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Day two. Memory of the Holy New Martyr Demetrius of Philadelphia, who suffered on June 2, 1657
Demetrius, the son of a priest from Asian Philadelphia, after the death of his father, was brought up until the age of thirteen under the influence of his Christian mother and was distinguished by such good abilities and at the same time attractive appearance that he attracted the attention of the Turks, who kidnapped him from his mother and managed - partly by threats, partly by flattering appeals - to seduce him into Islam. Taken into the home of one of the most honorable citizens, he served conscientiously to strangers and over time achieved honor and wealth; For the courage and strength he showed in battles, he was elected a military leader and at that time became engaged to a girl from a noble family.
Meanwhile, the seed of truth planted in the heart of the son by the Christian mother had not completely died out, and his soul began to realize what had been lost... The young man felt the inadequacy of the faith that had been violently accepted, and remembered a different faith, the one that his mother had instilled in him in his childhood. Gradually, all the incomparable beauty of Christian piety became clear to him, and burning repentance began to take possession of his soul. He might have reached fatal despondency if he had not remembered the examples of people who, through martyrdom, made amends and redeemed, for the most part, the violent renunciation of Christ, and Demetrius was inflamed with the desire to follow in their footsteps.
Acting under the influence of this feeling and calling on the help of the power of the Holy Spirit, “who intercedes for man with unspeakable groanings,” Demetrius decided to openly confess his conversion: he went to the mayor and there, in the presence of the city authorities gathered at his place, he fearlessly expressed his feelings: “For twelve years I was blind... now the Holy Spirit has illuminated my mind... I realize that there is no salvation in the false and criminal. Mohammedan confession. Therefore, I renounce him and become a Christian again, returning to the veneration of the true God - Jesus Christ, for whose name I am ready to sacrifice my very life."
Demetrius's unexpected statement aroused the general furious indignation of the Turks; they subjected him to more than 300 blows with sticks; he, calmly enduring terrible pain, joyfully sang: “Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee! Holy Martyrs George and Demetrius, help me! Help me, Saint Nicholas!”
After the beating, Dmitry was thrown into prison. At night, lawyers were sent to him to dissuade him from converting to Christianity, and although he firmly stood his ground, he was released from prison in the morning, in the hope that he would come to his senses. But Demetrius, not wanting to delay the moments of his redemptive feat, went to the coffee shop, where there were always a lot of people, and there in front of everyone he began to blaspheme the Mohammedan faith, to convince the Mohammedans of their error, and finally, tearing off his white turban from his head and throwing off his green clothes, he began to trample them with the words: “As I now trample these symbols of your religion, so exactly I trample your very faith and your law!”
The fanatics rushed with fury at the detractor of their faith and beat him with sticks and stones, so that he seemed to fall dead, then they decided to burn his dead body. But Demetrius, strengthened by an invisible force, quickly rose to his feet and said to the murderers: “Do not consider me dead, marvel at the power of my God that strengthens me... - here is the money, buy firewood with it and burn me alive”...
In response to this, one of the frenzied men struck the martyr three times with a dagger and pierced him through his chest, but the sufferer was still alive. Then they dragged him to be burned.
Passing by a Christian church, Demetrius, crouching in front of it, began to pray, but the executioners interrupted his prayer, cutting both his shoulders with a scimitar, and thus the life of the martyr was cut short by a feat of purification. Even his dead body was not left alone: he was chopped into small pieces 855.
Memory of the Holy Martyr Constantine of Hagaryan (Muslims)
Constantine, born of Muslim parents living on the island of Mytilene, having lost his father in his youth and suffering cruel treatment from his stepfather, left his parental home with his three brothers, with whom he moved to Smyrna. The brothers opened a shop there, and Konstantin took up factoring - mainly in the metropolis (bishop's house). Often visiting the metropolis, he had the opportunity to hear soulful conversations there, from which he could learn what true piety consists of, and at the same time he learned the Greek language; One day he asked an elder to read, and this reading sank deeply into his soul and aroused Christian aspirations in him, the maintenance and development of which was further facilitated by his rapprochement with two young Christians. On this saving path of spiritual insight, the young man, however, visited him with great temptations: due to his inexperience, he was drawn into the pool of voluptuousness and unclean thoughts. But by the mercy of God this future chosen vessel of God’s grace did not perish...
Constantine managed to restrain himself in time from the final fall and realized with horror into what abyss his unbridled passions could plunge him, to whom the comprehension of the beauty of chastity was no longer alien... Tormented by remorse, trying to open his soul to someone, Constantine decided to seek salvation in flight to the Holy Mount Athos...
In the Lavra of St. Athanasius, famous for the fact that most of the Athonite ascetics shone within its boundaries, the pious monks, who did not pay attention to the danger to which they were exposed, receiving the Turks who sought salvation in the bowels of the Christian church, favorably accepted Constantine under their roof. Living on Mount Athos, he soon became imbued with a decisive intention to accept the Christian faith. Cautious monks tested him for a long time, and finally, convinced of his sincerity and his wonderful spiritual qualities, they allowed him to receive Holy Baptism... The newly baptized man was filled with great grace and joy and fulfilled the obediences assigned to him with extraordinary love and zeal. He surprised everyone with his jealousy; his abstinence and spirituality seemed to belong to an ethereal being...
After some time, Constantine wished to go to the Iveron Monastery and venerate the holy icon of the Mother of God the Goalkeeper; Having received the blessing of his elder, on his way he went to the monastery of John the Baptist. Several remains of new martyrs were recently brought here. Constantine looked at him with reverence, kissed him and went deep into thought about the holy relics, this wonderful glorification of the confessors of his newly adopted faith... and from that moment the thought of martyrdom sank into his soul. Once, upon returning to his elder in Kavsokalivy, to the elder’s question about the reason for the thoughtfulness and, as it were, sad concern that he began to notice in his student, Konstantin answered: “I have no sadness, but my whole soul is absorbed in one thought. When I kissed the holy relics of the new martyrs for the first time, from then on my soul became attached to them, my whole mind was captivated by their exploits, and I strive to do the same: that’s the whole reason!”
The elder thanked God for such a zealous desire for the feat of his disciple and entrusted the Lord Himself to arrange his path. A confessor was invited to Constantine to instruct him on how to prepare for what his soul thirsted for. Through fasting and prayer in complete solitude the soul of the future martyr was now nourished and admonished and matured. Meanwhile, a new desire arose in his heart: he decided to go to the city of Magnesia, in Anatolia, where his sister lived, in order to enlighten her with Holy Baptism. Having received the blessing of his confessor for this, Constantine went on a ship departing for Cydonia, and, equipped with charters and letters from the Athonite monks, having arrived there, he met the mentor leader (didaskal) Gregory and many local Christians. His further journey, however, was slowed down by the fact that there was not a single ship in the port departing for the Anatolian shores. Therefore, while waiting for an opportunity to continue his journey, Konstantin decided to open a shop and sell raisins and other petty items.
One day, one of the officials of the local aga passed by his shop and recognized Constantine, whom he had known back in Smyrna, when he was a Muslim. The Turk followed Constantine and warned the aga about him; he called the newly appeared merchant and asked him: was he a Muslim?
Constantine, having in mind, probably, to achieve the fulfillment of his intentions regarding his sister, on the other hand, not yet daring to believe such joy that the hour of longed-for suffering for Christ had come for him, answered evasively that he was a Christian...
“You’re lying,” the aga objected to him, “what if there is a person who proves that you are a Turk? what do you say? And at that moment an evil pursuer appeared and said: “Don’t I know that you are the brother of the venerable Turk, the one who was engaged in brokerage in Smyrna... Why are you so shamelessly deceiving us?”
Then Constantine realized that the hour of his martyrdom had come, and in a fit of holy inspiration he said: “I was once a Turk, like you, but the Lord enlightened me, and I realized that the Mohammedan faith is a lie; the truth is only in the Christian faith; Therefore, I became a Christian in order to find true bliss in the future Eternal life...”
Prison, beatings, incredible torture 856 began from that moment for the new confessor of Christ and lasted for forty days.
Local Christians learned with horror about the brutal cruelties to which Constantine was subjected. All of them, and especially mentor Gregory, feared whether he would endure all the torment. They decided to imprison one disciple named John, originally an Athenian, as if for debts and under this pretext to give John the opportunity to console and strengthen Constantine, while at that time they themselves tirelessly prayed for him, sang prayers, and held all-night vigils in all the Cydonia churches.
The Mother of God herself appeared to the martyr in a dream vision and promised to grant him the strength to endure the feat to the end...
And he stood firm in his confession, and no cruel measures could persuade him to deviate from his ardently beloved Christ. Then the mayor decided to send him to Constantinople, reporting everything in detail to the captain pasha. And in the capital, the martyr fearlessly made his confession in the presence of the Istanbul Efendi (governor), who ordered him to be subjected to cruel corporal punishment and imprisoned in the baths where those sentenced to hard labor live. Although physically exhausted, the martyr did not weaken in spirit. When, a few days later, they demanded him again for interrogation and, either by flattery or torment, extorted from him a deviation from the faith of Christ, Constantine with a deep sigh said to the dignitary: “It would be good if you took care of the benefit of your soul and became a Christian...” The answer to these words was the signing of a death warrant... The guards took the martyr, and after new cruel tortures, the villains strangled him in unbridled anger. a martyr who repeated “I am a Christian” until the last minute...
To prevent Christians from reverently venerating his remains, the Turks buried him in the nearest Muslim cemetery. It was June 2, 1819.
Some of the martyr's clothes, which they managed to purchase with money from Muslims, were delivered to the Kavsokalivsky monastery, and from them miraculous healings occurred for those who called with faith to the help of the martyr Constantine 857.
Memory of the Holy Great Martyr John of Sochava
It is called Sochavsky because his relics rest in Sochav; He was originally from Trebizond, and suffered in Akkerman (Belgorod on the Dniester). Sailing on trade affairs on the ship of a papist, he had a contest with him about faith and exposed his wrongdoing; and this evil man, wanting to take revenge on him, upon arrival in Akkerman, declared to the Turkish mayor that a certain John from Trebizond, who was sailing with him, was ready to accept Mohammedanism, and advised him to immediately call him and take advantage of the desire that had not yet cooled down. The mayor, having called John and seated him, said to him: “We know from many that you are a worthy man and excellent among those like you, and we are very glad to hear that you are captivated by our beautiful and true faith. Our faith really has the ability to attract noble people and contribute to long life. And since you love her voluntarily, do not hesitate to be our friend; reject the ridiculous and shameful faith of Christians, loudly disgrace their law before the people now gathered, praise our faith and, as promised, do it immediately!
For this you will be honored by the king and will begin to live in contentment like our brother.” But the saint, filled with Divine jealousy, looked menacingly at the Turk and said to him: “You are clearly lying; It never even occurred to me to deny Christ in word or deed! All this is your invention and the trick of Satan! It’s better that you, unfortunate one, learn the truth and be baptized in order to be worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven.” After this he loudly confessed his faith in the One God, glorified in the Trinity.
Then the mayor ordered him to be stripped and, as one who condemned the true faith, to be beaten with sticks until he fulfilled his promise (that is, a fictitious one). The whole body was beaten and torn to pieces; pieces of it stuck to sticks and scattered on the ground; the whole place where the martyr was tormented was stained with blood. John prayed to God, and his tormentors scourged him even more, so that he no longer raised his voice. Since it was already evening, the beaten man was thrown into prison. The next day, the tormentor again ordered the confessor to be presented and said to him: “This is what your unbelief has brought you to! But listen to me, and you will immediately recover; because there are excellent doctors here from India and Persia who will cure you.” The confessor glorified Christ and denounced the madness of Mohammedanism. Then the judge again ordered to beat him and, noticing the murmur of the people at his bloodthirstiness, to hasten his death, tie the martyr’s legs to the tail of a wild horse and drag him through the streets. At the same time, the Jews shouted, spat and threw all sorts of things at him, and one of them ran home and, grabbing a knife, cut off his head.
The executioners untied the body and left it with the head in the same place in an indecent position. An extraordinary light illuminated the relics of the saint at night, so that the Jews also testified to this; Therefore, the next day the mayor allowed the Christians to take the relics, and they buried them at the Greek church, not far from the fortress. The saint's martyrdom followed on June 2, 1492.
The relics of the saint were in Akkerman for seventy years and constantly performed miracles. Finally, the Moldavian ruler Alexander II, having asked permission from the Akkerman authorities, moved them to his capital city of Sochava.
Day three. Memory of the holy martyr Lucillian, the four youths with him Claudius, Hypatius, Paul and Dionysius, and the holy virgin Pavla
Lucillian, an idol priest, having considered the emptiness and madness of idolatry, believed in the True God and led many to Christ. The Jews denounced him, and he was brought to trial in Nicodemus. The judge forced him to deny Christ and return to idolatry, and when he refused, he was tortured. Lucillian was scourged, his jaws were broken and he was hanged headlong; after that they put him in prison. There were already four youths here, captured for confessing Christ. After further torture, they were all sent to Byzantium for execution. Here four youths are beheaded, and Lucillian is hanged on a cross and nailed all over his body. The holy maiden Paul buried their bodies and, returning to Nicodemus, continued her good deeds and benevolence to the confessors of Christ. For this she was captured, tortured and, being unshakable in her faith, sent to execution in Byzantium, where she was beheaded on the very spot where Lucillian was crucified. Their death followed during the reign of Aurelian, around 273.
Memory of the Holy Martyr Barsavius Hegumen and others with him
In July 345, the martyrdom of Abbot Barsavius and eleven others with him followed. The founder of monastic life in Persia is called Eugenius, one of the disciples of Anthony the Great, and about Barsheba it is said that the ten young men captured with him were his disciples. His place of activity was the city of Astahara, ancient Persepolis, once the capital of Persia. Barsavius was accused of seducing many, teaching witchcraft and preparing poisons, and harming the religion of magicians. He was subjected to torture, which testifies to rudeness and cruelty towards Christians. His kneecaps were crushed with clubs, as were his arms, thighs and ribs, his nose and ears were damaged, and his eyes were not left intact. He endured all this courageously, without uttering a single cry. Since the ruler did not achieve his goal - to force him to idolize the sun, he ordered to be taken out of the city and executed there. A noble magician with his wife, two sons and some of his relatives drove past the place of execution.
Seeing the crowd gathered, he ordered his men to continue on their way, and he himself, accompanied by a slave, went there, wanting to see what was happening there. Approaching the place of execution, he saw that the abbot of each of his disciples, to whom the turn of execution had reached, took the hand and handed it over to the executioner, loudly chanting the sacred song to encourage the confessors. What impression such courage of faith made on the soul of the magician, what feeling arose in the depths of his heart, was immediately revealed by the deed itself. His spiritual eyes opened, and over the bodies of the dead he saw a cross shining with flame. He hastened to dismount from his horse, changed clothes with a slave, approached the abbot and said to him: “I saw an extraordinary phenomenon, and your God truly determined that I should die with you; accept me as one of your disciples and hand me over to death, but here no one knows me.” Barsavius fulfilled his request for the sake of a wonderful vision. Already nine of the students had been executed: he took the magician by the hand and handed him over to the executioner; thus the unrecognized new confessor was beheaded.
The last student was already the eleventh, so little attention was paid to the number of those executed! Finally, Barsavius was beheaded. Their heads were brought in and placed in the church of Neita for fear of the Christians. But the opposite happened. The magician's act was announced throughout the country, and many Persians turned to faith, including his family.
Transfer of the relics of Saint Demetrius Tsarevich from Uglich to Moscow. This is the day of the meeting of holy relics in Moscow. See May 15 in the tale of Tsarevich Dimitri.
Day four. Memory of Saints Eleazar and Nazarius of Olonetsky
According to the handwritten calendar, the monks Eleazar and Nazarius were the founders of the Forerunner Monastery, located in the Olonetsky district; they are called miracle workers, and the day of their death is shown as the 4th day of June. But in what year did they die? How did you accomplish the feat of life? Remains unknown. It is likely that they were disciples of Abba Lazar of Murmansk and labored in the 15th century, because they are also called those who came from Greece, like Lazar. Their relics rest hidden in the church of the abolished monastery 858.
Memory of the Holy Blessed Optat, Bishop of Melevi
Optatus, bishop of Numidia, became famous for his active struggle against the Donatists in the second half of the 4th century. He successfully refuted them in his writings, which are respectfully spoken of by Jerome, Fulgentius, Augustine, Bishop of Hippo (June 15), who places Optatus on a par with Saints Cyprian, Hilary and Ambrose. Optatus, in his essay against the Donatists, definitively reveals the concept of the true Church of Christ and proves that “those who separate from the Church dream in vain of salvation” 859.
Memory of Saint Mitrofan, Patriarch of Constantinople
Nephew of Emperor Probus (d. 282), contemporary of Constantine the Great. He ruled the Church for ten years from 316 to 326. During his days, the first Ecumenical Council took place, at which he was not present due to old age (he was about eighty years old); Instead of himself, he sent his presbyters there (of whom one, Alexander, was his successor). He had the gift of foresight and predicted his death in 10 days.
Venerable Methodius, abbot of Peshnoshsky. (See about him – June 14th).
Memory of Saints Martha and Mary, sisters of Lazarus of the four days
In addition to the information about Saints Martha and Mary set forth in the Gospel, namely: in the Gospel of John (11, 1-45; 12, 1-8); from Matthew (26, 6–13); from Mark (14, 3-9) - it is known that after the ascension of Jesus Christ to Heaven, when, after the murder of Archdeacon Stephen, persecution began against the Church of Jerusalem and Saint Lazarus, having been expelled from Jerusalem, preached Christ in different countries, then his sisters, who believed in Christ even before His resurrection of their brother, helped Lazarus in preaching the Gospel. The time and place of their peaceful death remains unknown.
Day five. Memory of the Venerable Abba Dorotheos
He lived during the reigns of Anastasius, Justin and Justinian and died around 620.
Dorotheos was a disciple of John the Farseer in the Palestine monastery of Abba Serida (August 13); Moreover, he himself possessed significant scientific knowledge, which he acquired in his youth, he subsequently led others in the Palestine monastery he established (for example, the Monk Dositheus, whose memory is on February 19), and after his death he left his instructions for the guidance of the monks.
Dorotheus edifyingly describes his studies in science in his early youth. “When I studied external teaching,” he writes, “at first I was very burdened by the teaching, so that when I came to take a book, it was as if I were going to an animal. But when I began to force myself, God helped me and I got so used to it that I didn’t know what I ate, what I drank, how I slept from the warmth felt while reading. They could never lure me to a meal with any of my friends; I didn’t even go to them to talk while reading, although I loved the company and loved my comrades. When the philosopher dismissed us, and I washed myself (for I had to cool off with water every day, since I was dry from excessive reading), then I went to where I lived, not knowing what I would eat, because I did not want to waste time making orders about food.
Dorotheus applied the same zeal to spiritual life when he retired into the desert. “When I came to the monastery,” he writes, “I said to myself: if there was so much love, so much warmth for external wisdom, so that from everything else I was free and accustomed to one thing, all the more so it should be for virtue, and thus I was strengthened” 860.
This mental and high spiritual development of Dorotheus did not remain abstract: he applied it to practical activities, lovingly serving the sick and wanderers. “At that time,” he writes, “I had just woken up from a serious illness. And so, strangers came in the evening, I spent the evening with them, and there were camel drivers, and I prepared what they needed; It happened many times that when I was going to bed, some other need would arise and I would be woken up, and then the hour of vigil would come.” Human nature became tired with such continuous activity, moving from one subject to another; In order to more successfully overcome natural exhaustion, Dorotheus begged one brother to wake him up at the time of the church service, and the other to not allow him to doze off during the vigil.
“And believe me,” he adds, “I respected them as much as if my salvation depended on them...”
Memory of Saint Peter of Corisha
The manuscript of the Rila Monastery reads the life of St. Peter, in the Korishskaya Mountain. Not having this life in our hands, we limit ourselves to information about St. Peter of Corisha, collected by a recent traveler in the places of St. Peter’s exploits.
“Through a terrible slum,” the traveler writes, “we drove for more than half an hour along the edge of Mount Mravinitsa, now rising and now falling, and finally reached a platform formed by rocks above a deep gorge.
The Korishsky Monastery was built here. It was abandoned long ago, and the very village of Korisha, located somewhat higher in the mountains, passed into the hands of the Arnauts, Muslims. The place in which the young hermit, Saint Peter of Korishki, was saved, in its solitude, in the terrible abyss and formidable rocks with which it is surrounded, resembles the monastery where his body now rests, the Chernoretsky Monastery... We entered a small cave in which Saint Peter built a church. The image of the Savior written on the rock is still quite well preserved; next to the image we could read the words: Do not walk in darkness (John 8:12).
Not far from this cave there is another lower, but longer, in which, as they say, a hermit fasted and in which a church was later built... a little further on there are the ruins of a majestic building. Tsar Dushan (1337–1351), in order to adequately honor the memory of the holy youth whom he knew and loved, soon after his death decided to build a large magnificent church near his cave; but how could it be placed on the mountainside, where nature had formed only a few small ledges and narrow platforms? Dusan boldly threw the arcade into the depths of the gorge and founded a church on the arcade. The arches still stand almost intact, but the Muslims destroyed the church; only a large piece of one of the walls survived, and precisely the one that stands above the abyss itself, not adjacent to the mountain. On it you can also see images written in three rows, one above the other” 861. Elsewhere, the same traveler writes: “in the Chernoretsk church there is a shrine with the relics of a young man, St. Peter of Koriš, who (it seems in the time of Dušan) led a fasting life in the mountains near Prizren.
When the church he had built there was destroyed, people from the village of Briyaki in Kolasin, who belonged to the Kosachi family, transferred his relics to the church of the Holy Archangel, adjacent to their village, built by St. Ioannikios, and placed them here. The shrine also contained a book that Saint Peter of Corish, as they say, always carried with him; the book was still intact last year” 862.
The holy martyrs Marcian, Leonidas, Apollo and seven others with them, for confessing the name of Christ, who were killed by hunger and thirst in Egypt during the reign of Maximinus (308–312).
Day six. Memory of Saint Hilarion, abbot and confessor
Hilarion, the son of a court servant, took monasticism at the age of twenty at the Dalmatian monastery and was a disciple of the Monk Gregory Dekapolite (November 20), who lived there at that time; After ten years spent in feats of monastic obedience, he was awarded the rank of priesthood. After the death of the abbot, the brethren wanted to have him as their mentor, but he, fleeing from glory, retired to a certain monastery near Nicaea; open, he was convinced by Patriarch Nicephorus to accept the abbess (in 806). Nine years later, when the Emperor Leo the Armenian initiated a persecution against the Orthodox, he forced the Monk Hilarion to his heresy and gave the like-minded Patriarch Theodotos at his disposal, and he kept him in prison, tormented by hunger and thirst. The monks of the Dalmatian monastery promised the king to fulfill his will if he returned their abbot to them, and the king freed Hilarion.
But a year later, convinced of the deception on the part of the monks, he sent military force there, severely punished everyone, and imprisoned Hilarion, then sent him to be imprisoned in various monasteries near the capital (where the abbots committed heresy), where he suffered all sorts of bitterness. After the death of Leo (December 25, 820), the Monk Hilarion was also released, but did not return to the monastery, since a heretic was abbot there, but lived on the estate of a certain pious widow, who built him a cell with a garden attached to it. Hilarion lived here for more than seven years, and during the reign of Theophilus, again forced to iconoclasm, he exposed the king for wickedness, was punished with one hundred and seventy blows and exiled to the island of Afusia (near Constantinople, in the Sea of Marmara), where he remained until Theophilus’ death. After the restoration of Orthodoxy (842) by Empress Theodora, Hilarion again accepted the abbess at the Dalmatian monastery and, after living for three years, went to the Lord.
Repose of St. Jonah of Klimets
Heavenly goodness calls everyone to salvation and bliss, but not everyone equally. Some hear her calling from their youth, others - in their mature years; She awakens some from spiritual sleep with extraordinary measures, others with ordinary methods; one appears in signs and wonders, the other in some event of life. This is a matter of the wisdom of God, which knows who and how to call to itself. Our job is to listen to the voice of God. Happy is the one who, having heard the voice of God, follows it faithfully, without changing until the grave. Such was Blessed Jonah of Klimets.
Novgorod mayor John Klimentov left his son a lot of wealth; son John calmly engaged in trade, just as his father did. More than once the son in the Karelian nasad (large boat) swam across the vast Lake Onega, stretching for 200 miles. But once, returning from Povenets to Novgorod with a load of salt, he was caught in the middle of the lake by a terrible storm. For a long time the bait rushed at the mercy of the waves; the danger of death was in the eyes. And it was this danger that aroused from John’s soul the determination to no longer live for the world. John asked the Lord for deliverance from the terrible death only in order to spend the rest of the time in repentance, for the Lord alone. The prayer was answered; the bait was thrown onto the coastal sandbank. John thanked the Lord with tears and heard a voice: “John! Here you will build the monastery of the Holy Trinity.” Then he saw an icon of the Holy Trinity on a juniper bush. He then placed a cross on the shallows, which is still intact; at the site of the appearance of the icon there is a cross and a chapel. This was in 1490.
Returning to Novgorod, blessed John disposed of his rich estate, accepted monasticism with the name of Jonah and, strengthened in spiritual life under the guidance of experienced elders, went to the island. Here he built one church in the name of the Holy Trinity, another in honor of St. Nicholas, whom he called upon during times of terrible danger, built cells and prepared what was necessary for the monastery of the monks. From the poor Nyatinsky monastery, which was three miles from the new one, he called the brethren to his monastery; and meanwhile they also came from other places with the desire to serve the Lord in a serene monastery. At the request of Blessed Jonah, Metropolitan Varlaam (1509–1525) blessed the provision of antimensions for new churches; The saint wanted Jonah to be the abbot of his monastery, but the humble servant of God persuaded the Novgorod hieromonk Tikhon to accept the position of abbot, and he himself remained among the brethren of the monastery. He spent the rest of the time in feats of fasting and prayer, serving as an example of strict monastic life, and died peacefully on June 6, 1534.
His holy body was laid at the Church of St. Nicholas; subsequently a chapel was built here, above the burial site. By the will of Empress Elizabeth, a stone church was built over the incorruptible relics of St. Jonah in the name of the righteous Zechariah and Elizabeth 863.
Day seven. Memory of the Venerable Daniel, Abbot of Skitsky
Daniel, a disciple of Arseny the Great (May 8), labored for 40 years in a community, then, from 420, lived as a hermit in the Skit desert. At this time, during one raid by armed men, he was captured, where he remained for two years, until he was freed by one pious man, who ransomed him from slavery. A year later, Daniel was again captured, from where he managed to escape six months later. Finally, when they captured him for the third time and began to subject him to various tortures, he, in self-defense, killed one of his tormentors with a stone and left captivity. This involuntary murder haunted the peaceful, philanthropic soul of the hermit. The sin of murder was crying out for redemption... Daniel decided to confess it and submit to the condemnation of an experienced spiritual ruler; he went to the Patriarch of Alexandria and poured out before him all the anxiety and torment of his troubled heart.
“Twice the Lord delivered you from the hands of your enemies; “You could calm yourself with the hope that He will save you a third time,” the patriarch noted, “and therefore you should restrain your hand from killing... However,” he added, “you killed not a man, but a beast...”
This answer did not satisfy the refined and sensitive conscience of one who is zealous for spiritual salvation; Daniel came to Rome and told the Roman bishop both his grief and the words of the patriarch. He approved the patriarch's opinion. Then Daniel set out on a journey to Constantinople, and to Ephesus, and to Jerusalem, and to Antioch in order to address his painful bewilderment to the patriarchs there, but they all expressed the same judgment as the Patriarch of Alexandria... But it is not so easy for a humble zealot of truth to believe a decision that was soothing for himself... Daniel decided, out of his own conviction, that it is fitting for the one who committed murder to accept death from someone else's hand... Therefore, he returned to Alexandria and, appearing in court, announced that he had committed murder and demanded punishment for his crime... By order of the court, Daniel was imprisoned until his case was resolved. However, having learned the circumstances of this case, the court decided not to find the killer guilty, even if on such occasion he turned out to be the killer of even several villains...
Released from prison, Daniel admitted that if the human court awarded him pardon, then the merciful God would not refuse forgiveness... but in order to finally make peace with his conscience, he decided to atone for the involuntary murder, devoting the rest of his life to serving the suffering... And so, he accepted the leper and served him. He did not reveal to anyone this, perhaps one of his most difficult feats... But by chance he became famous. One of the disciples, coming to the elder, saw the sick man, since Daniel once forgot to lock the door to the cell where the leper was. This unfortunate man was covered, as it were, with a continuous wound, the bones peeked out from under his almost rotten body; for lack of hands, the patient swallowed the food put into his mouth by the old man; what he could not swallow, Father Daniel ate himself. The monk marveled at the patience and love of the Christian elder and glorified God, marvelous in His saints 864...
Abba Daniel lived in the 5th century; under him, the murder of Saint Thomaida by her father-in-law took place (about which see April 13), whom the Monk Daniel buried in the Octodecat monastery with his fathers - and then he sent one monk to her tomb, who was exhausted in the struggle with unclean thoughts and was healed by the prayers of Saint Thomaida, who suffered for her chastity, to which he resorted according to the teachings of Elder Daniel.
Holy Martyr Theodotus of Ancyra (see about him on May 18).
Day eight. Memory of Saint Theodore, Bishop of Rostov and Wonderworker of Suzdal
Blessed Theodore was consecrated Bishop of Rostov in 990, and in this year he built the first cathedral church in Rostov from oak wood in honor of the Mother of God, which stood after that for 168 years 865. The rude pagans of Rostov, who even after that received Saint Leonty so badly, looked very hostilely at the first Christian bishop of Rostov. Blessed Theodore suffered many different insults from them; but in 992 he was forced to leave Rostov 866. The very fact that the relics of St. Theodore have rested in the Suzdal Cathedral since time immemorial shows that Blessed Theodore, expelled from Rostov, lived in a settlement that later became the city of Suzdal, and that his preaching in the region of Suzdal, which in the first two centuries was part of the circle of the Rostov diocese, was preserved in the grateful memory of the region. Among other things, the wall inscription of 1635 above his relics speaks of his preaching in the Suzdal region. "In l. 6498 (990), she says, “the first noble and great prince Vladimir enlightened the Suzdal land with Holy Baptism and entrusted the flock to Bishop Theodore.”
According to the chronicle, the enlightenment of the Suzdal region by Saint Theodore should be considered from 992 867. Since, according to the lists of Rostov bishops of the 11th century, Theodore was installed in Rostov three times before St. Leontius 868, this suggests that St. Theodore from Suzdal solitude again returned to Rostov to the see. This is confirmed by the handwritten life of St. Leontius; Here it is said about Equal-to-the-Apostles Vladimir: “Theodore the bishop ambassador to Rostov with Prince Boris” 869. since it is known that Saint Boris was sent to Rostov in 1010 to replace Prince Yaroslav, who entered Novgorod; The arrival of Saint Theodore in Rostov together with Prince Boris was also not before 1010 870. This time he stayed in Rostov probably until 1014, until Prince Boris was summoned by his sick father to Kyiv. The suffering death of Saint Boris and the bloody struggle between Yaroslav and the fratricide Svyatopolk that followed were favorable only for pagan fanatics, and it was difficult for the blessed bishop to stay in Rostov at such a time.
In the mentioned life of Saint Leontius it is said that blessed Theodore, having arrived with Prince Boris in Rostov, although he worked diligently to enlighten the people with the holy faith, unbelief took deep roots among the people and the preacher was “expelled.” According to the lists of Rostov bishops, after Theodore was removed from Rostov, Hilarion was sent here; but he, as can be seen from other sources, soon left Rostov from the hatred of the pagans 871. The chronicles do not show the year of death of Saint Theodore.
According to their story about the beating of women by the Magi in Suzdal in 1024, it is not clear that a zealous preacher of the holy truth was alive then; but in any case, there is no doubt that this fierce uprising of the preachers of paganism was the work of their anger, irritated by the successes of the preaching of Saint Theodore 872. Thus, the blessed death of the zealous shepherd must be attributed to the year 1023. Over the tomb of the saint, who rested in Suzdal in the 16th century, there was placed an expensive cover with the following embroidered inscription: “l. 7089 (1581), - praying to the Most Holy Theotokos and the great wonderworker, Bishop Theodore, of Suzdal, Princess Eupraxia laid this cover on the great wonderworker Bishop Theodore, Prince Vladimir Andreevich" 873. In 1633, the Archbishop of Suzdal wrote to the Suzdal nunnery: “may the prayers of the great saints and wonderworkers of Suzdal John and Theodore be with you” 874.
Transfer of the relics of the holy martyr Theodore Stratilates
From Iraklia, where he suffered, to the city of Euchaites, his fatherland. The transfer followed soon after his death as a result of the vision of the great martyr to his old servant. See information about him on February 8th.
Memory of the Holy Martyr Theophan
Young and inexperienced, carried away by the Turks into Islam, Theophan soon, however, realized his disastrous error and, hiding from those who deceived him, entered monasticism in order to atone for his temporary deviation from his native faith of Christ through strict asceticism. But he was not able to satisfy the torment of his conscience with anything and therefore decided to seek reconciliation with himself through martyrdom.
Returning to his former place, in Constantinople, Theophan was soon recognized by the Turks, who, seizing him, brought him to the judge, testifying that Theophan the Mohammedan was posing as a Christian... The voluntary martyr firmly declared that he was a Christian and would not change his faith. Seeing the furious excitement among the people about this, the judge pronounced a death sentence on Theophanes. Then the Turks rushed at their victim and began to shower the monk-confessor with cruel beatings... but they were not content with this; They cut cross-shaped straps from his back, cut off his ears and nose, and finally hung him on a high pole, extorting new apostasy from him. But the young man’s firmness was indestructible. The fanatics, driven out of patience, then threw the martyr onto the chengel - an iron grate with sharp teeth at the top, which, finally torn to pieces, Theophanes betrayed to God his soul, purified by repentance and suffering...
Venerable Melania (the eldest), who died peacefully in 410. (For information about her, see the life of Melania the Roman (her grandchildren), whose memory is on December 31st).
Day nine. Memory of the holy martyrs Thekla, Martha, Mary, Mariamne and Ama
During the persecution launched against Christians by the Persian king Sapor II in 346, the rich priest Paul and five virgins were also captured; the first was captured especially in order to take advantage of his money. Counting on the unshakable firmness of Christians, proven by countless experiences, Paul was told that if he wanted the money taken from him to be returned to him, then he should worship the sun. The money-loving priest, however, turned out to be a monstrous exception among the confessors of the Christian faith... he renounced Christ for the sake of money. Then, dissatisfied with the fact that a significant amount of money was slipping out of his hands, the ruler decided the matter differently: he ordered that the money be given to Paul only when he cut off the heads of five Christian virgins with his own hands. They were: Thekla, Martha, Maria, Mariamne and Ama. When asked to bow to the sun, they declared: “Let the fools bow to the sun, but we will not give created things the honor that belongs to the Creator...” and for this they were condemned to death.
Pavel approached them with a sword in his hands. "Unhappy! - they told him. “You want to put the sheep of your flock to death, what kind of shepherd are you after that?” Our blood will fall on your head." But the blinded and callous covetous man carried out the executioner’s work without the slightest embarrassment... However, he did not receive the money for which he sold his soul... A different reward lay ahead of him. The ruler did not want to return the money, so he ordered Paul to be secretly strangled, and the presbyter, who had renounced Christ, died like Judas 875...
Day ten. Memory of Saint Theophan, Saints Pansemnia and Pelagia
At the same time, as blessed Publius labored (October 9), the son of the pagans lived in Antioch in paganism 876. Having come of age, he married, but his wife died in the third year of marriage. After her death, he was baptized with the name Theophan and, having built himself a very small cell outside the city, he lived a life of evangelical self-sacrifice. Carrying out a strict ascetic life himself, he zealously taught the ways of salvation to those who came to him, and he especially inspired them to lead a pure, chaste life.
In such a city as the luxurious capital of the East, which had not yet parted with the sins of dirty paganism, the reverend’s zeal for a pure life was offended by many. So he hears that in the city a woman, who was called Pansemnia 877, lives dissolutely and drags many into a dirty life. He decided to return her to the path of good. The Apostle James teaches: He who converts a sinner from his false path will save his soul from death and cover the multitude of his sins (James 5:20). The feat is wonderful, lofty, but difficult to accomplish. The ascetic Theophan did not trust himself in success, because he knew that evil passions and the spirit of malice do not sell victory over them cheaply - he did not trust himself and because of the consciousness of his weakness; he saw that he would have to move from quiet solitude into a noisy society of easy-going, absent-minded people, where they consider it fun to lure others into unclean sins. Realizing the danger of the undertaking, Theophanes prayed long and fervently to the Lord, so that He would either send him His help to fulfill his intentions, or would hold him back at the very beginning of the matter.
Having left his cell, he comes to his father and, saying that he wants to get married, begs him for an elegant dress and 10 pounds of gold. The pagan father, very rich, willingly gave everything. Dressed as a dandy, Feofan appears to Pansemnia as one of so many intelligent admirers of her charms. Feofan asks her: how long has she lived the way she has? “Twelve years,” she answers with the shamelessness of women of her kind. And of all the men I have seen, I have not loved one as much as I am ready to love him. “Fine,” he said, “but if I get close to you, I want our relationship to be honest, and not to be debauchery.” He also showed her the money with which he was ready to buy her marital fidelity. Pansemnia, who did not at all expect such happiness for herself, delightedly announced that she agreed to everything.
Having received the word of the oath, Theophanes left it and began building a cell near his cell. Having finished his work, he again appeared to Pansemnia and announced that his first condition was that she should accept Christianity. At first she was very reluctant, but when she saw that his intention was unshakable, she agreed to be baptized. During the seven-day preparation for baptism, they revealed to her the initial foundations of the holy faith and especially explained how the truth of God does not tolerate sin and debauchery and how God’s love is generous to those who repent; Blessed Theophan, in the language of living faith, depicted to her pictures of eternity, ready for repentant and unrepentant sinners, and together he prayed for her with humility and love. When baptism took place over her, the grace of God kindled in the soul of the sinner an ardent love for the Lord. Pansemnia took upon herself the most severe feats of repentance. She released all her slaves, distributed everything that she had acquired through debauchery for charitable works, and locked herself in a cell built for her. Her firm and unyielding struggle with herself soon changed her whole soul.
To the glory of the grace of Christ, the gift of working miracles was revealed in Pansemnia: she healed those possessed by demons. 22 months after baptism, she moved to the Lord on the same day as her holy mentor, the Monk Theophan 878.
A more striking example of his extensive action was set by Saint John the Merciful, Archbishop of Alexandria - an example that was in the same Syria where Pansemnia and Theophan labored 879.
One hermit, he said, was walking along the street in Tire. And now the dissolute woman stops him with her cry: “My father! Save me as Jesus Christ saved the harlot.” The hermit, not at all thinking about what people would think, what people would say about him, took her hand and went with her to a nearby monastery outside the city. Those who saw this began to say that he was leaving monasticism to marry this woman. Unfortunately for the good judges, while walking with a woman to the monastery, the hermit saw a child abandoned on the road, and the woman took this child to her out of compassion to raise, so that the intention to enter the monastery remained unfulfilled for the time being. The evil-pagans did not miss a wonderful opportunity for them; they spread the rumor that the child had been adopted by the monk. “What more? - said others. “The child’s face is as similar to a monk as a son’s to his father!” It was bitter for the innocent hermit to listen to this, but he endured and endured. The former Porfiria has already become the good nun Pelagia. The hermit lay sick, and God revealed to him that his death was near.
It was also hard for the ascetic’s soul that people sin so easily to their own misfortune and judge others so unfairly. He asks Pelagia to come to Tire with the child, who was already seven years old. In Tyre, when he was lying sick, many visitors gathered to see him, up to a hundred people. He asks for hot coals to be brought, and when they were brought, he sprinkled them on his clothes. “You see, my friends, the fire does not burn my clothes by the grace of God: just as God preserved my body throughout my life from the fire of lust, and I did not have carnal intercourse with any woman.” Having said this, the hermit gave up his spirit to the Lord. Then the intelligent judges of someone else's conscience reluctantly admitted that they were stupid and that the Lord has His secret servants, to whom if an insolent tongue touches, it is cruelly burned. Then the example of Pelagia, who turned out to be a sincere ascetic and not a ridiculed sinner, had a strong effect on many: people like her decided to wash their sinful lives with warm repentance, left the world and entered a monastery.
So Pelagia (October 502) not only saved herself, but also turned many people to the Lord by her example. The Lord is close to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. He fulfills the desire of those who fear Him, He hears their cry and saves them (Ps. 144:18). If anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous; He is the propitiation for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:1-2).
Day eleven. The Repose of St. Barnabas
The birthplace of the Monk Barnabas was Veliky Ustyug 880. Here he was a priest and during the Cheremis raids he left his homeland. Arriving on the banks of the Vetluga River, he settled on Mount Krasnaya and labored here in solitude for 28 years. Then in the vicinity of Red Mountain, even 50 miles away, there was no human habitation; the hermit ate grass and rarely bread; wild animals did not harm those who lived according to the will of God. When people learned about him, they began to come to him for instructions, and he taught the fear of God. The Monk Macarius stayed with him for some time to talk about the salvation of the soul, when in 1439 he passed to the Unzha River. The blessed one died on June 11, 1445 881. After his death, his disciples and newly arrived monks built a church in the name of the Holy Trinity, and another over the tomb of the monk in the name of St. Nicholas and formed a monastery, which later enjoyed respect 882.
The relics of the Monk Barnabas were witnessed by order of Patriarch Joasaph in 1639 on the occasion of the miracles that took place at his tomb. The Vetluga priests John and Onesiphorus, with their priestly conscience, testified that the first of them suffered seriously from an eye disease, and on the advice of the monks of the monastery, he prayed at the tomb of the Monk Barnabas and received sight; another received healing from his illness there. Nowadays, from the ancient monastery there remains a church in the name of the Apostle Barnabas, with the relics of the saint, serving as a cathedral church for the city of Varnavina, Kostroma province, which was formed here, 387 versts from Kostroma 883.
Day twelve. Repose of St. Stephen of Ozersk
The father of Blessed Stephen served at the court of the Bearded princes - the branch of the Yaroslavl princes; in the house of a pious parent, the son received a decent upbringing 884. He believed that monasticism began in the Glushitsky monastery, where he spent several years. Then he wandered through the northern deserts, lived for some time in Tikhvin and, carried away by the love of silence, returned to his native Vologda borders: on the eastern shore of Lake Komelskoye, at the source of the Komela River, 35 versts south of Vologda, he built himself a cell and then a chapel, and in it there were icons of the Mother of God and St. Nicholas, and began to struggle, unknown to people and known by the One God. He endured many needs and sorrows in his desert: the rude fisherman, fearing that the monk would take over the fishing in the lake, either showered him with cruel abuse, or outraged him with indecent songs. The supply of bread Stefan brought was small - and he was in danger of a complete lack of food. More than two years later, two trappers accidentally found him and shared their travel supplies with him.
From them he learned the path leading to the Belozersk road and villages: otherwise he could not, and forced by extremes, get to residential areas. After that, trappers began to visit Stefan, and others recognized him from them. After three years of solitary sojourn in the desert, two brothers came to Stefan to share the labors of the desert, then several more appeared with similar desires. Even before that, on a summer night, he prayed fervently in the chapel, so that the Mother of God would bless his place for the monastery of prayers; Then in a vision he was informed that the monastery should be built in honor of St. Nicholas. The zealots of desert life asked the elder to build a church of prayer. With one of them he went to Moscow to ask the Metropolitan for a blessing to build a church and monastery. Metropolitan Daniel lovingly received the elder, whom he had previously heard of, placed him in his cell and then introduced him to Grand Duke Vasily Ivanovich. Ordained to the rank of priesthood and abbot, Stefan received from the Metropolitan, along with a charter, books, vessels and clothes for the church, and from the Grand Duke he received a charter for the land.
The church and monastery were built by the hands of hermits. This was in 1534. Thus, the true servants of God considered it necessary to perform a bloodless sacrifice in the desert and receive the Holy Mysteries. They did not talk about it the way dark superstitions interpret it. The Monk Cassian writes: “We should not abstain from partaking of the Mysteries of the Lord because we recognize ourselves as sinners; on the contrary, we must resort to them more and more often with thirst for strengthening and purifying the spirit. It is much fairer, with that humility of heart, by which we believe and clearly realize that we can never worthily touch the Holy Mysteries, to partake of them every Sunday, rather than, having ascended with vain self-conviction, to think that in a year we are worthy to partake of them” 885. The Monk Stephen, during his solitary stay in the desert, followed the ancient hermits. “Everyone who ceremonies in the deserts,” says Basil the Great (in Nikon of the Black Mountain in word 53), “where there is no priest, holds communion for themselves.”
In old age, on the eve of his death, the Monk Stefan dressed himself in the prepared funeral attire and, brought to church, received the Holy Mysteries from the hand of the liturgical presbyter, then returned to his bed and quietly died. According to the original, “St. Stephen, like the builder of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker on the lake, sat on top of his hair with a little gray hair” 886. He died blessedly on June 12, 1542 887.
He who sows to his flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, and he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life, teaches the Apostle (Gal. 6:8). Spiritual life, strongly developed in the soul, is not afraid of death - it makes itself felt through miraculous deeds even beyond the grave. The Vologda merchant Gabriel, who knew St. Stephen during his life and did good to his monastery, sailed by water on his trade affairs; A terrible storm arose and the waves threatened to swallow the boat. Gabriel began to call on the help of the saints of God and among them Blessed Stephen. And suddenly he saw a holy old man in his boat, who said to him: “Do not be afraid, son of humility, the Lord sent me to save you from drowning.” "Who are you?" – asked Gabriel, who was horrified both by the vision and by the apparent death. “You gave a lot of alms to the monastery of St. Nicholas, which is on Lake Komelsky, and to me, its humble builder Stefan,” answered the one who appeared and disappeared, and after that the storm subsided.
In the same year, 1542, when Blessed Stephen died, his monastery was devastated by the Tatars and when it was rebuilt, a wooden church was built over the tomb of the founder of the monastery, which was later replaced by a stone one. At the same time, during the construction of the wooden church, an icon of St. Stephen was painted and placed over his tomb, and another was placed in the church. The monastery was closed in 1764. In memory of St. Stephen, on June 12, a large gathering of people 888 comes here every year. Recently the church was assigned to the Vologda nunnery, which was thus put in a position to open a common meal for all sisters. So the Monk Stephen began to nourish the weak and poor women of prayer 889.
Memories of the Venerables Vassian and Jonah of Solovetsky
The Monks Vassian and Jonah were formed in the spiritual life by the instructions of Saint Philip, when he was abbot of the Solovetsky monastery. How they succeeded in spiritual life, no news has been preserved; but by their incorruption it is certain that they have achieved a high degree of spiritual perfection. The very last feat of their lives testifies that they were children of obedience. In 1561, by the will of the holy abbot, Vassian and Jonah set out on ships for lime on solid ground. On the way back from the mouth of the Dvina, a storm broke up the ships; The bodies of the drowned Vassian and Jonah were thrown onto the eastern shore of the Unskaya Bay 890. The peasants of Unsky Posad found the incorrupt bodies of the saints and at first wanted to transport them to their posad, but it stood 25 miles from that place, and they buried them where they found them. Mamant, the elder of the Sergius Lavra, who managed the salt pans in Unsky Posad, obeying a miraculous vision in a dream, on June 12, 1599, built a chapel over their relics.
Following this, a hermit set up a cell for himself near the chapel, others came to him, and miracles were performed at the relics of the righteous from time to time. Monk Ephraim built a church and went to Vologda to get the antimension, but was killed by the Poles. 5 years after the unrest raised by the impostors subsided, the church was consecrated in honor of the Transfiguration of the Lord and the Pertomin monastery was formed 891. Here is one of the many experiences of the afterlife activities of the saints of Pertomina! In their monastery they felt a lack of hay needed for livestock. More than others, the pious novice Nikita grieved over his need, grieved and prayed for help. One night after prayer he fell asleep. And then the monks Vassian and Jonah appear.
“You called us,” they say, “but we were not in the monastery - we were hunting for hay for the cattle; God is sending you enough hay, don’t grieve: tell the brethren – the hay has been bought, let them send it to nearby settlements.” When they sent them to the Unskaya volost, they bought up to 90 carts and for an unprecedented price, 6 money per cart 892.
Nowadays the relics of Saints Vassian and Jonah rest in secret in the stone Church of the Assumption of the Mother of God, consecrated in 1691. Peter I escaped here from a storm that overtook him on the way from the Solovetsky monastery to Arkhangelsk; Having stayed in the monastery for three days, he himself built a huge cross with his own hands, carried it on his shoulders from the monastery to the shore and placed it with a Dutch inscription: “Captain Peter erected this cross in the summer of 1694” 893.
Memory of Saints Onuphrius and Auxentius of Vologda
According to the handwritten description of the Vologda saints, “the venerable fathers Onuphrius and Auxentius, also in the Pepper Hermitage, were in the summer of 7007 (1499).” The Pertsova Hermitage, closed since 1764, was located halfway from Gryazovets to the Arsenieva Hermitage, 35 versts from Vologda. In 1499, the blessed hermits settled for the first time in the local, then extremely silent, forest place. With patience for needs of all kinds, they performed the feats of monasticism. Their relics rest hidden in the Church of the Holy Trinity, now a parish 894.
Repose of the Venerable Onuphrius of Malsky
The Monk Onuphry founded a monastery in honor of the Nativity of the Mother of God on Malakh, 4 versts from Izborsk and 56 versts from the city of Pskov, and died on June 12, 1592. According to the handwritten calendar, he is a new miracle worker; His relics rest hidden in the Church of the Nativity, in which the chapel is dedicated to his name. His monastery was abolished in 1764 895.
Day thirteen. Memory of the Venerable Mother Anna and her son John
This ascetic (in the second half of the 5th century) was found with her son on a deserted island by a hieromonk. She told him about herself that, having been raised as an orphan in the house of a kind noble man, she, at his request, became the wife of his son. When the old nobleman died soon after that, Anna’s husband’s relatives did not give him peace, reproaching him for his unequal marriage; They constantly told him: why doesn’t he marry a noble and rich woman? (This was the pagan right of the husband over his wife). Why, they said, does he disgrace his family by marrying a woman of humble birth? To put an end to this domestic confusion, in order to free her husband, the young woman secretly left his house and hid on the island, where she spent the life of a hermit... Meanwhile, after 8 months, her son was born here; and so, she lived with him for thirty years on a deserted island in renunciation from the world, in severe deeds, led by the One God.
Finally, one hieromonk arrived on the island, who met Anna with her son and, after listening to her sorrowful story, gave her the joy that he could perform baptism over her son 896...
Day fourteen. Repose of the Righteous Prince Mstislav
The Blessed Prince Mstislav, baptized George, the grandson of the Blessed Grand Duke Mstislav and the son of the Blessed Prince Rostislav, in 1166 participated in the victory of the southern princes over the Polovtsians, then took part in the wars of Prince Andrei Yuryevich with Kiev and Novgorod 897. His most brilliant feat of courage took place in 1173. Andrei Yuryevich, Grand Duke of Vladimir, announced to the Rostislavichs that they had no place in southern Russia - it was his property. Mstislav ordered the ambassador’s head and beard to be shaved and sent him to tell Andrei: “Until now we respected you as a father; but when you speak to us, as to servants and simple people, we go to the judgment of God.” Andrew sent 50,000 northern troops; This formidable militia was unwillingly joined by the regiments of some southern princes. Mstislav had only his own squad and the squad of his brother David. “Brothers! Let us strike with the help of the Lord and the holy martyrs Boris and Gleb,” Mstislav said to his friends and rushed with them against the enemies.
This first battle, which excluded many people from the enemy’s ranks, let the enemy know that it was not as easy to destroy Mstislav as Andrei believed. For nine weeks the northern troops stood around Vyshgorod, where Mstislav was imprisoned. Some of the allied princes feared the power of Andreev, others feared the treachery of Svyatoslav of Chernigov, and therefore secretly wished happiness to the Rostislavichs; and the brave Mstislav almost every day made brave forays against Andreev’s army. When the Lutsk prince Yaroslav arrived with the Volyn troops and united with Mstislav, fear fell on the besiegers. They rushed to run wherever they could. Mstislav looked from the side and couldn’t believe his eyes. Finally, raising his hands to the sky, he glorified the defenders of Vyshgorod, the holy princes Boris and Gleb. Then, jumping on his horse, he rushed with his squad after the fugitives, drowned, chopped, and grabbed them. The enemy camp, convoys, and many prisoners became the prey of Mstislav. From that time on, there was no other name for Mstislav other than Brave 898.
Mstislav was not proud of his happiness. He reconciled with Prince Andrei and begged Kiev for his brother Roman. Roman, going to Kiev, left his son in Smolensk. The people of Smolensk rebelled against the young prince and offered Smolensk to Mstislav. Mstislav accepted (1175) the offer. Meanwhile, Svyatoslav Chernigovsky expelled Roman from Kiev. Mstislav returned Smolensk to his brother. “Take care of him,” he told Roman; “I took it only to save it for you.” He no longer wanted to get involved in the bloody quarrels of the princes and was content with little for himself. Vsevolod Vladimirsky ordered the eyes of Prince Mstislav and Yaropolk to be cut out and put the Ryazan prince Gleb, Mstislavov’s father-in-law, in prison. Mstislav asked Svyatoslav to intercede for the unfortunate captive, and left everything else to the will of God. The unfortunate blind men, expelled from the north, prayed fervently in Smyadyn in the church of the holy princes Boris and Gleb and suddenly received their sight. This was great joy for the pious hero. The Novgorodians invited the healed princes to their place. But Mstislav soon died.
The Novgorodians, fearing Vsevolod’s cruel lust for power, called Mstislav the Brave to them. “I will not leave my brothers and my fatherland,” answered the prince, who valued what God had given him. “Aren’t we your fatherland?” - said the ambassadors. Mstislav (1179) agreed to the earnest request. In Novgorod he was received with delight. Having sworn an oath to protect the Novgorodians, he then went out against the predatory Estonians, who had previously besieged Pskov and did not stop plundering the border places. Mstislav went through the devastation of their country to the sea, taking many prisoners and livestock. On the way back (1180) he punished Pskov for rebellion. He was preparing for new enterprises against Vsevolod. But he unexpectedly fell ill, ordered himself to be carried to church, received Holy Communion and died on the same day. It was June 14, 1180.
Novgorodians bitterly mourned the death of the rare prince. “It would be good for us,” they said, “to die with you. You defended our freedom from the pagans, like your grandfather Mstislav.” And the chronicler adds: “he was of average height, handsome in face, and his soul was even better. He generously lavished alms and helped the monasteries. He was brave and courageous; he was eager to die for the Russian land. When it was necessary to free captives from the pagans, he said: “Brothers! If we die for Christians, we are cleansed of sins, God will count us among the martyrs; and if we do not die now, we will die someday.” He did not collect either gold or silver, but distributed it to his squad and to the churches for his soul.”899
The relics of the blessed prince rest in the chapel of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary and his memory is honored locally 900.
The people asked him (John the Baptist): what should we do? He answered and said to them, “Whoever has two coats, give to the poor, and whoever has food, do the same.” The publicans also came to be baptized, and said to him: Master! what should we do? He answered them: do not demand anything more specific to you. The soldiers also asked him: what should we do? And he said to them: do not offend anyone, do not slander and be content with your salary (Luke 3:10-14). The noble prince lived by these lessons and with his life he commands us to live the same way, to the glory of God.
Memories of St. Methodius of Peshnosha
The Monk Methodius, while still a young man, came to the desert to the Monk Sergius and spent several years under the guidance of this great mentor of monastic life. Zealous to live in silence, with the blessing of Sergius, he set off to look for a deserted place and, a mile from the current Peshnosh monastery, beyond the Yakhroma River, in an oak forest, he set up his cell on a small hill; the place is surrounded on all sides by swamps and forests; The place is completely silent! Here the hermit talked with the Lord alone, and cleansed his soul with strict fasting and tears. However, his life became known and, like a life-giving ray of the sun, began to gather zealots of the ascetic life; Several disciples came to him. The Monk Sergius, having visited his beloved disciple, gave him advice to build a monastery and church on another, drier and more extensive place, and blessed the very place where the monastery now stands. The Monk Methodius, like an obedient son, fulfilled the will of his mentor. He himself worked on the construction of the church and cells, carrying trees across the river on foot.
That is why the name Peshnoshskaya remained behind the monastery forever, and the river near which it stands was called Petnosha. The monastery of Methodius, founded in 1361, was a place of hard work for everyone. Methodius was its abbot; but only in his feats of labor, fasting and prayer was he the first among the brethren. He raised good monks by example of ascetic life. Strict with himself, he was merciful to others. According to the ancient stichera composed in his honor, every day many beggars sat at the gates of his monastery, and he fed them. At times the monk, as a lover of silence, moved two miles away from the monastery and here solitarily labored in prayer. The Monk Sergius also came here to him for spiritual conversations. That is why this area was called “conversation”. Nowadays there is a chapel here, and there is a religious procession to it on June 24, just as the place of the initial solitary life of Methodius in the forest is maintained in memory by another reverent chapel.
“The interlocutor and companion of the great Sergius,” as Methodius is called in the ancient troparion, moved into blessed eternity 8 months after the great father Sergius 901. According to the handwritten calendar, “Reverend Methodius, abbot of the Peshnosh monastery, disciple of Saint Sergius the Wonderworker, reposed in L. 6900 (1392) m. June at 14 days.” His relics rest hidden in the Church of Saints Sergius and Methodius, and until 1732 they rested in the chapel. At the saint's shrine stands his staff, and in the sacristy there is a wooden chalice with which he celebrated the Holy Liturgy 902.
Memory of Saint Methodius, Patriarch of Constantinople
Originally Sicilian, from Syracuse; in his youth he took monastic vows on the island of Chios, and in 811, as a confidant, he was sent by Patriarch Nicephorus to the Pope of Rome with the rank of apocrisiary and lived for almost nine years. In 821, he returned with a letter from Pope Paschalis to the new emperor Michael the tongue-tied, but he accused Methodius of treason and ordered him to be punished corporally, with his jaw damaged, and imprisoned on the island of St. Andrew (near Nicomedia) in a cramped pit where the robber was already kept. Released after the death of Michael (in October 829), looking more like a dead man and not having a hair on his head, he lived in Constantinople as a private person (because there were iconoclasts in all the monasteries), visited some houses and converted some to the path of truth, because he was holy in life, deeply knew the Holy Scriptures and the works of the fathers. About two years later, Emperor Theophilus, at the direction of others, taking advantage of his help in understanding a certain book, assigned him a place among the palace officers, often called him for interviews on scientific subjects and took him with him during campaigns.
After the death of Theophilus (January 20, 842), elevated by Empress Theodora to the patriarchal throne (February 12, 842), he convened a council in Constantinople, at which the veneration of holy icons was restored and the Triumph of Orthodoxy was to be celebrated annually in the first week of Lent. Died in 846.
Memory of the Holy Prophet Elisha
The holy prophet Elisha was the successor to the prophetic ministry of the holy, glorious prophet Elijah. When God, who appeared to Elijah on Mount Horeb, inspired him to anoint a prophet in his place, this decree from above fell on Elisha, the son of Shaphat, from Abel-Maholah. ...and (Elijah) found Elisha the son of Shaphat while he was shouting; He had twelve pairs of oxen, and he himself was with the twelfth. Elijah, passing by him, threw his mantle at him. And [Elisha] left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me kiss my father and my mother, and I will follow thee. He said to him: Go and come back, for what have I done to you? He departed from him, took a pair of oxen and slaughtered them, and, having lit the oxen's plow, roasted their meat, and distributed it to the people, and they ate. And he himself got up and went after Elijah, and began to serve him (1 Kings 19, 19-21).
Seeing the zeal of his disciple, the holy prophet Elijah, approaching his death, said to him: Ask me what you want before I am taken from you. Let the spirit that is in you be doubly upon me (2 Kings 2:9), answered Elijah Elisha, who most of all wanted the opportunity to perform his ministry with miraculous power for greater success... You are asking a difficult thing (2 Kings 2:10), said Elijah, however, he fulfilled the request of his follower when he was hiding in a whirlwind from his eyes... Since then, Elisha zealously devoted himself to his prophetic ministry, confirming the faith of the people of Israel and testifying to the Spirit of God abiding in them with numerous miracles. ...and in his days he did not tremble before the prince, and no one prevailed over him; nothing prevailed against him, and after his death his body prophesied. And during his life he performed miracles, and after his death his deeds were wondrous... (Sir. 48:13-15).
The people saw in Elisha the messenger of God, were edified by his word and, although they did not come to complete repentance, they nevertheless deviated partly from serving the pagan gods, to which many Israelites were attracted by their wicked kings.
Among the many instructive circumstances from the life of the prophet Elisha, it is remarkable how he once treated evil children... And he went from there to Bethel. As he walked along the road, little children came out of the city and mocked him and said to him: Go, you bald man! go, baldhead! He looked around and saw them and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And two she-bears came out of the forest and tore to pieces forty-two children from them... (2 Kings 2:23-24).
A terrible punishment befell the unfortunate unreasonable children... It would seem that the insanity of childhood should have saved them from such punishment, which could only be subject to some terrible and conscious crime of an adult, committed in a state of full sanity and responsibility, and not the simple laughter and playfulness characteristic of children, the responsibility for which, moreover, falls more on their educators than on themselves... Meanwhile, the punishment was accomplished. Centuries have passed, but the memory of her has survived and never ceases to make me shudder at the thought of its seeming inconsistency with the children’s misdeeds...
But if not even a hair falls from our heads without the will of God, then could the terrible death of 42 children have occurred without the participation of Divine Providence? And could the curse of the prophet have affected and been fulfilled over them if it had not been for the highest inspiration and will? And didn’t the prophet see in his spirit that, by bringing death on children with a curse, he was ridding the world of the villains that these children would later become, poorly, without instilling goodness, brought up by their parents, who were therefore subject to unconditional responsibility for the children’s misdeeds... And not just responsibility, but also punishment. And shouldn’t the death of children be looked at as a punishment that befell mainly parents as an eternal edification and reminder of how strictly the judgment of God condemns negligence in raising children...
Such a clear demonstration of God's wrath against guilty children and parents has never been repeated; but, nevertheless, this fact, once accomplished, testifies forever to the inevitability of strict punishment, which must befall both those who neglected the sacred work of education, and the unfortunate victims of unscrupulous education, driven to crime sooner or later. And even if they are not given over to be torn to pieces by ferocious beasts, like those 42 children who fell under the curse of the prophet, then in one form or another, but no less terrible, the consequences of parental negligence in relation to the spiritual education of children will inevitably be reflected...
Memory of St. John Metropolitan of Euchaitis
John (nicknamed Mavron), having received a thorough education, was diligently devoted to scientific studies, extracting from them, however, mainly food for the soul, guidance for his salvation. In one of his poems he writes:
Lead me, O Word, along this path and save me!..
Let me be with books like a bee with flowers,
Feed me with science, like a grasshopper with dew,
So that I don’t look for anything other than salvation.
Satisfying himself with activities to his liking, John at the same time wanted to share his knowledge with others and wanted to devote his life to the education of youth. In 1050 he was invited to be a teacher of literature in Constantinople. However, from his life it is clear that, having left his mentoring path, he chose the novice path - a monk. He was a student of Abba Dorotheos the Younger, an ascetic of Hilikom in Trebizond. Under Emperor Alexius Komnenos, already in his advanced years, John was invested with the rank of metropolitan. Under this same emperor, the Lord glorified the worthy shepherd with a special revelation. When disputes arose between the admirers of Saints Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom about which of them should be given the main honor, and these disputes reached the point of schism, the saints appeared to John and told him: “We are one with the Lord; at one time, each of us, taught by the Holy Spirit, wrote what was necessary for the salvation of others; between us there is no first, no second.
So tell those who argue about us to stop arguing; We wished for the same love for everyone on earth, and we wish for the same love in heaven. Unite us on one day and schedule a celebration, when and how you want, to show our like-mindedness.” The will of the saints was fulfilled by the appointment of a celebration of their memory on the 30th day of January. The Euchaitic shepherd died around 1095. He left behind many words, messages, canons, among which is the famous canon to the Sweetest Jesus and Guardian Angel 903.
Memory of the Venerable Elisha of Sumy, Solovetsky Ascetic
From the life of Elisha, only one of his dying feats is known, in which both the piety of the elder and the highest help sent down to his dignity through the intercession of the Monk Zosima, at the same time with whom Elisha probably labored or not long after his death, were expressed.
The ascetic monk Elisha, feeling the approach of death, ardently desired to take the schema, but there was no holy monk in the place where he lived who could perform tonsure. Therefore, the elder monks decided to take Elisha to Suma (60 miles away), where the hieromonk was located at the monastery courtyard. The journey had to be made along the Vyga River, which was inconvenient for swimming due to the speed of the current and along many underwater rock rapids; The elders were often embarrassed by the dangers, but the sick man encouraged them, saying: “Do not be afraid, our father Zosima is here with us...” The monks safely went out to sea and reached the Virma River. Meanwhile, the patient became more and more exhausted and lamented the deprivation of his schema. Night has come; on Wyrm, the elders hired several oarsmen to help them speed up their swimming. When they were in the middle of the Sumy Bay, a strong storm arose, broke the mast, tore the sail, knocked the oars out of the hands of the rowers; Moreover, it was so dark that the swimmers could hardly distinguish each other.
Everyone was confused, the rowers grumbled and reproached the monks, but the sick man was calm; he seemed to be contemplating a vision from another world... “Do not be afraid, do not grieve, brothers! - he said to his companions, barely breathing from exhaustion. “I see our father Zosima among us... he helps us...” Soon after that, the wind began to subside, the waves subsided, and the swimmers, who did not know where they were, found themselves near the Sumy pier, which they no longer hoped to see, surrendering to the arbitrariness of the waves in the darkness of the night, without a sail and without oars... Arriving at the shore, the elders saw with horror that the sick man was lying without a sign of life, and their joy instantly turned into sadness... With bitter tears they they cried out to Saint Zosima: “Our Father! hoping for your prayers, what kind of work we endured, what trouble we endured at sea - and now, all this is in vain... what we hoped to receive, we did not receive...” But after a while, the one who was considered dead discovered movement and, like a healthy person, spoke intelligently.
Brought to the courtyard, Elisha was tonsured into the schema and received the Mysteries of Christ; then, having thanked God and said goodbye to everyone, he gave up his soul to God. His body was buried behind the altar of the Church of St. Nicholas on the south side. Years passed, and his name was forgotten by many. But more than a century later, Elisha’s tomb was discovered on the surface of the earth - and soon followed the appearance of the monk and healings from him to the sick. To verify the reality of everything that was happening in 1668, the royal steward Alexander Sevastyanovich Khitrovo was sent to the Sumy prison, who, after research, erected a small chapel over the coffin of the saint. The second study took place in 1710 by order of Archbishop Raphael of Kholmogory, under Solovetsky Archimandrite Firs.
Healings of those who come with faith are carried out to this day 904.
Memory of St. Niphon (according to the Greek monthly)
Niphon, the son of a priest in the village of Lukovi, in the region of Argyrokastron, was raised by his uncle, the former ecclesiarch in the monastery of St. Nicholas, founded by Constantine Monomakh, in a place now called Mesopotam. Imbued with all his soul by the lofty content of the Holy Scriptures, young Niphon became alien to everything worldly and completely devoted himself to the thought of God and prayer. He had barely reached adulthood when he was already awarded the priesthood. Growing in spirit from strength to strength, Niphon felt an insurmountable need to concentrate mentally in complete silence and solitude, so he withdrew from the monastery to Mount Geromerien, where he began his hermitic deed under the guidance of one experienced, solitary elder from Mount Sinai, who labored in solitude on this mountain, but this solitude “did not satisfy the fiery soul that thirsted for the most perfect silence and desert feats.”
Niphon spent three years on Mount Athos - in obedience to the silent hermit Theognostus, hiding his priesthood, until Theognostus found out about him and, in his humility, refused to be the leader of the novice-presbyter. Then Niphon spent 14 years in the neighboring skete of the Great Basil (in the area of the Lavra of St. Athanasius) in extreme silence, once a week only fortifying himself with a small amount of dry bread.
With such a dispassionate life, the ascetic acquired the highest spiritual gifts, which, as it were, preceded for him an angelic state in earthly nature, and was awarded the gift of miracles. He shrewdly announced his death to his novice Gabriel and at the same time miraculously healed him from a fatal illness with prayer. At that time there was a pestilence; Gabriel fell ill; his father grieved greatly for him. Saint Niphon, consoling him, said: “Do not cry, brother, your son, for the sake of obedience to my unworthiness, now will not die...” Then he prayed, and the sick man recovered. Niphon then said about himself: “Behold, our brother, with God’s help, has recovered, but I had to die during Peter’s Fast...” And so it came true. On Saturday of the first week, getting up in the morning, Niphon prayed, then received Holy Communion and said to his disciples: “My beloved! behold, the time has come for me to go to God, whom I have loved with all my soul since childhood.”
Seeing the confusion of the disciples, he added: “You should not be embarrassed or cry, but rejoice, because in me you will have a prayer book for you before the Lord, if only you yourself fulfill the commandments of God...”
The next day, having ordered to dig a grave and prepare what was necessary for burial, the righteous man of God delved into the last prayer, then, asking everyone for forgiveness, blessed everyone and, crossing his arms on his chest, peacefully passed away into Eternal Life - June 14, 1330, in the 97th year of his life 905.
What inheritance could he bequeath to people better than the memory of such a blessed death, crowning such a holy life, filled with striving for God?..
Venerable Julitta (Julia of Tavenna). About her, see the life of Saint Eupraxia the Younger (July 25).
Day fifteen. Memory of Blessed Augustine, Bishop of Hippo
Augustine (Aurelius) was born in Tagaste, Numidian region, in the year 354. His pious mother Monica tried to raise him in the spirit of Christian teaching, but prone to entertainment, easily carried away, young Augustine did not succumb to his mother’s influence and cost her many tears. Gifted, however, with good abilities, he used, although with insufficient diligence, the scientific education provided to him. In Madaurus he listened to lessons in verbal sciences and from here he went to Carthage. In this rich city, he encountered even more temptations and, moreover, had the misfortune of falling under the influence of the Manichaeans, which corresponded to the mood of his soul at that time... Manichaeism justified all his hobbies, referring to the evil inclination, it flattered both his imagination and sensual inclinations.
In his famous “Confession,” Augustine himself later talks about his relationship with the Manichaeans: “I attacked people who were proudly mad, too carnal and talkative; in their mouths are the snares of the devil and poison, seasoned with an admixture of syllables from the name of God and our Lord Jesus Christ and the Paraclete of our Comforter, the Holy Spirit. These names did not leave their lips; sounded in their tongue, but their heart was empty, alien to the truth.” “My pride was consoled by the fact that I was innocent...”
“What forced me for almost 9 years, leaving the faith that my parents instilled in me from childhood, to follow the Manichaeans and listen to them? What if not that they frighten us with superstition and say that faith takes possession of us before reason? When they do not encourage anyone to believe without first examining the truth, who would not be deceived by such promises? Especially a young man with a thirst for truth, a young man arrogant and talkative from competing with some of the teachings of the school? And they found me like this..."
The tears of pious Monica flowed even more abundantly at this deviation of her son from the truth of Christ’s teaching; she begged the bishop to use every effort to convert her dying son... “It cannot be that the child of so many tears should perish...” the bishop answers her. And his words came true. The mother’s tearful prayer before God was not in vain.
After the death of his father, having no previous means of living, Augustine began teaching rhetoric in Tagaste; then, prompted by ambition, he opened a school of eloquence in Carthage under his own name, but since the number of students did not correspond to his pride, he, against his mother’s will, moved to Rome. In 384 he received a position as a teacher of eloquence at Mediolan. Here he met the famous Saint Ambrose of Milan; At first he wished to listen to the saint for the sake of his famous eloquence, but little by little, even more eloquent in content than in form, the sermons of Saint Ambrose began to penetrate into the soul of Augustine, and he saw the truth that was hidden from him while he was under the influence of Manichaeism.
“The man of God received me fatherly and episcopalally loved me, a wanderer,” Augustine writes about Ambrose in his confession, “and I began to love him at first not as a teacher of truth; no, I did not at all hope to find this in your Church, but as a person favorable to me; I didn’t want to learn what Ambrose said, but only listen to how he spoke; but along with the words that I loved, objects that I had not paid attention to entered my heart; I could not separate them, and when I opened my heart to feel how beautifully he speaks, what he rightly says came in, and this is gradually... And so I decided to remain a catechumen in the Church until it became clear where to direct my path... "
Meanwhile, Augustine began to study the Holy Scripture more attentively and became more and more aware of the truth and aware of himself. He was struck, by the way, by the story about the Egyptian hermits. “What is this? What are we doing? - he said to his friend Alypiy. - The unlearned are in a hurry and delight in the Kingdom before us, but we, with our spiritual learning, are immersed in flesh and blood. Should we be ashamed to follow them just because they are ahead of us? On the contrary, isn’t it more shameful not to gather the strength to follow in their footsteps?”
Once, during a revolution taking place in the spirit of Augustine, at a time when “everything in life was wavering” for him, amid fiery prayer from the depths of his torn soul, he heard a voice: “Take it, read it!” Getting up, he took the book and read on the first page that opened:
The night is past and the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and put on the weapons of light. As during the day, let us behave decently, not indulging in feasting and drunkenness, nor in sensuality and debauchery, nor in quarrels and envy; But put on our Lord Jesus Christ, and do not turn the cares of the flesh into lusts... (Rom. 13:12-14).
From that moment a gracious change took place with the son of Monica, who begged God for his salvation, and the mother’s sadness turned into joy... In 387, he was baptized by St. Ambrose of Milan. After the death of his mother, Augustine distributed all his property to the poor, accepted monasticism and spent three years in solitude and strict labors. In 391, Valery, Bishop of Ippona, ordained him a presbyter against his will, and in 395 he insisted that Augustine be ordained a bishop - his vicar. Having prepared himself with much prayer, Augustine assumed the rank of preacher, set up a monastery with strict rules of community life, and devoted himself entirely to the service of the faith: he either wrote against the Manichaeans, or was engaged in explaining the Holy Scriptures. After the death of Valery, for 35 years he was an active shepherd of Ipponia and fought with heretics with words and writings; tried to act on them with love, but the cruelty and even atrocities of the Donatists forced him to tame them with strict measures, however, not allowing the death penalty.
“We do not complain about them, we do not persecute them,” said Augustine, “and it will be very painful for us if the suffering (to which they subject) the servants of God is avenged with retributive executions.” In 411, he began to act against the heresy of Pelagius, but in his writings he did not call him by name - so that “so that the offended enemy would not become more incurable.” With great patience and firmness he fought against Pelagius, who was either condemned in Rome, or found protection and justification for himself.
Blessed Augustine died peacefully on August 28, 430 during the siege of Ippon by the Vandals. He left behind many works, the number of which, according to the certificate of his student and biography writer Possidia, extends to 1030.
Preaching the Word of God was Augustine’s favorite pastime, which he did not abandon even when, exhausted, he could barely speak. Most of all, he cared about being understandable and edifying: “It is better,” he said, “that grammarians reproach us than that the people do not understand.” With an eloquent outpouring of high feelings and comprehension, Augustine often produced a saving effect on souls. Among the most influential of his moral works is his “Confession” - in 13 books.
“The praises of this world,” Augustine wrote to Count Darius, sending him this essay, “are much more dangerous than persecution. Look in this book who I am; you must believe me when I present testimony about myself, and not listen to what others say... Glorify the good God with me for the great mercy that He showed towards me, and pray to Him that He will finish in me what He began and will not allow me to fall into corruption..."
In general, everything written by Augustine remained law for the West for a long time, and he can be considered one of the most influential fathers of the Church. So at the VII Ecumenical Council he was called “a great teacher and prolific writer of the Church” 906.
Memory of Saint Orsisius of Tabennisiot
Orsisius was one of the most zealous disciples of the Monk Pachomius the Great (his memory is May 15), who, even in his youth, was entrusted with the charge of the Henovos cinnamonium. “I tell you that Orsisius shines in the house of God like a golden lamp,” the Monk Pachomius once said about him in a conversation with his disciples. “Orsisius is Israel who sees the Lord,” the Monk Anthony also said about him. After the death of Pachomius, Orsisius, although against his own will, was elected chief of the Tabennisiot monks. Despite his piety, Orsisius possessed both a deep knowledge of the Holy Scriptures and the gift of speech, and “the power of his words seemed to grow in him for the consolation of the brethren,” one of his contemporaries says about him. Orsisius carried out the difficult task of managing the populous Tavennisiot monastery for “no small time” and died at a ripe old age no later than 376.
Instead of a will before his death, he left behind him an explanation of the Old and New Testaments - in brief reflections for the needs of monks, written in Egyptian, which was translated into Greek and by Blessed Jerome into Latin.
In his instructions to the monks, the Monk Orsisius, urging them to live according to the commandments of God, turns to the leaders of the hostel and the elders of the cells with the following words: “Do not cease to exhort every soul entrusted to you, teach a holy life. Be yourself an example of good deeds, be very careful not to love one and hate another, so that God does not hate the one you love...”
These are, apparently, strange words... and strange words: about the hatred of God... But shouldn’t we accept them in the sense that by excessive care and partial love for a person, we, firstly, seem to remove the highest care from him, and secondly, not being able to be completely useful to him due to our human weakness and blindness, we rather harm him with extreme attachment, appropriating for ourselves no matter how zealous, but still short-sighted providence about him, instead of completely surrendering him to the Wise Providence of God, and thus, as it were, preventing the action of Providence from taking place over him... Isn’t it such a deviation of God from man, who is the object of another person’s excessive affection for him, that equates the Monk Orsisius with “hatred of God,” i.e., giving a partial, excessively loved person to a person who is insufficiently human and intercession, against which fear is expressed in prayer: “Do not entrust me to human intercession!”
And isn’t this human intercession sometimes erroneous to such an extent that it puts a beloved being on the wrong path, for example, through the development in him of excessive self-love, which removes God’s grace from him... Doesn’t the removal of Divine grace equal that hatred of God against which an experienced ascetic warns?..
Memory of the Holy Apostles from the 70th Stephen and Fortunatus
“I also baptized Stephen’s house,” says the holy Apostle Paul (1 Cor. 1:16). Saint Fortunatus was a disciple of Saint Paul: I rejoice at the arrival of Stephen, Fortunatus and Achaicus, says the Apostle Paul about them, they made up for your absence for me, for they calmed my spirit and yours. Honor such people (1 Cor. 16:17-18). The Apostle Fortunatus preached the Gospel and while preaching he suffered martyrdom.
Memory of the holy martyrs Vitus, Modest and Criscentia
Saint Vitus, the son of noble parents from the city of Mazars in Sicily, was taught the true faith in his adolescence by his tutors and educators Modest and Criscentia. When in 289 the ruler
In Sicily, Valerian issued a command about the public celebration of the pagan gods by all, then twelve-year-old Vitus attracted attention with his zeal for Christianity and aversion from idols. Neither threats nor scourging could force him to worship and sacrifice to idols; Therefore, he and his teachers were subjected to severe torture, after which he reposed in the Lord. In the 9th century, his relics were transferred from Rome to Prague, Czech, with the favor of the popes towards the newly enlightened Christians there.
Repose of Saint Michael, Metropolitan of Kiev
Since 1730, in the great church of the Kyiv Lavra, the relics of St. Michael, Metropolitan of Kyiv, transferred here from the Anthony Cave 907, have openly rested. Kalnofoisky in his description of the Anthony Cave (1638) said: “Here lies the holy Metropolitan Michael, the one who was sent by the Constantinople Patriarch with the baptized Vladimir Svyatoslavich to baptize Russia and baptized it” 908.
What do ancient monuments tell us about the great Saint Michael?
Unfortunately, the Monk Nestor in his chronicle did not say a word about the first Metropolitan Michael, just as he did not say about his two successors 909. Nevertheless, we are not left without the news of the ancients about the first Metropolitan of Kiev. A Western writer contemporary to Saint Vladimir says that under Vladimir “a Greek bishop came to Russia and converted the very middle of the country to Christianity” 910. Dlugosh, who repeated the story of St. Vladimir to Nestorov, regarding the bishop who acted at the baptism of the Kievites, repeats the news of Vladimirov’s Western contemporary, but more precisely defines this news according to Nestor’s instructions. He writes that together with the priests who baptized the people in the Dnieper, the bishop “of Korsun” or who arrived from Korsun 911 acted. It is not surprising if Western writers call Blessed Michael a bishop: and Nestor includes the metropolitan among the bishops 912. What is important for us is that during the baptism of Russia by Vladimir, according to the faithful monuments, the saint acted, although Nestor does not mention him.
In the chronicle of Joachim we read the following: “Vladimir sent to Constantinople to the Tsar and Patriarch to ask for the Metropolitan; Very pleased with this, they sent Metropolitan Michael, a learned and pious man, a Bulgarian by birth, and with him four bishops, many priests, deacons and demestelians from the Slavs” 913. According to the charter of the holy Prince Vsevolod and according to the monuments of the 12th century, Blessed Michael, the first Metropolitan of Kyiv, acted with apostolic zeal in introducing the holy faith into Russia 914. In Kiev, it was most natural to preserve the memory of the first metropolitan of Kiev. And this review has been preserved from pre-Tatar times. Metropolitan Sylvester, showing the relics of the first Metropolitan Michael in the Anthony Cave, points to an ancient cave inscription: “the inscription, he says, has been hanging for a long time,” and of course from the time the relics of St. Michael were placed in the Anthony Cave. According to the inscription, this is the news he reports about St. Michael: “When the Russian sovereign was baptized
Vladimir Svyatoslavich, then took from the Patriarch the first Metropolitan Michael; Having arrived in Kyiv, he sanctified the Russian people with Holy Baptism and taught them the right faith; for such exploits and a pious life, he still lies incorrupt in the cave of St. Anthony, as evidenced by the table that has long hung above him” 915. According to the sedate book and the Nikon Chronicle, blessed Michael, begged by Vladimir from the patriarch back in Korsun, not only worked diligently in Kyiv for the holy faith, but he himself went in 990 to Novgorod, and from 991 to Rostov to preach the Holy Gospel. According to both monuments, he was “educational, very educated, great in life, very merciful and meek, and where necessary, strict; after he endured much labor for the Lord, destroyed idols, converted many infidels to the Christian faith, he rested peacefully in 992. Blessed Vladimir loved him and, when he died, he grieved greatly” about his imminent loss to the new church, “so that they could hardly console him” 916. According to the handwritten calendar, he reposed on June 15, 992 917.
Here is everything known about the life of St. Michael.
Murder of Saints Gregory and Xsian of Avnezh
When the Monk Stefan of Makhrishchi laid the foundation of the Makhrishchi monastery, Blessed Gregory owned a piece of land not far from the poor monastery 918. Inflamed by love for the Lord, Gregory gave everything he had, including himself, to the holy hermit and was awarded the rank of priesthood after becoming a monk. When the Monk Stephen retired from the monastery to live in the silent desert, he took with him his beloved disciple Gregory, and they went into the dense forests of the deep north. In the Vologda side, in the Avnezh principality, which is in the current Totem district, they settled near the Sukhona River. Here, near a stream called Yuriev, they erected (1370) a church of the Holy Trinity and then another in honor of the Great Martyr George. They were generously given benefits by the wealthy landowner Konstantin Dmitrievich, who later himself became a monk under the name of Cassian. Soon the Avnezh monastery became famous in the surrounding area; Grand Duke Dimitri Ioannovich sent contributions to the monastery from himself, but recalled St. Stephen to his Makhrishchi monastery.
The Monk Gregory remained the head of the Avnezh monastery, and Cassian was his cellarer. They labored diligently for their salvation and were rewarded with a painful death. In 1392, their monastery was devastated by the Vyatka Tatars, and the monks Gregory and Cassian themselves were killed on June 15. In appearance, the Monk Gregory was already gray-haired and somewhat bald, and Cassian had thick hair on his head and a short and simple beard. – The place of their monastery was considered the property of the Makhrishchi monastery, but after their death it was completely deserted and overgrown with forest; They were so afraid of the wild Tatars back then! In 1524, an Avnezh villager, while clearing the forest, found the relics of Saints Gregory and Cassian; a chapel was erected over them. The one who took possession of the plot of land where the monastery was located, out of passion for greed, sought to destroy the chapel; but he fell into a serious illness and, in repentance, received healing at the grave of the venerable hermits. The Makhrishchi abbot Varlaam, with royal support, built (1560) over the tomb of the saints a monastery with churches of the Holy Trinity and the Great Martyr George, as it was during their lifetime.
Metropolitan Macarius instructed Vologda Bishop Joasaph to examine the relics, and then it was established to commemorate the Monks Gregory and Cassian locally on June 15. The monastery was abolished in 1764, but the chapel of the Trinity Church remains dedicated to the name of the saints, and on the tomb there is an ancient icon of them depicting their deeds 919.
The Suffering of Saint Lazarus, Prince of Serbia
Blessed Lazar 920 was not from the descendants of the ruling house of St. Nemanja 921. In honor of St. Stefan, Nemanja always combined the name of Stefan with their own name. But he was married to Milica, who was descended from Saint Stephen Nemanja, through his second son Volkan 922. That is why he was written Stefan Lazarus. Tsar Dusan allowed him to bear the title of prince, as a relative of the Nemanjic family.
Under Tsar Uroš, he was the ruler of the Srem Danube region. When the last Uros, the thief of the royal power, died in 1371, Lazar, without declaring himself the ruler of all Serbia, took measures to improve its sad state. First of all, he drew attention to the wild self-will of the regional rulers. The Herzegovinian governor Nikolai Altaman was more like an ataman of bandits than a guardian of public peace and morality: with gangs of corrupt people like himself, he attacked neighbors and carried out robberies and murders. Prince Lazar with strong troops pursued him from one place to another; he locked himself in the Užice fortress; Having besieged him here, Lazar brought matters to the point that Altaman was handed over to Lazar. The prince ordered to deprive him of his sight and take him abroad. Then he defeated Radic Brankovich from Branichev. To complete the victory over the destructive self-will of the dreamy kings, Lazar marched with his army through Dalmatia and Bosnia 923.
Having expelled the Hungarians from Srem and Macva, he annexed to Serbia the noble part on the right and left sides of the Tissa River up to present-day Temesvar. In order for the governors not to separate their personal interests from the interests of all Serbia, he gave his daughters to them. After such exploits of Lazar, all of Serbia declared him the supreme ruler of Serbia 924.
The Serbian Church was reconciled by his piety with the Patriarch of Constantinople. He was indignant at the rulers of Serbia for assigning the title of patriarch to the Serbian archbishop and for proclaiming the Serbian ruler Dusan as king. This indignation became especially strong when Tsar Dushan, having conquered the Greek regions, subjected to the jurisdiction of the Serbian Patriarch the churches that had hitherto been under the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Constantinople, and expelled Greek bishops from his regions. Despot John Uglesh in 1368 transferred the churches of his region to the jurisdiction of the Constantinople Patriarch 925. Blessed Lazarus decided to arrange things by a peaceful agreement. According to the decision of the council, the intelligent monk Isaiah was sent to Constantinople. At the Council of the Constantinople Patriarchate, it was decided to uphold the rights of the independent Serbian Archbishop and to grant him the title of Patriarch, but so that he would use the latter only in Serbia.
The new patriarch, blessed Ephraim, placed the royal crown on Prince Lazarus 926.
Ten years after that, Serbia enjoyed complete peace. Lazarus called the inhabitants to the cities that were devastated during the unfortunate time. The rich silver mines exploited in the mountains revived industry and trade.
The piety of Lazarus was revealed in many experiences:
a) By a charter of 1380, “Reverend Stefan Prince Lazar” gave the village of Elchanitsa to the Hilandar hospital 927 and he also extended the main Hilandar church with an attached porch. In the same 1380, he donated several villages to the Church of the Presentation of the Mother of God in Gornak, which he built, for the monastic community founded here 928.
b) To the Russian Panteleimon Monastery, “the Prince of Serblem and Podunavia” gave the village of Dlabe by charter in 1381 and gave him the Spassky Church in Khvostnya in the same year 929, taking on the title of ktitor of the Panteleimon Monastery 930.
c) “In the underwings of Mount Kuchaina,” they later wrote to Moscow, “there is a royal sacred monastery called Oleshkovitsy, in which the Church of the Holy Trinity is the building of the saint among the kings of the martyr, Prince Lazar” 931.
d) A special monument to him is his “adushbina”, the Ravanitsa monastery. In his letter of 1381, he wrote: “Jealous of the pious kings who came before me, to whose throne God elevated me, I decided to make a sacrifice within my power: I built a monastery from the foundation in honor of the Ascension of the Lord and decorated it as best I could, prepared housing for the brethren’s community, established by the apostles. I have prepared enough of everything: income and villages, planted vineyards, bought others... Everything that I give is no one’s property - I did not inflict violence on anyone, everything was either bought or acquired by me, as anyone wanted... Let the abbot not be supplied from outside; 12 reverent brothers, in consultation with the prince, are chosen from the monastery brethren and, placing their hand on the Gospel, they will say: this one is worthy to be a mentor to our community and to shepherd the flock of Christ” 932.
e) Prince Lazar also cared about maintaining Christian education among the people 933.
Terrible troubles were approaching Serbia. The Asian savages the Turks had already established themselves in Rumelia, having taken Audrin-Adrianople. Almost all of Bulgaria fell to them. Epirus and Albania recognized dependence on the Sultan. The violence of the Turks knew no bounds.
In 1387, Lazar lured 20,000 Turks into the gorges of Epirus, and barely 500 of them escaped Lazarev’s sword 934. The proud Ottomans gnashed their teeth: they vowed to exterminate the Serbs. Having dealt with other matters, Sultan Murat moved 300,000 troops against Serbia. He demanded from Lazarus either complete submission or a decisive battle. The prince respectfully answered (May 24, 1389): “I received your scripture and understood that you command that I come to you, bring tribute and submission and not be called either prince or king. All this is not in my control. I was appointed by the princes and nobles of the entire Serbian land. I cannot submit to you without breaking my oath to the people. And will it be useful for you? Be patient with us, wait where you left off.
I will gather my people. If he tells me to submit, I will bow to you in front of everyone. If they don’t want it, I must go out with them against you. So I swore to them. Pursuing me alone, you will ruin the earth. In this case, even if I didn’t want to, I have to stand against you.” The Sultan promised to wait 17 days for an answer. Some of the regional leaders who were under the prince advised him to submit. But Lazar answered them the same way as he answered the Sultan. Letters were sent to all regional commanders to immediately appear with an army if they did not want to be tributaries of the Sultan 935. The strong Zakholmsky prince did not have time to come to the deadline due to his remoteness. Up to 60,000 troops gathered at Lazarus. It remained to go with this number against 300,000. On June 15, 1389, a decisive battle was to take place. Lazarus celebrated this day every year; on this day he laid the foundation of his Zadushbina - Ravanica. This time, on the eve of the holiday, they gathered to Lazarus for advice about the battle. Lazarus was sad. Early the next morning, on the advice of the saint, the prince took communion of the Holy Mysteries, and the whole army also took communion.
Milos and his three friends hurried to Murat's camp 936. He asked to be taken to Murat’s tent to reveal the secret. Appearing before the Sultan, he bowed to him and at that very moment drew his sword and pierced Murat. The Sultan's servants were numb with horror. Milos and his three friends rushed on their horses, but they were surrounded and cut down. If the Serbs had taken advantage of the confusion that followed the death of the Sultan, they would have attacked the Turks: complete victory would have been on their side. But Vuk Brankovich, a secret friend of Vulkashinov’s son, who was now acting for the Mohammedans, spread a rumor that Milos had gone as a traitor to the enemy’s camp, and fear appeared in Lazar’s camp. Prince Lazar had to arouse courage in the Serbian squads. Meanwhile, Murat's son, Bayazet, became the leader of the Turkish horde. The Serbs, inspired by Lazar, decided to sell their lives dearly. Lazar commanded the center and right wing, and Yuri Kastriot and the Albanians commanded the left wing. Vuk Branković volunteered to stand behind with a reserve army to reinforce the fighting when the need arose.
The rapid onslaught of the Turks was met coldly, and a little later the enemies began to interfere. The rear detachments advanced by Bayazet resumed the brutal slaughter. The battle lasted for five hours. It was time to reinforce the fighting Serbian troops, but Brankovic did not budge. Lazar fought in the front ranks; wounded, on a tired horse, he rushed to change his horse. The Serbs wavered. Appearing again in his ranks, Lazarus tried to hold back those who were shaken. The enemies, taking advantage of the Serbs' hesitation, attacked them with all their might. The fighting Serbs either fell by the sword or were captured; Brankovich remained intact, not moving from his place with his squads. Prince Lazar, covered with 16 wounds, was captured and brought with several of his men to Bayazet. His strength was gigantic: he could cut two people with a horse with one blow. But now he was all wounded. “Cut off his head,” said the Sultan. “No, first let us lose our lives - we don’t want to see him die,” said the prince’s squad. This is how the Christian prince died 937.
The body of the suffering prince, barely found, was buried in the nearest church of the Pristina bishopric. After two years and 8 months it turned out to be incorrupt and was then transferred to the prince’s Zadushbina - to the Ravanitsky monastery; here it was laid in a marble coffin. At the same time, a service to the holy prince Lazar was written. They prayed in it: “Who brought everything from non-existence into being, Who from the Virgin brought us into inexperience for the sake of incarnation, Ishmael subdued the enemy who fights us, grant to our despot victory through the prayers of your Lazarus and Those who gave birth, the Word of God” 938. In 1683, during the war between the Turks and the Germans, old Ravanitsa was completely devastated by the Mohammedans, and its monks transferred the relics of the holy prince to one of the monasteries of the Frushka Mountain, called the new Ravanitsa 939.
A modern descriptor of the feat of the holy martyr George of Sophia writes: “When Prince Lazar was defeated by the Turks on the Kosovo field, God glorified him alone: his body remains unharmed to this day, which I was an eyewitness; his head is cut off and stained with blood; looking, you think as if it is now cut off; - emits incense... After all, Murat was killed at the same time and an uncountable number of Turks fell with him: and yet no signs appeared either on the boss or on the subordinates - they all decayed” 940.
The words embroidered in gold by the widow of the despot Uglesh, the nun Euphemia, on the silk cover prepared for the tomb of Lazarus breathe with living feelings of historical truthfulness. “You were brought up from your youth among the blessings of this world, O new martyr, Prince Lazar! The mighty hand of the Lord has made you strong and glorious among the rulers of the earth. You ruled over your native country and consoled the Christians entrusted to you with happiness. With a courageous soul and with the determination of a saint, he went out against the serpent adversary of the Churches of the saints. “It is impossible to tolerate, you decided, that the Ishmaelites should possess Christians; if this cannot be achieved, let me be stained with my blood and unite with the army of the Heavenly King.” Your two wishes have come true. You killed the serpent and received a crown from God. Do not leave into oblivion your children, who were left orphans after your departure. You have moved to heavenly joys, and your dear children are in grave sorrows. The Ishmaelites have them. We all require your help. We pray to you: pray to the common Master for your beloved children and for all those who lovingly serve them.
Many sorrows weigh upon your children. Those who eat their bread raise fetters against them, forgetting your good deeds, martyr! You have migrated from the earth, but you know the suffering of your children, and as a martyr you have boldness before the Lord. Kneel before the one who crowned you... You laid a strange body on me: now I ask for something more special - calm the cruel storm of my soul and body. Euphemia diligently brings this to you, saint” 941.
In 1550, Paisiy, abbot of the Hilandar monastery, appearing with three elders to Tsar John, presented him as a gift “the image of the holy King Milutin and the holy Prince Lazar and a service to them” 942.
Day seventeen. Memory of the venerable Alfanov brothers Nikita, Cyril, Nicephorus, Clement and Isaac
The legend about the righteous brothers, written in 1606, says that the Alfanovs, relatives according to the flesh, led a righteous life and founded the Sokolnitsky monastery 943. And according to the chronicles, “on Sokolya Mountain they erected a church to St. Nicholas and established a monastery (nunnery)” in 1389-944. After this, we can accept for certain that the righteous Alfanovs were related to Jacob, Anfal or Alfan, known from the chronicles. In 1398, the Dvina governors Anfal (in. Alfan), Gerasim and Rodion were saved from death for their relations with Moscow only by the fact that the last two took monastic vows, and Yakov Alfan fled to the Dvina, while his brother Ivan Nikitin was thrown from the bridge and killed 945. Due to the contemporaneity of the founding of the monastery with these unrest, it is more than likely that the righteous Nikita Alfan was the father of Yakov and Ivan Nikitich Alfanov and that the righteous were exposed to troubles due to their family connection with Yakov, and through the grave sorrows of innocent suffering they were cleansed for a blessed eternity. According to handwritten calendars, the righteous Alfanovs are called honorable people 946.
This also confirms the idea of a connection between the Alfanovs and the sad story of Yakov Alfan 947. The “legend” about them describes the miracles that occurred from their relics since 1562, and their memory is set on June 17th. In 1775, on the occasion of a fire that destroyed the Sokolnitsa monastery, the relics of the righteous were transferred to the Anthony Monastery, where they rest to this day 948; From now on, their memory is supposed to be celebrated on May 4th.
The Repose of St. Ananias
“Reverend Ananias the icon painter was in the Anthony (Novgorod) Monastery, he reposed in the summer of June 7089 (1581) on the 17th day.” This is what it says in the handwritten calendar. According to the legend about the miracles of St. Anthony, Ananias painted “wonderful icons of many holy wonderworkers” and fulfilled his monastic vows so strictly that for 33 years he never left the monastery fence 949.
Memory of Saint Solomon, King of Israel
How wise you were in your youth and, like a river, full of intelligence! Your soul covered the earth, and you filled it with mysterious parables; your name spread to the distant islands, and you were loved for your peace; Countries marveled at you for your songs and sayings, for your parables and explanations! This is how the wise Jesus son of Sirach extols Solomon (Sir. 97, 16-19).
The chosen branch of the holy King David, Solomon was anointed king in his youth and proclaimed king during the lifetime of his father. Upon his confirmation on the throne of Israel, Solomon, first of all, in fulfillment of his father’s will, secured himself on the throne from his enemies and undertook the construction of a church to the true God.
The people were still making sacrifices on the high places, for the house of the name of the Lord was not built until that time (1 Kings 3:2). And Solomon went to Gibeon, where the main altar was, to offer a sacrifice to God there. Here the Lord appeared to him in a night dream and said to Solomon, who loved Him and walked according to the statute of David his father: Ask what will be given to you (1 Kings 3:5). And Solomon said: Now, Lord my God! Thou hast made Thy servant king in place of David my father; but I am a small boy, I don’t know either my way out or my way in. And Your servant is among Your people, whom You have chosen, a people so numerous that in their multitude they cannot be numbered or surveyed. Grant therefore to Thy servant a heart of understanding, to judge Thy people and to discern what is good and what is evil; for who is able to govern this multitude of Your people? And the Lord was pleased that Solomon asked this. And God said to him: because you asked for this, you did not ask for a long life, you did not ask for wealth, you did not ask for the souls of your enemies, but you asked for understanding to be able to judge, behold, I will do according to your word.
Behold, I give you a heart that is wise and understanding, so that there was none like you before you, and after you there will not arise one like you. And what you did not ask for, I give you both wealth and glory, so that there will be no one like you among kings all your days. And if you walk in My way, keeping My statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked, I will prolong your days (1 Kings 3:7-14).
And Solomon woke up from his dream, and it came true exactly. And the gift of reason was not slow to manifest itself - in his trial over two women, immortalizing his glory forever: when two women appeared to him, who gave birth to babies at the same time, one of whom died at night, when they were sleeping in the same room, and so they argued about which of them belonged to the surviving baby, then the king said: give me a sword. And they brought the sword to the king. And the king said: Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other. And that woman, whose son was alive 950, answered the king, for her whole inside was agitated with pity for her son: Oh, my lord! give her this child alive and do not kill him. And the other said: let it not be for me or for you, chop it down. And the king answered and said: Give this living child, and do not kill him: she is his mother. And Israel heard how the king judged, and began to fear the king, for the people saw that the wisdom of God was in them to execute judgment. And Solomon was king over all Israel (1 Kings 3:24–28:4:1).
He owned all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines and to the borders of Egypt. They brought gifts and served Solomon all the days of his life (1 Kings 4:21). And Judah and Israel lived quietly, each under his vineyard and under his fig tree, from Dan to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon (1 Kings 4:25).
And God gave Solomon wisdom and very great understanding and a vast mind, like the sand on the seashore (1 Kings 4:29). He was wiser than all the people... his name was in glory among all the surrounding nations. And he spoke three thousand parables, and his song was a thousand and five; and he spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall; spoke about animals, and birds, and reptiles, and fish. And they came from all nations to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom (1 Kings 4:31-34).
The construction of the church, undertaken by Solomon, lasted 7 years; At the same time, there were 70,000 people carrying materials, 80,000 stonecutters, 30,000 cutting down cedar forest in Tire, supervisors supervising the work - 3,600 people. When all the work for the church of the Lord was completed, Solomon brought the silver and gold dedicated by David his father, and gave the things to the treasuries of the church of the Lord and called the elders of Israel and all the leaders of the tribes, the heads of the generations of the sons of Israel... to transfer the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the city of David (1 Kings 7, 51, 8, 1).
And turning to the people and blessing the assembled Israelis, Solomon said: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth to David my father, and has now fulfilled it with His hand! He says: Since the day that I brought My people Israel out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city in any of the tribes of Israel that a house should be built in which My name would dwell; but I chose Jerusalem to dwell in My name, and I chose David to be over My people Israel. David my father had it in his heart to build a church for the name of the Lord God of Israel. But the Lord said to David my father: It is good that it is in your heart to build a church for My name; However, it is not you who will build the church, but your son who came from your loins, he will build the church of my name. And the Lord fulfilled His word which He spoke. I took the place of my father David... and built a church for the name of the Lord God of Israel (1 Kings 8:15-20).
And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord, in front of the whole congregation of Israel, and raised his hands to heaven and said: Lord God of Israel! there is no God like You in the heavens above and on the earth below! (1 Kings 8:22–23) Does God truly live on earth? Heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You, much less this church that I have built for Your name... But consider the prayer of Your servant and his petition! Hear the appeal and prayer with which Your servant begs You now! Let Your eyes be open to this church day and night, to this place about which You said: My name will be there; Hear the prayer that Your servant will pray in this place! (1 Kings 8:27-29) With every prayer, with every petition that comes from any person among all Your people, when they feel distress in their hearts and stretch out their hands to this church, Thou hear from heaven, from Thy dwelling place, and have mercy; do and reward everyone according to his ways, as You provide for his heart, for You alone know the heart of all the sons of men! (1 Kings 8:38–39).
When Solomon said a prayer and petition to the Lord, then he rose from his knees from the altar of the Lord, his hands were outstretched to heaven and, standing, he blessed the entire assembly of Israel (1 Kings 8, 54, 55). And the king and all the Israelites with him brought a sacrifice to the Lord (1 Kings 8:62).
And the Lord appeared to Solomon the second time, as He appeared to him in Gibeon, and said to him: I have heard your prayer and your petition... I have consecrated this church, which you have built, so that My name may dwell there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there always (1 Kings 9:2-3).
At the end of the temple, Solomon erected a wall around Jerusalem and a palace for his wife, the daughter of the king of Egypt, and then ordered the construction of several fortresses.
Solomon's wealth was so great that silver was not worth anything in his days. And the king made the gold and silver in Jerusalem equal to a simple stone, and the cedars, because of their abundance, made them equal to the sycamore trees that are in low places (2 Chron. 9, 20, 27).
And all the kings of the earth sought to see Solomon in order to listen to his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. And each of them offered from himself a gift of silver vessels and gold vessels, and clothing, weapons and incense, horses and mules from year to year (1 Kings 10:24-25).
All the kings were tributaries of Solomon, and even the Queen of Sheba, having heard about his glory in the name of the Lord, came to test him with riddles. And she came to Jerusalem with very great wealth: the camels were loaded with spices and a great quantity of gold, and precious stones, and she came to Solomon and talked about everything that was in her heart. And Solomon explained to her all her words (1 Kings 10:1-3)...
And the queen found in Solomon wisdom and wealth even more than she had heard about, and she blessed the Lord, who made Solomon king to do justice and righteousness...
Thus God blessed Solomon at a time when he was blameless before Him, but when Solomon, to please his other wives, built churches for the idols they worshiped, he incurred the wrath of God; God gave him over to the enmity of his opponents - Ader the Edomite and Razon, a former slave of the king of Suba, who, having run away from his master, gathered a gang of rebels and strengthened himself in Damascus. Both of them constantly disturbed the Jews with their raids. Solomon was especially worried about the fact that the prophet Ahijah predicted to his subject, Jeroboam (Ephraimite from Tsareda), that he would snatch the kingdom from Solomon’s hand and that he would be given power over the 10 tribes of Israel... Solomon then sought to kill Jeroboam, but Jeroboam escaped to Egypt, where he lived until Solomon’s death. However, he did not remain without repentance, and the truth in Solomon’s soul was not eclipsed. His words in Ecclesiastes testify to the contrition of his spirit and the awareness of the truth and the only thing needed:
Vanity of vanities - all is vanity! (Eccl. 1:2) I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, everything is vanity and vexation of spirit! (Eccl. 1:14) But fear God (Eccl. 5:6). Good will be to those who fear God, who revere His face (Eccl. 8:12).
There are many things that multiply vanity: what is best for a person? (Eccl. 6:11) A good name is better than an expensive ointment, and the day of death is better than the day of birth (Eccl. 7:1). Lamentation is better than laughter, because with a sad face the heart becomes better (Eccl. 7:3).
He who keeps the commandment will not experience any evil (Eccl. 8:5). But no good will come to the wicked, and, like a shadow, he who does not revere God will not last long (Eccl. 8:13).
Let us hear the essence of everything: fear God and keep His commandments, because this is everything for man (Eccl. 12:13)...
Solomon wrote four books: Proverbs, Wisdom, Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs.
The reign of Solomon in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father, and his son Rehoboam reigned in his place (1 Kings 11:42-43) (from whom - in fulfillment of the prophecy of Ahijah - at his very accession to the throne, the 10 tribes of Israel revolted).
Day nineteen. Memory of Saint Zinon
Zenon, who labored in Sinai (in the 4th century), was distinguished by spiritual wisdom and possessed the gift of miracles. Once talking about the meaning of prayer, he said among other things: “Whoever wants God to quickly hear his prayer, when he stands before God and stretches out his hands to Him, first of all, even before praying for his soul, he must pray with all his heart for his enemies. For this good deed, God will hear him, no matter what he prays for...” They said about Zinon that at first he did not want to accept anything from anyone. And therefore those who made offerings to him left him, grieving because he did not take. And others came to him, needing to receive something from him, but he had nothing to give them, and they also left in sorrow. Seeing this, the elder said: “What should I do? And those who bring it grieve, and those who have nothing to receive grieve...” and decided: “If someone brings it, I will take it; and if anyone asks, I will give it to him...” By doing this, I myself was calm, and others were happy.
Day twentieth. Repose of the Righteous Prince Gleb Andreevich
The Blessed Prince Gleb, the son of the Blessed Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky, was born in Vladimir in 1155. Saint Gleb is a living example of how much the good life of parents means for the fate of their children. The life of Prince Andrei in Vladimir was devoted primarily to works of piety - the construction of churches and monasteries, charity and prayers. And so, under the influence of the example and instructions of the holy parent, a holy son was formed. The divinely inspired sage says: Instruct a young man at the beginning of his path: he will not deviate from it when he is old (Proverbs 22:6). The life of Prince Gleb did not last long: he died at the age of 20. But starting from the first revelation of self-activity, his life was devoted to piety, and not to sin: the fear of God controlled his thoughts, feelings, desires and actions; prayer brought down heavenly grace upon him, extinguishing the passions of his youth. The pure, immaculate prince rested blissfully on June 20, 1175. His clean body was laid in the Vladimir Cathedral. Both his spirit and body, as if undamaged by sin, remained intact - they are not afraid of any hostile attacks.
According to the inscription on the prince’s tomb, during the devastation of the cathedral church at Batu (1238) “the tomb of St. Blagov. book Gleba was in no way damaged by the fire, but even the most opposing warrior would be amazed at this.” Another miracle now known occurred in 1410 during the robbery of the Tatars in the cathedral. One of these pets of the alkoran, seeing the tomb of Prince Gleb and thinking to find in it those treasures that the sacristan Patrick had not opened, opened the tomb; but flames burst out of it, and the Tatars ran out of the church in horror. In 1608, the Poles made two or three attacks on Vladimir, almost defenseless; but they couldn’t take it. During this siege, at midnight, the cathedral guards noticed some kind of lighting in the cathedral and let sexton Gerasim know about it. He opened the door and saw a light, and someone was sitting at the prince’s tomb and said to the frightened man: “Don’t be afraid, I’m not a ghost; - The Lord will not deliver this city into the hands of enemies: we protect it and pray to the Lord and His Most Pure Mother for it; go and tell the archpriest and the clergy what I told you; I'm lying in this coffin."
Gerasim barely came to his senses from fear and told everything to the archpriest and all the abbots of the monasteries. That same night the Poles left Vladimir, driven by fear. The relics of the blessed prince were discovered on November 30, 1702. At the same time, a service was written for him, for June 20, and a chapel was built in his honor in the cathedral. In 1818, a beautiful silver shrine was made for his relics. The relics of the holy young prince are distinguished by amazing liveliness, like no one else’s: his hand freely rises, bends, bends, just like that of a living person 951.
And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the teaching and admonition of the Lord (Eph. 6:4). The rod and reproof give wisdom; but a child, left neglected, brings shame to his mother. Discipline your son, and he will give you peace and bring joy to your soul (Proverbs 29, 15, 18).
To the life of the holy Prince Gleb, taken from the works of the Right Reverend Philaret of Chernigov, we consider it worthwhile to add a description of an incident from the life of Archimandrite Anthony.
In the “Orthodox Review” for 1879, a biography of the abbot of the Trinity Sergius Lavra, Archimandrite Anthony, was published; in which, by the way, it was mentioned that the father governor, while still living in the world, doubted the incorruptibility of the holy relics and was convinced of their truth by the relics of the holy Prince Gleb, who rested in the Vladimir Cathedral. This incident is mentioned only in passing in the biography; but I heard about him in detail from the late father of the governor himself, and his story seems so interesting to me that I find it worthwhile to publish it. I will convey it in the words of the father governor himself, which I wrote down shortly after the conversation with him.
“While I was still in the world,” said the father governor, “I lived on the estate of Prince Gruzinsky, the village of Lyskovo, Nizhny Novgorod province. Having a little understanding of medicine, I was there treating the prince’s household and surrounding residents. Among my patients were schismatics, of whom there were a lot in our village, mostly rich people. Once, when I was visiting one of them, our conversation touched on the differences between their rituals and our Church. The schismatic, of course, justified his rituals and accused our Church of apostatizing from Orthodoxy and accepting new things; and I, as best I could, defended our Church and, as proof of its Orthodoxy, pointed out to him the many incorruptible relics located in our Church.
Eh! Andrey Gavrilovich! - the schismatic answered me, - have you seen the incorruptible relics yourself? Believe me, the monks invented all this for income; After all, there are no relics in your Church, but they will only build a tomb and cover it with a shroud, otherwise, perhaps, they will put something like relics, and they say that there are incorruptible relics here! Well, apparently, the common people believe, but the monks and priests steal the income.
These devilish words of the schismatic made a terrible impression on me; The enemy immediately gave me the idea that, in fact, he was not telling the truth. I continued to defend the Church; but doubt was already born in my soul. When I came home, this thought did not leave me and the enemy continued to whisper to me that the schismatic was telling the truth. In fact, I had never seen relics and had no good idea what relics were; I heard that the relics are the bodies of saints, not given over to corruption; but how they rest and in what form - I absolutely had no idea. Now, after talking with the schismatic, I made it my absolute intention to visit where there were some relics in order to personally verify their incorruption. The opportunity for this presented itself to me very soon.
Once in the winter General Bezobrazov happened to pass through our village with his wife, son, daughter and tutor. On the road, the general felt unwell and came to our village quite ill. Stopping at an inn, he asked if there was a doctor in the village? I was recommended to him. Having come to them, I found that the patient had a fever, prescribed him some medicines, advised him to sweat thoroughly and announced that they could not go before three days. During these days I visited them almost constantly, not because illness required it, but to pass the time. They were glad that they had someone to say a word with in their involuntary captivity, and I was glad that such an educated family came to our solitude. In these three days we met so briefly that it was as if we had known each other for three years. In the conversation, I asked them: where are they coming from and where are they going? They answered me that they were traveling from their estate to Murom and Vladimir to venerate the holy relics, and along with the answer they asked me if I would like to accompany them, promising to take me home on the way back.
As luck would have it, they also had a place for me. The general and his family rode in a cart, and the tutor rode alone in a sleigh: I could fit in with him. I accepted this offer with delight, asking the prince’s permission for this. Meanwhile, the general felt better, and we set off without any hesitation. Having arrived in the city of Arzamas in the evening, we stopped to spend the night at an inn, which was the only one in the city and in which there was not a single warm room. But there was nothing to do, we fit into the cold one. The housekeeper immediately lit the stove, and we, waiting for warmth, warmed ourselves in fur coats around the samovar. Over tea we started talking about whether there were any sights in this city for our review?
“But here,” said the general’s wife, “in the Alekseevskaya community there is one holy fool, Elena Afanasyevna, who predicts the future. Tomorrow we’ll go to mass in the community, and then we’ll go see her. Just look,” she added jokingly, “they say she fights with those who live poorly.”
There was general agreement to the general’s proposal, and they decided to definitely visit Elena Afanasyevna tomorrow. After dinner, the tutor and I went to spend the night in the next room, and I made the following plan for myself: I think that if the general’s wife is telling the truth that Elena Afanasyevna fights in some cases, then I won’t go with everyone else for anything, but I’ll get up early, so that no one can see, I’ll quietly go to the community for matins, and then I’ll go alone to the holy fool. I did it as I intended. After Matins I come to Elena Afanasyevna’s cell; Her cell attendant met me in the hall; I asked her if it was possible to see Elena Afanasyevna.
- Yes, please! - she answered.
I entered a rather neatly tidied room; there was a table against the wall on which plates of gingerbread, nuts and similar sweets were placed; including a plate of rye crackers; in the middle of the room stood a woman of about fifty with expressive features, dressed in a dark dress, a blue shawl and a cap: this was Elena Afanasyevna. Remembering the general’s warning, I was afraid to come close to her and bowed to her, almost without leaving the door.
What do you want? – she asked me.
“I am passing through your city,” I answered, “and I have heard so much good about you that I made it my duty to come to you to pay my respects and ask for your holy prayers.
I took two steps forward, and she came up to me and curiously
She began to look me from head to toe, from behind and from front, as if I were some kind of curiosity. I already thought that she didn’t want to fight, and in my heart I began to repent that I had come to her; but she looked at me and just asked what I was wearing?
How bad it is! How bad it is! – Elena Afanasyevna said, shaking her head. - It doesn’t look like anything - there’s a tail at the back, it’s cut out at the front, and it’s cut at the back again! How bad it is! – she repeated again. - What is it with you? – she asked, pointing to my head.
I then wore my hair according to the fashion of that time, that is, my hair in the front was tousled and stood up like a cock’s comb. She came up to me and grabbed my hair. Well, I think to myself, I finally got a fight; but she, instead, just parted my hair in the middle in front and tried to put my hair behind my ears.
“It suits you better this way,” she told me. - How nice it would be for you to have such a long dress reaching to the ground, long hair, how wonderful it would be for you!
The thought whether she was talking to me about the shroud flashed through my mind.
Elena Afanasyevna, tell me, for God’s sake, what are you telling me? – I asked her. - Am I really going to die and don’t you mean a shroud by a long dress?
But she didn’t answer me, she just continued to explain that a long dress and long hair would suit me.
Don't you know that she's telling me this?
Yes, you should be a monk,” she answered.
I even spat out of frustration; Well, what a monk I am! The thought of monasticism never entered my head; and I couldn’t stand monks either.
Finally, I began to say goodbye to Elena Afanasyevna. She took five rye crackers from the plate and gave them to me: these are for your patients, she said.
But who are my patients? - I asked; - Thank God, everyone is healthy!
This is a cracker for your patients,” she repeated again: “and this is for you,” she added. And she began to pour gingerbread and nuts into all my pockets.
The life of this Elena Afanasyevna was wonderful, as they told me later. She was the daughter of the Arzamas governor. When she reached adulthood, her father intended to marry her and began to propose several suitors; but her virgin soul had long ago chosen for herself a single heavenly Bridegroom, abhorring any earthly marriage; all the aspiration, all the love of her pure heart was directed towards God, and one fiery, everlasting desire was to observe virginity and spend her life in some monastic monastery. Therefore, she refused all her father’s proposals and begged him to bless her for monastic life. The father did not want to listen; sometimes with threats, sometimes with affection, he forced her to fulfill his will. This went on for some time. The father was inexorable, and poor Elena prayed and waited for the Lord Himself to satisfy the desire of her heart.
At this time, the famous elder of the Sarov desert, Father Nazarius, came to Arzamas to the Alekseevskaya community. Elena Afanasyevna turned to him with a request to give her advice, what should she do?
“Pray and ask God to soften your father’s heart,” the elder answered, “without your father’s will you cannot enter the monastery: you know, without a written form you will not be accepted anywhere; and besides your father, who can give it to you? Try asking him again, maybe the Lord will help you.
I have already asked him so many times; but he is inexorable and doesn’t want to hear about it,” Elena answered sadly.
There is still a way to get rid of marriage,” the elder said after some thought. “But I just don’t know if you have so much firmness, so much love for God, to decide on this, because along with this you need to decide on all kinds of hardships, reproaches and even beatings.” If you feel enough courage to decide to endure all this, then a great reward awaits you from God; and if not, then it’s better to submit to your father. And if you are married, you can please God.
Elena replied that she was ready not only to endure beatings, but even death itself, just to get rid of the marriage she hated and work for the Lord without hindrance in purity.
But what kind of remedy is this? – she asked.
Pretend you're crazy! - answered the old man. - But I just repeat again: once you put your hand on the head, you shouldn’t go back; you must make a firm intention to endure everything until the end of your life, and remember that your Bridegroom, the Lord Himself, with the Angels and all the saints from above, looks at your feat and for every minute of your reproach, your suffering, prepares for you incorruptible crowns in Eternal Life. Constantly ask the Lord and His Most Pure Mother to strengthen you in your feat, and I, the unworthy one, will pray for you, so that you will complete your intention.
Father Nazarius, with his wise instructions, confirmed her even more in the love of God and gave advice on what to do.
A short time after her meeting with the elder, a groom from among the neighboring landowners, very advantageous for her father’s views, emerged, and her father resolutely began to demand Elena’s consent to marriage. She began to refuse; but her father insisted even more, threatening her with a curse for her resistance. Finally she agreed. They were married and brought from the church to her parent’s house, where dinner was prepared and guests were invited. The groom did not have his own house in the city, and he lived on an estate: that’s why the wedding took place in the governor’s house. This house was one-story, and in front of the house on the unpaved street there was a large dirty puddle. During dinner, everyone was cheerful, everyone was happy looking at the newlyweds, and most of all her father was happy that his wish had come true. But soon the joy of him and his guests turned to sadness. In the middle of lunch, the newlywed suddenly screamed, rushed out of the open window onto the street, lay down in a puddle and began to wallow in it.
All those present were struck like thunder; Having recovered from amazement, some ran out into the street to help Elena; pulled her out of the puddle; Her expensive dress was covered in dirt, and she herself was distorting herself, screaming, tearing out her hair and jewelry, looking at everyone with meaningless eyes and fighting with those who were near her. All the signs were that Elena was crazy. The father was in despair; the guests began to leave; the newlywed announced that he would not take a crazy woman as his wife, and hastily left; Rumor spread throughout the city that the governor’s daughter was spoiled at the wedding. Elena stayed in her father's house and lived like this for some time - she played pranks during the day, and spent the whole night in prayer. When her father died, her pranks increased even more, and she was so tired of her brothers that they kicked poor Elena out of the house in only a dress. Meanwhile, there were already rumors in the city that Elena was pretending to be crazy; some nuns of the Alekseevsk community knew why she came to Father Nazarius and what he advised her; Some people in the city learned from these nuns.
This rumor reached her husband, he undertook to correct Elena, and when her brothers kicked her out of the house, he took her to his estate - and then her suffering for the purity and love of God began. At first he tried to persuade her with caresses to leave her imaginary foolishness and begin married life; then, seeing the inflexibility of her intentions, he already wanted to torture her to fulfill his will. Having driven an iron ring into the wall, he stripped Elena naked, tied her by the braid to this ring, beat her with a stick or a whip until either he himself was exhausted, or the sufferer lost consciousness. But, exhausted in body, she did not faint in spirit, and no torment could shake her firm intention, so that the tormentor himself, seeing his failure, at night, in winter, pushed her out of his house into the street forever. Elena began to walk around the city, having neither shelter nor shelter, showered with ridicule during the day, and suffering from cold and bad weather at night.
So she herself later told herself: “I suffered a lot at that time, and especially on the winter nights: I had only one dress on, and it was thin, and I was shaking from the cold, and many times I thought that I would not live until the morning, I would freeze. People did not accept me into their homes, and in order to warm myself, I entered the barn where the pigs lay. Dumb animals were more humane to me than people: when I I lay down there, then the pigs also lay down around me and with their bodies seemed to want to warm me, and with tears I thanked the Creator that He had not completely forgotten me and admonished the dumb to have compassion on me!”
Finally, an order came from the authorities to send Elena to a mental home. But the abbess of the Alekseevskaya community, knowing Elena’s spiritual life, petitioned to be allowed to take her into her care into the community, where she undertook to support her and not let her go anywhere. She was allowed: and since then, Elena Afanasyevna has lived in this community, serving as an example of piety, and for her exploits she received the gift of insight from the Lord.
Such was this Elena Afanasyevna, and such was her life!
Having left her, I went to the inn to join my companions. On the road, the general's footman and coachman meet me with upset faces.
Ah, Andrei Gavrilovich! Where have you been? We have been looking for you for a long time; our masters are dying!
Yes, they all went crazy and now lie without memory.
I ran into the room and, according to Elena Afanasyevna’s prophecy, I actually found five sick people: the general’s family and the tutor were lying in an unconscious position. The Lord helped me: I soon brought them to their senses, gave them a cracker from Elena Afanasyevna and told them about my date with her. And the reason for the fumes was that the hostess made sure that we would be warmer by closing the stove early: I was saved from the fumes by leaving early for the morning.
When my patients recovered, we moved on. We arrive in Murom. I eagerly hurried to the cathedral, where the relics of the holy princes Peter and Fevronia rest, to check the words of the schismatic. Let's get there. My companions went straight to the holy relics, began to pray fervently, and then venerate themselves; I followed their example: after making several prostrations, I wanted to reverently venerate the relics; but to my surprise I saw that here, instead of the relics I expected, there was only a full-length icon of the noble princes Peter and Fevronia. I asked the priest standing here to reveal the relics to me.
They cannot be opened: they are hidden,” he answered me.
I didn’t understand what that meant: hidden.
There is no need, I say, they are hidden; please open, I want to venerate the very relics.
“I’m telling you that you can’t open it,” answered the priest; – there are no relics here, they are in the ground.
Ah!.. they are not here! - I said and walked away. The words of the schismatic now came to my mind, and now it seemed even more that he was telling the truth. In a confused, upset spirit, I returned to my companions.
Well, did you venerate the relics? - they asked me.
To what relics? – I asked them, as if not understanding.
How to which ones? Yes, these are the ones we were attached to.
Sorry, I venerated myself here, but I didn’t see any relics, and there’s just one icon lying there; Yes, the priest told me that there are no relics here.
Oh, my God! What an unbeliever you are! - the general’s wife said with horror and began to passionately assure me of the reality of the relics here and the miracles that come from them; But in response to all her evidence, I decisively said that I would not believe any of the relics until I was convinced of their incorruption with my own eyes.
Well, good! – the general’s wife said solemnly. “Let’s go to the Annunciation Monastery, there you will be convinced; there the relics rest at the autopsy.
We arrive there and straight to the tomb where Prince Constantine and his children rest. My pious companions first asked to serve a prayer service; During the service before the royal doors, in order to better see the relics, I went up to them and began to feel their heads. Although the relics were at the autopsy, they were covered with a veil, and this was unsatisfactory for me, I still did not see the relics as I would have liked. The hieromonk, noticing this, came up to me and told me to move away and not touch the holy relics. I obeyed with annoyance and stepped aside. At the end of the prayer service, everyone began to kiss; I came too.
Father! What are these relics? – I asked the hieromonk.
Yes, relics,” he answered, surprised by my question.
So, can you open them so I can have a look? – I asked.
No, you can't! - he said, even more surprised.
So how can you prove to me that the relics lie here for certain,” I asked with annoyance, “perhaps there are made dolls covered with a shroud!”
The hieromonk looked at me angrily.
“Dear sir,” he said, raising his voice in which one could hear indignation, “let me ask you, which Church do you belong to?”
I answered that - to the Orthodox.
So how do you speak like a non-Orthodox? You dare to call the holy relics that the Church has recognized as dolls!
He got excited, so did I, and we had a heated argument, which ended with the hieromonk ordering me to get out, or otherwise threatening to send me to the police as a blasphemer of the shrine. With fury in my soul and with even greater prejudice against the holy relics, I returned to the inn and resolutely announced to my companions that from now on I did not believe in any relics, and asked them that if we came to a place where there were relics, they would not tell me about them. In vain they tried to convince me and lead me onto the path of faith and truth, from which I had staggered so terribly; the enemy visited my mind so much that all their arguments were unsuccessful - I remained with my prejudice against holy relics. And what happened to me for this? Anger and annoyance at everyone and everything took over my heart; in the spirit there is unpeace, terrible languor, melancholy, blasphemous thoughts not only against the relics, but also against everything holy. I felt that the enemy had taken possession of me, that I was perishing; but he could not and did not know how to get out of this terrible situation. So we arrived in Vladimir.
To ease my conscience, I went to the cathedral to pour out my soul in front of the miraculous image of the Vladimir Mother of God. I arrive and the cathedral has just been opened before mass begins. There was no one in the cathedral. I walked past the relics, without paying them proper veneration, straight to the image of the Mother of God. I prayed fervently for a long time. I confessed in my soul that I was mistaken and sinning before God, rejecting the relics of His saints; but my reason could not be convinced of the truth, and so I asked the Mother of God that She would not let me perish, would enlighten me and guide me on the right path. Having attached myself to the image with faith, I felt somehow lighter. Looking back, I saw a priest who had just entered the cathedral to serve the Liturgy. I turned to him with a request to show me something remarkable in their cathedral.
The main attractions of our cathedral,” answered the priest, “are the holy relics of our noble princes: here in the middle of the cathedral, between two pillars, lies Prince George, killed during Batu’s invasion; and on the left side of the iconostasis is Prince Andrei, nicknamed Bogolyubsky for his love of God and also killed, but not by foreigners, but by his own relatives, and here on the right side, on the contrary, rests his son Prince Gleb, who died peacefully in his youth shortly before the murder of his father.
So the priest said, pointing to the tombs of the saints. The priest’s noble manner and kind expression placed me in his favor, and I decided to speak frankly with him.
Father,” I told him, “for God’s sake, what I ask of you, fulfill my request.” I do not believe the incorruption of the relics, thinking that this is a deception invented for profit. To assure me, for the sake of God, for the salvation of my soul, reveal to me some of the relics so that I can personally verify their incorruption. I'll pay you whatever you want for it. There is no one in the cathedral now; It’s easy for you to do this: just for the sake of my salvation, lead me out of this error!
Please! - said the priest.
He led me to the relics of Saint Prince Gleb, made three prostrations before them and began to speak to me with animation.
Here are the relics of Saint Prince Gleb, who died in 1275. From then until the time of Peter the Great, they lay in the ground, and from his reign to this day they lie at the opening for the most pious honor, but look, neither time, nor earth, nor air dared to touch the consecrated body.
At these words, the priest removed the cover of the holy relics, and the relics lying in princely clothes were revealed to me. The priest reverently raised the saint’s hand, rolled up the sleeve on it, and showed it to me up to the elbow: it was completely incorruptible, all the ingredients, the skin itself was intact, like that of someone who had recently died, only yellowish in color.
“Don’t think that this is done,” continued the priest; he took both hands, which were folded on his chest, raised them and laid them out not like those of a dead person, but as if they were sleeping.
Horror came over me; a chill passed over my skin.
Do you believe now? – the priest asked me.
Instead of answering, I fell in a feeling of reverence before the holy relics. Now I was quite convinced; I truly believed and fervently thanked the saint of God that he deigned to assure me so; I asked God not to punish me for my previous unbelief; my soul felt so light, tears of joy involuntarily flowed from my eyes.
Father! How can I pay you for your good deed? - I said with a feeling of gratitude to the priest. I offered him some kind of banknote, but he nobly refused.
No, thank you; I didn't do it for money; you asked me to do this for the sake of God and for the sake of your salvation: that’s why I decided to fulfill your request. The salvation of my neighbor's soul is most precious to me. “Having said this, he bowed politely and retired to the altar.
With delight, I ran to the hotel to my companions, told everything that had happened to me, and they rejoiced from the bottom of my heart at my conversion. Since then, I have firmly believed in the holiness and incorruptibility of holy relics, and this incident with me served as a lesson to me that I must beware of conversations with heretics and schismatics” 952.
Memory of the holy martyrs Aristoclius, Demetrius and Athanasius
Aristocles was a presbyter of the church in the city of Thamasa, on the island of Cyprus. During the persecution under Diocletian and Maximian, he was afraid of torture and hid in a cave on Mount Olympus (20 versts from Tamas). But one day, during prayer, a heavenly light shone around him and a heavenly voice commanded him to go to Salamis, the main city of the island, and openly confess the name of Christ. Strengthened by the Divine command, Aristoclius put aside his fear and went on his way. Walking through an oak grove, he met the church of the holy Apostle Barnabas and with him two clerics, Demetrius and Athanasius, who, having learned about the revelation, wished to go with him to death for Christ. Arriving in Salamis, they began to glorify the name of Christ and denounce idolatry. The pagans presented them to the ruler, and this, having tested their firmness in faith, ordered Aristocles to beheaded, and Demetrius and Athanasius to be burned. Their martyrdom followed in 306.
Day twenty one. Memory of the holy martyr Nikita of Niros, who suffered in 1732 on the island of Chios
Nikita was one of the sons of the elder of the island of Niros, who, having committed some abuses and fearing trial and deprivation of his fortune, converted to Islam, which covered up many crimes in the eyes of the Turks. After the father, the Turks were not slow to turn on the children. The unfortunate mother, who did not want to part with her children, also converted to Islam...
Having reached adolescence, Nikita accidentally learned about the circumstances that forced his parents to convert to Islam with their entire family; this made a strong impression on him; he was overcome by a deep melancholy for the lost faith of his forefathers; An irresistible desire arose in him to return to her, so he decided to secretly leave his parents to where Christians lived. He managed to safely reach the island of Chios, where in the new monastery he explained to the abbot who he was and why he had come here. After some time, sympathetically received by the monks, Nikita was proclaimed Christian teachings, anointed and left to live in the monastery at his request. Faith, meanwhile, acted in his heart with more and more strength.
Having learned about examples of atonement for apostasy from the faith - by confessing it, even at the cost of martyrdom, Nikita began to constantly think about sacrificing himself for Christ and prepared for this with an impeccable life in the monastery, so that when he finally revealed this cherished desire to the brethren, the elders of the fathers with a general council allowed and blessed him for the feat of open confession of faith, undertaken freely, without any external promptings and with such persistence.
Arriving with a guide in the town of Molos, Nikita, with extraordinary courage and conviction for his age, took advantage of the first opportunity to declare himself a Christian and assert that Christ is the true God, and Mohammed is a false prophet. For this he was thrown into prison with curses and insults. Here I sought reinforcement in fasting and prayer. When the Christians who were in prison advised him to strengthen himself with food, he answered: “I feed on food that you do not have, and I rejoice in a joy that you cannot feel...” The young man suffered many tortures in prison and, taken out among the people, revealed a new miracle of Christian indestructible patience. Finally, one Crimean fanatic “furiously rushed at the young martyr and began to chop off his head with his scimitar in order to increase the suffering of the Christian by the number of blows.” This is how confessor Nikita ended his life on June 21, 1732. His body was thrown into the sea. Soon, he who loved God even to death was glorified by the miracles performed for those who called on his name 953.
Holy Great Martyr Blessed Prince of Kartalin Luarsab 2nd and Archil 2nd, King of Iveron 954.
Day twenty-three. Memory of St. Joseph of Zaonikievsky
16 miles from Vologda and closer to it there was once a dark forest; 2 versts from the present Zaonikiev Hermitage the great Belozerskaya road ran from Moscow through this forest. In this forest there was a hangout for a gang of the robber Anika, who robbed and killed people on the Belozersk road; the famous robber left his name to the forest, where his grave is still shown 955. In this forest, on June 23, 1588, the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God appeared to the pious Hilarion, healing him from a long-standing illness. The grateful Hilarion accepted monasticism with the name Joseph and founded a monastery with a church at the site of the appearance of the icon. Thus, the Mother of God sanctified the place of robberies and robberies with Her appearance so that it would be populated by singers of the glory of God, day and night sighing for sins and the heavenly homeland. The most sincere singer was St. Joseph.
He left the management of the monastery to another, and he himself, covering his exploits with foolishness to exhaust his flesh, carried stones or sand and earth in his bosom; in severe frosts he walked barefoot; stood whole nights in his chapel in prayer; under his clothes there was a hair shirt so prickly that blood flowed from under it. Many laughed at his strange appearance, but he bore everything kindly. He lived like this for 25 years. On the eve of his death, having received the Holy Mysteries, the blessed one was filled with spiritual joy and remembered the blessings of God shown to him, including the miraculous appearance of the icon and also his healing. The next morning he said to one of the brethren: “Tell Father Abbot Theodosius to lay my sinful body in the chapel that I myself built.” And at that same hour he gave up his spirit to the Lord. The relics of St. Joseph, who died in 1612, rest in the Zaonikiev Hermitage 956.
Feast in honor of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God
For the second time, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Mother of God of Vladimir in gratitude for the deliverance of the Fatherland, through the invisible intercession of the Mother of God, from the Horde king Akhmat, in 1480, under the Grand Duke John III Vasilyevich. Akhmat, the king of the Golden Horde, went to rob and destroy Moscow and had already reached the Ugra River, which the Orthodox called the belt of the Mother of God, protecting the Moscow possessions. Moscow was afraid; The Grand Duke's mother and his son left for Rostov for safety. The prince, strengthened by the advice, prayer and blessings of the saints, fought for the faith and fatherland against enemies.
Meanwhile, through the intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, a marvelous deliverance of the Fatherland took place. The Grand Duke ordered his troops to retreat from Ugra. Fear fell on the Tatars, and they, thinking that the Russians had set up ambushes for them, began to retreat, at first quietly, slowly, and at night they fled, driven by fear alone. This deliverance from Akhmat was a complete overthrow of the Tatar yoke from Russia. In gratitude for the final liberation of Moscow and the Fatherland from the vilified yoke of the Tatars, through the intercession of the Mother of God, on June 23, 1480, like the first, the celebration of the presentation of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God with a procession to the Sretensky Monastery was established.
Day twenty-four. Memory of Saint Nikita, Bishop of Remesian
Saint Nikita was born in the same city of Remesian (Remeshek), in which his friend Pavlin, Bishop of Poland, was born, and, moreover, in the same year 353. Thus says the blessed Peacock 957. Saint Nikita was not Greek: otherwise he would have written essays in Greek; neither was he a Roman: otherwise he would have been called Victor, and not Nikita; and he would not have aroused surprise in the Romans with his Latin writings. He was a Slav, but received an extensive Roman education, probably in Rome 958. He was a saint in his native city. The strap was between Sophia and Nisha; this is the same as the current Nirot 959.
To whom and how Saint Nikita preached the Gospel, this is described by his friend Bishop Pavlin in his poem about Saint Nikita.
And demons are more cruel than their snow,
Having become sheep under you, shepherds graze in the courtyard of the world.
With your words the Scythian humbles himself and, struggling with himself,
tames the heart With you as a teacher. And the Getae and both Dacians flee,
Like the one who tills the land,
So is the coastal resident, covered with hair More than a bull 960.
Under Strabo, demons “occupied most of Mount Emos” - Balkans 961. Under Justinian, a tailcoat from the tribe of demons was a significant person 962, another imp-tailcoat military leader Velichara in the war with the Persians and then the main commander of troops in Italy 963. Otherwise, demons are a Balkan tribe of Slavs 964.
The Scythians are the Slavs of Mysia, who at the time of Pavlinus had already managed to spread westward from Lesser Scythia. They are also gethes 965.
Both Dacians - an inhabitant of the left bank of the Danube and the other, who since the time of Aurelian lived on the right bank of the Danube. Dacia is actually a country of the Slavs on the left bank of the Danube, but where colonies of the Romans settled, known to Nestor and others under the name of the Volokhs 966.
In this description of the tribes we see confirmation of the fair idea that after many Slavic tribes were driven out of Thrace and Illyria by force of arms from Philip of Macedon to the northern bank of the Danube 967, where they are known to history under the name of Dacians, some of their tribes remained in Thrace and Illyria, especially in the gorges of the southern mountains 968.
Saint Nikita, by the will of God, had to be an apostle of these Slavic tribes of the south and travel from country to country in order to preach the Gospel teaching with apostolic zeal 969. For the Getae, preaching did not even require a long journey. “The Getae flee” themselves, says Peacock. Blessed Jerome wrote: “the red and blond army of the Getae carries with them in the tents of the church” 970.
During the time of Saint Nikita, Christianity was already very widespread in Thrace: at the Council of Sredech in 347 the following bishops were present: Sredets, Skun, Liplyany, Nishcha, Vodina (Aquae) and Chekhov's House (Sigindum) 971. Under Maximian they were martyred in Potama
Bogolep (Theoprepius) and Zotik with Akindinus 972. But not only many Slavic villages, entire tribes of Slavs, both due to savagery and distrust of the Greeks, were reluctant to listen to the preaching of the Greeks, which, moreover, was completely incomprehensible to most of them. Saint Nikita, the first bishop of Remeshok, dedicated his life to preaching the faith to his relatives - the Slavs. And the success of his preaching was brilliant.
About the change made by Saint Nikita between demons, the same contemporary of his, Blessed Jerome, said: “The brutal demons and crowds of sheepskin coats (pellitorum), who once sacrificed people, changed their grinding to a sweet song to Christ” 973. Blessed Peacock also sings about Saint Nikita:
Those who did not like to bend their necks to slavery,
Untamed by any war,
Now those obedient to the true Lord cheerfully stretch out their necks 974.
Now the richer Demon at the price of labor rejoices: he first dug from the earth with his hand; now with his mind in the sky he collects gold 975.
What a change! And how happy!
Hitherto impassable and bloody mountains
Nowadays they hide the robbers who became monks,
The righteous man is hiding in a cave,
Thus, the activity of Saint Nikita, a Slavic preacher, was directed primarily at the Balkan Slavs. This is natural given their proximity to the place of his pulpit. Peacock admired the fact that the indomitable demons, pacified by the preaching of Saint Nikita, became peaceful in relation to the empire; according to history, one of Saint Nikita’s pupils was already sitting on the throne of the eastern empire; this is Leo the Great, originally a tailcoat and, more precisely, a demon 977; and when Emperor Anastasius began to preach Eutychianism in the empire through violence, the inhabitants of Thrace, Mysia and Lesser Scythia, brought up in the pure faith by Saint Nikita, became (in 514) the most ardent defenders of Orthodoxy and defended it with arms in their hands 978.
Saint Nikita in 392, on behalf of the council, went to admonish the neighboring bishop Bonoz, who had become entangled in errors about the faith 979. In 397 he traveled to Rome and in Nola saw “his friend Bishop Paulinus. Peacock really wanted the saint to stay with him longer; but the affairs of the flock called the saint back to his flock.”
Four years later (in 402), Saint Nikita appeared in Nola on the feast of Saint Felix (Feb. 14), despite the danger of the time. His friend Peacock was delighted with this unexpected visit. He wrote a poem about Saint Felix, where he depicts his joy and the saint’s visit to him 980. How long after this Saint Nikita labored, there is no exact news about that. But since Blessed Peacock, the same age as Saint Nikita, died in 431 at the 87th year of his life, it is likely that the death of Saint Nikita did not occur before 420 June 22 days 981.
Gennady of Massilia wrote: “Nicetas, bishop of Remessiana, composed six books in a simple and pure style, adapted to those announced in the faith. The first is about those preparing for faith; the second is about the errors of paganism; the third is about faith in the Supreme Being; the fourth is against genealogy; the fifth is about the symbol; the sixth is about the sacrifice of the Passover lamb. In addition, he published a book about the fallen virgin, rousing every fallen one to correction” 982. Cassiodorus greatly praises the writings of Saint Nikitas for their pious spirit and for their thorough knowledge 983. The works of Saint Nikita are still known today 984.
Memory of the holy martyrs Orentius, Pharnacias, Eros, Firmos, Firminus, Cyriacus and Longinus
Warriors, siblings, during the reign of Maximinovo (310–312) for not making sacrifices to the gods, were exiled to different places in the eastern (coastal) Caucasus and died: Eros on June 22 in Paremvola (in the so-called Camps), Orentius on June 24 in Risea (near present-day Batum), Pharnacius on July 3 in Kordil (near Erzurum), Firmos and Firmon in Ansar fortress on the river of the same name on July 7, Kyriak on July 14 in Zagatis, and Longinus on July 28 at sea on the way to Lazika (Abkhazia) and was buried in Pitiunta.
Memory of Saints James and John of Menuges
40 versts from Novgorod, on the banks of the Menyuga or Mya River, until 1764 there was the Trinity Menyuzhsky Monastery. What remained from him was the Trinity Church with the relics of Saints James and John and a chapel in their name. Holy siblings who died at a young age. In the image of the Novgorod wonderworkers, James and John are depicted in their adolescent form. In handwritten calendars, the righteous brothers are called martyrs; due to the circumstances of time and place, this means that they were killed by villains; the day of their death is shown as the 24th of June 985.
Day twenty-fifth. Memory of the reverent princes David and Euphrosyne, Murom miracle workers
Blessed David, monastically Peter 986, Prince of Murom, was the second son of Prince Yuri Vladimirovich of Murom. His elder brother Vladimir Yuryevich succeeded his father in 1170, Murom. After the Bulgarians devastated (in 1183) the outskirts of Murom, the Murom princes Vladimir and David, together with several others, entered the land of the Bulgarians with sword and fire and compensated for the losses of their subjects. In 1186, Vladimir and David Yuryevich took part in the campaign of Grand Duke Vsevolod against the Ryazan princes, who were attacking their brothers, the Pronsky princes 987. In 1196, three brothers, the princes of Murom, were with Vsevolod at the wedding feast of his son; and the next year, David Yuryevich alone was with the Grand Duke when his daughter was given in marriage 988. According to the story, while the elder brother was alive, “blessed Peter had the custom of always coming to his brother to worship”: he respected his elder brother so much! At the end of 1203 (December 18), Prince Vladimir died and “his brother David Yuryevich remained in Murom” 989.
According to the story, when the holy prince took over the reigns after his brother, he had to experience a strong struggle with himself, but he emerged victorious. Some time before, he had suffered for a long time from a dangerous illness - his body was covered with scabs. The daughter of a tree-dweller, a beekeeper, famous for her intelligence, cured him with ointment. Based on the girl’s conversation and actions, the prince recognized the high qualities of mind and heart in the beekeeper’s daughter and gave his word to take her as his wife; but then he found it indecent for a prince to marry a simple girl. The disease has returned. Euphrosyne again cured the prince, and the grateful prince fulfilled his word and married her. When, after the death of his brother, he ascended the throne, the Murom nobility, of course, incited by his younger brother and nephew, declared: either let him let go of his wife, who insulted noble wives with her origin, or leave Murom. The prince firmly remembered the words of the Lord: “What God has joined together, let no man put asunder. Whoever lets his wife go and marries another is an adulterer” (see: Matt. 19:6,9).
Therefore, true to the duty of a Christian spouse, the prince agreed to renounce the principality. After that, he was left with poor means of subsistence, and sad thoughts involuntarily came to his mind. But the smart princess told him: “Don’t be sad, prince, the merciful God will not leave us in poverty.” Irreconcilable discord soon opened up in Murom, power seekers grabbed swords, and many of the nobles lost their lives. The Murom boyars were forced to ask Prince David and Princess Euphrosyne to return to Murom. So the prince, faithful to his duty, triumphed over his enemies 990.
According to the chronicles, we then see Prince David taking part in the events of Russia. In 1207, before the Grand Duke Vsevolod, he denounced the senior Ryazan princes of their infidelity to Vsevolod and with his squads he helped the Grand Duke in the war with the Pron and Ryazan princes. At the end of the war, Vsevolod gave him the rich Principality of Pron. The following year, the Pron princes besieged him in Pronsk. Good-natured David sent to tell them: “Brothers! I didn’t take Pronsk on my own; Vsevolod put me here, Pronsk is yours.” And he calmly returned to Murom 991. What lofty selflessness! What deep respect for the duty of love and honor! In 1214, Prince David went together with Grand Duke George against the Rostov prince, but this time no blood was shed, the princes made peace 992. In 1220, the troops of Prince David and the governor took part in a glorious campaign against the Bulgarians 993.
In Murom, the reign of Prince David was truth-loving, but without severe severity, merciful, but without weakness. The intelligent and pious princess helped her husband with advice and charitable deeds. Both lived according to the commandments of the Lord, loved everyone and did not love either pride or unrighteous self-interest; they gave rest to wanderers, eased the lot of the unfortunate, honored the monastic and priestly ranks, protecting them from needs. Both led a fasting, pure, chaste life 994. One married man was indignant at unclean thoughts, looking at the beautiful princess. “Draw water from the river on this side of the ship,” said the princess (this was while sailing along the Oka River); he drew; “Try it, what is it like?” He carried out the order. “Scoop up some water from the other side of the ship and try it,” said the princess. And when he fulfilled her will, she asked: “Do you find the difference between this and that water?” “None,” he answered. The saint then said: “In exactly the same way, the female nature is the same; It’s in vain that you, leaving your wife, think about someone else’s.”
When the prince and princess reached old age, at one time they put on monastic attire, one with the name of Peter, the other with the name of Fevronia 995. On Easter Week 1228, the son of Prince David died, then on the same week the prince-monk himself reposed, and on the same day blessed Fevronia 996 died with him. The prince and princess, in accordance with the will, were laid in the same coffin 997.
At the beginning of the 16th century, “the news spread throughout all countries that glorious miracle workers had appeared in the city of Murom, granting healing to those who came to them” 998. The Council of 1547 established the local celebration of the memory of Prince Peter and Fevronia; At the same time, the service to them 999 was written. Subsequently, the celebration became widespread 1000, and probably soon after Tsar John Vasilyevich, on a campaign against Kazan, in 1552 reverently “bowed in Murom to the relatives of his great miracle workers, Prince Peter and Princess Fevronia” 1001.
Blessed David and Euphrosyne in their lives were an example of Christian marriage, ready for all hardships for the Gospel commandment about an indestructible union. And now with their prayers they bring down heavenly blessings on those entering into marriage. This is what many experiences of their afterlife show.
Sons of men! How long will you be with a heavy, stupid heart? Why do you love vanity and catch lies? (Ps. 2:8). What good is it, brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? (James 2:14).
Day twenty-seven. Memory of Blessed Elder Martin
In the Kingdom of Christ there is neither slave nor free (see: Col. 3:11). No title degrades a Christian, and no occupation constitutes an insurmountable barrier to spiritual perfection. A farmer, a woodcutter, a tanner, a cook in the Kingdom of Christ have the same meaning as a military leader, a city ruler, a judge. On the contrary, civil freedom is not the same as spiritual freedom; With her alone, a person can remain no higher than a steppe animal. In the Kingdom of Christ there is no place for pride and self-will. Humility is the foundation and beauty of Christianity. That is why it happens that those neglected by the world, but faithful to the law of God, unexpectedly and for themselves turn out to be great before Heaven, and are rewarded with visits from the inhabitants of heaven.
In the city of Turov, now a town in the Minsk province, there was a monastery of the holy princes Boris and Gleb. There was also a see of Turov bishops, later Minsk. Chef Martin was here. “He served under the Turov bishops Simeon, Ignatius, Joachim and George,” of whom Joachim is known from the chronicle in 1144–1146 (?) 1002. “Bishop George dismissed Martin from the cook service due to his old age.” The pious elder did not want to part with the monastery; he “took monasticism and lived in the episcopal monastery of the holy martyrs in Bologna” (on the pasture). “Living alone, he was often sick: his intestines came out into his womb,” as a result of previous hard work, from which his zeal never abandoned. In fits of serious illness, he lay motionless, screamed in pain and could not serve himself. “Once, when he suffered from the same illness and was lying in his cell, he was exhausted from thirst, since no one visited him then or served him - there was strong water near the monastery.”
The monastery stood on the Pripyat River, which had a branch under the monastery - Strumen; in the spring, the water overflows and covers the surrounding area, so communication between Turov and nearby villages is possible only by boat. “On the third day” of his helpless situation, the holy martyrs Boris and Gleb come to Martin, clearly in their form, as they are written on the icon, and say: “What is sick with you, elder?” He told them about his illness.
“Would you like some water?” - they asked. "ABOUT! my gentlemen! - he answered, “I’ve been thirsty for a long time.” One took a bucket (handle) and brought water for the old man; and the other took the ladle and gave the old man something to drink. And the elder asked: “Whose children are you?” “The Yaroslavovs,” they answered. The holy brothers call the elder brother of the Grand Duke Yaroslav Vladimirovich their father. Such is the respect of saints for elders! And during his life, Saint Boris called Svyatopolk his father, like his elder brother 1003. But when Svyatopolk, by his “cursed” deeds, deprived himself of the right to all respect, the saints call Yaroslav their father. “Elder Martin thought: these are probably the servants of Yaroslav Georgievich.” In 1146, Grand Duke Izyaslav (George) planted his son Yaroslav in Turov 1004. And the elder said: “May the Lord God multiply the years of your life, my gentlemen, take your own bread and salt and eat, but I can no longer serve you.” They answered: “No, save it for yourself; We’ll leave, and you don’t get sick and go to sleep.” They ceased to be visible, and the elder turned out to be healthy, he stood up and glorified
God and the holy martyrs. He lived another year. He told his spiritual father about this 1005.
The memory of “the monk Martin” is also visible in the printed prologue under June 27, 1006.
Repose of Venerable Serapion of Kozheozersk
According to the handwritten calendar, “Rev. Father Serapion, also a new miracle worker on Kozheozero in the Kargopol district, reposed in L. 7000 June at 27 days.” The Monk Serapion is a beautiful tree that bore excellent fruits of holy love, after he was grafted into Christ the Lord by a wild branch 1007. Among the Kazan Tatar prisoners who received Holy Baptism was the young Murza Turtas Gravirovich, who took the name Sergius at the font. He lived in the house of the boyar Zakhary Ivanovich Pleshcheev, who married the Astrakhan queen Eliaksha, in the baptism of Juliania. The king caressed him 1008. Sergius so sincerely, so deeply fell in love with the holy faith that he decided to part with the world in order to fulfill the highest rules of the new faith. Having walked around the monastic deserts, on the deserted island of Lake Kozhi he met the hermit Nifont, was captivated by his life and remained to live with him. This was in 1560. The food for the hermits was grass and partly berries; Sergius followed Niphon's instructions with all precision.
After the test given to himself, Sergius asked the elder to tonsure him as a monk; the elder, seeing the sincerity and purity of his desires, called him Serapion when he was tonsured. Little by little, strict hermits were recognized, and rumors about their high life began to attract zealots of spiritual life to them; Serapion's hermit life lasted almost 18 years. When a sufficient number of monks gathered to Niphon and Serapion, Niphon went to Moscow to ask for land for a monastery; but he died in Moscow without starting business there. The monastery did not know about Nifont’s fate and, due to the lack of food supplies, began to feel hungry. Out of compassion for the suffering, Serapion went to beg for alms. They gave him grain bread and millstones; Using moss and scrap brushwood, he brought all this on himself to the monastery and saved the brethren from death by starvation. Having learned about the death of Niphon, blessed Serapion went to Moscow.
Here he received a royal charter dated September 30, 1584, which provided land for a new monastery 4 miles in all directions; and the Metropolitan gave a letter of blessing for the establishment of the monastery. Returning to his place, blessed Serapion and the monks cleared the forest for arable land, surrounded the site of the monastery with a fence and built a church in honor of the Epiphany of the Lord; then he went to the new patriarch Job to receive an antimension, and was named the builder of the monastery. Soon afterwards another church, a warm one, was built and consecrated in honor of St. Nicholas. This is what blessed Serapion himself said in his request to the king in 1595: “He erected a church in the name of the Epiphany of the Lord on Lake Lopsky on Kozheozero, and another warm one - St. Nicholas; established a common monastery; and its construction lasted 36 years.
But now they have begun to send disgraced people from Moscow to their Epiphany Monastery, and they, the elders, have nothing to eat themselves, and there is no one to take care of those people: royal alms are not given in money or bread: the patrimonial lands of the Epiphany Monastery, only four communities on the Onega River, were bought, and when they arrive, they plow the arable land, but they have no peasants; they themselves boil salt in Piyala for monastic consumption; Yes, at the settlement in Turchasovo, a yard was purchased for visits. The royal military men passed by their monastery, and they, helping them and delivering carts, fell into a lot of debt.” As a result of this request, the king freed the lands of the Kozheozersk monastery from taxes and duties 1009. In 1608, at the request of an ascetic weighed down by old age, Avramii, his disciple, was appointed abbot of the monastery. Blessed Serapion died on June 27, 1611, leaving behind him up to 40 monks in his community monastery.
The life of St. Serapion tells us: We were buried with Him through baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. Therefore, let not sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey it in its lusts (Rom. 6:11-12).
Day twenty eight. Repose of St. Xenophon of Robey
The Monk Xenophon began the monastic life under the leadership of the Monk Varlaam of Khutyn; After the departure of the Monk Anthony from Khutyn, he was abbot in Khutyn, then he retired 25 miles from Novgorod and on the banks of the Robeyka River founded a desert with the Church of the Holy Trinity. Since according to the chronicle in 1230 we see Arseny 1010 as abbot of Khutyn, then, of course, shortly before that there was the removal of the Monk Xenophon from Khutyn and the founding of the hermitage on Robeyka. It is therefore quite likely that the monk rested in his monastery no later than 1245; the day of his death was the 12th of June. His relics rest hidden in the chapel of his abolished desert. The troparion and kontakion in his honor were written in ancient times 1011.
Transfer of the relics of Saints Cyrus and John, unmercenaries and wonderworkers
The relics of the holy martyrs, who suffered during the Diocletian persecution (see January 31) in the city of Kanope near Alexandria and were buried there, were found incorrupt around the year 400 and placed in the Church of the Apostles, and in 412, by a special revelation, they were transferred by St. Cyril, Archbishop to the suburban village of Manufin, to a newly created church in their honor. The Lord glorified them with miracles.
Memory of the holy martyrs Plutarch, Leonidas, Dioscorus, the maiden Potamiena, Markella, Raisa and many others who suffered in Alexandria during the persecution of Septimius Severus in the year 202. Plutarch and Raisa were burned, and Patamiene was thrown into a cauldron of boiling tar, like her mother, Markella.
Day thirty. Memory of the Righteous Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky
The noble Prince Andrei, the son of Grand Duke Yuri Dolgoruky, as an appanage prince, at various times owned Pinsk, Dorogobuzh, Peresopnitsa, and Vyshgorod. In his young years he was distinguished by his military courage. Near Lutsk (1150) he drove the enemies and was surrounded by them on the bridge; his horse was pierced by two spears, stones rained down on him like hail; the heavy German raised his spear at him, but with a prayer in his soul he repelled the blow and returned to his own whole 1012. In 1151, the ardent Andrei was in danger near Kyiv; rushing to the other side of the river, he drove the enemy shooters towards the city, but was abandoned by his own; one of his squad, grabbing the bridle of Andreev’s horse, held him back and thereby saved him from captivity, if not from death. In 1152, in a hot battle near the Ruta River, Andrei broke his spear with a strong blow, his helmet flew off his head and his shield fell to the ground, but this time the Lord saved the pious prince 1013.
Despite his personal courage, Prince Andrei did not like in his soul the incessant noise of southern strife, which caused so much trouble to the south for the ghosts of power and glory 1014. Born and raised in the north, his soul longed for his homeland, Vladimir, and more than once asked his father to let him go there 1015. Andrei’s relatives also called there, although not for him at all, but for themselves 1016. In 1154, after many bloody battles, his father became the Grand Duke of Kyiv and gave his son Vyshgorod in order to have close support for himself in his courage. But the next year Andrei secretly, contrary to his father’s wishes, went to his northern homeland. He took with him from Vyshgorod the miraculous icon of the Mother of God, delivered there from Constantinople. With this icon, 10 versts from Vladimir, the horses stopped and did not move forward, and the Mother of God, who appeared during Andrei’s night prayer, announced that her icon should be in Vladimir, and not in Rostov; this also meant that the Kuchkovichs were lying for their own selfish purposes, assuring Andrei that the Rostovites were looking forward to him.
The noble prince ordered the Mother of God to be depicted in the form in which She appeared to him, and at the site of the vision he ordered to build a monastery and a church in honor of the Bogolyubskaya icon 1017. This place received from him the name Bogolyubov, as marked by a sign of heavenly love, and it became his favorite place to stay. To this day, the stone extension to the Bogolyubsky Church, where Prince Andrei lived and where he ended his life, is still intact. Remaining an appanage prince of Vladimir, he now took care of improving the condition of his principality - according to his methods.
When Andrei's father Yuri, Prince of Suzdal and Kiev, died (1157), the Rostov and Suzdal residents, recognizing Andrei's high qualities up close, recognized him as their prince, although this was not what Yuri wanted 1018. So the blessed Andrei became the Grand Duke of northern Russia. Now his range of actions has expanded. And we can consider his affairs: a) in relation to neighboring regions - to Bulgaria, to Novgorod, to Kiev; b) affairs in his own principality.
The Bulgarians paid tribute to the Suzdal prince before Prince Andrei. He was carrying insults for the Russians from the Mohammedan Bulgarians. Grand Duke Andrei decided to bring them to reason, for the glory of the name of Christ. He went to them with a large army. The miraculous icon of the Mother of God and the icon of the Savior, which is remarkable for our time, which blesses the name 1019, were in his troops along with the cross. The Bulgarians were defeated more than once, several of their cities were taken, and the triumph over them was complete. The returning wonderful icons were greeted solemnly by all the clergy and people on the banks of the Klyazma River on September 21, 1164, and at the meeting place a church was erected in honor of the Mother of God, to which then every year on September 21 there was a procession of the cross from the cathedral. At the same time, Emperor Manuel won victories over the Mohammedan Arabs. Therefore, it was decided in both Greece and Russia to celebrate the Cross of Christ on the 1st day of August 1020.
In relation to Novgorod, Grand Duke Andrei at the very beginning of his reign declared (1159): “I want to seek Novgorod with good and evil.” This meant that, in the consciousness of the intelligent and far-sighted prince, the democracy of a rich and strong principality was not capable of delivering all the benefits with a fragmented government, and he decided to humble it for the benefit of all of Russia; throughout his reign, he strove for this goal and achieved it: Novgorod obeyed Grand Duke Andrei. In 1159, he told the Novgorodians: “You must kiss the cross in that you will recognize me as your prince, and I will take care of your happiness.” And the next year the Novgorodians already asked Andrei for a prince; his words were weighed, understood and carried out 1021. In 1167, the Novgorodians expelled Prince Svyatoslav, appointed by Andrei. Prince Andrei and his army declared: “You have no other prince except Svyatoslav.” The Novgorodians wanted to stand their ground and accepted the prince not at the will of the Grand Duke of Suzdal. Moreover, part of the Novgorod possessions was already paying tribute to Prince Andrei.
But in 1169, the Novgorodians wanted this part to again pay tribute to Novgorod. Both caused the war. No matter how much the Suzdal army suffered near Novgorod, Novgorod was forced to humble itself before Grand Duke Andrei 1022.
In Kyiv, after Yuri, Andreev’s father, in the first years, princes senior to Prince Andrei reigned. When, after the blessed Prince Rostislav, Kiev was occupied by Prince Mstislav Izyaslavich, it was offensive to Prince Andrei. Mstislav was Prince Andrei's second cousin. War broke out (1169), and Andrei’s son placed his uncle, Prince Gleb, on the Kiev table. Two years later, Gleb died, then Prince Vladimir soon died; in 1171, by the will of Andrei, the Kyiv prince Roman of Smolensk took the throne.
Prince Andrei's harsh review of the Rostislavichs armed many southern princes against his power. After the unfortunate siege of Vyshegorod, the Kyiv throne was occupied against Andrei’s will; but soon the south again submitted to the strong prince of Suzdal 1023. This was the Suzdal Grand Duke Andrei in relation to other principalities: he laid the foundation for the autocracy of Russia.
He did many, many good deeds for his northern principality.
Having enlarged the fortress of Klyazmensky Vladimir, he founded a magnificent cathedral in honor of the Dormition of the Mother of God. He himself supervised the construction of this church with complete diligence and did not spare the costs. We brought the stone for the church from Bulgarian quarries. The interior decoration and decoration of the cathedral was done with the most generous hand: expensive stones, silver, and gold covered the icons; several vessels and crosses were gold. When the church was ready, a wonderful icon of the Mother of God was placed in it: “more than 30 hryvnias (15 pounds) of gold were spent on it, in addition to silver and expensive stones.” The church was founded on April 8, 1158, and the consecration took place on June 21, 1160, and the following year its interior walls were painted. The prince appointed for the cathedral the best estates with purchased settlers, a tenth of the herds and a tenth of the auction; He appointed the department to be here and approved all this with a letter. He even asked the patriarch that a special metropolitan be appointed for northern Russia and that his see be in Vladimir; but the patriarch did not agree to fulfill his desire, fearing strife 1024.
In 1165, mourning the death of his son Izyaslav, the God-loving One built the Pokrovsky Monastery to pray for the deceased; this is a mile from Bogolyubov, at the confluence of the Nerl River into the Klyazma 1025.
A contemporary said that the pious prince “decorated churches, created many monasteries, fed the monks and monks and the poor” 1026. This review gives the right to assume that in addition to two monasteries (Bogolyubskaya and Pokrovskaya), Saint Prince Andrei built the Vladimir Ascension Monastery, known from the chronicle since 1187, the Vladimir Spassky Monastery at the Golden Gate, built by Prince Andrei 1027, the Vladimir Assumption maiden monastery, from which the Princess of 1200 is distinguished by the name of the new 1028. Kozmodemyansky, whose abbot Arseny decided to bring the body of the murdered prince into the church 1029.
In governing his country, the noble prince tried to observe strict truth. If he forced his native princes to leave the Suzdal country for Greece 1030, then his father did not even give his sons inheritance in the Suzdal principality; Prince Andrei did not want to see the princely power in the land of Suzdal fragmented and therefore weak; he wanted to be able to do good to others as much as he wanted according to the desire of his Christian heart. Leading a sober, clean, active life himself, he rewarded the good, but persecuted vices in others with the severity of the law. According to the chronicle, people said: “Where there is law, there are many insults.” This meant that self-will does not like what sets boundaries for it, it “has its own judgment in short.” The noble prince was compassionate towards the unfortunate to the point that sometimes he himself looked after the sick; and for the poor and prisoners in prisons, according to his orders, food and honey were delivered 1031.
The God-loving man loved Christian education and diligently read books; He especially cared a lot about enlightening the Mohammedan-Bulgars, the pagans of the Cheremis and Mordovians with the Christian faith, and the Jews - the inhabitants of every trading city: he also cared a lot about the joining of the papists to Holy Orthodoxy. At his court there lived many converts to the holy faith 1032.
It has been given to you in Christ not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him (Phil. 1:29), the apostle wrote to some of his disciples. The same gift was given to blessed Prince Andrei. For his living, fiery love for the Lord, he was awarded a painful death. This was in the 63rd year of his life 1033.
A close relative of Prince Andrei, Akim Kuchkovich and his son-in-law, embittered that his brother was executed for some crime, Anbal Yasin, a baptized pagan, Efrem Moizich, a baptized Jew, plotted against Andrei’s life and joined up to 16 more people; some of the conspirators burned with anger because the just prince did not allow them, contrary to their hopes, to live cheerfully at the expense of others 1034; others were torn with envy and were indignant at the prince because he distinguished his faithful and best servant Procopius with special love. All of them were showered with favors from the prince, and Anbal was the complete manager of the prince's household; but passion, the same as hell, will not say: enough. On Friday, the villains formed a conspiracy and decided to kill Andrei the next day at night. In the dead of night, armed conspirators came to the palace in Bogolyubov, stabbed the guards, broke into the vestibule, and approached the prince’s bedroom; but horror attacked them - they rushed to run out of the entryway; In the princely cellar they drank wine and, drunk, went back into the hallway. Near the bedroom, one of them began to call the prince: “Sovereign!
Sovereign Great Prince! Andrey, hearing the voice, asked who was there. They answered him: Procopius. “This is not Procopius,” the prince said loudly to the youth sleeping in his room. The killers, recognizing by his voice where the prince was, began to break down and broke down the doors. Andrei jumped up and wanted to grab the sword that was always with him (it belonged to Holy Prince Boris); but there was no sword - the housekeeper Anbal stole it during the day. Two murderers jumped up and rushed at Andrei, but he was strong and knocked one down as the others ran in; in the darkness they killed a comrade instead of the prince, then, having found out, attacked the prince. The prince fought back for a long time, despite the fact that they cut him with sabers and stabbed him with spears from all sides. “Wicked people! - he shouted to them, - why do you want to do the same as Goryaser (the murderer of St. Gleb)? What harm have I done to you? The Lord will take revenge on you for my blood and for your ingratitude towards my mercies.” Finally, blessed Andrew fell under the blows. The killers thought that the matter was over - the prince was killed; Driven by fear, they grabbed their comrade and hurried out of the bedroom. The prince rose to his feet and, groaning loudly in unconsciousness, went out into the hallway.
The killers heard groans and returned. Not finding him in the bedroom, they were afraid: “We will perish if we don’t find him,” they said. They lit candles and followed the blood to the prince; Andrey was sitting under the porch. Kuchkov's son-in-law cut off his hand; others plunged swords into their chests. Andrei managed to say: “Lord! I commend my spirit into Your hands,” and he died. It was on the night of June 29-30, 1174 1035. On the morning of the next day, having killed Procopius, the killers robbed the prince of silver, gold, expensive stones, pearls, fabrics in the palace and sent the robbed goods home. Then, both themselves and through their own, stirred up the people against the prince’s loyal officials; robberies and murders began, such that it was scary to watch, says an eyewitness.
The holy body of the noble prince, abandoned in the garden, lay unattended; the good servant Kozma, having found him, stood and wept bitterly over him. Seeing Anbal walking into the palace, Kozma cried out to him: “Give me a carpet or something to cover the prince.” “Leave him,” Anbal said angrily. “We threw him to the dogs.” - “Monster! - exclaimed the good-natured servant. - Do you remember in what rags you came to the prince? Now you are in velvet, and the prince, your benefactor, lies naked.” Anbal gave a carpet and a cape; Kozma covered the body of the deceased with this 1036 and placed it in the vestibule of the church. On the third day, when the rebellion had not yet ended, Kozmodemyansk abbot Arseny paid possible honor to the murdered benefactor-prince. “How long will we have to wait for orders from our elders? - he said. “It’s indecent for a prince to lie like that.” Open the church and let’s do what’s right.” The body was brought into the church, funeral chanting was performed over it, and it was lowered into a grave lined with stone 1037. Meanwhile, bad people, coming from the villages, continued robbing the city.
With the miraculous icon of the Mother of God, the good priest who served with her walked around the city, persuading the people to stop the unrest of self-will, which was never pleasing to the Lord - finally the excitement of passions subsided. On the sixth day (July 5), the people of Vladimir solemnly transferred the body of the noble prince to their cathedral and buried it here. According to the chronicle, Prince Andrei was short in stature, but broad in the shoulders, handsome in face, with black and curly hair, a high forehead, and bright and large eyes 1038.
Already under the Grand Duke Vsevolod, the chronicler, having described the death of the noble prince, turned to him with prayer. “Pray to God,” he said, “to have mercy on Prince Vsevolod, our sovereign, and on your own brother, may he grant him victory over his enemies, a long life with the princess and children, and bliss in eternity” 1039. Later, they also did not doubt the blissful peace of the blessed prince 1040. Nowadays the relics of the holy prince rest openly in a silver shrine in the chapel dedicated to his name. Here there is an image of the holy prince, embroidered with silks by Princess Sophia. The holy relics were found incorrupt and placed open on October 15, 1402. On his tomb there is an inscription:
The wondrous God in the saints preserves all their bones,
And not a single one of them will be crushed,
To see a perishable being incorruptible is a temptation for unbelief, but a triumph for faith 1041.
Day ten. Saint John, Metropolitan of Tobolsk
Saint John, Metropolitan of Tobolsk and All Siberia, miracle worker, in the world John Maksimovich, was born in the city of Nezhin in 1651. His father Maxim Vasilyevich and mother Euphrosyne had seven sons, of whom John was the eldest. After graduating from the Kiev-Mohyla College (later transformed into the Kyiv Theological Academy), the future saint was left with it as a teacher of the Latin language. Then, in 1580, he became a monk at the Kiev Pechersk monastery and delved into the feat of inner work. With the general consent of the brotherhood, the young monk was entrusted with the responsible obedience of a preacher. From that time on, his exceptional talent of eloquence and grace-filled gifts began to reveal themselves. Saint John emphasized inner religious self-knowledge. The main theme of his life was immediately determined: “How should a person coordinate his will with the will of God?” He developed it both in sermons and in his subsequent missionary service.
The answer to it was a work published at the end of his long ascetic life under the title “Iliotropion (Sunflower), or the conformity of the human will with the Divine will.” Of the numerous works of the holy fathers of the Orthodox Church, it most fully answers this big question of Christian soteriology.
In 1685, Saint John was sent on an embassy to Moscow. There, Patriarch Joachim (1674–1690) appointed him abbot of the Bryansk Svensky Monastery, which was then subordinate to the Kiev Pechersk Lavra.
Saint Theodosius, Archbishop of Chernigov, in 1695, shortly before his death (1696, commemorated February 5), appointed Hieromonk John archimandrite of the Chernigov Yelets Monastery and designated him as his successor in the department. Saint John revered the memory of Saint Theodosius, believing in the power of his prayerful intercession before the Lord, and by his faith he received grace-filled healing from a serious illness through the prayers of Saint Theodosius. At the very height of his illness, Saint Theodosius appeared to him and said: “Serve tomorrow and you will be healthy.” The next day the saint, completely healthy, served the Divine Liturgy to the surprise of everyone. The miracle of the healing of St. John served as the beginning of the honoring of St. Theodosius as a gracious saint of God.
On January 10, 1697, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Adrian (1690–1700), with a council of bishops, consecrated Archimandrite John as Bishop of Chernigov in the Great Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.
Upon entering the administration of the diocese, Bishop John created a Collegium at the Chernigov bishopric, similar to the Kiev Academy, which, according to the saint, was supposed to decorate the “Chernigov Athens” - a school of enlightened piety.
Due to the high level of theological education and upbringing, the school of St. John became widely known. Essentially, this was the first seminary in Russia, following the model of which theological seminaries began to open in other dioceses of the Russian Church.
At the same time, the saint opened a printing house, in which he and his successors published many works of spiritual and moral content.
The life of Saint John shone with high virtues, especially humility. It was also reflected in his works: “Moralizing Mirror” (Chernigov, 1703 and 1707), “Alphabet Folded in Rhymes” (1705), “Virgin Mother of God” (1707), “Fiatron, or moralizing shame” (1708), “Interpretation of the 50th Psalm” (Chernigov, 1708), “Interpretation of the Lord’s Prayer and the eight beatitudes of the Gospel” (1709), “The Royal Way of the Cross of the Lord” (Chernigov, 1709), “Thoughts of God in favor of the faithful” (1710–1711). “Synaxarion about the victory at Poltava” (1710), “Traveler” (manuscript), “Spiritual Thoughts” (Moscow, 1782).
In Chernigov in 1714, the saint first published his main work, written in Latin. A special feature of the graduates of the Kyiv school was that they wrote their essays in classical Latin. Professor I. A. Maksimovich in 1886 translated “Iliotropion” into modern Russian and published it first in parts in the “Chernigov Diocesan Gazette”, then as a separate book (Kiev, 1896). An abridged version was published in the Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate (1976, issues 5, 6). The “Latin-Greek-Russian Lexicon” is also associated with the name of St. John.
The connection between Saint John and Holy Mount Athos is known. He took a particularly ardent part in the fate of the Russian inhabitants of the Holy Mountain, providing them with significant material assistance in those difficult years. His episcopal letter has been preserved in the Russian Panteleimon Monastery, testifying to his attitude towards the Holy Mountain people.
On August 14, 1711, Saint John, upon his elevation to the rank of metropolitan, arrived at the See of Tobolsk and All Siberia. The saint tirelessly took care of the enlightenment of his diocese. There he continued the work begun in Chernigov: he improved the school opened by his predecessor, the famous missionary Saint Metropolitan Philotheus (Leshchinsky; 1727, commemorated June 10 Council of Siberian Saints), continued his apostolic preaching among the pagans of Siberia, converting many thousands of people to Christ. In 1714, Saint John sent a mission to Beijing led by Archimandrite Hilarion (Lezhaisky). In Tobolsk, he again began publishing, using the printing house he created in Chernigov. By that time, Metropolitan John published “Iliotropion” in the Slavic-Russian language (1714), so that it could also be understood by Siberians.
The chronicler says about the life of the saint in Siberia: “He was quiet, modest, prudent, compassionate and merciful about the poor.” He often helped people. Secretly, and sometimes in the clothes of a simple monk, he brought generous alms to the homes of the needy with the words: “Accept in the name of Jesus Christ.” His house in Tobolsk was always open to everyone who needed help and a word of consolation. Even on the day of his repose, June 10, 1715, Saint John, after the Divine Liturgy, as was his custom before, arranged a meal in his house for the clergy and the poor and served at the table himself. Then, having said goodbye to everyone, the saint retired to his chambers and during the gospel for Vespers, he died in prayer, on his knees. The saint was buried in the chapel of St. John Chrysostom of the Tobolsk Dormition Sophia Cathedral.
Saint John has long been revered in Siberia. In view of numerous miracles and the long-standing local veneration of Saint John, in 1916 the Russian Church established the celebration of the memory of the saint on the day of his repose before God, June 10.
The memory of St. John is carefully preserved by Siberians and all Russian believers. His holy relics still rest in the Tobolsk Cathedral of the Intercession of the Mother of God. The service to him was republished with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy I by Metropolitan Bartholomew (Gorodtsov) in 1947 in the city of Novosibirsk.
Day twelve. Blessed Grand Duchess Anna Kashinskaya
The Holy Blessed Princess Anna Kashinskaya, daughter of the Rostov Prince Dimitry Borisovich, in 1294 became the wife of the Holy Blessed Grand Duke Mikhail Yaroslavich of Tver. (He was martyred by the Tatars in the Horde in 1318. Comm. November 22.) After the painful death of her husband, Anna retired to the Tverskoy Sophia Monastery and took monastic vows with the name of Euphrosyne. At the request of her son, Prince Vasily Mikhailovich of Kashin, she moved to live in the Kashinsky Assumption Monastery, where she accepted the schema with the former name of Anna. Saint Anna had, in addition to Vasily, three more sons - Demetrius and Alexander, who repeated the confessional feat of their father, and Constantine. Dimitri Mikhailovich (nicknamed “Terrible Eyes”) was killed in the Horde on September 15, 1325, and Alexander Mikhailovich, Prince of Tverskoy, together with his son Theodore, on October 29, 1339. The saint died on October 2, 1338 and was buried in the Dormition Kashinsky Monastery.
Miracles at the tomb of St. Anne began in 1611 during the siege of Kashin by Lithuanian troops. The holy princess appeared to the keymaster of the Assumption Cathedral, Gerasim, and said that she was praying to the Savior and the Most Holy Theotokos to deliver the city from foreigners.
At the council of 1649, it was decided to open her relics for general veneration and canonize the blessed princess Anna among the saints of the Russian Church. But in 1677, Patriarch Joachim raised the question at the Moscow Council about the abolition of her veneration in connection with the aggravation of the Old Believer schism, using the name of Anna Kashinskaya for its own purposes.
In 1909, on June 12, her second glorification took place and a church celebration was established; the saint is also celebrated on October 2, the day of her death.
Day twenty-seven. Venerable Ambrose, Elder of Optina
The Venerable Optina Elder Ambrose was born on the day of remembrance of St. Alexander Nevsky, November 23, 1812, in the village of Bolshaya Lipovitsa, Tambov province, into the family of sexton Mikhail Feodorovich, whose father was a priest. “What date my birth was,” the elder later recalled, “my mother herself did not remember, because on the very day I was born, so many guests came to my grandfather’s house where my mother then lived (my grandfather was a dean) that my mother had to be sent out, and in this turmoil she forgot exactly what date I was born. It must be assumed that this was around November 23rd.” Marfa Nikolaevna, who was preparing to be a mother, found it inconvenient to stay in the house. She was transferred to the bathhouse, where she was delivered of the burden. Speaking about the circumstances of his birth, Father Ambrose liked to joke: “Just as I was born in public, so I live in public.” At baptism, the newborn was given the name Alexander, in honor of the holy noble Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky.
Alexander was the sixth child in the large family of sexton Mikhail, who had eight children in total. He grew up as a very lively, cheerful and lively boy, constantly busy with children's fun. He did not sit at the cradle of the younger children, and as soon as his mother, busy with household chores, let Alexander out of sight, he immediately ran away to frolic with his peers, for which he was repeatedly punished.
Alexander was initially taught reading at home using the Church Slavonic primer, the book of hours and the Psalter; every holiday the father took his son to church, where he and his parents read and sang in the choir.
When the boy was 12 years old, he was sent to the first grade of the Tambov Theological School for semi-government support as the son of a large-family clergyman. At the school, the authorities gave Alexander the surname “Grenkov”. Alexander Grenkov studied well, so that out of 148 of his classmates he graduated from the theological school course first on the list and in July 1830 he was appointed to enter the Tambov Theological Seminary. Cheerful and lively Alexander became the soul of society at the seminary. Alexander retained this cheerfulness and liveliness of mind throughout his life. Even in the monastery, the elder was distinguished by his precision of speech and figurativeness of thought: “People have completely different eyes from affection,” or: “The truth is harsh, but God loves it”; “Elisha endured, Moses endured, Elijah endured, so I will endure,” or others like them.
In 1835, Alexander became very ill, and, as he himself said: “There was very little hope for recovery. Almost everyone despaired of my recovery; I myself had little hope for him. They sent for a confessor. He didn't drive for a long time. I said: “Goodbye, God’s light!” And then I made a promise to the Lord that if He raises me up healthy from the bed of illness, then I will certainly go to a monastery.” The Lord heeded the young man’s prayer, and he recovered.
On July 14, 1836, Alexander Grenkov graduated with honors from the Tambov Theological Seminary and entered the house of a landowner as a home teacher for his children. “After my recovery,” the elder later told about himself, “I kept shrinking for four whole years and did not dare to immediately end the world.” On March 7, 1838, A. M. Grenkov took the position of teacher of the Greek language at the Lipetsk Theological School.
The years passed, and the reproaches of conscience about an unfulfilled vow troubled the soul more and more. To find peace, A. M. Grenkov began to pray at night in front of the icon of the Mother of God, called “Tambov”, his parental blessing. In the summer of 1839, while relaxing with a friend, the son of the priest of the village of Elansky N.S. Pokrovsky, A.M. Grenkov, together with a friend, went on foot 30 miles to Troekurovo to the famous recluse Father Hilarion, wanting to finally resolve all his doubts with him. Father Hilarion uttered truly prophetic words: “You are needed in Optina! Go to Optina! We could go to Sarov, but now there are no such elders there as before.”
The final choice was made. At the end of summer, Alexander Grenkov goes on a pilgrimage to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra to ask for a blessing for the beginning of a monastic feat at the tomb of the abbot of the Russian land, St. Sergius.
Autumn came, classes had already begun, when an incident happened at the Lipetsk Theological School. Teacher A. M. Grenkov disappeared. While the superintendent of the school, priest Philip Kostalsky, doubted whether to report this to his superiors or remain silent until the matter was clarified, A. M. Grenkov, having escaped from the bonds of the world, with faith in God’s providence, hurried on a simple village cart to the resting place of his suffering soul. On October 8, 1839, on Sunday, when the late Divine Liturgy was being celebrated in Optina Hermitage, A. M. Grenkov, leaving the cabman in the guest yard, immediately went to the monastery church, and after the service, together with other pilgrims, to Elder Lev, who then lived in the monastery.
A. M. Grenkov explained to Elder Lev the circumstances of his life and received the blessing to live in the monastery guest courtyard and rewrite the manuscript “The Salvation of Sinners” (translation from Modern Greek) - about the fight against passions. Finally, on April 2, 1840, there was a decree from the Kaluga Spiritual Consistory to appoint Grenkov to the brotherhood.
For some time, novice Alexander was the cell attendant of Hieroschemamonk Leo and read the prayer rule for him, then he received obedience in the bakery. However, already in November 1840 he was transferred from the monastery to the monastery as an assistant cook, where he worked for a year. In the summer of 1841, Grenkov was tonsured into the ryassophore. At this time, Alexander visits the elders Macarius and Leo, out of necessity for his obedience. Father Lev loved to teach Alexander humility with jokes, and meanwhile, in Alexander’s absence, he prophetically spoke about him: “He will be a great man,” seeing in Alexander a successor in eldership.
On November 29, 1842, Alexander was tonsured and named Ambrose in honor of St. Ambrose of Milan (December 7), and on February 2, 1843, he was ordained a deacon. After this, he undergoes obedience to Elder Macarius, acting as a mediator between him and the people who come to the elder. Here he encounters the experience of clergy, which was so useful to him later.
Early in the morning of December 7, the day of his Angel, Hierodeacon Ambrose went to Kaluga. It was very cold. Weak in health and exhausted by fasting, Father Ambrose caught a cold. “I remember,” the elder said, “that as soon as they brought me to the first station, I felt severe pain in my stomach.” This was the beginning of serious, almost continuous illnesses that accompanied the old man for almost fifty years.
On December 9, 1845, Hierodeacon Ambrose was ordained by Bishop Nicholas of Kaluga to the rank of hieromonk. However, Father Ambrose did not have to celebrate the liturgy for long. His health was so weak that at times he could not hold the chalice with one hand for long during the communion of the people and was forced to go to the altar to rest.
On January 1, 1846, due to illness, and partly due to his rank, Hieromonk Ambrose was released from obedience to the cell attendant of Elder Macarius. On August 23, Bishop Nikolai of Kaluga visited the Optina Hermitage monastery. After the all-night vigil for St. Peter, Metropolitan of Moscow, which was performed by Hieromonk Ambrose, Bishop Nicholas, when bidding farewell to the brethren at the Holy Gate, said: “Save yourself, fathers and brethren. Have peace and love among each other. Obey your superiors." Then the bishop turned to Hieromonk Ambrose, who was standing nearby: “And you, Father Ambrose, help Father Macarius in spiritual priesthood. He's already getting old. After all, this is also science, only not seminary, but monastic.” Hieromonk Ambrose was then 34 years old.
Preparing the young confessor for great service, the Lord allowed Father Ambrose to undergo a severe and prolonged illness, which lasted from September 1846 until the summer of 1848. Then, probably, Father Ambrose, as he was near death, was tonsured into the schema in his cell, retaining his former name and heavenly patron. On March 29, 1848, Hieromonk Ambrose, as incapable of any monastic obedience, was expelled from the staff of the brethren of Optina Monastery and left in their care.
“Then the Lord begins to show His power when he sees that all human means of giving help to a person in need have been exhausted,” said Elder Ambrose, no doubt from his own experience. No one could have imagined that Father Ambrose would live long, but what is impossible for man is possible for God. In the summer of 1848, Father Ambrose, who was recovering, began going out for walks in the air. Over time, his health improved, although it was not completely restored. Later, to console the sick, Elder Ambrose usually said: “God does not require physical feats from the sick, but only patience with humility and gratitude.” “The Lord is merciful! In the monastery, the sick do not die soon, but drag on and drag on until the illness brings them real benefit. In a monastery it is useful to be a little sick, so that the flesh, especially among young people, will rebel less, and less trifles will come to mind. Otherwise, with full health, especially young people, what kind of wasteland does not come to mind.”
“A monk should not undergo serious treatment, but only heal.”
From that time on, Father Ambrose began to help Elder Macarius in his numerous works: clergy, book publishing and eldership. He received the flock who came to Father Macarius for advice, and made a New Slavonic translation of “The Ladder,” notable for its clarity and accuracy; At the same time, he senilely cared for some monks from the monastery brethren. Father Ambrose lived at this time in complete silence. “I went to him,” recalls the Optina abbot Mark, “almost every day for the revelation of thoughts and almost always found him reading patristic books; if he did not find him in his cell, then this meant that he was with Elder Macarius, whom he helped in correspondence with those who turned to the elder for spiritual advice, or worked in translations of patristic books. Sometimes I found him lying on the bed and crying, but always restrainedly and barely noticeably. It seemed to me that Elder Ambrose always walked before God or, as it were, felt the presence of God, according to the word of the psalmist: I foresee the Lord (Ps. 15:8) for the sake of and to please the Lord.
To those who sinned, but sincerely repented and reformed, he was lenient and merciful beyond measure. He did not distinguish between the rich and the poor, the worthy and the unworthy, following the example of the Lord, who ate and drank with tax collectors and harlots, just to return the lost to the path of truth and draw them to the fear of God. He never reproached the sins of others and did not tolerate slander against his neighbor, treating slanderers strictly, without distinguishing persons.”
On September 7, 1860, the elder of the Optina Monastery, Hieroschemamonk Macarius, died. After forty days had passed since the death of Elder Macarius, Father Ambrose moved from his former cell to a building near the monastery fence, on the right side of the bell tower, where he lived for the next thirty years.
In 1862, 1868–1869 and 1871, Elder Ambrose experienced serious illnesses and suffering, but by the grace of God he miraculously received relief from the “Kaluga”, “Akhtyrskaya” and “Joy of All Who Sorrow” icons of the Mother of God brought to him. The elder became so weak from illness that for a long time he could not move from cell to cell on his own: he was transferred under the hands of his cell attendants. In order to give Elder Ambrose some kind of rest and treatment, in 1870, ten miles from the monastery, a forest cell, that is, a “monastic dacha,” was built for him. But even there, when he was healthy, Elder Ambrose received the brethren and people.
The basis of Father Ambrose's senile service was the care of the brethren of Optina Pustyn, which he loved with all his soul, caring for the salvation of everyone. Thus, monk Gury said that once Elder Ambrose four times in two days ordered Hieromonk Palladius, who felt completely healthy, to take unction and take monastic vows, which was done in Optina Hermitage before his death, but he still refused. For the last time, Father Palladius agreed, but “while he was making preparations for the unction, he suffered a stroke. However, although he lost his tongue, he was still in his memory. They managed to administer unction and communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. On the evening of the same day he died.”
Elder Ambrose said to another monastery monk Pavlin shortly before his death: “Because you have not revealed to me some of your thoughts, you will be allowed temptation.” And so it happened. Monk Peacock, having caught a cold while preparing firewood, almost died, and attributed his miraculous recovery to the prayerful intercession of Elder Ambrose, who had already reposed in God.
Father Ambrose never allowed empty or rotten words to be spoken and always spoke only for the purpose of correction and edification.
Hieromonk Dorofey of Optina Hermitage said: “I once came to the elder and waited a long time for his reception. It was already ten o'clock in the evening. I sit and, out of my frivolity, think about myself: “Everyone calls the elder a saint. And what kind of holiness is this when he makes you wait so long for his exit. Because of this, he will have to omit the evening rule and sleep through Matins. It will be a sin for him for everyone.” Suddenly at that moment I hear the voice of the elder from his cell: “Now! Now!” I see the father coming out. Having blessed me, he takes hold of my beard and, lightly hitting me on the cheek, says: “Here, nuns sometimes live in a hotel for a month, waiting until I have to accept them. Another, perhaps, came a thousand miles away and also endures and waits. They need to be released first. Because of them, I sometimes refuse admission to the brothers. I can’t accept them all at once. And you don’t want to wait a little.
It will be a sin for me alone for all!” Enlightened by the words of the elder, after this, calm and joyful, I went from him to my cell and never again dared to grumble against him, even if sometimes I had to wait for a long time for his exit.”
Gradually, a circle of closest disciples formed around Elder Ambrose, who continued the work of Optina book publishing begun by Hieroschemamonk Macarius. Under the leadership of Father Ambrose, about two dozen books of the works of the holy fathers and books of spiritual content were published.
At the same time, the elder was engaged in very broad charitable activities. Father Ambrose transferred the donors' money into the hands of the poor and needy. He usually gave alms through the cell attendant, and in exceptional cases he gave it himself. "One day he hurriedly leaves the shack to his cell and immediately casually turns to his clerk: “There,” he says, “a widow came with orphans, small or small. There are about five orphans, but there is nothing to eat. She herself cries bitterly and asks for help. And the smallest one doesn’t say anything, but only looks into my eyes, raising his hands like rakes. Oh, how could he not give it to him!” The elder immediately went for the money. My hands are shaking with excitement, my face is twitching, tears are pouring out of my eyes against my will.”
Elder Ambrose took special care of ailing women and girls, widows, orphans, the sick and the poor - and tried to attach them to any monastery that was under his spiritual care. He supported a number of monasteries, where he sent sick pious women, persuading wealthy people to engage in charitable activities in their favor. A special place among such monasteries is occupied by the Shamorda Kazan Mountain Community, established by Elder Ambrose himself.
For example, a young woman comes to her father, having been left as a sick widow in someone else’s family. Her mother-in-law is driving her away. The elder listened to her carefully, peered at her and finally said: “Go to Shamordino.” Another time, a poor man from Siberia comes and gives his young daughter to the priest: “Take it,” he says, “she doesn’t have a mother, what am I going to do with her?” The elder sends this one too to Shamordino. From these orphan girls, an orphanage was formed there. The Shamordino monastery itself was quickly filled with nuns, so that by the 90s of the 19th century the number of monastics there reached 500 people.
In the spiritual practice of Father Ambrose, his high gifts, sent by God for the great humility of the elder, were revealed early. This is especially evident from the miracles performed by the elder. So, one young man named Yegor was in military service, and he, along with other 15 people, had to draw lots for who should return home. He prayed: “Elijah the Prophet! Father Ambrose! Mother of God! Help me go home!” The lot fell according to his wishes. Yegor promised to go to Optina. Returning home, he began, as usual, to put it off and forget. Suddenly he became seriously ill. I lay there for a long time, but in my memory. One day he lies down and sees: an old monk comes in wearing a short scroll and an old cap, comes up and says to him: “God will help you, but you need to fulfill your promise.” And he left. Soon after this, he recovered, told his family about his vision, and since he had not only never seen Father Ambrose himself, but even his portrait, and heard that the landowner had a card, he went to him and saw that it was the same old man! Then he came to repentance to Father Ambrose.
Another time (in 1882), Elder Ambrose healed throat consumption in a Shamorda nun, instructing her to drink water and gargle with water from the well behind the monastery. A day later, the illness passed. Very often, when healing, Elder Ambrose touched the sore spot with his hand.
Or another case told by one nun of the Belevsky Monastery: “In 1883, the wife of a village priest came to the late Father Ambrose and asked the sisters of the nuns who were sitting in a hut waiting for his blessing: “Where can I find my benefactor, monk Ambrose, who saved my husband from death?” "What happened to you? How did you save? When? How? - questions came from all sides. - Please tell me." “I can barely even now come to my senses from the horror of the villainous assassination attempt,” the village mother began. “My husband, a priest, was preparing to serve the Divine Liturgy and the day before after the rule he went to bed in his office, and I fell asleep in my bedroom. Suddenly I felt that someone was waking me up. I heard a voice: “Get up quickly, otherwise they will kill your husband.” I opened my eyes and saw: a monk standing. “Ugh, what a monk.” nonsense! The demon is tempting," I said, crossed myself and turned away. But before I had time to fall asleep, someone pushes me for the second time, does not let me sleep and repeats the same words: “Get up, otherwise they will kill your husband.” I look - the same monk.
I turned away again, crossed myself and want to go back to sleep. But the monk again pulls me by the blanket and says: “Hurry, run as quickly as possible, now they’ll kill me.” I jumped out of bed, ran into the hall that separated my husband’s office from my bedroom, and what did I see? My cook goes with a huge knife into my husband’s office, and she is already at his door. I ran, snatched a huge knife from her shoulder from behind and asked: “What does this mean?” “Yes,” he answers, “I wanted to kill your husband because I repented of my sin to him, and he imposed many bows on me every day; I asked him to have mercy on me, to reduce the bows, but no, he doesn’t want to. He doesn’t have mercy on me, and I won’t have mercy on him.” And my husband, the priest, not knowing anything about what had happened, celebrated mass, and we then went with him to my married sister, who was also the priest of the neighboring village. There I told her who saved my husband. The sister took me to her bedroom, and I suddenly saw on the wall a photograph of this monk who had appeared to me. I ask: “Where did you get this?” "From Optina" - "What Optina? What is it?
Tell me quickly, where does this monk live, the Angel of God, sent from heaven to save from murder?” “I grabbed his card, kissed it, put it on my head and my husband’s, and decided to thank him personally. And now, thank God, I am here with my husband’s savior.”
Elder Ambrose was truly a man of prayer for all of Russia. Sometimes, during prayer, his face would transform and he would appear to have risen into the air. He forbade all eyewitnesses of this to disclose such cases with the threat: “Otherwise you will lose my help and grace.” Suffering and mourning believers and unbelievers, poor and rich Russian people flocked to Father Ambrose’s hut. Famous writers and public figures of Russia of the 19th century came to Optina to visit the elder: F. M. Dostoevsky, Vl. S. Solovyov, K. N. Leontiev (monk Clement), A. K. Tolstoy, L. N. Tolstoy, M. N. Pogodin, T. I. Filippov, N. D. Yurkevich, N. N. Strakhov and many others. From year to year crowds of people came to Optina, and no one left Elder Ambrose inconsolable and sorrowful.
Meanwhile, the elder’s strength weakened; on July 2, 1890, Elder Ambrose, as usual, left Optina Hermitage for Shamordino. Before leaving, he ordered Father Joseph to place over the head of the bed on which he had received and consoled the people for so many years, the icon of the Mother of God “Helper of Sinners” and to light an unquenchable lamp in front of it.
At the end of summer, the elder tried three times to return to Optina, but due to ill health he was forced to stay in Shamordin. Having accepted this threefold obstacle as an indication of the will of God, the elder no longer tried to return to the monastery.
The glorification of the miraculous icon of the Mother of God “Spreader of the Loaves” dates back to this time. Father Ambrose set the day for the celebration of this icon (October 15), and also composed a special chorus for it: “Rejoice, O Gracious One, the Lord is with Thee!” Give us, the unworthy, the dew of Thy grace and show Thy mercy.”
In the summer of 1891, the man of God Gavryusha, about forty years old, came to Elder Ambrose in Shamordino. He lived in the Oryol province, was relaxed, was shaking all over and could barely speak or eat. His legs did not work, he lay, prayed to God, and much was revealed to him. In the spring of 1891, Elder Ambrose appeared to him and said: “Come to me in Shamordino, I will calm you down.” Gavryusha stood up and announced that he was going on foot to Shamordino, abandoning the railway. Elder Ambrose, who was traveling quietly somewhere, was met by Gavryusha near Shamordin. “Father! - Gavryusha shouted in his incomprehensible language. “You called me, I came!” Elder Ambrose immediately got out of the carriage, approached Gavryusha and said: “Great, dear guest, well, live here!” And he added to those around him: “I’ve never had anything like this before.”
On September 21, 1891, the elder fell ill. On September 23, he was still receiving people, although he heard poorly and could barely speak. He said to the nun who followed him: “This is the last test - I lost my hearing and voice.” At the same time, the elder said: “Look, autumn is coming; here and there, the ducks and geese will get it. The geese will drag, and the ducks will cry.”
On October 4, Elder Ambrose confessed his closest disciple, Hieromonk Joseph, who had arrived from Optina Hermitage, and after confession returned to the monastery. That night, Father Joseph could not fall asleep for a long time and at that time he heard someone clearly say: “The old man will die.”
The elder’s severe suffering began. The elder said: “I feel something that I have never experienced in my entire life.” The confessor, Father Theodore, asked the elder: “Father! Now you are dying, to whom are you leaving your abode?” The elder replied: “I will leave the monastery to the Queen of Heaven, and I have gilded my cross.” On October 8, when the fever of the old man, tormented by illness, reached 40, and he was shaking all over, as if in a fever, Father Joseph read him the funeral service, and then, together with Father Anatoly and Father Theodore, performed the Sacrament of the Blessing of Anointing. On the night of October 9, Elder Ambrose came to his senses, and Father Joseph communed him with the Holy Mysteries.
On October 9, the rector of Optina Pustyn, Archimandrite Isaac, came to say goodbye to the elder, together with Hieromonk Macarius. Father recognized them and, fixing a deep gaze on them, raised his hand and took off his skufia. This was the elder’s last farewell sign of respect to the hierarchy, the abbot, with whom he worked side by side for almost 30 years. On October 10, 1891, at 11 o’clock in the afternoon, Father Theodore read the canon of the Mother of God for the last time on the exodus of the soul and began to cross the elder, whose face was already covered with deathly pallor. “The breathing became shorter and shorter. Finally he took a deep breath. About two minutes later it happened again. Then the priest raised his right hand, folded it for the sign of the cross, brought it to his forehead, then to his chest, to his right shoulder and, reaching his left, he hit it hard on his left shoulder, because it cost him a terrible effort: his breathing stopped. Then he sighed again for the third and last time... It was exactly half past eleven in the afternoon.”
The words of the perspicacious old man came true: “Behold, I have been with the people for my entire life, and so I will die.”
The news of the elder's death quickly spread throughout Russia. Orthodox Christians flocked to the tomb of their elder. Clergy was the main life feat of Father Ambrose - monastic clergy and lay clergy. Now spiritual children flocked to Shamordino from everywhere. About eight thousand people came to the funeral. Meanwhile, out of love and respect for the deceased elder, a difference of opinion arose between the Optina brotherhood and the Shamorda community: where to bury the father dear to both monasteries.
To resolve this issue, I had to contact the Holy Synod, from where the order came to bury the elder in Optina. When the coffin of Father Ambrose was taken away from Shamordin, the crying nuns remembered the words of their elder “the geese will drag, and the ducks will cry.”
On October 13, in the Kazan Cathedral of the Optina Hermitage, Bishop Vitaly of Kaluga celebrated the Liturgy with the funeral service for Elder Ambrose. “Father Father Macarius was a great man! – Elder Ambrose often said. “If only the Lord would bring me to lie down at his feet.” And so it happened. On the day of the celebration of the icon of the Mother of God “Spreader of the Loaves,” the body of Father Ambrose was buried at the southeastern wall of the Vvedensky Cathedral of the Optina Hermitage, next to his teacher, Elder Macarius.
Immediately after his death, miracles began from the elder, who appeared to sick and ailing people in different parts of Russia. The elder remained his confessor even after death; he appeared with the command to the sick person to repent, sometimes he commanded the sick person to drink water from “his” well near the monastery of Optina Hermitage.
One story about the healing of a resident of the Vyatka province, far from the Optina Hermitage, says: “I was very sick, suffering from illness in my legs and head. I began to spiritually pray to Father Ambrose for the healing of all my ailments. So, one day, after praying, I fell asleep. Suddenly an extraordinary light shone in front of me, and I heard the steps of a walking man. Soon I see before me a husband, adorned with gray hair, in a robe, with a cross on his chest. So he came up to my bed and said: “Child Nicholas! Rise up, hurry to church, serve a prayer service to Saint Ambrose of Milan and you will receive quick relief.” The elder blessed me, and I was honored to kiss his bright hand; and at the same time dared to ask him: “What is your name?” He answered me: “To whom,” he said, “I ordered you to serve a prayer service, I also bear the name. I am Hieroschemamonk Ambrose from Optina Hermitage.” When I woke up, I felt healed. Soon the prayer service was served. I didn’t tell anyone about this phenomenon, but I wrote everything down in a notebook. After some time, the phenomenon repeated again.
Father Ambrose appeared to me lying in a tomb, entwined in the schema, and said: “Why are you, servant of God Nikolai, keeping silent about the deeds of God’s mercy, will you not inform the Optina Hermitage about the healing?” At the end of the story, the healed man turns to the rector of the Optina Hermitage, Father Joseph, with a request not to ignore this story and for the benefit of others to place it at least on the last page of the biography of the great Russian Elder-confessor Hieroschemamonk Ambrose of Optina.
The Venerable Elder Ambrose was canonized as a saint at the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, dedicated to the anniversary of the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus', in 1988. The celebration of the memory of the saint takes place on June 27 (July 10) - the discovery of the relics and October 10 (23) - the day of his righteous death.
Soloviev P. Christian martyrs who suffered in the East.
So, for example, they put an iron cap on the sufferer’s head, heating it red-hot on the fire; strong belts with lead bullets tied to them squeezed the martyr's churches so much that his eyes rolled out...
Extracted from: Soloviev P. Christian martyrs who suffered in the East.
RKP. Saints: “St. Fathers Eliazar and Nazarius, abbots of the Murmansk Monastery of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, like the new miracle workers in the Olonets district, originally Romans, reposed in the summer of 7000 months. June, at 4 days." (Ratshin A. Complete collection of information about monasteries). About Abba Lazar, see: March 8.
See: Filaret, Archbishop. Chernigovsky. Historical teaching about the Fathers of the Church. § 123.
The teaching of Abba Dorotheus (10) about chastity and sober walking of the path of God (Christian Reading. St. Petersburg, 1830).
Hilferding A. Trip to Herzegovina, Bosnia and Old Serbia.
The Legend of the Klimets Monastery. St. Petersburg, 1846; Ambrose (Ornatsky), archimandrite. History of the Russian hierarchy. Part IV.
Collection l. 1, 150. 4, 102. 6, 128. 7, 75. 314. 9, 65.
The book is sedate. Part 1; RKP. life of St. Theodora at Rumyantsev No. 164.
Nikon. l. 1, 105; Ananiy Fedorov. Historical collection about the God-saved city of Suzdal // Temporary journal of the Society of History and Antiquities. Book 22 (hereinafter - Ananiy Fedorov. Historical collection about the God-saved city of Suzdal. - Ed.). According to the chronicles, we see Suzdal already in 1024 (Collected l. 5, 135. 7, 328. 329; Nikon. l. 1, 130).
Collection l. 4, 102. 6, 128. 9, 14. Before St. Leonty in Rostov “Theodore, Theognost, Theodore, Hilarion, Theognost, Theodore.” According to the lives of St. Leontius and Avramia, after Theodore, it was not Theognostus, but Hilarion who occupied the see in Rostov. The same with the news about the burned down first Rostov church: “and 7 bishops served at that church: 1 Bishop Theodore, 2 Bishop Hilarion, 3 Bishop Leonty the Wonderworker”... etc. (Makariy (Bulgakov), Metropolitan. History of the Russian Church. Vol. 2). Did Theognost come to Rostov on a random errand from the government?
Vostokov A. Description of the manuscripts of the Rumyantsev Museum. No. 156, 160. Common life of St. Leonty see: Orthodox interlocutor. 1858. No. 1.
About St. Boris and Gleb, see May 2.
In the life of St. Leonty “he was the first bishop of Rostov, Theodore. And baptize the Rostov land and Suzdal and the church in Rostov in the name of our Lady Theotokos, Ever-Virgin Mary, and created a wonderful miracle and taught many Christians about the faith; but it was not possible to convince them to the end, since from time immemorial their evil unbelief had taken root. And he was quickly expelled from them. Behold, the patriarch (?) heard that Theodore the bishop baptized many people, but was not able to bring them fully into the knowledge of the true God, but was expelled, having escaped from them; the patriarch soon chose Larion from his choir. Brief life of St. Leonty: “Bishops Theodore and Hilarion, who were there before him (Leonty), left there, not enduring unbelief and persecution from the people.”
Nikon. l. 1, 130; Collection l. 5, 135. 7, 329.
Ananiy Fedorov. Historical collection about the God-saved city of Suzdal. Here documents prove that in honor of St. Churches were built for Bishop Theodore and his memory was celebrated on June 8. The service to him and Saint John was written by the monk Gregory, who also described the life of St. Euphemia, at the end of the 15th century. Ananias also shows the miracles of the saint. His service in the RCP. XVII century (in Tolstoy 2 No. 1911). Wed. Vladimirsky. collection, page 165. In one list of calendars it is said: “he reposed in l. 6981" This is an obvious mistake. If they had written: the relics have been discovered in l. 6981 (1473), then this would be a probable reading.
For a story about this, see: Christian Reading. St. Petersburg, 1827. Part 27
About prpp. Theophanes and Pansemnia, see: Acta Sanctorum, junii 2. Synaxarion of the Greek Menaion of June and the legend in the abbreviated menology of Banatus: Thesaurus monum. 3, 439. Translation of the last legend in the prologue of June 10, but not always accurate.
Prologue: “having learned about the harlot called honest.” “Pansemnia” exactly means: honest and even all-honest; only this is a proper name, not a common noun. In the official Menea of Zografskaya of the 13th century. (Antonin (Kapustin), archimandrite. Notes of a fan of the Holy Mountain) “Pansemnia.” But other names of saints in the same Menaion are distorted to the extreme by the scribe, for example, February 6 Farosta (Favsta), February 16 Anitropovi (also in Martiropoli), May 15 Pamikha (Pachomius), November 5 Epimisa (Epistats), December 7 Anidora (Athinodor).
Synaxarion: “Having lived a year and two months, he moves to the Lord together with St. Feofan." According to her life, “I labored for 22 months.” The latter indication should be preferred.
Instruction of St. John in his life, which was written by his contemporary Leontius, Bishop of Naples, Cheti-Minea on November 12. Acta Sanctorum ad 23 iann; Patrol. Lat. T. 73. The same story in the prologue on August 3.
RKP. life of St. Barnabas, written on the occasion of the witnessing of his relics in 1639.
RKP. Saints: “St. Barnabas the hermit, like on Lapshancha on the Vetluga river. new wonderworker, reposed on June 7053 (1445) at 11 days.”
Acts collected by the Archaeographic Expedition. T. 4; Historical acts.
Ratshin A. Complete collection of information about monasteries; Dictionary of Saints.
John Cassian the Roman, St. Interviews with Egyptian Fathers. Conversation 23, ch. 21.
Historical essays on Russian folk literature and art. T. 2.
In the RKP. The calendar shows the day of the death of “St. Stefan Abbot of Komel Nikolaev Monastery." – June 12, but the year is not shown. In a note about the Vologda calendar - June 12, 1542.
Ambrose (Ornatsky), archimandrite. History of the Russian hierarchy. Part V
Vologda diocesan bulletin. 1864.
Dosifey (Nemchinov), archimandrite. Description of the Solovetsky Monastery.
Dictionary of Saints; Dosifey (Nemchinov), archimandrite. Description of the Solovetsky Monastery.
Journal of the Ministry of Public Education. St. Petersburg, 1863. No. 69.
Ambrose (Ornatsky), archimandrite. History of the Russian hierarchy. Part V; Ratshin A. Complete collection of information about monasteries.
Ambrose (Ornatsky), archimandrite. History of the Russian hierarchy. Part V. Ratshin A. Complete collection of information about monasteries.
Ambrose (Ornatsky), archimandrite. History of the Russian hierarchy. Part V; Ratshin A. Complete collection of information about monasteries. In 1662, “there were 19 courtyards behind the Nativity Malsky Monastery.”
Filaret, archimandrite Chernigovsky. Holy ascetics of the Eastern Church. St. Petersburg, 1871.
Pogodin M.P. Research about Russian history. T.VI.
Collection l. 2, 107–110. 1, 155. 156; Pogodin M.P. Research about Russian history. T.VI.
Collection. l. 4, 129–131. 3, 18. 4, 15. 16; Pogodin M.P. Research about Russian history. T. IV, VI.
Ratshin A. Complete collection of information about monasteries; Soloviev P. Description of the Novgorod St. Sophia Cathedral. The Autun calendar of 1719: “was laid in the cathedral church of St. Sophia in the chapel of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in the slate tomb; there is power on top of the earth, there is no service.” According to the description of 1634: “his relics are incorruptible, and his right hand is stretched out” (Reader OIDR. 1862. Book 4).
RKP. Rev. service Methodius - in three lists, of which the oldest was written in 1699 by Kalaidovich K.F. Description of the monastery of St. miracle worker Nicholas.
Kalaidovich K.F. Description of the monastery of St. miracle worker Nicholas. “The memory of the saint is celebrated in the monastery and in the surrounding villages on June 14th.” (Ibid.). According to another source, Rev. Methodius reposed on June 4, 1392, and the memory is celebrated on the same day as the memory of Methodius the Patriarch, June 14 (Ambrose (Ornatsky), archimandrite. History of the Russian Hierarchy. Part V).
About the works of St. John see: Filaret, Archbishop. Chernigovsky. Historical teaching about the Fathers of the Church.
Extract from the Solovetsky Patericon.
Extract from: Athos Patericon. Part 1.
For the writings of Augustine, see: Filaret of Chernigov. Historical teaching about the Fathers of the Church: In 3 volumes. St. Petersburg, 1859.
Inscription on the saint's shrine (Evgeniy (Bolkhovitinov), Metropolitan. Description of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra). Metropolitan Eugene says that according to the same inscription, St. Michael was buried in the Church of the Tithes and transferred to Anthony's Cave under the abbot. Theoktiste in 1103 (see: Evgeniy (Bolkhovitinov), Metropolitan. Description of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra; He is also. Description of the Kiev St. Sophia Cathedral. Kyiv, 1825). The inscription does not contain this news: it is unknown where they were taken from. But there is no doubt that in the Anthony Cave the relics of St. Michael were laid long after 991, since that year there was no Anthony’s Cave yet.
Afanasy (Kalnofoisky). Teraturgima.
They wrote carelessly: “we know from Nestor’s chronicle that Saint Michael was from Syria, and during the baptism of Vladimirov he was sent to him (to whom? for baptism?) in Kherson.”
Monk Ademar (see: Naruszewicz. Historia narodu polskiego).
Populus Ruthenorum – in flumine Dniepr ab episcopo Corsunensi et presbyteris ex Graecia adductis baptisatur (Jan Dlugosz. Annales seu cronicae incliti Regni Poloniae, lib. I-XII. Lib. I). Dlugosz's words are repeated by Miechowita: per episcopum Korshcimiensem (Maciej Miechowita. Chronica Polonorum) and Strykowski: od. biscupa Korsunskiego... (Maciej Stryjkowski. Kronika Polska, Litewska, Zmudzka i wszystkiej Rusi).
Under 1090, he says that the Pereyaslavl church was consecrated by “Efrem Metropolitan”, and the following year “Bishops Ephraim of Pereyaslavl gathered” and so on. (Collected l. 1, 89. 90).
Tatishchev V.N. Russian history. T. 1.
Pereyaslav. l., p. 34; Supralsk. l., p. 10. Vsevolod’s diploma, see: Orthodox Interlocutor. 1861. No. 3; Macarius (Bulgakov), Metropolitan. History of the Russian Church. T. 2.
Sylvester (Kossov), Metropolitan. Patericon or the lives of St. Pechersk fathers.
Nikon. l. 1, 92–94. 103. 101; The book is sedate. Part 1. In the latter there is only one news about St. Michael, that he was originally from Syria cannot be accepted by criticism, since it is incredible in itself, while the news of the Joachim Chronicle is the most natural.
RKP. Saints: “The holy first Metropolitan Michael, who baptized the Russian land, reposed in L. 6500 m. June at 15 days and was laid in a cave.” And according to the description of the Lavra before 1730, the memory of St. Michael was celebrated on June 15, and after that he was commemorated on September 30 (Evgeniy (Bolkhovitinov), Metropolitan. Description of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra).
Joasaph, Hierom. The Legend of the Finding of the Relics of St. Gregory and Cassian (see: June Menaion of the Sergius Lavra); his life, St. Stephen (see: Filaret, Archbishop of Chernigov. Review of Russian spiritual literature).
Ambrose (Ornatsky), archimandrite. History of the Russian hierarchy. Part III; Rat Shin A. Complete collection of information about monasteries. In the RKP. Rumyantsev's charter of 1608 (Vostokov A. Description of the manuscripts of the Rumyantsev Museum. No. 449): “On June 15, the appearance of the relics of St. father of our Guria (Gregory) and Cassian, who were also in Avweg.” Their service in the RKP. 1592 at Tsarsky No. 563. In 1662, there were 18 courtyards behind the Avnezhsky Monastery. Historical essays on Russian folk literature and art. T. 2.
Life of St. book For Lazarus, see: Glasnik. Book 11. Very poor in content: this is a set of pompous, wild phrases that expose the poverty of the writer’s thoughts. To see the book. Lazarus, it is necessary to reconsider other monuments of the past.
Lazar was from the boyar house of Gerblyanovich (Raich. History of various Slavic peoples. Part 3; Serblyak l. 144). Lazarus himself says that he has “a brother, the clerk Mlieu, and a sister, Dragana” (Hilandar. gram. 1381).
Description of the life of St. Stefan the Despot, son of Lazarev, writes: “Vulcan is the second son of Simeon, the brother of Sava, the Grand Duke, gave birth to a son, Zhupan Dimitar, in the monastic rank David was called the Light One, having created a church near the Lima River in the place of Brodarevo. This same one gave birth to a son, Prince Vratislav. Vratislav gave birth to Vratka the prince; Give birth to a daughter, Militsa, soon. This was the wife of the Grand Duke Lazar.” The same as the king's guardian (see: Raich. History of various Slavic peoples. Part 3; Nikon. l. 2, 289).
Marko, son of Vulkashin, called himself King of Prizren; Vladimir, the illegitimate son of Dusan, was also written as king on coins (Glasnik. Book 8).
Raich. History of various Slavic peoples. Part 3. Chronicle in Glasnik (Book 1, 5, 9). Vulkashin’s son refused to recognize the supreme power of Lazarus at the general meeting; but Lazarus soon drove him out of his kingdom of Prizren (Tronosh. Let. § 40, 41).
Acta patriarch. Constant. 1, 558; Windob. 1860; Glasnik. Book 8.
For the decree of the second Patriarch of Serbia, see: Vostokov A. Description of the Rumyantsev Museum; Raich. History of various Slavic peoples. Part 3; Synaxarion of Serblyak years. 145. On the coins “Prince Lazar”, but in the Byzantine crown and with a scepter in his hand (Notes of the Imperial Russian Archaeological Society. Vol. 1; Glasnik. Book 5). According to other monuments, he is either a prince or a king; the latter meant that the people respected him as a king, although he did not bear the name of a king. Serblyak (l. 145) says that the reconciliation of Constantinople with the Serbian Church was under Patr. Feofane; but in 1376 the Patriarch of Constantinople was Philotheus, as meek as he was intelligent and enlightened. In another place (l. 152) Serblyak says that reconciliation followed under Patr. Filofee.
Grigorovich V. Travel essay. The certificate was printed in the Glasnik (Book 11).
Vuich, Joachim. Traveling around Serbia. 1828; Glasnik. Book 4.
Porfiry (Uspensky). Index of acts; Grigorovich V. Travel essay. The certificate was published in: Christian Readings. 1853. No. 11.
Antonin (Kapustin), archimandrite. Notes from a fan of the Holy Mountain.
This was written in 1583. Then they came to Moscow from Serbia for alms from the “Trinity Oleshkovo Monastery, priest Joachim, and the Ascension Monastery, priest Avksentiy” (A.N. Muravyov, Relations between Russia and the East on Church Affairs. St. Petersburg, 1858–1860 (hereinafter referred to as A.N. Muravyov, Relations between Russia and the East. - Ed.)).
Vostokov A. Description of the Rumyantsev Museum. The diploma was published in the Serbian Chronicle for 1847.
By the will of his son Wolf, under Patr. Spiridon, when Patr. Ephraim lived in retirement, written by Georgiy Amartol’s chronicle (Grigorovich V. Essay on the journey).
Chronicle in Glasnik (Book 1, 11).
Letter from the Sultan and response from the prince. Lazarus was preserved in the chronicle published in Glasnik (Book 5).
Glasnik (Book 4) exposes a reliable legend that Milos Obilich, son-in-law of Prince. Lazar and governor Branichevsky, founded a monastery near Golubets. A fog that still exists today. Milos unintentionally shot and killed the monk Zosima while praying. This accident caused Milos to build a rich monastery. Was it not the same accident that strengthened his determination to sacrifice his life in order to kill the terrible enemy of faith and fatherland - Murat?
News of the modern Russian pilgrim Ignatius; Nikon. l. 3, 161 and in the legends of the Russian people, Two legends of the 15th century. about the Battle of Kosovo, see: Hilferding A. A trip to Herzegovina, Bosnia and Old Serbia. There are also folk tales there. One of them was published in full in: Thu. OIDR. 1860. Raich said long ago about their historical merit: “about Milos in a simple story, the predicate resembles a fable” (Tronoshskaya l. in Glasnik (Book 5)). In the Serbian prologue of the 14th century. under June 15: “on this day, and in l. 7897 (1389), there was a battle between Prince Lazar and King Amurat in Kosovo, and many people fell from Christians and Turks. Serble quickly defeated Bekha and King Amurat Ubyshe. And for the escape of some of the Serbian troops, the Turks overcame and there was a great battle. The death of the glorious Serbian gentleman, Prince. Lazarus. Yet God grant all those Christians who were destroyed and who shed their blood, along with all who suffered for His name, to Him be glory” (Glasnik. Book 10).
Nikon. l. 3, 244. “It is now seen that he is alive in that one, having himself created a great monastery, the glogolem Ravanitsa.”
Raich. History of various Slavic peoples. Part 3. The legend is published in the Glasnik (Book 12). Now Ravanitsa Prince. Lazar again with the monks, although only a few (Orthodox Serbian Church (Danton, priest Serbia and Serbs) // Christian Reading. 1865. Part 2).
Martyrdom of St. George published in: Chronicle of the activities of the Archaeographic Commission. St. Petersburg, 1864.
For the Serbian text, see: Hilferding A. Trip through Herzegovina, Bosnia and Old Serbia. Euphemia is considered the wife of the prince. Lazarus (see: IORYAS. T. I). But the nun Euphemia is the widow of the despot Uglesh and according to the life of St. Stephen the Despot together with the prince's widow. Lazar Militsa appeared to the Sultan. On the curtain, sewn in 1399 on satin in silver, gold and silk, nun Euphemia calls herself: “daughter of Mr. Prince.” Caesar Vonkhne, who was once a despot lying here” (Glasnik. Book 5).
Muravyov A.N. Relations between Russia and the East. Service of St. book To Lazar of Serbia on June 15, see in: Tsarsky No. 563; Serbian RCP (Glasnik. Book 1); Vershinsky D.S. Monthsword.
Vostokov A. Description of the Rumyantsev Museum; Undolsky No. 140.
Collection l. 3, 98–100. 4, 103–141.
RKP. calendar: “holy and righteous brothers according to the flesh Nikita, Cyril, Nicephorus, Clement, Isaac of Alfanov, Novgorod posadnitsy, who were in the maiden monastery at Sokolnya in the summer of 6000 m. June at 17 days.” If, by calling the Alfanovs posadniks, they said more than they should have said (Kalaidovich K.F. Historical and chronological experience about the Novgorod posadniks. M., 1821), one should still admit the idea of the Alfanovs’ celebrity.
After this, the testimony of the “legend” that the Alfanovs died in 1115 must be recognized as an unsuccessful guess. That this is a guess can be seen both from the testimony itself - and from comparison with the calendar.
Oten Saints: 1718 “their relics are hidden; there is no service, there is a troparion and kontakion, and their images are written on the board on the coffin; there are miracles; commemoration of June at 17 days.” There is not a word about life time here. Since 1775, they began to celebrate the memory of the righteous on May 4 (Makariy (Mirolyubov), archimandrite. Archaeological description of church antiquities in Novgorod, Part 1).
RKP. tale about the miracles of Anthony. In “History of the Russian Hierarchy” Archim. Ambrose (Ornatsky) about the time of Ananias - a mistake that is repeated by Fr. Macarius (Makariy (Mirolyubov), archimandrite. Archaeological description of church antiquities in Novgorod).
But he was replaced by a dead one, asleep on his mother’s chest, who placed him on the chest of another woman during her sleep and appropriated her living baby for herself...
Dobrokhotov V.I. Ancient monuments in Vladimir Klyazemsky. M., 1849 (hereinafter referred to as V.I. Dobrokhotov. Ancient monuments in Vladimir Klyazemsky. – Ed.). RKP. the story of the life and miracles of St. book Gleb at Tsarsky No. 455, written in 1702.
Soulful reading. 1879. January.
See: Soloviev P. Christian martyrs who suffered in the East since the conquest of Constantinople by the Turks. St. Petersburg, 1862).
About them see: Sabinin M.P. Complete biography of the saints of the Georgian Church. St. Petersburg, 1871; Muravyov A.N. Lives of the saints of the Russian Church, also Iveron and Slavic. St. Petersburg, 1855–1868 (in the life of the holy martyr Queen Ketevani, September 13).
For a poem about Anika with a story, see: Chronicles of Russian Literature and Antiquity / N. Tikhonravov. In 5 vols. M., 1859–1863. T. 1.
Ambrose (Ornatsky), archimandrite. History of the Russian hierarchy. Part IV; Vologda diocesan bulletin. 1864, 1865. In the book of miracles: “this Right Reverend (Paul, 1717–1725), zealous for the Lord Almighty, who is in the city of Vologda. First, Father Galaktion (Sept. 24) in the Spiritual Monastery ordered the service, stichera and canon of sweet songs to be sung and the prayer service at the tomb (St. Joseph) to be sung, bless.”
Pavlini Nolani. Carmen 17.
Peacock in a Letter to the North, written in 402: “In this form I recommended you to the respected and most learned Bishop Nikita, who came from Dacia and is rightly the subject of surprise for the Romans” (Er. 29).
Hierocles, recognized as a contemporary of the emperor. Justinian, writes: “in the region of Mediterranean Dacia, under the rule of the consul, there are five cities: Sardica (Serdica, Hearts) - the main city, Paitalia, Germana, Nais (Nish), Remesiana... In the region of Dardania, under the control of the governor, there are 3 cities: Scupi - the main city, Mirion, Ulpiana." The same with Constantine (Constantino Porphyrogenito. De thematibus). Ulpiyana - among the Slavs Liplyan (among Kedrin and Anna Komnina Lipenion).
Pavlini. Poema v. 206–208. 246–252.
Strabonis. Geographica. V. VIII, 7.
Procopius Caesarensis. De Bello Gothico I, 5; II, 26.
Procopius Caesarensis. De Bello Persico 1, 13.
Temporary of the Society of History and Antiquities. Book 10. Cities of demons – Plovdin (Philippopolis), Samakov (Uscudama); in the Dragovići district, the Metropolitan of Plovdin was called the exarch of Thrace - Dragovitia. Κωντιχντινου εγχετρ. περι επαργ. Φιλιππουπολεως. Βιεννη. 1819. Safarik knew from Ptolemy the demons, the Slavic branch, in eastern Galicia, near the Carpathians (Safarik. Slavic antiquities. Vol. 1, book 1. § 10, part 10), but completely overlooked the Balkan demons, some of which went to the Carpathians.
This was announced on January 20th. A get boy, with a Slavic inscription, sacrificing a goose (see: Klassen E.I. New materials for the ancient history of the Slavs in general and the Slavic-Russians before the Rurik time in particular. Issue 1–3, M., 1854–1861. Issue II, 12, M., 1854 (hereinafter referred to as Klassen E.I. New materials for the ancient history of the Slavs. – Ed.)).
Slavic translation of Zonara: “Trojan fought against Daki, that is, on Srebla, and their Serbian leader Dikoval” (see: Reading OIDR. 1847; Temporary of the Society of History and Antiquities. Book 10). Slavic inscription about the salvation of some Slavs from Troyan (see: Klassen E.I. New materials for the ancient history of the Slavs. Issue II). Theodorit speaks of Sardica: “this Illyrian city is the main city of the Dacian people” (Theodorit, Cyrus. Church history). One cannot help but regret that the gifted Safarik, having mistakenly mistook the Volokhs for the Celts, who soon disappeared in history, lost sight of the historical thread of events that took place in the Slavic world from the time of Alexander the Great, under the Roman emperors and until the emperor himself. Irakli.
Temporary of the Society of History and Antiquities. Book 10; Savelyev-Rostislavich N.V. Slavic collection.
Getae, demons, Slavic-Vlachs, Scythians, as special Slavic tribes, explain the news of the Slavs conquered in 657, which Safarik and others could not understand (Christian reading. St. Petersburg, 1858). According to the news of Theophanes and Kedrin, in 657 “the emperor (Constance 2) undertook a campaign against Slavinia (Κατα Σχλαβινιχς, κατα Σχλαβινων) and, taking many captives, conquered. Small Scythia alone cannot be understood here; we are talking about the Slavs, about several Slavic regions and principalities. Even in Macedonia there were several Slavic zhupas. In 758 Copronymus burst into Slavia, lying in Macedonia. Safarik then says that in Macedonia the region is occupied by the Slavs who settled beyond the Danube in the first centuries; then he writes that the settlement of the Slavs in Mysia, Dardania and Macedonia dates back to the end of the 5th century (Safarik. Slavic antiquities. Vol. 2, book 1). This hesitation is evidence that the venerable scientist has lost the right path. About the war of the Slavs in Thrace and Pannonia with the Goths in 334 and with the Greeks in 358, see: Klassen E.I. New materials for the ancient history of the Slavs. Vol. II.
About Peacock's travels: You pass through the fields of Philippi of Macedonia, You march through the city of Toms, And those close to your homeland are Stingy, Dardanian guest.
Epist. 107 ad Laetam. The letter was written in 403.
For departments, see: Wiltsch. Handbuch der kirchlichen.
Their memory is on August 22. Basil's menologist: “when the prefect arrived in the city of Patama, he killed Zeno, Theoprepius (Bogolepos) and Akindinus.” Synaxarion of the Menaion: “Arriving at a place called Patama, he killed St. with a catapult. Zotika, Theoprepius (Bogolepa) and Akindina." About Bogolep, see: News of the Archaeological Society. T. IV.
Epist. 60 ad Heliorum in ed. Vallars. About the sacrifice of people by the Slavs, see March 28.
Blzh. Jerome, having said about the Getae that they have marching churches, adds: “Because, of course, they have the same faith (with us), they fight little with us.”
Peacock: You turn skilled gold diggers into gold, and you yourself imitate demons. From them, by penetrating the living word, you extract gold.” v. 269–272.
Poema v. 209–225. Under the leadership of St. Savva of Palestine (484–532) monks were saved from demons (Cyrill Scythopolis. Vita Sabbae in Cotelerii monum. Graec. Eccl. 3, 265).
Vasily’s menologist on November 6: “lately imp. Leo the Great, called the demon (EniXeyôevou Veaaoi); the sky was covered with clouds, etc.” Leo was emperor from 457–473.
Theophanes Confessor. The Chronicle, Byzantine and Near Eastern History; Georgii Cedreni. Synopsis historiarum. Compare: Chertkov A.D. On the translation of the Manasseh Chronicle.
Ambrosius. Epist. 9; Weiss Leben d. Heiligen 8, 360.
Poema 27. Venisti tandem, quarto mihi reditus anno, Sed grates Christo, quia te res Sero revexit.
Adonis Martyrologia, Usuardi ad X calend. iulii. Baronius placed the same saint under January 7th.
De viris illustribus urbis Romae. 22.
Cassiodorus. Institutiones divinarum et saecularium litterarum
Patrologiae t. LII (ed. 10). There are also doubts about the authenticity of these, but they are completely in vain. Particularly strange are the explanations of Paulinus’s words about St. Nikita; the author, not knowing the history of the Slavs, reinterprets Pavlin’s words contrary to their meaning. And none of the Slavic writers had hitherto paid attention to the apostolic activity of St. Nikita among the Slavs, described by Pavlin.
Ratshin A. Complete collection of information about monasteries; Ambrose (Ornatsky), archimandrite. History of the Russian hierarchy. Part V. RKP. Saints: “holy and righteous brothers according to the flesh, infants and martyrs John and James, former Menyuge r. in l. June 6000 at 24 days.” So on the senior list. In the Otensky list: “holy youths and martyrs, brothers according to the flesh John and Jacob in the Trinity Menyuzhsky Monastery along the Pskov road from Novgorod 30 fields, besha in l. 7000; relics hidden; there is no service, there is a troparion and kontakion, the memory of June is on the 24th day.”
“The Tale of the Life of St. Prince Peter and Fevronia, the creation of the monk Erasmus,” published without the name of the author, supplemented the few true information about the holy prince with fictions of the popular imagination (see: Monuments of Ancient Russian Literature. Issue 1). This is its legend about the Agrikov sword. The Agrikov sword is also in the fairy tale about Dobrynya. Erasmus himself says: “I heard him who wrote me.” It is clear that he wrote not from chronicles, but from rumors. Therefore, one cannot expect much true information from him, but rather a lot of incorrect information. Erasmus’s story was written around 1540, and a new edition of it was written around 1560. In the prologue from Erasmus’s story, the probable, although not everything, is retained, and everything fabulous is rejected.
Translated l. 82.98.99; Collection l. 1, 156; Karamzin N. M. History of the Russian State. T. III, approx. 76, 153. Tatishchev V.N. Russian history. T. 3. And according to the story, first St. Peter was reigned in Murom by his elder brother, but he was incorrectly called Pavel. In the same way, it is in vain that she calls St. prince in worldly life by Peter and in monastic life by David. On the contrary, in the world he was David. Collection l. 7, 244. Genealogy. book in: Temporary of the Society of History and Antiquities. Book 10. Error in the name of St. The prince also moved to the printed “Complete Monthly Book” (M., 1840).
Translated l. 100. 102; Karamzin N. M. History of the Russian State. T. III, approx. 80. Third brother Yuryevich in Peresl. l. called Igor, and in Nikon. l. (2, 261) – Yuri.
Nikon. l. 2, 298. Translated. l. 108.
"The Tale of the Life of St. book Peter and Fevronia, the creation of the monk Erasmus"; prologue June 25.
Translated l. 108. 109; Collection l. 1, 181. 182; Nikon. l. 2, 298; Ilovaisky D.I. History of the Ryazan Principality.
Pereslav. l. 112. Nikon. l. 2, 315. 316.
Nikon. l. 2, 342; Collection l. 1, 188. 7, 126–128.
"The Tale of the Life of St. book Peter and Fevronia, the creation of the monk Erasmus." RKP. and printed prologue June 25. Stichera of the service: “From your youth, having worked for Christ, you have come to know the One who exists in the world as the only glorious one. Therefore, they pleased Him with alms and prayers. And after death, you give healing to all those who honor you, Peter and Fevronia.”
"The Tale of the Life of St. book Peter and Fevronia, the creation of the monk Erasmus"; Genealogical book of princes and nobles of Russia and those traveling abroad / Ed. N. Novikov. M., 1787.
Genealogical book of princes and nobles of Russia and those traveling abroad / Ed. N. Novikov. M., 1787; Collection l. 1, 191. 7, 134. 244. Nikon. l. 2, 358. Saints: “St. Blagov. book Peter and Blagov. book Fevronia, Murom miracle workers (according to the list of General. Ist. 231, “to a foreign workshop”) reposed in l. 6735 June at 25 days.” The year of death according to the chronicle is 1228. And if according to the chronicle they died in April, then the 25th day of June must be recognized as the day of the discovery of the relics. On the icon of Russian saints there is a prince and princess in monastic robes with the inscription: “Ave. book Peter Muromsky, Fevronia Muromskaya Ave.
Acts collected by the Archaeographic Expedition. T. 1. From two canons of the book. Peter and Fevronia, one was written by the monk Pachomius, who wrote the life and service to the Yaroslavl prince Constantine, the other is “the work of Michael Mnich,” who wrote the service to the prince. Alexander (Vostokov A. Description of the Rumyantsev Museum; Tsarskogo No. 563).
In the calendar of the charter of the 16th century. (Tolstoy 1. No. 100): June 26 “Blessed. book Peter and Prince Fevronia, Murom miracle workers." In the chronicler of 1715 they wrote: “the same (1693) June 25 in memory of the blessings. book Peter and Prince Fevronia, before the monasticism of David and Euphrosyne, the new wonderworkers of Murom,” celebrated the accession to the throne of Ts. John and Peter (Northern Archive. St. Petersburg, 1826. Part 19).
Nikon. l. 7, 130. According to the scribe book of 1687, the stone church where “the Murom miracle workers lie.” Peter and Prince Fevronia,” was built by Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich, “an image of the Murom miracle workers on gold,” overlaid with silver and stones, an offering from the same king (Vladimir collection. Materials for statistics).
Collection l. 1, 136. 2, 19. 25.
Collection l. 1, 186. 2, 19. The guess that Elder Martin meant Prince Yaroslav Georgievich of Pinsk, famous in 1184 (Karamzin N.M. History of the Russian State. T. II, note 415. T. III, note 64) is not at all “most natural” (Makariy (Bulgakov), Metropolitan. History of the Russian Church. T. 3). On the contrary, Bishop Joachim is completely irreconcilable with the time, while Yaroslav Yuryevich from 1148/1149 the Prince of Turov and Bishop Joachim 1144–1147 are exactly contemporaries in Turov.
“The Tale of Martin Mnis”, placed in the prologue of Rumyantsev of the 15th century. No. 321, June 27, printed by the Reverend. Macarius (Makariy (Bulgakov), Metropolitan. History of the Russian Church. Vol. 3). Here, in variants, another text is printed, from the Makarievskaya Menaion; but the latter text is largely altered against the ancient one. The Russian translation follows the first text.
The Tale of Bliss Martinet from the prologue on June 27 is transferred to the story of the miracles of St. princes, placed in the Menaion on May 2. So we see her in the Menaion of St. Demetrius on May 2.
Information about the blessing Serapion extracted from the manuscript in the article: “Kozheozersky Monastery”, published in “Moskovskie Vedomosti” (1852. No. 83).
About Eliaksha, see: Nikon. l. 7, 235. Turtasovo or Turchasov Pogost in the charter of 1549 (Historical Acts. Vol. 1) and in the charter of 1536 (Acts collected by the Archaeographic Expedition. Vol. 1).
Ambrose (Ornatsky), archimandrite. History of the Russian hierarchy. Part IV. In 1582, in the Xenophon Hermitage there were two churches, one of them stone, - in 6 cells there was a rector with 5 brothers, and 8 cells were empty (Nevolin K.A. About Pyatina and Churchyards). According to the Otno list of saints, “St. Xenophon, student of St. Varlaam Khutynsky, builder of the Trinity Monastery, also on the Robya River from Novgorod 16 fields, reposed in L. 6770 (1262) June on the 28th day; relics hidden; There is no service, there is a troparion and kontakion.”
Sunday l. 2, 3; Nikon. l. 2, 113; Collection l. 1, 140.
Nikon. l. 2, 1511. “Confused (Andrey) about the disorganization of his brethren, brothers and relatives and his entire tribe, as if he was always in rebellion and excitement and poured a lot of blood, everyone wanted the great reign of Kyiv, and there was no peace with anyone. And because of this, all the reigns were devastated, and from the field of the Polovtsy, they were left empty.”
Chronicle from 1152 to Andreyzha (father): “on that you kissed the cross as if it were the drink of Judgment - and went to your volost Vladimir” (Collected l. 2, 144).
Karamzin N. M. History of the Russian State. T. II, approx. 383. “Prince Andrei Yuryevich came from Kiev to the city of Vladimir without the father’s command, and the Kuchkovichs were persuaded by his flattery.”
Collection l. 144. 148. 2, 77. 78. Pereslav. l. 66. 72. RKP. life of St. book Andrey, see: Dobrokhotov V.I. Ancient Bogolyubov-city and monastery with its surroundings. M., 1852 (hereinafter referred to as V.I. Dobrokhotov. Ancient Bogolyubov-city. – Ed.). Glory to our Most Holy Lady Theotokos. Part 3, dep. 1, 2. About the path of the book. Andrey from Vyshgorod to Vladimir, see: Vladimir collection. Materials for statistics.
Collection l. 1, 149. 2, 81. 9, 209; Tatishchev V.N. Russian history. T. 3.
Now in the iconostasis of the Moscow Assumption Cathedral; the inscription says that the icon was with Bogolyubsky’s army in 1164 and that “the prince and his army saw from this image rays of fire and the entire regiment was covered.” The icon was painted not in Russia, but in Greece: this is shown by the Greek words written on it. Antiquities of the Russian State. Dept. VI.
Collection l. 1, 150. 151. 5, 162. 6, 11. 7, 77; The book is sedate. Part 1. Prologue Aug. 1. “I wrote this little scripture by command. Manuel and all the clergy, may we celebrate this holiday for the glory of our Savior and His Most Pure Mother.” The author of the story, although he saw Tsar Manuel, is a Vladimir, not a Greek. Feast of the Savior on the 1st day of August - in Kondakar of the 12th century. (Read OIDR. 1846. No. 3).
Letop. Suzd. and Sunday under 1159 and 1160; Kyiv. under 1160 and 1161
Letop. Kyiv. and Sunday under 1167, 1168–1177; Novgorod. under 1168–1169
Kyiv. and Sunday l. under 1169–1171; Novgorod. under 1167–1169
Collection l. 1, 149. 150. 2, 81. 82. 111. 112; Translation l. 74 and 83; Nikon. l. 2, 175–177. 179–889.
Collection l. 2, 84; RKP. life of the book Andrey.
Collection l. 2, 112; Translation l. 73
Vladimir collection. Materials for statistics.
Nikon. l. 2, 175; Collection l. II, 91.
Collection l. 1, 156. 2, 112. 9, 209. 251.
Kozma, mourning the noble prince, says: “If a guest comes from Constantinople or from some other country, whether from Rus', whether Latin, Christian, or pagan, you order: take him to the church and sacristy, let him look at true Christianity and be baptized, as happened; many were baptized” (Collected l. 2, 115; RKP. Life in:: Dobrokhotov V.I. Ancient Bogolyubov-city).
Tatishchev V.N. Russian history. T. 3. Andrei’s father married in 1107, and Andrei was his second son and after the death of his brother Rostislav remained the eldest (Suzdal. L. under 1107, 1148, 1115), therefore, he was born in 1111.
“The sedate book” (Part 1) correctly shows the state of affairs: “the damned Kuchkovichi, hoping for the autocrat’s mercy for himself, is inconvenient for his fellow girl.”
To 1st Novgorod. l. "in l. 6682 (1174) killed K. Andrew on the eve of Saints Peter and Paul on the night" (Collected l. 3, 16). Laurel. sp.: “he was killed on Saturday night and in the light of the morning he was dead in a week, in memory of the 12th Apostle.” Consequently, he was killed on the night from the 29th to the 30th. The year is not shown here in the story. Kyiv. l.: “in l. 6683 (1175) bysha led killed. Prince Andrei of Suzdal, - June 28th, St. Eve. apostles, then the day would be Saturday.” Then follows a story where the words shown in Laurus are repeated. sp. (II, 111. 114). Sunday l.: “same l. (66831175) Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky was killed." Further: “It happened on Saturday night, in memory of St. ap. Peter and Paul" came to the prince's palace. The blessed end of the month of June is celebrated on the 29th day in memory of St. ap. Peter and Paul" (VII, 89. 90). The same in Soph. l., but only here it is said even more clearly: “for those who went on Saturday night, and on those days there was a holiday” (Collected l. 5, 164. 165). Same with Nikon. l. IX, 249. 250. In June 6682, the 29th day was Saturday, and the 28th was Friday. And in 6683 Saturday was June. So, if the morning following his death was June 30, then it was in 1174 and the prince was killed on the night of the 29th to the 30th of that year.
“And svarzhe (Anbal) k’ver and korzno and entwined (Kozma) him” (Andrey). So, a basket is clothing that could be wrapped around the body, otherwise it is a princely cloak or mantle. Book Vladimir was “covered and (Prince Igor, whose clothes were torn off) with corn” (Collected l. 1, 1138), according to Resurrection. l. “with his clothes” (Collected l. 7, 41), according to Nikon. l. “robe” (2, 101).
Kyiv. l. Arseny: “Unlock the goddess, and I will sing over him; We will put the love in the wake, the love in the coffin, - Kliroshan - bringing stones into the shrine and putting stones in the coffin, and performing a funeral service over it with Abbot Arseny.” The last thought, that the body, already dead, was placed in a stone coffin, is more clearly expressed in Resurrection. and Nikon. l. (Collected l. 2, 115. 7, 90. 9, 250). So, what is this stone coffin and what is it? “Budovat” means to build a predominantly wooden structure, while in the south they say about a stone building: “murovat, murmrovano.” In the north, a boat hollowed out of a single tree is still called a buda. So buda is a coffin hollowed out of oak, a log. A stone coffin, according to the flow of thoughts, is a grave lined with stones. The Chronicle also uses the word coffin in the same sense in another case. “When I carried (the inveterate body of the prince) to the tomb,” to the grave: “a wondrous sign came” (Collected l. 7, 33).
Collection l. 1, 156–158. 2, 111–116. 7, 89. 90; The book is sedate. Part 1. “Pop Miku-face”, who walked with St. icon around the city and then with the clergy, who met the body of Prince Andrei in front of the city, arrived with Prince Andrei and St. icon from Kyiv Vyshgorod. “The Vyshegorod wingers drink with them, priest Mikulu” (Synodal Chronicle No. 349, Karamzin N.M. History of the Russian State. T. II, note 383).
“The book of sedateness” (Part 1), says to the murderers: “You have petitioned for your master eternal life and the Kingdom of Heaven.” In the Vladimir Assumption Church of 1649, in the iconostasis, the image of the Savior represents those kneeling before the Savior - on the left side of the book. Andrei Bogolyubsky, on the right - Prince Alexander Nevsky (Vladimir collection. Materials for statistics).
Dobrokhotov V.I. Ancient monuments in Vladimir Klyazemsky.