Глава 11. Общение старца о. Леонида с Скитом по переходе его в монастырь. Назначение одного из его учеников о. Геронтия настоятелем Калужской Тихоновой пустыни. Посещения сей обители старцем о. Леонидом и его беседа с раскольниками. Скорби Старца в Тихоновой пустыни

After the transition of the elder Fr. Leonidas from Skete to the monastery, his spiritual connection with the Sketes was not broken. The elder never ceased to show his love for the monastery and the monastery brethren. He always came on Saturdays and Sundays, and in recent years, when he could not come due to illness, he came to the monastery church service. After mass, I went into the skete commander’s cell, first Fr. Anthony, and then Fr. Macaria. Other skete fathers also gathered there for a spiritual conversation with their spiritual mentor. And sometimes the lay persons from the nobles and merchants who were at the mass, going for a cup of tea with the head of the Skete and finding him having a spiritual conversation, became listeners and participants in it, to their spiritual benefit. “For their part, the skits often went to the Elder at the monastery. Father Macarius visited him daily: either he came for advice on the position of confessor, or he brought to the Elder’s signature letters prepared on his orders, which he usually signed with him. Also often visited Fr. Leonida (until 1839) monastery leader Fr. Anthony, who was always on sincere friendly terms with him and often took advantage of the Elder’s frank conversation. And all the other monastery brethren remained devoted to him with filial love, as to their spiritual mentor, and did not stop going to him to heal spiritual infirmities and resolve perplexities. Let us note at the same time that the revelation of thoughts to the elders, or in women's monasteries to the elders, brings great spiritual benefit to those who are revealed, but only under the condition that it is done in the proper order. This was stated quite clearly above, in Chapter III, about eldership, where it was shown what is required of those related to the elder, and what is required of the elder himself. – Here is an example of the disciple’s unhumble revelation, and at the same time the worthy admonition of Elder Leonid. “When Father was transferred to the monastery,” says skete brother Alexander (later Kiev-Pechersk hieroschemamonk Anthony), “and he lived in the old building on the mezzanine, I was already the chief cook in the skete. My assistant was Father I., the same age as me, and since he was somewhat akin to me, Father jokingly called him “matchmaker.” He did not know how to read and write and asked the Elder for his blessing so that I could teach him to read and write, although I myself was a self-taught reader. This means that I had all the advantages on my side. I imagined that he was subordinate to me out of obedience, and owed me a lot due to my condescension towards him. Despite all this, he inflicted some kind of ordinary insult on me, and it took me a lot. Having finished my daily obedience, I went to the monastery to the Elder to reveal my thoughts. By the way, in the form of a complaint, with the consciousness of my innocence, I explained to him the insult inflicted on me by my assistant. At this time, the father was weaving a belt and, as if deep in his work, was silent, and finally said: “Well, I’ve finished.” I repeated my complaint. To this, Father only answered me: “Well, okay, get out,” and blessed me goodbye. As soon as I opened the door to leave the Elder, I saw that my assistant was right there at the door waiting for me to leave. I immediately turn to the Elder: “Father! The matchmaker has come.” - Elder: “Eh, brother, what are you doing there?” “He fell on his knees before the Elder and began to ask for forgiveness. – Elder: “Tell me, what are you asking for forgiveness for?” “He began to confess his wrongdoing, and I prompted him and denounced him before the Elder of injustice and, moreover, I said: “This is how one should sincerely confess one’s thoughts before the Elder, as St. Simeon the New Theologian writes.” - Looking at us as if we were two immatures, one completely illiterate and the other poorly literate, the Elder said: “Well, guys, both of you are good. However, get away from me. By the way, the stairs to my cell are steep. I can barely climb it myself. Yes, perhaps, don’t come to me at all. You have a lot of your own mind, which is worse than any madness.” Get out!“ “No matter how much we both begged Father to forgive us and immediately reconciled with each other in front of him, it was not to be.” The elder only said: “This is a premature world, and by tomorrow it will be rotten; one thing - go, and we’ll see.” It is not known to what extent the assistant cook was justified during the revelation, although it was probably not without it, however, since he still repented and asked the Elder for forgiveness, and, if possible, reconciled with the cook, that is why he must have been calmer in his conscience. And the cook had to suffer for his unhumble revelation and self-justification, from which in no way can there be peace of conscience and peace of mind. “Having returned to my cell,” Brother Alexander continues his story, “I came to my senses about how much I had forgotten myself before the Elder, and how much market-place prowess I still had in me; and therefore, from thoughts of confusion and bewilderment, the following night lasted for me a whole year. Morning and lunch, I, in obedience to the cook, needed to be in my place. Having waited until evening, I ran headlong to the monastery to the Elder, who greeted me with the words: “Well, Sasha-Alexasha?” - I say: “Well, Father, I’m not at peace. Forgive me for God’s sake. After all, this thing happened like this.” - The elder: “Thank you for saying that, but I was a fool and didn’t understand. Now I’ll know; but you get out of here. Otherwise you’ll sleep through the rule tomorrow.” - How many tears have I shed here! - since neither greeting nor answer was heard from the Elder. But Father remained steadfast in his actions. Tomorrow it ended the same way, i.e., go and get out. And this went on for about a week. From embarrassment and mental confusion, I began to exhaust myself and finally I said to the Elder: “You, Father, are completely driving me away from you.” – Elder: “No, no; where did you get that from?” - “Well, Father, my strength is exhausted, I’m still restless.” - “Why are you restless?” - “Look, you don’t explain anything to me, and yet you keep sending me out of my cell, from which the spiritual constriction in me grows, and my trust in you begins to weaken; and this threatens me with terrible consequences.” – Elder: “I know this because I taught myself this alphabet.” - “So why don’t you tell me anything, Father, even in this case, when I’m mortally exhausted?” - “Why don’t you ask me? But, on the contrary, you are still imagining your wisdom - just listen. Why impose admonitions on such a person, which he will greedily grab, but not for the edification of his soul, but to increase only his bare knowledge, at which the arrogance and contempt for simple and ignorant people increases most in a person; on occasion, the desire appears with an extra word to show oneself as an upstart or use It’s a blasphemy. If it didn’t cost much, it’s not too bad.” - “How can this be, Father? Does science really inflate a person to such a degree of damage? And I respect science so much that I cannot find in my imagination a better object to compare with it; and sometimes I grieve that I am ignorant." - “What is good is good; and remain forever with this conviction. And instead of grieving over your ignorance, learn to live a good life by doing it yourself. This has not left you yet." - “Yes, Father, you forbid me to read the Philokalia.” - “There will be time and need for this. And you grabbed a few words from Simeon the New Theologian, and you cackle like a chicken and an egg. And just as these days have dented your moral ribs, so now you will be softer.” “These, and others similar to them, the merciful words of the beloved Elder immediately poured life-giving force into my suffering soul, at the same time teaching me experience in spiritual life.” Then Brother Alexander tells how, having been dismissed from his duties as a cook, he lived in an apiary, in the same building where Elder Fr. Leonid lived, and moreover, in the cell where the Elder’s library was located, which, as one might think, consisted mostly of handwritten patristic books, from which the Elder ordered the key to be given to him. With all this, the sacristan did not have the right to take and read books at his own discretion, but only on the instructions and blessing of the elders Leonid and Macarius. So he read Rev. Barsanuphius and Joanna Guide to Spiritual Life. And the books of St. Isaac the Syrian and Pres. Theodore the Studite Catechetical words by Fr. Macarius gave him the half-charter to write off 107. In addition, he was assigned obedience, on the occasion of summer time, to go to the monastery every day with others to putty the Vvedensky Church for painting. As a result of this, he had the opportunity to go to the elder Fr. Leonid would drink tea and sometimes set the samovar for the cell attendant - which was a great pleasure for him. In the evening, after finishing his work in the church, he again went to the Elder to reveal his thoughts and, having immediately listened to the evening rule, returned to his monastery cell, where he greedily read the works of the saints. Fathers. And the elder Fr. During a personal meeting, Leonid explained a lot to him, taught him lessons in piety, and at the same time told him something about his life; also about. Macarius - from his life. Brother Alexander called this time the only golden days in his entire life. But, as you know, everything earthly, temporary is unreliable, fragile, impermanent. Soon the golden days stopped for brother Alexander too. That is why, perhaps, the Elder consoled him with frequent interviews with him, because he foresaw his imminent separation from him and the sorrows that would befall him. Fr. Optina has long been Abbot Moses was busy, to expand the main Vvedensky Church in the monastery, by adding two chapels to it on the northern and southern sides. By the autumn of 1837, both of these chapels were completed. The Right Reverend Nicholas of Kaluga himself expressed his desire to consecrate the chapel on the south side in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, which he did on September 5 of the same year, dedicating the builder Fr. Moses to the rank of abbot. At the same time, on the instructions of Fr. The abbot, Vladyka appointed one of Elder Leonid’s disciples, Fr. Gerontia. No matter how much he refused to abbot before the Bishop, presenting his impotence, illness and other reasons for his inability, however, after a while, due to the decree received from Fr. Moses, being at that time the dean of the Kaluga monasteries, had to personally hand over to the new Fr. to the abbot of the monastery, which had fallen into disrepair, and Fr. Gerontius involuntarily had to part with Optina. But although the new abbot took over the monastery, and although he involuntarily remained there to live, he decided to persist no matter what. He often appeared to the Eminence and asked to be dismissed from his position as rector. So the rest of September and all of October passed. Finally, at the beginning of November, Fr. Gerontius received a letter from the abbot of the Sergius Monastery of the St. Petersburg province. Archimandrite Ignatius (formerly Dimitri Aleksandrovich Brianchaninov), who was well known as the elder Fr. Leonid, and all his circumstances. This was the meaning of this letter: “If Fr. Gerontius will continue to persist, then all the blame for this will fall on his elder Fr. Leonida. Then the Lord will not sin in this.” Despite this warning, Fr. Gerontius still turned to the Eminence with his annoying request, but immediately received from him confirmation of what Fr. Archimandrite Ignatius. The Bishop put it this way: “This is what your famous Elder teaches you! Do not submit to the authority created by God. I will be forced to take action against this.” I heard right away about. Gerontius and many other things that he would not want to hear about his Elder, to whom, it should be noted, he was devoted with all his soul. Then he, having realized his guilt, was completely disposed to the will of the archpastor, who, being satisfied with his obedience, said: “Well, it would have been like that a long time ago.” - Here is Fr. Gerontius asked the Lord for help and assistance regarding the possible improvement of the poor monastery entrusted to him. From Kaluga a new father. the builder headed to Optina, where, also regarding his business and with the same warning, a letter was received from Fr. Archimandrite Ignatius and from Alexei Polikarpovich Bochkov, who was in Petrograd at that time. It should be kept in mind that Fr. Gerontius was indeed a sick man and, moreover, very hot-tempered and rash. And therefore, when he appeared in Optina with the goal of taking one of the Optina brethren with him to Tikhonov Hermitage, everyone began to deviate from him, since by his nature he was very difficult for those who cohabited with him. And only one ryassophore monk, Fr. Alexander (the above-mentioned Hieroschemamonk Anthony), solely out of Christian love for the suffering, expressed zeal to serve all the demands of the sick Fr. builder Therefore, all his brethren said that he would be the first person or treasurer in the Tikhon Hermitage. And one of them said: “I’m surprised at you, oh. Alexander, why do you want to go to Fr. Gerontius? “He assured him that, apart from serving the sick, he had nothing more in mind. Fr. himself Gerontius did not dare to offer Fr. Alexander accompanied him to Tikhonov, and turned to the Elder Fr. Leonid for blessing and assistance, so that for the first time from Optina Pustyn one of the brethren needed for the fallen Tikhon monastery would be given to him. The Optina rector, Fr., also agreed with this. Moses was ready to release especially those of the brothers who themselves wished to leave Optina Pustyn. Let us note here that among those who passed with the blessing of the elder, Fr. Leonida from Optina to Tikhonova hermitage were the aforementioned Fr. Mikhail (Antimonov) and Alexey Polikarpovich Bochkov; but they only moved there a little later. We will continue the story on behalf of Fr. Alexandra. - “By Father’s order, I came to him; he says to me: “Well, Sasha-Alexasha, Father Gerontius recruited five people who agreed to go with him 108, but he was afraid to propose to you, since he would not achieve his desire through this. And I myself am appointing you to him.” “Suddenly I burst into tears.” – Elder: “Well, don’t you want to?” - I say: “Father! You know that I have no desire for you, except for these tears, which do not forbid to flow; and now they are just beginning. I know myself and the character of Father Gerontius. Under his leadership, I will no longer smile.” “That’s why,” said the Elder, “I appoint you to him.” So, the aforementioned brothers, having taken their belongings, set out on the road in the form of a convoy. And I begged Father to allow me and Fr. Gerontius decided to stay in Optina for two more days, during which I almost never left the Elder’s side. When will Fr. Gerontius came to him to receive the last blessing; at that time he was in a short robe and stole - just as he always sent away any departing family. Turning to us, he said: “Well, brothers, at all?” He took up the cross and began to read the well-known parting prayer: “God, our God, traveling with your servant Joseph, travel, Master, and your servant, the builder, hieromonk Gerontius, and his cell attendant, monk Alexander,” and so on. – At the end of the prayer, we kissed the cross and bowed at the feet of the Elder to receive his last blessing, as usual, with generous tears that flowed from me unaccountably. The Elder raised his blessing right high and, blessing Fr. Gerontia, uttered the following words: “Well, Father Builder, beware of the furious part, otherwise you will damage yourself beyond repair.” Then, blessing me, he said: “And you, brother, are not going to peace and joy, but to work, to sorrow, to the cross.” “I don’t know what impression these words of the Elder made on the heart of Fr. builder, and throughout my life they have resonated and resonated in my heart, especially when I was in the most bitter trials. But as soon as I brought to mind these formidable fatherly prophetic words, I immediately asked myself the following question: “Where is the cross the Elder promised me? For in this bitter circumstance it is not visible at all.” Thus, the vivid memory of what the Elder said, which always led me to good reflection, calmed my troubled soul.” “But although in the difficult circumstances that befell me, through Father’s prayers, I somewhat calmed myself down in the aforementioned way; however, I must admit that the prophetic words of the great Elder began to come true on me from the very first day of our departure from him. Dissatisfaction with me about. the builder, in many cases, from time to time increased more and more, often expressed in violent outbursts. My feeling of distress gradually increased, as if the ball was being wound with a thin thread. And during the eight years of my cohabitation with Fr. With Gerontius this glomerulus increased to an unbearable size. Four years passed before the death of Father Fr. Leonida since we left him, retiring to the Tikhonov Hermitage. And every year he visited us once at our new place of residence, and saw all this in detail; and he foresaw everything about our future. I don’t think, however, that this was due to the prophetic gift in him, but simply due to an impartial look at our circumstances. Why say too much? Our structure was revealed to him like a living book.” “I’ll start talking about how Father visited our monastery for the first time. – The loss was insignificant for Optina Pustyn, from which only seven people moved to Tikhonova, counting the abbot. We spent the time from November 15, 1837 until the following summer in complete sorrow. One was the joy that the Right Reverend Nicholas favored Fr. Gerontius more than to the Optina abbot - for which there were special reasons. Therefore, our common desire was to ask the Vladyka to allow the elder Fr. Leonid, unless of course he himself refuses, will stay in the Tikhonova Hermitage. This request was a success. Vladyka gladly agreed to fulfill the wishes of the Tikhonites, but in essence, according to the stories of Mr. Bryuzgin, he said with ridicule: “Well, let your saint consecrate your naked monastery. Let’s look at his holiness. Let him visit me first.” “For his part, the Elder bowed down to our crying needs. When did Fr. Gerontius and Father appeared to the Right Reverend, Vladyka, turning to the Elder, said: “Here, Father Leonid, Tikhon’s people are missing you; go and comfort them.” “Bless you, Your Eminence, I will try,” answered the Elder. “Yes, by the way, try to convert the schismatics in Skakovsky and the Palace,” added the Bishop. (Skakovskoye and Dvorets are two large villages filled with only schismatics, not far from the Tikhonova Hermitage.) The elder was not prepared for competitions with schismatics and therefore said: “Your Eminence! I am ready to unquestioningly accept your archpastoral order; but bless me to explain to you the inconvenience that this entails.” - Vladyka: “What inconvenience could there be for a saint?” – Elder: “And the saints did not have all the comforts, and I am not at all prepared for this task.” – Vladyka: “But grace! But holiness! Here is the preparation for you!” - Elder: “But how can you bless, Your Eminence, should I begin this? Kindly teach me in writing the right to do this.” - Vladyka: “No, it’s not necessary. And you just appear in their prayer room and on my behalf tell them to gather their leading lecturers. Then you tell them oratorically what is needed for their conversion.” And on the way back, you will convey your success to me.’ “Having verbally accepted such an order from the Lord, the Elder finally arrived in Tikhon’s hermitage to our common indescribable joy. Father Gerontius, as a personal witness to the sovereign’s commission, understood before all of us the power of the archpastor’s mocking speeches, from which, due to his ardent ardor, he almost went to bed; but Father knew how to calm him down. “Then the Elder began to demand that the will of the Eminence be immediately fulfilled. On this occasion, Fr. Gerontius had a preliminary talk with some of the schismatics and received the following answer from them: “You know, Fr. Gerontius,” they said, “we have more than once had to escort such preachers to stakes, or with a club and with a whoop from the whole village, especially when these preachers did not observe moderation in words and actions, but we will accept Fr. Leonid as a well-intentioned person. Do not be afraid of anything like that. We have heard We know this Elder from the good side.” Not without fear, however, Fr. Gerontius and Father went to the village of Palace, where their prayer chapel was and where about 20 schismatics had already gathered, who met Father. Entering the chapel, the Elder, according to Christian custom, prayed to the icons, greeted those present, announced to them the archpastoral commission and finally offered his heartfelt desire to return to the motherly embrace of the Holy Church of God. The schismatics received the following answer: “Thank you, father, for your desire. And we ourselves belong to the church and obey its purity and holiness. But the main thing is, where is this purity and holiness? We are old and born, as you see, Christians. But the fact is that the management of the Church has gone crazy, and therefore our ancestors rejected the innovation in the Church by unworthy people who tempted their behavior - which continues to this day. We ourselves, no less than others, know what the celebrant of the Church Sacraments should be like. Therefore, father, do not bother to persuade us - we do not accept (do not recognize) the authorities. More than once, therefore, worldly rulers have ruined us and with this violence they have pushed and are pushing us even more away from respect for the rulers of the word of truth.” - Elder: “But the Most Reverend will ask me about you, what should I tell him?” (I remember - their main leader was called Savka - he was responsible for everyone). - "Tell your Eminence, breadwinner, - let him not try to convert us, but let him better teach his... clergy, who unworthily perform sacred demands to tempt the world. These are the ones who need to be converted! But if it were to his face, we would not have told him that. And he needs to think about himself, he himself has a lot of things that are not appropriate." - After such a conversation with the schismatics, Father said goodbye to them and returned to us in Tikhonov. However, the Elder did not come to us in Tikhon’s Hermitage for rest. For what kind of rest could there be for his compassionate heart here, where we were moved as if to a lifeless wasteland, already destined for closure, where everything was led to destruction? – Father knew all of us and our young dispensation well. As the closest person at the rector’s cells, where the Elder was located when he came to Tikhon’s Monastery, Father, in the presence of the rector, charged me with the duty of reminding him and assisting in everything that I saw in need of correction, as Fr. Gerontius asked Father not to refuse. “Besides, I had the only happiness in my life, during Father’s travels, to be his coachman. My first trip with Father was to the Ugra River, where we bought timber in rafts for future construction, as well as a woodshed, and ridges intended for sawing. Father Geronty has already appointed me to go to Medynsky district to hire sawmills. But this was completely unrealistic, since time was lost, and it was impossible to hire sawmills for any money. On the way, I explained this to Father, knowing in advance that my contradiction would cost Fr.’s temper. abbot and for my meager patience. “Wait, Sasha,” said the Elder, “I’ll arrange it in such a way that you’ll be surprised.” - So, Father and I have come home. In due time we gathered for tea. I started pouring, and Fr. Gerontius began to give me orders about what terms to have with the sawyers: “Yes, put aside your righteousness, otherwise you are very generous.” - Father, as if knowing nothing and listening to our conversation, asked: “What is this?” “Yes, tomorrow,” answered Father Gerontius, “let him go to Medynsky district to hire sawmills.” “Well, he’s a good hirer,” the Elder objected, “he’ll put the house together in an acorn cup. Where can he go? I’ll go myself, and let him be the coachman.” The next day, in the morning, I prepared everything for the road, and after lunch, the Elder and I set out in the abbot’s wagon, drawn by a pair of horses, with the intention of spending the night in the Linen Plant, in the house of the tenant of the monastery mill, who, it is worth noting, was an inveterate schismatic of the non-priest sect. He had a very efficient inn. When Father and I moved in, the hostess was bursting with greetings. A special room with all amenities was prepared for us; for although the hostess was a schismatic, she knew who Fr. Leonid. Despite this, the Elder, and I with him, refused these amenities and spent the night in the yard in a cart. On the way back we had no need to stop here. After spending the night, we moved on. On the way, Father says to me: “What do you think about this woman and her daughter?” (girl about 25 years old). - I answer: “Yes, she is affectionate to us, no doubt because her husband has business with our monastery; and the girl works as a man for two hefty janitors.” “It’s true,” said the Elder, “but I’ll tell you what: fear is felt here,” she is a murderer with a girl, “this is their business. Ah! This is a terrible family. How many innocent souls have lain here!” - But what I could hear from him further during the conversation with the Elder, I hid in my heart. “For some time, our monastery refused to allow this tenant to maintain the mill, which was not without some serious legal proceedings. This man maintained an inn on the Meshchovskaya road, where his son and his wife lived constantly, and the father, as the owner, was, as needed, either with his son or with his wife in his house. A few years later, a rumor reached us that Pyotr Ivanovich (the name of our tenant) and his son Vanka were punished with a whip and sent to eternal hard labor for the well-known terrible deeds, which Father so simply and usually told me about at one time, as if about an open event. Then I remembered the conversation I described with Father and was surprised, and afterwards I was always amazed at his insight.” “In Bobyly we also stopped at an inn. While I was handling the horses, Father, accompanied by a boy, went to the office, where the manager explained to him the same thing as I expected, that is, that the time to hire sawmills had passed. Therefore, Father asked the manager to write down the work he had in mind in the office. By the way, some people in the office recognized Father, whom he had taken advantage of at one time, and treated him with special respect. When the Elder returned to me, I said: “Bless, Father, give me the samovar.” - “What do you need it for?” - said the Elder. - I say: “I’ll have some tea.” - Objection: “Can’t you do without tea?” - I answer: “I am for you.” “For me,” said the Elder, “it’s not necessary.” “But for me,” I say, “it’s not necessary at all.” - Father continued: “It is very strange that our brothers, old and young, can’t breathe without tea, especially if someone else at home had a habit of it.” - “Father!” I told him, “you know very well that it is only by your grace that I am not deprived of this, as they say, consolation, and before the monastery I did not know him at all.” “What an eccentric you are!” the Elder continued his speech, “look how weaknesses intensify in monasticism. And in the world there is no longer that simplicity that was before. And in our time, the worldly people were stronger." And so, during all the moves, Father talked to me and passed on some stories. When we returned to Tikhonova, Father himself told Father Superior that it was time to hire the sawyers were missed. And although this matter went ahead without an assault on the part of Father Gerontius, I still did not escape his suspicion, especially in those cases where my father’s words coincided with my assumptions.” “For six weeks, in the first year of his visit to the Tikhon Hermitage, the Elder lived in it. The time has finally come to return to Optina. By the personal order of His Grace Nicholas, Father was obliged to stop in Kaluga on his way back and give a report to the Bishop regarding the conversion of the schismatics. When he appeared to the bishop, the latter’s first question was: “Well, have you converted many schismatics?” - Elder: “Not a single one, your Eminence.” - Vladyka: “Not a single one! This is bad. That means you are a bad preacher.” - Elder: “I told you this in advance, Most Reverend Vladyka.” - Vladyka: “I know. But I thought that you would turn it your own way (and laughed at the same time); that’s how I hope for you.” Well, what are they saying?” - Elder: “Holy Master! I cannot tell you this.” - Vladyka: “Why? Apparently, you’re in the same strike with them?” – Elder: “No, Your Eminence, this could not be, and in no case can it be.” – Vladyka: “Well, why can’t you say something?” – Elder: “It will be unpleasant for you to hear anything concerning your archpastoral person.” - Vladyka: “Say, I’m ordering, it doesn’t matter to me.” - And Father, without hesitation, told everything in detail that Savka spoke to his cathedral. After listening to everything, Vladyka said: “Well, well, what a preacher!” - And for such an artless, sincere and frank story, despite his displeasure towards the Elder, he kissed him and released him in peace to Optina Pustyn. Early the next morning we left Kaluga; in Przemysl they gave the horses a rest, and at about seven o’clock in the evening, or at the departure of vespers, they arrived in Optina. Word instantly spread about the Elder’s arrival, and immediately his cell began to be filled with brethren and visitors, healthy and sick, who were waiting for him. I went with the horses to Skete, entrusted them there to the right people, and I myself returned to Father’s cell, which at that time was already crowded with all kinds of people. All the monastery brethren were here. But Father said: “Free me now; God willing, I’ll rest, and tomorrow there will be mosquitoes and flies.” “At the entrance to my father’s cell, right at the porch, I met Father Fr. Makariy. Accepting his blessing, I heard the following words spoken by him with grief: “You and your elder (Fr. Gerontius) are ready to appropriate Father there.” With a tight heart I answered him: “Father! I would not like to hear such injustice from you. It is according to your appointment with Father (Fr. Leonid) that I am subordinated to the eldership of Father Gerontius...” - and I could no longer speak. Tears flowed from my eyes, especially after I remembered my father’s fatherly, affectionate conversations with me on the road. So we both entered the priest’s cell. Father Macarius bowed at Father’s feet. We said hello. - “And you, brother, are you setting fires here?” - Father Fr. said as if with displeasure. Leonid O. Macarius. - Father Macarius: “Forgive me, Father, it’s true. But what should I do? They left me alone for such a long time.” - The old man reproachfully: “Yes, you are right, as weak; and these people (pointing at me) with a reserve, in your opinion you could leave them completely. Eh, what pride!” “Forgive me, Father,” repeated Father Macarius, “that’s why I say so, because I am aware of my weakness.” “With these words, Fr. entered Father’s cell. Abbot Moses and Fr. Anthony on his sore legs, who was facing the feat of leadership in the Maloyaroslavets Nikolaevsky Monastery; but, having seen the Elder, everyone soon dispersed.” “When I was left alone with Father, I told him about my meeting with Fr. Makariy. - “Oh, you, Vitia!” said Father, “Fr. Macarius is a great man. I know it’s difficult for him, since he was not inclined to live without me, but he will have to.” “From then on, the Elder began to call me “Vitya” instead of Sasha-Alexasha. “Then I say: “Father! I feel burdened by my conscience, because I spoke very directly and harshly to Father Macarius; therefore bless me to ask his forgiveness.” “Yes, you should, when you come to the Skete,” remarked the Elder. When I arrived at the Skete, the evening rule had just ended. Fr. entered the cell. Macarius, and he says to me: “Well, thank you, brother, for coming; otherwise I wouldn’t be able to sleep all night because of what I said to you in the heat of the moment, or I would have come to you to make peace.” Now we have reconciled with him. “Well, what do you have there?” asked Fr. Macarius. “But you know, Father,” I said. “Yes, I know from here,” he said, “but you there are a different matter.” “I continue: “Oh, Father, it’s unlikely that our dispensation will ever console us. It is regrettable for me to hear that some of the brethren consider me to be Fr. Gerontia.” “Yes, I think so too,” said Fr. Macarius. - Bursting with tears, I threw myself at his feet and said: “Unaccountably, they are mistaken. I consider it a vice to be his confidante, for seven months’ experience has shown the development of his difficult character, and necessity demands to have him as a spiritual father; he also demands to reveal his thoughts to him, like the Elder. But this frankness has already turned into a means of accessible punishment.” “Then I told him about one unpleasant incident and added: “This is how we live in Tikhonova.” – Listening to my stories, Father Fr. Macarius sighed and cried and finally asked: “What does Father Leonid know about this?” “Not only does he know,” I answered, “but he actually saw and heard enough of everything.” It would not be amiss to note here that, according to the deceased Optina Elder Ambrose, Fr. Gerontius, in turn, justified himself by saying this: “One of the brethren will come to reveal his thoughts, and will choose you in every possible way - and this is his revelation.” Therefore, it is impossible not to repeat here what was said above, that then only the revelation of thoughts can bring spiritual benefit when it is done in the proper order. But let's continue the story. “Four years passed before the death of the elder Fr. Leonida since Fr. Gerontius was appointed rector of the Tikhon Hermitage; and once every year the Elder visited her. The first time, as stated above, he stayed there for six weeks, in the next two years for four weeks, and in the last, finally, fourth year, only three weeks. During all this time, the Elder saw how the poor monastery was gradually being improved from the outside, which, however, was the fruit of his own fatherly care. For who, for example, would force Fr. Alexei Polikarpovich Bochkov to live for some time in Tikhonova, or Fr. Mikhail Antimonov to move from the Optina monastery, landscaped like an earthly paradise, to a poor and still unsettled monastery, in the vicinity of a village and a tavern! But all these and similar great and small personalities were ardently devoted to the Elder, transferred to Tikhonova for obedience, and their trust in him was subsequently justified. “Despite, however, the external comfort of the monastery, renewed by the grace of the Elder, he did not have consolation within its walls. It is known that its rector, Fr. Gerontius was attached with all his soul to the elder Fr. Leonida, sincerely loved and respected him, but he could not cope with his character, could not refrain from various indecent antics towards the brothers subordinate to him, even in the presence of the Elder himself, which caused great sorrow to his loving soul 109. Despite all this, the Elder did not cease to console the brethren offended by the abbot, inclining them to patience and saying: “If for me, an old man, such a brush is needed, especially where there is a lot of rust.” He instilled in them that the unpleasant incidents that befell them were necessary to cultivate the good morality of each of them. “At the same time, the Elder saw that everything inside the monastery was not going as it should have, according to his idea. Therefore, on his last visit, he spent three weeks in the Tikhonova Hermitage with a cramped soul and, leaving, said goodbye to her forever, saying with grief: “If I live beyond hope, then next year I will not go to Tikhonova.” In the previous biography of the elder Fr. Leonidas says that due to his sedentary life in Tikhon’s illness, his illness increased. But it seems more accurate to believe that his morbidity intensified there, mainly as a result of sorrows, from mental disorder, and perhaps from both. Every time leaving Tikhonova Hermitage back to Optina, accompanied by Fr. the builder and his other disciples, the Elder stopped in sight of the monastery on a hillock. And at this time, goodbye Fr. Gerontius served a glass of beer to everyone who saw off the Elder. This simple drink was literally mixed here with the tears of the Startsevs’ disciples, since, being in Tikhon’s Hermitage in cramped circumstances, they, besides God, found consolation for themselves only in him alone, in this temporary life. Continuing his story, Fr. Alexander says: “At Father’s last departure from Tikhonova, I asked him to remove the heavy burden from me - to remind Fr. Gerontius about useful items and cancel the lazy revelation on my part. - “Leave this assignment, child,” he said, “now Fr. the builder himself has become smarter than you and me; and his thoughts—apparently the time has come—are to rule on his own; and although you have the right to free yourself from his clergy, this will require your patience, which means it won’t come cheap for you.” - After this, as having received senile permission, I more freely evaded proposals on my part; and I carried out the abbot’s orders, which had the meaning of communal necessity, as holy obedience.” “This last time, due to circumstances, I did not have to accompany Father to Optina: but soon after his departure I was sent there on purpose by Fr. builder. He entered his cell when some of the brethren were with him for their own needs. I huddled in a corner to wait out everyone. Seeing me, one simple-minded brother said: “Here, Father, Father Alexander has arrived from hard labor.” - Father immediately ordered all the brothers to stop and in the presence of everyone announced that this work was not hard labor at all, for which everyone had enough strength. “For example,” he said, turning to the brother who said the words mentioned, “can you lift ten pounds?” “I can,” he answered. - “Can you also move it to another place?” - "Can". “That’s all the work you call hard labor,” concluded the Elder. “Here Father so clearly proved the absurdity of such an opinion that everyone took advantage of it, recognizing in themselves all the shortcomings that Father pointed out to them.” “I was left alone with Father, and, I don’t remember now, for some reason Father made me feel so bad that I had to (as we said) the Elder’s feet with tears. But I had to go to Kozelsk right away to get hold of tow for caulking the building. Thanks to the merchant Chervyachkov, he ordered the release of 15 poods free of charge. I returned to Father when he was already resting after dinner, and so I went into his garden and sat down there on the grass, where I felt the action of cholera in me. Having rested, Father went out into the kindergarten and heard how vomiting and diarrhea were pulling at my insides and writhing my veins, so that I almost could not speak. He came up to me and said: “Hey, hey! Our vita is ready for reprisals - he forgot to even tell me what he wanted.” - I say: “What did I want to say? I don’t remember.” - Elder: “You wanted to receive a blessing to be tonsured into the mantle.” - “Oh, yes, yes!” – I exclaimed, coming to my senses. “Then Father ordered me to be picked up and taken to his cell. Then, from the lamp of the icon of the Mother of God, he gave me a teaspoon of oil to drink and, according to his custom, anointed my forehead and chest and, as always, the left breast against the heart in a cross shape with the words: “Look, weak and unhewn heart! But everything is rough.” And finally he ordered me to be put in the next cell on Yasha’s bed. “Oh, Father,” I said, “I can’t; I’m vomiting again; apparently, it’s the end of my life.” - The Elder: “Wait, don’t rush.” - And he gave me a glass of elixir, saying: “Go to sleep a little.” “At that very moment I felt lighter and fell into the deepest sleep. They woke me up after Vespers, and I got up as if nothing had happened to me. I thought after that that this obvious miracle happened to me through Father’s prayers; and he, hitting me lightly with his palm, said: “I’ll break your forehead, you pop-eyed one; look, you’ve decided to philosophize yet; thunder doesn’t thunder from a cloud.” “After that I asked Father: “Who will be my successor from the mantle?” “There’s nothing to be done,” he replied, “apparently Father the builder himself; otherwise neither you nor he will bear it - you seem to know this well.” That ended the meeting with Fr. Alexandra with the Elder, after which he, having said goodbye to his Father, went back to Tikhon’s Hermitage. Elder Fr. The Lord did not destined Leonid to live until next year. But the seed he sown in the Tikhonova Hermitage eventually bore good fruit. After the leadership of Fr. Gerontius was appointed abbot of the Tikhon monastery by the Optina hieromonk Moses, who ruled it for a very long time - about forty years. In addition, one of the elder’s closest disciples, Fr. Leonidas, Hieroschemamonk Ephraim, who also served as an elder there for a long time and about whom we have already mentioned a little higher. His baptismal name was John. At first, when he lived in Optina under the elder Fr. Leonida, a young novice, was distinguished by such meekness and good behavior that all the brethren called him something like the nickname “John the Reverent.” And with these zealous leaders - Abbot Moses and Elder Ephraim, through the prayers of the already deceased elder Fr. Leonida, Tikhonova Hermitage has finally reached a flourishing state. At that time, all these books were not yet in print. They were skete novices: Nikolai, from the Karachev burghers, Alexey Chernov, from Kursk, and the cassock monk John (later Elder Hieroschemamonk Ephraim), and from the monastery novice Sergius Koloshin, from the nobles. The name of the fifth brother is unknown. Kiev-Pechersk hieromonk Anthony (who was at that time Father Alexander) notes that, with all the helpfulness of Fr. Gerontia, the Elder did not call him by name. When Fr. Gerontius was still a cassock and was called George, the Elder called him “hero”, and when, when he was tonsured into the mantle, he received the name Gerontius, the Elder called him “gorlanty”, and sometimes “gorlan”. When did Fr. Gerontius was appointed as a builder in the Tikhon Hermitage, then the Elder respectfully called him “Father Builder,” but still not by name. And only once did he call him by name, when he read a parting prayer upon the departure of Fr. Gerontia as abbot.