Житие преподобного отца нашего Феодора Освященного, ученика Пахомиева

Saint Pachomius was already a well-known abbot everywhere when Theodore the Sanctified was still a boy. He received information about Pachomius while already living in one of the monasteries and, with youthful fervor, striving for the highest perfection. Theodore was the son of rich and noble parents 3267. At the age of twelve, he went to school every day, at the request of his father. He was loved more than all the children by his mother for his intelligence and piety. One day, on the feast of the Epiphany, his parents prepared wonderful dishes, served various wines, and laid carpets in all the rooms. Young Theodore, seeing the solemn furnishings of the house and the luxurious table, was greatly embarrassed by one thought. He said to himself: “If you eat these dishes, then God will not grant you the benefits of the future life.” Extremely excited by this thought, the boy goes to a secluded place, kneels down and prays to the Savior with tears. “I don’t want,” he said, “this perishable food that leads to death; but I desire You alone with those blessings that You have appointed for the faithful in another world. He repeated these words for a long time with tears. At this time, his mother is looking for him throughout the house. They were waiting for Theodore to come to the table and no one started eating. Finding him and noticing the tears on his face, his mother says to him with tender love: - You cried, my son! Where have you been? We were looking for you. Theodore replied that nothing had happened to him. His mother calls him to dinner, adding that if he doesn’t eat, then no one will sit at the table. Theodore resolutely refused to eat the holiday food. He lived for some time in his parents' house, indulging in fasting, prayer and crying. These tears even made young Theodore’s eyes hurt. At this time he continued to go to school. But now the end of this year comes. Not far from the village where Theodore’s parents lived, there was a monastery. Here each brother lived separately from the others, in his own cell. Theodore came here and began to live as a hermit. Everyone here soon loved him for his intelligence, piety and modesty. In the monastery where the Monk Theodore settled, it was the custom to gather together every day in the evening after a meal for spiritual conversation. They talked about what someone had to learn from the Holy Scriptures or hear, if it could serve for general edification. These conversations could provide abundant food for the soul and protected from idle conversations or being carried away by evil thoughts. During one of these conversations, one monk, who recently visited the Pachomius Monastery, recalled the explanation of one passage from the Holy Scriptures that he had heard from Pachomius. This monk spoke with delight about the order of the Tavennisian hostel, about the love with which he was greeted there, and most of all about Pachomius himself. Young Theodore, who himself always remained silent, listened especially attentively, as usual. After such an enthusiastic speech about Pachomius, Theodore was inflamed with a desire to see the great Abba. Left alone, he prayed with great fervor. Here is the content of the young ascetic’s prayer: - God, Lord, Creator of all things! If You hear me and grant me what I ask of You; If You give me the opportunity to see Your servant Pachomius, then I will serve You all the days of my life and will not turn away from You until the day of my death. Thy will be done, but make me worthy to see Your servant! He could not sleep the whole night, giving himself over to thoughts about his meeting with the great teacher of the monks. Until the morning he got up more than once, with tears he begged the Lord to make him worthy to see Pachomius. Then he went to the cell of that brother, which he was in Tavennisi, and asked him to tell him in more detail about the life of Pachomius, about the rules that he gave to the monks. The brother introduced him in detail to what he knew about Pachomius, his life and rules. From that time on, Theodore prayed even more intensely to God that He would deign to see Pachomius. Theodore hoped, through Pachomius, to better know God and His holy will. At this time, Theodore fell ill. His parents brought him food. Theodore refused her. But his illness intensified. His parents took him home from the monastery. He did not even notice this, being unconscious for some time due to illness. Having come to his senses, he was very upset to see himself again in his parents’ house. His parents, convinced of the firmness of his decision, returned him to the monastery. Now the monks themselves diligently took care of the young ascetic until his recovery. Another four months passed, and Theodore did not stop his prayer for a meeting with Pachomius. At this time, Abba Pechosh (or Pecusius), a monk of the Pachomiev Monastery, came to the monastery where Theodore lived. He was entrusted with serving the monks during his stay here. His humility, his prayerful mood, his entire behavior aroused surprise and respect among all the monks, and everyone’s hearts involuntarily turned towards Pechosh. Of course, Theodore also met him. He saw that through this Abba it was easiest for him to fulfill his desire. He asked Pechosh to help him with this. Pechosh, however, did not dare to take Theodore with him, fearing the wrath of the boy’s parents. Theodore was firm in his intention. When Abba Pechosh and some monks boarded a boat to go to the Pachomiev Monastery, Theodore followed them on foot. Still unnoticed, he walked along the bank of the Nile not very far from the boat. Finally some monks noticed him. They pointed him out to Abba Pechosh, remembering that it was he who asked the Abba to take him with him into the boat. We finally arrived in Tavennisi. Seeing the walls of the monastery, Theodore thanked the Lord for the fulfillment of his desire and kissed these walls in joy. Seeing Pachomius himself, he greeted the great elder with tears of rapturous joy. Pachomius pointed him to the Lord, who will fulfill every desire of his pious heart, because for the sake of the Lord he left the world. Theodore remained in Tavennisi, ready to fulfill all the rules of monastic life and obey in everything the will of his leaders. He was only fourteen years old. It was already the fifth year since the foundation of the Pachomiev hostel. According to the story of Bishop Ammon, the arrival of Theodore in Tavennisi was predicted with accuracy by Pachomius himself. Having settled in Tavennisi, Theodore began to show the greatest zeal for pleasing God. The young ascetic was happy that the teachings and private conversations of Pachomius showed him the right path to achieving monastic perfection, and the whole structure of life in the hostel did not allow his jealousy to weaken. Once, in a conversation with the brethren, the Monk Pachomius expressed the following thought: “if a person had true knowledge, he would not sin either against God or against his neighbor.” Theodore's soul was inflamed with the desire to acquire this true knowledge. At the same time, he was very sad, thinking that it would be difficult for him to achieve the fulfillment of his desire. He earnestly asked God to grant him true knowledge, humbly admitting his unworthiness, his powerlessness to know the truth. “Lord,” he said in prayer, “Lord, to Whom I have resorted!” Give me knowledge, as You promised to those who love You, so that I can do everything that can satisfy You. Theodore even often cried that he was far from true knowledge. Pachomius, in the depths of his soul, rejoiced at these tears of the young man and encouraged his desire to acquire true knowledge. During meetings, he repeatedly told Theodore: – Try to acquire true knowledge. One night he called Theodore while the moon was shining brightly. From this wonderful sky with its luminaries, turning the young man’s thought to the invisible Creator of all things, Abba Pachomius said to Theodore: – Fear Him all the days of your life; know that it is He who created us with all creation, and that we are in His hand. When you have the fear of God and think that God sees you at every moment, be careful not to sin against Him, and thus faithful help will be sent to you from Him. Give Him glory every day. Abundant tears confirmed the sincerity of their conversation. They ended the exchange of thoughts about God and pleasing Him with prayer. They had similar conversations more than once. For Theodore, an extremely receptive young man, burning with holy zeal to please God, every word of Saint Pachomius was of great importance: in his soul not only pious feelings and aspirations were strengthened, but also spiritual wisdom developed. Pachomius, through his conversations, especially close communication with Theodore, intentionally or unintentionally, prepared Theodore for future service to the monks as their leader in spiritual life. How attentive was the Monk Pachomius to every deed and even the word of Theodore, how firmly he led the young ascetic to the highest perfection! One day Theodore met a brother with a carpet on his shoulders, returning from some monastic obedience. Theodore asked him where he was coming from. Pachomius heard this question. Calling Theodore to him, he said to him: - Theodore, see, be the master of your heart at every moment. Don't ask your brother: where are you coming from? This can become a habit. What is the need to say that? After all, this word serves neither for consolation nor for salvation. Theodore often recalled this instruction of his teacher, attaching great importance to it: he knew that fidelity in small things leads to fidelity in big things and is required by the Savior’s commandment. One day Theodore began to complain to Pachomius that he had a severe headache. Pachomius told him that a believer should not tell anyone about his bodily ailments, except in cases where the illness cannot be hidden from others, but such illnesses must be endured with due patience. After all, both voluntary and involuntary suffering constitute a kind of martyrdom. And in general, you need to mortify your body out of love for God. The Monk Theodore accepted this instruction of Pachomius with the deepest faith and began to hide from people the headache from which he had suffered for a long time. He had to endure this pain for another twenty years, but no one heard any complaints from him. Theodore was also visited by other illnesses, more or less long-lasting - for example, ear pain, fever, eye disease: he endured everything silently and complacently. And in general, none of the monks killed themselves like Theodore, who carefully hid his exploits from people. Every day he ate food only late in the evening, and sometimes he fasted for two days in a row, eating food only at the end of the second day. Sometimes he would eat food but not drink water for two days in a row. He ate boiled food only in case of illness. He generally refrained from eating fruits that tasted good. But if the brethren ate dates, he also ate them with the monks, even took quite a lot with him, but then ate no more than two. He liked to spend his nights awake. The Monk Theodore managed to acquire many spiritual fruits in a short time. Theodore became attached with all his soul to his great elder, the Monk Pachomius, and to his fellow monks. They were all kindred to him in spirit, and they all also loved him. But the young ascetic was completely alien to passion for relatives according to the flesh: they almost did not exist for Theodore, they could not distract him from his love for Pachomius and the monks. How Theodore was afraid of related preferences is shown by the following incident. It was already the tenth year since the day he came to Tavennisi. His mother, who had long wanted to see her son, came here with a letter from the bishop of the Esne region. The saint asked Pachomius to allow this woman a meeting with her son. After reading the bishop’s letter, Pachomius tells Theodore to go on a date with his mother, since this is what the mother really wants and the bishop asks for it. But Theodore did not dare to obey this order and said to Saint Pachomius: – I’ll ask you one thing. Tell me: if I go to my mother, will I not find myself sinning before the Lord because I did not obey the commandments written in the Gospel, since our Master said: “Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me.” (Matthew 10:37). Pachomius said that he did not at all want to force him to break the commandment of the Gospel about renouncing family attachments for the sake of completely pleasing God, but he suggested that he go on a date with his mother because he knew about her tears and feared that Theodore himself would be saddened by his mother’s grief. Pachomius, admitting that he himself was very happy about his disciple’s exact fulfillment of God’s commandments, expressed the idea that the bishop would also be happy about this, since it is the bishops who teach what is contained in the Gospel. Some of the brothers, wanting to provide at least a little consolation to Theodore's mother, came up with a common job for the monks outside the monastery. Theodore also went to this work. The mother was consoled by the fact that, although from afar, she saw her ascetic son among the monks. One day, when Theodore was outside the monastery on some kind of obedience, his brother Paphnutius appeared at the monastery. He expressed a desire to become a monk, but on the condition that he be with Theodore. When Theodore returned to the monastery, his brother’s words were conveyed to him. But it seemed bad to the zealous monk that his brother wanted to be a monk as if only for his sake. That's why he didn't want to see his brother. However, Pachomius convinced him not to refuse his brother a meeting. After mutual greetings, Theodore said to his brother: “If you came here for me, then return to where you came from; if you came for the sake of God, then why didn’t you agree to become a monk before I came to you? With these words, Theodore immediately left his brother. But Paphnutius followed him and, having caught up with him, said to him with tears: “How many days have I been waiting for your arrival, and when you appear, you say such a cruel word to me!” “If you came for my sake to become a monk now, then you could leave the monastic life if I left it.” But if you do this out of fear of God, then whether I can endure this life or not, you will remain in the monastery constantly. Theodore led his brother into the monastery. Soon, having asked for Theodore's cell, Paphnutius entered there and sat down. Seeing his brother in his cell, Theodore was greatly embarrassed and said to him: - Stay here: but I no longer want to live here for fear that we might not be like people who are related to each other in a carnal relationship. Let me live near you along with all the brothers, because in this monastery there is no difference, we are all servants of God and children of our Abba. Theodore's harsh words terribly upset his brother. Paphnutius immediately went to Saint Pachomius and with tears asked to be released back home, since such unbrotherly treatment of Theodore was unbearable for him. Then Pachomius called Theodore and sternly said to him: -Why did you speak cruelly to him? Don't you know that this is a young plant? Don't you think that anyone who comes to become a monk will already have the fear of the Holy Spirit? After all, there are people who come to save their souls, while others come for other reasons. Pachomius pointed out to Theodore that monks, in any case, should treat such people with complete patience, expecting that they too will finally learn the path of God and leave their carnal wisdom. Finally, Pachomius asked Theodore to be his brother’s leader in monastic life until he himself acquired a true understanding of the duties of a monk. Being under the direct leadership of Saint Pachomius and fulfilling all his instructions with tireless zeal, Theodore soon became a role model for all monks. The Monk Pachomius even sent many monks to him for instruction and consolation. With his wise, loving words, Saint Theodore managed to console and calm many. One monk could not bear the stern remarks of Saint Pachomius. He was even ready to leave the brotherhood. Only Saint Theodore found a way to calm him down. “You are not the only one who suffers,” said Theodore, “I am also sad in heart because of him, because he often reproached me.” Now let us stay together to console each other until we see if he will stop reproaching us; otherwise we will go somewhere else. These words calmed the monk’s soul. Meanwhile, Theodore told Pachomius everything secretly from others. A month later, Theodore invited this brother to Pachomius. Of course, Pachomius met the two monks with great meekness and fatherly tenderness. They both calmed down: the monk, who had previously been saddened by Pachomius, was glad that the Abba had changed his attitude towards him, and Theodore rejoiced at his calmness and thanked God, who had given him the opportunity to serve as an instrument of salvation for the grieving monk. Here is another case testifying to the prudent love for the brethren that distinguished both Pachomius and Theodore. One young monk definitely wanted to go on a date with his parents. Pachomius was very afraid that he would never return to the monastery. Therefore, the wise Abba does not let him go alone, but gives him Theodora as a companion. “Agree with him on everything so that he returns here with you,” Pachomius said to Theodore. The parents of the young monk lovingly greeted their son and his companion. In a special room they were served food permitted by monastic customs. The young monk also asked Theodore to eat. At first he refused. But the brother said that if Theodore did not eat with him, then he would not return to the monastery. Theodore remembered the commandment of Pachomius, extended his hand to the food and ate a little. But while fulfilling the last commandment of Pachomius in this way, Theodore also well remembered one of the first, very important ones. Abba once told him that during his monastic life he himself did not allow any of the laity to see him eat. Consequently, a monk, according to the thought of St. Pachomius, cannot eat food in a secular house, except in cases of extreme necessity. This caused repentance in Theodore’s soul for a long time, and he prayed to God to forgive him the sin he committed in order to prevent the young monk from being able to completely remain in the world. This is how the Monk Theodore was strict with himself. Saint Theodore’s severity towards himself and distrust of his own opinions are his distinctive qualities. Here is an incident in which his severity towards himself was especially clearly expressed. One brother ate a lot of leek. Thinking that it was not good for the young monk to eat a lot of leek, because it strengthens the body, Theodore meekly reprimanded him. Then Theodore began to think about whether he had acted well: maybe the monk himself would have corrected himself. However, Theodore’s words had a very strong effect on the young monk: until his death, for twenty-nine years, he did not use leek at all. Having learned about this monk’s abstinence, Theodore himself did not eat leek until his death, so as not to appear guilty before the Lord of violating the rule that he had imposed on another. By this quality of selflessness and the most subtle nobility, Saint Theodore, as in everything else, was a true disciple of Saint Pachomius. It was not easy for Saint Pachomius to govern the numerous brotherhood scattered across nine monasteries. He needed an assistant. Theodore the Sanctified, the best of the great elder’s disciples, could also be the best assistant in serving the salvation of monks. The “Life” of Pachomius conveys that he had a revelation from above, which confirmed him in his decision to make the Monk Theodore his assistant. Theodore the Sanctified was distinguished not only by his virtuous life, but also by his special gift of speech and knowledge of the Holy Scriptures. Saint Pachomius once instructed him to give a lesson to the brethren on Sunday. Theodore, without any pride, takes the place of Pachomius and delivers a teaching, considering the will of the elder to be his law. Pachomius himself listened with deep attention to the animated speech of his student, taking his place among all the monks. But some of the monks did not like that Theodore, this young monk, was teaching them instead of Pachomius. They became extremely jealous. They even left the meeting. The lesson is over. Pachomius calls on the monks who had abandoned their teaching and reproaches them for the fact that, out of their pride, they did not listen to Theodore’s teaching, while he made an order about this in front of them, and besides, he himself listened attentively and with benefit to his soul to the speech of his disciple. Pachomius assured them that they would not receive any mercy from God unless they brought sincere repentance. Of course, many were brought to their senses by the elder’s stern speech, many accepted his advice to drive out envy and pride from their hearts. However, there were also monks who, after denouncing the elder, hated Theodore even more, so that they could not even calmly look at him. Theodore himself not only did not harbor the slightest enmity towards them, but always treated them with special attention and love. Soon Saint Pachomius appointed Theodore as a builder in Tavennisi. The great elder himself settled in another monastery of Pevou. He hoped that Theodore would govern in his spirit, and that his wise conversations and edifying example would be of great benefit to the monks. What spiritual heights Theodore reached at this time can be seen from the testimony of the experienced and zealous Abba Cornelius, one of the first disciples of the Pachomievs. Cornelius, who looked at the Monk Pachomius as an Angel in the flesh, saw in Theodore the best of the Pachomiev disciples and said that in his future life he would like to take his place precisely after Theodore. Having become a commander in Tavennisi, Saint Theodore often went to Pevou to ask Abba Pachomius for advice or to listen to his general teachings. Returning to his monks, he conveyed to them what he had heard from Pachomius. Abba Pachomius used to force the monks to repeat what was said at the end of the teaching. And Saint Theodore adopted this custom. For his part, he considered the work of delivering teachings necessary for himself, feeling the great sweetness of assimilating and communicating to others the word of God. Pachomius also sometimes went to Tavennisi and here talked with everyone or with someone separately about the salvation of the soul. His wisdom, his virtues, especially humility before everyone, even before the youngest members of the brotherhood, all this was a source of edification for everyone. But Theodore especially treasured these visits and stored in his heart lessons from life or from the words of the great elder. Pachomius carefully monitored all the actions of Theodore in order to give him good advice in time. When Theodore did not strictly monitor the observance of all the rules prescribed by Pachomius, Pachomius pointed out to him that it was necessary to demand complete obedience from the monks, obedience even in small matters, because violation of the slightest rule upsets the order of monastic life and leads to the development of a spirit of disobedience in the monks. When two monks allowed themselves to talk while working in the bakery, and Theodore did not pay attention to this, Pachomius strictly and persistently told him that he must ensure that the rules of external behavior are followed. When Theodore, improving more and more, finally reached a high degree of purity of heart and spiritual wisdom, the Monk Pachomius summons him from Tavennisi to his place in Pevou, wanting Theodore to share with him the work of managing all the monasteries. so that he would be the same helper for him as Joshua was for Moses. Now Pachomius often gives Theodore very important assignments. He sends him in his place to monitor the spiritual state of the brothers and to heal their spirit. Theodore had the right in all monasteries to dispose of the reception of monks and the expulsion from the monastery of those who, being incorrigible, by their behavior caused temptation in the brotherhood. Explaining the Holy Scriptures, Pachomius places Theodore next to him. Now Theodore preaches even more often than before instead of Pachomius. His word has the most beneficial effect on his listeners. The love that Theodore, according to the testimony of the ancient biography, had not only for every monk, but also for every person, gave him the opportunity to penetrate into the spiritual needs of his brothers and help them with wise and warm words. Pachomius, for his part, was for him an experienced adviser and a strict accuser: he wanted Theodore not to stop at that level of moral purity and spiritual wisdom that he had so quickly achieved, but that he would improve more and more, so that he would become completely pure in spirit and could no longer lose this purity. The Monk Theodore often taught the monks. At the same time, he often addressed the monks with speeches in which he denounced either the shortcomings common to many, or the shortcomings and misdeeds of individuals, without naming the perpetrators by name. It happened that they themselves repented before the whole congregation and asked for forgiveness from the brethren. After the death of the Monk Pachomius and his successor Abba Petronius, who lived not long after Pachomius, Saint Theodore was a wise leader on the path to salvation for all the monasteries of Tabennisia, partly helping Abba Orsisius in their management, partly governing the monasteries in his stead, although in complete unity with him, as if as his co-ruler. Both in life and in word he brought great benefit to the monks and became famous for his miracles. For his exploits and for his wisdom, Saint Athanasius the Great treated him with special respect. He died twenty years after the death of the Monk Pachomius 3268. The monks, led by Abba Orsisius, mourned him for a long time. Saint Athanasius sincerely shared their grief. As a consolation to the monks, the saint of Alexandria sent them a large message, in which he spoke a lot and eloquently about the virtues and exploits of Abba Theodore the Sanctified. Desert dweller, and in the body an Angel and a miracle worker appeared to our God-bearing Father Theodore: by fasting, vigil, and prayer, I received heavenly gifts, healing the sick, and the souls of those who flow to you by faith. Glory to him who gave you strength: glory to him who crowned you: glory to him who brings healing to all through you. In the house of God you flourished like a phoenix, and you brought the fruits of the Lord’s virtues with a fair amount of fasting, Reverend Father. In the same way, you rejoice, as the bodiless are equal. He was born around 316. Most likely in 368. You might be interested in: