zosima of Palestine, commemorated on April 4, acquired salvation in a deeply silent place, on an island in Lake Vorbozomsky, 22 versts from Belozersk. He received his initial monastic education from the Venerable Cornelius of Komel. Leaving the Komel monastery, he labored on a secluded island, first alone; then he built a church in honor of the Annunciation of the Mother of God, and lovers of desert silence gathered there. Worldly people think of themselves that they are strong, that the world is not an obstacle to the salvation of the soul. Sad dream! Today and yesterday the soul is full of unclean images that irritate passions; today and yesterday are occupied with everything except God; now and yesterday time was wasted without benefit to the soul.
And it doesn’t matter! “Like the eye,” says Basil the Great, “when it constantly moves and turns now to the sides, now up, now down, it cannot clearly see objects and, in order to clearly examine a thing, must direct its vision to it alone; so it is impossible for the human mind, when it is distracted by countless worldly concerns, to clearly see the truth” 508.
Far from the vanities and worries of people, on a silent island, the Monk Zosima dedicated everything to the Lord and cared about one thing - his soul. The incorruption of his relics testifies that he walked the right path; died peacefully in 1550 509.
Memory of the Venerable Zosimas, Hermit of Palestine
About him, see the life of the Venerable Mary of Egypt. He died a hundred years old, in 523.
Memory of St. Joseph of Pechersk sickly
Suffering from a long illness, Joseph made a vow: in the event of his recovery, he would devote his life to serving in the Pechersk Monastery, which he did when he got rid of the illness, and through diligent work, fasting, prayer and service to the brethren he achieved glorification from the Lord with incorruptibility after his death. The Monk Joseph reposed in the 14th century. His relics rest openly in the Feodosiev caves in Kiev.
Memory of the Holy Martyrs Tarba and Fervutha with the latter's slave
Sisters of the Persian bishop Simeon, who suffered on April 17, 344. The queen accidentally fell ill, and the nosy Jews spread a rumor at court that she fell ill as a result of the spell of Tarba, who wanted to avenge the death of her brother on the royal family. The king ordered the head of the magicians to conduct an inquiry, and since the sisters and the slave did not change their faith, they were condemned to death for witchcraft: they were sawn in two (April 4, 345).
Memory of the Hieromartyr Nikita
Saint Nikita, an Albanian Slav, labored as a monk in the Russian Athos Monastery and served as a priest here. Out of jealousy for silence, he later lived in the monastery of St. Anna. Out of jealousy for the glory of the Lord Jesus, insulted by Mohammedanism, he decided to take upon himself the title of denouncer of Mohammedanism. Leaving Athos, he comes to Serres and in the Serres monastery he prepares for some time with prayer for his feat. Then he goes to the local Mohammedan chief and says that he would like it to be proven to him that Mohammedanism is not a pathetic delusion that everyone who cares about their soul should abandon. The chief gathered scientists and mullahs. When the scientists remained ashamed of the confessor's denunciations, they persuaded him with affection to recognize the Prophet Mohammed, then they turned to violence. The fans of the false prophet, not being able to justify Mohammedanism with reasonable convictions, began to justify it with blows of violence. They subjected the confessor to the most brutal tortures for an imaginary insult to Mohammed.
They tied his head with screws, hammered needles into his nails, and they burned him with fire when he was hung upside down. The martyr endured everything firmly and glorified Christ the Lord. Finally the judges decided to strangle him. And the martyr died on the evening of Holy Saturday, April 4, 1808. Three days later, Christians bought the body of the holy martyr from the wicked and buried him with honor; and after some time the Lord glorified His martyr with several miracles. This is how Konstanty, hieromonk of Serres, and local doctor Nicholas 510 wrote about the exploits of the martyr on February 19, 1809 in Rusik.
Venerable Feona, Metropolitan of Thessalonica, whose relics are in the monastery of St. Anastasia (in Galachista), of which he was primate before his elevation to the metropolitan see. He reposed in the 16th century (see Athonite Patericon, ed. 4. Part II, p. 72 and in the life of St. James - November 1).
Day five. Memory of the Venerable Theodora of Thessalonica
Thessalonica ascetic Theodora 511 was born on the island of Aegina from pious parents, zealots of pure faith. She got married and had a daughter. An enemy invasion forced her and her husband to move to Thessaloniki. Here she gave her daughter to a monastery, and then, after the death of her husband, she herself accepted monasticism in the monastery where her daughter lived. The corruption of our soul is so great that the counterweight that remains for us to fight it, the counterweight of reason and conscience, is not strong enough to protect us from the most evil deeds. What should we do with ourselves? Pray and pray that the grace of God will revive and strengthen us who are sick. This is what Blessed Theodora did. That’s why she locked herself in the monastery, to pray and pray, to pray a prayer that is not blown away by the world, a prayer that is all-soul. And so, strengthened by grace, she pleased the Lord so much through the works of obedience and humility, fasting and self-denial, prayer and praise that after her death, which followed in 879, she performed various miracles.
When, some time later, the abbess of the monastery died and the latter’s coffin was placed near the relics of Theodora, blessed Theodora, saluting the abbess of the monastery, moved as if alive and gave place to the deceased abbess. A fragrant and healing ointment flowed from her body, and Theodora was called myrrh-streaming; the ointment healed various diseases. When the Turks (in 1430) took Thessaloniki, they, having desecrated the relics of the holy great martyr Demetrius, “showed the same fury of fanaticism over the relics of the holy and myrrh-streaming Theodora, threw them to the ground and crushed them into pieces” 512. Those who know only animal, bestial life cannot bear to see tangible signs of the victory of the immortal spirit over matter. Pathetic people! God cannot be mocked. Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap: he who sows to his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life (Gal. 6:7-8).
Memory of the holy martyrs Agathopodus the deacon and Theodulus the reader
During the persecution of Christians launched by Diocletian II in 303, when many Christians fled from the cities and hid in different places, two pious ministers of the Church in Thessalonica: the elderly deacon Agathopod and the young, beautiful reader Theodulus remained in the city and prayed day and night for the Church of God. They expected torment without any fear. The torment did not take long to arrive. The Christians who did not hide their faith were taken and imprisoned. The ruler of the city, Favstin, ordered the confessors of Christ to be brought to him. They stood before him with cheerfulness and undauntedly recognized themselves as Christians. Then they responded to all admonitions and threats from the ruler only with an unshakable confession of the holy faith.
Fearing that their firmness would serve as an encouraging example for other Christians brought to torture, Favstin ordered Agathopods and Theodulus to be taken to prison. Here they were placed along with prisoners imprisoned for various guilts and crimes. At night the martyrs prayed fervently. Listening to their prayer, touched by it, other prisoners ceased to be afraid of death, fell at their feet and expressed repentance for their sins. The people began to gather towards the prison and listened with surprise and tenderness to the speeches of the righteous. Then it was reported to the governor about them that if these two Christians kept in prison were left alive for a long time, they would have time to take many away from serving the gods... Confessors were again called to the governor and, after many vain threats and admonitions, they were sentenced to death, but for now they were taken to prison. Here their relatives and acquaintances gathered and mourned for them with tears.
“What are you crying about?” - Theodul asked them. “How can one not cry, seeing you in such trouble and danger...” answered those who loved them. “Why have you stopped crying about your troubles,” Theodulus asked them, “and are crying for us when we have better things to come?”
Spending this last night in chains in prison, the martyrs, having prayed, fell asleep, and both in their sleep were consoled by a vision that foreshadowed their martyrdom and eternal joy. Encouraged, they thanked the Lord and when the day came, they calmly went to the last test and remained strong to the end. Finally, they were taken to the sea, their hands were tied back and, hanging stones around their necks, they drowned them... The sea washed their bodies ashore, and the believers buried them.
Memory of St. Mark of Athens by origin, Thracian by desert life in Libya, in present-day Tukra
This ascetic lived in the desert for 95 years... With joyful tears, after almost a century, he met the person who first visited him - Abba Serapion, the hermit of Egypt, a disciple of John, from the inner Anthony desert; Having blessed and kissed his guest, who came to him as directed in a dream, the Monk Mark told him about himself: “I was born in Athens and studied various sciences, including philosophical teaching. Then, when my parents died, I renounced this world, where everything faces death, and offered myself to serve the Eternal God... Throwing off my clothes, I threw myself on a board into the sea and swam, where the waves brought me by the will of God... I spent the first thirty years here in great need and suffering; I endured hunger, and cold, and nakedness, and most importantly, I was tormented by temptations... But in subsequent years, my flesh changed... The Lord poured out His grace on me... I saw the appearance of the Kingdom of Heaven... I comprehended in my spirit the bliss of the righteous... Now the limit of my life has come, and the Lord sent you here so that you would commit my body to the earth...”
Having talked with Serapion before evening, asking him some questions about the world, about the state of faith in the world, Elder Mark said to him: “Brother, stay awake this night for the sake of my death!”
And then, standing in prayer, both elders began to sing the psalms of David. And again, after some silence, Mark turned to his visitor: “Brother, today is a great day for me, the greatest of all the days of my life! Today my soul is freed from the sufferings of the flesh, from earthly bonds and goes to rest in the heavenly monastery, - and, taking Serapion by the hand, he added: - may my body, this receptacle of illnesses, needs and labors, remain until the general resurrection in this cave, in which I stayed in my temporary life... But You, Lord, separate my soul from it, since for Your sake I endured hunger, and thirst, and nakedness, and heat, and frost, and all sorts of hardships... Sleep, my eyes, which did not know sleep during the night prayer! Rest, my legs, which labored in the night standing! With my soul I depart from temporary life and wish for everyone who remains on earth to be saved! Save yourself, fasters, wandering in the mountains and caves for the Lord’s sake! Save yourself, prisoners of Christ, imprisoned, exiled for the sake of righteousness and having no consolation except the One God! Save yourself, monks, working for God day and night!
Save yourself, priests of the Lord, intercessors before God for people! Save yourself, lovers of Christ, who welcome strangers as Christ Himself! Save yourself, merciful ones, worthy of pardon! Save yourself, you rich, pliable and rich before God in Godly deeds!
Save yourself, you who are impoverished for the Lord’s sake! Save yourself, faithful kings and princes, who practice righteous and merciful judgment! Save yourself, devotees of fasting and hard work, save yourself, you who love each other in the Lord! May the whole earth be saved and all who live in it in love and peace!.. Save yourself, brother Serapion, who labored for the sake of Christ to make the journey to my desert! I adjure you by the Lord Jesus Christ: do not take anything, not even a single hair from my wretched body; do not decorate it with any vestments: let my hair, with which the Lord covered me, serve as funeral clothing for me, and you yourself do not stay here...”
And when the lips of the righteous fell silent, his soul ascended to heaven...
Serapion laid the body of Saint Mark in a cave and prayed all night. The next day he sang with tears and, blocking the opening of the cave with a stone, came down from the mountain, glorifying the Lord and calling on the saint for help. Returning to his monastery, he told about the Elder Mark the Hermit of God to John and his disciples, and everyone glorified God with reverence.
The Monk Mark reposed in about the year 400, being 130 years old.
Five Holy Five Martyrs
After two decrees of Diocletian: 1) to destroy Christian churches, burn books and deprive Christians of all civil rights and positions, and 2) to use all the worlds to persuade Christians to renounce, and to execute the disobedient, a series of terrible tortures and executions of Christians followed in all regions of the Roman Empire. The prisons were overcrowded with prisoners for confessing the faith of Christ, so that there was no longer enough room for real criminals. In Egypt, up to 17,000 Christians died in one month; The church in Nicomedia was burned on the very night of Easter, and up to 20,000 Christians died in it. Even remote deserts ceased to serve as a refuge for them: the pursuers penetrated there and tortured and executed the servants of the Lord alienated from the world. According to the historian Eusebius, an eyewitness, in Thebaid “the persecution was terrible, the number of people dying daily in some cities reached a hundred. The bodies of those executed lay in heaps; the instruments of execution became dull, and there were not enough executioners to carry out death sentences.”
But all these sophisticated tortures and cruel executions not only did not frighten the Christians, on the contrary, it seemed that they inflamed their confessional zeal to the extreme limits. They arbitrarily surrendered into the hands of their tormentors and accepted death with rapturous joy. “As soon as we pronounced sentence on some,” the historian writes, “others immediately came running from different directions and professed themselves Christians, not at all embarrassed by the horrors of torture. Maintaining unshakable faith in God, they accepted the death sentence with joy, with a smile and complacency and until their last breath offered up songs and thanksgiving to God.”
What inspired them even more and at the same time contributed to the spread of the knowledge of the true God among non-believers were the frequent miraculous manifestations of God’s help to the martyrs. Eusebius witnessed the execution of five martyrs in Tire in Phoenicia. They were brought into the arena, and several angry wild animals were released on them, which they continued to tease with iron rods heated in the fire. With fury, the animals rushed at unarmed people - Christians, but suddenly, held by some invisible force, they moved away without touching them... Eusebius mentions a young man standing without shackles - with his arms outstretched in a cross shape: “Unshakable and fearless in spirit, he prayed earnestly and did not move, did not deviate to the side from the place where he stood, while the bears and the panthers, breathing rage and death, almost touched his body, and only the Divine and ineffable power, I don’t know how, closed their mouths, and they immediately went back... The five martyrs, whom the animals spared, were executed with the sword, and their bodies were thrown into the sea 513.
Day six. Memory of Saint Eutyches, Patriarch of Constantinople
Eutychios, the archimandrite of the monastery of the Amasia metropolitanate, was sent in his place by the Amasia metropolitan to participate in the actions of the proposed Fifth Ecumenical Council and was very friendly received by Patriarch Minoia and Emperor Justinian. When the patriarch died before the opening of the Council, Eutyches (in August 552) was called to take the throne of Constantinople in the fortieth year of his life and presided over the Ecumenical Council, which condemned the continuers of the Testorian heresy.
Towards the end of his life, Justinian became carried away by the delusion of one of the Monophysite sects, that the body of Christ was incorruptible and, therefore, could not be subjected to suffering. When Patriarch Eutyches denounced such false teaching and showed that in this case the entire earthly life of Christ would have been illusory, then in January 565 he was exiled to Amasia, to his former monastery. He lived here in fasting and prayer and acquired common love through charity, performing many healings through the grace of Christ. Twelve years later, Emperor Tiberius returned him to the throne. Residents of the capital received him (October 2, Saturday) with extraordinary triumph: they put him on a donkey, surrounded him with palm branches and covered the path with clothes; the whole night the city was illuminated. On Sunday, October 3, he celebrated the Liturgy in the St. Sophia Church, and there were so many who wanted to receive communion from his hands that the communion lasted three hours. The saint served as patriarch for the second time for four years and six months and died in 582. During the reign of the Latins in Constantinople, his relics (in 1246) were taken to Venice.
Memory of the Venerables Platonida, Vrienna, Fevronia, Ieria and Thomaida
In the second Syria, otherwise in Mesopotamia, the hermit life appeared early. In the mountains neighboring Nizibia, called Sinjar (Sigoron among the Greeks), caves served as dwellings for hermits and hermits 514. Among the ascetics was Saint James, Bishop of Nisibius (314–350), known both for his exploits as a hermit and for his great gift of teaching. He had already written instructions to the “children of vows” and “about virginity” 515. The oldest of the monasteries of Nisibia was under the control of the Monk Marcellus in 300. At the same time, there was a community of 50 virgins.
The founder of the Nisibian community of virgins was the deaconess Platonida, and she was for her an example of a godly life. The church inscription says about her:
“Platonis, carried in the breadth of heaven,
She shone with kindness across the breadth of the earth” 516.
Platonida became famous for her monastery. Her charter was special and wonderful. The sisters ate food once a day. On Friday they were not supposed to do handicrafts, and from morning to evening they did not leave the house of prayer; after prayers and singing, the Holy Scriptures 517 were read and explained. In the Syrian Church, long after that, love for the understanding of the Holy Scriptures remained. It is known how much Saint Ephraim the Syrian was involved in explaining the Holy Scriptures. He also intensified the singing of the saints in the communities of virgins with songs 518. This is what Saint Platonida instructed for her community.
According to its rules, the high ascetics Brienne, Thomaida, and Hieria were formed. The most magnificent flower in this garden of God was the holy virgin Fevronia 519.
Fevronia lived in a blessed community since childhood. In the third year of her life, she was given to her aunt, blessed Brienne, and she looked after her with all the necessary love. Fevronia's beauty was amazing even in childhood. Brienna took all measures to preserve her flower. As soon as the girl reached the age for abstinence, she was ordered to eat every other day. Entering into the pious thoughts of her aunt and noticing that her health did not suffer at all from fasting, Fevronia soon began to consume the smallest amount of bread and water. To this she added the most cramped life: she slept on a narrow and short board; if dreams disturbed her at night, she got up and read the Holy Scriptures or stood in prayer.
When, after the death of Platonida, Vrienna became the abbess of the community, Fevronia was ordered to read the Holy Scriptures on Fridays. since many visitors from the city gathered to listen to the word of God, Fevronia read behind the curtain in order to hide her beauty even from persons of her own sex. The reading was usually accompanied by a brief explanation, and Fevronia spoke so clearly and distinctly about the meaning of this or that section of Scripture that the whole city began to talk about the mind of the interpreter. These incidents were accompanied by the sisters’ praise of Fevronia’s virtues and beauty. Because of this, the curiosity of the city residents was irritated, and they hurried to listen to Fevronia.
Fevronia Ieria, the widow of a senator who lost her husband in the eighth month of marriage, was especially interested. She was still a pagan, but she was looking for truth and goodness. Stories about Fevronia inflamed her with a desire to meet a rare girl. She appeared at the monastery; Brienna greeted her with honor befitting her rank; but she threw herself at her feet and with tears asked to allow her pagan to see and talk with Fevronia; At the same time, she explained that her relatives were forcing her to choose another spouse, therefore she had a spiritual need for the advice of a sincerely kind soul. Brienna replied that her niece could not see anyone - that was the rule of her life! “I accepted her,” said the abbess, “from her parents in the third year of her life, now she is 18 years old and, due to her rare beauty, she has never before been shown to any of the secular people.” Jeria tearfully assured of the purity of her intentions.
Vrienna agreed to her tearful, persistent request, but proposed a condition: Riya would take off her rich secular attire and appear in the clothes of a novice, since Fevronia had never seen secular attire. Jeria happily accepted the condition. They entered the virgin. Fevronia, mistaking Ieria for a wandering hermit, fell at her feet and embraced her as a sister in Christ. After a short conversation, Fevronia began to read, and Ieria listened to the teachings with such thirst that the whole night was spent in holy exercise. The next morning, the abbess had great difficulty convincing Ieria to part with Fevronia. Gently hugging her young mentor, Ieria returned to her place. Having informed her family about the heavenly teachings she had heard, she begged them to leave paganism and accept the Christian faith. She herself then accepted Christianity and became the most sincere confessor of Christ. And her parents, according to her conviction, were also baptized along with all their household.
Meanwhile, Fevronia asked Thomaida, who was in second place after Vrdanna, who was the visitor who cried so hotly while explaining the Holy Scriptures? Thomaida admitted that she was the widow of Senator Ieria. Fevronia noticed with amazement that it was in vain that they did not warn her about this; in ignorance she spoke so trustingly, as one speaks only with one’s sister about Christ. Thomaida said that the visitor wanted it herself, and that she could not be refused due to her importance in society.
Ieria often visited the community and, when Fevronia was dangerously ill, she served her with all the zeal of love, and did not leave her until she recovered.
This was the state of this holy community when the Emperor Diocletian sent (in 310) Lysimachus, the son of the famous Anthimus, and Selenius, the brother of Anthimov, to the province of second Syria to persecute Christians. Selenius was an extremely cruel man who hated Christians as much as the emperor himself. Lysimachus was a completely different person. His Christian mother, on her deathbed, bequeathed to him with all insistence - to patronize Christians. Diocletian, who had great respect for Anthimus, did not want to deprive his son of his place of honor out of respect for his father, but at the same time, suspecting him of favoring Christians, he gave the place in the form of a test; Selenius was appointed more of a leader than a comrade of Lysimachus. Count Primus, also a relative of theirs, was also sent with them.
The city soon learned of the horrors awaiting it. The Nizibians heard about the cruelties committed by Selenium in Mesopotamia and Syria Palmyra; there Selenius exterminated with fire and sword as many Christians as fell into his hands; he handed over the remainder of the flame and iron to be torn to pieces by wild beasts. Lysimachus was tormented by these cruelties. He more than once said privately to Primus: “You know that my mother was a Christian and strongly inclined to her faith; I restrained myself only for fear of angering the emperor and my father, but on my deathbed I gave her my word not to put to death a single Christian and to treat them friendly. But what does the uncle do with the Christians who fall into his hands? I beg you, do not betray them to him, but as much as you can, help them to escape.” Primus leaned towards the side of good feelings, restrained persecution and let the Christian communities know to flee wherever they could.
The torturers were approaching Nizibia. At the news of their proximity, the presbyters, hermits, and the bishop himself hid wherever they could. The nuns of the monastery of Vryenna wanted to follow their example and asked her permission. “The enemy is far away,” said Vrienna, “you have not seen him yet and already want to run away. The fight has not begun, and you are already losing heart. My poor children! Be firm. Let us stay here and accept death out of love for Him who suffered and died for us.”
The mother's admonition had an effect on the sisters of the community for the first time, but then one of the sisters greatly confused them, and they trembled at the rude warriors. The abbess allowed them to escape. They persuaded Fevronia to flee with them, but the holy virgin lay sick and surrendered herself to the will of God.
The abbess, remaining with Fevronia and Thomaida, prayed to the Lord with a cry and tears for protection, Thomaida calmed her with hopes for the Lord, who, if he does not find it necessary to deliver from death, will give strength and strength to suffer for the glory of His name and for eternal bliss. Vrienna calmed down somewhat. But, looking at her sick niece, she became sad again. Fevronia asked what she was grieving about? “Her longing for you,” said Thomaida, “looking at her youth and imagining the cruelty of her tormentors, our mother cannot help but shudder.” “I ask you,” answered Fevronia, “to pray for me, a sinner, so that God will turn His merciful gaze on me; I hope that He will not refuse His help with your prayers.”
Brienne and Thomais, with all tenderness, persuaded her to prepare for a strong fight. They pointed out to her that they would be captured by their enemies and put to death, and that her beauty and youth would force her to offer her various seductions - wealth, a young groom, and a luxurious life, if only she would renounce Christ the Lord. But let Fevronia remember that virginity is a dear gift to the Lord, the vow to maintain virginity is terrible to break, and to renounce Christ is even more terrible. “You have always been my obedient daughter,” said Brienna, “you know that I took you from the hands of my nurse and, having raised you tenderly, took care of the purity of your soul!.. Comfort my old age with your faithfulness to the Lord. Remember how joyfully others suffered for the Lord. Livia's head was cut off, and our other sister Leonia was burned; Eutropia was martyred along with her mother at the age of 12. You yourself admired the fact that Eutropia, when they decided to pierce her with arrows, could escape, but chose to suffer for Christ” 520.
Fevronia thanked her for the instructions that inspired her with courage. “I dedicated my virginity to the Lord Jesus,” she said. “I will give my life to him.” The night passed in touching conversations.
As the sun rose, the city was excited. Many Christians were captured and taken to prison. The pagans informed the Village about the community of Bryenna. The soldiers broke down the doors, grabbed the abbess and raised their swords above her head; Fevronia threw herself at their feet and begged them to kill her first, so as not to see the death of her mother-teacher. Count Primus arrived and ordered the soldiers to leave. Having learned that the hermits had disappeared, he advised the others to flee. Primus, returning from the monastery, told Lysimachus that only two old women and one girl remained in the monastery. “I swear to the gods,” he added, “the girl is such a beauty that if she were not poor, you would never see a better bride in your entire life.” Lysimachus reminded that, according to his mother’s instructions, he could not take the virgin of vows for himself from her Lord. He begged the count to save the lives of the three maidens.
The warrior heard the conversation between his friends and told Seleni. Selenius immediately sent to seize Fevronia in the monastery and announce in the city that tomorrow Fevronia would be judged.
The soldiers put an iron ring around Fevronia's neck, bound her with chains and led her out of the monastery. Brienne and Thomaida begged to take them too; but they replied that it was ordered to present Fevronia alone to the court. With tears, Vrienna once again begged Fevronia to be strong for the Lord.
Everyone in the city mourned the fact that their dear teacher had been captured. Ieria especially wept loudly. She and a large retinue went to the courtroom; and on the road she recognized Thomaida and came to the place with her in secular clothes. Selenius and Lysimachus appeared. Fevronia was brought in with her hands tied behind her back and with an iron collar. At the request of Selenius, Lysimachus began to conduct interrogations.
“Are you free or slave?” - was the first question. “Slave,” answered the saint. “Whose slave is it?” - “The servant of my Lord Jesus Christ.” "Your name?" “I am a Christian and my name is Fevronia,” answered the saint. Selenius said to the holy virgin: “I swear by the gods, Fevronia, that I should not be lenient towards you; but your beauty and modesty prevail over my anger. Listen, my daughter: the gods are witnesses that my brother Anthimus and I have chosen a rich and noble bride for Lysimachus; but I am ready to unite your hand with the hand of Lysimachus. Look at him: he is young, handsome, noble, rich; my entire fortune will be your dowry - I have no children. The emperor will shower favors on Lysimachus. You will be the happiest wife. But know also that if you do not accept my offer, I swear by all the gods, you will not live longer than three hours. Choose."
“My groom,” answered Fevronia, “is immortal. I wouldn’t trade anyone for Him. No flattering promises or threats will change my decision. You don’t need to waste words.”
Not expecting such a firm answer, proud Selenius ordered Fevronia’s clothes to be torn off and her rags thrown on her. Fevronia's nakedness was visible through the holey rags. Selenius said with a laugh: “Isn’t it a shame to be in such a state before us?” “If you add torture with iron and fire to this insult,” answered Fevronia, “I am ready for them too. He, my Lord, suffered so much for me. Should I not endure for Him? “Shameless girl! - Selenius shouted. “You, proud of your beauty, are magnified by the fact that this beauty is exposed to everyone.” “No,” Fevronia answered firmly, “no, until now I have not allowed any man to see my face; Now I decide to endure torture - only for my Lord.” "Fine! - shouted the enraged Selenius. “Let him know the torture!” He ordered her to be tied between four pillars and a fire to be laid out right there, and at the same time, as the fire burned her, to shower her with a hail of blows. This was done with such brutal cruelty that blood flowed in streams and the body fell in pieces.
Many of the spectators fell unconscious, others loudly demanded to stop the atrocity. But Selenius was inhuman. Even then, as they said that Fevronia had died, he ordered to stop the torment.
Thomaida lay unconscious; Ieria shouted loudly: “Fevronia is my mentor! You are being taken away from me; and I am deprived of Thomaida.” The sufferer was brought to her senses by water. The judge said sternly: “Is your first fight successful, Fevronia? How do you find him? “You can judge for yourself,” answered Fevronia, “did your cruelty overcome my weakness?”
“Hang her,” said the tormentor, “tear her sides with iron claws and burn her to the bone.” The executioners got to work. The body was pouring with blood, the fire penetrated to the insides. The saint first said: “My Savior! Don’t leave me in this terrible hour.” Then she suffered in silence.
Many of those present hurried to leave the court chamber, others told the terrible judge to at least order the fire to be taken away. Selenius agreed and then began to interrogate the martyr. Fevronia was unable to answer. The judge ordered his tongue to be cut out for insolence. But the judge was stopped. Selenius ordered the teeth to be pulled out, and this was carried out.
“Will you worship the gods?” - Selenius shouted. He ordered her breasts to be cut off. The saint prayed: “Lord! You see how I suffer; take my soul to Yourself.”
When they untied her from the post, she could not stand on her feet and fell.
Elder Vrienna remained in the monastery for prayer; They let her know how hard her pet was, and she thanked the Lord.
“She died,” Count Lysimachus said as Fevronia lay unconscious on the ground. “No,” he answered, “she will still fight for the faith, for the salvation of others, you will see. Such Christian firmness!”
Ieria, a person who meant a lot in civilian life, told Selenium that his cruelty offended humanity and civil decency. Selenius, turning pale with anger, ordered her to be presented for questioning. “Do not reject me, God of Fevronia, my mentor! Connect me with her,” said the good Ieria and hurried to approach the judge. The tyrant began to interrogate Ieria. But he was told that tormenting the aristocrat was too dangerous, the people were already agitated. Leaving Ieria alone, he ordered Fevronia’s hands and feet to be cut off. They did this too.
“That’s enough,” Lysimachus said to Selenium. “Let’s go have lunch.” “No, I won’t leave until I see her last breath,” Selenius said and ordered Fevronia’s head to be cut off.
Arriving at dinner, Selenius, in a furious rage, smashed his head against a pillar. Lysimachus, having learned about the terrible death of his uncle, asked Primus to arrange an honorable burial for the sufferer Fevronia. The remains of the martyr were collected and buried in the monastery with honors. Primus and Lysimachus converted to Christianity. In honor of the sufferer, they began to build a church in Nizibia, and it was consecrated in the sixth year after her death.
If the glorious death of Saint Fevronia had a strong effect on outsiders and on the citizens of Nisibia; it is clear how much this death meant for her companions - her sisters. In the best of them, such as blessed Brienne, Jeria and Thomaida during the terrible trial, the death of Fevronia intensified zeal for the deeds of piety and inspired hopes for the strong grace of God. Blessed Elder Brienna ended her ascetic life two years after the consecration of the church in honor of the martyr, her nurse (318). After her, the blessed one remained the abbess of the monastery
Thomaida. The fiery Ieria rested at the tomb of Fevronia. In the year 322, Saint Thomaida completed her labors 521.
Memory of Saints Cyril and Methodius, Slavic enlighteners
At the beginning of the 9th century, in Thessalonica 522, a city then populated and especially surrounded by Slavs, there lived a man venerable in spiritual qualities, wealth and rank, Lev, a Bulgarian by birth, but who served under the Greek emperor 523. His wife Maria was also a pious wife. From this good couple came the enlighteners of the Slavs - Methodius and the youngest, Constantine, born in 827.
At the age of seven, Konstantin discovered a strong love of learning and a quick memory; but he especially loved to study the works of Gregory the Theologian. From an unsatisfied thirst for learning, he began to grieve: he wanted to learn grammar from the Thessalonica monk, but he refused. His relative logothete Theoktist, the guardian of the young Emperor Michael, having learned about his talents, summoned him to the court to study with the king. After studying grammar and the beginnings of Homeric poetry from the famous Leo, head of the Bardin school, and from the gifted Photius, later patriarch, he studied literature, philosophy, astronomy and music. Brilliant talents tied the logothete to him, so that he wanted to marry his goddaughter to him, but Constantine refused. Logofet suggested to the queen: “Here we have a young philosopher who does not like worldly life; In order not to lose him for society, having dedicated him to the priesthood, we will entrust him with the service of the librarian of Sophia. That's how 524 worked out. But Kirill did not stay in this troublesome position for long.
He hid in the Golden Horn Monastery, and only six months later did they learn about his whereabouts. Then they persuaded him to accept the position of teacher. By the will of the king, he had a public dispute with the deposed Patriarch John, known for the tenacity with which he supported the iconoclastic heresy, and the blessed one shamed the proud stubborn man.
In the 24th year of his life, in 851, the philosopher, together with George the Asikrite, was sent to the Militin emir to debate the Christian faith: Al-Rashid’s successors loved to argue about the Koran. The order was completed successfully.
Upon returning to the capital, Cyril retired to Olympus - Athos, where brother Methodius lived as a monk, and in kind solitude he devoted himself with all zeal to monastic deeds.
The elder brother, having received an education in Thessaloniki, entered military service and was for 10 years the ruler of the Strum Slavic region, then subject to the emperor. Bored with worldly life, Methodius retired to a monastic monastery and submitted to all the strictures of monasticism: “he performed unrequited obedience, remained in vigils and prayer, attended every service of God, kept fasting and spiritual sobriety, cleansed his soul with crying; I gave myself no rest day or night.” Such an ascetic life drew the attention of other ascetics to him, who, with the consent of the patriarch, wanted to see him as metropolitan of a famous place, probably Thessaloniki; but he did not agree to the election, and they could hardly convince him to accept the abbess in the Polychronium Monastery 525, one of the richest, located on the Sea of Marmara.
In 858, the Khazar ambassadors asked the emperor to send them a learned man who would teach them the true faith, since, they added, “either the Jews or the Mohammedans are trying to convert them to their faith.” The Emperor, like others, knew in Blessed Cyril a special ability to study languages and extensive scholarship. Therefore he was appointed to a mission to the Khazars; “Let,” the emperor added, “let your brother Abbot Methodius be your assistant” 526. The zealous preachers managed, at least, to do so much among the Khazars that the Kagan accepted Christianity and everyone was allowed to profess the holy faith, and the Greeks who lived there were forbidden, under threat of death, to accept Judaism or Mohammedanism 527 .
As soon as the holy brothers returned from this mission, at the end of 862 the Slavic-Pannonian princes, not having a true teacher (although they had Latin priests), and even more feeling the need to hear Divine services and teachings about the faith in their native language, asked Emperor Michael and Patriarch Photius to send them the teachers they needed. “No one else is capable of accomplishing such a task,” the Emperor said again to Kirill, “as you and your brother can.” Saint Cyril, understanding the importance and difficulty of translating sacred books into the popular language, made his first attempt at translation with reverent preparation. The king and patriarch joyfully hastened to send the pious brothers. On this path, Methodius confirmed the Bulgarian prince’s determination to fight paganism 528, and Blessed Cyril, says the ancient synaxar, “went to Bregalnitsa and, finding here some of the Slavic people unbaptized, brought them to the Orthodox faith and baptized them, writing books for them in the Slavic language; In total, he converted up to 4,500 people to the Christian faith” 529.
Having compiled Slavic writings in Constantinople, Blessed Constantine, first of all, delighted with his invention the Slavs, whom he knew from his youth and who lived not far from Thessaloniki 530. He easily converted so many of his dear relatives, who had not hitherto been Christians especially because they did not know the Greek language in which they were told about Christ, with his native Slavic sermon he easily converted to Christ the Lord.
In Moravia, Cyril and Methodius, with apostolic zeal, carried out the work for which they were called: they taught children, organized divine services, both in the Slavic language 531. They had to fight both the remnants of paganism and the passions of the ignorant Latin clergy. They moved from the region of one prince to another preaching about the pure Gospel truth in a language understandable to everyone. For four years and a half (from 863 to 867), Cyril and Methodius carried out the order of the Eastern Patriarch for the glory of God. “And for the sake of the Slavs, hearing the greatness of God with their tongue.” But the pupils of Rome, the German priests, were not too happy about this. They showered abuse on Slavic preachers for Slavic worship. Pilate's inscription on the cross, they said, was written in only three languages; This is how we should now pray only in three languages (Hebrew, Greek, Latin). “So,” the preachers of truth answered them, “you are disciples of Pilate? Be ashamed." But the German has no shame for money. The Germans made a denunciation to Rome against Slavic preachers.
The pope, as Nicholas was, really did not like the fact that preachers, winning hearts to the faith of Christ, did not have the pope in mind; he demanded Greek preachers to Rome.
On the road to Venice, Cyril and Methodius had to endure a fierce dispute about the rightness of their cause. “How many nations,” said smart teachers to stupid people, “glorify God in their own languages! We can point to Armenians, Persians, Avazgs, Georgians, Goths, Khazars, Arabs, Egyptians, Syrians!” Pope Adrian (from December 4, 867), successor of Nicholas, fearing to lose influence on Moravia, turned out to be pleased with the enlighteners of the Slavs, obedient to the ancient rules about the patriarchs. He justified the Slavic service with a special message. Saint Cyril died in Rome, February 14, 869 532.
Saint Methodius, in agreement with the will of his holy brother, decided to continue working for the Slavs. The Germans, unsuccessful in Rome, agitated the Slavs with civil strife and destroyed Rostislav. Methodius, avoiding the troubles, arrived (in 870) with his disciples in Pannonia, and Prince Kotel lovingly received him in Moosburg (swamp castle). Kotel asked the pope to consecrate Methodius as Archbishop of Pannonia, and his wish was fulfilled. Now only Slavs were ordained priests and, to the consolation of their relatives, they performed services in a language they understood. Nobody wanted to listen to the Latin service. The German clergy, left without income, became extremely irritated. It (872) began to persecute Methodius with all its bitterness, and raised both the German emperor and the Moravian prince Svyatopolk against him; the matter came to the point that Methodius was sent to prison, where he stayed for two and a half years.
The German clergy, acting in this way against Saint Methodius, doubly insulted the power of the pope, to which they turned for protection for money: they insulted by removing from Moravia the one who was dedicated there by the pope; He was offended by the fact that he arbitrarily ruled in that area, which, according to a long-standing order, belonged to the diocese of the pope and where the Germans were allowed to act only under the dependence of the pope. Therefore, Pope John VIII not only returned the hierarchical power over Moravia to Methodius (874) and not only wrote to Louis and Carloman about the innocence of Methodius and the guilt of the German biscups; but he forbade the latter from worship itself. Therefore, the Slavic princes not only expelled everything German from their country, but at their request, Methodius was declared by the pope to be the archbishop of the Moravian state. What was most striking at this time was that the four bishops who had committed crimes against Saint Methodius were struck by the judgment of God, as Methodius had predicted - all four died in the same year.
“From that time,” says an eyewitness, “the Divine teaching began to spread quickly, paganism and superstitions disappeared” - and the state of Svyatopolk flourished.
The happy successes of Slavic preaching in Moravia also had an impact on neighboring Slavic countries. Svyatopolk married a Bohemian princess in 871. This connection between the Moravian court and the Bohemian court opened up opportunities for the Gospel preaching of St. Methodius in Bohemia. The violence of the Germans, forcing Borivoi, the Bohemian prince, to enter into a political alliance with Svyatopolk, brought Borivoi even closer to Methodius, and Saint Methodius in 874 baptized Prince Borivoi and his wife Lyudmila in Velegrad; and following the sovereign prince, a significant part of the people in Bohemia were baptized: the Slavic sermon, understandable to every Czech, easily revealed to the Bohemians the holiness of the Christian faith. The church of St. Clement near Prague and the church of St. Theory in the castle, built by Borivoj, remained monuments of pure faith in Bohemia 533.
The pagan prince, who was sitting on the Vistula, cursed at Christians and inflicted various insults on them. Methodius sent to tell him that it would be good for him to be baptized of his own free will on his own land, so that, having been captured, he would not be forced to be baptized involuntarily, on someone else’s, and remember him. “That’s really what happened,” says a witness to Methodieva’s life. The disciples of Methodius, in agreement with the wishes of the rational prince, implanted the Orthodox teaching of Christianity and Slavic worship in Poland.
Its ancient historian says about Dalmatia: “Methodius established the Liturgy according to the rules of the Greeks.” It could not have been otherwise: Methodius visited Dalmatia on his way to Rome and from Rome 534. The Croats and Serbs, at the same time and due to political disasters, asked and received help from Emperor Basil, and after that they accepted the preachers of the Eastern Church; of these, even those who were pagans, listening to the sermon and divine service in an understandable language, were willingly baptized 535.
No matter how beneficial the activity of Saint Methodius was for the Holy Church and all Slavs, the Germans did not care about faith and the salvation of people - they needed their income - and their pride was excited by the successes of the Slavic preacher. They reported to Rome that Methodius was an apostate from the faith, did not profess the procession of the Holy Spirit and from the Son, did not preach not only the universal power of the pope, but even his dependence on the pope - he performed the service in Slavic, and not in the Roman language. Pope John was calm regarding the dogma of the Holy Spirit, confessing it in accordance with Patriarch Photius; but he became alarmed for his power over Moravia and, contrary to his previous orders, banned (in 879) Slavic service. The Germans were triumphant; they appeared in Moravia and announced that Methodius had been deprived of power and Moravia had been transferred to them. Saint Methodius was forced to go to Rome. At the Roman Council (880), Saint Methodius was recognized as a teacher of the Gospel in all respects.
The Pope wrote to Moravia that he affirms Methodius in the rights of an archbishop, recognizes his faith as pure and “since it is said: every tongue has confessed that Jesus Christ is Lord for the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:11), does not find any contradiction to sound faith in the fact that the Liturgy is sung in the Slavic language or the Holy Scriptures are read in it.” Saint Methodius returned to Moravia, calm, with the triumph of truth over lies. But German ingenuity is inexhaustible in evil; she spread a rumor that the patriarch and emperor were angry with Methodius for his agreement with the pope. Saint Methodius had no reason to be alarmed by rumors of anger, and he also received a letter from the emperor that breathed love. Nevertheless, to dispel harmful rumors, he went to Byzantium. Here both the patriarch and the emperor received him with respect. A monument to the high opinions of Orthodoxy about the exploits of Methodius was also the fact that the emperor left for the court clergy a priest and a deacon dedicated to Saint Methodius, and in the Slavic translation of the book.
When both at the court of the pope and at the court of the emperor the intrigues of the Germans did not achieve their goal, the Germans turned to Svyatopolk. They used both low flattery and low slander. Svyatopolk did not understand the holy faith well and gave free rein to his passions. The Germans forgave him everything, without demanding repentance from him. Methodius spoke about the sinner, as the Gospel says. From now on, Svyatopolk began to show obvious dislike towards Methodius and favor towards the flatterers of the Germans. The vicar bishop, Schwab Wiching, a champion of the error about the Holy Spirit, a man who valued little conscience, became the favorite of Svyatopolk and the worst enemy of Saint Methodius. Thus, until his grave, Saint Methodius endured sorrow for his apostolic labors. He rested blessedly on April 6, 885 and was buried in Velehrad, “in the great Moravian church, on the left side behind the altar of the Holy Mother of God” 536.
The Slavic enlighteners left the high fruits of their labors not only for their contemporaries, but for their later posterity.
According to precise research, St. Cyril invented the Slavic alphabet, or, as the monk Brave says, “create 30 letters and 8, because according to the order of Greek letters, and according to the words of speech.” According to Khrabr, the Cyrillic alphabet was Greco-Slavic not only in the selection of sounds, but also in the design of the letters - in it, in design, no more than 14 letters differed from the Greek ones 537.
Saint Cyril, according to his Pannonian Life, “offered (translated, translated) the entire church rite and taught his disciples matins and godins (hours), mass and vespers and secret services.” “Methodius,” according to his life, “only presented the psalter and the Gospel with the Apostle and selected services with the philosopher.” Combining this news with others, we are convinced that Constantine owns the translations of the Gospel readings, the Apostolic readings, the Psalter, the parish book, the service book, the breviary and the octoechus.
A list from the 15th century preserves “a writing about the right faith studied by Constantine the blessed philosopher, a teacher of God in the Slavic language.” At the end of the confession it is said: “I confess my faith here and with my close brother Methodius.” The confession is as undoubted in authenticity as it is precious in content. It thoroughly exposes the German error about the Holy Spirit 538.
The compiler of the life of Constantine the philosopher, briefly summarizing Constantine’s conversations with the Jews and Mohammedans of the Khazars, adds: “If you want the perfect conversations of these saints, you will find me in the books, which our teacher and Archbishop Methodius, the brother of Constantine the philosopher, have included in eight words.” In an article about useful and harmful books, “Cyril of Slovenia” is placed between the first after Cyril of Jerusalem. Nowadays the book of conversations of St. Cyril is unknown, and one can only be content with extracts from it; but even here there are many lofty thoughts about man and Christianity, many irresistible denunciations of Judaism! 539
Saint Methodius continued, after his brother, to translate into Slavic both the books of the Holy Scriptures and some others that were more necessary than others. In the last year of his life, he forced capable scribes to rewrite his works and thus left in translation “all the books that were completed, unless the Maccabees and the Nomocanon recited the law and the books of the fathers” - (Paterikon), so says his life; and, according to John the Exarch, “translate all the statutory books 60 from the Hellenic language in Slovensk.” According to both reports, Saint Methodius left in translation: a) all the canonical books of the Holy Scriptures, but the apocryphal ones were not translated; b) nomocanon and patericon.
Thus, Saints Cyril and Methodius labored in preaching the pure holy faith (Eastern Orthodoxy) to the Slavic peoples, suffering courageously for this, to the grave. If there are those who want to pass off holy men as admirers of human self-will, then one can only regret that they allow themselves to lie about the holy truth 540.
The memory of the Slavic enlighteners is sacred to the Slavic tribes as the memory of the preachers of pure truth. It was celebrated more than once a year by the Slavic tribes 541. Ancient services to Saints Cyril and Methodius 542 are also known.
The Suffering of the Holy Martyr Paul
Blessed Paul was taken away from Russia by the Tatars at a young age, and was then sold to Constantinople. How much suffering the Russians endured from the Crimean Tatar robbers! Predators captured the Russians not in one honest war, but also in thieves’ and secret raids and then mocked humanity in their faces. “The ships that come to the Crimean Tatars from Asia,” says a contemporary, “bring them weapons, clothes and horses, and leave them loaded with slaves... They always have slaves in stock not only for trade, but also for the amusement of their home and to satisfy their inclinations towards cruelty. Those who are the strongest of these unfortunates - bound or shackled - suffer during the day at work, at night in prison, and their life is supported by the small amount of food consisting of the meat of dead animals" 543 . Paul, tormented by the barbarians, could only be bought by a Christian. After serving the master for several years, he was released and married a Russian girl, who, like him, had been captured and also received freedom.
The couple led a Christian life, having been tested by severe sorrows. From suffering in captivity, Paul began to suffer greatly from epilepsy. Her attacks were at times so severe that the patient fell into madness. His wife and neighbors decided to take him to the Church of the Mother of God of Mugluni, where similar patients received healing. The patient, not understanding what they wanted to do with him, did not want to go; they were forced to tie him up and lead him against his will. On the way, the Turks met and asked: “Where are they taking him?” The patient, in a frenzy of mind, shouted: “I am a Hagarene, I have become a Hagarene.” The patient was taken to the church. Meanwhile, the Turks changed their minds two days later. "How? - they said to each other, “our Mohammedan brother asked for our help, and we left him in the hands of the infidels.” One of them, a frenzied fanatic, inflamed the others and persuaded them to come to the Grand Vizier with a complaint against the Christians. “The infidels,” they reported to the vizier in words and on paper, “the infidels in the capital of Mohammedanism dare to drag a convert to Mohammedanism into church,” and they told about Paul.
The angry vizier ordered to immediately present the imaginary new Mohammedan to him, and the priests of the church and whoever they found in it to be tied up and brought to him. Fortunately, one of those who heard this decision of the vizier immediately let the church know about it. When the alarm was raised and the sick man was being led out of the church, the sick man suddenly recovered, and he was told what his problem was. They barely had time to inform him of the general danger when those sent by the vizier seized him and the priests and brought him to the vizier. Having ordered the priests to be thrown into a deep dungeon hole, the vizier affectionately asked Paul: “Is it true that you have converted to Mohammedanism?” “I never wanted anything like this,” Pavel answered. The informers said that when they dragged him to church, he called himself a Mohammedan, in their hearing. “You only want to torment Christians,” said Paul, “and you invent lies.”
The vizier asked: “Why did they drag you to the church?” “They dragged me into the house, my lord, and not into the church,” said Paul, “I suffer to the point of madness on the new moon, and in this state they dragged me into the house; but I was a Christian, I am a Christian now, and I will remain a Christian.” “Since these faithful,” said the vizier, “have heard from you yourself that you are a Mohammedan; then all that remains for you is either to be a Mohammedan, or to be condemned to death: choose either - either Mohammedanism and honors, or a shameful death.” Behind the confessor stood his good wife and said to him in Russian: “Do not be afraid of death, my good husband; be firm in the holy faith: die for a short time, and then you will begin to have fun with the martyrs of Christ, and how happy I will be! They will call me the wife of a martyr.” The vizier asked: “What kind of woman is this? What is she talking about? One of those present, who knew Russian, said: “This is his wife, and she persuades him not to renounce the Christian faith.” The vizier ordered the wife to be tied to a post and beaten without mercy, and the husband to be thrown into prison.
Both the wife and the priests were also taken into custody. Three days later, Paul was again presented to the vizier. No matter how much they tried to persuade him, he boldly repeated one thing: “I am a Christian.” The vizier ordered his execution, and his head was cut off at the hippodrome, on the very day of the suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ, in 1683, April 6th. The priests and the martyr's wife were released from prison for money 544.
Memory of our venerable and God-bearing father Gregory of Sinaite
“He was burning with a desire,” as the writer of his life says 545, “to enrich the entire universe with the knowledge of ascent to the heights of action and contemplation, he strove to kindle in everyone a fiery love for this ascent... He surprised the ascetics themselves with his almost ethereal angelic life: his fasting, vigils, all-night standing, incessant psalmody and prayers surpassed any description. It seemed that he was arguing with nature, wanting to make his material body immaterial... "
And here are the words of Gregory himself in response to questions about mental activity that one of his disciples addressed to him: “When the soul uses all its zeal and strives through active virtues, with proper reasoning, then it overthrows all passions and subjugates them to itself. And if the passions are subdued, then natural virtues surround it and follow it like a shadow following a body; and not only follow, but also teach her and instruct her in what is above nature, teaching her, as it were, to climb the spiritual ladder.
When the mind, by the grace of Christ, ascends to that which is higher than nature, then, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, it stretches to clear vision; then, having become above himself, according to the measure of the grace given to him from God, he sees the essence of things very clearly and purely, and not at all in the way that external sages think about it, rushing only after the shadow of things, and not trying as they should to follow the essential action of nature. After all, the Divine Scripture says: They fussed in their speculations, and their foolish hearts were darkened; calling themselves wise, they became fools (Rom. 1:21–22). Then the soul, having accepted the grace of the Holy Spirit, due to the many visions that are revealed to it, little by little leaves the previous ones and moves on to the highest and most Divine, as the Apostle Paul says: Forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead (Phil. 3:13) - and thus truly casts off all fear and fear and, clinging to Christ with love, sees that its natural thoughts are completely silent and, according to scripture Holy Fathers remain back.
Having achieved formless and indescribable beauty, she now, illuminated by the radiance and grace of the Holy Spirit, converses only with God, and having been enlightened by this boundless light and having a desire for God alone, she, due to her new and wonderful change, no longer feels her humble, earthly and material body at all, for she is pure and bright - without any admixture of material partiality, she is a truly intelligent being, as she was before. the fall of the firstborn Adam. He was first covered with the grace of boundless light, and then, due to a bitter crime, he was naked from this luminous glory.”
“A person who, through hardworking exercise in mental prayer, has reached such a wondrous height and has clearly seen his own dispensation into which he has come by the grace of Christ, has already seen the resurrection of his soul of the long-awaited general resurrection, so that the soul, purified in this way, can say along with the holy Apostle Paul: Whether in the body - I don’t know, whether outside the body - I don’t know (2 Cor. 12:2). But at the same time the soul is perplexed and amazed at this, and cries out in amazement: Oh, the abyss of the wealth and wisdom and knowledge of God! How incomprehensible are His destinies and unsearchable His ways! (Rom. 11:33)."
The luminous life in the world of Saint Gregory was reflected with luminous rays in his famous disciples: Saints Gerasim, Joseph, Abba Nicholas, wonderful Mark, James, Aaron, Moses, Longinus, Cornelius, Isaiah and Clement.
And who can measure all the rays with which the life of the righteous illuminates the path to heaven for the rest of humanity...
Day seven. Memory of the Venerable Nil of Sorsky
Reverend Neil is a great father of the Russian Church in his asceticism and instructions.
He was from the noble family of Maykovs. He believed the beginning of monastic life was in the monastery of St. Cyril of Beloezersk. Here he used the advice of the intelligent and strict elder Paisius Yaroslavov, who later was the abbot of the Sergius Lavra and did not want to be a metropolitan. Then he traveled to the east to see spiritual life in experiences; he was, in his words, “on Mount Athos, in the countries of Constantinople and other places” 546. Upon returning from the east, he lived for a short time outside the fence of the Cyril Monastery, in a secluded cell; then, 15 versts from the monastery, on the Sorka River, he erected a cross for himself with a chapel and a cell, and to those who wanted to share his exploits, he offered life not as a communal life, but as a monastery.
The history of his inner life was partly revealed by the monk himself in a letter to Prince. monk Vassian, at his urgent request. “I am writing to you,” he says, “showing myself: your love, according to God, compels me to do this and makes me crazy to write to you about myself. We need to act not simply and not according to cases, but according to the Holy Scriptures and the tradition of the holy fathers. Wasn’t my removal from the monastery (Kirillov) for the sake of spiritual benefit? For her sake, for her sake. I saw that they live there not according to the Law of God and the tradition of their fathers, but according to their own will and human reasoning. There are also many who, in doing so, incorrectly dream that they are living a virtuous life... When we lived together with you in the monastery (Kirillov), you know how I moved away from worldly connections and tried to live according to the Holy Scriptures, although due to my laziness I did not have time. At the end of my wandering, I came to the monastery (Kirillov) and outside the monastery, near it, having built myself a cell, I lived as long as I could.
Now I have moved away from the monastery, and by the grace of God I have found a place in my thoughts that is not very accessible to worldly people, as you yourself have seen. Living alone, I study the spiritual Scriptures; First of all, I test the Commandments of the Lord and their interpretation and traditions of the apostles, then the lives and instructions of the holy fathers. I reflect on all this and whatever, according to my reasoning, I find pleasing to God and useful for my soul, I rewrite for myself. This is my life and my breath. For my weakness and laziness, I placed my trust in God and the Most Pure Mother of God. If something happens to me to undertake and if I don’t find it in Scripture, I put it aside for a while until I find it. I don’t dare do anything of my own free will and according to my own reasoning. Whether you live as a hermit or in a community, listen to the Holy Scripture and follow in the footsteps of the fathers or obey the one who is known as a spiritual man in word, life and reasoning... The Holy Scripture is harsh only for those who do not want to humble themselves by the fear of God and retreat from earthly thoughts, but want to live according to their passionate will.
Others do not want to humbly experience the Holy Scripture, do not even want to hear about how to live, as if the Scripture was not written for us and should not be fulfilled in our time. But to true ascetics, in ancient times and in the present and in all centuries, the words of the Lord will always be pure words, like refined silver: The commandments of the Lord are more dear to them than gold and expensive stones, sweeter than honey and honeycomb.”547
From this letter it is clear, by the way, that the path of life chosen by Nile amazed his contemporaries. And indeed there was something to be amazed at, especially for the weak.
Wild, gloomy, deserted is the place that the Monk Neil chose for his monastery. This is not the Athos region, where there is so much beauty of nature, where the air is life-giving, the fruits are luxurious.
The Sorka River, which gave its name to the Russian saint of God, looks more like a swamp than a flowing river, stretches slightly down; The entire area of the monastery is low-lying and swampy. And it was here that the Russian hermit labored. The pond dug by the Monk Nile and his labors are still intact - a well with delicious water, which is used for healing 548. Neil's clothes are still intact; her hair pricks like needles. The entire monastic society of the monk consisted of a hieromonk, a deacon and 12 elders 549. Among them came from the Joseph Monastery Dionysius from the princes of Zvenigorod and Nil Polev, a descendant of the princes of Smolensk. The first of them, when he lived in Iosifov, “worked for two people in a bakery and, moreover, sang 77 psalms and performed 3,000 bows every day. But, having fallen in love with solitude, he asked and received the blessing to go to Father Nil, who then shone like a light in the desert on Beloozero.” So says a contemporary 550. For the needs of the brothers, the Monk Neil built a small mill on the river. When they decided to build a church, a lot of work had to be done.
High mounds for the church had to be made on the swampy soil, especially since there was also supposed to be a fraternal tomb here. The hands of the holy elder and his hermitages built a high hill for the church and tomb. Each cell is placed on a raised platform and each one is a stone's throw away from the other and from the church. The hermits gathered in their church, following the example of the East, only on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays: on other days, everyone prayed and worked in their cell. The all-night vigil of the monastery continued throughout the night, in full sense of the word: for each kathisma, three and four readings from the fathers were offered. During the Liturgy they sang only the thrice-holy hymn, hallelujah, cherubic and worthy; everything else was read in a drawn-out, sing-song manner. On Saturday they came to the brotherly burial vault, where a memorial service was held for the repose of the deceased. This is the church charter of Nile 551.
The Monk Nil was one of those who grieved in soul over the damage to church books, and tried to correct them. This, like the hermitage life, hitherto unprecedented, aroused displeasure against him. He patiently walked his way 552.
In 1491 we see St. Neil at a council about Judaizing heretics 553. In the case of them, the zealot of Orthodoxy, Blessed Gennady, in 1492, wanted to personally see the Monk Nile in order to hear his judgment on the subjects of perplexity 554.
An unknown contemporary wrote: “Nil Maykov, a student of Paisius, was in the Holy Mountain. The Grand Duke held them (Paisius and Nila) in great honor. When the council on widow priests and deacons ended (1503), Elder Nil proposed that there should be no villages near monasteries, but that they should live by the labor of their hands. The Beloezersky hermits also joined him.” Another contemporary speaks of the same thing: “Some fathers, who lived and loved silence and a solitary life (among them the first Saint Nile), firmly remembering the paternal instructions about the non-covetousness necessary for the monks, mourned the fact that the monasteries owned the villages, and believed that it was in vain that the monks renounce the world, for they, just like the laity, worry and quarrel with laymen and among themselves, go to court and conduct litigation. Therefore, they offered this to the autocrat, as having access to him due to their strong life and great virtue, and as respected by the autocrat.”
According to the news of both contemporaries, at the council Joseph of Volokolamsk and others cast a different vote about the monastery property, and their voice was respected 555.
In his dying testament, the monk, commanding his disciples to throw his body into the desert, as food for animals, or to bury it in a hole with contempt, wrote: “It sinned gravely before God and is unworthy of burial,” and then added: “As much as was in my power, I tried not to use any honor on earth, in this life; so let it be after death.” The monk died on May 7, 1508 556.
The relics of the saint rest in secret. In 1569, the Terrible Tsar wanted to build a stone church instead of a wooden one. But the monk, appearing to John, strictly forbade him to build such a church; so even after the grave he remains a zealot of monastic simplicity 557.
Just as the life of St. Neil was a special life, so in his writings he was such a mentor as had never before been seen in the Russian Church. He is a teacher of the contemplative life.
“The Charter of the monastery life of the Monk Nile” 558, after a preface on mental activity, offers instructions: 1) on the difference in mental warfare; 2) about the fight against thoughts; 3) how to strengthen yourself in feat against thoughts; 4) about the content of spiritual warfare; 5) about 8 thoughts; 6) about the fight against each of them; 7) how important it is to remember death! 8) about tears; 9) about keeping contrition; 10) about death for the world; 11) about how everything should be done in due time. In conclusion, Saint Nile says with what intentions he proposed his charter.
“Mental prayer,” he says, “is higher than physical prayer: bodily work is a leaf, and internal, mental prayer is the fruit. He who prays only with his lips, but neglects his mind, prays to the air. For God listens to the mind. Exercise in inner prayer brings a person to a higher spiritual state, in which the spirit does not even have prayer, movement, or autocracy, but is guided by another force.” On this path, in addition to prayer, a struggle with thoughts is necessary. “If you cannot pray in silence, without thoughts, and even see them multiplying in your mind, do not be faint-hearted, remain constantly in prayer.” St. Neil's instructions on thoughts contain deep psychological observations of the actions of the soul. He decomposes the matter of the soul into the most subtle, barely noticeable parts; shows how a thought gradually passes from a sinless thought into an action that is more and more criminal and dangerous. Regarding external activity, the Monk Nil prescribes the monastery's complete non-covetousness and simplicity in everything.
He orders us to acquire what is necessary for life only through the labors of our own hands, repeating the words of the apostle: If anyone does not want to do it, let him eat (2 Thess. 3:10). “Monastic almsgiving is to help a brother with a word in time of need, to console a brother in sorrow with spiritual reasoning: spiritual alms are as much higher than physical alms as the soul is higher than the body. If a stranger comes to us, we will calm him down to the best of our ability and, if he demands bread, we will give him some and let him go.” The Monk Nil often speaks in the words of the fathers and more often than others cites the words of Gregory the Sinaite and Simeon the New Theologian. About the first he says: “This blessed one, embracing the content of the writings of all spiritual fathers, according to their order, commands us to have diligent care for prayer.”
Memory of Saint George, Metropolitan of Mytilene, Confessor
Saint George was one of those bishops who, in 815, did not agree to the lawless council’s decision to destroy icons; Emperor Leo the Armenian exiled him to Tauride Chersonesos, where he died.
Day eight. Memory of the holy apostles from the 70 Herodion, Agave, Rufus, Asinkritos, Phlegon and Hermias
Greet Herodion, my relative,” writes the holy Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Romans (Rom. 16:2). Herodion was from the city of Tarsus in Cilicia; he was ordained by the holy Apostle Peter as bishop of the city of Patras, in present-day Livadia, then called the Achaia region. He suffered much persecution from Jews and pagans. Once he was tortured to death by them, but by the grace of God he recovered and followed the Apostle Peter to Rome to preach the Gospel. On the day of the crucifixion, Apostle Peter was taken along with Apostle Olympus and many other Christians and condemned to execution. All of them had their heads cut off with a sword. Their bodies were buried with honor by Saint Clement, a disciple of the holy Apostle Peter, who was taken and sentenced to death along with other Christians, but was pardoned and released from the place of execution alive, because he was a relative of the emperor.
While we were staying with them for many days (with Deacon Philip in Caesarea, whose four daughters prophesied), a certain prophet named Agabus came from Judea, and coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and, having bound his hands and feet, said: Thus says the Holy Spirit: The man whose belt is this will be bound by the Jews in Jerusalem and delivered into the hands of the Gentiles... (Acts 21:10-11).
In those days, prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. And one of them, named Agabus, stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine throughout the entire universe, which happened under Caesar Claudius (Acts 11:27-28). From the predictions that were fulfilled in his time, it is clear that the Apostle Agabus, who preached the Gospel in the countries around Judea, was gifted from above with a prophetic gift.
The Apostle Rufus, who was a bishop in Thebes, is remembered in this way by the holy Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans: Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine (Rom. 16:13).
Apostles: Asincritus, who was a bishop in Ircania, Phlegon, who was a bishop in Marathon, Ermias, bishop of Dalmatia, the holy Apostle Paul also remembers in his Epistle to the Romans: Greet Asincritus, Phlegon, Hermias and the other brothers with them (Rom. 16:14).
All these apostles were preachers of the Gospel and martyrs, some to death, for the faith of Christ.
Day ten. Memory of the saints of 600 reverend fathers, beaten by the Persians in the David-Gareji desert
In the monastery founded by Saint David of Gareji (one of the disciples of the great John of Zedazni), around which, during the life of Saint David, several monasteries were formed, constituting, as it were, the Thebaid of Georgia, which flourished almost until the 17th century, the monks used to gather on the church holiday of the Resurrection of Christ in one of the monasteries to jointly celebrate the Bright Day.
This was the case in 1615. During this unfortunate time for Iberia, when the beast-like Shah Abbas ravaged the entire country and massacred many of the inhabitants, he went one day, precisely on the eve of the Holy Resurrection of Christ, to hunt in the Karayag steppes, rejoicing and extolling that here he would surely never meet a single living soul. But, to his surprise, lying in his tent at night, he saw many moving lights on the mountain in the distance. These were the monks of the Gareji desert, walking around their small church in a procession of the cross, chanting the joyful “Christ is risen!”
“So not all of Georgia has been put to the sword?” - the Shah exclaimed, having learned from his entourage that it was the monks who were celebrating their Easter, and ordered to cut down everyone who was found in this steppe desert... In vain, some of the Shah’s entourage asked him to spare these harmless people, reminding him that Mohammed himself ordered the prayer books to be spared. The soldiers had to fulfill the will of their ruler, who was unbridled in his ferocity, and by the morning of the next day they destroyed up to 600 monks, whom they found receiving communion during the Liturgy of the Holy Mysteries of the Lord... Then they destroyed and devastated all the monasteries. And thus ended the existence of these monasteries, which for almost 12 centuries served as a breeding ground for Orthodoxy and piety in Georgia. Subsequently, through the care of the Kakheti king Archil II, the bones of the venerable martyrs were collected and placed in the church he built.
Currently, out of the previous twelve, only two restored monasteries exist: Resurrection - St. David and John the Baptist.
These martyrs are commemorated in Georgia on Easter Tuesday 559.
Memory of the Holy Prophetess Huldama
The prophetess Huldama lived in the first half of the 7th century BC. She predicted to the 16th king of Judah, who reigned in Jerusalem, Josiah, “who did what was right in the sight of the Lord and walked in all the way of David his father, who did not turn aside to the right or to the left,” that for his humility before the Lord the Lord would add him to his fathers, and he would be laid in his tomb in world, and his eyes will not see all the disaster that the Lord will bring on his country... (2 Kings 22, 20; 2 Chronicles 34, 28).
Memory of the Holy New Martyr Dimos (Dimos)
The story of Dima's martyrdom is a repetition of countless similar ones to which Christians who exist under the yoke of the Turks never cease to be subjected: personal annoyance, vindictive slander, interrogation with false witnesses, of whom there is never a shortage, torture, execution... And who knows how long the resumption of cases will continue, where the Turk is the executioner, the victim is a Christian... A different order of things is still only in the dreams of sufferers yearning for liberation from the age-old unrighteous oppression, and people who sympathize with the suffering of their fellow believers, but unsuccessfully strive to help them shake off this depressing oppression, fruitlessly almost to this day making bloody sacrifices for this.
Here in short words is the story of the martyr Dima. A fisherman by trade, who refused to work under the onerous conditions of his Turkish owner, who ran a fishing business in Smyrna, he was slandered by the Turk, who was annoyed by his refusal, allegedly expressing a desire to convert to Islam. Behind this, of course, is Dim’s renunciation of such a desire; confession of the faith in which his parents raised him, in which his common mother, the Orthodox Church, confirmed him. Then - coercion to Islam, torture; Dim is imprisoned in heavy stocks, in which bricks and other sharp and hard objects are stuffed to intensify the pain. The unwavering patience of a Christian; death penalty...
“The beheaded worker is canonized. Christians bought his martyr's remains and buried them with honor in the Church of St. George. The day after the burial, on the feast of Trinity, the preacher Dorotheos honored the memory of the sufferer with an edifying word” 560.
Dim suffered in 1763 on April 10th.
The Lord honored His faithful servant with incorruption. His relics were transferred to the altar of the Church of St. George, and there were many cases of healing of those approaching his tomb with warm faith in the help of those who received the martyr's crown.
Day eleven. Memory of St. Jacob of Zheleznoborovsk
Thirty miles from Galich, in a dense forest, near iron mines, a hermit lived (since 1352) in a secluded hut, and this hermit, through prayers, brought back to life the wife of the powerful ruler of Russia. This was the Monk Jacob, a disciple of the great Serius of Radonezh. The wife of Grand Duke Vasily Dmitrievich, Sofia Vitovtovna, suffered in childbirth and was near death. The Monk Jacob happened to be in Moscow at that time; he stayed in the monastery of John the Baptist under the pine forest, beyond the Moscow River. The Grand Duke heard about his holy life and sent him to ask him to pray for his sick wife. The monk answered: “Pray to God and His Most Pure Mother; Don’t grieve for the princess, she will be healthy and that same evening she will give birth to a son, your heir.” Sofia safely gave birth to a son, Vasily. This was in 1415. The grateful Grand Duke gave blessed Jacob the means to build on the site of his solitary exploits, on an iron fence, a monastery with a church in honor of the Holy Forerunner and allocated land for the maintenance of the monastery 561.
The monk, a native of the Galich nobles Amosov 562, was a zealous planter of monastic life in his native land. Soon the zealots of solitude gathered to see him. He set up a strict dormitory - no one in the monastery called anything his own; his example inspired his students to a strict life; Following the example of their mentor, the students complacently endured need and sorrow; Blessed Jacob taught them purity of soul and body, fasting, mutual love, humility and patience.
The monastery of Jacob and its surroundings experienced a strong temptation in 1429. Gangs of Kazan Tatars devastated the outskirts of Galich, approached Galich and, without taking it, captured Kostroma on the very day of Epiphany, took many prisoners and left. According to the chronicle, while the main forces of Moscow, without catching up with the Tatars, returned from Nizhny, the governors Theodore Dobrynsky and Prince Theodore Motley sailed along the Volga, caught up with them behind Nizhny, attacked, defeated, destroyed many and took away all the prisoners. “For this,” the chronicle adds, “honor goes to those governors, and after death, eternal memory” 563. The monk and his disciples moved away from the terrible storm into the dark forest. Upon returning to the place of prayer, he had to raise the monastery from the ruins. He now built a refectory church in honor of St. Nicholas, dug extensive ponds with his own hands; Now many poor and hungry people appeared in that direction; The monk fed everyone who came and helped as much as he could.
After so many years of asceticism, the brethren begged him to be their abbot: he went to Moscow and was ordained there; He also received various benefits for his children there. At a very old age he suffered from a dying disease; he appointed a successor for himself from among his disciples and received the Holy Mysteries 564 as parting words for that life. According to the handwritten calendar, “Reverend Jacob, abbot of the Baptist Monastery on an iron bore, Kostroma Wonderworker, reposed in the summer of April 6950 (1442) on the 11th day” 565. His holy body rests under cover in the monastery he founded 566. Grand Duke Vasily Vasilyevich in 1450, after the victory over Shemyakaya near Galich, went to the monastery of Jacob to thank the Lord for his success 567. Even after him, the monastery of the monk suffered more than once from the Tatars, and two of its abbots, Savva and Veniamin, died suffering; but his monastery still exists today 568.
From the monuments we see that already in 1536, in the monastery of Jacob, its founder was honored as a saint of God, they called him the venerable father, and a little later they called him a miracle worker 569.
Of the miracles that took place at his grave, the healing of the demoniac Niphon and the paralyzed Photius was especially remarkable. Niphon was possessed by an unclean spirit for many years, wandered in the forest and, when returned, tore his chains. Once the brethren, having caught him, dragged him to the tomb of Jacob; As soon as he touched the tomb, he came to his senses, fell with tears before the icon of the saint standing on the tomb, prayed to save his soul and body, and stood up healthy. Photius, a rich man, swore to lie; after that his face contorted and he fell into relaxation. He remained in this position for three years. His relatives brought him to the monastery of the monk. During the prayer singing, he loudly repented of his sins; at the same time his face straightened and he became healthy.
This is the experience of the saint’s love for his monastery and monasticism. The monk Theodosius, who had been lying paralyzed for three years, turned with a tearful prayer to blessed Jacob: “Father Jacob,” he said in his soul, “you give many healings at your tomb; help me too in my serious illness.” Suddenly, in the silence of the night, the monk appeared to him and said: “Give God a promise to remain in my monastery until death and be at my tomb.” The paralytic told the brethren about this; By order of the abbot, they brought him to the coffin, sang a prayer service, and the sick man himself kissed the coffin and became healthy. “As long as I live, I will not leave the monastery,” he said with delight and fulfilled his promise.
Of the three experiences of the saints healing the blind, one is especially remarkable. Blind Photinia, attracted by rumors of Jacob's miracles, asked to serve a prayer service and suddenly regained her sight. The abbot ordered her to stay clean for 40 days. She did not fulfill the commandment, and her eyes were closed again. In repentance, she came with her husband to ask for forgiveness at the tomb of Jacob, and again received her sight.
The saint's miracles attracted many pilgrims and many benefactors to his monastery. The latter provided her with generous means of support 570.
Memory of the Holy Martyrs Processus and Martinian
The holy martyrs Processus and Martinian, who were guards in the Mamertine prison while the apostles Peter and Paul were imprisoned there by order of Nero, and who were converted to the faith of Christ by miracles performed in their presence by the holy apostles. For their confession of faith they were tortured and beheaded outside the walls of Rome on the Aurelian Way. Their bodies were buried with honor by blessed Lucila. They rest in the Vatican Cathedral of the Apostle Peter in the chapel named after them 571.
Memory of Saint Barsanuphius, Bishop of Tver
Blessed Barsanuphius was born in 1495, in the city of Serpukhov 572 from Priest Vasily and in Holy Baptism he was named Vasily 573. His father did not have enough time to teach his son to read and write, and he was given to a reverent teacher for instruction. Young Vasily was gifted with excellent mental abilities, “having a deep mind,” so he soon studied the Psalter, which, according to Saint Basil, contains everything useful; Vasily learned church singing so well that he could sing correctly himself and control others. In 1512, the sons of Khan Mengli-Girey devastated the banks of the Oka and captured many prisoners 574; Vasily was also taken prisoner. The situation of the prisoner was bitter; but the tears that he shed in difficult captivity were the same for his heart as watering for a tree. Knowing the psalms of David by heart, he cried out to the God of his fathers: You are my father, my God and the rock of my salvation (Ps. 88:27); deliver me from the hand of the sons of foreigners (Ps. 143:7). Prayer and contemplation of God not only eased his grief, but brought such consolation to his heart that he had not felt in his parents’ home.
Love for God grew in him, and with it devotion to His will. In this disposition of soul, young Vasily worked as an infidel with all zeal and learned unrequited obedience, patience and kindness. The fast, at first involuntary, became a matter of his will. The tedious work of a slave occupied him all the time of the day, and he devoted the night to prayer, which became the need of his soul. Always ready to serve, loyalty and pure life softened the heart of the barbarians; in another year of captivity they eased the burden of his labors and gave him some freedom. Vasily studied the spoken Tatar language; due to his talent, he recognized him so much that he could express his thoughts in Tatar writing. Not only that: now having more freedom, he studied the foundations of the Mohammedan faith, so that he could clearly speak both about the content of this faith and about its errors and delusions. A thorough knowledge of the language and faith of the Tatars fulfilled the wise purpose for which the Lord allowed His servant to be in captivity. And so, after three years of captivity, the father found the means to ransom his dear son from Tatar captivity.
Vasily returned to his homeland; but his heart could no longer be carried away by earthly joys. The servant of God submitted himself to the yoke of Christ in the Andronius monastery and became a monk with the name Barsanuphius. Then he lived under Bishop Akaki of Tver in the rank of hierodeacon. Here and there he performed monastic feats with complete zeal. Rumors about his spiritual life reached Metropolitan Macarius, and in 1544 he was ordained abbot of the Peshnosh monastery. In this rank he was personally known to Tsar John, who in 1547 granted Abbot Barsanuphius a charter for the ownership of estates, and in 1553 he himself was in Peshnosh 575.
When a new diocese was opened in Kazan (in 1555), Blessed Barsanuphius, as an experienced mentor in monastic life and familiar with the Tatars, was sent to Kazan in the rank of archimandrite to found a new monastery there. Barsanuphius took with him good monks, tonsures of Peshnosha. The church in honor of the Transfiguration of the Lord and fraternal cells were soon built; the new monastery, following the example of Peshnoshskaya, was set up as a hostel. The charter given “to the common monastery of the Savior by the sinful monk Archimandrite Barsanuphius, who was abbot on Peshnosh, is still intact; and it was written from the Peshnosha Charter" 576. In the new hostel, Blessed Barsanuphius introduced the spirit of sincere piety; his monastery soon flourished, so that under Metropolitan Hermogenes there were already up to 100 brothers in it. Blessed Hermogenes writes that at the discovery of the relics of Saints Gurias and Barsanuphius, he “saw in that holy monastery not only these holy bodies, venerated by God by incorruptibility, but monks and incorruptible worlds found in abundance, their names being written in the books of animals.”
Blessed Barsanuphius served as a model of strict life for monks and laity. His handicraft was to sew Greek hoods, which he distributed to his brothers, asking for their prayers for him. By the will of Saint Guria, to whom he maintained complete obedience and filial love, he zealously worked to convert the Mohammedans to the Christian faith. After a holy life, he was helped in this feat by his knowledge of the language and faith of the Tatars and the art of healing illnesses. Knowledge of the Tatar language made it convenient for him to enter into close relations with the Tatars, and a thorough knowledge of the teachings of Magometov, with his deep intelligence, made denunciations of his Mohammedanism irresistible. The ability to treat illnesses attracted patients of all kinds to him, while illness itself opens the soul to all that is best and, therefore, to the acceptance of Christian thoughts; Moreover, Barsanuphius’s patient and selfless treatment of the patient inspired confidence in Barsanuphius not only in the sick, but also in the healthy.
When Bishop Akakios of Tver died (January 14, 1567), by the election of the council, Blessed Barsanuphius was consecrated by Saint Philip as Bishop of Tver. Since Akakius, due to decrepitude and illness, did little business for more than three years 577, his successor had to work hard so that things would move forward without stopping and the disorders would be corrected. According to the surviving antimension, in November 1567 the cathedral church in the Tver Orshina Monastery was consecrated by Blessed Barsanuphius; The time of consecration is not at all such that a 75-year-old elder could perform a long service without labor and violence. In reverence for Saint Arseny of Tver, Barsanuphius found his panagia in Mikulin and placed it on him. In the inventory of Mikulin in 1602 it is said: “The Panagia of the Holy Savior was taken from Mikulin by Bishop Barsanuphius to Zheltikov” 578. Blessed Barsanuphius, even in the rank of saint, observed strict fasting, and spent his nights in prayer, not only for himself, but also for his flock. And in Tver he treated bodily illnesses, and tried even more diligently to heal mental illnesses - passions.
The outrages of the formidable king were ferocious and wild: Saint Philip, who dedicated Barsanuphius, was not only deposed from the pulpit, but was also strangled in the monastery that Barsanuphius could see from the windows of his house. Was it easy for the blessed soul to look at this? In 1570, pestilence and famine raged in Russia. Weakened by his old age of 80, Blessed Barsanuphius felt that he could not lead his flock without some omissions, especially in such a terrible time. At the beginning of 1571, he abandoned the administration of the diocese and returned to the Kazan Transfiguration Monastery.
At the monastery he continued his ascetic life. When he was unable to go to church due to decrepitude, at his request, his disciples took him on a cart to the Divine service; He loved prayer and the praises of the church so much! His blessed death followed on April 11, 1576, at the 86th year of his life.
The holy relics of St. Barsanuphius were found incorrupt together with the relics of St. Gurias in 1596. Hermogenes’ story about how clerk Ivan Pankratiev was healed is amazing. He was so sick that he was close to death, and he called for the help of Saints Gurias and Barsanuphius. In a subtle dream, he imagined that he was entering the Kazan Cathedral. Saint Gury, who met him, wanted to take him by the hand, but in trembling reverence he fell at his feet. The saint, lifting him up, said: “Servant of God John! Don't grieve, you will be healthy; go, receive the blessing from my friend Barsanuphius.” Gury brought the sick man to Barsanuphius. “Brother Barsanuphius! Bless John and deliver him from his illness,” said Saint Gury. Barsanuphius, blessing, said: “Do not grieve, son John, by your faith in God you will be healthy.” The awakened patient found himself healthy. And this is not the only experience of the brotherly love of the saints beyond the grave. “Go, kiss my brother Barsanuphius,” Saint Gury said in a vision to the sick Sumarokov. He reverently kissed it.
Saint Gury then said: “Our Lord and God Jesus Christ, through the prayers of His Most Pure Mother, had mercy on you and is sending healing.” The patient became healthy. The soldier Varvara suffered greatly from a headache. Saint Gury, who appeared, prepared her for death, but Saint Barsanuphius begged her to delay the time of death. Varvara woke up and found herself healthy and promised to go and thank the saints at their relics. Her husband and sons, who were going to the service, asked her to serve a prayer service to the saints for them; but Varvara did not fulfill either her promise or the request of those close to her soul. And she became sick again, to the point that they despaired of her life. Saint Gury, who appeared, sternly said to her: “Why did you so quickly forget about your recovery and did not fulfill the requests of your husband and children?” Saint Barsanuphius again begged her to be forgiven. The patient, who woke up, felt relief from her illness and, hastening to serve a prayer service, completely recovered 579. “Love never dies,” said the apostle. In the afterlife affairs of Saints Gurias and Barsanuphius, we see the same thing.
Here in experiments we see that no holy feelings, no holy dispositions die there.
Already according to the charter of the end of the 16th century we see: October 3 “memory of Guria and Barsanuphius, Kazan miracle workers”; December 3 “repose of St. Gury, Archbishop of Kazan”; April 11 “the death of Barsanuphius, the Kazan wonderworker” 580.
And how could the Russian Church not celebrate the memory of the saints of the Mohammedan country? Their miracles, living and after death, are glory for Christianity and a denunciation of Mohammedanism. This is an obvious truth, an irresistible truth by any Mohammedan force of mind and sword. Miracles are the work of the Almighty alone. The Almighty never acts contrary to His wisdom and holiness. Therefore, if He reveals His power through the best confessors of Christianity, this means that He recognizes the Christian faith as the best faith and wants people to recognize it as the same; this means that He wants to establish and spread the Christian faith throughout the universe as a high faith in its content, as a faith capable of transforming and perfecting humanity. This is what He says to people through His deeds - miracles. No Mohammedan has the right to deny the reality of such a miracle as the incorruption of the relics of Saints Gurias and Barsanuphius. Let him come and look. A miracle before his eyes. Gury and Barsanuphius lived with his ancestors, but they lived as the most zealous preachers of Christianity and denouncers of Mohammedanism.
If they are glorified by incorruption; if by the power of God they perform miracles even after death, then their living faith is glorified in them; their glory is the glory of Christianity. Will a Mohammedan find anything similar in his Mohammedanism? No. God has never shown His favor to the Mohammedan faith in any way, by any miracle or sign. The history of the Mohammedan faith is the same as the history of every pagan faith, the same as the history of every faith invented by people. Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, amen.
Memory of Saints Euthymius and Chariton of Syangzhem
The Monk Euthymius, a native of Vologda, performed his initial monastic feats in the Spassky Monastery on Lake Kubenskoye. From here he crossed to the Kubenka River, 2 versts from Lake Kubenskoye, and in a small cell he worked for the Lord with fasting and prayer. When Euthymius ceded his solitude to the Monk Alexander, and he himself moved to the place of his exploits, to the Syangema River, Khariton came here to share the exploits of the desert with him. The Monk Euthymius founded the Syangzhem Ascension Monastery on Syangzhem, 20 versts from Vologda. The reverend teacher and his student themselves dug the ground, planted vegetables, chopped and carried firewood and, thus exhausting their flesh, rose in spiritual life. The mentor stood in the church as if before the face of God, and tears of tenderness flowed from his eyes; He sang David’s psalms while doing needlework. Before his death, he handed over the management of the monastery to his disciple Khariton. The interlocutor of the Monk Alexander, who died in 1439, probably died blissfully no later than 1465, while his disciple Khariton died on April 11, 1509.
Their relics rest hidden in the Ascension, now parish, church 581.
Day twelve. Memory of the Holy Hieromartyr Zenon the Confessor, Bishop of Veronia
Zinon, a Syrian Greek by birth, after a long journey through the East in order to improve himself in Christian education, having meanwhile studied both Greek and Roman literature, arrived in Italy and in 362 was installed as bishop in the city of Verona. Although the persecution of Christians had already ceased at that time, there were still many pagans everywhere, whom Zinon actively enlightened with Christian teaching. Moreover, he had to fight with the Arians, in which he turned out to be a firm confessor of the truths of Orthodoxy, who did not retreat from the persecution brought against him during the time of the patrons of the Arian teaching - Constantius and Valens.
The true shepherd of Christ, he put his whole soul on the various saving activities that were subject to him. After him, many written instructions remained on all subjects necessary for a Christian. Some of them were written to denounce the Arians “about the Divinity of the Son of God” 582. In the instruction “on abstinence,” Zinon, citing the words of the apostle: The time is shortened: let those who have wives be as if they had not (1 Cor. 7:29), says: “If in almost 400 years or more the apostolic saying has become valid, why don’t I proclaim it?” In the "Acts of the Saints" there is a story about the miracles that took place after the death of Zeno, and about the transfer of his body to Hungary. One of the miracles was described by Saint Gregory the Great, a contemporary of the event. In 558 (on the day of the saint's memory) there was an extraordinary flood in Italy. The Tiber overflowed its banks above the walls of Rome and flooded the surrounding area. At the same time, near Verona, the Atesis River overflowed its banks; its waters surrounded the church of St. Zenon and rose to the windows that were near the roof.
The church doors were open, but the water did not enter the church, but became a wall at the door and blocked the exit of the Christians who were in the Church, so that they were afraid to die of hunger, meanwhile they came to the doors and quenched their thirst, drawing water, which stood as a wall. Saint Gregory cites eyewitnesses of this miracle - Count Pronulf and Tribune John 583.
Memory of the Venerable Anfusa, the eldest, and another Anfusa, the younger
The eldest Anfusa 584, leaving her parental home, first labored in solitude in caves, moving from one to another; then, having met the elder, the ascetic Sisinius, she continued her exploits on his advice and achieved so much in spiritual life that many virgins in Mantinea gave themselves over to her management. Those who thirsted for salvation turned to her advice and were not left without benefit. Her high life gained her the respect of the best of the worldly people of Hellas. Emperor Constantine Copronymus persistently wanted to be what Luther later was: through fear and deception he forced (in 753) to justify at the council the Mohammedan (i.e. stupid) aversion from holy icons, passing off the veneration of saints as superstition, vows of virginity as a perversion of nature 585. Having heard that Anfusa in her monastery reverently and without fear of people honors the holy icons and even persuaded her brother to join the ranks of the defenders of the holy icons, he ordered the brave abbess to be presented to him with all her 90 sisters.
The proud and depraved despot 586 demanded that they abandon their way of thinking; he thought that the desert abbess would easily yield to his proud will, just as the seekers of his honor and cool life yielded. “The Christian conscience,” answered Anfusa, “does not allow us to fulfill the unjust royal will: the worship of holy icons is a holy matter, justified by the constant practice of the Holy Church, and living to satisfy only bestial needs does not mean living worthy of a person; one must cry that even without the orders of the authorities there are so many unfortunate people who love a dirty life” 587. Copronymus ordered to beat her with whips without mercy. The will of the despot was fulfilled. Copronymus gave the order to send the abbess and her sisters to prison. At this very time, the empress suffered terribly from the pangs of childbirth. The venerable woman said in the hearing of everyone that the empress would give birth to twins, a son and a daughter, and indicated the fate of twins. Having given birth to twins, the empress began to honor the Monk Anfusa as a spiritual mother and made many donations for her monastery.
Blessed Anfusa soon gave up her spirit to the Lord, in old age, in 759 588.
The daughter of Copronyma, born according to the prediction of Saint Anthusa, was named Anthusa. And in life she also appeared to be a saint.
“The father wanted,” says Menologue about the younger Anfusa 589, “to marry off his daughter; but she refused the offer.” After his death (775), having received freedom, she distributed her property: some she squandered on the poor, others she used to build churches and monasteries; She used the golden clothes she wore to decorate shrines. She was a mother for many orphans: collecting abandoned babies, raising and giving them a home; if others died, she entrusted them to God, and those who remained alive, she placed them in a nursing home 590. Blessed Queen Irene (780–802) more than once invited her to participate in the administration of the empire; but she avoided it. Then she was tonsured a nun by Patriarch Tarasius (784-816) in the monastery of St. Euphemia 591, in the same one that her pathetic father “was turned into an arsenal and a public outhouse” 592.
According to other news, 593 the saint, even while she was living in the palace, wore a hair shirt under the princess’s magnificent clothes, was content with bread and water, and occupied herself with reading sacred books. Her father’s life was ugly, and his death was terrible: he shouted that he was burning and was being punished for blasphemy against the Mother of God 594. Life with its ugliness, and death with its horrors, without a doubt, most of all disposed the princess to lead a pious life. Having taken monastic vows and becoming the abbess of the Omoneya monastery 595, she, full of humility and love, herself carried water for the sisters and performed other services. In the capital of the empire, as in Tavenna, the convent was afraid to accept real estate for itself. “Greek monks do not have slaves, but Latin monks do,” said the West Canterbury Archbishop 596. The community of Anfusa virgins earned bread and other support for themselves through handicrafts, and the royal daughter-abbess herself served the sisters with humble love.
Abbess Anfusa especially strictly followed the ancient rule in relation to herself and others - not to leave the monastery into the world, since otherwise the soul is upset by worldly impressions, and others are given the opportunity to be tempted. The resolution of the Trullo Council on this subject 597 meant a lot to the blessed one, and even more so the noise that was raised against the monasteries under her father. The Ecumenical Council decreed: “A monk or nun should not leave his monastery and go to another” (pr. 21). So blessed Anfusa neither herself stepped foot beyond the fence of the monastery, nor did she allow her sisters to appear in the world unless absolutely necessary. The reverent abbess firmly followed another rule of the cathedral: “Neither a wife in a monastery nor a husband in a nunnery sleeps” 598; especially since the contemporary council confirmed this rule to the extent that it forbade a monk and a nun to speak alone 599, and in the capital’s nunnery, special caution was required regarding visitors to the monastery.
The blessed abbess did not allow into her monastery that simple-minded practice that the council of 692 condemned. In some women's monasteries, those who accepted monasticism dressed up like brides, and in this form came to the church for tonsure. Prohibiting this, the Council of Constantinople of 692 wrote: “It should not be that, of her own free will, she has already put aside all worldly pleasures, has loved life according to God, has established herself in it with unyielding thoughts, and returns in memory to what has already been consigned to oblivion, and because of this she would appear wavering, indignant in her soul, as if from waves drowning and throwing there and here; sometimes even shedding tears, she does not show heartfelt contrition, and even if a tear of sincerity falls, the audience thinks that it is not so much from zeal for the monastic feat, but from separation from the world and from what is in the world” 600. Saint Anthusa’s prayers were incessant and her standing at vigils unrelenting; Tears of contrition constantly flowed from her eyes.
“A beautiful branch of a bad tree, honest Anfusa has blossomed for earthly life” 601 on April 12, 811, in the 57th year of her life.
Memory of Saint Basil, Bishop of Ryazan
In the legend “about the city of Murom and about its bishopric” 602 we read: “for some time there was a righteous bishop in the city of Murom, named Vasily, the enemy, impatient of this noble life, began to create spons.” According to another news about Saint Vasily 603, many years after the noble Prince Peter of Murom, Prince Georgy Yaroslavich arrived in the desolate Murom, set up a courtyard for himself, and his boyars and merchants did the same. The prince restored the ancient Church of the Annunciation and the other holy passion-bearers Boris and Gleb, built a house for the bishop at the Church of the Martyrs and called Bishop Vasily, a righteous and pious man, to the see. Based on this and other news, they rebelled against the righteous saint with suspicions of his unclean life just because they saw a girl in his cell; The mob and nobles demanded that Vasily leave Murom. “I rebelled against the holy ruler,” says another monument 604, “and desecrated him, feared neither his holiness, nor the beauty of his honest gray hairs, and rejected his saved teaching and expelled him from the city of Murom.”
An ancient story says: “I came to the bishop’s house for the sake of guilt to expel him from the bishopric. The bishop received the icon of the Eternal, painted of the Child and the Mother of God, and having hope for all his salvation, he left the bishopric and escorted him to the Oka River.” According to another legend, the righteous man assured the people of his innocence; but they didn’t listen to him and even wanted to kill him. Then he said: “Fathers and brothers! Give me until morning." Then he prayed with tears all night in the Church of the Martyrs, when day came, he performed the Liturgy and took with him the holy icon that the enlightener of Murom, Saint Prince Constantine, had brought with him 605. “And although,” the ancient story continues, “it’s not enough to let him sail the ship. The saint, standing on the breeze, take off his mantle and spread out onto the water and step onto the nude, wearing the image of God and the Mother of God. And with a stormy spirit he was quickly carried with the image against the streams, from where the river flows. I told you that at 3 o'clock the day and the same day, at 9 o'clock, by God's ineffable command, sailed on their manatya up to the place that is now called old Ryazan 606. Prince Oleg of Ryazan is removing himself from the cross.
Then the prince of Ryazanstia was staying. That wonderful icon that the bishop brought to you still exists in Ryazan to this day. He trusted in Nyu (the Mother of God) by faith, but with this mercy he surprised, although he showed his servant without blemish.”
The contemporaneity of St. Basil to Prince Yuri, the renovator of Murom, and Prince Oleg, it is beyond any doubt that St. Basil the Bishop lived and died in the middle of the 14th century. According to the chronicles, Prince Yuri Yaroslavich, the son of Prince Yaroslav Yuryevich of Murom and the younger brother of Prince Vasily 607, resumed Murom in the old place in 1351 608 after the Murom region was repeatedly devastated by the Tatars 609. It was natural for the restorer of Murom to wish that the bishop's see be established in his new city, especially since it was a city consecrated by the presence of the holy Prince Gleb and the city of the eldest of the Ryazan principalities; and new Ryazan was so devastated that the Ryazan prince Yaroslav (Dimitri) Alexandrovich lived (in 1343) in Rostislavl, a small town on the Oka River, near Kashira 610. Meanwhile, in Murom, blessed Vasily, upon his return from Moscow after his consecration 611, could no longer find Prince Yuri: he was expelled by Prince Theodore Glebovich in 1354 and although he tried to return Murom to himself, he died in prison.
Strong unrest then occurred in Murom 612, and they, of course, were in connection with the sad fate of the blessed saint. These unrest, the fruit of princely discord, explain to us the origin of the slander leveled against the saint, a wild slander, inaccessible to the simple-minded people without the participation of an outsider.
Blessed Vasily found the most cordial reception with Prince Oleg Ivanovich. He enjoyed the respect of both the princes of Ryazan and the high priests of Russia. Saint Alexy wrote a letter about him at Chervleny Yar, with a strict denunciation of the self-will of his flock 613. Prince Oleg, in his letter to the Olgov monastery, wrote: “By the mercy of God, the prayer of my father, the great Prince Ivan Alexandrovich, and the blessing of Vasily, Bishop of Ryazan and Murom, I, the Great Prince,” etc. 614 Prince Oleg granted the respected saint several villages with rich lands and the right of court; and Prince Vladimir Dmitrievich of Pronsky gave a place on the Don with beaver ruts 615. The blessed saint did not rule the Ryazan flock for long. He, apparently, had matured in spiritual life even before entering the department. His blessed death followed on July 3, 1360 616.
A tombstone inscription from a long time ago says: “the relics of our holy father Vasily, Bishop of Ryazan and Murom the Wonderworker, were transferred from old Ostrog, from the church of the holy passion-bearers Boris and Gleb, to the newly built Church of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, by the Right Reverend Theodoret, Archbishop of Ryazan and Murom” 617. This happened on June 10, 1609. From that time on, every year June 10 was celebrated in memory of St. Basil, Bishop of Ryazan, as can be seen from the records of the department; on the water-blessing cup of 1653, arranged by Archbishop Misail, “St. Basil, Bishop of Ryazan the Wonderworker” is mentioned along with princes Boris and Gleb; and on the silver cross of 1655 St. Basil is depicted with St. Jonah the Metropolitan 618. By the decree of the Synod of 1814, it was allowed to celebrate the miraculous icon of Murom, which glorified the innocence of the saint, on April 12th, and his memory - on the week of all saints 619. He is also remembered on May 21, together with the holy Prince Konstantin of Murom 620.
Touch not My anointed, and do not harm My prophets (Ps. 104:15). He who listens to you (the bishops) listens to Me, and he who rejects you rejects Me (Luke 10:16). These words of the Lord themselves become the conclusion of the story of St. Basil.
Memory of Saint Basil the Confessor, Bishop of Paria
Bishop Parius (napiov) in the Hellespont, near Cyzicus; During the reign of Leo the Armenian, he was expelled from the throne for disagreement with the iconoclasts and hid in various places, but after his death (826) he was returned to the see and died peacefully (after 830, in which he ordained Ignatius, the future patriarch, as a presbyter).
The Monk Akakios the New, of Kausokalivia, who labored on Mount Athos and admonished many to martyrdom for confessing the faith of Christ; died peacefully on April 12, 1730 621.
Day fifteen. Repose of the Holy Grand Duke Mstislav Vladimirovich
I am God Almighty; walk before Me and be blameless (Gen. 17:1). This is God's will for man. Prince Mstislav Vladimirovich, called great, firmly knew and fulfilled the will of God for man, and he was placed among the saints in the prologue of the 13th century 622.
In 1088, the son of Vladimir Monomakh, baptized Theodore, being 12 years old, was sent by his grandfather to reign in Novgorod 623. At 19, he is already a model of Christian courage and generosity. Oleg, Prince of Chernigov, killed his brother Izyaslav, captured Rostov and Suzdal, which belonged to Mstislav. Mstislav, not wanting to shed blood, sent to Oleg to say: “You killed my brother, but kings and noble people die in war; be pleased with the hereditary city (Ryazan); in this case, I will ask my father to make peace with you.” Oleg did not want to listen to offers of love and was going to take Novgorod. Mstislav gave battle (1096), and Oleg, having lost Suzdal and Rostov, barely took refuge in Murom. Mstislav again offered peace to Oleg and wanted for himself only the return of the prisoners; he convincingly asked his father to forgive Oleg, and the father agreed, admitting that his son had shamed his father with his generosity 624. Oleg pretended to agree to peace.
Mstislav disbanded his troops and, in celebration of the Great Martyr Theodore, on Saturday of the first week of Lent, having received the Holy Mysteries, he was sitting calmly at dinner in Suzdal, when messengers brought him the news that Uncle Oleg was standing on the Klyazma with an army. Mstislav gathered squads in one day - Novgorod, Rostov, Belozersk - and was ready for battle outside the city ramparts. After 4 days, his brother came to him with an army. A hot and stubborn battle began; Mstislav's courage tilted victory to his side: Oleg fled and, leaving Murom to his brother, disappeared into Ryazan. Mstislav remained a Christian in happiness. He did not want to take either Murom or Ryazan, and was only content with the freedom of the prisoners. Oleg ran around in despair, not knowing where to lay his head. Blessed Mstislav sent to tell him: “Svyatopolk and Vladimir,” he did not speak about himself, “will not deprive you of the Russian land, - I will be your intercessor; remain in your reign; just accept it." Following this, he left the Murom region and, returning to Novgorod, reconciled with Oleg the Grand Duke Svyatopolk and his father Vladimir 625.
It is clear that the Novgorodians could not help but value such a prince. At the general council of the Grand Duke Svyatopolk with Monomakh and other princes, it was decided to send Svyatopolk’s son to Novgorod. The Novgorod ambassadors announced to Svyatopolk: “If your son has two heads, let him go to Novgorod, Novgorod needs Mstislav, Vsevolod gave him to the Novgorodians, and they raised him for themselves.” And Mstislav returned to Novgorod 626. Grateful for God’s mercies, the prince founded the Church of the Annunciation on Gorodishche, near Novgorod. The prince's stone church is a victim of his sincere piety. It was decorated with all generosity: its iconostasis was covered with silver 627. For this church, the pious prince commissioned the writing of the Mstislav Gospel, which is precious to us, and an expensive setting for the Gospel was arranged in Constantinople 628. The verbal Old Believer has already been shown that in this Gospel the name of Jesus is written mostly in abbreviated form, but appears up to 80 times with the vowel doubled at the beginning: “Jesus” or “Jesus” 629.
Having made a campaign into wild Estonia, Mstislav (in 1113) founded a stone church in the name of St. Nicholas in the prince's courtyard 630. This church was a monument to his gratitude to the saint and for his healing from illness 631. In a serious illness, the pious prince diligently called for help on the saint, whose relics had shortly before been transferred to Bargrad 632 and who at the same time worked miracles in Kiev 633.
The saint in a vision ordered to send to Kyiv for his icon, of which the type and measure were shown; the will of the saint was immediately fulfilled, ambassadors were sent; and obedience was rewarded much sooner than could have been expected. The ambassadors were kept on the island of Lipnoy for three days by a storm that arose on Lake Ilmen, and on the fourth they found an icon of the saint floating on the water of the same type (round) and size as shown in the vision. The sick prince, venerating the holy icon, received healing 634. Subsequently, on the site of the appearance of the icon, on the island of Lipnoy, a monastery was built with a stone church of the saint 635.
In March 1116, the valiant prince again humbled the Estonians, took Odenpe, burned the villages and captured many prisoners. Upon his return, he founded a fortress in Novgorod, more extensive than it was before. At the same time, he took care of building a new, more extensive premises for the Novgorod ruler 636. At the same time, by his order, the mayor Pavel founded a fortress in Ladoga, and a whole stone church was built here in honor of the Great Martyr George 637.
In 1117, Monomakh, wanting to have a close assistant in his son, transferred Mstislav to Belgorod, and left Mstislav’s son Vsevolod in Novgorod. The Volyn prince Yaroslav, in alliance with the Poles, sought to gain seniority over the Monomakhovichs. He became so carried away by the desire for honor that he drove away his wife, the daughter of Mstislav, from himself. More than once pacified either by exhortations or by weapons, Yaroslav in 1123 led a huge army, Polish and Hungarian, to Russia. Mstislav hurried against him with his squad, but Yaroslav was killed by two Poles 638.
