Житие святого отца нашего Стефана, епископа Владимиро-Волынского

“He who is accustomed to patience,” says the divinely inspired Ephraim the Syrian 2815, “strives for virtue, rejoices in sorrows, does not lose heart in adversity, and rejoices in times of adversity.” Such was our venerable father Stephen, who suffered a lot from the brethren of the monastery. But if sorrow befell him, God gave him great joy. Remembering the words of the prophet King David, “When my sorrows multiply in my heart, Your consolations delight my soul” (Ps. 93:19), he considered all misfortunes to be sent down from God and endured them with joy. Having undergone a long trial of virtuous living, from childhood he was under the guidance of the venerable abbot, our father Theodosius of Pechersk, and was constantly his student, happily feeding on divinely inspired words from the honey-drenched lips of the teacher, like a baby from his mother’s breast. As a worthy son, he was likened to his virtuous mentor. Therefore, Stefan fell in love with all the brethren, was elected by them to the domestics, or observers, over the implementation of the church charter and, together with the abbot himself, the Monk Theodosius, worthily instructed the brethren in the church with his teachings. When the Monk Theodosius was approaching the end of this temporary life, everyone begged him to appoint Stephen as abbot, as the most worthy of the brethren. The monk heeded the prayers of the brethren and, calling on his beloved disciple, Blessed Stephen, entrusted him with shepherding the monks and begged him to complete the construction of the church, founded under miraculous omens. Then, having given the instruction to keep the monastic rules, to love the brethren from the bottom of your heart, to constantly turn mentally to God, and not to forget strangers, the monk departed into eternal life, promising, however, not to leave with his help the Pechersk monastery, which he had entrusted to Stephen. And so, after the death of the Monk Theodosius, Stefan took upon himself the abbess of the holy Pechersk Lavra and, undergoing an ascetic feat, with special diligence began to build the church, begun by the Monk Theodosius and already marked by God's favor, and other monastic buildings. By the grace of God and the prayers of our venerable fathers Anthony and Theodosius, Stephen a few years later completed the church and a new monastery, to which he transferred the brethren from the old one. In the latter he left several monks, since, according to custom, deceased monks were buried there. Stephen established the rule that the monastery would have a daily liturgy in memory of the deceased brethren and the blessed founders. God's mercy towards the monastery did not diminish, and in this holy place the grace of God was manifested more and more clearly. But the enemy of all that is good and of the servants of God - the devil - hated the blessed abbot for such care for the holy monastery and with his evil machinations made it so that some of the brethren caused trouble and not only deposed Stephen, whom they had unanimously chosen as abbot, but also expelled him from the monastery without any guilt. Saint Stephen endured everything from his brethren without malice and, separated from the monks, continued to love them. He prayed fervently for them and, imitating the first martyr Stephen of the same name, exclaimed: - Lord, don’t blame them for this! Like iron to a magnet, he strove uncontrollably towards the resting place of St. Theodosius. Many boyars and nobles, his spiritual children, entrusted to him by the Monk Theodosius, having learned about the deep sadness of their mentor, were filled with pity for the innocent victim and diligently brought him everything he needed. Then the Monk Stefan remembered those glorious miracles, of which he himself was an eyewitness: how craftsmen from Constantinople came to the Monks Anthony and Theodosius of Pechersk, brought an icon of the Most Holy Theotokos and told about the vision of the queen that followed in the Blachernae Church. And so, with the help of God and through the prayers of the venerable fathers Anthony and Theodosius, Blessed Stephen built a monastery not far from the Pechersk Lavra on the Klovsky tract and built a stone church in it in the name of the Most Holy Theotokos, in memory of the position of Her honorable robe, following the example of the Blachernae Church of Constantinople. Every year the monk solemnly celebrated the second of July and, having gathered a large brethren, led a godly life. He adopted the church charter and the entire monastic structure and ordered it to be preserved in accordance with the order established by the Monk Theodosius in the Pechersk Monastery. Working hard on his spiritual improvement, he gained more and more fame, so that even in the most remote areas he was known and glorified for his virtuous life. Therefore, when the bishop of the glorious city died Vladimir, founded by the Grand Duke Vladimir in honor of his name, then the Monk Stefan was elected to the episcopal throne of this city and consecrated bishop by the Right Reverend John, Metropolitan of Kyiv. He was a good shepherd of the sheep entrusted to him, setting an example for his flock with words, virtuous life, love, lofty spirit, faith and purity. When, according to the sympathy of God and according to the thoughts of blessed John, hegumen of Pechersk, they intended to transfer the venerable relics of our venerable father Theodosius from the cave to the church built according to God's instructions, the venerable bishop Stefan came from Vladimir to his Klovsky monastery. At night, seeing a bright light across the field above the cave, he thought that the honest relics of St. Theodosius were being transferred (he knew about the intention), and he was saddened that the celebration was taking place without him. He immediately mounted his horse and galloped to the cave together with Clement, whom he appointed after him as abbot at the Klov monastery. When they approached the cave, they saw that the bright light they had seen from afar came from many burning candles, but when they arrived close, they saw nothing and realized that they had been honored to see the light of Divine glory emanating from the honest relics of St. Theodosius: they had already opened the earth above the relics and carried them to the exit of the cave. The day after this vision, among the other bishops who carried the venerable relics of their father and teacher, the Monk Theodosius, was Blessed Stephen. Returning back to the Vladimir throne, he zealously instructed his flock on the path of truth with his virtues, with which he earned himself an unfading crown of glory. In order to accept this crown, foreshadowed by his name 2816 and deserved by his good deeds, in the year 1094 from the Nativity of Christ he departed to Christ, the Chief of all shepherds. Through the prayers of the venerable crown-bearer Stephen, grant us, O Christ our God, a crown of glory, for the glory of Yourself, with Your beginningless Father and consubstantial Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. Ephraim the Syrian is one of the great teachers of the Church who lived in the 4th century. Of his works, the numerous “Words” of a moral, dogmatic and exegetical (interpretative) nature are especially remarkable. Saint Ephraim the Syrian also left behind many touching prayers and chants. He owns some hymns for the Nativity of Christ, as well as deeply touching stichera sung at burial. Of the prayers he composed, the touching Lenten prayer is especially remarkable: Lord, Master of my life. – The memory of Saint Ephraim is celebrated by the Church on January 28 Stephen means "crown" in Greek. You might be interested in: