Память преподобной матери нашей Анастасии, переименованной Анастасием скопцом

During the reign of Emperor Justinian the Great in 1815, there lived in Constantinople a certain pious, God-fearing widow, the daughter of rich and noble parents, the first patrician in the royal palace named Anastasia 1816. Keeping the fear of God in her heart, she steadily and carefully observed the commandments of God. Anastasia, possessing outstanding physical beauty, stood out even more for her spiritual beauty: she was so meek and kind that everyone, knowing her life, looked at her as a model, and many tried to imitate her virtues. And the tsar himself highly revered Anastasia; but the devil, who sows tares, envyes the virtuous, never ceases to wage war on the human race, and sows quarrels among people, brought hated enmity upon blessed Anastasia. He aroused hatred against the saint in Queen Theodora in 1817, and the latter began to be angry with the innocent servant of God. Having heard about this from one person close to her and being filled with Divine understanding, Anastasia, gathering her thoughts, reasoned with herself like this: - Anastasia! Be sure to save your soul, taking advantage of this misfortune as a timely one. Deliver the queen also from the sin of unjust hatred, and also intercede for the Kingdom of Heaven for yourself! Having thought with herself in this way, Anastasia secretly hired a ship and, having seized some of the gold that belonged to her, but leaving the rest, sailed to Alexandria in 1818, unnoticed by anyone. Having created a small monastery here in one place at a distance of five fields from the city in 1819, she lived in it, working for God and trying to please Him alone. Anastasia always held in her hands handicrafts appropriate for her sex, and on her lips was the constant singing of psalms and praises of God. The monastery she created, named after the founder of the patrician Anastasia Patrician, subsequently, even before the time of Muslim rule in 1820, became large and glorious, abounding in all kinds of wealth. But let's return to the original speech about Anastasia. Several years after the removal of Saint Anastasia from Constantinople, Queen Theodora, who was angry with her, died. The king, remembering the patrician Anastasia, sent ambassadors everywhere, looking for her with great diligence. Having soon learned of this, the lamb of God left her monastery at night, went to the monastery to Abba Daniel 1821 and informed this blessed elder about everything that had happened to her. Then Elder Daniel dressed her in men's monastic clothes, called her Anastasia the eunuch instead of Anastasia, took her to a cave located far from the Lavra, and locked her there; Having taught Anastasia the rules and regulations of life, he ordered her not to leave the cave anywhere and not to allow anyone to come to her. Daniel showed one of the brothers who served with him a place near the cave, where he ordered him once during the week to bring small bread and a jug of water and put it all in the indicated place in front of the cave, and then, having received a prayer blessing from the recluse, immediately leave. Here, unshakable, courageous Anastasia lived hopelessly, invisible to anyone, for twenty-eight years, strictly observing the rule prescribed by the elder. No one came to Anastasia, and no one, except the brother who brought bread and water, knew about her. But the latter did not know that she was a woman by nature, but considered her to be a male eunuch. Who is able to comprehend with his mind, or retell in language, or convey in writing the works and exploits of Saint Anastasia, offered alone to God for twenty-eight years in a cave? Tears, groaning, sobbing, wakefulness, singing, prayers, reading, standing, kneeling, fasting, deprivation of the necessary, and most of all, demonic attacks and struggles with them, constantly reminding us of the sweets of the flesh and all other worldly pleasures left in the world?! How did she reflect all this and conquer and, moreover, remain hopelessly during all the days of those years, who earlier, in the rank of noblewoman and first patrician, lived for many years in the royal palaces, sometimes spending time with many women and men at worldly meals and pleasures? The mind is involuntarily horrified at the thought of how Saint Anastasia neglected all this and erased the memory of it all from her mind! How did she achieve such humility, fasting, abstinence and the narrowness of the sorrowful path? Having labored so valiantly, the saint became a vessel of the Holy Spirit and, having pleased God to the end, approached her blessed death. Having foreseen her departure to God in advance, Anastasia wrote this on the tiles to Elder Daniel: - Holy Father! Take with you with haste the disciple who brings me bread and water, also take the tools necessary for the burial and come to bury your child, the eunuch Anastasia. Having written this, Anastasia placed the tiles outside the cave in front of the doors. At the same time, the elder, having learned about this from a revelation from God that came to him at night, said to his disciple: - Child! Hurry to the cave where our brother the eunuch Anastasius lives and look around the cave. There you will find a shard covered with writing, and if you take it, return to us as soon as possible. Having left and having found, at the word of the elder, a shard covered with writing, the brother brought it to the elder. Having read what was written on the shard, Elder Daniel shed tears and, taking everything necessary for burial, went with the said brother to the cave. Having opened the latter, they found a eunuch overcome with fever. Abba Daniel, falling on the eunuch’s chest, cried, saying: “Blessed are you, brother Anastasy, because, constantly worrying about the day and hour of death, you have despised the earthly kingdom!” “Blessed are you too,” answered Anastasia, “new Abraham!” “So,” the elder continued, “pray to the Lord for us.” “Honest old man,” answered Anastasia, “at this hour I need your prayers more.” “If I had finished the last day of my life before you, then I would have prayed for you,” the elder continued. Then Anastasia, sitting down on the mat, kissed the elder’s head and, praying for him, uttered words of blessing. The elder, taking his disciple, brought him to the feet of the saint, saying: - Bless this student of mine, and your child. “Who stands before me at this hour to free me from this body, the God of my fathers,” said Anastasia, “who knows my steps in this cave and the hardships of life for the sake of His name and who sees my real bodily illness, may He rest the spirit of his father on him, just as the spirit of Elijah rested on Elisha!” Turning then to the elder, the eunuch said: “Father, for the Lord’s sake, do not take off the clothes in which I am clothed, so that no one will know what concerns my sex.” Having then communed the Most Pure Mysteries of Christ, Anastasia said: – Father, mark me with the sign of Christ and pray for me. After that, Anastasia looked to the east, and her face lit up like fire. Then, making the sign of the cross herself, Anastasia said: “Lord, I commit my spirit into Your hands,” and with these words she died. After this, Abba Daniel and his disciple dug a grave in front of the cave, and then the elder, taking off the cassock he was wearing, said to the disciple: The disciple, while dressing the saint, accidentally noticed her female breasts, dried up like dry leaves, and, without telling the elder about it, he kept silent. They buried Anastasia's honest body with the usual funeral chants. When they then returned home, the disciple said to the elder: “Father, didn’t you know that the eunuch Anastasius was a woman?” “Yes, child, I knew this,” answered the elder, “and for that reason I dressed her in men’s clothing and called her Anastasius - a eunuch, so that there would be no suspicion and so that no one would know about her and rumor would not spread everywhere; Regarding her, there were many searches on the part of the king in all countries and especially in these areas. But, by the grace of God, it was hidden from us. Then the elder told the disciple in detail the entire life of the saint, which later became known throughout the world and was written for the benefit of those who read and listen to the glory of Christ God, glorified in his saints forever 1822. Amen. The Monk Anastasia died in 567. Emperor Justinian reigned from 527 to 565, under him the fifth Ecumenical Council was convened in Constantinople in order to stop the Monophysite movements in 553. Patricia – wife of a patrician; This is what people of noble birth were called in Rome. This rank was very great and was awarded to the wives of famous men, for example, Antonina, the wife of Vilisarius, or for their special merits. Justinian's wife Theodora - thanks to whose influence the Nika rebellion, which threatened to overthrow Justinian, was stopped. Alexandria is the main city in Egypt, built by Alexander the Great. Here on the island of Pharos, a translation of the Old Testament Bible into Greek was made in 72 days. Field is a measure of distance: it was equal to approximately 690 fathoms. Muslim rule in Alexandria began at the end of the 7th century. The monk Daniel mentioned here is the same one who made a 22-day-old baby speak. Relics of St. Anastasia was transferred to Constantinople and in 1200 they were near St. Sofia. You might be interested in: