Житие преподобного отца нашего Зосимы, игумена Соловецкого

One year after the repose of the Monk Savvaty, it pleased the Lord to glorify that place on Solovetsky Island, where this holy man labored, by establishing a glorious and great monastery here. For this work, the Lord chose a man similar in his exploits to the Monk Savvatius - the Monk Zosima, about whom our word will be. The Monk Zosima came from the Novgorod region; his homeland was the village of Tolvuya, located on the shores of Lake Onega. His parents, Gabriel and Varvara, who led a strictly pious life, raised the boy in Christian virtues from a young age, and also taught him to read and write. The youth Zosima was of a quiet disposition, meek and humble in heart, and shunned all the bad customs of youth. Growing in body and spirit, Zosima carefully studied the sacred books, learning from them the wealth of God’s goodness. Wanting to preserve mental and physical purity, the chaste youth decided not to marry; although he did not disdain it as something bad in itself, he decided to avoid it as an obstacle to pleasing God, according to the words of the apostle, who says: “The unmarried man cares about the Lord, how to please the Lord; But a married man cares about the things of this world, how to please his wife” (1 Cor. 7:32-33). So, in order to please the only God, he decided to renounce pleasing his flesh. When his parents began to persuade him to marry, the monk, deeply grieved by this, left his father’s house, renounced the world and, taking upon himself a monastic image, settled in one secluded place, not far from his father’s house, like a hermit, where he began to strive in prayer and fasting. The monk also wanted to have a mentor for himself, since he himself had not yet sufficiently studied the Holy Scriptures and had not yet been taught a strictly ascetic life, and therefore needed such a skillful mentor who would show him in action what a young man who zealously strives for virtue should learn. In addition, the monk was afraid of any obstacle to his exploits from his relatives, near whom he was located. Therefore, he decided to leave here for some more secluded place, where he could completely devote himself to a strictly ascetic life, especially since the fire of Divine love flared up in his heart more and more and encouraged him to improve even more in virtues. But initially the monk did not know where and how to found a monastery, and he earnestly prayed to God to show him a place for the monastery, and also to send him all the means to realize his intentions. By God's dispensation, the Monk Zosima met a virtuous monk named Herman, who had previously lived with the Monk Savvaty on Solovetsky Island. This monk conveyed to the Monk Zosima the story of the life and exploits of the Monk Savvaty, and also informed him that the Solovetsky Island is remote from worldly villages and is convenient for the settlement of monks, as it abounds in forests and lakes filled with fish. Hearing about this, the Monk Zosima rejoiced greatly in spirit and wished to be a resident of that island and the successor of the Monk Savvatius, which is why he began earnestly asking Herman to take him to that deserted island and teach him monastic life there. Around this time, the parents of the Monk Zosima ended their lives. Having buried their body and distributed their property to the poor, blessed Zosima, together with Herman, went to Solovetsky Island. With God's help, they safely reached the island and landed at the place where sailors usually stopped; there was no excitement here and the water was fresh. Not far from the shore, the saints pitched a tent 2602 and held an all-night vigil in it, singing the psalms of David and praying to Christ God and the Most Holy Theotokos to send them from above help and blessing for their settlement on that deserted island. The next morning, the Monk Zosima, leaving the tent, saw a brightly shining ray of light that illuminated him and the whole place; raising his eyes to the east, he saw a great and beautiful church on the clouds; Since the monk was not yet accustomed to such revelations of God, he could not look at this church for long, and soon rushed into the tent. Herman, seeing his embarrassed face, thought that he had seen something special and asked him: “Why, my dear, did you change your face? What are you afraid of? Did you see anything new and unusual?” In response to these words of Herman, Zosima told him how he saw a ray of light descending from above and illuminating that place, as well as the Church resting on the clouds. Reflecting on this vision, Herman remembered the removal of the laity from this island (which happened under Abbot Savvaty) and Savvaty’s prophecy about the founding of a monastic monastery on the island and said to Zosima: “Do not be afraid and do not be afraid, beloved, but pay attention to yourself, since it seems to me that it is pleasing to the Lord for you to gather many monks here.” Then Herman told him about the incident that happened to the fisherman’s wife and her husband from the Korelsky shore, who came to this island to keep him out of envy - namely, he told how the woman was beaten by two bright young men who said: – There is no place for you on this island; leave here, because this place has been prepared by God for monks to settle here. Saint Zosima, having heard these words from Herman, was filled with spiritual joy and became even more strengthened in his intention to build a monastery here. Having fervently prayed to God to promote their work and help bring it to completion, the ascetics set to work: first of all, they began to cut down the trees necessary to build the cells, then they built the cells and fenced the yard, laboring simultaneously in both physical and spiritual labor - namely: laboring with the body to build the monastery, while in spirit taking up arms against demons in the full armor of fasting and prayer. The monks obtained food for themselves by the sweat of their brow, cultivating the land and sowing it with seeds. God strengthened His servants, mercifully looking down on them from above and hastening in all their deeds. After some time, Herman went to acquire the necessities of life on the other side of the sea 2603; Having stayed here for several days, he already wanted to go back, but could not do this, because autumn had come, the air became cold, snow began to fall, storms began, the sea was agitated and filled with ice; In this way, it was no longer possible to sail back to Solovetsky Island on the boat. Therefore, blessed Herman remained on the other side for the whole winter, while the Monk Zosima remained alone on the island. Initially, the monk, being alone, greatly grieved for Elder Herman, but then he placed all his trust in God, saying with David: “I was left on You from the womb; From my mother’s womb You are my God. Do not depart from me” (Ps. 21:11–12). And again: “I was established on You from the womb; You brought me out of my mother’s womb” (Ps. 70:6). The monk began to strive even more diligently, applying labor to labor, continually indulging in the feats of fasting and prayer. The demons, not being able to endure the holy life of the ascetic due to their malice and envy, scolded him, sometimes making him despondent, sometimes frightening him with various ghosts and wild cries, intending to frighten the valiant warrior of Christ and shake the unshakable; sometimes, taking the form of wild animals and snakes, they rushed at him with fury, as if intending to tear him to pieces. The servant of God resisted them with the sign of the cross and prayer and, laughing at them, said: - O insignificant force of the enemy! If you have authority from God, then do with me what you want; if you do not have it, then you labor in vain,” and he sang a verse from the psalms of David: “They surrounded me, surrounded me; but in the name of the Lord I brought them down” (Ps. 117:11); and again: “Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered” (Ps. 67:2). Then the saint sent up fervent prayer to God, crying out in the tenderness of his heart: – Eternal God, beginningless King, Creator and Ruler of every creature! You are the King of kings and Lord of lords; You are the Savior of souls and the Deliverer of those who believe in You; You are the hope of those who labor and the hope of those who sail on the sea; You are the Teacher of Your servants; You are the Patron of all good, the Comforter of those who mourn, the joy of the saints; You are eternal life and unfading light; You are the source of holiness; You are the glory of God the Father, the fullness of the Holy Spirit; You sit with the Father and rule forever. I pray to You, Thy servant, humbly falling to You: hear my prayer, Most Holy King, Most Good Lord, and do not turn Your face away from my prayer, but deliver me from the mouth of the all-destructive serpent, who is preparing to devour me, keep me unharmed from the slander of the devil, so that I, protected and guarded by Your holy Angels, will be saved from rage him and received salvation from You, my Master and Lord, in Whom I believe, in Whom I trust and in Whom I glorify with the Father and the Holy Spirit forever. Thus praying, the monk boldly drove away all enemy attacks; from his prayer and the sign of the cross, demons fled like dust from the wind; he remained without harm from them, praising and glorifying God. Another temptation to the monk happened. During the then harsh winter, the supply of food collected in the summer was running out, and the monk began to be confused in his thoughts, not knowing what he would eat until the summer (it was his invisible enemies who instilled sorrow in his soul, confusing him with the fear of famine that was about to come and the specter of premature death). The monk, reflecting within himself, brought to mind the words spoken by the Lord Himself in His Holy Gospel: “Do not worry and do not say: what shall we eat? or what to drink? Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you: because your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things” (Matthew 6:31, 34, 33, 32). Having placed all his trust in God the Provider, the monk consoled himself with the words of the Psalmist: “Cast your worries on the Lord, and He will support you” (Ps. 54:23). Thus consoling himself, the monk drove away from himself all despondency placed in his heart by the enemy of our salvation. And indeed, God did not abandon His saint who trusted in Him. He sent two men to him, who had with them a basket of bread, flour and oil (people who lived on the seashore had the custom of taking a supply of food with them in winter if they went somewhere inland). Having offered a basket of food to the monk, these two unknown men said to him: “Take and eat from this basket, honest father, as much as you want; We will come to you when God commands us. Having said this, the unknown men immediately disappeared, so that the monk did not have time to ask them who they were and where they came from. A lot of time passed, but unknown men did not come to the monk. Then the Monk Zosima realized that this was God’s visit to him, and with all his heart he thanked the Lord for his providence for him and the unexpected gift from above. When winter ended, Elder Herman came and brought with him a certain worldly man named Mark, whose occupation was a fisherman; At the same time, Herman brought a sufficient amount of food, as well as the nets necessary for catching fish. After some time, Mark took upon himself the rank of monk; Following this, many worldly people began to come to the ascetics and built cells for themselves here, feeding on the labor of their hands. Soon after this, the Monk Zosima built a small church in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, in remembrance of His glorious transfiguration. This church was built on the very spot where the monk saw the Church in the air and the ray of light that shone upon it. Then the monk added a small refectory to the church and thus founded a common monastic life on the island. After this, the monk sent one of the brethren to Novgorod to Archbishop Jonah to ask for his blessing for the consecration of the church, as well as for the abbot of the newly built monastery. The archbishop soon sent a blessing to the monk and the abbot, Hieromonk Paul. Having received the blessing of the archpastor and the abbot, the Monk Zosima, blessed Herman and all the brethren rejoiced with great joy. Soon after this, the church was consecrated to the glory of God, and thus the honest and glorious Solovetsky monastery began its existence. However, after some time, Abbot Paul, not being able to endure the labors of the hermit, left the monastery and returned to Novgorod. After him, Theodosius was hegumen, but after some time he also left the desert. Then the brethren agreed with the monk not to take an abbot from other monasteries, but to choose an abbot from among themselves. At the same time, the brethren decided to elect the Monk Zosima as abbot. Meanwhile, some of the brethren went to Novgorod and asked the Archbishop of Novgorod to call the abbot they had chosen and ordain him with elevation to this sacred rank, even if he did not want to take on this honorable duty. The archpastor, fulfilling the desire of the brethren, sent a message to the monk, with which he called him to himself; then, when Zosima arrived to him, he convinced him to accept the rank of abbot, after which, after saying a parting word, he released him with honor. When the monk left Novgorod for his monastery, many of the Novgorod citizens supplied the monk with everything necessary for the communal life of the monastery: vessels, clothes, money and food. Arriving at his monastery in the rank of abbot, the monk was greeted by the brethren with great joy. During the saint's first liturgy, a miracle happened in the monastery, visible to everyone: the face of the saint was illuminated by the grace of the Holy Spirit and became bright, like the face of an Angel; At the same time, the church was filled with fragrance. This was, as it were, evidence that the monk accepted the dignity of the priesthood and abbess. And all the brethren rejoiced over such a shepherd, filled with the grace of God. It happened at that time that some merchants were in that church. The monk gave them prosphora from his sacred rite; they carelessly dropped it on the ground. Brother Macarius, walking along the road, noticed a prosphora lying on the ground, and saw a dog standing near the prosphora and intending to devour it, but was scorched by fire. Taking the prosphora, the brother brought it to the monk and told about everything he had seen to the brethren, who were surprised at what had happened and glorified God. Seeing that the number of brethren was increasing more and more so that the church could no longer accommodate everyone who gathered for prayer, the monk created a large church that could accommodate everyone, and also erected many new cells. A few years later, the monk remembered the blessed Savvaty, who labored a lot on the same island, and regretted that his venerable relics rested in another place, near the Vyga River, where he reposed, and not where the Monk Zosima had already spent many years with the brethren in desert exploits, and therefore began to consult with the brethren about how to transfer the relics of the venerable Savvaty here. While the monk was still consulting with the brethren about this, a message came to him from the monastery of the Most Holy Theotokos, from White Lake, brought by one of the monks of the monastery of St. Cyril, written on behalf of Abbot Cyril and the brethren. This message read as follows: – Grace and mercy from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, beloved spiritual shepherd in Christ, God-loving abbot Zosima and his brethren, always rejoice. We heard from people who came to us from you that the island of Solovetsky, never before since the sun rose in the sky not inhabited by people due to the difficulty of sea navigation to it, is now inhabited by monks through God's providence and the intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos; we heard that through your hard work a monastery was built on the island in honor of the Transfiguration of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ, in which many brethren are already laboring; We heard that everything is arranged for you, through the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos; you lack only one thing - near you there are no relics of the Monk Savvaty, who even earlier than you labored in many monastic labors on that island and led a highly virtuous life, like the ancient ascetic fathers; Having loved Christ with all his soul, he withdrew from the world and received a blessed death in the Lord. Some of the brethren of our monastery, who were in Novgorod, heard from one pious man named John that when he sailed by sea for trade and was on the Vyga River, he was honored to see the Monk Savvaty alive and to hear spiritual teachings from him. John said that when the Monk Savvaty departed in soul to God, his honorable body was buried by Abbot Nathanael with decent honors. John also informed the brethren about a miracle that happened at sea, when God, through the prayers of the Monk Savvaty, saved him and his brother Theodore from drowning; John also conveyed many other things, as well as the fact that many different healings and miracles were performed at the saint’s tomb, for the Monk Savvaty pleased God, and we ourselves are witnesses of his virtuous life, since this blessed father lived with us for a sufficient number of years in the monastery of the Most Pure Mother of God in the Cyril Monastery. Therefore, we are now writing to your holiness and giving you advice - not to deprive yourself of such a gift, but to transfer to yourself with reverence the honest relics of St. Savvaty, so that they may be placed where he himself worked for many years. Rejoice in the Lord Jesus Christ and pray for us, that God, through the intercession of the saint, will deliver us from all the troubles that beset us. When Blessed Zosima, Abbot of Solovetsky, read this message aloud to all the brethren, he and all the brethren rejoiced in spirit and all together, as if with one mouth, said: – This is not from people, but from God Himself! And immediately having prepared the ship for sailing, they set off on it to the other shore, which they soon reached with a fair wind. Arriving at the church built on the banks of the Vyga River, the brethren dug up the grave of St. Savvaty, and immediately the air was filled with a fragrance. When they opened the coffin, they saw that decay had not touched either the body or the clothes of the saint. Surprised, the brethren glorified God and carried the holy relics to the ship, singing sacred songs. Then, with a favorable wind blowing, the brethren set sail and soon reached their monastery, rejoicing and thanking God, who had given them such a spiritual treasure - the relics of St. Savvaty. They were placed behind the altar of the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in a specially built chapel 2604. And all the sick, who came with faith to the tomb of the saint, received healing from their ailments. Blessed Zosima came every night to the tomb of St. Savvaty and prayed here fervently, making numerous bows until the morning. The above-mentioned merchant John, having once served the burial of Saint Savvatius, having great love for him for saving him and his brother Theodore from death at sea, painted an icon of the saint and brought it to Abbot Zosima, donating at the same time to the monastery many items needed for the brethren. Hegumen Zosima, taking on the honest image of the Monk Savvaty, kissed him and placed him over the relics of the monk. Then, turning to the image as to the venerable one himself, he said: - Servant of God! Although you have ended this temporary life, having died in body, do not depart from us in your spirit! Guide us to Christ God, teaching us to follow the path of the Lord’s commandments and patiently carry our cross in the footsteps of our Master and Lord. You, reverend, having boldness towards the Lord Jesus Christ and His Most Pure Mother, be a prayer book and intercessor for us unworthy who live in this holy monastery, the founder of which you were. Be our helper and intercessor before God, so that we, living in this place, would remain unharmed from demons and evil people through your prayers, glorifying the Holy Trinity - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Seeing the prosperity of the Solovetsky monastery, which was multiplying day by day with new newcomers and adorned with new virtuous monks, as well as the exploits of the Monk Zosima, the devil, the enemy of all good, was inflamed with envy of the monks, but since he could not do anything to the monastery himself, for he was always driven away and put to shame by blessed Zosima and other valiant ascetics, he resorted to the help of the evil ones people, arousing in them a desire to do evil and offend the holy monastery. At the instigation of the devil, many of the boyar servants of nobles and inhabitants of the Karelian land began to come to Solovetsky Island, who fished on the lakes, while at the same time forbidding the monks to fish for monastic needs. These people called themselves the masters of that island, but they reviled St. Zosima and other monks with reproachful words and caused them a lot of trouble, promising to ruin the monastery and completely expel the monks from here. Therefore, the Monk Zosima had to go to Novgorod to Archbishop Theophilus in order to ask him for help and intercession from the offenders. Taking some of his disciples, he went with them to Novgorod and, coming to the bishop, bowed to him and conveyed to him his request from the monastery, which was suffering troubles from evil people. The bishop told him: “With the help of God, honest father, I am always ready to help your monastery in every possible way; but first of all, you need to ask for help from the boyars and nobles who govern our city.” The Monk Zosima went to the boyars and, going around their houses, earnestly asked them to protect the monastery and not allow evil people to ruin it. All the boyars who ruled the city promised their help to the monk. The Monk Zosima also had to visit a widowed noblewoman named Martha, since her servants, as well as the villagers who lived on her lands, greatly oppressed the monks. When her servants told her that the monk had come to her, she ordered him to be driven out of the house with dishonor. The humble servant of God patiently endured this insult and said to his disciples: “The days will come when the inhabitants of this house will no longer walk in their courtyard: the doors of this house will be closed and will not be opened anymore, and this house will be desolate.” In due time, what the monk predicted came true. Meanwhile, the archbishop summoned the boyars to him and told them about all the insults and troubles that were being caused to the monastery of St. Zosima by the boyars’ servants and inhabitants. The boyars, unanimously deciding to provide their help and assistance to the saint, transferred the entire island into his possession; The boyars secured the right to own the island with a charter, to which they attached eight seals: the first from the archbishop, the second from the mayor, the third from the commander, and five more seals from the five ends of the city. In addition, the boyars presented the monk with everything necessary for the monastery: vessels for worship, sacred clothes, gold and silver, as well as a large supply of food, and henceforth they promised to help the monastery in every possible way. Having heard about all this, and also having learned about the virtuous life of the Monk Zosima, the mentioned noblewoman Martha realized that she had a true servant of God, and, repenting, sent her man to the reverend, calling him to a feast with her. As soon as the monk entered her house, she and her children accepted his blessing and seated him in a place of honor. While everyone invited to the feast drank and ate a lot, amusing themselves, the monk, according to his custom, ate very little food and sat quietly and meekly all the time. Looking at the boyars sitting at the table, he was very surprised, for he saw a terrible sight, then he lowered his face and said nothing to anyone. Looking another time, the monk saw the same thing and again lowered his face, and finally, for the third time, he saw the same terrible sight, namely: he saw the six most important boyars, sitting with him at the table, without their heads. The monk was surprised by what he saw, wondering how those people could feast without heads? But he immediately understood what this vision meant and, lowering his head, sighed, shed tears, and from that time on he no longer ate anything that was offered to him, despite the persistent requests of those who treated him. After the feast, Martha asked the monk for forgiveness for the insult she had inflicted on him, and gave the monastery his plot of land near the Suma River and then released him in peace. When the monk left her house, one of his disciples, named Daniel, especially beloved by the monk, asked him insistently: - Why did you, during the feast, look three times at the boyars sitting at the table, lower your face and, sighing, shed tears and then no longer tasted anything that was offered to you? - Child! You are asking too persistently, just as the prophet Elisha asked the prophet Elijah 2605; Therefore, I will not hide from you the ineffable destinies of God that will take place in the future, however, what I tell you, you will have to keep secret until the destinies of God are fulfilled. I saw the six most important boyars sitting at a feast without their heads; and when I saw this, I was horrified and therefore could neither eat nor drink. I think these men will be beheaded soon. But watch, child, don’t tell anyone what you heard from me. Then the monk arrived at his monastery with a serfdom and with many gifts donated to him in Novgorod. After some time, the monk heard that the Grand Duke of Moscow John Vasilyevich 2606, having come to Novgorod with a large army, imposed the death penalty on some of the boyars in order to frighten others; namely, those six boyars whom the monk saw sitting without heads at the feast of the noblewoman Martha were beheaded with a sword. The noblewoman Marfa herself, by order of the Grand Duke, together with her children was exiled to imprisonment in Nizhny Novgorod; her estate was plundered. Thus, her house was desolate according to the prediction of the Monk Zosima, as the monk predicted at that hour when he was expelled with dishonor from her house. When the monk had already lived long enough on earth, worked hard and acquired the habit of every virtue, the time of his blessed death approached. The monk prepared a coffin for himself in advance and, often looking at it, cried, always thinking about death and constantly preparing for it. Anticipating his approaching death, exhausted from labor and old age, the monk called the brethren to him and said to them: “Here, I, children and brothers, am leaving this temporary life, entrusting you to the All-Merciful God and the Most Pure Mother of God. Tell me: who do you want to have as abbot after me? All the brethren, weeping loudly, said with one voice: “We would like, our father and shepherd, to die with you.” But this is not in our power, because God’s judgment is not the same as human judgment. The same one who announced to you about your departure to the heavenly abodes, the Lord Christ, our God, can also give us a mentor who will guide us to salvation. But may your prayers protect us, and may your blessing rest upon us, for you are our father in the Lord. And just as you cared for us in this life, so, we pray, intercede for us after your departure to God. Don't leave us orphans. Having said this, the brothers fell silent, but did not stop crying and sobbing. The monk again told them: - Children! Again I repeat that I entrust you to the Lord and His Most Pure Mother, and let Arseny be your abbot, since he is a most worthy man and most capable of managing the monastery and the brethren. Having said this, the monk handed the abbess to Arseny and said to him: “Behold, brother, I choose you as the builder and leader of this holy monastery and of all the brethren gathered here.” Observe carefully so that not a single one of the monastic laws contained in the teachings of the apostles and tradition from the fathers is forgotten, such as, for example, about congregational church singing, about eating and drinking at meals, and about the entire monastic rule taught by me. Make sure that everything in the monastery is intact. May the Lord direct you all to do His commandments, through the prayers of our Most Holy Lady and Lady Theotokos and all the saints, as well as through the prayers of His saint, the Venerable Savvaty. May our Lord Jesus Christ protect you from all the slander of the enemy and strengthen you in His Divine love. I myself, although I am leaving you in body, paying the natural duty of death, will remain with you relentlessly in spirit. And I would very much like, if I have found grace before God, that after my departure from you this monastery would increase even more, that a multitude of brethren would gather here, united by love for Christ, that spiritual gifts would abound here, and that there would be an abundance in the objects necessary for the existence of the body. Having said this, the monk taught the brethren a virtuous life for quite some time. Then, having kissed and blessed each of the brethren, the blessed one raised his hands to heaven and began to pray for the monastery and for his entire flock, as well as for himself. Then, having overshadowed himself with the sign of the cross, the monk, turning to the brethren, said: Then, raising his eyes to heaven, the saint said: - Master, Lover of Mankind, grant me to stand on Your right side when You come in Your glory to judge the living and the dead and to reward each according to his deeds. Having said these words, the saint lay down on his bed and gave up his holy soul into the hands of his Lord, whom he loved with all his soul and with all his heart and to whom he worked from his very youth, laboring in deeds of good deeds 2607. The death of the saint was bitterly mourned by the brethren of his monastery; finally, having sung hymns appropriate for burial, the brethren laid the saint’s honorable body in the grave, which he, while still alive, dug with his own hands, behind the altar of the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord. Here the brethren later built a chapel over the relics of the saint, placed icons and lamps here, and, coming here, said a prayer to the saint. At the tomb of the monk, signs and wonders were repeatedly performed, since the monk himself, departing in soul to the Lord, told the brethren that he would not leave the place where he labored, but promised in spirit to remain with his disciples; and indeed, the saint fulfilled his promise, visiting his earthly abode from the heavenly monasteries and being invisibly present around it: sometimes the saint appeared in visible form both on earth and on the sea, helping all those in need. Many times the monk appeared to those sailing on the sea when they were in danger, stopped the storm and saved ships from sinking; Sometimes the monk appeared in the church praying in the ranks of other brethren. Soon after his repose, the monk appeared on the ninth day after his death to the monk Daniel and told him how, by the grace of God, he fearlessly passed by the air spirits, avoided their snares and was canonized. Then the monk apparently appeared to Elder Tarasius on his grave, and also to Gerasim, his disciple. The monk appeared to the latter on Sunday, after Matins, and introduced himself as if walking from the tomb of the venerable Savvaty to his own tomb, and the saint, looking at Gerasim, said to him: - Strive, child, and you will receive the reward for your labors. The monk appeared to the same Gerasim for the second time during the Divine Liturgy on Maundy Thursday; at the same time, the monk was among those praying in the church. When the brethren began to receive communion, the Monk Zosima said to Gerasim: Then the monk stood all the time near the cup from which the brethren received communion, but when everyone had received communion, he suddenly became invisible. Once, when the holy monk Dosifei, standing at evening prayer in the church vestibule, was praying for one demon-possessed brother, the monk appeared to him and said: – The healing of the brother for whom you are praying will not serve his spiritual benefit; It is necessary for that brother to remain in the same suffering for some time. A certain elder Theodulus accidentally slipped, fell to the ground and was badly hurt, so that he could no longer go to his usual prayer routine, but was forced to remain in bed all the time. The Monk Zosima came to his cell late one evening and, entering it, after prayer, healed him. From these and many similar cases, the brethren were convinced with their own eyes that the monk did not forget the place in which he labored during his earthly life, since he did not leave all the needy brethren without help, but gave quick help to everyone who called on him with faith. One of the monks of the monastery, named Mitrofan, told the brethren about himself that when he was still in the world and, as a merchant, sailing on the sea, once such a strong storm arose that his ship was almost completely covered with waves, and everyone on it, already despairing of their lives, began to tearfully pray to the Lord and His Most Pure Mother for help. The ship was carried on the waves for thirty days. The travelers remembered the Monk Zosima, the Solovetsky wonderworker, and called him to their aid. Soon they saw the monk sitting at the stern of the ship and striking the waves with his mantle; As a result, the excitement stopped. And until then the monk steered the ship until it landed on the shore. After this, the marvelous helmsman disappeared from the ship. It happened that the monk Elisha, while sailing on the sea, became very ill and wanted to take the schema, but before he could reach the shore, he died. The Monk Zosima raised him from the dead, and that monk was alive until he took upon himself the schema and received communion of the Holy Mysteries; then the monk again rested in the Lord. One layman, named Nikon, was severely tormented by demons. When he was brought to the relics of the monk, the latter appeared to him and, freeing him from illness, sent him home healthy. One farmer, who had gone blind, came to the saint’s tomb, received healing and began to see. However, due to his lack of faith, the farmer became blind a second time. Having come again to the saint’s tomb and prayed with repentance, the farmer received a second healing. The monk healed many other sick people, as he never refused his help to everyone who resorted to him with faith. The Monk Zosima appeared to many not only alone, but also together with the Monk Savvaty; so, for example, one day Brother Joseph, while on Kuzovo Island (thirty miles from Solovetsky Island), climbed the mountain at night to pray; looking in the direction of the Solovetsky Monastery, he saw in the middle of the monastery two pillars of fire, rising from the earth and reaching the sky; when this brother told other brothers about what he had seen, they said: “These are the founders and leaders of the Solovetsky monastery, Zosima and Savvaty, shining from their graves, because they are spiritual pillars, enlightened by the dawn of God’s grace.” Two brothers, Savvaty and Ferapont, after Great Lent, were sent to Virma for monastic needs, because there was a monastery courtyard where various supplies were stored. While sailing, the travelers approached the island of Shuzhmuy, which was sixty miles away from Solovetsky Island; at this time, one of the travelers, Savvaty, saw on that island two pillars of fire, not particularly great. Having approached the island, the travelers saw a small hut and in it two naked and hungry people, their legs hurt badly, and they were barely alive. At the beginning of winter, these two people sailed on the sea, but when a storm arose at sea, their ship was broken by the waves; Arriving at the shore, they landed on it and spent the winter, since they did not meet anyone who would take them from here. When these unfortunate people saw the monks, they asked them: -Who are you? Wasn’t it the Solovetsky elders who sent you to us? Savvaty and Ferapont asked them: – Which Solovetsky elders are you talking about? “We were visited by two honest elders who came here; one of them is named Savvaty, and the other Zosima. When they came to us, our suffering was alleviated; we felt neither hunger nor cold. Today they were with us before your arrival and told us: “Don’t be sad, we will soon send for you.” Hearing this, the monks were surprised and, having fed the sick with food, carried them onto their ship, and then took them to the monastery. The Monks Zosima and Savvaty healed one woman possessed by a demon, named Maria, who had a husband, Onesimus. In the same way, the monks resurrected another woman, the daughter of Jeremiah, Zosima’s former servant, who, at the inspiration of demons, stabbed herself to death. Even her wounds were completely healed, for the saints appeared to her in a dream after they had resurrected her, gave her a vessel with some ointment in her hands and said: “Anoint your wounds, for for the sake of the tears of your father and mother we came to heal you.” That girl, having fulfilled the order of the saints (which was in a dream), after three days she completely recovered. A certain Vasily, who had previously been a robber, repented, came to the Solovetsky Monastery and accepted the monastic rank here. But, after some time, tempted by the devil, he planned to escape from the monastery. Having prepared the boat, he secretly put some of the monastery's things into it - books, clothes and vessels - and intended to escape from the monastery at night. Then he landed on the island of Anzersky, located fifteen miles from the monastery; here he was attacked by an irresistible sleep; Having tied the boat to the shore, the monk lay down on the ground and fell asleep. Both saints appeared to him in a dream; one of them, Zosima, looked at him with anger and said to him: - Damned! You're robbing me! I create, and you destroy! In that vision, Vasily asked the monk for forgiveness, to which the monk answered him: “You will receive forgiveness, but you will remain in this place for three days.” Waking up, Vasily did not see anyone, nor did he find a boat tied near the shore; then, sitting down on the ground, he wept bitterly, not intending to leave here before the end of three days. Meanwhile, some merchants sailing past that island took the monk from there and brought him to the monastery, where the latter, having repented, mourned his sin before the brethren and told about the appearance of the saints to him. Around this time, monastic fishermen were fishing on the Umba River, about five hundred miles from the island. Their leader was Elder Photius. Appearing to him in a dream, the monks said: “Here, we brought you a boat for fishing, because we know that you need another boat for fishing; just be careful not to lose anything that is in it, but deliver everything intact to the monastery. Waking up, Photius told other fishermen about his vision. Having gone to the shore, the fishermen actually saw a boat here and in it many things that belonged to the monastery. The fishermen subsequently brought these things to the monastery and told here about the appearance of the monks. Someone named Theodore, who lived on the seashore near the Suma River, reported the following: “It happened to me,” he said, “to sail on the sea with goods. Suddenly a strong storm arose; Having lowered the anchor and stood in place, greatly embarrassed, we turned to God in prayer, calling at the same time the venerables Zosima and Savvaty for help. I, having entered the ship, dozed off, and suddenly I saw two old men, with handsome faces, standing on the ship and saying to the helmsman: “Turn the ship’s nose to the wind.” Waking up immediately, I approached the people who were pouring water out of the ship. One of them, very tired, dozed off, and when he woke up, he told me: “I just saw two elders in a ship talking with each other, and one of them said to the other: “Keep an eye on this ship, brother, and I’m hurrying to Solovki for mass.” Having heard this, we were surprised and rejoiced greatly, since we now began to hope for salvation from destruction. And indeed, soon the storm stopped, silence fell and we set off on the road, glorifying and thanking God and His saints.” Elder Philemon conveyed the following: “When I lived in the desert as a hermit, sometimes, through the action of the devil, I was attacked by severe despondency; The reason for this despondency is the following: one of the brothers deposited his money, twelve coins, with me for safekeeping; After some time, the money disappeared, no one knows how. That brother, having learned about this, was very sad; I also became sad and mourned for several days. One day, after I finished my rule and sat down and dozed off a little, two elders entered my cell. I told them, “Why did you come here without praying?” They answered me: “No, we prayed; maybe you haven’t heard it.” Then I said to them: “Sit down, my sirs.” Then he said: “Who are you; Are not the elders of our monastery? I don't know you." One of them told me: “I am called Zosima, but this one is Savvatiy. Don’t grieve, brother, about your missing thing, because it will be found.” These saints told me many other things, consoling me, and then they became invisible. When I woke up, I no longer saw anyone, but my grief passed, and I felt joy in my heart. The missing money was found in the very place where it was placed. Both I and my brother were comforted, and together we gave praise and thanks to God and the venerable fathers Zosima and Savvaty.” Many other miracles were performed by these reverend fathers, the leaders of the Solovetsky monastery; May those mentioned here serve for our spiritual benefit and for the glorification of the saints of God, as well as for the glorification of our Lord Jesus Christ, glorified forever with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Amen. By the will of the Divine mind, you moved into the desert, and there, fixing your mind on the Heavenly abodes, living like an Angel on earth, in prayers, and labor, and fasting, you became your disciple. Therefore, God, seeing your good will, multiply your children in the desert, flowing with your tears. But, as if you have boldness towards God, remember the flock that you gathered, wise, and do not forget how you promised when you visited your children, O Reverend Zosimo our Father. You were wounded by the love of Christ, reverend, and You carried the glorious Cross on your frame, divinely armed, and the incessant prayers, like a spear in your hand, were firmly cut off by the demonic army. To those we call to you: Rejoice, Reverend Father Zosimo, fertilizer for the monks. The Monk Zosima arrived on Solovetsky Island for the first time in 1429. The Monk Zosima, together with Herman, landed near Mount Sekirnaya, ten miles from the site of the current monastery, where they erected a wooden cross. The venerable relics of St. Savvaty were transferred in 1465. About the granting of the prophetic spirit to him to a greater extent compared to the spirit of Elijah (2 Kings 2:9-13). Ivan Vasilyevich IV (Grozny) reigned from 1533 to 1584. The death of the Monk Zosima followed in 1478. In 1566, on August 8, his relics were solemnly transferred to the chapel of the cathedral church in the name of Zosima and Savvaty, where they rest to this day in a silver shrine. 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