Февраль-свечень

11 o'clock. The suffering of St. George the martyr Blessed George 81 was born in the Serbian city of Kratovo, which is 10 hours away from Shtip 82; His parents, Demetrius and Sarah, were pious people; For six years he was devoted to studying book science and studied very successfully; then he studied silversmithing and was left an orphan early after his father. Beautiful in face and very stately, George was afraid to stay in his native southern city, lest they take him by force to the Sultan’s court, which often happened then. Therefore he retired to the mountains. Sofia. Here, settling in the house of the priest Peter, enlightened and pious, he improved his knowledge of the faith and became established in his love for Christian piety. He soon became noticeable for his excellent qualities. The Mohammedans wanted to attract an enviable young man into their caste. They chose the smartest of their scholars (ulema) to talk with George. The crafty lawyer came to George under the guise of ordering work. Having explained what needed to be done from the brought silver and setting a generous payment, the Mohammedan teacher praised the master’s skill and his talents; then he said: “If you, young man, accepted our faith, you would marry the daughter of the city aga, you would be showered with honor, you would be the first person in the city.” – George thanked for your participation and said: is earthly glory lasting? - The lawyer answered: of course, everything on earth is not durable, but Mohammed promised heavenly pleasures to the performers of his commandments. -What are the commandments? – asked Georgy. “In good faith and bodily purity, and purity requires ablutions and prayers,” answered the lawyer. “But if,” asked George, “a person lives fornication and indulges insatiably to the pleasures of the flesh and stomach: will he be accepted into heaven?” A follower of Mohammed had to admit that without correction of heart you will end up not in heaven, but in torment. “However,” continued George, “your rulers, judges, leaders indulge in unclean deeds and die without thinking of giving up a dirty life: aren’t they, in your own words, subject to eternal torment?” “God forgives sins for the sake of alms,” said the lawyer. - But look how many our sultans and pashas are building mosques, “bridges, fountains, houses of hospitality!” “The sacrifice of an unclean heart is not pleasing to God,” says George. – What magnificent buildings were built by pagan kings! What big things have been done! Won't you say that these pagans are in paradise? - Here we have, with the redemption of the sacrifice of the Son of God, with the grace of the Holy Spirit, how many kings, priests, laymen, warriors are among the saints, and they exude healing for those who come with reverence! If you don’t believe me, let’s go, I’ll show you in this city our king Milyutin, who still rests as if asleep and his relics are fragrant. It is clear as could not be that these people are pleasing to God and their faith is confirmed by God, who gives the power of miracles. How do you want me to renounce the faith that leads to God and the eternal Kingdom? I am sure that you yourself are aware of all this; but the charms of the world carry you along with them, away from the holy truth. “Isn’t it?” The lawyer fell silent and left; Anger began to boil in his soul. He felt that the young man, whom he had hoped to easily carry along with him, had knocked him, his famous lawyer, off his feet. He saw that such a defender of Christianity was not only able to hold back those ready to accept Mohammedanism, but what good? he will distract hundreds from Mohammed to Christ. He informed his brothers about his conversation with George and added, if we do not part ways with him, our faith will be in trouble. The lawyer came to the qadi with a denunciation that George was blaspheming the Mohammedan faith and condemned all the sultans to eternal torment. “If we leave him to be a Christian,” he added, “his faith will expand towards ours; this is a dangerous person." The judge ordered George to be brought to him, but without violence; told him to tell him that they wanted to place orders for him. – George understood why they called him, but did not shy away from testifying to the truth of Christ. When George went up to the qadi, the qadi was amazed at his stateliness. Having made orders to him, he also expressed that Mohammed’s heavenly bliss was worth it to be a Mohammedan. Georgy was convinced that he was not called for orders; He secretly prayed to the Lord Jesus to give him light and strength. Then he boldly asked: “How can they prove that Mohammed and zealous readers of the Koran enjoy the blessed lot?” – Have not the kingdoms of the earth submitted to us? - answered the qadi. – Don’t the peoples pay us tribute? If God had not loved us, He would not have exalted our kingdom. George answered: “And before Mohammed was conquered by the sword of the kingdom, does this mean that all those victors, even pagans, are pleasing to the Lord? Earthly happiness is not a measure for eternity, but more often it says: you accepted good things in life, there is another lot for you.” “Our lawgiver Mohammed,” said the judge, “talked with God and received the law from him. “Mohammed did not prove in any way,” noted George, “that he was in communication with God, neither by miracles nor by prophecies. You also know that when Moses accepted the law from God, Mount Sinai shook from thunder and lightning, then all the people saw and understood that Moses, the messenger of God, would not convey to the people his own inventions. What similar things will you find in the life of Mohammed? He said this and that about himself, is that enough to trust him? And what is his law? He taught an easy faith, very pleasing to human passions. I like it not because of its holy content, but because it gives free rein to bestial desires. For mercy’s sake, is it possible with a sound mind to believe that such evil spirits were sent from heaven?” Listening to the irresistible denunciations, the Mohammedans lost their temper and shouted: kill the wicked man, he has disgraced our faith. The judge ordered him to be tied up and taken to prison. The priest asked the guards to give him bail. “If you love him, convince him to accept Mohammedanism, and then he will be free,” they answered. “The priest turned to the warden of the prison, and he, out of love for the priest, released George for a while. When George came to the priest's house and they were left alone, the priest hugged the confessor and kissed him and said: you, George, have now glorified the Lord, like the first martyr Stephen. Be firm and forward: the martyrs are glorified throughout the universe; and what other glory awaits them at the world judgment! “The confessor answered: “I’m afraid I won’t be able to withstand the fire.” “But think,” said the priest, “that the fire of Gehenna is more terrible; What does temporary suffering mean before eternity? Our entire earthly life before eternity is a moment. George asked the priest to try to ransom him, if possible; “I would like,” he added, “to work still on earth for the Lord.” The priest promised to do everything he could and released George. The next day, literate Turks, with threats and abuse, forced George to renounce Christ. The confessor remained adamant and he was put in prison, chained. The priest secretly went to the judge and promised him a lot of money for George’s freedom. A week later, the confessor was again brought to trial. The judge, pointing to his son, said that he would love George just like his son and would make him his heir if George fulfilled his well-known desire. The confessor answered: “If you love me so much, leave me to be a Christian; otherwise I don’t need either wealth or fame.” “I don’t demand from you,” said the judge, “that you renounce Christ; and I respect Christ as a prophet who has to judge people; but we also respect Mohammed, since God gave him the keys of paradise. “Thanks be to God,” said George, “that you recognize Christ as the messenger of God, who has to judge the universe; but Mohammed did not prove in any way that he was the messenger of God. The prophets did not foretell about it. Is his sensual paradise a paradise? Dishonor to human sense. Did the Koran fall from the sky for him? Where is the evidence for this? The fables that fill the Koran show that it is not a smart thing to trust the Koran.” The Mohammedans gnashed their teeth and the judge barely restrained them from violence. “Burn him,” they shouted, “he cursed Mohammed, the Sultan and all the faithful.” The judge, turning to George, said - justify yourself, you hear what they accuse you of. The confessor replied that “he did not blaspheme God’s creation; but only showed the truth, what people like pagans should expect; I am ready to die for the truth.” - Is this blasphemy? – the judge asked the upcoming ones. “We heard his blasphemies before,” they answered, “if you let him go, we will complain to the Sultan.” The judge, turning to the people, said - sin will be on your souls; do what you want. “The enraged people rushed at the confessor and some spat at him with curses, others beat and pushed him. The herald shouted: true believers! bring wood to burn him who blasphemes our law. When the martyr walked past the church of St. Sophia, priest Peter came up and told him: don’t endure it long, George; be patient. George answered: “Pray, father, that the Lord will strengthen me.” The guards drove the priest away. Since the priest had one person who, although he wore Turkish clothes, loved the Christian faith and did not confess it only out of fear, the priest instructed this person to follow the confessor and notice everything that would happen. At the same time, the priest asked the Jews and all Christians to pray for the confessor of Christ and everyone prayed: strengthen him, Lord! There would be a large fire built in the square. Once again, with caresses and threats, they forced George to renounce Christ. “I have already stated more than once that I will not renounce my faith,” answered the confessor. They stripped him and left him in only his shirt. They lit a fire and pushed him into the fire. When the body was blistering, they pulled it out and said: what is it like? isn't it hot? - “No, I don’t feel it,” answered the saint, “for you unfortunate ones, eternal fire is ready.” - With anger and abuse they threw him into the fire again. His face was turned to the east. “When the ropes that tied his hands burned, he protected himself with the sign of the cross and said loudly: “Lord Jesus Christ! I commend my spirit into Your hands.” One of those present, grabbing a stump, hit the martyr on the head with it and he gave up the ghost. Following this, in the clear sun, a cloud appeared in the sky and rain poured down. “The Christians glorified God and asked the authorities to give them the body of the martyr. “Don’t get your hopes up,” the Turks shouted, “we’ll burn everything and scatter the ashes.” “The evil ones threw animals into the fire so that the burnt remains could not be recognized. But everything burned down except the body of the martyr. “The priest hopes to get the body,” said the fanatics, “but we will burn it until tomorrow; if not, let's throw him into a ravine of sewage. “The Christians thought it best to disperse. At night, one secretly took the body of the martyr into his house, from where it was transferred to the cathedral church of St. George. - Priest Peter, appearing before the judge, announced: “I came to the church early in the morning and found the body of George there: will it be allowed to bury him?” The judge confessed: “George is a saint: those who guarded him said that no matter how much wood they threw in, the body did not burn. And he gave permission to bury the deceased. The holy martyr suffered on the 11th day of February 1515, during the Meat Week, in the third year of Sultan Selim, under Metropolitan Pankratius 83. The martyr was 18 years old, tall and thin, with high and thick eyebrows, a downward curved nose, thin and long fingers; His disposition was meek and simple; he greeted everyone with a bow and called everyone master; he never laughed in vain and an idle word never came out of his mouth; He did not boast about anything and did not envy anyone. Such is the new martyr of Christ 84! 13 o'clock. Repose of the Rev. Simeon-Stefan Neemani, ruler of the Serbian Blessed Stefan Neamanja was a great man in the rank of ruler of Serbia; at the same time, he was also a high Christian 85. The youngest among his brothers, he first managed (from 1149) to become the Zhupan of Rash; then (from 1165) he added to his possession the hereditary property of his ancestors - Zeta, and became the great župan of Serbia. Finally, little by little, all those lands where the Serbs lived were united under his rule, “he restored,” says his son St. Savva, the deceased grandfather, acquired from the Pomeranian land Zeta with the cities, from Albania both Pilots, from the Greek land Patkovo, Khvostno, all of Podrimye, Kostrich, Druzhkovina, Sitnitsa, Lab, Liplyany, Glubochitsa, Rijeka, Ushna, Pomravie, Zagralatna, Levche, Belitsa. He acquired all this from his grandfather, who died from violence, with his mind and activity” 86. At first, like his father, he was somewhat dependent on the Greek emperor 87, but then he remained the absolute ruler of all Serbia and was called “the lord of all Serbian lands” 88, while Rasa (now new Pazar) was considered “a capital place in the middle of the Serbian land” 89. In the fate of Neaman and Serbia, it is especially clear how much pure faith means for the political life of peoples. – The Serbian people themselves still remember their history only from the time of Neemani 90, although the Slavic county and the southern highlanders fought with the Romans for their political freedom even before the Christian era 91. - Why is this so? Since 1062, most of Serbia in church life was dependent on the Pope 92. – Neamanya saw that the further Romanism went, the more it became hostile to both pure faith and the free development of the people. And already in his mature years (30 years old) he decided to break off all connections with papism. In his infancy, born in Zeta, he was baptized by a Latin priest 93. In 1143, he solemnly received baptism again at the hands of the Orthodox Russian Bishop Leontius 94. “This decided the fate of him and Serbia.” Without this step, Neemani would not only not have achieved the power of the zhupan of all Serbia, but also would not have survived in his small region of Rascia. He had to fight with all the appanages of Serbia. Things got to the point where Naaman was imprisoned in an underground cave by his brothers 95 . But the Serbian people took the side of the Orthodox Ne'emani. He loved freedom of thought and could not help but be burdened by the oppression of Romanism; pure faith, the Eastern faith, was to his liking; having adopted it in his language during the time of Cyril and Methodius 96, he sacredly kept it, despite the opposition of Romanism. Therefore, he willingly went over to Naamani’s side when he began to fight one or another of his enemies. Bl. In his exploits for pure faith, we did not leave Stefan without heavenly help. When the brothers brought Germans, Greeks, and Hungarians against him (in 1175), he, being near the Zvenchansky Church of St. George, sent good priests to pray to St. George. A night vigil and litury were celebrated. “At night, one of the priests sees a warrior in front of him. - Who are you? – he asked in fright. “I am Christ’s servant George,” answered the one who appeared, “and I was sent to help your sovereign.” – And Stefan won an unexpected victory 97. “Naamanya brought matters to the point that his brothers, who had long acted in the form of Romanism, abandoned the pope and broke off all relations with him. Dad was angry and flattered, but this did not help his affairs 98. So blessed. Neamanya, ousting Romanism from Serbia, elevated himself and his people 99. With even greater persistence he acted against Arianism, which had been harboring in Serbia since the times of the Sremje and Srem councils. Naamanya assembled a council. Ardent defenders of Arianism also appeared. But Naaman firmly declared that he did not intend to tolerate the blasphemers of the Son of God. “After an interview with Saint Euthymius, with the venerable monks and his nobles, he, without any delay, sent an army with trusted commanders and subjected some to various punishments, drove others out of his land, and took away their houses and property for the poor and sick; their main teacher and leader had his tongue cut out, not confessing Christ as the Son of God, and then he was driven out with his wicked books” 100. The Bosnian ban Kulin, due to his dislike of Romanism, patronized the Bogomils 101. But this did not rid Bosnia of Romanism and increased the disorder of Bosnia with the harmful principles of Manichaeism 102. - Blazh. Neamanya, recognizing the Bogomils as anti-Christians, did not tolerate them, drove them out of Serbia, and they arrived at the end of the 12th century. hid only in the gorges of Bosnia and on the borders of Croatia 103. In mountain gorges, in remote places, at the beginning of Naaman’s reign, the people still retained remnants of pagan superstitions. Naamanya destroyed the “deaf idols” or, as Dometian puts it, “demonic churches” 104. The consequence of such orders was that the unity of St. faith strengthened the unity of Naaman's empire, and the life-giving power of pure Christianity infused life, order and strength into the political body of Serbia. With such a policy, he managed to return to Serbia the indigenous Slavic settlements occupied by the Greeks and elevate the Serbian people 105. This cost him a long struggle: the Greeks, under the guise of patronizing the pure faith, not only did not want to give up other people's property for a long time, but also opposed Naamana, as he sought to unite the neighboring Slavic tribes under one Slavic government 106. Loving St. with all my soul. faith, blessed Naamanya diligently built nurseries of Christian life - monasteries. This is how the monasteries of Studenica 107 and Sopacany 108 were founded and generously endowed by him. The Monastery of St. George's Pillars was also a monument of gratitude to him for saving him from the cave dungeon 109. Blazh. the ruler of Serbia extended his concerns to the parish clergy. According to the news of St. Savva, he strictly confirmed to his country about the rural clergy: “the mantra gives him from his own the fruit of the righteous” 110. When the great zhupan was already 80 years old, his son, St. Savva, wrote to his father: “moved by the apostolic spirit, you enlightened your people with Orthodoxy, destroyed heresies, overthrew demonic churches and erected churches to God. Now it remains for you to fulfill the words of the Son of God, who says in the Gospel: “Whoever wants to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and come after Me” (Mark 8:34). – The Great Jupan decided to accept monasticism. – Gathering the nobles and those chosen from the people, he declared his desire to leave the world and appointed his son Stephen as the successor to his power. - In vain they begged him not to be separated from them. – March 25, 1195, the liturgy was celebrated by Bishop Callinicus; the great Naamanya resigned and transferred to his son the rights of the ruler of Serbia 111. Then the same bishop in the Studenitskaya monastery clothed him and his pious wife Anna in monastic robes, calling one Simeon and the other Anastasia 112 . – At the same time, generous alms were distributed to the poor, sick, and monastics. Anastasia retired to the women's monastery; Simeon remained in Studenica. Here he labored as a monk for two years. Then he went to his son on Athos. 113 Having visited all the Svyatogorsk monasteries with Savva, enjoying conversations with hermits and giving alms to everyone, Simeon settled in the cells built by his son in Vatopedi. They went through feats together, helping one another: the son doubled the fast and bows for himself and for the elder; the father shed tears and sighs for himself and for his son. Simeon also poured out his generosity on Athos for the monasteries of prayer. At the entrance to Athos, at a place called Prosphora, there was a monastery with the church of Simeon the God-Receiver; sea ​​robbers ravaged it and it remained desolate. Through Simeon's generosity, cells, a fence and a tower were built, vineyards were planted and the church was restored. Vatopedi was also decorated with many cells for hermits 114. The pious Slavic elder gave the idea to the monastic princes - to build a new one and restore some deserted monastery, so that the Serbs coming to Athos would find a ready-made shelter for monasticism. Elder Simeon enthusiastically accepted this idea and instructed his son to fulfill it. They liked no place as much as the deserted Hilandar Monastery. The Vatopedi Greeks did not want to let go of either power or land. Savva turned to the captain of the entire mountain and he provided them with Hilandar. At the request of his father, the son Župan Stefan sent money to renew the monastery and purchase plots of land; with love he also appointed estates in Serbia in favor of the Serbian Hilandar 115. Hilandar quickly resumed and was filled with Slavic monks 116. Imp. Alexy, a relative of the house of Naamanei, granted Hilandar the rights of an independent monastery 117. In his chrisovule, Simeon wrote: “I left my homeland to the holy mountain and found Hilandar in such a way that not one stone was left on another; My Lord has deigned me to be his ktitor; I asked the king for a letter; I give him a monastery in Prizren, in Milia the villages of Milushu, Slamodravy, Retivlu,” etc. 118. The very old man did not live long in Hilandar, only 8 months 119. Feeling the approach of death, he made his last orders, asking his son to pray for him, to transfer his body to Serbia and not to forget the Serbian church. On the eve of the day of death, he said goodbye to all the brethren and released everyone except his son. - At midnight, with all his weakness, he stood up, joyfully put on full monastic attire, as if expecting great guests and, having received the Holy Mysteries, said: “Glory to God for everything,” then fell into oblivion. In the morning, the son carried his father into the church vestibule and laid him on a simple matting. The brothers surrounded the benefactor and wept. The monk, with difficulty raising his hand, signaled that they should calm down and, looking with a cheerful face at the image of the Savior and the Mother of God, whispered, as if talking with someone: “Let every breath praise the Lord.” Praise the Lord was his last word. Suddenly the air was filled with a fragrance - it was the moment of death. So the old man died peacefully at the age of 86, Feb. 13, 1200 120 A year later, on the day of his remembrance, his marble coffin was filled with fragrant myrrh. In amazement and fear, everyone exclaimed: Lord have mercy; then everyone was anointed with myrrh. Those who suffered from illnesses and were possessed by spirits received healing by being anointed with myrrh. Transferred to the Studenetsky Monastery, St. Simeon's body also exuded the currents of the life-giving world. Therefore, Simeon is called in the ancient monuments only as “St. Simeon Nemanja novi myrrh-streamer Srpski" 121. Even the marble coffin of the saint, left in Hilandar, is known to this day for its healings 122. On ancient Serbian icons the saint is depicted with a large gray beard, in monastic clothes, with a black pointed skufia, decorated with three gold crosses 123. 17 o'clock Memory of the Rev. Theodosius and his student Roman The initial feats of monastic life were performed by St. Theodosius 124, a Bulgarian by birth, in the Viddinsky monastery. St. Nicholas, under the control of Abbot Job, a virtuous and reasonable man. “Having been tonsured into monasticism by Job, Theodosius turned out to be ready for any obedience,” and the abbot entrusted him with managing the economy of the monastery. He labored courageously and, as they saw, served not people, but God. His obedience and humility were such as they had not seen in others. After the death of Abbot Job, he moved to Ternov, then the capital city of Bulgaria, and began to live in the monastery of the Mother of God, called the Holy Mountain. Carried away by zeal for a higher spiritual life, he wanted to find himself a spiritual mentor and with this desire he moved from monastery to monastery, from Ternovsky to Chervenny monastery, from Chervenny to Slavenskaya Gora. “The poor were those who lived in the Bulgarian monasteries, the devotees of virtue.” In the monastery of Epikerna the abbot received him with love and the brothers showed him love. Here he lived for quite some time, when a rumor about the great spiritual ascetic Gregory Sinaite called him to the Hidden Desert, where Sinaite lived, having retired from Athos from the worries of time. At St. Gregory, Theodosius found everything that his soul had long been looking for. “Here, day and night, he taught pure faith and sacred commandments, raising the soul to the measure of spiritual age. Following the sacred teacher, he was saturated with spiritual drink. The great ascetic, seeing his zeal for life according to God, passed on to him not only the ordinary rules of asceticism, but also instructions in the speculative life.” St. Gregory is known primarily as a teacher of contemplative life; - this is what he says in written instructions 125. This is what he says in one of his instructions: “I am lower than all people because of the ignorance of my soul, earth and the ashes of their feet. How can I not consider myself the most wicked of all creation, which remains in its nature as before, while I have stepped out of my nature through my immeasurable iniquities? Truly beasts and cattle are purer than me, a sinner; I am below all things and before death I lie cast down into hell. Who does not sincerely admit that the sinner is worse than the demons, like their obedient servant and therefore shut up with them in the abyss? Truly worse than demons is the one who is controlled by them. You inherited the abyss with them, my unfortunate soul. Living before death in earth and hell, how can I dare to consider myself righteous? No, I created myself as an unclean sinner, like a demon." 126 And the desert of Sinaita Ave. often suffered from attacks by robbers. Therefore, Abba sent Theodosius to the Bulgarian Tsar Alexander with a request for protection from corrupt people. The pious king, at the request of Theodosius, provided funds to protect the monastery with a strong fence and tower, and also to secure the monastery with land and livestock 127. Returning to the monastery, Theodosius continued his ascetic life, setting aside nights for prayer. The venerable mentor allowed him to spend a silent life in his cell. So he entered into the highest feat of struggle with spirits and thoughts. The spirits of evil caused him much trouble; but he defeated them with firm prayer. There was also another monastic need. On instructions from his mentor, Theodosius again visited Tsar Alexander and fulfilled the assignment to console the elder. During his last stay in Ternov, one of the noble and rich people came to him with a persistent request to take him with him to the desert. Otherwise,” he said, “I will lose my life.” - It was Roman, later the most sincere and most beloved student of Theodosius. Theodosius now took him with him and brought him to Sinait. Accepted by Gregory, Roman, by the will of the Abba, was sent to obedience. In his absence, Ave. Gregory died. – The brethren strongly asked Theodosius to accept the title of abbot, but he refused and left the monastery 128. He now undertook a long journey through the monasteries with the desire to listen to the instructions of experienced people. So he was in Thessaloniki and in Mesemvria. In the last place he visited the monastery of Anthony, where then “there were many fasters, one preceding the other in a virtuous life and leading an angelic life.” Then he was in Constantinople and returned to the Hidden Monastery. Having visited the brethren of Sinaite and bowed to his shrine, together with Roman he came to Mount Emon, which is near Mesemvria, and here he labored in fasting and prayer. But the robbers drove him out of this solitude. The mountain, not far from Ternov, seemed both safe from bandit attacks and convenient for a solitary life. Theodosius settled on it with Roman. They lived here alone for three years. Theodosius sees a vision: his mountain is covered with beautiful songbirds. And after that, zealots of desert life began to come to him; their number reached 50. These were sincere servants of God. Hieromonk Theodosius led such a fasting life that he was left with skin and bones. At the same time, he zealously worked on translating Greek works into the Slavic language 129. The special feats of the Rev. begin. Feodosia. The monk Theodosius comes from Constantinople and begins to outrage the people with strange teachings. Using sorcery, he approved of the worship of one oak tree as a wholesome one; it came to the point that sheep and lambs were slaughtered in front of an oak tree. This restorer of popular superstition was exposed by the teacher. Theodosius and repented of his error. More dangerous were the Bogomils, who were still hiding here and there and spreading debauchery among the people through secret preaching. In Solun, one nun, carried away by Bogomilism, turned her cell into a fornication. The monks who visited her transferred her teaching to Athos, and there they secretly corrupted the monks. This went on for three years, until the Athonite elders, having formed a council, anathematized the stubborn. Two of the convicts, Lazar and Kirill, came to Bulgaria. The first of them put on the guise of a holy fool and, under this cover, taught aggregation. Both blasphemed the cross and icons, rejected marriage, approved of debauchery, humiliated Christ’s death on the cross, blasphemed the eparchy, and in place of the one God they preached two principles, the beginning of good and the beginning of evil, they passed off their sleepy dreams as divine visions and then, as they introduced the dirtiest life, they said about themselves that they were God’s servants, poor in spirit. The Monk Theodosius, having collected accurate information about them, reported them to the king and patriarchy. “Even then, the presenting patriarch of the church was simple, perplexed from everywhere.” Theodosius volunteered to prove the wickedness of the new teachers before the council. Tsar Alexander loved enlightenment as much as he loved true Christian piety 130. “By his will, a council was formed, where the king was present with his council. The sowers of lies were brought. -What is this new teaching you have? - asked Theodosius. “Our teaching is not new,” they answered, “it is the same one that is expressed in the words: blessed are the poor in spirit; Don’t do something that will ruin your life. “The Apostle of Christ,” Theodosius answered in reproof, “said about himself: my hands serve me and those who are with me.” He worked, and did not wander idly, like you sowers of depravity. It is in vain that you pose as admirers of humility: you have no humility at all. Who gave you the right to be teachers? Marriage is honorable and the bed is not filthy, the apostle teaches, and the Savior was at the wedding feast. Only the spirit of malice can teach as you teach: fulfill, you say, the aspirations of nature. What is freedom given to us for, if not so that the spirit can overcome the unclean movements of the flesh? You admit the beginning of good and the beginning of evil, one heavenly, the other earthly. But the Lord commanded that God be recognized as the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator and All-Acting Provider. The teachers of wickedness stood silent. Lazarus regained consciousness and repented. But Cyril and his disciple Stefan remained stubborn in their wickedness. The Tsar ordered them to be branded with a hot iron and expelled from Bulgaria. More false teachers of Judaism have also been revealed. These rejected the incarnation of the Son of God. Despite their obvious anti-Christianity, they boldly spread their teachings. They hoped to find protection for themselves in the queen, who was Jewish 131. But the pious king, with his zeal for piety, prompted the queen to take the side of piety 132. Since on the one hand there were still preachers of Messalian debauchery, and the insolence of the Judaizers, insulting some, embarrassed those who were not firm in the faith, the Rev. Theodosius again appeared to the king and insisted that a new council be assembled. So the king and his sons Shishman and Yasen, patriarch, appeared at the council. Theodosius, metropolitans: Preslavsky and also prototron Dorotheos, Dristersky (Silistrian) Zechariah, Ovcha-polya (pravodsky) Lazarus, Lovchansky Parthenius, Philippopolis Manuel, Sredechsky (Sofia) Leonty, Bishop Jacob of Madita, Archimandrite of the Lavra of the 40 Martyrs Ioannikiy, several hieromonks from the monastery of Theodosius with their abbot. The symbol of the universal faith was read. And anathema was pronounced both to the Judaizers and to the Bogomils. The king first condemned the spreaders of false teachings to death, but then limited himself to corporal punishment. One repented and was accepted into fellowship with the church. The other two remained adamant. The conciliar act was recorded as a keepsake for posterity. This was in 1360 133 When the Turks started a war, the king, not wanting to let Theodosius go, built a cave for him in a safe place - with cells, where he and his brothers settled. Soon afterwards the monk became ill and was ill for 20 months. In this illness, he wanted to see St. Callistus as a spiritual friend. Callistus wrote to Bulgaria asking that Theodosius be released to him. “But they didn’t express any desire for this in Ternov.” The monk, having transferred control of the brethren to Roman, secretly withdrew to Constantinople and here he soon died in the Mamantov monastery. “It should be said,” adds the patriarch, “about the aforementioned student Roman. He was a virtuous man and, following the example of his mentor, a zealous follower of the Lord's commandments. Having taken the monastery into his care, he diligently taught the brethren. Therefore, those around him often came to him for instructions on fasting life. He ate food once a day and then very little. He was tormented by a serious illness - a cough. “But he never lowered his vigil and spent nights without sleep, falling asleep only in the morning.” He died Feb. 17 d. The Patriarch, in describing the life of Theodosius, does not explain why Ternov did not agree to let Theodosius go to Constantinople. But the matter is explained by the letter of P. Callistus, written “to the venerable monks residing in Ternov,” or, as it is said in the Slavic translation, “to the most honorable priests in the monastery, Theodosius and Roman and other priests of Ternov.” In this letter, P. Callistus condemns the Ternov church for not remembering the Patriarch of Constantinople in its prayers and for allegedly not rightfully calling the Ternov archpastor a patriarch 134 . Since the Patriarchate of Ternov was established by the consent of the Council of Constantinople 135, then, naturally, in Ternov they were dissatisfied with the letter of Callistus and therefore were not pleased with Theodosius’ desire to visit Constantinople. So St. Theodosius approached death and sorrow, in 1362. Service Rev. Theodosius was written by Hieromonk Serapion, who grieved that while Constantinople honored the exploits of the saint, the Bulgarian country did not honor its ascetic 136. The suffering of St. George, described by an eyewitness in Serbian, ed. in the summer archaeogr. com. St. Petersburg 1864 translated into Greek. language, with changes, in new martiologist, print. in Venice 1799. Brief description in the prologue and quarter-minutes. May 26. About Kratovo, see Jan. 15. Prologue: “the first nobles of the great city of Sredets were called his father.” Not true. About the killing of several monks. Evsigmen and Dionysiates by Turkish fanatics in 1534 and 1535, modern notes from a fan of St. mountains p. 123. K. 1864 Service of St. George the New Martyr on May 26, the day of the transfer of the relics, at Tsarskoe No. 563. Life of St. Simeon Naamani, described by his son Stephen the first-crowned, and another description by St. Savva: “about the life of Mr. Simeon, how people lived before God,” published by Safarik: Pamatky drevniho pisemnictwi, Prague 1851. In Dometian’s description of the life of St. Sava also says quite a lot about St. Simeone. Safarik monuments. Simeon himself in the chrysobulus to Hilandar: “I raised my deceased grandfather and acquired from Pomerania Zeta with cities, from the Albinians Pilot, from the Greeks the lands of Lab and Leplan, Glubochitsa, Riek, Zagralata, Levche, Belitsa, Lepenitsa.” Grigorovich is on his way. 40. Serblyak (fol. 124) shows that 30 cities were taken from the Greeks under the empire. Andronike Komnene, next. in 1183–1185 Andronik wanted to crush the young Serbian state, but he was cruelly mistaken. This dependence, according to the initial conditions, was almost only nominal. Theorh. continu. r. 291 ed. Bon. Manuel Komnenos, who granted Naaman the title of great zhupan, ordered the elevation of Naaman to zhupan to be painted on the picture: he hoped to see in Naaman an unrequited vassal; but I was wrong. Eustathius of Thessalonica, in his laudatory speech to Manuel, does not omit this act of Manuel, but as a Greek adds: “one thing is not approved of in the painter, that everywhere he decorates the slave with trophies, but does not call Naaman a slave.” – Tafel de Thesalonica p. 419, 515. With such a signature is an ancient image of him in the Church of St. George's Pillars. Zap. geogr. total VI, 139. The First Crowned Life of St. Simeon Ne'emani. Serbian chronicle found by Hilferding in the RKP. XV century, begins the history of Serbia with Neamanya precisely because “when the first sermon in the Serbian land died out and various heresies multiplied in it for many years, the authorities did not care at all about the extermination of heretical tares until the time when the great zhupan Neamanya appeared.” Russian demon 1860 11, 19. See March 26, June 22, Nov. 14, Jan. 13. The main shepherd of the Serbian Church was the Archbishop of Antivaria, who received the pallium from Rome and the bishoprics of Serbia and Albania were subordinate to him: Kotor, Svach, Skodrin, Divot, Pilot (Pulati of northern Albania), Serbian, Bosnian, Trebinsk. Bull of P. Alexander 1062 to the Antivarian archbishop - in Farlati (t. VII ed. Coletti) and Jaffa (Regesta pontificum roman.). Such relations between Serbia began with the Serbian prince. Mikhail Voislavich, who subjugated Serbia to the pope ca. 1050 Since the time of the imp. Basil's Serbian Church was under the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Constantinople. – For Greek departments, see Jan. 12 Ave. 20. About the Yadrinsk Slavic Metropolis, Bossan Bishop Theodore and Belograd Bishop Theodosius 1055, see Glasnik X, 195, 204. A latinis hæreticis baptizatus est, says the chronicle. Arkiv za povestu. Iugosl. III 7, 8. 1854. Stephen in the life of his father: “at the church of those who exist in this land and the Latin priest - you were granted baptism in the Latin language.” Hilferding in Rus. demon 1860 p. 17. 1858 III, 67. Tsarostavnik at Raich 2, 329. Letop. in Glasnik 1, 164. Letop. Safarik has a memorial. page 54. Arkiv za povestu. Ill, 7. St. Savva: “I showed my faith in myself, then I taught him... I accepted another baptism for him.” Stefan. Even now they indicate in mon. St. George's Pillars cave where Neamanya was imprisoned. Russian demon 1858 III, 68. Years. in Glasnik V: 26, 27. See May 22 approx. 21 Apr 6 Ave. 12. Dometian's Life of St. Savva - in Russ. demon 1859 II, 68. In 1181, Alexander sent a letter to Miroslav, the prince of Zakholmsky, brother of Neemani, where he threatened Miroslav with a refusal of a blessing for not accepting his legate, and in every possible way urged him to obey the pope (Theiner Monum. Slavorum meridion, Romæ 1863 p. 1). Power-hungry Romanism was supplanted. But they tolerated the Latin service. They only punished the “Latin priest” who would have turned the Orthodox “into the Latin faith.” If a “half-believer” - a papist takes Orthodoxy for himself, then he must accept Orthodoxy. Otherwise, his wife, children and her property will be taken away from him. In such a case, the heretic, if he does not accept Orthodoxy, is expelled from Serbia. Legal Dushana, zak. 7–10. "Belly of St. Simeon od King Stephen” – at Palacki: Pamatky pisemstwie. Vulk, son of Neaman, wrote to St. Innocent in 1199: hæresis immodica in terra Hungariæ, videlicet in Boisina, pullulare videtur, in tantum, quod ipse Ban Culinus cum uxore sua, quæ soror fuit defuncti Miroslavi chelmensis, et cum pluribus cousanguino_eis suis seductus, plus quam decem miilia christianorum in eandem hæresin introduxit (Feier 2, 372). Vulk’s review does not deserve complete trust, because he was then keen on Romanism and, for the sake of vanity, he disparaged the honor of even his aunt, the wife of Miroslav, hated by the pope (pr. 16). Most likely, Kulin, following the example of Miroslav, did not allow his subjects to be subjects of the pope. But there is no doubt that Kulin tolerated the Bogomils. – Assemani Calendar. V: 30, 50. Monumenta Slavorum r. 12. Nowadays Mohammedanism is strong in Bosnia, as is papism. The first Mohammedans were either the remaining Bogomils or the papists who converted from the Bogomils. Russian demon 1860 11, 16. Khark. Vest. 1863. pp. 327–330. A letter from Conrad, Bishop of Porto, in 1223, says that “the chief of the Albigenses, whom they call Pope, lives in the extremities of Bulgaria, Croatia and Croatia, near the Hungarian people.” Gieseler Kircheng. 2. 615. According to a letter from Cor. Premysl (1260) to the pope, in the army of the Hungarian king Bela there were “Bulgars and Bosnian heretics” - Bogomils. "Belly of St. Simeon od cor. Stefan." The lawyer Dusan is still haunted by the magic that dug up and burned the dead bodies and the priests who took part in it. Zach. 43. Stefan: “his zealous grandfather, who was inhabited by the family of the Grich and created the city of the unei (took away) from their hands, as the Grich region (not) said... The rest of the cities have been overthrown - the Grch name has been destroyed, so that this name does not name them at all in that region, and its people, hedgehogs in them, are unharmed keep it." - Above: “attach the Nishvi region to the land of your fatherhood to the end, Liplyan and Morava and the verb Vrani, the Privren region and Pologa both ends.” – The last places for some time belonged to the Bulgarian princes and their indigenous inhabitants were Slavs. Naamanya destroyed the Greek fortresses and then built new ones, so that the Greeks would no longer have an excuse to say: these are our cities. William of Tyre says about 1167: “the emperor was then in Serbia. The country is mountainous and covered with forests, located between Dalmatia, Hungary and Illyricum. The rebel Serbs relied on inaccessible and impassable gorges... For insults intolerable to neighbors, the sovereign entered their land. We met the returning emperor when he conquered them." – According to this description, Naamanya wanted to conquer Croatia, but the intrigues of the Roman clergy, already strong in Croatia at that time, aroused the emperor’s aggression against Serbia and the envious Greeks did not allow Naamanya to achieve a goal useful both for the pure faith and for the Slavic people. Kinnam boastfully describes this victory of the Greeks over the Serbs (pp. 318–320. St. Petersburg, 1860). Savvino's life of St. Simeon: “Following those (Studenitsky) our monastery of light created, and it was called in the name of the Lady... created from small to large, and the villages, and with the truths of the monastery, having given icons and honest vessels and books and vestments and veils and even the essence of it was written in the evil seal of his command, moreover, in the church it was written on the wall and with with an oath and a bond, so that no one will continue His traditions.” – Late list of student’s certificates – from Safarik: Serbische Lesekörner S. 121. Memorial of the Sopochansky Monastery: “Lord, change our patron Simeon the myrrh-streamer of Srbsk and Anastasia the monk.” Zap. geogr. total XIII, 150. St. Savva in his life: “he himself created the monastery. And it’s great at Toplitsa. Nikola's father. And others there to the light of the Mother of God at Toplitsa. Then he created the monastery of St. George in Pace. And establish a government for all that monastery, as it should be.” Stefan speaks the same, but in more detail. Oh mon. St. Nicholas writes: “near St. The Mother of God at the mouth of the Bansk River, I walk barefoot... and set the Christian rule for her.” About Georgievsky: “decorating every detail and elegance with all sorts of church affairs and establishing the church’s rule.” In the Church of St. George's Pillars there is an intact image of the saint, with the inscription: “Simeon Naaman is the light and the patron of this holy place.” Zap. geogr. total XIII, 140. According to the synaxarion of Serblyak (l. 124) Naamanai built more churches: arch. Michael in Skopje and St. Panteleimon in Nis. Sl. Raicha 2: 332, 533. According to the lawyer Dusan, it is clear that in Serbia there were priests “bashinnitsy” and “non-bashinnitsy” - land-owning and landless; the latter cultivated for themselves “three fields of law” - church ones. The lord-landowner was obliged to support the priest: otherwise he had the right to move to another place. The priests collected the products of the earth in the parish, which was called “priest's earth bir.” Part of this collection went to the bishop. Dushana Zak. 6, 28, 31, 32, 38. Simeon himself in the chrysobulus of the Hilandar monastery: “I suddenly left my dominion, - I left on the throne my beloved son Stefan, the great zhupan and Sebastokrator, the son-in-law of King Alexei.” Grigorovich Put. 40. Certificate ed. Miklosic: Monumanta Serbica No. IX. Doubts of a Devotee of St. mountains (p. 352) are completely in vain. Nikon, l. 2, 280 "domination years 42". This is what his wife is called in Serbian memorials. Izv. acad. VIII, 156. Raich 2, 327. In Nikon. years. 2, 280 “to this his wife Anna, like him in all virtues, was always kind to priests and monks and strangers.” According to Savvinus' life of Neaman, he arrived in St. mountain november 2, 1197 Safarika Monument. pp. 6–14. Barsky writes: “St. Savva the Serbian together with his father Simeon created the monastery. Vatopedi paraklisov six: 1) in the name of the Savior, 2) St. without silver, 3) St. George, 4) St. Theodora, 5) St. Forerunners, 6) St. Nicholas and the former are new ktitors and are celebrated there by the monks on January 12.” Travel page 660. Chryzobulus of Simeon: “Isidot from his fatherland to St. mountain and found a monastery, the former Hilandar, but not one stone was left upon another and my lord vouchsafed me to be his ktitor - he fathered a monastery near the village of Miliyah.” Chronicle: “I bought at a great price the place of Vatopedi, called Hilandar, and settled my Serbian monks.” Glasnik V, 33. The precious Hilandar Gospel, written by clerk Gregory to “the great prince Miroslav, son of Zavidin” (in the Venerer of the Holy Mountain, p. 309), was undoubtedly written for the nephew of the saint. Nemanja. Zavida, brother of Neaman, is known as the builder of the Church of the Apostles on the river. Lima (Raicha 2, 333). Miroslav, the son of Zavida, is not mentioned by Rajic, but Rajic often repeats that he lacks much information. “It is very natural that the nephew gave the Gospel to the place where his uncle labored. The Months of Miroslav's Gospel (in Poklonnik pp. 311–315) is distinguished by the fact that the names of the saints are translated from Latin, and not from Greek. So it is in the month of Asseman's Gospel of the 11th century. The Tsars of Moscow also loved the Hilandar Monastery. Kalaidovich Exarch p. 114. The emperor, who gave Hilandar the right to elect his abbot independently of the archpriest, sent the abbot's staff with the inscription of his name. – This rod is still intact in Hilandar. Letters from the East 1, 230. Hilandar type of St. Savva: “he stayed in this place (Khilandar) for 8 months, to eternal bliss.” – According to the news of P. Dositheus, Simeon spent a year in Vatopedi and 8 months in Hilandar. Oh Patr. jerus. 2, 814. But if Naamanya became a monk at 80 years old and died at 86 years old (pr. 28), then he lived in Vatopedi for more than two years. In total, he lived as a monk for five years without one month. So, according to the entry in the type of St. Savva. Izv. ak. VII, 206. St. Savva in his life: “from his birth he was 46 years old and then he received dominion and remained in dominion for 37 years. And receive that angelic image and live in that image for 3 years. And his entire life was 87 years old.” – The score is not entirely accurate. Naamanya was born in 1114 and died on February 13. 1200 So it is according to the chronicles. This is the inscription on the ancient image of St. Simeon in St. George's Pillars. Zap. geogr. total XIII, 147. In the Monthly Gospel of 1329 Feb. 13" St. Simeon, lord and myrrh-streamer of the Serbian lands." In Grigorovich, page 18. In the Norovsky synaxar of the 13th century. "Feb. 13 memory pr. o. n. Simeon of Serbia, the new myrrh-streamer, lying in the great laurel.” Zap. acad. VI, 108. See Letters from the East 1, 227. Letters of the Holy Mountainer 2, 229. Zap. geogr. total XIII, 147. In Serblyak 1861, the picture represents Pr. Simeon is far from being in that form. About the relics of St. Simeon Ave. in Glasnik 1, 164; V: 33, 34; XI, 145 and Serblyak 125. The Life of St. Theodosius, described by P. Callistus, eg. on Thursday total ist. 1860 book. 1. A description rich in the colors of eloquence, but not poor in news of the past. This description is conveyed in places in literal translation, and more often in extract. The works of St. Gregory of Sinai are shown by Medvedev in the table of contents of the books, § 52. Synodal bibliography. No. 172. The life of St. Gregory, described by the same P. Callistus, eg. in the Athonite Patericon 1, 348–376. Sl. Notes from a devotee of St. mountains 142, 143. Nil Sorsky has word 5 about fighting passions. Of course, a letter was given to the monastery about this. But now she is unknown. Only chrysobulus c is known. Alexander Zografsky mon. 1342 about the granting of the village to the monastery. Khontaka near Strumnitsa. Izv. ak. 11, 313. The eloquent biography writer, both in the life of Theodosius and in the life of St. Gregory, did not show in what year St. Gregory died. This is a pity. Serapion, in his note about St. Theodosius (Read the general history of 1860), says that Callistus, a fellow student of Theodosius, after the death of Gregory, was “taken to serve as a bishop in Serbia.” In the Athonite patericon (1, 403) it is said that Callistus labored in the Athonite monastery of Mogul, under the leadership of St. Gregory of Sinaite, and in 1350 he was appointed patriarch, and in 1368, having been an ambassador to the Serbian ruler Elizabeth, he died in Ferah. It is more than likely that the works of Gregory Sinaite were translated into Slavic by this hardworking translator. Ave. Neil Copsky has already read Sinaita in the Slavic translation. “By the command of my noble and Christ-loving lord, the beautiful King John Alexander, in the summer of 6853 (1347),” wrote the chronicler Manasseh. – See Chertkov on the Chronicle of Manasseh, pp. 4–7. M. 1842. Ts. Alexander was married twice. From his first wife Theodora, in monasticism Feofaniya, he had sons Strashimir and Mikhail. Then, captivated by the beauty of the Jewish woman, he baptized her and married her. From this marriage there were sons Shishman and Yasen. The former Jewish woman was accused (Raicha Ist. 1, 488–490) that she poisoned her stepson Mikhail and that out of fear for Strashimir’s life, Strashimir was sent to Viddin with the rights of an authorized ruler. But was it all like that? In the Bulgarian synodikon we read: “Great to Theodora, the pious queen. c. John Alexander, of Jewish descent, received St. baptism and pious faith in the purpose of preserving and renewing many churches and erecting different monasteries, the mother of this being. c. John Shishman, eternal memory." Vremnik m. obshch. ist. book 23, p. 13. Luke, the newly baptized “most noble Abraham Asan Khojais,” who wrote the Vatopedian octatevkh with information about Greek translations of the Bible and the devastation of Judea (in the Worshiper of the Mountain pp. 99, 100) is almost from Ternov, as is Abraham Asan and almost both are from Jews, relatives of the Jewish woman Theodora. When did the Bulgarian Paulician Bogomils turn into papists? Probably, John Yasen only thanked P. Innocent for sending the royal crown by allowing the princes to convert the Bogomils into admirers of the pope. At the very least, it is certain that the current papists in Bulgaria are called Paulicians and live exactly where Tzimiskes Paulician settled, near Philippopolis. Grigorovich Putesh. 166, 167, 177. Russian. demon 1860 11, 16. Certificate in Greek language and with glory. published in translation in Izv. ak. VII, 155–160. Acts of establishment of the Patriarchate of Ternovsky ex. in Izv. acad. VII, 151–153. Read total ist. 1860 book. 1.