In 1125, having mourned the death of his father, Mstislav ascended the grand-ducal throne. In the first two years he had to mourn the misfortune of Russia, which suffered from famine especially in the north. In 1127, the kind-hearted prince, having sworn an oath to protect Prince Yaroslav, expelled by his nephew from Chernigov, but softened by the requests of the boyars and clergy not to shed Christian blood, did not fulfill the oath, which he repented of to the grave. But he brilliantly settled accounts with Vsevolod’s allies and the constant enemies of Russia - the Polovtsians: he drove them not only beyond the Don, but beyond the Volga. He also severely punished the princes of Polotsk, who refused to fight against these sworn enemies of Christianity: he expelled them from Russia to Greece. In 1128 he began to build a magnificent church and monastery in honor of the Great Martyr Theodore. This was a tribute of gratitude for heavenly help, which saved him from the troubles prepared by the treacherous Oleg on Feodorov's Saturday 639. Whether the famous Yuriev Monastery was founded at his request remains doubtful.
But in 1130 he wrote in a letter: “Here I am Mstislav, the son of Vladimir, holding the Russian land in my reign, ordered my son Vsevolod to give to Saint George Buytse with tribute, virs (duties from criminal court cases) and sales (duties from civil cases) and the Volotsk vein... And you, Abbot Isaiah, and you, brothers, pray God for me and for my children while the world stands. And the people’s autumn gifts, 25 hryvnia, also to St. George” 640. In 1131, he built a church near Kyiv in honor of the Pie-shaped icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, delivered from Constantinople in 641. That same year he went with his children to war against wild Lithuania and returned with rich booty. In 1132, on Easter week (April 15), the valiant and pious prince died at the 56th year of his life and was laid in the church of the holy martyr 642 that he had built. Even his contemporaries not only called him a kind and Christ-loving prince, but hoped for his prayer as pleasing to God 643.
The ancient prologue, having said that he “was uncontrollably merciful to everyone,” ends the description of his life like this: “he did not hold silver and gold in his hands, he did not love wealth, and on the day of his repose, having led away his repose, he commanded his servants to prepare a coffin for himself and thus died more honestly” 644.
Day sixteen. Memory of the Holy New Martyr Michael Vourliot
The eighteen-year-old young man Mikhail, a commoner (copper worker by trade), can serve as a brilliant example of the sincerity, depth and reality of repentance.
Having met with one Mohammedan, due to his inexperience, he succumbed to his influence and was driven to the point that he renounced Christianity. This happened at the beginning of Great Lent, and in the first time after his renunciation, being in the service of his seducer, therefore, continuing to be under his influence, the unfortunate young man was not aware of the entire abyss of his fall, was not aware of his immeasurable loss...
But then the Holy Easter of the Lord came, a great Christian holiday, and love for Christ awoke in the heart of one who had been brought up in the Christian faith... A habitual desire drew him to his native church.
"Christ is risen! Christ is risen!" - he was greeted and surrounded by his family and cherished exclamations! Everyone rejoiced... everyone greeted each other, merging their hearts in a brotherly, joyful kiss... Michael, an apostate from God, alone remained as if alien to everyone... He exchanged his cross for the turban of Mohammed... Christians did not share Divine joy with him... Does he have a place among those glorifying the Resurrection of Christ?
But his soul also rejoices and glorifies the Lord and burns with fiery love... He is not a stranger, he is Christ’s, he feels that he has not ceased to be Christ’s... “I am Yours! I am Yours together with Yours! - his whole soul cries out to the God of his childhood, - and I sing and praise: Christ is Risen! and nothing will tear me away from the Risen Christ! And my cry to Him will not cease until the end of my life... Oh, I will loudly sing the glory of my Father in the ears of the unbelievers! And nothing but death will force my lips, singing the Risen Christ, to silence... But there is no death! The Risen One defeated her... He also resurrected my dead soul... I live again... I love and confess Christ - the One God!
The rescue of the deceased was completed. Having realized his guilt with immeasurable grief, he was inflamed with an immeasurable impulse to renounce it. Repentance gripped his soul and burned away the sin in it...
“However, one who has been in turmoil should not sing with us: Christ is Risen!” - other Christians remarked to Michael, seeing that he was taking part in the celebration of the One whom he had renounced... “Tomorrow you will see who I am!” - said Mikhail. And the next morning he goes to the judge and says to him: “Tell me, judge, is he not reckless and ridiculous who exchanged gold for lead? Isn't such an act stupid? But if this exchange was made out of ignorance or deception, then judge: is it legal, and is it possible for the deceived to take back his gold and return the lead? “It’s possible and legal,” answered the judge. “If so,” said Michael, “then allow me to give back the lead that they gave me for my gold; allow me to renounce false faith and return to myself the gold - the faith of my fathers...” And then, in the presence of everyone and in the hearing of all, Michael confessed Christ - the One True God and Judge of all.
Musselim and all the Turks present were amazed at the audacity of the young man. Wanting to keep among their number the Christian youth attracted to their faith, they used all measures to convince him, but seeing that neither flattering promises, nor threats, nor imprisonment were able to shake his firmness in confessing the name of Christ, they condemned him to death.
Mikhail joyfully accepted the news of his death sentence... He calmly walked to his execution, with words and signs asking forgiveness from all the Christians who had gathered to see him off, and, fearlessly bowing his head under the sword, atoned for his retreat with a martyr's death...
His body lay unburied for three days and then was thrown into the sea. This was in Smyrna, in 1772.
The waves brought the remains of the martyr Michael to the far shore and were found by Christians, who honorably buried them in the church of St. Photinia.
Holy Martyr Leonidas. Suffered in Corinth; after suffering, thrown into the sea with a stone around his neck, 281 years old.
Day eighteen. Memory of the Venerables Euphemia, Anthony and Felix of Karelian
The Monk Euthymius was the founder of the Karelian Nicholas Monastery, on the Karelian coast, not far from the White Sea 645. This was around 1410. But barely the zealous worker managed to build the saint’s church and several cells when in 1419 the Norwegians attacked the monastery, burned the church and killed several monks 646. It was necessary to re-establish the monastery, and the Monk Euthymius set about the holy work. Meanwhile, the sons of Martha the landowner, who owned vast expanses of land in the north, while inspecting their estates, drowned at the mouth of the Dvina. Struck by their loss, Martha provided the Monk Euthymius with rich funds to build a monastery. According to the chronicle, Martha is called the wife of Isaac Boretsky. In her letter to the monastery, she writes: “Here I, God’s servant Martha, wrote this manuscript during my lifetime, erecting the Church of St. Nicholas in Karelsky, over the tombs of my children Anthony and Felix: I gave to the house of St. Nicholas the purchase of my husband Philip - a village on the island of Lavle, and two villages in Konechnye...
I order the house of St. Nicholas to my master, brother-in-law Feodor Grigorievich and his children and my son-in-law Efrem Vasilyevich" 647. This shows that Anthony and Felix were the sons of Martha’s first husband, Philip Vasilyevich. Since Martha was a protagonist in the events of 1470, it is easy to understand that the construction of the Nikolaev monastery by Martha took place after 1419 and that Felix and Anthony ended their earthly course as young people. Felix is also known for his personal charity, specifically to the monastery of St. Michael, which is 30 versts from the mouth of the Dvina, on Pur-Navolok. Blessed Euthymius is known not only for his labors and concerns in constructing the buildings necessary for the monastery, but, what is much more important, he himself, filled with zeal for spiritual perfection, enlightened the wild Karelian region with the light of the Gospel truth and aroused zeal for a life worthy of those created in the image of God. In the Pomeranian coast, between the Russian colonies, there lived then five types of Finnish tribe, or, as the Novgorodians called them, Karelian children.
These were the Kurolians, Rovkulians, Vymolians, Tivrulians and Valedolians, or the Valdolei clan. These Karelians and Lapps had their homelands, lands, lands and industries in Pomerania. This is evident from the Solovetsky charters 648. What was their faith? This is what the old Solovetsky story says about this: “Of ancient times these above-mentioned ancestors were like marvelous beasts living in impenetrable deserts... They neither knew nor understood the one true God and Jesus Christ sent from Him; but if anyone then satisfies the belly, then it will set up God; Even if he sometimes kills an animal with a stone, he honors the stone, and if he hits something he catches with a club, he worships the club, and even now in the Samoyeds the hardened evil is found, also in the Lapps, both in part” 649. These are the kind of people St. Euthymius happened to live among! The ascetic of God, full of love for people and for heavenly truth, enlightened the lost both with his word and with his life. He instilled in his disciples a sincere zeal for holy asceticism 650. The death of the Monk Euthymius followed around 1435.
According to handwritten calendars, St. Euthymius “Arkhangelsk Wonderworker.” His relics, glorified by miracles, were discovered in 1647 651. At first there was a chapel over the tombs of Anthony and Felix, and since 1749 there has been a Church of the Presentation of the Lord 652.
Day nineteen. Memory of the Venerable Simeon Bosogo, abbot of the Philotheus monastery, new wonderworker
The Monk Simeon, the son of a priest, accepted monasticism in his youth, attained the rank of hierodeacon and, prompted by his love for silence and solitude, retired to the confines of Mount Olympia, to a monastery near Kissara, where he devoted himself to severe monastic deeds. From here he moved to Athos and joined the brotherhood of the Lavra of St. Athanasius. By the will of the abbot, who soon distinguished him as the most zealous among all ascetics, Simeon was ordained a priest. From the Lavra he moved to the Philotheevsky monastery, where he amazed the brethren with his strict life and aroused such reverence for himself that by common requests, although against his will, he was convinced to accept the title of abbot. Then, aware of his sacred duty to serve as a model for those led by him, Simeon also “raised the measure of fasting, prayer and other God-pleasing deeds” and, most importantly, indolently and constantly instructed the monks with saving exhortations.
But since, under the conditions of the depravity of human nature, in the midst of the greatest heights of life, people are also subject to the greatest temptations, then among the monks, although they voluntarily chose a truly high role model, irritation arose against the strict ascetic. Simeon, seeing the hostility towards himself, endured, prayed, tried to overcome enmity with love, but could not disarm those who were angry against him with anything and therefore left.
He arrived at Mount Flamuria, adjacent to Zagora. Here, sheltered under an apple tree, barefoot, barely covered with old clothes, doing without fire and almost without food, resting for the shortest time on the bare ground, Simeon spent his life - as if ethereal, completely devoted to exploits and the highest spiritual struggle.
He glorified the Creator with the incomprehensible greatness of such a life, and it could serve as a measure of the abundance of God’s grace that is poured into a soul that is able and worthy to accommodate it.
After three years of such a supernatural life, Simeon saw people again. They found him and, attracted by his height, wished to live with him. It was difficult for the ascetic who had completely separated himself from the world to agree to this, but, full of love, he yielded to the desires of the people, and thus seven people settled with him.
Having lived until now like a bird of heaven, not knowing either sowing or harvest, Simeon now took care of the crops in order to feed those who came to him. After seven years, he built a small church here in the name of the Holy Trinity. Among those who continued to come to Simeon, eager to devote themselves to the service of God under his holy leadership, there were priests and deacons who helped him in sacred teaching, and thus the monastery was established.
Then Simeon decided to work in another field; he wished to devote himself to apostolic activity and, leaving the monastery he had arranged, made a journey with the aim of establishing Christians in the faith. He visited Epirus, Thessaly, Athens and other places. This journey was very necessary, since most of the inhabitants of these areas, due to the impoverishment of enlightenment, were extremely rude. The Word of God, spread by Simeon and accompanied by miracles, had a saving effect. The success of his preaching meanwhile aroused the indignation of the Turks... They reported him to the mayor Ayan, slandering him, among other things, that he was preaching condemnation of the Mohammedan teaching. Without any trial, Simeon was sentenced to death. They have already begun to build a fire to burn the Christian preacher...
Brought in chains to the place of execution, Simeon himself began to pick up and throw wood into the fire...
“But this fire is being prepared for you! “- the man holding him by the chain told him, “it’s you who will be burned at the stake by order of the mayor...” “Well! Burn me, if it is the will of God! - answered the ascetic. “For my part, I’m glad to die...”
Amazed by these words, one Arab and several women ran to the mayor’s mother and asked her to convince her son not to put the saint to death. The good woman, fearing that her son would destroy an innocent man, began to beg him not to take such a sin upon his soul. She begged him to find out the truth, to personally interrogate the convict.
Her words had an effect on those around her son. “Our lady, your mother, effendi, speaks well!” - they said and also began to convince Ayan not to order the execution of a person before the trial and decision determined by law... A kind word spoken from a sincere soul can do so much!.. Even embittered people involuntarily succumb to it and, under its influence, retreat before the injustice that they were already ready to commit.
Ayan ordered to call Simeon to him. Struck by the sight of a barefoot and almost naked Christian preacher, the mayor involuntarily felt reverence for him and, turning to him affectionately, said: “I have been informed that you are trying to turn us away from our faith, that you are teaching us not to believe in the teachings of Mohammed: tell me, is this true?”
“I am not a Mohammedan, but I teach Christians to act as the Gospel commands us,” answered Simeon. “What does your Gospel teach?” – Ayan asked. “The Gospel teaches not to steal, not to fulfill the unclean desires of the flesh, not to covet anything that belongs to others, to love one another, to give royal taxes to whomever is due, to hold fast one’s faith, to honor Sundays and holidays, because Sunday is the day when our Lord Jesus Christ was resurrected...”
Not finding anything worthy of death in the righteous man, the mayor released him, and Simeon began to preach the word of God with even greater boldness. After some time, he visited his monastery on Mount Flamuria and, having arranged affairs there, arrived in Constantinople, where he was warmly received by the patriarch.
And here his eloquent words were not poured out in vain. Many, touched by him, hastened to confess their sins to him, corrected their lives, became attached to him with all their souls, followed him everywhere, and wanted to surrender themselves into complete obedience to the saint. He sent others who wished to lead a monastic life to his monastic community. And so, having worked the last time of his life in Constantinople, Simeon died peacefully here and was buried with honor by the patriarch himself - in Chalki, in the Church of the Mother of God. Two years after his death, the monks of the Flamurian monastery, who were temporarily in the capital, asked permission from the local authorities, and transferred Simeon’s remains to their monastery. During this transfer, many miraculous healings from various diseases took place, and since then the fame of the miraculous power of the relics of the righteous man has spread to all the places where he walked and taught the people. Many made various donations to the benefit of the monastery, in memory of its founder and general teacher, and thus an income was provided that supports the existence of the monastery to this day.
Memory of the Holy Martyr Agafangel of Esphigmena
Originally from Aena, a city in the Thracian region, Agafangel, in the world - Athanasius, received a Christian upbringing in the home of strictly Orthodox parents. After their death, he entered the naval service; here I had the opportunity to become close in my service with the Turks, who certainly wanted to convert an intelligent and very capable Christian young man to Islam. Not hoping to achieve this by the good will of Athanasius, they one day unexpectedly attacked him, inflicted a wound on him and threatened him with death if he did not renounce the faith of Christ... Not at all prepared for such violence, the young man was confused and in the hope that he would not hesitate to hide from the Turks and renounce the promise he had made under the knife, he agreed to call himself a Mohammedan.
This happened in Smyrna. Athanasius, however, did not manage to quickly escape from the surveillance of the Turks, who were vigilantly watching him, and only after quite a long time could he leave Smyrna and, tormented by remorse, went to seek refuge on Mount Athos. Here he visited many monasteries and monasteries, and confided in many spiritual fathers; finally, on the advice of one of them, he came to the Esphigmen monastery, where Abbot Euthymius confessed him, recognized everything that had happened to him, blessed his intention to atone for his grave sin and, sheltering him with himself, assigned him obedience, which Athanasius began to undergo with the greatest zeal.
He would not have retreated, it seemed, from any difficult feats, because he considered the most difficult of them insufficient to atone for his unfortunate apostasy. To reconcile with his conscience, only one thing could be satisfactory for him, this is martyrdom... And so, Athanasius completely devoted himself to thinking about him and praying that the Lord would give him the strength to make amends in this way for his temporary renunciation of Him.
Among the ascetic preparations for this great undertaking, Athanasius - on the 4th Sunday of Great Lent - was called to the Liturgy, invested with monasticism with the name Agafangel and awarded the communion of the Holy Life-Giving Mysteries. “From that time,” says Hierocurix Herman 653 about him, “his face shone with some kind of Divine light of grace, the joy of his spirit was inexpressible, his mind was constantly directed to heaven, the Divine fire was kindled in his heart, and with great zeal he began to engage in greater and greater feats; Finally, with all my heart I wished to die for Christ.”
Seeing in Agafangel an irresistible desire for martyrdom, judging him sufficiently prepared for the feat and, most importantly, enlightened by the vision in a dream of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, who promised success in the work of the repentant young man, the abbot blessed Agathangel to prepare for the journey - to Smyrna, where he was to confess his return to the faith of Christ - before those who contributed to his violent renunciation...
The young man was eager to set off, but he still had to wait for the ship. Finally, the opportunity presented itself to sail to Smyrna, where the fiery aspiration of the heart, languishing in boundless repentance, was to be realized.
“On Fomino Resurrection in the evening we entered the Smyrna pier,” his companion German continues his story about Agathangel, “some of the brothers of our monastery, who were then living in Smyrna for monastic needs, having learned about our arrival, met and received us with great joy. We settled in the house of the epitrop of our monastery, who, having learned about the young man’s intentions, rejoiced that he was honored to receive a martyr into his house, and his caresses fell upon us abundantly. We now began making final preparations for our goal. On Thursday morning, when there is a meeting at the Ottoman court, we clothed Agafangel in Turkish clothes, and I allowed him to go with God's mercy...” Appearing at the court, to the question: what does he need?
“Agafangel told the story of his forced adoption of Islam, expressed his voluntary, sincere renunciation of this false teaching, and to the flattering admonitions of the judge, who hoped to bring some sense to the young man, whose words he found insane and whose renunciation he could not allow, Agafangel replied: “I abhor your admonitions, your promises, and you yourself. I love only my Christ, I seek my Christ, I want to enjoy my Christ...” And to further attempts to convince him he invariably answered the same... Then the judge began to threaten him with a painful death. “I am ready to endure everything for my Christ! I accept all types of torment with the greatest joy! I just ask you not to delay in carrying out your words...” answered Agafangel.
“Oh, blessed language,” says Herman, conveying these words of the young man, “I will say with the Great Basil: blessed is the language that has sounded in our times such a confession, with which the air defiled by our sins has been purified! Oh, Divine and firm mind, which the faces of the Angels praised! O glorious soul, whom the Lord of Glory glorified with heavenly glory!”
The torture began. The confessor was bound, imprisoned, shackled with a heavy chain, and his legs were driven into a tree.
The servants, executors of cruel orders, also added their cruel treatment: leading the martyr to prison, they pulled the chain in all directions with such force that it seemed to many that the sufferer’s head would be separated from his body, but the young man endured everything with patience and his soul rejoiced...
God brought such that Agathangel found two innocent Christian prisoners in prison. One of them, Nikolai, a man of purely Christian sentiment, later conveyed everything that he saw and heard from the martyr and also his letter to Herman. To meet Christians at such a moment and in such a place was a great consolation for the young man who had given himself up to suffering; They consoled him all night, encouraging him with the examples of other martyrs.
The next day, Agathangel in chains was again presented to the court. Subjected to various trials, he endured everything with unshakable courage and was again taken to prison. Nikolai rejoiced, seeing the confessor’s undisturbed firmness; however, at the same time, he conveyed to him that, it seems, someone - Athanasius the Chios, who was then in great power, was interceding for his release... But this news only frightened Agafangel, and he immediately wrote a letter to Athanasius, in which he conjured him in the name of God not to intercede for him, but to let the judges do what they want; “Instead of vain intercession,” he wrote, “let Christians better prayerfully intercede before God to strengthen me in the feat of martyrdom.”
The Christians who were in Smyrna at that time learned about this letter with tears; it brought to mind the letter that Saint Ignatius the God-Bearer wrote to Roman Christians, urging them not to resort to any intercession for him, but to allow the wicked to throw him to be devoured by wild beasts... And indeed, that night all the Christians fervently prayed for a new martyr. And he himself was preparing for a terrible test. In the middle of the night, having lost himself in a light sleep, he suddenly stood up and said to his comrades in prison: “Rejoice with me, my brothers! Today, before 5 o’clock, I will be beheaded.” And after the burning impatience to unite with Christ, he often asked: “What time is it?” - and each time he answered joyfully: “Three more hours!” Two more hours!” At about four o'clock they came to take him. There are no words to express his joy at this, Nikolai testifies, having said goodbye to his friends, he quickly rushed to the doors of the dungeon and, in chains, was again presented for trial. His firmness remained unchanged.
Seeing no way to turn the Christian away from his faith, the judges sentenced him to death. The news of this quickly spread everywhere, and a countless multitude of people of all nations, of every age, sex and condition gathered at the place of execution. Everyone's gaze was fixed on the angel-like face of the martyr. He, deep in prayer, seemed not to see what was happening around him. He did not pay any attention to the speeches of those who were still trying to sway him at that moment. Bowing his head, he finally calmly said to the executioners: “Why aren’t you doing your job?” Then the main one ordered a blow, and the young man’s head almost instantly separated from the body. It was April 19th, 1819. The man killed for Christ was 19 years old.
The death of the new martyr made a strong impression on all Christians. With one accord they glorified the name of the Lord, wondrous in His saints. “Inveterate and irreconcilable enemies were reconciled; generous alms were distributed; the dishonest houses were disgusted; those who had not seen their confessor for many years now ran to him with warm tears of repentance; the most freethinkers and atheists were touched, and even the Mohammedan people treated the martyr with reverence.”
On the third day after the execution, a rumor spread that the remains of the martyr would be thrown into the sea. Therefore, all the ships that were in the harbour, even the consulates of all Christian nations, were located in a chain along the entire side of the sea lying towards the city, and some of them even armed themselves just in case. But the city rumors did not come true. Instead, late that same day, late in the evening, Ottoman guards took the remains of Agafangel from the place of execution and took them to the house of the city ruler, who handed them over to Christians for money. The Christians received them with indescribable joy and triumph and reverently carried them to the Church of St. George. With general tears and tenderness, having performed the martyrdom, the hierarchs themselves laid the remains of the martyr in the magnificent tomb of Saint Dimos, who suffered 408 years before this event.
After this burial, the bishop of Smyrna personally wrote a detailed message about the martyr to the Ecumenical Patriarch; the patriarch sent a copy of this letter to Athos.
In 1844, at the request of the abbot and the brethren of the Esphigmen monastery and with the consent of the bishop and honorary citizens of Smyrna, part of the remains of the 654 new martyr Agafangel was transferred to the monastery where he labored in preparation for martyrdom; the other parts of the remains (in the form of bones) are kept in the receptacle of the Church of the Great Martyr George.
Memory of Saint Tryphon, Patriarch of Constantinople
From the monks of the capital's monastery, he was elevated to the patriarchate by Emperor Roman in 928, and in 931 he was deposed by him in order to deliver the throne to the twenty-year-old Theophylact, his son. Tryphon, with a kind heart, returned to his monastery and died there after two years and five months. But after his death, his body was brought to the St. Sophia Church and solemnly buried with the other patriarchs.
Day twentieth. Memory of Saints Anastasius 1st, Patriarch of Antioch, and Anastasius 2nd
Anastasius 1st, patriarch since 561; in 561 he was destined for exile for disagreeing with Emperor Justinian’s favorite thought about the incorruptibility of the body of Christ until the resurrection, but the decree about this was not carried out after Justinian’s death. In 569, Emperor Justin, due to some personal enmity, although under the pretext of squandering church property, deposed him, and Anastasius remained in captivity for 23 years; already Emperor Mauritius, after the death of Patriarch Gregory, returned him to the department in 593. In his homily on the occasion of his return, on Wednesday of Holy Week, March 25, he said to the flock: “Peace, and peace again, and for the third time peace to you.” In accordance with the wishes of the emperor, he translated the “Pastoral Rule” of Gregory Dvoeslov into Greek and wrote several of his own dogmatic and moralizing works while in captivity. He died in 599, leaving the department to another Anastasius.
Anastasius II ruled the church for ten years. When in 609 Emperor Phocas gave the command to all Jews to be baptized, during the execution of this a riot broke out in Antioch, and the Jews killed the patriarch in September, suspecting him of an agreement with the emperor.
Memory of St. Theodore Trikhina
Theodore, a native of Constantinople, the son of wealthy parents, left wealth, fame and honor and, retiring to the province of Elenopont, to the metropolis of Amasia, became a monk in a certain desert monastery near Euchait (40 versts from Amasia). By abstinence, he withered his flesh and wore only one garment, a harsh hair shirt, which is why he was called Trikhina (in Greek, and in Russian - Vlasyanichnik). During his holy life and after his death, he performed many miracles and healings by the grace of God. The time of his life is determined by the fact that the Patriarch of Antioch, the heretic Peter Fullon (Suknoval), for participation in the murder of the Orthodox Patriarch Stephen, destined by Emperor Zeno for exile in Pitiunt, hid near the Trikhina monastery for about a year (479) and then fled to Armenia.
Memory of Saint Gregory, Patriarch of Antioch
From the abbots of the Faran monastery he was enthroned by the will of the emperor in 569. In the book Limonar, chapter 140, we read: “Some elders said about this Gregory that he was merciful, unforgettable and compassionate towards those who sinned. His Holiness Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem, gives this testimony about him: this man, Gregory the Blessed, is worthy to be remembered among the saints and reverends; because he was taken to the patriarchate against his will, and lived holy for the glory of Christ our Lord.” Died 593 years old.
Memory of Saints Vetran and Theotimos, bishops of Scythia Minor (Dobrudzha, Dobrich)
Sozomen 655, describing the disastrous time of the Arian Valens, says: “Where the churches were ruled by courageous people, only the people did not change their previous thoughts. In fact, for this very reason the Scythians remained, as they say, with the same faith (Orthodox). This people has many cities, villages and fortresses.” According to Pliny, the country, which was owned by the Scythian farmers, stretching from the mouth of the Danube to Thrace, contained “the most beautiful cities - Istropol (Dunavets), Tom (now Kyustendzhi), Callatis, Dionysiopolis, formerly called Krona.” This plain in medieval times was called Dobrich 656, and now Dobrudzha. “The metropolis of the Scythians,” continues Sozomen, “Tom, a vast and rich city, lying by the sea, on the left side for those entering the Black Sea. There, to this day, the ancient custom is preserved that all the churches of this people should be ruled by one bishop. At the time described, Vetran ruled. Tsar Valens arrived in Tom.
Arriving at the church, as usual, he began to convince Vetran to enter into communication with the Arians; The veteran, courageously and boldly expressing his thoughts to the sovereign in favor of the teachings of the Nicene fathers, left him and moved to another church, and the people followed him; and almost the entire city was crowded - they came together, partly to see the king, and partly in anticipation of some news. Left alone with his retinue, Valens was greatly annoyed by this, considering it a deliberate insult. He ordered Vetran to be arrested and exiled. Then, however, he soon allowed him to return. For when he learned that the Scythians were grumbling about the expulsion of their bishop, he began to fear that they would start something. He knew that these people were courageous and locally needed for the empire, because they protected it from the border barbarians. So, Vetran in this case appeared above the efforts of the sovereign. According to the testimony of the Scythians themselves, he was a generally kind man and was distinguished by the holiness of his life.”
Theodoret speaks briefly, but with even greater animation, about the blessed Scythian archpastor; he writes: “and Vretanion, shining with all virtue and the power of the archpastor who ruled the cities of all Scythia, inflamed his spirit with jealousy and denounced the corruption of dogmas and lawlessness in relation to the saints. He spoke with the God-inspired David: “Those who trust in Me will not be put to shame (Ps. 18:46)” 657.
Saint Vetran, who bore a Slavic name in the rank of bishop, probably died the next year after his victory over Valens (377), since at the Second Ecumenical Council in 381 there was already his successor - Bishop Gerontius of Tomsk 658, followed by Saint Theotimus, “a Scythian by birth,” according to the Greek, or, what is the same, a Slav 659.
In 392, Theotimus was already known to Jerome both as a writer and as a bishop. When in 399 Saint Chrysostom considered the matter of the Bishop of Ephesus at a council, Theotimus from Scythia and Thrace was present at this council along with other bishops 660. In 402, when Epiphanius urgently demanded that St. Chrysostom and others condemn Origen, “The Scythian bishop Theotimus even clearly condemned Epiphanius: “It is ungodly to insult,” he said, “one who has long since died, to rebel against the judgment of the ancients and to reject what was approved by them.” He brought out one of Origen’s works, read it and, showing that what he read was useful to the churches, added: “Those who condemn these books also revile what is said here.” 661
Theotimos was a wonderful saint in his enlightenment, in his high life, in his pastoral activity, and in his miracles.
His own Slavic diocese, which was very extensive, also required quite a lot of work from him. On the other (left) bank of the Danube the Huns were then roaming, subjugating the Slavs who lived there 662. Theotimus extended the power of faith and love to the wild tribes; traveled in the country occupied by them with the preaching of the Gospel and through prayer conquered their savagery; He tried to soften those accustomed to robbery with charitable love, treating and caressing them with gifts. The power of the miracles he performed in the name of the Lord Jesus so amazed the rude tribes that they called Theotimus the Roman god. The historian writes: “At the same time (during Chrysostom) the church of Tomis and the rest of Scythia was ruled by Theotimus, a Scythian by birth, a man raised in philosophy, whom the Danube barbarian Huns, marveling at his virtue, called the Roman God, because they actually saw from him experiences of Divine deeds. They say, for example, that one day he was traveling through the barbarian country there and met several natives going to Tomis. Those who were with him began to cry, believing that they would be killed.
But he, getting off his horse, began to pray, and the barbarians passed them without noticing either himself, his companions, or the horses from which they dismounted. Since the inhabitants of that country (the Huns) ravaged the Scythians (Slavs) with their frequent raids, Theotimus taught these beast-like people to be meek, treating them and offering them gifts in a friendly manner. One barbarian, assuming that he was rich, decided to capture him by cunning. For this purpose he prepared a lasso. Leaning on his shield, as he usually did, he stood and talked with the enemies. Then, raising his right hand, he wanted to throw a rope over him in order to drag him to himself and to his fellow tribesmen; but during this action his hand remained outstretched in the air and not before freed from invisible bonds, as when Theotimus, at the request of others, prayed to God for the barbarian. They say that this bishop always wore his hair long since he began to diligently study philosophy. He adhered to a simple way of life, ate food not at the same time, but when he felt hungry or thirsty” 663.
Blessed Jerome wrote: “Theotimos, the Scythian Bishop Tom, published short and beautiful treatises in conversations, following the examples of ancient eloquence, and, as I hear, writes other works” 664. Leontius, who lived not long after Theotimus, copied short passages from two of his works - one “on the teaching of the Savior” and another “against idols.” Saint Damascus included several passages in his parallels - from the last work and from three others: “on Genesis,” on the interpretation of the words: if you bring your gift to the altar (Matthew 5:23), and from the word: “about fasting.”
Blessed Theotimus reposed blissfully, probably no later than 412 665, and his memory according to the Roman martyrology is honored on April 20, 666.
Repose of St. Alexander Oshevensky
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied (Matthew 5:6). Among those to whom these words of the Savior relate is the Monk Alexander Oshevensky 667.
80 versts from Belozersk, in the Vysheozersk volost, lived a prosperous and pious farmer Nikifor Osheven. He had four sons; but he also wanted to have a son. Through the prayer of his pious wife, Alexy was born.
The son of prayer was taught to read and write and, obedient to his parents in everything, loved to fast and pray, which they did not entirely like. At the age of 18, his parents wanted to marry him, but with their permission, he went on a pilgrimage to the Kirillov Monastery and stayed here for some time to pray. The latter greatly upset my father, but then he calmed down with the thought that in the monastery they do not teach bad things. At the monastery, Alexy improved in book learning and lived very carefully to himself. The abbot was ready to tonsure him as a monk. But Alexy announced with humility that he wanted to test himself in readiness for the way of the cross and accustom his youth to the yoke of Christ. A year later, the father visited his son on the feast of St. Cyril and allowed him to remain in the monastery for the time being. Then his parents, by the violence of the ruler, were forced to move to Kargopol, and a year later they settled 30 miles from Kargopol on land allotted to them by the landowner.
“(Nikifor) comes to the boyar Ivan and hits him with his forehead and asks for a letter from the settlement; Ivan, seeing him as a kind-hearted and eloquent man, gave him a charter for those places, a settlement to save, to name tenants and to set up courtyards, and from there to this day the whole settlement of Oshevneva was nicknamed,” - this is what the ancient news says. The sorrows of the parents saddened the son, but he prayed, and the prayer did not go unheard. After 6 years of staying at the monastery, Alexy became a monk with the name of Alexander and doubled his exploits. The obedient and strict monk gained general attention to himself.
When he announced to the abbot that, wanting to see his parents, he at the same time wanted to find a place for solitary exploits, the abbot replied: “It is not safe for someone who is not strong in spiritual life to embark on a hermit’s life; in the community, brothers reinforce each other, and this is beneficial especially for those who are not established in goodness; it happens that dreamy pride draws an inexperienced person into the desert under the guise of zeal for undissipated asceticism and then betrays him to idleness and negligence; all the time; you need to test yourself." Blessed Alexander humbly submitted to the voice of the abbot: he again subjected himself and his desire to the test. Then the abbot blessed his wish. The ascetic arrived at his homeland. The delighted father asked his son to find a place nearby for his stay and promised to help in arranging a desert dwelling. On the Churyuga River, in the vicinity of forests and lakes, the Monk Alexander erected a cross at the foundation of the future desert monastery.
In the Cyril monastery, upon his return, he was ordained a hieromonk, received from the abbot an icon of Hodegetria and an icon of St. Nicholas as a blessing, and with such funds made a vow at the cross on Churyuga to spend the rest of his life in the future monastery. Having entrusted his father with supervision of the construction of the church, he went to Novgorod. Here Saint Jonah gave him a blessing for the construction of the monastery and an antimension for its church. The pious noblewoman Anastasia and her son Yuri, invited to help the new monastery, were ready to give the monk the whole volost with all its lands, but the blessed one did not want that - why, he said, should he sadden the heirs? The noblewoman issued four charters for hay land with a forest and a village. The church was consecrated in the name of St. Nicholas. Blessed Alexander began his desert life with a cheerful soul and with firmness endured its poverty and toil. With him, by the will of the abbot, an elder came here from the Kirillov Monastery; but the elder could not endure the difficult desert life and returned to the Kirillov Monastery.
The blessed one was left alone; he cleared the forest, prepared the land for arable land and sowed; He worked tirelessly, sanctifying his work with prayers. Little by little his brothers gathered to him; he set up cells, a meal and other utensils, rejoicing at their desire to serve the Lord. Having established a hostel, the monk introduced a strict order in everything: do not speak to anyone in church, come to meals in silence and listen to readings here; don’t be idle in your cell; during obedience work, have a psalm or Jesus prayer in your mind. “Brothers,” said the ascetic of God, “let us not be afraid of the labors and sorrows of the desert: you know that through sorrows you enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Let mutual love and humility live in you. God is loving, and He loves the humble.” The blessed one possessed the gift of speech and spiritual prudence; many, even from the worldly, came to listen to his instructions. His two nephews, the sons of two brothers, often visited the monastery, and finally, at their request, they were tonsured into monasticism.
Brother Ambrose was greatly irritated by this; ran to the monastery, scolded the blessed one very rudely and threatened to disperse the monastery. Blessed Alexander responded to the scolding of the frenzied man with meekness, and this softened his brother, so that he asked to forgive him. Then his nephews, who had come to him so dearly, inflicted heavy grief on the blessed one: having cooled in zeal for the fight against the needs of the desert, they, despite the admonitions of their uncle, left his monastery. The sorrows for the salvation of his spiritual children weighed so heavily on the soul of the blessed one that he became seriously ill. He could not raise his head or his hands, he could not even utter a word: he was so relaxed with his whole body. In this exhaustion, he prayed to St. Cyril, in whose monastery he entered into an ascetic life. And then he sees a holy old man, adorned with gray hair, in white robes and with a cross in his hand. Having crossed the sick man, the saint said: “Do not grieve, brother! I will pray and you will be healthy; just don’t forget your vow - don’t leave this place; I will help you."
Waking up, the blessed one felt healthy and the next morning he went to church; To console the brethren, he spoke about the visit of St. Cyril. The saint spent 27 years in his ascetic labors in his monastery and peacefully surrendered his spirit to the Lord at the age of 52, on April 20, 1479.
After the death of his disciple Lavrenty, the abbot, his monastery fell into disrepair - the buildings fell into disrepair, almost all the brothers dispersed, so that not a single hieromonk remained. Once the monastery minister Mark sees in a dream vision: the monastery is full of people; an old man in holy clothes, gray-haired, signs a cross over the monastery and those working in it on the construction site; another elder, with a brad up to his chest, sprinkles with holy water; the third of medium height, with light brown hair, stands behind them; and a fourth, young one, follows them in the distance. Mark recognized the third as St. Alexander, and the monk, at his request, said: the first elder is St. Nicholas, to whose name the monastery church is dedicated, the second is St. Cyril, who promised to help me - at my request they came here, and the young man is Matvey, who was elected abbot. The son of the hermit hieromonk Matvey, monk Maxim, ordained hegumen by Archbishop Sergius (1483–1485), in fact restored the monastery in all parts.
During the construction of a new church in honor of St. Nicholas, at the direction of the monk who appeared himself, his incorruptible relics were found. The new church was consecrated under Abbot Vassian II, and under him the monk ordered his image to be painted. According to the story of one elder who knew the monk even in earthly life, the monk was of average height, with a dry face, sunken eyes, a small and thin beard, and gray streaks in his brown hair. This is how it was written.
Then followed various miracles of the monk. The miracle that Hieromonk Theodosius experienced, who described the life and miracles of the saint in 1562, is very remarkable according to the testimony of the sign of the cross. Theodosius, together with others, rebelled against the abbot of the monastery with reproaches and complaints. The monk who appeared said: “Who is the abbot here? Of course not you; tell the abbot: let him do his work; I tell you: take care of your soul.” Theodosius repented; He began to describe the life and miracles of the monk, but then he began to worry about doubts and abandoned the work he had begun. The monk who appeared punished him with three blows of the rod. “And I saw that what was above me,” writes Theodosius, “as if my right hand was weakening, my hand was bent about the wrist (from the wrist), but the three upper fingers were barely able to move together, imagining the sign of the cross on my face, but the two lower fingers were crouching against my hand.” This is how the sign of the cross was depicted in the monastery of St. Alexander in 1562! With the first three fingers! The monk gave a strong admonition to the brave autocracy.
Boyar Ivan Mikhail arrived in Kargopol as a voivode. Yuryev, brother of Queen Anastasia. Hegumen Vassian, having heard enough about his pride and cruelty, went with fear to bow to the new governor. The boyar did not accept him harshly. The abbot presented him with the royal uncondemned letter about the monastery; The governor, having looked, said: “There is one duty that he will take from the monastery peasants.” The timid abbot remained silent. But the simple-minded and straightforward elder Eusebius, who was with him, said: “You shouldn’t take it from us, sir.” “When I order, you will give it,” the governor said with anger. The elder remarked: “Then it will be when you take it.” The boyar, enraged, shouted: “Woe, monk! The Tsar Sovereign granted me Kargopol and all of Onega and the seaside, but this one does not want to obey and is still arguing.” The frightened abbot hurried to retreat to the monastery and on the way scolded the elder for his harshness. The angry boyar then inquired: “Is there anyone who could complain about the monastery and especially about Eusebius?” Having learned about this, the boyar in the monastery trembled and were indignant at Eusebius.
“Go,” they told him, “appease the boyar, as you know, so we won’t die for you.” The distressed old man at night with tears prayed to the Lord to calm the boyar and the next day he went to Kargopol, ready for anything. In the city, on the street, the boyar’s house priest, who met him, unexpectedly said to him: “Well, I congratulate you, Eusebius.” The old man was amazed. “God had mercy on you,” the priest continued, “St. Nicholas and the head of your monastery protected you from harm.” Then he said that the governor, although he did not find anyone complaining about the monastery, had already given an order to the most cruel of his officials - to go to the monastery and, having shackled him, take him to the city prison. But last night the saint and the monk appeared to him and taught him a lesson. The saint, the boyar said, told him: “If you don’t repent, woe to you.” And the monk also threatened. In fear, the boyar answered: “Do not destroy me, saint, but I don’t know what to call anyone else.” “You don't know him; So he came to defend his works and took me with him - there is a church in my name.”
The boyar repented and promised to be the defender of the monastery. “Now go boldly to the boyar,” the priest concluded. The elder appeared to the boyar, and he received him very kindly, asking to be forgiven for his rudeness and insolence; He spoke about the vision of the saint and the venerable one and regretted that he had not stopped at the Osheven monastery - but, finally, he gave the elder alms for the monastery. The relics of the saint were witnessed by order of Metropolitan Anthony by Varlaam, Bishop of Vologda 668. Now they rest hidden in a stone church, where one chapel was dedicated to St. Alexander in 1707. The icons he brought from the Kirillov Monastery 669 are still intact.
The Suffering of Baby Gabriel
In the Gorodno district, 13 versts from Zabludov, there is the village of Zverki, which belonged to the Zabludovsky spring. Here lived Peter Gavdel and his wife Anastasia, Orthodox and pious villagers, despite the hardships of the time, who firmly preserved the Orthodox faith, adopted from their ancestors. Here, on March 20, 1684, their son Gabriel was born, whom they baptized and also raised in the rules of Orthodoxy. When Gabriel was about 6 years old, it happened that his mother took lunch to her husband in the field. Jew Shchutko, Zverkov's tenant, caressed the child, brought him into his house and took him to Bely Stok; here the Jews who had come running tormented the boy without mercy: taking him into a dark place, they crucified him and drew blood from his side, then they stabbed him with various instruments until all the blood was released; and the dead body was thrown into a field 670. The dogs ran around the body for three days and barked away birds of prey from it. Following the same barking, they found the tortured body and presented it to Zabludov.
From the wound in the side and other signs it was obvious that the blood had been drained from the boy by Jewish fanaticism, and the suffering death of the innocent boy was then recorded in the local book of Zabludov; the Jews were convicted of a crime; the body is buried. The painful death of Blessed Gabriel followed on April 20, 1690. “Whoever wants to know more about this, we send it to the books of the righteous in Magdeburg Zabludovsky,” says the old note. 30 years later (1720), when they buried another baby, they found the relics of Gabriel incorrupt and placed them in the church crypt.
When in Zabludovo the place and the church were burning,
The mercy of God preserved me even in the fire.
This is what the blessed one said in Polish verses written in 1755 by the famous Mikhail Kozachinsky, Archimandrite of Slutsky. There was a fire in 1746; and in 1755, on May 9, the incorruptible relics were honorably transferred to the Slutsk Monastery.
Kontakion to the Holy Martyr: “Holy Infant Gabriel, you were pierced in the ribs for the sake of the One who perforated us from the Jews, and for the One who exhausted His blood for us, you gave up your whole body to be drained of blood into fierce ulcers. Now rejoice with Him in eternal glory. Thus, remember us there too, we pray, who honor you here, asking us for health to our bodies and salvation to our souls” 671.
Day twenty one. Memory of the holy martyr, Queen Alexandra
Saint Alexandra was the wife of Emperor Diocletian and a secret Christian; courage, firmness in confession and the miracles of the Great Martyr George aroused in her zeal for the faith, and she publicly confessed Christ. Condemned to death by Diocletian, on the way to the place of execution she betrayed her spirit to God (304).
Day twenty two. Memory of the Holy Martyr Leonidas
Father of Origen. He suffered under Septimius Severus during the fifth persecution of Christians, which began as a result of a strict decree of the emperor in 202, which forbade, under the death penalty, the adoption of Judaism and Christianity.
In some areas, the enmity of the pagans against Christians was so strong that, relying on the emperor’s dislike for them, they began to persecute Christians even before receiving a positive decree from the emperor, and this persecution, for example, in Egypt, was so cruel that Christians considered it a sign of the coming to earth of the Antichrist and the imminent end of the century.
At this time, among others, a Christian named Leonidas was captured in Alexandria and imprisoned. This was the father of a large family, who, in the event of Leonid’s death, faced poverty, since the property of those convicted for the faith of Christ was taken to the treasury. This could not shake and force a man to renounce Christ, who had already managed to raise his children in such a strong love for the incarnate God that the eldest of them, seventeen-year-old Origen, wrote to his father in prison: “Father, do not worry about us and do not shy away from martyrdom for our sake”... With his martyrdom, Leonidas sealed his unshakable love for the unshakable truth... (202).
Day twenty-three. Repose of Blessed George Shenkursky
According to the handwritten calendar, “Holy and Blessed George of Christ, the Fool for Christ’s sake, the Wonderworker of Shenkur, reposed in April on the 23rd day.” Here he appears to be a contemporary of the Monk Varlaam of Shenkur, and the time of his exploits dates back to the 15th century. The devout Ustyuzhanin of the 16th century, in his praise of blessed Procopius, among other things, said: “The Vaga River, on which the city of Shenkursk, pleases St. George the Holy Fool” 672.
Day twenty-six. Memory of St. Ioannikiy of Chernoretsky
In the monthly Gospel, written in 1329, the memory of St. Ioannikios 673 is also shown on April 26.
The biographer of St. Stefan Lazarevich writes about the Serbian monks: “Many chosen ones appear in the monasteries and many among them are silent, talking only with the rustling of leaves, with the birds of the air and with the murmur of the waters of the stream. Their only business is to glorify God, glorified in the Trinity, Whom the Angels praise with continuous songs.”
If anyone is in Serbia, then this was especially the Monk Ioannikiy of Chernoretsky.
A recent visitor to Serbia describes the place of exploits and the very exploits of St. Ioannikis in this way.
“We went down to the Ibru, forded the river and began to climb through the dense forest. Half an hour later, such a majestic mass of rocks was revealed, such as is rarely seen even in Herzegovina, this fatherland of rocks. This place is called “Black River”. The reddish mass of granite rises almost vertically, presenting at the top either regularly surrounded outlines, or teeth and points. There is a church in this granite. A number of cells are attached to the rock itself, the outer whitewashed stone wall with six small windows, protruding from the flat surface of the cliff, is reminiscent of the nests of swallows on the house: only there is no cornice supporting this human nest, but it rests on an inconspicuous ledge of the rock. Near the cliff, making almost a right angle with it, but not touching it, stands another mountain, overgrown with forest, along which a path leads. Opposite the church it forms a small platform; the platform is connected to the cells by a narrow wooden bridge leading to a wooden gallery, which is surrounded by a row of cells.
Break the bridge, and the cells with their church will be separated by an abyss from the whole world. The church, I said, is in the cliff itself, only the altar goes out, a semicircular wall, which stands in a row of cells, crowned with a small cross and decorated with two al fresco images of St. Michael the Archangel and St. Peter of Corisha. You are led through a low and completely dark passage, which seems to have been formed by nature itself, into a cave that is quite extensive and in one place quite high. They show you a small gorge in the wall of the cave: here sat the holy hermit Ioannikios; Under this recess you can see a recess where he rested his legs, and another on the side where he rested his elbow. You can only sit in the most difficult position, bending over and putting your head forward. Ioannikios lived in this cave, on this chair, for 70 years. I tried to sit up, and in one minute my whole dress was wet: water constantly oozes through the rock, and the surface of the cave never dries.
In another place they show a depression where water accumulates and flows in a stream; This depression, they say, was dug by the hermit with his nails in order to have water. From this cave you enter another larger one, where St. Ioannikios built the Church of St. Michael the Archangel. It is also completely dark, also damp, like another cave" 674.
According to the synaxarion of Serblyak, the hermit Ioannikis, born in Zeta, on the coast, in his early youth settled on the Ibra River in the Chernoretskaya Rock. Here he labored as a stern fasting man who renounced himself. Some monks, having seen his selfless life, remained to live with him in order to obey his advice unrequitedly.
The hermit, after some time, suggested that they build a church and a monastery. The good idea, with the help of God, was brought to fruition. When rumors spread about the new life of Ioannikios, many came to the rock for spiritual exploits. They began to praise Ioannikis even to his face. This greatly disturbed the one who loved humility and silence so much. Having betrayed his brethren to the Lord and His grace, he withdrew from his beloved rock. In the nearby virgin desert, he settled in a cave, near a stream of cold water. And here he peacefully gave up his spirit to the Lord, at the end of the 13th century 675.
The relics of St. Ioannikios rest in the Devitsky Monastery, which was built by Yuri Brankovich (1427–1456) in gratitude for the healing of his daughter.
The Serbian Church sings to the saint: “Having obeyed the Divine commandments, you remained in silence throughout your entire life and, having been reproached in your fatherland, you were fed by the desire for true glory.”
“Having acquired the desires of Christ, you closed your feelings from everything corruptible and fleeting, and through the exploits of your soul you ascended to the heights, blessed one.”
“Reverend Father, having listened to the voice of the Gospel of the Lord, you left the world, attributing wealth and glory to nothing, and living in solitude, you cried out to everyone from there: love God and find grace, prefer nothing to love, so that when He comes in His glory, you will find peace with all the saints: through their prayers, Christ, preserve and save our souls.” 676.
Day twenty-nine. Memory of St. Basil, Metropolitan of Zakholmsky
The recent synaxarion reports the following news about Saint Basil 677.
According to legend, Saint Basil was born in Popova volost, in Herzegovina; His parents were pious people, but suffered from Turkish rule. Even at a young age, he loved to visit the church of God. When he came to adulthood, he left his parents’ house, retired to the Trebinsk monastery of the Dormition of the Mother of God and here he became a monk. This monastery, alas, was destroyed long ago by the wicked Turks. The Lord, seeing Vasily’s pure life, elevated him to a high degree of bishop, after he had passed through the lower ministries; Vasily was a shepherd for the Orthodox Zakholmiya and Skenderiya. In this service he multiplied his labors and exploits for the benefit of the Orthodox Church. Who can retell His solitary praises, prayers, sighs and tears? The saint diligently visited the faithful of his flock and with instructions encouraged them to walk leisurely along the paths of salvation. The Lord supported his word with various miracles, so that Vasily was the subject of general surprise, and for his suffering flock he was a consolation.
Let the detractors of Orthodoxy know that the Lord sends His saints to us, and also reveals martyrs, as strong as the martyrs of the times of Roman paganism were strong... Saint Basil was patient in dealing with his enemies, meek and kind in dealing with those who offended him, merciful towards the poor, kind and courageous when it was necessary to protect his flock from wolves. To refresh his soul with ascetic wisdom, he traveled to Athos; The Lord returned the shepherd to his flock, so that even after death he would protect Orthodoxy, which he served in earthly life. Resting in Ostrog, the newly-minted Vasily bestows healing on those who come to the shrine of his relics. Just as in life he was merciful to the weak in body and soul, so in death he helps not only the faithful, but also the simple-minded Mohammedans.
This is the news of the synaxar about Saint Basil. The year of his blessed death is not shown in them. One can only guess about it. since it is said that Saint Basil asceticised monastically in the Trebinsk Dormition Monastery; and it is known that this monastery was destroyed in 1695 678, which means that he lived as a monk before 1690; Since he was born at a time when Herzegovina was already suffering under Turkish rule, it is clear that he lived long after the times of Serbian independence and the reign of the Nemanjić. Ostrog is now part of the district of Montenegro, located on its border with Herzegovina. During the service they sing to Saint Basil: “Rejoice, guardian of Zakholmia and Skenderia, invincible pillar and chairman of the Black Mountains and the seaside... As a teacher of Zakholmia and Montenegro, you instruct your flock.” Based on these data, it should be assumed that Saint Basil was the Metropolitan Basil of Montenegro, who lived in the second half of the 16th century, being the successor in the department of Paul and the predecessor of Nicodemus 679.
We cannot help but add here a few words about the Trebinsk Mother of God Monastery, where St. Basil asceticised monastically. Trebinje is a place where Christianity flourished, according to local legend, from the 4th century; Since the time of the Nemanjić, the Trebinsk Mother of God Monastery has had a see of metropolitans. The record, very ancient in language, says: 1270 - the Church of the Assumption of the Most Holy was renewed
Mother of God, there is a hedgehog in Trebinu; Previously, it was erected from the foundation by the pious Tsar Constantine with his mother Helen, and many days later it fell into disrepair. “This church was renovated by the pious and hardworking king Stefan, who is Milutin, great-grandson of Nemana Stefan, the myrrh-streaming Simeon, the all-sanctified Metropolitan of Kir, Vasily, Abbot Vasily” 680.
Day thirty. Memory of the Holy New Martyr Argyra
Originally from Brussa, the daughter of pious parents. As soon as she married a Christian, she attracted the unclean gaze of a Turk. This, not having time to persuade her into a criminal relationship, slandered her in her desire to accept the Mohammedan faith, which is why they sent her to Constantinople, where, as if she had renounced her intention, she was kept and tortured in prison for fifteen years; died in 1725. Three years later, her relics were found incorrupt and, with the permission of Patriarch Paisius, were transferred to the church, where they are now located.
Week of Holy Easter, or the Resurrection of Christ
All the precautions taken by the high priests and elders of the Jewish people to guard the Holy Sepulcher were directed by Providence to the glory of the Savior’s resurrection from the dead on the third day after death, as the prophets predicted and the Lord Himself predicted to the Apostles, scribes and elders of the Jewish people and all the people (see: Matt. 17, 22-23; Mark 10, 33-34 ; John 2, 19–22; Matt. 27, 62–63). In the deep morning of the third day after the death of Christ, or on the first day of the week, at dawn, but before full dawn (see: Matt. 28:1; Mark 16:2; Luke 24:1, 22; John 20:1), a great earthquake occurred; The Angel of the Lord descended from Heaven, rolled away the stone from the door of the tomb and sat on it. The appearance of the Angel was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow; Frightened by him, the guards trembled and became like dead men and were scattered (Matthew 28:2,4,11).
Thus, the Lord dismantled the gates of hell and with His Divine omnipotence resurrected His humanity and laid the foundation for our blessed resurrection!
By His repeated appearances after His resurrection, over a period of 40 days, the Lord testified to the truth of His resurrection from the dead: He revealed Himself alive with many true proofs (Acts 1:3) - before the apostles, to us - as they say about themselves - who ate and drank with Him after His resurrection from the dead (Acts 10:41). Appearing to them for forty days (Acts 1:3). At that time, Christ was no longer constantly with the apostles - not as before the resurrection. Notice, he did not say (Luke): forty days, but: For forty days (Acts 1:3), since Christ appeared and again hid. Why is this so? In order to elevate the thoughts of the disciples and prevent them from treating Him in the same way. And it was not without reason that He appeared to them, but because He was carefully concerned about the arrangement of two things - that they would believe the resurrection and that, finally, they would think of Him higher than of a mere man. Why did He not appear to everyone, but only to the apostles? Because to the people who did not know the ineffable mystery, He would have seemed like a ghost.
If the apostles themselves did not believe at first, were confused and needed the touch of the hand and the fellowship of a meal, then what should they have expected from the people? That is why the resurrection is irrefutably proven by miracles, so that it is certain not only for contemporaries, but also for all subsequent generations. In fact, if He was not resurrected, but remains dead, then how did the apostles perform miracles in His name? That is why Christ Himself remained on (earth) for forty days after the resurrection, allowing Himself to be seen for a long time, so that (the disciples) would not consider what was visible to be a ghost. Yes, and He was not satisfied with this, but also added a meal, which Luke further says: He ate with them (Acts 1:4). The apostles always presented this as evidence of the resurrection, saying: Those who ate and drank with Him (Acts 10:41). “That is why the Lord ate food with the Apostles,” says Chrysostom, “so that they would not regard His appearance as a ghost.”
The appearances of Jesus Christ after His resurrection can be likened to a sunrise, which, beginning at dawn, gradually increases and reaches its fullness. In the word of God the appearances of the risen Lord, remembered on the week of Easter, reveal the following.
The first of the members of His newly planted Church, its Head, Jesus Christ, after His resurrection, appeared, as our church liturgical books mention, to His Most Pure Mother. Thus, in the Divine service on the week of the Myrrh-Bearing Women, the Church, turning to the Mother of God, sings: “Having seen the resurrected Thy Son and God, rejoice as Apostles, O God-gracious, pure one: and “Rejoice first,” for thou hast accepted the guilt of all joys, O Mother of God, all-immaculate.” Further, starting from the first day of Easter and until the celebration of the bright holiday, for six weeks we constantly hear the solemn song of the Most Holy Virgin: “An angel crying with grace: pure Virgin, rejoice, and again, rejoice: Your Son is risen three days from the grave.” From these songs we can conclude that the Mother of God saw the Lord and was the first to hear from the Angels the news of His resurrection. Historical legends actually tell us that the Lord, after His resurrection, first appeared to His Most Pure Mother.
“And first of all,” says the synaxar on the holy and great Easter, “the resurrection of the Mother of God is known, sitting directly in the tomb with Magdalene, as Matthew says.” What does Matthew say? In one place we find: And Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there (at the burial), who were sitting opposite the tomb (Matthew 27:61); in another: Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came (on the deep morning of Christ’s resurrection) to see the tomb (Matthew 28:1). What face is hidden here under the expression: another Mary? The Synaxarion indicates in it the Most Holy Virgin, the Mother of the Lord, which is very natural and more than likely.
If it were not She, then the evangelist, instead of the vague, different one, would have said which Mary, firstly, because here, speaking about the two Marys, he directly called one Magdalene; secondly, because recently narrating about the crucifixion of the Lord and mentioning the holy women present at it, the holy narrator designated each of them with her own nickname: “There were women here,” he said, “and among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary of James, and the mother of Josiah, and the mother of the son of Zebedee,” that is, Salome “and many others.” Having used the indefinite expression “another Mary” instead of a definite expression, Saint Matthew obviously intends to distinguish this Mary from all other known Marys and point specifically to the one that Christians could recognize without a direct name and which the enemies of Christianity should not have known. However, the synaxar among the wives who came to the tomb and saw the resurrection of the Savior means the one who is called Mary Joseph. Josiah was the son of Joseph, betrothed to the Blessed Virgin.
But so that the resurrection does not seem doubtful based on the appearance of the Risen One to His Mother, the evangelists say that He first appears to Mary Magdalene. Saint Demetrius of Rostov, describing the life of Mary Magdalene, also notes that the first appearance of the Lord was to the Blessed Virgin: “She is so loved by the Lord,” he writes about Magdalene, “as first of all - according to His Most Pure Mother, - the Lord appeared almost 100% after His resurrection.”
The first after the Mother of God, Jesus Christ, resurrected, appeared to “Mary Magdalene.” After the day of rest, on the morning of the first day of the week, this pious wife, together with other myrrh-bearing women, went to the tomb of the Lord to anoint His body with incense. Approaching the tomb, the myrrh-bearers said to each other in bewilderment: Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us? (Mark 16:3). But they see that the stone, which “was very large,” has already been rolled away from the coffin and the coffin is open. Magdalene, thinking that the body of the Lord has been transferred from here to another place, immediately and hastily leaves. Her companions entered the tomb and, not finding the body of the Lord, were perplexed; then Angels appeared before them in shining robes. The wives were afraid and lowered their gaze to the ground. Why are you looking for Jesus crucified? - the Angels told them, - He is not here - He has risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay, and go quickly, tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him (Matthew 28:5–7; Mark 16:1–7; Luke 24:1–7; John 20:1–2).
But Magdalene preceded her companions with the news to the apostles Peter and John that the body of the Lord was not in the tomb. The apostles immediately hurried there and, entering the tomb, found in it only the shrouds and cloth that was on the head of the buried Savior, and returned home. Magdalene, having come again to the tomb of the Lord, stood near the tomb and cried, not knowing where to find the body of the Lord. At this time, turning back, she sees, but does not recognize, the Savior standing. He asks her: Wife! Why are you crying? Who are you looking for? Mary answered the questioner, considering Him to be the helicutter: They took away my Lord, and I don’t know where they laid Him. Maria! - exclaims the imaginary heli-graduator. Teacher! - the crying woman cries and prostrates herself before the risen Lord (John 20:15-16). This was the first appearance of the Risen One mentioned in the Gospel.
Having appeared to Mary Magdalene after His resurrection, the Lord appeared a second time to her and to other wives when, at the command of the Angels, they hurried with fear and great joy to announce to the apostles about the resurrection of the Lord. The Risen One met and greeted them: Rejoice! And they came, grabbed His feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus says to them: Do not be afraid; go, tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me. They announced to the apostles about the resurrection of the Lord, but the disciples did not believe the wives (Matthew 28:1–11; Luke 24:9–11). Just as the first wife of our forefathers fell into sin and heard from God: By multiplying I will multiply your sorrow (Gen. 3:16), so the wives of the first of those who believe in Christ saw the Risen One and tasted the joy of the resurrection!
The third appearance of Jesus Christ after the resurrection, mentioned in the Gospel, was to the Apostle Peter, who, with tears of heartfelt contrition during the suffering and death of the Savior, washed away his threefold denial of Him. But the circumstances of this phenomenon are not revealed in the Gospel (see: Luke 24:34; 1 Cor. 15:5).
The fourth appearance according to the Gospel was to Cleopas and another disciple. On the very day of the Resurrection of the Lord, around the evening, Cleopas and another disciple walked to the village of Emmaus, 60 stadia away from Jerusalem (about 5 versts), sadly talking about the recent adventures that had happened in Jerusalem with Jesus Christ. The risen Lord approaches them and continues to walk with them; but the apostles do not recognize Him. When the Lord asked what they were talking about and why they were sad, Cleopas, calling Jesus Christ a prophet strong in deed and word before God and all people, told his unrecognized companion about the crucifixion of the Lord and about the news that had already spread that He had risen. Having listened to the words of Cleopas, the companion, denouncing the foolish and inert in heart, “believe in all the things that the prophets said,” and starting from Moses, from all the prophets he explained to them what was said about Christ in all Scripture. Having reached the village to which the disciples were going, their Companion let them notice that he wanted to go further. But the disciples begged Him to come into the house with them.
Here He lay down with them, and when, having received the bread, He blessed it and, breaking it, gave it to them, their eyes were opened, and they recognized the risen Savior, and they confessed their faith in Him with their testimony of the Divine power of His words in their hearts. For, according to their confession, their hearts burned with a fertile fire that enlightened, warmed and delighted them. But the Lord, having revealed Himself to Luke and Cleopas, became invisible. At that same hour the disciples returned to Jerusalem and found a meeting of the one ten apostles and those who were with them. The Church of Christ talked that the Lord had truly risen, Luke and Cleopas told about what happened on the way, and how the Risen Lord was recognized by them in the breaking of bread (Luke 24:13-35).
While the disciples were talking about the appearances of the risen Lord, He Himself appeared among them in the upper room, whose doors were locked, and greeted: Peace be with you. This was the fifth appearance of the Lord after the resurrection. The disciples were confused and afraid, thinking that they saw a spirit. Why are you embarrassed, and why do such thoughts enter your hearts? - the Lord says to them. Look at My hands and at My feet; it is I Myself; touch Me and look at Me; for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have. And having said this, He showed them His hands and feet and His ribs. The disciples rejoiced to see the Lord. When for joy they still did not believe and marveled, He tasted before them the fish and honey given to Him; opens the minds of the apostles to understand the Scriptures; intends them to be witnesses of the fulfillment of prophecies about Him - witnesses of His suffering, death and resurrection; promises to invest them with power from above for teaching, secret action and government; a second time he says to them: Peace be with you, and under the image of a breath he gives them the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:36-40; John 20:19-23).
These five appearances of the risen Jesus Christ refer to the week of Easter. So, on the first day of His resurrection, the risen Lord was seen and believed in by the Most Holy Virgin Mary, the myrrh-bearing women and all His disciples, except the Apostle Thomas. After His resurrection, the Lord appeared to many over the course of 40 days, and once appeared to more than five hundred people (see: 1 Cor. 15:6). It is common for truth alone to have such and such many witnesses!
The bright holiday of Easter is dedicated by the Church to the memory of the glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Our Easter, according to Scripture, is our Lord Jesus Christ Himself with His most pure and all-holy Body and Blood (see: 1 Cor. 5:7). The word “passover” is Hebrew, meaning “passing” and “deliverance.” For the Old Testament Church initially celebrated Easter in memory of the fact that an Angel, sent from God to destroy the Egyptian firstborn, passed by the dwellings of the Jews and thereby delivered them from death and slavery in Egypt (Ex. 12:23-27). Equally, for Christians, Easter means passing with Christ, deliverance and His transference of believers from death to eternally blissful life. “The Great and Holy Passover,” says St. Gregory the Theologian, “is called Pascha among the Jews in their language, where this word means passing—historically because of the passage and migration of the Israelites from Egypt to Canaanite, and spiritually because of the passage and ascent from what is below to what is above.”
Blessed Augustine writes: “The word Easter is Hebrew and means the passage from death to life, as the Lord Himself says: He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life (John 5:24). And in another place, the Evangelist John, explaining Easter, says that the Lord celebrated Easter with His disciples, because His hour had come to pass from this world to the Father (John 13:1). And so the transition from this mortal life to another, immortal and blessed, is glorified in the suffering and resurrection of the Lord.” Also in the sacred hymns of the Church it is said: “Easter, the Lord's Easter, from death to life and from earth to heaven, Christ God has led us, singing in victory. We celebrate death, mortification, hellish destruction, the beginning of another eternal life.” The synaxarion for Easter says: “Easter is interpreted.
It is the day on which God at the beginning brought the world from non-existence into being; the day on which God, having led the Israelites through the Red Sea, snatched them away from the hands of Pharaoh; - in which, having descended from heaven, he moved into the womb of the Virgin, and now, having snatched the human race from hell, he raised it and brought it to heaven to the ancient property of incorruptibility.” Since Jesus Christ, our Easter, passed and brought us and delivered us from death to a blessed life by His death and resurrection, the week of Passion and Light was sometimes called Easter, the week of suffering - Easter of the Cross (Pao-Ha ctaupwcîov), the week of resurrection - Easter of the Resurrection (Easter avacraaîov). According to the church arrangement of weeks, even now there is one Sunday day between Holy and Light weeks; therefore, these weeks until now constitute, as it were, one week, which, beginning with the remembrance of the suffering and death of Christ, ends with the triumph of His resurrection and is called Great in this sense, the great and holy week of Easter, i.e.
the week of the suffering and resurrection of Christ, among the other weeks of the church year, is the same as Sunday among the other days of the week. In the ordinary sense, the name Easter has since ancient times meant the actual Bright Week of the Resurrection of Christ. “On the holy and great week of Easter we celebrate the most life-giving resurrection of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ,” says the synaxarion on Easter week, in accordance with the Apostolic Decrees.
The Old Testament Easter was a prototype of the Christian Easter. God's chosen people celebrated Easter in memory of their deliverance from Egypt, slaying a blameless lamb that had no physical defects (Exodus 12:5): this is how we celebrate Easter in remembrance of the redemption of the human race through the suffering, death and resurrection of the blameless and pure Lamb (see: 1 Pet. 1:19), Who is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world and innocently sacrificed for us (John 1:29), and is actually our Passover (1 Cor. 5:7). Ancient Israel celebrated Passover in memory of its deliverance from slavery in Egypt: new Israel celebrates Passover in memory of its deliverance from slavery to the devil and sin. The educational Passover consisted in eating the flesh of the Paschal lamb: our Passover consists in eating the Lamb of God - His most pure Body and Blood. Without breaking the bones, they ate the ancient Passover lamb (see: Exodus 12:1-11): and they did not break His legs of the Lamb of God - Christ (John 19:33-36).
Delivered from the heavy yoke of the Egyptians by the death of their firstborn, the descendants of Abraham walked through the desert to the promised land, boiling with honey and milk: Christians - the spiritual descendants of the father of believers, redeemed by the precious Blood of Christ, must “flow” through the desert of this world to the eternal heavenly inheritance.
Day five. Saint Job, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia
His Holiness Patriarch Job, in the world John, was born in the Tver land in the city of Staritsa, into a family of pious townspeople. According to the Tver Patericon, the mother of Patriarch Job subsequently accepted monasticism with the name Pelagia and was a locally revered ascetic of the 16th century in the Staritsa Ascension Church.
There is no reliable information about the early youth of the future patriarch, although it can be assumed that John was born in the 30s of the 16th century. The youth John received his first spiritual instructions from the monks and abbots of the Staritsky Assumption Monastery.
John's parents wanted to marry him, but the young man's soul was inclined towards monasticism, and he retired to the Staritsky Monastery. As legend testifies, John was tonsured in the name of the long-suffering Job by Archimandrite German, rector of the Staritsa Dormition Monastery, to whom Job was in obedience and complete submission.
Contemporary monks already said about the young Job that a person “like him neither in voice, nor in rank, nor in manner, nor in question, nor in answer” had ever been found. He knew the Holy Scriptures perfectly, and remembered the Gospel, the Apostle and the Psalter by heart.
Subsequently, he could perform the lengthy prayers of the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great and Vespers of Pentecost from memory. Reading it was touching and “good.”
The high education and impeccable manners of address - the “rank” and “walk” of the monk Job - attracted the attention of the church hierarchy, and Job was soon appointed rector of the Assumption Monastery. From the very first days, Job began to take care of the beautification of the monastery and built a monastery refectory with a tented Vvedenskaya Church.
In 1571, Archimandrite Job was transferred to Moscow, where he was appointed abbot first of the Simonov Assumption Monastery, and then of the Novospassky Monastery.
Archimandrite Job was distinguished by tolerance towards everyone and spiritual restraint, benevolent advice and secret tearful prayer for his flock. This image of his deeds will remain until the death of the blessed old patriarch.
According to his rank, the Novospassky Archimandrite had to participate in church councils, so his name can be found in cathedral documents starting from the 70s of the 16th century. Thus, he participated in the council “on non-possessors” in 1580, when the issue of monastic estates was considered. Archimandrite Job’s participation in this council was not an accidental nor a passing episode of his life. Subsequently, as a patriarch, he acquired nothing for himself except the saint's robes, and directed all the patriarchal income to the establishment of churches, monasteries and the welfare of peasant villages.
Before his death, the poverty-loving patriarch wrote that he built churches and set up patriarchal courtyards for the needs of the church, he always helped all needy peasants and fire victims, and no one suffered from what he bought for his cell. When he died, only 15 rubles, several icons and some household property were found in his cell.
The archimandrite of the Novospassky Monastery soon became the Bishop of Kolomna. Having spent five years in this department, Job was installed in the Rostov Archdiocese, and some time later - on December 11, 1687 - in the Moscow Metropolis.
For Archbishop Job, this appointment was the fulfillment of obedience to the royal will and the blessing of the consecrated cathedral: in his farewell letter he says that he was “compelled by him (the sovereign) to be humbled to the great metropolis.”
Throughout the entire path of church service, the humble Job was led not by his own will, but in spite of it. The providence of God led Job along a narrow path between the boyar unrest and the disastrous sighs of the Russian people. Saint Job carried out the course of his life as required by the Holy Gospel: he loved meekness, mercy and mourning for sins.
The humble metropolitan acquired statesmanship, assisting the kings with wise words and advice.
At the time when Rus' exalted itself as a kingdom, God gave Rus' the meekest and most humble of its high priests, who assumed the patriarchal rank and title.
With the fall of Constantinople and the accession of Grand Duke John IV, Moscow increasingly became the center of Ecumenical Orthodoxy. The idea of “Moscow – the third Rome” was a reality that the entire Orthodox world reckoned with. Many believed that the “most Orthodox king” should be assisted by the highest rank of the spiritual hierarchy - the patriarch, and the Church of the reigning city should be a patriarchate. Everything was leading to the fact that the elevation of the Moscow Metropolis to a patriarchate was perceived as a natural course of events. In addition, the idea of establishing a patriarchate was strengthened by the fact that the Moscow Tsar, being the guardian of Orthodoxy within the country, as the sovereign of a powerful power, could provide material and political support to the Eastern Orthodox Churches.
Tsar Theodore and boyar Boris began negotiations on the establishment of the patriarchate in Rus' in the early 80s. In 1588, Patriarch Jeremiah of Constantinople arrived in Rus'. Upon his arrival in Moscow, negotiations began on the patriarchate, which were carried out mainly by the boyar Godunov. The parties soon came to an agreement, and on January 17, 1589, a council of bishops of the Russian Church was held, at which the tsar reported on the results of negotiations with Patriarch Jeremiah, who agreed to the establishment of the Moscow Patriarchate. The consent and blessing of the Russian Church was given by its Mother Church - the Church of Constantinople. The election of the patriarch was scheduled for January 23, and the enthronement was scheduled for Sunday, January 26.
The Council elected three candidates for the Moscow Patriarchate: Job, Metropolitan of Moscow, Alexander, Archbishop of Novgorod, and Varlaam, Archbishop of Rostov. With the letters, signed by the bishops and containing the names of the chosen ones, Patriarch Jeremiah went to the royal chambers to present them to the king. Theodore Ioannovich chose Job. This message had to be conveyed to Metropolitan Job himself, who was not present at the council, as well as Archbishops Alexander and Varlaam. The Tsar and the Ecumenical Patriarch sent for the humble chosen one, to whom Tsar Theodore said: “By the will of God and the Most Pure Mother of God and the great wonderworkers of Moscow and by our advice with His Holiness Jeremiah, the Ecumenical Patriarch, and with the archbishops and bishops and with the entire consecrated council of our Russian kingdom and with all the boyars, we sentenced you, Job, to be metropolitan of all Russia, to the great throne as patriarch in the Moscow state of the Russian kingdom."
The naming of Job as patriarch took place in the Assumption Cathedral after Vespers; The Moscow high priest concluded Vespers with a special prayer service, then with a lit candle he left the altar and stood on the pulpit. One of the boyars, approaching the metropolitan, proclaimed the formula for electing him to the patriarchal throne. Job responded: “If I, a sinner, was chosen by the Holy Autocrat and Ecumenical Master Jeremiah with the entire consecrated council, I accept such a great dignity with gratitude.” Turning to the clergy and people, the saint made a solemn vow to zealously guard his flock. Three days later, on January 26, the patriarchal enthronement took place.
When the Ecumenical Patriarch and Tsar Theodore were solemnly welcomed at the cathedral, Job was brought before the consecrated cathedral to confess his faith and take a special oath. At the end of the confession of faith and oath, Patriarch Jeremiah said, blessing Job: “The grace of the Most Holy Spirit, through our humility, has you as patriarch in the God-saved reigning city of Moscow and all Great Russia.”
The Ecumenical Patriarch began the Divine Liturgy, and during the Trisagion chanting, the cathedral archpriest and archdeacon led Job to the royal doors, and the bishops led him into the altar. Patriarch Jeremiah laid his hands on Job and, unfolding the Gospel over his head, prayed for the descent of the grace of the Holy Spirit on him: “May this bishop of Jesus be an unquenchable lamp of faith.”
After this, both patriarchs celebrated the Liturgy. Concluding the Eucharistic canon, Patriarch Jeremiah exclaimed: “First remember, Lord, our Holy Patriarch Job of Moscow and all Russia.”
At the end of the Divine Liturgy, the Russian bishops elevated Patriarch Job to the holy place in the middle of the cathedral and seated him on the patriarchal throne three times with the singing of many years in Greek. Jeremiah placed on Patriarch Job the precious panagia and holy clothes - a mantle and a white doll - donated by King Theodore.
In his welcoming speech, the tsar ordered Patriarch Job of Moscow to be called the head of bishops, father of fathers, patriarch of all northern lands and handed him the staff of St. Peter. In turn, Patriarch Job of Moscow and All Russia blessed the entire flock, who rejoiced at the introduction of the Russian Church into the sacred dignity of the patriarchate.
A ceremonial meal and refreshments for the people took place, then Patriarch Job made a “donkey procession”, going around the Kremlin and Kitai-Gorod, blessing everyone with the cross and sprinkling with holy water.
The celebrations for the establishment of the patriarchate ended with the elevation to the rank of Metropolitan Alexander, Archbishop of Novgorod, and Varlaam, Archbishop of Rostov. The rite of elevating an archbishop to the rank of metropolitan was performed by Patriarch Job.
After some time, a “laid letter” was prepared, which outlined the events of the birth of the patriarchate in Moscow.
In 1598, a council of Eastern Orthodox patriarchs and numerous bishops (more than 80 people) was held in Constantinople, which canonically approved and blessed the actions of the Ecumenical Patriarch Jeremiah in establishing the Moscow Patriarchate. The Council assigned the Russian patriarch the fifth place in the diptych of Orthodox patriarchs.
His Holiness Job, taking care of the church structure, established four metropolises: Novgorod, Kazan, Rostov and Sar (Podon). A very important act of his was the introduction of “priestly elders” (deans) in large cities, in particular in Moscow. For every forty parishes, one “priestly elder” was appointed, who was supposed to monitor the church deanery of the parish church district entrusted to his jurisdiction, bringing the will and instructions of the bishop to the parishes.
At one time, the Stoglavy Council under Tsar John IV was concerned about the state of spiritual education in Rus', but even by the time of Patriarch Job there had been no improvement in this matter. His Holiness Job, being a very bookish church leader, clearly recognized the need for regular schools, but his desire was met mainly by the lack of Orthodox teachers. The churches of the Orthodox East, from where teachers could be called, were in a depressed state, and any literate Greeks fled to Catholic cities and states.
The Patriarch warned Tsar Boris against inviting foreign religious teachers. Job said on this occasion: “...At present, in many countries a great flame of evil and cunning heresies has flared up, so that they even dare to touch the Trisagion of the Deity.”
Strict Orthodoxy and concern for its purity were clearly revealed in the orders of Saint Job.
For a whole century, the Russian Church has been preoccupied with correcting liturgical books: the book collection began under St. Maxim the Greek, it continued in the form of book collecting under St. Macarius of Moscow and stood before Patriarch Job as the most important means of missionary work and enlightenment of the peoples living east of Kazan.
Correcting books was a responsible and important undertaking. His Holiness Patriarch Job is undertaking a search for the least damaged texts and reproducing them by printing. Taking into account the inevitability of damage to handwritten texts, the patriarch makes a post-word apology in each printed book for possible imperfections in the correspondence and printing of these books.
During the years of Job's patriarchate, the following liturgical books were published: the Lenten Triodion (1589), the Colored Triodion (1592–1594; 1604), Psalter (1591, 1602), Octoechos (1594), Apostle (1597), Book of Hours (1598), General Menaion, Official (1600) and others. All books, except the Psalter, the Apostle and the Book of Hours, were published for the first time.
Despite the fact that a devastating famine was raging in Rus' in the last years of the reign of Tsar Boris, books were published, and this work was considered by church and state authorities as the most important means of spiritual education of Russians. By the end of the 16th century, the Siberian country was conquered by Moscow; The main missionary towns of Tyumen and Tobolsk arose.
Since ancient times, Rus' has developed a method of Christian enlightenment of conquered or developed lands - the formation of monasteries as centers of culture. The first ascetics, who sought to bring the souls of the natives to God, endured the greatest dangers, without expecting any material gain for themselves. Thus, with the assistance and blessing of Patriarch Job, monasteries arose far to the east and deep into Siberia - Spassky Yenisei (1593) and Nikolaevsky Verkhoturye (1604). According to V.V. Zverinsky, the parish Church of the Resurrection was founded in 1605, and in 1635 the Resurrection Monastery Berezovsky (1635) and the Znamensky Tobolsky Monastery (1605) were founded with it. The royal court assisted the patriarch and provided all kinds of benefits to the builders of these monasteries: monks and clergy who moved to Siberia received a special royal grain and monetary allowance.
Under Patriarch Job, a mass baptism of Siberia took place - native Siberians and their princes were baptized.
Patriarch Job established more than ten monasteries; Among these monasteries, the most famous is the Moscow Donskoy Monastery, founded in 1591 in memory of the deliverance of Russia from the hordes of Crimean Tatars.
His Holiness the Russian Patriarch worked especially hard in glorifying the holy saints of God. He was delighted by the discovery of the relics of Herman, Archbishop of Kazan, former archimandrite of the Staritsky Assumption Monastery. The relics of Saint Herman were transferred from Moscow to the Sviyazhsky Mother of God Monastery, which he founded, near Kazan, and on September 25 a church memorial was established in honor of this transfer.
In 1595, the relics of St. Gury, Archbishop of Kazan, and Barsanuphius, Bishop of Tver, were discovered. The Patriarch ordered the construction of a church over the place of their burial and blessed Hermogenes, Metropolitan of Kazan, to compile the lives of the saints, which was done. At the request of Hermogenes, Metropolitan of Kazan, His Holiness the Patriarch ordered the creation of church commemoration of the three Kazan martyrs - John (January 24), Stephen and Peter (March 24). Thus, Patriarch Job laid the foundation for the glorification of the Council of Kazan Saints.
This is how the Makariev tradition of collecting and glorifying Russian holiness continued. Through the labors and blessings of the Moscow Patriarch, church-wide celebrations of the memory of the saints were established: Anthony the Roman, Joseph of Volotsky, Martyry of Zelenetsky, Cornelius of Vologda, the relics of St. Philip were transferred from the Tver Otroch Monastery to the Solovetsky Monastery, and the Moscow saints were especially glorified. About twenty church memorials, new glorifications and special celebrations were established by His Holiness Job.
Since 1588, numerous miracles began to take place at the tomb of Blessed Vasily, Christ the Fool for the Fool, the Moscow Wonderworker. High Hierarch Job, with a council of bishops and archimandrites, determined to celebrate the memory of Blessed Basil on August 2, and Tsar Theodore ordered the construction of a chapel over the saint’s tomb. Upon completion of construction, Patriarch Job was the first to serve a service in the church in the name of St. Basil the Blessed, the Moscow Wonderworker. In 1597, the patriarch performed the rite of finding the relics of the blessed one.
After the death of his contemporary - Blessed John, nicknamed “Big Cap”, His Holiness Patriarch Job established church memory of this Moscow wonderworker.
Honoring his holy predecessors on the Moscow primate throne and believing that through their prayers the Russian Church sought patriarchal dignity, His Holiness Patriarch Job established a conciliar celebration of the Moscow saints Peter, Alexy and Jonah.
Patriarch Job greatly honored the memory of the Monk Daniil Alexandrovich, Prince of Moscow. He ordered the boyar Olferev and the monk of the Pereyaslav Danilovsky Monastery Sergius to write a service to Prince Daniil.
The First Patriarch continued and developed relations with the fraternal Orthodox Churches. The end of the 16th century saw the establishment of ties between Iveria (Georgia) and Russia. Back in 1686, the Georgian Tsar Alexander turned to Tsar Theodore Ioannovich so that he would take Iveria under his protection. Two years later, Metropolitan Job answered Tsar Alexander that the Russian Tsar “took your land of Iveron as his royal property under his own hand.”
The Tsar and Patriarch sent material aid and spiritual messages to Georgia. A remarkable teaching letter from Patriarch Job to Metropolitan Nicholas of Iveron has been preserved.
Almost every year of Job's patriarchate was marked by the construction of a new church in Moscow. The most majestic structure is the bell tower on Cathedral Square of the Moscow Kremlin with the Church of St. John the Climacus. It was built in conditions of a general long-term famine; work on the construction of the bell tower guaranteed income and food for the masses of peasants who took refuge in Moscow and received bread from state reserves.
The multilateral church economy of the first Moscow Patriarch also concerned the strengthening of the faith and piety of the eastern peoples enlightened by Holy Baptism. One day, Saint Hermogenes of Kazan turned to Patriarch Job for advice regarding the deviation of baptized Kazan residents from Christian customs and vows. The Patriarch recommended protective measures - to create Christian settlements in the Kazan lands and not allow Christians to enter the service of unbaptized Tatars.
By God's grace, the miraculous icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, called the Kazan Icon, appeared to strengthen the faith of Kazan Christians. After Saint Hermogenes found the shrine, he composed a story about it. “The Zealous Intercessor” soon became the savior of Russia from the Great Troubles.
The turmoil continued throughout Job's reign. In his spiritual testament, Job says the following: “God knows what sobs and tears I have fallen into since the dignity of priesthood was conferred on me; either because of our weakness, lacking spiritual strength, or sympathizing with the troubles of our flock, we were plunged into severe misfortunes, bitterness, slander and reproaches; All this befell me, the humble one.” By God's permission, a misfortune occurred in Uglich in 1591: Tsarevich Dimitri, son of John IV, died under mysterious circumstances. A spontaneous rebellion arose, and lynching of the sovereign's people was carried out. The government sent an authoritative commission to investigate the case, headed by Metropolitan Gelasius of Sarsk and Podonsk and boyar Vasily Shuisky, the future tsar.
The commission presented the conclusions of the investigation to the Duma and the consecrated cathedral; the commission proved that the death of the prince was unexpected due to his illness. The Council of Clergy and Boyars agreed with the conclusions of the investigative commission and determined that “the death of Dmitry Tsarevich was committed by God’s judgment.” Patriarch Job did not believe in Boris Godunov’s involvement in the murder of the prince and retained his confidence in this until the end of his days.
Seven years after the death of Tsarevich Demetrius, Tsar Theodore Ioannovich died. A “man in light robes” appeared to the dying king, whom the king called patriarch and ordered the boyars surrounding his bed to give due honor to this husband.
Coming to the king, the fading servant of God Theodore, Patriarch Job thanked God for the miraculous appearance of the Angel of the Lord. Then the patriarch performed the Holy Sacrament of Anointing and administered Theodore the Holy Mysteries. Soon Tsar Theodore died, he left no heirs, and thus the direct Rurik dynasty was ended. Patriarch Job blessed the end of the funeral service and the singing of the funeral lament with the distribution of alms to the poor, churches, and monasteries, as well as the release of prisoners from prisons.
The Moscow throne, according to the will of Tsar Theodore, passed to his wife Irina, but she wanted to take monastic vows. The Patriarch began to ask Tsarina Irina to bless her brother Boris for the kingdom. For several days the patriarch tried to convince Boris - and all in vain.
On Meat Week, February 17, 1598, the Zemsky Council opened with a speech by Patriarch Job. Having told about the unsuccessful attempts to persuade the boyar Boris Godunov to accept the All-Russian kingdom, the Moscow High Hierarch concluded his speech with the words: “As for me and the Zemsky Sobor, the boyars and nobles and Orthodox Christians who were in Moscow, our unanimous thought is that, besides Sovereign Boris Feodorovich, we should not look for another sovereign.” Then all the elected Russian lands declared their full agreement with this opinion.
But Boris Godunov was adamant and did not want to accept the decisions of the Zemsky Sobor. Then the patriarch organized a religious procession to the walls of the Novodevichy Convent with the miraculous icons of the Mother of God: Vladimir, Donskoy and Petrovskaya.
Boris, seeing the religious procession, himself came out to meet him with the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God. Having blessed Boris with the cross, His Holiness Patriarch Job said: “Do not be sad, God’s chosen son. It was not I who accomplished this feat, but the Most Pure Mother of God, having loved you, came to you. Be ashamed of Her coming, do not resist the Divine will and do not attract His righteous wrath by disobedience.”
Then Patriarch Job performed the Divine Liturgy in the monastery, after which he blessed Boris Feodorovich, chosen for the kingdom, with the cross of the Life-Giving Tree, named him king and proclaimed the first many years. The Patriarch drew up an affirmative letter on the election of Boris Godunov to the throne, which was signed by all, about five hundred in number, participants in the Zemsky Sobor. Letters from the patriarch were distributed throughout Rus', announcing the election of a new king and commanding people to pray for him.
Soon a new punishment fell on Rus' - imposture. Patriarch Job sent accusatory letters to Little Russia. In the conciliar letter to the Lithuanian lords and the Kiev governor, Konstantin Ostrozhsky was ordered to catch the impostor Grigory Otrepyev and send him to Moscow for punishment. Everything was unsuccessful, and by the end of 1604 almost all of southwestern Rus' separated from Moscow, finding itself under the rule of an impostor. The Patriarch did not stop writing letters and sending them to all lands, calling to remember God and the kiss of the cross to Tsar Boris; In these messages, Patriarch Job swore that the impostor was the defrocked Grishka, and not Tsarevich Dimitri. The people seemed to have become blind and deaf, and then the patriarch anathematized the impostor with all his accomplices as a villain and a heretic plotting to abolish Orthodoxy in Russia. By order of the patriarch, the anathema was pronounced in all churches of great Russia.
In April 1605, Tsar Boris unexpectedly died, and thanks to the efforts of the All-Russian High Hierarch, Moscow and the army swore allegiance to Borisov’s son, Tsarevich Theodore. The oath turned out to be weak, forty days later betrayal followed - on June 1, the impostor’s manifesto was read out on Red Square. The Patriarch begged the boyars to calm the people, but they avoided active action. The rebels broke into the Kremlin, brutally dealt with Tsar Feodor Borisovich and his mother and swore allegiance to the impostor, calling him Tsar Dimitri. His Holiness Patriarch Job, a sincere defender of the Fatherland and Orthodoxy, untouched by the rebels, found himself captured by the enemies of Christ.
In the letter of accession to the throne, the impostor lied, as if Patriarch Job had sworn allegiance to him, but, not having obtained the oath from His Holiness through his minions, he decided to remove Patriarch Job from the Moscow throne. Exhausted under the burden of labor and illness, the elder patriarch, as usual, sought consolation and tranquility in prayer.
A few days after the death of Tsar Theodore Borisovich at the hands of rebels, an armed crowd broke into the altar of the Assumption Cathedral in the Kremlin, where Patriarch Job was celebrating the Divine Liturgy. Without allowing the sacred rites to finish, they tore off the sacred robes from the saint.
The Patriarch imperiously removed the villains, approached the Vladimir miraculous icon of the Mother of God, took off the precious panagia donated by Tsar Theodore Ioannovich and placed on him by the Ecumenical Patriarch during his enthronement to the Moscow Patriarchate, placed this great gift at the icon and said aloud to everyone: “Here, in this church, in front of this holy icon, I was honored the rank of bishop and kept the integrity of the faith for nineteen years; Now I see the disaster of the Church, the triumph of heresy. Mother of God, save Orthodoxy!”
The rioters did not heed his words and prayer; They dragged the elder around the church, mockingly laughed at him and finally dragged him to the Place of Execution. A raging crowd shouting “Rich, rich, rich Job the patriarch, let’s go and plunder him!” rushed to the patriarchal chambers and the sacristy. The exhausted old man was put on a cart and taken to the Staritsky Assumption Monastery.
Thus, at the end of his earthly journey, Patriarch Job returned to the peaceful abode of his youth. The blessed elder was received by his faithful spiritual son Archimandrite Dionysius, abbot of the monastery; he tried to give complete peace to the courageous confessor of Orthodoxy. Hegumen Dionysius subsequently became the abbot of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery and led the defense of the monastery during the siege by the Poles.
The many months of standing at the Lavra by hundreds of Chernets against the impostors was the beginning of the liberation of Russia from the turmoil. The Monk Dionysius of Radonezh received from His Holiness Job the spirit of defense of Orthodoxy and the Fatherland, inspired his monks and, through victory over the turmoil, passed on this spirit to his descendants. In an era of general temptation, only Saint Job remained adamant and faithful to his former vows and kisses of the Holy Cross of the Lord. He transferred this loyalty to the Monk Dionysius, and then to Hermogenes, the patriarch-martyr.
The rebels wanted to place Archbishop Ignatius of Ryazan on the supposedly widowed patriarchal throne. He went to Staritsa to receive a blessing from St. Job for his patriarchal accession.
Despite the threats, the saint resolutely refused to bless the traitor to the Church and the Fatherland and only said: “For the gang the chieftain, and for the sheep the shepherd.”
After the overthrow of False Dmitry, the saints who gathered in Moscow on the occasion of the coronation of Vasily Shuisky asked Patriarch Job to return to his throne. But by that time the elder had become blind and, as legend testifies, blessed Metropolitan Hermogenes of Kazan to take his place.
Shuisky's accession did not pacify Rus'; Polish intrigues, popular unrest and imposture were aggravated by boyar strife.
Patriarch Hermogenes and Tsar Vasily decided to give the people the opportunity to repent, to cleanse themselves of the filth of lies and violation of the kiss of the cross, and for the forgiveness and resolution of these sins to beg the elder Patriarch Job to come to Moscow and accept popular repentance.
Metropolitans of Krutitsa Paphnutius, Simonov Archimandrite Pimen, the Patriarchal Archdeacon and the Sovereign Deacon were sent for the elder.
Patriarch Hermogenes wrote to Job: “To our sovereign father, His Holiness Patriarch Job, your son and pilgrim Hermogenes, Patriarch of Moscow, I strike with my forehead... We strongly desire to see you and be worthy of the blessing of your right hand, we especially beg you to make a prayer for us to God, may the merciful Lord, for the sake of your holy prayers, grant peace, peace and quiet to the Russian state, and to the saints strength to the churches and the Christian faith."
The elder patriarch arrived in Moscow on February 14, and after a solemn meeting of both patriarchs with the clergy, the people were ordered to gather at the Assumption Cathedral. On the appointed day, February 20, the entire Kremlin was filled with people; His Holiness Patriarch Job came to the cathedral in the cassock of a simple monk, crying and sobbing, kissed the cathedral shrines - the miraculous icons and relics of the Moscow high priests - and stood at the patriarchal place.
Patriarch Hermogenes served a prayer service at the cathedral. All eyes were turned to the blind old patriarch Job.
The people turned to Job with tears: “Good shepherd! Forgive us, the verbal sheep of your former flock... We ourselves turned away from you, got lost in the wilds of sin, and gave ourselves up to be devoured by a fierce beast, always ready to destroy human souls. Deliver us from unsolvable bonds by the Divine grace given to you.” Archdeacon Alimpius came to the pulpit, the lamentations of the people gradually faded away, and with the blessing of Patriarch Hermogenes he began to read a petition written on behalf of the people and addressed with repentant confessions and prayers to Patriarch Job. It said: “We were all deceived, from the least to the greatest, we accepted a lie as the truth, abandoned our oath and betrayed the kiss of the cross, accepting Otrepiev to the kingdom and handing over to him to death the family of Boris, to whom we swore allegiance. He killed them, rejected you, our father, from us, separated the shepherd from the sheep...
Just as then we were bound by your holiness, so now we are seeking permission from your holiness and asking not only for those present in this church, but also for the entire Russian kingdom, not only for the living, but also for the dead. We ask you to allow us all, young and old. And you, sir, Holy Patriarch Job, do not reject us, the repentant, do not leave us to die in despair. Give us forgiveness and absolve us from the sin of oath.”
After reading, the petition was handed over to the elder patriarch. Then the archdeacon read out the letter of permission from His Holiness Job, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'. The letter recalled the unanimous popular election of Tsar Boris, the popular oath of allegiance to him, spoke of betrayals and all kinds of disasters during the false reign of the impostor; it was said that people's repentance is accepted by God.
After reading the permitting letter, Saint Job turned to the people with a final admonition. The earthly exploits of Patriarch Job were completed, he both lived in this world in humility and purity, and left it in complete simplicity, without any acquisition and far from palace and worldly turmoil. Four months after returning to Staritsa after nationwide repentance, on June 19, 1607, on Sunday night, Patriarch Job passed away into another world. Metropolitan Paphnutius of Krutitsa and Archbishop Theoktist of Tver arrived for the burial of His Holiness.
The coffin with the body was installed in the Assumption Monastery Church; During the Divine Liturgy, “there was great dew on the face of this Holy Patriarch Job, but Dionysius wiped off that dew and wetted two towels. At the end of the Divine Liturgy, when he was carried to the burial, and then his face became bright, as if I were living for him.”
They placed it near the Church of the Assumption of the Mother of God at the western door opposite the right choir. By order of the Monk Dionysius, who was then the rector of Staritsa, a “stone tent” was built over the coffin. Patriarch Job appeared to the monk and said that a “tent” of a different kind was appropriate for him. In this appearance to the Monk Dionysius there was, as it were, a prophetic voice that the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin would become a “tent” over the tomb of His Holiness.
Tradition has brought to us many testimonies about the miraculous help of Saint Job. On the eve of the Polish-Lithuanian invasion in 1609, on June 4, a certain John Tulupov, a resident of the city of Staritsa, being in a frenzy of mind due to his illness, was awarded a vision of the Most Holy Theotokos, St. Nicholas and His Holiness Patriarch Job.
He saw that they came out of the western doors of the Assumption Church of the Staritsky Monastery and turned to him, ordering him to go into the city and tell the governor - the Staritsky prince Simeon Putyatin and the archpriest of the city Archangel Cathedral John, to serve a prayer service to the Archangel Michael, consecrate the water and sprinkle the whole city with it. If they do not do what the Mother of God and the saints command, then the city and the monastery will perish at the hands of enemies. John began to scream and shout about the vision and demanded access to the authorities, but his parents thought that he was going crazy, tied him up and did not tell anyone anything. A day later, the vision was confirmed - the city and the monastery were burned, and the people were killed by Lithuanian soldiers.
Some time after the death of His Holiness Patriarch Job, a certain peasant John Bax was healed of demonic possession. He was possessed by the spirit of slander and evil-doing towards all people. Suddenly it occurred to him to serve a prayer service to the Mother of God and a memorial service for His Holiness Patriarch Job at the Staritsky Monastery. Having accomplished all this, John was freed from slander and villainy. Thus, the holy Patriarch Job, standing before the Throne of the Lord, continued his earthly service, eradicating the malice and intrigues of men.
Almost half a century later, on the advice of Metropolitan Nikon of Novgorod, in 1652, Tsar Alexei proposed to the clergy to transfer to Moscow from the Solovetsky Monastery the relics of St. Philip, and from the Staritsky Monastery the relics of St. Job, who suffered for the Russian Church and his flock.
Metropolitan Varlaam of Rostov with the clergy and boyar Saltykov with his retinue arrived in Staritsa. Upon opening the grave and coffin, it turned out that the relics of Patriarch Job were incorruptible and fragrant, and miraculous healings began from them. When the coffin with the relics was placed in the Assumption Church, a certain sick in spirit John, the son of Alexander, venerated it. His faith in the prayers of the saint of God Job was so great that he was immediately healed.
The procession with the miraculous relics of Patriarch Job left the monastery on March 27. When the celibate relics reached the village of Latysheva, they were placed for some time in the Church of the Transfiguration. In this village there was a certain maiden Agrippina, daughter of Tarasov, who was dragged by an unclean spirit through forests and swamps on a new moon. The girl’s parents led her to the source of grace that had appeared, and according to their faith in the miraculousness of the holy relics of Patriarch Job, the girl’s mind was enlightened and freed from darkness.
The holy relics of the All-Russian Patriarch, upon approaching Moscow in the village of Tushino, were met by Metropolitan Cornelius of Kazan, Archbishop Mikhail of Ryazan, the clergy and princes Trubetskoy and Kurakin with their retinue. From Tushino to Moscow, the coffin was carried by archers on their shoulders.
On April 5, Monday of the sixth week of Great Lent, the relics of the saint were placed in the Passion Monastery. Then the ceremonial procession to the Kremlin began; Patriarch Joseph, Tsar Alexei, clergy, boyars and other people walked behind the coffin. The influx of people into Moscow was such that the procession, with great difficulty, passed through the dense crowd of people standing along the entire route of the relics. The Kremlin was locked, but it was just as crowded as on the streets of Moscow.
Patriarch Joseph, weeping during the procession and marveling at the popular veneration of this saint of God, said to the king: “Look, sir, how good it is to stand for the truth! And glory after death!”
The coffin with the holy relics was placed in the place prepared in the cathedral, and the king wanted to soon find the relics of Patriarch Hermogenes and lay them at the feet of His Holiness Job. But Patriarch Joseph begged the king to put himself in this place, since the elder patriarch foresaw his imminent death. A few days later, Patriarch Joseph died and was laid, as he had requested, with Saint Job.
A case of healing at the relics of the holy Patriarch Job, which took place already in the Assumption Kremlin Cathedral, is recorded. One man named Isaac suffered greatly from ear disease. From the pain it seemed to him that half of his head seemed to be dead.
Having served a prayer service to the Mother of God, he turned in spirit to the holy Patriarch Job, begging him for help and health. At that same hour, Isaac’s illness ceased, and he became completely healthy.
In the Staritsky Monastery, a crypt was preserved where the relics of Patriarch Job were kept until the time of his death; There was an inscription on the crypt, which, in particular, read that Saint Job “now, working miracles, prays for everyone to Almighty God and our Lord Jesus Christ.”
The laborious confessional life of the first Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Job, the working of miracles at his tomb, the solemn discovery and transfer of his relics to Moscow gave the people of God every reason to honor him as a saint. Almost all consolidated lists of Russian saints of the last century point to Patriarch Job as a locally revered saint in the Tver diocese. Patriarch Joseph prepared the church-wide glorification of Patriarch Job.
Since 1979, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Pimen, on the first Sunday after the feast of the holy supreme apostles Peter and Paul, in the former Tver diocese,
Church memory of All Saints who shone in the land of Tver, including His Holiness Job, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.
Saint Job, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, was glorified for church-wide veneration at the Consecrated Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1989.
The celebration of Saint Job takes place twice a year: on April 5 - in memory of the transfer of the relics in 1652 and on June 19 - on the day of his righteous death.
Day thirty. Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov), Bishop of the Caucasus and Black Sea
Saint Ignatius (in the world Dimitri Alexandrovich Brianchaninov) was born on February 5, 1807 in the village of Pokrovsky, Gryazovets district, Vologda province.
The saint's father, Alexander Semenovich, belonged to the old noble family of the Brianchaninovs. Its ancestor was the boyar Mikhail Brenko, squire of the holy noble Grand Duke of Moscow Dimitri Ioannovich Donskoy. Chronicles report that Mikhail Brenko was the same warrior who, in the clothes of the Grand Duke and under the princely banner, heroically died in the battle with the Tatars on the Kulikovo Field. Alexander Semenovich Brianchaninov preserved good old customs in his family. He was a faithful son of the Orthodox Church and a zealous parishioner of the church he built in the village of Intercession.
Bishop Ignatius's mother was an educated, intelligent woman. Having married very early, she devoted her life entirely to her family. Sofia Afanasyevna loved her eldest son Dimitri most of all, distinguishing him for his intelligence and beauty.
Dimitri learned to read early. His favorite book was The School of Piety. This book, which told in simple and clear language about the life and exploits of the ancient ascetics, had a great influence on the impressionable soul of the future ascetic. Young Dimitri Brianchaninov very early fell in love with solitary, concentrated prayer. In her he found joy and consolation.
A very capable and serious youth beyond his years, he received an excellent education at home.
When Dimitri turned 15 years old, his father took him to St. Petersburg to continue his education. On the way to the capital, Dimitri for the first time openly expressed his desire to become a monk, but his father did not pay attention to this.
In St. Petersburg, young Brianchaninov brilliantly passed the entrance exams to the Military Engineering School and, with significant competition, was the first to be immediately enrolled in the 2nd grade. Throughout his years of study, Dimitri Brianchaninov was the first student, distinguished by rare modesty, sincere piety, and enjoyed the universal love of his fellow students and teachers. But the future saint had to endure a lot of sorrows at the school.
The bright star that flashed in this alien darkness was his friendship with Mikhail Chikhachev, who studied at the same Engineering School and, like his new friend, dreamed of prayer and exploits from childhood. Their friendship then continued throughout their lives and is an excellent example of true Christian friendship, because its basis was not some earthly interests, but a single desire to serve Christ the Savior and mutual support along the path of this service. They went to the church of God together and prayed together.
During his years of study, Dimitri Alexandrovich was a welcome guest in many high society houses. Family connections brought him into the house of the President of the Academy of Arts and member of the State Council, Alexei Nikolaevich Olenin. At literary evenings in his house, Brianchaninov was a favorite reader and reciter, and with his literary and poetic talents he gained the favorable attention of A. S. Pushkin, I. A. Krylov, K. I. Batyushkov and I. I. Gnedich.
Secular society temptingly extended its arms towards Brianchaninov, but could not catch him. The inquisitive young man was busy not with worldly entertainment, but with prayer, visiting the church of God and studying science. He spent more than two years diligently studying the sciences, and now, when a vast area of empirical human knowledge opened up before the gaze of his mind, when he studied chemistry, physics, philosophy, geography, geodesy, linguistics, literature and other sciences, he asked himself the question: what, in fact, do sciences give to man? “Man is eternal, and his property must be eternal. Show me this eternal property,” he says, “which I could take with me beyond the grave!” But “the sciences were silent.”
At this time, the seeker of truth met the monks of the Valaam metochion and the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. They helped him find what his soul was striving for.
Under the guidance of the monks, Dimitri Alexandrovich began to read the works of the holy fathers. This is how he himself writes about the beneficial influence that the patristic works had on him: “What struck me first of all in the writings of the fathers of the Orthodox Church? This is their agreement, a wonderful, majestic agreement.”
Reading the works of the holy fathers, edifying conversations with the monks of the Lavra, through whom he met the later famous Optina elder Leonid - all this revived and finally strengthened in the heart of Demetrius the desire of his childhood - to go to a monastery.
It was not easy for Brianchaninov to fulfill this cherished desire of his.
Having graduated from engineering school in 1826 with the rank of lieutenant, Dimitri Alexandrovich, wanting to go to a monastery, immediately, in the same year, submitted his resignation. But here he had to enter into single combat with many “the mighty of this world” and show an example of unshakable courage, martyrdom, and direct confession. His parents categorically refused to bless him on the path of monastic life. His superiors refused to resign. Emperor Nicholas I himself was against his dismissal.
Despite convincing requests, personal explanations, firmness of desire and rare tact, Dimitry Brianchaninov did not receive his resignation, and, as directed by his superiors, had to leave for the Dinaburg fortress within 24 hours.
But when the ascetic’s own strength is powerless in the struggle of life, God Himself comes to his aid and, by His wise Providence, arranges everything for the good.
In Dinaburg, Brianchaninov soon fell ill, and in the fall of 1827 his petition for release from secular service was accepted. Dimitri Alexandrovich immediately perked up; he went to the Alexander-Svirsky monastery in the Olonets province to the elder hieromonk Leonid and became one of the novices of this monastery. However, soon Hieromonk Leonid was forced to move to the Ploshchanskaya hermitage
Oryol province, and then to Optina Pustyn. He was followed by Dimitry Brianchaninov. The novice Dimitri did not stay long in Optina Hermitage. The meager food of this later famous monastery had a bad effect on his health.
At this time, Dimitry’s mother, Sofia Afanasyevna, became seriously ill. Preparing for death and wanting to say goodbye to her eldest son, she insisted that her father send a covered wagon for him to Optina Pustyn. Being himself in a very serious condition in Optina, Dimitry Brianchaninov visits his sick mother.
The novice Dimitri spent a very short time in his parents' house. Soon he retired to the Kirillo-Novoezersky Monastery. In this monastery, Archimandrite Theophan, known for his holy life, lived in retirement. The strict rules of the monastery were to the liking of the novice Demetrius, but the harsh, damp climate of the area negatively affected his health. He fell ill with a fever and for treatment was forced to return to Vologda and stay with his relatives. Having become somewhat stronger, he, with the blessing of the Vologda Bishop Stefan, lived in the Semigorod Hermitage, and then in the more secluded Dionysius-Glushitsky Monastery.
The years spent in the listed monasteries enriched him with spiritual wisdom and strengthened his devotion to the will of God.
In 1831, Vologda Bishop Stefan, seeing the fiery zeal of the novice Demetrius, decided to fulfill the desire of his heart: on June 28, he tonsured Demetrius into monasticism in the Cathedral of the Resurrection and named him Ignatius in honor of the Hieromartyr Ignatius the God-Bearer. It was most fitting to give this name to the one who carried God in his heart from his youth.
On July 4 of the same year, Monk Ignatius was ordained by Bishop Stefan as a hierodeacon, and on July 25 as a hieromonk.
Seeing the spiritual maturity of Hieromonk Ignatius, Bishop Stefan soon appointed him abbot and builder of the Pelshem Lopotov Monastery, which was already destined for closure. Father Ignatius reigned here for a relatively short time (about two years), but during this short period of time, thanks to his wisdom, strong will and indestructible energy, he revived the monastery in spiritual and economic terms. In a short time the number of brothers increased to 30 people.
The young abbot treated the brethren of his monastery, combining fatherly severity with touching love. Feeling this love, the inhabitants of the monastery obediently obeyed the abbot, despite his relatively young age.
On January 28, 1833, for his diligent work in reviving the monastery, Hieromonk Ignatius was elevated to the rank of abbot.
At this time, his activities became known in St. Petersburg. At the end of 1833, he was summoned to the capital, and he was entrusted with the management of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery with the elevation to the rank of archimandrite.
The Trinity-Sergius Hermitage was located on the shores of the Gulf of Finland near St. Petersburg. By the time Archimandrite Ignatius was appointed to it, it had fallen into severe desolation. The church and cells fell into extreme disrepair. The small brethren (15 people) were not distinguished by strict behavior. The twenty-seven-year-old archimandrite had to rebuild everything anew - churches, buildings; start agriculture; he streamlined worship in the monastery and created a wonderful choir.
From 1836 to 1841, the famous church composer Archpriest Pyotr Ivanovich Turchaninov lived near the Sergius Hermitage - in Strelna. Deeply respecting Father Ignatius, he responded to his request and took upon himself the task of teaching the monastery choir. Father Peter Turchaninov wrote several of his best musical works specifically for this choir. The great Russian composer M. I. Glinka was also a deep admirer of Archimandrite Ignatius; At his request, he studied ancient Russian music and, with his advice, contributed to improving the musical culture of the monastery choir. The director of the court chapel, A. F. Lvov, also took an active part in organizing the choir of the Sergius Hermitage. Archimandrite Ignatius combined almost incompatible positions: he was an excellent abbot, administrator and at the same time a gracious elder-confessor for the brethren of the monastery. At the age of 27, he already had the gift of accepting the thoughts of his flock and leading their spiritual life.
By Father Ignatius’s own admission, serving with the living word was his main occupation, to which he devoted all his strength. The feat of serving his neighbors with a word of edification was for him a source of joy and consolation in the field of his sorrowful life. In the Sergius Hermitage, despite being extremely busy, he wrote most of his works.
Since 1838, the circle of activity of Archimandrite Ignatius expanded significantly: he was appointed dean of all the monasteries of the St. Petersburg diocese and could now more widely extend his beneficial influence on monasticism throughout the diocese. He contributed to the flourishing of the spiritual life of the ancient Valaam monastery, promoting the appointment there as abbot of Hegumen Damascene, experienced in spiritual life.
In the Sergius Hermitage, visitors of all positions and ranks constantly came to Father Ignatius. Everyone had to be talked to, everyone had to be given time. Quite often I had to travel to St. Petersburg and visit the houses of noble benefactors of his monastery. Despite this outwardly seemingly absent-minded lifestyle, in his soul Archimandrite Ignatius remained an ascetic hermit. He knew how to maintain inner concentration under any external conditions of life and to constantly pray the Jesus Prayer. In one of his letters, Father Ignatius wrote about himself: “Having spent the beginning of my monastic life in the most secluded monasteries and imbued with the concepts of strict asceticism, I maintained this direction in the Sergius Hermitage, so that in my living room I was a representative archimandrite, and in my study a hermit.”
There, in a secluded room, Father Ignatius spent sleepless nights in prayer and tears of repentance. But, as a true servant of God, guided by the spirit of humility, he knew how to hide his exploits from people’s eyes.
In 1847, Archimandrite Ignatius, exhausted by illness, submitted a request for retirement, but instead received a long leave and went to the Nikolo-Babaevsky Monastery of the Kostroma diocese for treatment. On the way to this monastery, he stopped in Moscow and spent several days in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.
Father Ignatius stayed in the Nikolo-Babaevsky Monastery for 11 months, after which he again returned to the Sergius Hermitage. Difficult days began again: leading the spiritual life of the monastery brethren, receiving visitors, traveling to St. Petersburg, building new churches.
According to the memoirs of Archimandrite Ignatius (Malyshev), his spiritual father, Archimandrite Ignatius (Brianchaninov), treated visitors very differently. This attitude depended on the disposition of their souls with which they came to Father Ignatius. His soul had a special ability to see the state of souls of other people. Almost all blessed people have this special property - people of the spirit, not the flesh.
Archimandrite Ignatius comprehended the human soul at one glance. He was silent with the petrified ones. With the evil ones, he sometimes acted like a fool. But with those who were seeking salvation, he was frank and talked for a long time, pouring into the soul of his interlocutor the saving balm of the word of God, patristic instructions and advice tested by his life.
Father Ignatius's circle of acquaintances was very extensive. Bishops, abbots of monasteries, monks and ordinary lay people turned to him with their requests, knowing that the loving heart of Father Ignatius would respond to their needs. The name of Archimandrite Ignatius was known in all levels of society. Father Ignatius corresponded with many clergy and secular persons. Thus, N.V. Gogol in one of his letters speaks of Father Ignatius with great respect. The famous admiral Nakhimov, a hero of the Crimean War, reverently accepted the icon of St. Mitrophan of Voronezh, sent to him in Sevastopol by Archimandrite Ignatius. His letter to the great Russian artist K. P. Bryullov is remarkable.
In total, more than 800 letters from Bishop Ignatius are currently known. The letters somehow reveal more vividly the qualities of Archimandrite Ignatius’s soul: his extraordinary goodness, spiritual prudence, deep and correct understanding of his contemporary life.
Years passed. Father Ignatius's physical strength became increasingly weaker. The idea of retiring in order to spend the end of my life in solitary silence appeared more and more often.
In 1856, he undertook a trip to Optina Pustyn, intending to completely move there, but this intention was not realized, for the Lord was pleased that His chosen one would also serve the Holy Church in the rank of bishop.
In 1857, on the proposal of Metropolitan Gregory of St. Petersburg, Archimandrite Ignatius was consecrated Bishop of the Caucasus and Black Sea. The consecration took place on October 27, 1857 in the St. Petersburg Kazan Cathedral. The consecration was performed by Metropolitan Gregory with a host of other hierarchs.
Father Ignatius never aspired to the rank of bishop. His incessant dreams were not about the bishop’s staff, but about the simple staff of a desert dweller. In his naming speech, he said: “In the days of my youth, I longed for the deep deserts, but I did not at all think about serving the Church in any kind of priesthood. To be the bishop of my heart and to sacrifice to Christ thoughts and feelings sanctified by the Spirit - this is the height to which my eyes were drawn.”
On January 4, 1858, Bishop Ignatius arrived in the city of Stavropol and took over the administration of the diocese.
The recently opened Caucasian diocese was very unsettled. The population was distinguished by a restless, warlike character; therefore, the first word of Saint Ignatius addressed to the Stavropol flock was a word of peace: “Peace to this city!..”
For a short time - less than four years - His Grace Ignatius ruled the Caucasian diocese. During this time, he visited many parishes of his vast diocese, put the diocesan administration in order, achieved an increase in salaries for the clergy of the diocese, introduced solemn worship, organized a wonderful bishop's choir, built a bishop's house, moved the seminary to new, better buildings and closely monitored its internal life. In addition, he preached tirelessly. In relation to the clergy and parishioners, Bishop Ignatius was a true peacemaker: strict with himself, he was lenient towards the infirmities of his neighbors.
But a serious illness did not leave Bishop Ignatius in the Caucasus, and in the summer of 1861 he submitted a request to retire to the Nikolo-Babaevsky Monastery, which he already knew. A few months later, the request was granted, and on October 13 of the same year, he, along with several devoted students, moved to the said monastery.
Some time later, he wrote to his friend Mikhail Chikhachev: “Never in my life have I been as pleased with my position as I am with it now. It seems that my Guardian Angel, by command of God, dictated a decree about me to the Holy Synod - so this decree satisfies the requirements of my mental mood and physical health.”
Bishop Ignatius accomplished the difficult task of administering the diocese with dignity. And now he was going to rest in order to prepare his soul in solitude for the transition to eternity and for feasible activities for the benefit of his neighbors.
Bishop Ignatius arrived at the Nikolo-Babaevsky Monastery on October 13, 1861. And so the years of solitary life began to flow in a little-known monastery.
By the time of the arrival of Bishop Ignatius, the Nikolo-Babaevsky monastery had fallen into an extremely deplorable situation. There was not even food, and the monastery had large debts. Many buildings, in particular the cathedral church, fell into disrepair.
The bishop’s natural intelligence and practicality allowed him to quickly improve the financial situation of the monastery, carry out major renovations of buildings and build a new church in honor of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God.
In his free time, the saint occupied himself with revising his previous works and writing new ones. In the Nikolo-Babaevsky Monastery, Saint Ignatius wrote “An Offering to Modern Monasticism” and “The Fatherland.” Many of his edifying letters date from this period. The author himself divided his works into three groups. The first 3 volumes are “Ascetic Experiences”, including articles mainly written in the Sergius Hermitage; Volume 4 – “Ascetic Sermon”, which includes sermons delivered in the Caucasus; Volume 5 – “Offering to modern monasticism”, i.e. advice and instructions to monastics about external behavior and internal activity; The 6th volume - “Fatherland” - was published after the death of Bishop Ignatius. This book contains statements by more than 80 ascetics on issues of Christian asceticism and examples from their lives.
The writings of Bishop Ignatius are not the fruit of the thoughts of a theologian-theorist, but the living experience of an active ascetic who built his spiritual life on the basis of the Holy Scriptures and the moral tradition of the Orthodox Church.
First of all, it must be said about the works of Saint Ignatius that they all bear the stamp of grace-filled anointing. He wrote his works when the Divine word touched his sensitive ear, when a word sent by the Lord appeared in his heart.
“There have been moments in my life,” he wrote to S. D. Nechaev, “either during severe sorrows, or after a long silence, moments in which the “word” appeared in my heart. This word was not mine. It consoled me, instructed me, filled me with imperishable life and joy, and then departed. I happened to write down the thoughts that shone so brightly in these blissful moments. I read afterwards, I read something that is not my own, I read words that descended from some higher environment and remain instructions.” For this reason, Saint Ignatius did not look at his works as his own, but recognized them as “the property of all modern ascetics of the Orthodox Church.”
The writings of Saint Ignatius set forth the teaching of the Holy Fathers on Christian life, applied to the demands of our time. This is an important feature and dignity of his creations.
The theological heritage of Saint Ignatius was received by readers with great love and gratitude.
Even during the life of Bishop Ignatius, his creations were distributed to many monasteries of the Russian land and were highly appreciated. The Sarov Hermitage received “Ascetic Experiences” with special love. In the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, Optina Hermitage, in the monasteries of St. Petersburg, Moscow, Kazan and other dioceses, the saint’s works were recognized as soul-saving books, reflecting the ascetic tradition of Orthodox asceticism in relation to the spiritual demands of monasticism of that time. Even on distant Athos, the works of Bishop Ignatius gained fame and aroused reverent veneration for their author. The best hierarchs of the last century immediately saw in the writings of the Right Reverend Ignatius a comprehensive guide to spiritual life.
Metropolitan Isidore of St. Petersburg wrote to Bishop Ignatius on April 7, 1867: “Having received today 3-4 volumes of the works of Your Eminence, I hasten to express my sincere gratitude to you for your useful works, which testify to your deep study of the soul-saving teaching of the godly ascetics of piety and true leaders in monastic life.”
During the first year of his stay at the Nikolo-Babaevsky Monastery, Bishop Ignatius’ health improved somewhat. But soon the illness intensified again, and he remained here continuously until his death.
The year 1866 came, the 3rd and 4th volumes of his works were printed, but Bishop Ignatius himself became so weak that everyone who came to him was amazed when they saw him. But the bishop was cheerful in spirit, he was waiting for death, for he devoted his whole life to serving Christ, and life for him was Christ, and death was gain (Phil. 1:21).
In the last days of his life, he was imbued with extraordinary mercy towards everyone, which seemed to be dissolved by some kind of pity. But at the same time, unspeakable joy shone on the patient’s face. On April 16, 1867, on the first day of Easter, the bishop served the last Liturgy with great difficulty. He no longer left his cell, his strength noticeably weakened.
The death of Bishop Ignatius followed on Sunday, April 30, the Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women. On the sixth day after death, the funeral service for the body of Bishop Ignatius was performed by His Grace Jonathan, Bishop of Kineshma, according to the Easter rite.
5,000 people were present at the burial of St. Ignatius.
Everyone was surprised at the softness of the hands and the generally calm position of the deceased’s body, which did not at all emit the usual smell of decay. The funeral service for the deceased was more like some kind of celebration than a burial. I couldn’t help but remember the words of the deceased: “You can know that someone who has died is under the mercy of God if, during the burial of his body, the sadness of those around him is dissolved by some incomprehensible joy.”
The coffin with the body of the saint was surrounded around the cathedral and, while singing “Christ is Risen,” it was lowered into the ground in the small hospital church in honor of St. Sergius of Radonezh and St. John Chrysostom, near the left choir. It is very noteworthy that Bishop Ignatius, who devoted almost twenty-five years to the service of the northern monastery of St. Sergius, also found eternal rest in the church of St. Sergius, only in the south.
In the autobiographical notes of M. V. Chikhachev, the posthumous appearances of St. Ignatius to his flock are noted. So, on the twelfth day after the death of the saint, one of his spiritual daughters, who was in great sorrow because of his sudden death, saw him in an indescribable light in the church. At night that same day, she heard the wondrous singing of a thousand voices. The thick bass hummed rhythmically from a distance, like the ringing of all the Moscow bells on Easter night, and this hum smoothly merged with soft velvety tenors, with altos scattered with silver, and the whole choir seemed to be one voice - there was so much harmony in it. And the words stood out more and more clearly: “A champion of Orthodoxy, repentance and prayer to a fair worker and teacher, a God-inspired adornment to the bishops, glory and praise to the monastics; Through your writings you have made us all wise. Spiritual tsevnitsa, new Chrysostom: pray to the Word of Christ God, Whom you bore in your heart, to grant us repentance before the end!” The singing of this troparion was repeated for three nights.
Bishop Ignatius’ ministry of word of edification did not stop with his death. The saint's teaching about the spiritual life of a Christian, as set out by him in his works, serves the salvation of Christians of all subsequent generations. Numerous editions of the works of Bishop Ignatius quickly spread to monasteries and individuals, throughout the entire Russian land.
In the year of the death of Bishop Ignatius, Archbishop Leonid of Yaroslavl wrote: “I hope that Orthodox Russian people will little by little assimilate the late saint; in his life and writings they will try to find and will find what can be generally soul-saving.”
Saint Ignatius was canonized as a saint at the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, dedicated to the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia in 1988.
The celebration of Saint Ignatius takes place on April 30 - the day of his righteous death.
That is, the desire of the people that the Divine service be performed in their native Slavic language.
See: Filaret Chernigovsky. Historical teaching about the Fathers of the Church: In 3 volumes. Ed. 2. St. Petersburg, 1882.
Ratshin A. Complete collection of information about monasteries. According to the census of 1662, there were 6 courtyards at the Bezhetsky Vvedensky Monastery.
Letter to Gregory the Theologian about desert living // Christian Reading. 1821.
Ambrose (Ornatsky), archimandrite. History of the Russian hierarchy. Part III; Ratshin A. Complete collection of information about monasteries; Dictionary of Saints.
The Bollandists praise Nicholas Cabasilas, Archbishop of Thessalonica, St. Theodore, lat. et grec. april. I, 405–409, append. r. 55–59. Extracts - in Chetiy-Minea on April 5.
Words of John the Reader in the Narrative of the Turks. At Kabasila's St. Theodora is also called the myrrh-streamer. The monastery where the relics of St. Theodora, Franz calls it the monastery of St. Theodora (Tafel. De Thessalonica).
Eusebius of Caesarea. Church history: In 10 books. Book VIII, ch. 7.
Sozomen. Church history. Book III, VI; Assemani. Biblioteca Orientalis Clementino-Vaticanä Vol. I-IV. Romae, 1719–1728. Vol. III.
Filaret, Archbishop. Chernigovsky. Historical teaching about the Fathers of the Church. § 102, 103.
In the Greek Menaion of April 6. Memory of St. The Platonids, except for April 6, are also on Cheese Saturday (Vershinsky D.S. Mesyatseslov).
About the charter in the life of Fevronia.
Filaret, Archbishop. Chernigovsky. Historical teaching about the Fathers of the Church. § 131, 133.
Life of St. Fevronia, described by her mentor St. Thomaida in: Acta Sanctorum, 24 Junii. In the Chetyah-Menaiah of June 25. Another Greek description is from Fabritius (bibl. Gr. X). At the end it says: “I Thomaida, after the death of Brienne, took over the leadership of the monastery and, knowing everything that happened to Fevronia, partly from Lysimachus, described her entire life and history, for the glory of the martyr.” According to modern times, St. Thomaida with Saint James of Nizibia, it is more than likely that Thomaida wrote her notes about Fevronia at the behest of St. Jacob, and they were revised by him. It is also likely that Thomaida wrote notes in the Syrian language, and they were later translated into Greek.
These martyrs are not mentioned in the month books of the Greek Church. Baronia's martyrology placed them under June 15th.
St. Brienne, Jeria and Thomaida are glorified by the Church on Cheese Saturday; St. Fevronia is also famous on June 25th. Among the Abyssinians, the maiden Kefronia, or Afronia, is July 1 (June 25).
Pannonian Life of St. Kirill on 6 list. published in “Readings in the Society of Russian History and Antiquities” (1863 and 1864). Pannonian Life of St. Methodius, see: Safarik. Pamatky drevniho pisemnictvi. A critical comparison of evidence about the enlighteners in: Filaret, Archbishop. Chernigovsky. Historical teaching about the Fathers of the Church. For an arrangement of ancient lives with additions and comments, see: I. Platonov. The life and exploits of the first Slavic teachers, Saints Cyril and Methodius // Spiritual Herald. Kharkov, 1862, No. 6–8 (hereinafter – Platonov I. Life and exploits of the first teachers. – Ed.). For an overview of the source information, see: O. Bodyansky. On the time of origin of Slavic writings. M., 1855 (hereinafter – O. Bodyansky. About the time of origin of Slavic writings. – Ed.). For a refutation of unscrupulous rumors with the history of their papism, see: Lavrovsky P. A. Cyril and Methodius. Kharkov, 1863 (hereinafter – Lavrovsky P.A. Kirill and Methodius. – Ed.).
The Cyril and Methodius Collection (M., 1865) contains several studies on the lives of saints, for example Nevostruev on the translation of the Gospel, Viktorov “on new sources and new works” regarding the Slavic enlighteners; Viktorov especially tried to determine the meaning of the Italian legend.
“You eat the Selunians, and the Selunians all talk purely Slavic,” the emperor says to the brothers, sending them to Moravia.” In the synaxar of the 15th century. about Cyril: “he was born from the city of Thessaloniki, by birth he was a Bulgarian” (IORYAS. T. VI).
The words of Theoktistus: “taking monastic vows and becoming a priest,” in connection with the words about Cyril’s dislike for worldly life, mean initiation into sacred monasticism; St. Constantine confirms this meaning with his life: after accepting the rank, he hurries to go to the monastery; then, returning from the mission, he again lives in the monastery. This is how St. understood it. Dimitri.
Praise to St. Cyril and Methodius.
On the way to the Khazars near Kherson, Konstantin “you will find the Gospel and the psalter, written by Rushki, and you will find a person speaking with that conversation.” Platonov rightly notes that the Gothic translation of the Gospel and Psalter, compiled in the 4th century, was found in Crimea by Ulphilof; It’s just in vain that the Varangians are getting involved here. The matter can easily be done without them. They lived together with the Goths in Crimea back in the 4th century. Russian Slavs; Subsequently, the first mostly scattered throughout Europe, but the Russian Slavs remained. The Russian, who lived in Crimea with the Goths, could easily read and explain the translation to the philosopher Ulfilof, especially since this translation contains many Slavic words. The writings are called Russian only because they were explained by a Russian. The words: “conversation with him and receiving the power of speech” do not at all require the meaning that Constantine was talking in Gothic - the conversation was between a Russian Slav and a Macedonian - about the translation of Ulfila. On the way back to Constantinople, the saints were again in Kherson. Konstantin predicted the imminent death of Kherson. bishop. At that time they were in Fulla. In the 13th century
Archbishop of Sugdei was called Sugdeo-Fulla. This is also evident from the notes of the Sugdean Greek (Kherson Diocesan Gazette. 1865. No. 4). Consequently, Sugdeya, otherwise Sudak and Surozh, was not far from Fulla. And since the Kherson archbishop once wanted to include Fulla in the district of his diocese, then Fulla must be considered not far from Kherson. Residents of Fulla, according to the life of St. Cyril, although there were Christians, idolized the huge oak tree. St. Constantine, having proved to them the wickedness of their superstition, brought it to the point that the oak was cut down and burned by the Fullans themselves.
Ancient service of St. Cyril: “a host of Jews who joined the Kozars in the northern cities, scattering them with the sharp weapons of your words.” Let us remember that, according to life, the preachers were in Crimea on the way to Khazaria and from Khazaria; According to the canon, we see that the Khazars, who had preachers, lived in the north of the Crimea.
Life of Clement: “even before (before his stay in Moravia) he made the ruler of the Bulgarian Boris his disciple, aroused his love for the beautiful native language and then endowed him with the gifts of instructions, which he repeated to him incessantly.” The translator misunderstood and conveyed the words of the original. Compare: Safarik. Slavic antiquities. T. 2, book. 2.
Text of the synaxarion in Izv. acad. VI, 384. The reality and time of this event are also justified by the story of the transfer of the relics of the Strumnica martyrs to Bregalnica (see May 2). According to Latin legend, Cyril and Methodius came to Moravia with the translated Gospel. Сognoscentes loci illuius indigene adventum illorum, valde gavisi sunt, quia – et evangelium in eorum linguam a philosopho translatum secum ferre audierant. The legend of Lyudmila: sanctus Cyrillus, postquam Bulgariam ad fidem Iesu Christi convertisset, Moraviam est ingressus. Srevnevsky reconciles Brave with other witnesses about the year of invention of letters with the idea that Brave considered 5,500 years before Christ. There is nothing else left to do, given the certainty of the news about the invention of letters in 862.
Bregalnica is a city with a district on the river. Bregalnice, which flows into the Vardar (Aksiy), is 5 hours' journey from Strumnica, in the north-west of the latter, while Strumnitsa is 5 hours' journey from Thessaloniki in the north. Grigorovich: “I went to a waterless valley, whose name is Ovchepolye... I reached Istiba, a city lying on a cape-shaped mountainside, on the Bregalnitsa River. The dilapidated castle on one of the hills, the strong, beautiful bridges place it among the most beautiful cities in Macedonia... My attention turned to the Episcopal Church of St. Nicholas... From Istib begin the rich valleys cultivated by the Bulgarians” (V. Grigorovich. Travel sketch). The current Istib is the ancient city of Bregalnica.
Life of Cyril: “gathering the disciples and giving them instruction; Soon the whole church reception will be held, teach the morning service and the hour and vespers and evening service and the secret service.”
So Clement in his words of praise to Cyril.
Cosmas Pragensis. Chronicle Boёmorum. T. 1.
For evidence, see: Filaret, Archbishop. Chernigovsky. Historical teaching about the Fathers of the Church (cf.: Christian antiquities and archeology. Tetr. 9 / Publ. Prokhorov V. A. St. Petersburg, 1864). The testimony of the chronicle of Andrei Dandola is not entirely accurate: “according to the sermon of Bl. Kirill Zveropol, King of Dalmatia, descended from Odrill, a relative of King Totila, accepted the Orthodox faith with all his people” (Reiskir note ad Orphyr. p. 357).
Imp. Konstantin about the life of the emperor. Basil (Constantine VII Progenitors. De Administrator Imperio § 29, 31, 42). The composer of the service for the seventh numerals sings: “Rejoice, choir of the seventh numerals - the salvation of the Bulgarians and the joy of the Dalmatians (Serbs)... On the seventh numerals, God, as on seven pillars, founded the entire Church of the wild Bulgarians and Dalmatians (Serbs), subordinating them to the law with the words of scripture and the invention of writing” (Russian conversation. No. 11). Serbian chronicle: “Constantine the philosopher and offered him to St. Methodius. books from Grchski language in Slovenian. Bulgaria and Slovenia and Srbi and Arbanasi and Boginyan and Rus', in all of them, there is one ezik. Sveta Konstantin the philosopher, having laid down many books, went away first to teach the sayings of the Eziki and betray them to St. Scripture according to their language” (Glasnik. Book 10). Without a doubt, the Slavic service spread between the neighboring Serbs from Bregalnica. After Methodius, first St. Gorazd, whose relics are near Berat, then St. Clement. About the time of the event, see: Lavrovsky P. A. The Italian legend about the life of St. Cyril and his discovery of the relics of St. Clement // Journal of the Ministry of Public Education. 1886. Book. 7, 8.
Bulgarian synaxar 1340 (Kalaidovich K.F. John, Exarch of Bulgaria; Glasnik. Book 11). Only an eyewitness could talk about the burial in this way, Bodyansky rightly notes (Bodyansky O. About the time of origin of Slavic letters). In the life of St. Methodius: “I placed it in the cathedral church.” This is the church of Velehrad.
Srednevsky in “Christian Antiquities”, tetr. 7, 1864
Detailed consideration in: Filaret, Archbishop. Chernigovsky. Historical teaching about the Fathers of the Church.
For a Russian translation of an abbreviation of Cyril’s conversations, see: I. Platonov. Life and exploits of the first teachers. Note 19.
Recently Ginzel has been trying to exhibit St. Cyril and Methodius by admirers of Romanism (Joseph Augustin Ginzel. Geschichte Der Slawenapostel Cyrill Und Method Und Der Slawischen Liturgie. Leitmeritz, 1857). Against him and others like him, see at length in: Lavrovsky P.A. Cyril and Methodius.
In the Bulgarian synaxar of the 13th century. On August 25th, the memory of St. Cyril and Methodius. And here it is said: “and create his memory on April 6. m. and the great church celebrates his memory on the day" (Kalaidovich K.F. John, Exarch of Bulgaria). In the Synodal April Menaion of the 12th century, both are commemorated on April 6. In harat. Gospels Moscow. Arkhangelsk, personal. On April 6, the memory of “St. Methodius arch^p. and his brother Cyril." In the Ostromir and Asseman Gospels on February 14, the memory of “St. Constantine the Philosopher,” under April 6, “St. Methodius." Life of St. Cyril was placed under October 14, the life of St. Methodius - on April 6th. Since 1380, Czechs and Moravians have celebrated Cyril and Methodius on March 9 (Acta Sanctorum, mart. 2).
In the Synodal April Menaion of the 12th century, under April 6, the canon to Cyril and Methodius. Here in the 7th song about Methodius: “The Moravian country led a spade and a pillar to God, enlightened by you, learn to call into your tongue: the father of our God”... A completely different canon in the Bulgarian Menaion of the 13th century: “like the sun, the lordship (from) the east, you shone to the west, father, the ambassador of the wise teacher of all” (Izv. Acad. VI, 191. 192). One service was published in: Grigorovich V. Ancient Slavic monument complementing the lives of the Slavic apostles, Saints Cyril and Methodius // Scientific notes of Kazan University. 1862. Here in paragraph 9: “you, blessed one, the land of Moravia sings, possessing your evil, and Panonska, enlightened by you. People have gathered together to celebrate your memory.” Several songs of St. Kirill in: Antonin (Kapustin), archimandrite. Notes from a fan of the Holy Mountain.
News of the Lithuanian Mikhalon from Solovyov (Soloviev S. History of Russia. Vol. 7).
The suffering of St. Paul is placed between the lives of the new martyrs, published in Greek in Venice in 1799. Easter 1683 was April 8. Consequently, Great Friday, the day of the Lord’s suffering and the day of the death of St. Pavel, it was April 6, not April 3, as others show.
See the life of St. Gregory of Sinaite in: Athonite Patericon. Part 1.
Neil in the preface to the charter: “Everywhere there is praise in the Holy Scriptures, even in one or two silences, just as the self-viders ran in Holy Mount Athos and in the countries of Constantinople and in many other places, the essence of such a stay.” About the journey and in his letter.
Message to Prince Vassian in the RKP. Sergius Lavra No. 2, Tolstoy 2, No. 34.
Shevyrev S. Trip to the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery. Part 2.
Charter of Grand Duke Vasily 1515 (Acts collected by the Archaeographic Expedition. Vol. 1).
The unknown life of St. Joseph of Volokolamsk in: Additions to the publication of the works of the holy fathers in Russian translation: In 48 hours. M., 1843–1892. Part 10 (hereinafter referred to as Additions to the edition of the works of the Holy Fathers).
Vassian in his justification: “These are lies against me and against my elder Nil (Sorsky), that we blaspheme wonderworkers, both ancient and new. Elder Nil did not remove any miracles from their holy writings; he especially corrected them, and the bishop copied them from others” (manuscript of the Synod. Books No. 738).
Filaret Chernigovsky. Message from Gennady to Joasaph of Rostov // Read. OIDR. 1847. No. 8.
Additions to the edition of the works of St. fathers. Part 10. Voice of St. Nile, says the first contemporary, was supported by his student, the monk Vassian Kosoy. Vassian himself wrote in his justification: “Weigh yourself, Joseph, in St. rules that clean widowers are commanded to serve... But about villages, it is not appropriate to keep villages as a monastery; in cathedral churches, in secular churches, St. to keep the rules of the land, but not for the bishop to own them, nor for the priest, but for all the church wealth to be in charge of the icon and for him to report from the bishop to all the church clerks. But it is not proper for a monk to become rich and hold lands before he has renounced all this.” RKP. Synod. library No. 738.
Ambrose (Ornatsky), archimandrite. History of the Russian hierarchy. Part V. RKP. Saints: “St. Neil, the head of the Sorsk monastery on Beloozero, died at the age of 10. 7016". So according to the senior list. In the Oten calendar: “St. Nil, the head of the Sorsk hermitage of the monastery life on Beloozero, reposed in the summer of April 7016 (1508) on the 7th day.” The same month and date of death are in the general calendar. ist. No. 231. and in the third list. In the Dictionary of Saints, the day of death is shown as May 7, but this is hardly the day of one remembrance established for a miraculous event.
Ambrose (Ornatsky), archimandrite. History of the Russian hierarchy. Part V
Tradition or instruction of St. Nile published in: Ambrose (Ornatsky), archimandrite. History of the Russian hierarchy. Part V, but faulty. More correct - new edition: St. N. Sorsky, a legend from his disciple about his residence in the monastery. M., 1849.
See: Sabinin M.P. Complete biography of the saints of the Georgian Church. St. Petersburg,
Soloviev P. Christian martyrs who suffered in the East since the conquest of Constantinople by the Turks. St. Petersburg, 1862 (hereinafter referred to as Soloviev P. Christian martyrs who suffered in the East. - Ed.).
Collection l. 6, 140; Nikon. l. 5, 56; The book is sedate. Part 2; RKP. life of St. Jacob; Ratshin A. Complete collection of information about monasteries
This is what it says in life. But the monastery of the saint was called the monastery of Jacob the Broad-nosed: we do not undertake to agree one with the other.
Lviv. l. 2, 266; Nikon. l. 5, 96; Collection l. 5, 263. 6, 143; RKP. hagiography
In the Dictionary of Saints: “St. Jacob reposed in 1392.” But this is an obvious inconsistency with the time of birth of Prince Vasily Vasilyevich.
Ratshin A. Complete collection of information about monasteries.
The Zheleznoborovsky synodikon records the Zheleznoborsky abbots Dosifei, Savva the murdered, Benjamin the murdered, Joseph, Levkiy, Hilarion, Theodosius, Evstratiy (Journal of the Ministry of Public Education. St. Petersburg, 1853, July).
At the end of the RKP. Menaia for March postscript: “in l. 7044 (1536) written off - under the archbishop. Daniel Metropolitan, and written to the great and wonderful John the Baptist, in Yakovl, the Shirokonosov Monastery of our reverend father, Abbot Jacob, who founded this monastery, by the command of our ruler, Abbot Nifont, abbot and teacher.” On the other one: “l. 7049 (1541) written on an iron barrel by the venerable father Jacob, acquired by abbot Niphon.” On the Gospel there is an inscription: “7078 (1570) Abbot Tikhon gave to the great Ivan the Baptist - and to St. Jacob the Wonderworker” (Journal of the Ministry of Public Education. St. Petersburg, 1853. Part 78, section II). In the collection Nizhny Novgorod. Blagoveshch. 16th century monastery on May 5, “the death of St. our father Igumen Jacob, the Kostroma wonderworker, like on the iron bore,” here is his service and miracles. May 5th is the day of the opening of the relics.
According to the inventory of 1662 behind the Forerunner Monastery, St. Jacob 502 courtyards of settlers (Notes of the Imperial Russian Archaeological Society. Vol. 2).
See: Sergius, Archimandrite. Complete months of the East.
Life of St. Barsanuphius, described by Patr. Hermogenome. Grigory (Postnikov), Metropolitan. The Life of the Wonderworking Hierarchs Guria, Archbishop. Kazansky, and Barsanuphius, bishop. Tverskoy. St. Petersburg, 1853.
So from Hermogenes, according to his original manuscript. Buslaev F.I. Historical anthology of Church Slavonic and Old Russian languages. M., 1861 (hereinafter – Buslaev F.I. Historical Reader. – Ed.).
Karamzin N. M. History of the Russian State. T. VII, approx. 81.
Kalaidovich K.F. Historical and topographical description of the male cenobitic monastery of St. Wonderworker Nicholas, on Pesnosha. M., 1837 (hereinafter - Kalaidovich K.F. Description of the monastery of St. the Wonderworker Nicholas. - Ed.); Karamzin N. M. History of the Russian State. T. VIII.
Afterword of the charter. It is also said here: “and the brethren with him (Barsanuphius) came from Peshnosha, the cellarer Tikhon of the Kryloshan, Theodorit the treasurer of the Kryloshan, Job Dalmatov of the Kryloshan, and the tonsures of Peshnosha, yes Simeon Neronovt, the Andronikov tonsure of the Kryloshan, and Andronik the monk of the Kryloshan, and Sylvester the serviceman of Yakhontov, and the tonsured man Peshnoshsky.”
Historical acts. T. 1; Collection of state charters and agreements. Part 1; Karamzin N. M. History of the Russian State. T. IX, approx. 177.
Mikulin Chronicle. M., 1854; Konshin N.M. Orshin Monastery: The Legend of Found Liturgical Objects. M., 1847.
Hermogenes description of the miracles of Guria and Barsanuphius, miracles 5, 26, 62.
Tolstoy charter dept. 1 No. 100.
RKP. life of St. Alexandra Kusht.; Ambrose (Ornatsky), archimandrite. History of the Russian hierarchy. Part IV; Ratshin A. Complete collection of information about monasteries; RKP. Saints: “St. Fathers Charitony and Euthymius, abbots of the Syangzhem monastery, reposed in L. 7017,” according to Otensky and other modern ones, “Khariton reposed in l. 7017 April at 11th day"; Dictionary of Saints. In 1662, the Euthymius Monastery had 113 settler households.
One of them is placed in “Christian Reading” (1838, part IV).
Sergius, archim. Complete months of the East. T. II; Filaret, Archbishop. Chernigovsky. Historical teaching about the Fathers of the Church.
Menologist of Vasily and a short menologist of Basanj for June 27. Saint Anfusa, who is spoken of here, was the eldest among the ascetics. There were two more martyrs Anfusa, the eldest under the emperor. Valerians, honored on August 22, and the younger 5th century, honored on December 8.
Nicephorus, patriarcha Constantinopolitanus. Breviarium/Rec. I. Bekkerus. Bonnae, 1837 (hereinafter – Nicephorus. Breviarium. – Ed.). J. Iohannis Damasceni op. I, 613 S. Serbian chronicle about Copronymus: “the hated bloodsucker wolf tried to extinguish the glory of the saints - he forbade calling anyone a saint, but ordered them to simply be called by one name, and he ordered the Mother of God to be called not the Mother of God, but the mother of Christ; He reviled the bright-hearted ranks of monastics like a mad dog - he slaughtered them like lambs, filled the dungeons with them: in one, called the praetor, he kept 345 monks and cut off the noses of some, the ears of others, gouged out the eyes of others, charred others, smearing their beards with resin; St. Stephen, the crown of monks, and many others he tortured to death” (Glasnik. Book 10). The most severe persecution against icons, saints and monasticism occurred in 765 and 766 (Nicephorus. Breviarium; Le Quien. Oriens christianus. V. I).
Kodin: “Geragatha’s old age home was built by Agathia, daughter of the patrician Peter, a rare beauty. She was called Geragatha because she preserved her virginity until old age; Constantine Copronymus finally desecrated her and showered her with riches, but she secretly revered St. icons. When this house was finished, the wicked man collected all the icons in it and burned it here” (Georgius Codinus. De antiquitatibus Constantinopolitanis). According to Zonara, Copronymus “is not a Christian, not a pagan, not a Jew, but a mixture of all wickedness, a wild African beast” (loannis Zonarae. Annales XVI).
See about the penitential monastery: Du Cange. Constantinopolis Christiana.
Prologue: “I was imprisoned quickly on the Small Island and there, in extreme old age, I retired to the Lord.” Roman martyrology for July 27: “in Constantinople the death of the blessed virgin Anthusa: she was under Constantine Copronymus for the veneration of St. the icon was beaten with whips and, sent into exile, rested in the Lord.” If the saint was sent to an island, then this island was near the capital. Vershinsky (Vershinsky D.S. Mesyatseslov) Amphisa is a mistake: there is no such Greek name.
Menologium VavPp ad 17 argI.
In Constantinople there were two homes for raising orphans, 4 hospitals, 13 hospices, 16 homes for the elderly (Du Sasche. Sosh1an1;toroH8 Christum).
In the Constantinople Monastery of St. Euphemia was saved by the daughters of the emperor. Vasily the Macedonian and the wife of the Emperor. Leo the Wise Zoe (Du Sasche. Constantino- roˆ Chgistiana). Vershinsky (Vershinsky D.S. Mesyatslov) says that Anfusa died in the monastery of Eumenia. This is a mistake. There was no such monastery in Constantinople.
Du Sa ng e. Constantinopolis Christom. Kodin adds that after 35 years imp. Irene of Athens rebuilt the church and moved St. relics found off the island of Lemnos (Georgius Codinus. De antiquitatibus Constantinopolitanis).
Prologue April 12 and Synaxarion Greek. Apr. menaia.
Georgii Cedreni. Synopsis historiarum.
According to Greek synaxarion and according to the prologue of St. Anfusa lived in the Omoneya monastery and did not allow others to leave the monastery. This means that here she was an abbess, while in the Euthymius Monastery she was tonsured into monasticism, as Vasily’s Menologist speaks about. The Omoneya monastery is especially famous for the fact that under the emperor. Theodosius the Great held meetings of the Ecumenical Council (Du Sasche. Constantinopolis Christiana) in his church. During Anfusa, as a result of the conciliar definition, there was a large movement of monks and nuns from one place to another.
Theodore of Canterbury (f 690). Chapter 8.
The Trullo Council of 692 determined: “those who have chosen an ascetic life and are assigned to a monastery should not go out at all. If some unavoidable need prompts them to do this: let them do this with the blessing and permission of the abbess, but even then they must not go alone, but with the senior elders and those leading in the monastery, by order of the abbess. They are not allowed to live outside the monastery at all.” Rule 46 in the Rule Book. For excellent discussions about the need for monastics not to leave the monastery, see Basil the Great in the rules.
VII Ecumenical Council, canon 20: “We determine that from now on there will be no double monasteries, because food is a temptation and a stumbling block for many, and if some with their relatives want to renounce the world and follow the monastic life: then the men should go to a men’s monastery, and the wives should enter a women’s monastery, for this pleases God. And let the double monasteries that are being built to this day be governed according to the rule of St. our father Vasily: let there not be monks and nuns in one monastery... Let a monk and a nun or a nun with a monk have no boldness to talk alone.”
Trullan rule 45. This simple-minded custom was preserved even in the 18th century in some southern convents of Russia. See: Filaret, Archimandrite. Chernigovsky. Historical and statistical description of the Kharkov diocese: In 5 departments. M., Kharkov. 1857–1859. Dept. I.
Tale in the RKP. XVII century Moscow Theological Academy. She is with Tsarsky in the RCP. XVII century No. 397. In terms of language, it belongs to the beginning of the 16th century. or the end of the 15th century. In the “Chronicles of Russian Literature and Antiquity” (V 5 vols. M., 1859–1863. T. 4) published on the RKP. XVII century – quite changed the text.
“The Legend of the Renewal of the City of Murom and St. Vasily, Bishop of Murom" in the RCP. beginning of the 18th century at Rumyants. No. 364. Here it follows the life of St. book Konstantin. Published in: Monuments of Ancient Russian Literature. Vol. 1.
Vozdvizhensky has a message to the Muromites (Vozdvizhensky T. Historical review of the Ryazan hierarchy. M., 1820 (hereinafter - Vozdvizhensky T. Historical review of the Ryazan hierarchy. - Ed.).
RKP. life of the book Konstantin. Prologue May 21.
The ancient capital city of the Ryazan princes is called the town “Old Ryazan” in the charters of the 15th century. (Collection of state charters and agreements. Part 1, No. 127, 144), as well as in the “Book of the Big Drawing”; and in 1679 already “the village of Staraya Ryazan”. Gram. Piskarev No. 45. Ostrich wrote about Ryazan in 1669: “the ruins located here showed that Ryazan was once a big city.” Wed: Kalaidovich K.F. Letters to A.F. Malinovsky about archaeological research in the Ryazan province, with drawings. M., 1823; Journal of the Ministry of Public Education. St. Petersburg, 1849. Part 63, department. VI.
Collection l. 7, 244. 1, 201. 226.
Nikon. l. 3, 194. 205; Collection l. 7, 244; Karamzin N. M. History of the Russian State. T. IV, approx. 370. Prince Vasily Yaroslavich, Yuri’s brother, was buried in the Church of Boris and Gleb on the river. Ushne in 15 ver. from Murom. Until 1351, the Murom residents lived 8 versts from Murom, near the village of Chaadaev, due to enemy defeats (Vladimir collection. Materials for statistics).
The Murom region was devastated by the Tatars in 1281 (collection l. 7, 180; Nikon. l. 3, 72. 73), in 1288 (Karamzin N.M. History of the Russian State. T. IV, note 182) and in 1293 (modern l. 3, 190).
Karamzin N. M. History of the Russian State. T. IV, approx. 335.
In what year was Vasily dedicated? Chronicles (Karamzin N.M. History of the Russian State. T. IV, note 399; Nikon. l. 3, 206; Collected l. 1, 230; Power book. Part 1) say that under 1356, on the occasion that in this year Bishop John of Rostov died and Ignatius was consecrated, and under the same year they also put the consecration of two bishops. It seems likely that the four were dedicated in one year, while the pestilence was active in 1353-1355 and St. Alexy returned as metropolitan to Moscow in 1354.
Historical acts. T. 1, No. 3.
Historical acts. T. 1, no. 2.
Prince Oleg gave the blessed. Vasily: place on the river. Kikine near the village Seleznev, “the first rulers of the purchase”, Voinskoye, Zasechye, Khmelevo (Vozdvizhensky T. Historical review of the Ryazan hierarchy; Ilovaisky D.I. History of the Ryazan principality. M., 1858).
Nikon. l. 4, 62; Karamzin N. M. History of the Russian State. T. V, approx. 55. RKP. Saints: “Saint Basil, Bishop of Ryazan, wonderworker, reposed in L. 6800 July at 3 days.” Here the indication of the year of death is incomplete: tens and ones are not shown. This is not the first example in the RKP. Saints It should have been written: “in l. 6868". The Ryazan old-timer (Reader OIDR. 1859. Book 3) struggles with all his might to prove that St. Vasily died in 1292, and gives such thought about St. Vasily for the legend. Strange! It’s as if legend counts the years of events; scribes count the years. An old-timer points out that in the service of St. Vasily was named the first Bishop of Ryazan. But: a) when was the service written? Without a doubt, after the transfer of the relics, in 1609; b) the opinion that St. Vasily was the first Ryazan bishop, at least not in agreement with the chronicles and Ryazan charters (Vozdvizhensky T. Historical review of the Ryazan hierarchy). “The legend,” says the old-timer, “is written on the tomb of St. Vasily and on the cast iron monument."
Even a cast-iron monument, erected in the present century and with the most serious errors in the inscription, for an old-timer resolves the question of the year of the death of St. Vasily!.. When was the inscription on the tomb written? According to Vozdvizhensky's research, in 1715 (Historical review of the Ryazan hierarchy). The old-timer says that this is not the first inscription, and puts forward the following words of a request from 1723: “and what was written at the tomb of his, Vasily the Bishop, at the head on the brand, instead of a pedestal, an image of the transfer of relics... and that was written at the request of the church owner of the former sexton Boris Ivanov, and I (the priest of the Assumption Cathedral) wrote that image with the advice of my comrade priest Leo against chronicle that was written with the canon of Basil the Bishop." For this extract - thanks to Ryazan. old-timer. But this extract is just as difficult for him as it is for him from the canon. Obviously, the first chronicle was written at the same time as the canon, i.e., not earlier than 1609. After that, since the old-timer no longer provides reviews of tradition or evidence for his opinion, his article should be called this: a voice in defense of the arbitrary opinion of scribes of the 17th century. about St.
Vasily.
Vozdvizhensky T. Historical review of the Ryazan hierarchy. For Ryazan or the ancient city, see antiquities of the mountains. Ryazan in “Readings in the Society of Russian History and Antiquities” (1859).
Collection of church-historical and statistical information about the Ryazan diocese // Read. OIDR. 1863. Book. 3.
Prologue of May 21 RCP. and old printed.
See: Athonite Patericon. Part 2.
Prologue from Rumyantsev No. 319. The Belgrade Synaxarion of 1340 has recently become known, where it is also shown under April 15. memory of “the blessed prince Mstislav, his name in Holy Baptism is Theodore.” The same legend about the blessings is placed here. book Mstislav, as in the synaxar (prologue) of Rumyantsev. Both the fact and part of the language show that in these lists the synaxarion is like a legend about the book. Mstislav, so the legends about the book. Olga and about the book. Boris and Gleb Russian essay. They rightly point especially to the words of the legend about Olga: “our princes grew from Olga.” See: Notes of the Imperial Academy of Sciences. T. 6.
Karamzin N. M. History of the Russian State. T. II, approx. 163, 172; Collection l. 1, 69. Mstislav was born in 1076 (collection l. 1, 85). In the story of the miracle of St. Nicholas it is said that Prince Mstislav was called George after baptism. But in the Mstislav Gospel, the scribe thanks God for writing the Gospel “to the God-honored Prince Theodore, and worldly to Mstislav, to his grandson Vsevolozh, and to his son Volodymer, Prince of Novgorod.” And then: “Oh God! save your prince Theodore for many years, and worldly Mstislav. The contemporary knew without a doubt the name of his prince. In the descriptions of antiquities, Archbishop. Makaria book. Mstislav is called George (Makariy (Mirolyubov), archim. Archaeological description of church antiquities in Novgorod, Part 1), i.e., following the story.
Collection l. 1, 108. 5, 150. 7, 9. 10.
Collection l. 1, 108. 110. 7, 11. 12.
In 1093, by mutual agreement of the great princes Svyatopolk and Monomakh, David received Novgorod instead of Smolensk, and Rostov was assigned to Mstislav; at the beginning of 1094, David appeared in Novgorod, and at the end he went to Smolensk, because the ambassadors of Novgorod urgently demanded and received Prince Mstislav. Collection l. 5, 150. 7, 8; Karamzin N. M. History of the Russian State. T. V, approx. 172.
Collection l. 3, 122. 213. 5, 154. Synaxarion of Rumyantsev and Belgrade about the church: “and fetters with gold and silver and precious stones.” The church icon of the Annunciation was painted by Greek masters (Acts collected by the Archaeographic Expedition. Vol. 1).
Inscription from 1551: “The Holy Gospel was renewed in the great Novgorod of the honorable church of Her honorable Most Pure Mother of God and the glorious Annunciation on the Settlement, in the years. 7059” (Nevostrueva’s research in Izv. Akadem. Nauk IX).
Filaret (Drozdov), Metropolitan. Conversations with the verb Old Believer. M., 1835.
To 2nd Novgorod. chronicles: “defeat Mstislav on Bor Chud and build the church of St. Nikola, in Novgorod, at the prince’s court.” In the 4th Chronicle it is literally the same. The 1st Chronicle has the same meaning. Collection l. 3, 4. 122. 4, 1. 5, 156. 7, 23. 11. 4.
Collection l. 3, 214. “In l. 6621 (1113) prince v. Mstislav Volodimerovich founded the stone church in the. Novgorod St. St. Nicholas the Wonderworker at the prince's court. That same summer, the image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker of Myra sailed from Kyiv to the. Novgorod, a round board, and they took it on Lipna under Bishop John, and they built that icon in that great church in Yaroslavl, a courtyard in the church.”
Macarius (Bulgakov), Metropolitan. History of the Russian Church. T. 1; Collection l. 7, 3. In the Synod. Apostle 1307: “in l. 6582 (1074) transfer of the relics of St. O. Nikola."
The legend about the healing of the prince: “having heard about the miracles, he led. bishop and the wonderworker Nikola, who was at that time in the city of Barstem, and in the city of Kiev in those same days, that great father performed a miracle; The drowned youth before his image in the church of St. Sophia will find the gift, the phlegm of water flowing from him, by calling for help from this glorious miracle worker.”
The story of the miracle over the prince is known in two forms. The older edition, but hardly older than the 16th century, by Rev. Macarius (Makariy (Bulgakov), Metropolitan. History of the Russian Church. Vol. 2). Prince George, named Mstislav, “having acquired faith in the celibate image, created a stone church with his woman led. Princess Anna, at Grandfather Yaroslavl's yard, in the name of St. Nicholas." Another version of the legend in the Dvorishchensky chronicler of the 18th century. corrects some errors of the older edition, but not all. Here the prince’s wife is presented as a participant in the construction of the church. Mstislava Anna, not a woman, died back in 1050. The time of the miraculous event here dates back to the time of St. Nikita; but this does not agree with all the chronicles. In 3rd Novgor. l. In addition to the fact that the healing of the prince is shown in 1113, it is also added that the stone church on Lipna was built 180 years after the miracle, in 1292, therefore, the miracle took place in 1113 (Collected l. 3, 213. 221). Father Macarius (Makariy (Mirolyubov), archimandrite. Archaeological description of church antiquities in Novgorod, Part 1) is carried away by the later story in vain; the story itself dates the event to 1113.
Collection l. 3, 4. 214. 5, 166. 7, 23. 2, 7. Inscription on the wall icon of the Savior in St. John’s House: “image from 1116 according to the chronicle.” Events with the princes of 1136 and 1142 show that at that time there was more than one Nikitsky house in the courtyard of the Lord of Novgorod. House with the icon before which St. prayed in 1169. archbishop, already in the legend was called Ioannovsky, as it is called to this day. All this shows that the house was built by Bishop John Popin at the same time as Prince. Mstislav (in 1116) was building a new fortress (Makariy (Mirolyubov), archimandrite. Description of the Novgorod bishop's house. St. Petersburg, 1857).
Collection l. 3, 4. 214; Ambrose (Ornatsky), archimandrite. History of the Russian hierarchy. Part. IV. According to the 4th Novgorod Chronicle (Collected l. 4, 123) “in the same (1446) summer, Archbishop Euthymius founded the monastery. St. George in the town of Ladoga, and the stone wall and the church of St. George renewed and signed where it had fallen away, and covered it with scales (tiles) and became a peasant’s refuge.” Consequently, only the church, and not the monastery, belonged to the blessed one. book Mstislav (Ratshin A. Complete collection of information about monasteries). Frescoes from the high place of St. George's Church of the 12th century. from Prokhorov (Christian antiquities and archeology / Published by Prokhorov V.A. St. Petersburg, 1863. T. 2). There is also an image of the church itself and a description of it. (Vol. 1).
Collection l. 2, 8. 9. 7, 24. 25. Nikon. l. 2, 53.
Collection l. 1, 131. 2, 12. 7, 26–28. Synaxarion in Serbian. lists of Rumyantsev and according to Belgrade in 1340: “in Kiev, the congress church of St. Theodore and the great saint, with Metropolitan Michael ... build the honest monastery of St. Theodora." The Feodorovsky Monastery of Mstislav was called “fatherly” - fatherly - and many princes were buried here. Kalnofoisky, describing old Kyiv, said: “the church of St. Theodore Tiron, only the walls stand.” The remains of the Feodorovsky Church are now in the Korolev Garden, in the St. Andrew's Department (Zakrevsky N.V. Chronicle and description of the city of Kiev. M., 1858. § 32).
Additions to historical acts. T. 1. No. 2. Chronicle: in 1119 “the abbot and prince founded Kuryak. Vsevolod Kamenu Church, St. Monastery George, in Novgorod" (Collected sheets 3, 5. 214).
The Pirogovskaya icon was named after the town of Pirogovka.
Collection l. 1, 132. 2, 10. 11. 7, 29; Pogodin M.P. Research about Russian history. T. IV.
The Gospel scribe calls the book. Mstislav to the faithful and Christ-loving. Naslav, who arranged the salary according to the will of the prince, says: “I had a lot of work and sorrow: but God consoled me with the good prince’s prayer... May God grant his prayer to all Christians and me bad Naslav, who will rule his tools in truth,” that is, God grant that through his prayer all Christians and I bad Naslav, obliged to honestly correct his affairs, will be successful.
Synaxarion in Serbian. Rumyantsev's list in Music. 452 and Belgrade. list 1340 (Notes of the Imperial Academy of Sciences. T. 6).
RKP. Saints: “St. Euthymius is the head of the Karelian monastery on the Dvina River.”
Dvinsk l. 7; Collection l. 3, 108. “Murman, - with 500 people, in beads and augers, fought in Varguza (Varguza river, Kola district of Arkhangelsk, province), Karelian churchyard and in the lands of Zavolochskaya churchyard: in Nenoksa (Arkhangelsk district), in the Karelian monastery of St. St. Nicholas, Terminus Pogost, Yakovlyu, Kuryu, Andreyanov Beach, Kit Island, Kyary Island, St. Michael’s Monastery, Chiglonim, Khlechinimo; They burned 3 churches: and they flogged Christians and monks.”
Ambrose (Ornatsky), archimandrite. History of the Russian hierarchy. Part IV.
Russian Church in the Northern Pomerania // Orthodox Interlocutor. Kazan,
Dosifey (Nemchinov), archimandrite. Description of the Solovetsky Monastery. Dept. I.
According to the RCP. Saints in the Karelian monastery rest, in addition to the righteous Anthony and Felix, “the righteous ascetic Stefan, the venerable fathers Isaiah and Nikanor, the new wonderworkers.”
The story of the discovery of the relics and miracles of St. Euphemia at Tsarsky No. 136. New and complete geographical dictionary. Part 3.
Ambrose (Ornatsky), archimandrite. History of the Russian hierarchy. Part IV. According to the inventory of 1662, the Korelsky Nikolaev Monastery has 55 courtyards.
One of the best contemporary theologians of Agafangel. He died only in 1851, leaving behind many wonderful works of his pen. The memory of Herman on Mount Athos is still very fresh. Muravyov wrote about him in detail in his “Letters from the East.”
Evidence of their authenticity is kept in the monastery acts.
Sozomen. Church history. Book 6.
From Chalkondyla: “Vladislav (c. 1444), having left Transylvania, crossed the Danube, transferred all his troops to the royal country and settled in camp in Dobrodichya, the seaside country of the Bulgarians” (Laonici Chalcocondylis. Atheniensis ffistoriarum libri decem. Bonnaë Weber, 1843).
Theodoret, Cyrus. Church history.
Nikifor Kallist. Church history; Facund. In defense of three chapters.
Sozomen. Church history. Book 7. Nikita Khoniyat: “Rus, which is also called Scythians.” Leo Deacon: “Tavro-Scythians, whom the common language usually calls Rus.”
Dialogue between Palladius, Bishop of Elenopolis, and Theodore, Roman deacon, telling about the life of Blessed John, Bishop of Constantinople, Chrysostom.
Sozomen. Church history. Book 8; Socrates Scholasticus. Church history. Book 6.
According to Nestor, for a long time the Dulebs lived along the Bug, along the Dniester to the Danube and the sea, the Ulichs and Tivertsy; there is the great Scythia of the Greeks.
Sozomen. Church history. Book 7.
De viris illustribus urbis Romae.
Timothy, Bishop of Tomsk, signed the definition of 431.
Acta Sanctorum ad 20 April. Like the memory of St. According to the Roman martyrology, Theotima is shown on April 20, so in the same martyrology the memory of St. Vetrana is shown on January 25.
RKP. life of St. Alexandra, described by Hieromonk Theodosius, a former priest. It is in Tolstoy (2, no. 164. 331), in Tsarsky (no. 325), in Undolsky (no. 276). About the sources of information, Theodosius writes: “my father served as a priest in the very village where the monk was from, and there he saw his relative, the farmer Isaac, still alive, the son of his elder brother Ambrose, who was slightly younger than Alexander; From a young age he (Isaac) lived with him and knew everything about him in detail. He often came to my father and talked about the saint; his parent lovingly asked about his exploits. Although I was then a youth, I listened attentively to their conversation... the priest (of the Alexandra Monastery) Cornelius often came to him (to my father in the village of Nadporozhye on Onega), who also talked with my father about the life and miracles of the monk, and wrote down other things at the behest of Elder Leonid (Leonty, brother of St. Alexander). A certain clerk spent many years in the monastery, being accepted for service in the church. I heard a lot from him about the monk... When I lost my wife, I came to the monastery and put on monastic clothes; and the Reverend
Archbishop Pimen soon ordained me to the priesthood. In the monastery I found ancient monks, relatives of the saint, who talked about his miracles, obvious and secret.”
As a result of this testimony, the king, by letter of 1578, ordered the disassociation in favor of the monastery of St. Alexander's land and forest for 5 miles around the monastery (Historical Acts. T. 1. No. 202). Service of St. Alexander - at Tsarsky No. 563.
Ratshin A. Complete collection of information about monasteries; Materials for statistics of the Russian Empire; Ambrose (Ornatsky), archimandrite. History of the Russian hierarchy. Part V
Ancient Polish poems (works by Archimandrite Mikhail Kozachinsky): Gdie sie zydzi wnet insi pozbegali, Ktorzy bez miloserdzia tam mnie mordowalie. Narzod do zbyt ciemnego lochu mnie wniesiono. J wycignowscy krzyrzem krew z bocu pucziono, Potym instrumentami roznemi dreczyli, Az poki do ostatka krwie nie wysgcyli.
RKP. story and poems about St. Gabriel. There are several errors in the Dictionary of Saints. There is no doubt that Jews were sometimes unfairly accused of stealing and killing babies. But what is also certain is that babies were found with unmistakable signs of released blood. In a Jewish book printed in the 16th century, “The Order of Passover,” there is an engraving depicting a king in a crown, covered with strings; he is standing in the bathtub; Before him, the nobles dissolve the veins of the babies, and from them the blood flows like a fountain onto the king’s body and into the bath. See: Eisenmenger, Johann Andrea. Entdectes Judenthum. In the modern Greek language of Neophytos, “the open sacraments of the Jewish faith.”
See July 8 life of the blessed. Procopy.
Grigorovich V. Travel essay.
Hilferding A. A trip to Herzegovina, Bosnia and Old Serbia // Notes of the Geographical Society. T. XIII (hereinafter - Hilferding A. A trip to Herzegovina, Bosnia and Old Serbia. - Ed.).
Hilferding (see: A. Hilferding. A trip to Herzegovina, Bosnia and Old Serbia) believes that St. Ioannikiy lived under the despot Yuri Brankovich 1427-1456. But this is a mistake that was also made in Serblyak. According to the monthly calendar of 1329, it is clear that the monk died before 1320. The traveler and the Serbian were led into error by the news that St. Ioannikis healed Brankovich's daughter. This healing is the work of the saint’s afterlife activities.
Serblyak, 1861. l. 50–51. Here is the memory of St. Ioannicia – December 2. This, of course, is the day of the opening of his relics.
Synaxarion in Serblyak 1861
Notes of the Geographical Society. T. XIII.
See: Popov A. N. Travel to Montenegro. St. Petersburg, 1847.
Notes of the Geographical Society. T. XIII. Here: “metropolitan monastery of Trebinj”, numbering 25. Porphyrogenet’s explanation of Tervuniya’s word is incorrect, but Safarik’s explanation is just as inconsistent with the locality (Safarik. Slavic antiquities. Vol. 2, book 1). Trebi is not - there is no demand, there is no pagan sacrifice, whereas before Trebinje was a place of treasury, pagan sacrifice.