Reader: In this Palestinian monastery in the vicinity of Caesarea lived the venerable monk Zosima. Sent to a monastery from childhood, he labored there until he was 53 years old, when he was confused by the thought: “Will there be a holy man in the most distant desert who has surpassed me in sobriety and work?” As soon as he thought this way, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said: “You, Zosimas, have labored well in human measure, but among men there is not a single righteous one (Rom. 3:10). So that you understand how many other and higher forms of salvation there are, leave this monastery, like Abraham from his father’s house (Gen. 12:1), and go to the monastery located by the Jordan.” Abba Zosima immediately left the monastery and, following the Angel, came to the Jordan monastery and settled in it. Here he saw the elders, truly shining in their exploits. Abba Zosima began to imitate the holy monks in spiritual work. So a lot of time passed, and the Holy Pentecost approached. There was a custom in the monastery, for the sake of which God brought St. Zosima here.
On the first Sunday of Great Lent, the abbot served the Divine Liturgy, everyone partook of the Most Pure Body and Blood of Christ, then ate a small meal and gathered again in the church. Having made a prayer and the prescribed number of prostrations to the ground, the elders, having asked each other for forgiveness, took a blessing from the abbot and under the general singing of the psalm “The Lord is my enlightenment and my Savior: whom will I fear? The Lord is the protector of my life: from whom shall I fear?” (Ps. 26:1) they opened the monastery gates and went into the desert. Each of them took with him a moderate amount of food, whoever needed what, some did not take anything into the desert at all and ate roots. The monks crossed the Jordan and dispersed as far as possible so as not to see anyone fasting and asceticism. When Lent ended, the monks returned to the monastery on Palm Sunday with the fruit of their work (Rom. 6:21,22), having examined their conscience (1 Pet. 3:16). At the same time, no one asked anyone how he worked and accomplished his feat. That year, Abba Zosima, according to monastic custom, crossed the Jordan.
He wanted to go deeper into the desert to meet one of the saints and great elders who were saving themselves there and praying for peace. He walked through the desert for 20 days and one day, when he was singing the psalms of the 6th hour and doing the usual prayers, suddenly a shadow of a human body appeared to his right. He was horrified, thinking that he was seeing a demonic ghost, but, having crossed himself, he put aside his fear and, having finished the prayer, turned towards the shadow and saw a naked man walking through the desert, whose body was black from the sun’s heat, and his short, bleached hair turned white like a lamb’s fleece. Abba Zosima was delighted, since during these days he had not seen a single living creature, and immediately headed in his direction. But as soon as the naked hermit saw the 3-axis coming towards him, he immediately started running from him. Abba Zosima, forgetting his old age's infirmity and fatigue, quickened his pace. But soon, exhausted, he stopped at a dry stream and began to tearfully beg the retreating ascetic: “Why are you running from me, a sinful old man, saving yourself in this desert?
Wait for me, weak and unworthy, and give me your holy prayer and blessing, for the sake of the Lord, who has never disdained anyone.” The unknown man, without turning around, shouted to him: “Forgive me, Abba Zosima, I cannot, having turned, appear to your face: I am a woman, and, as you can see, I don’t have any clothes on to cover my bodily nakedness. But if you want to pray for me, a great and damned sinner, throw me your cloak to cover yourself, then I can come to you for a blessing.” “She would not have known me by name if through holiness and unknown deeds she had not acquired the gift of clairvoyance from the Lord,” thought Abba Zosima and hastened to fulfill what was told him. Covering herself with a cloak, the ascetic turned to Zosima: “What did you think, Abba Zosima, to talk to me, a sinful and unwise woman? What do you want to learn from me and, sparing no effort, you spent so much work? He, kneeling down, asked her blessing. In the same way, she bowed before him, and for a long time both of them asked each other: “Bless.”
Finally, the ascetic said: “Abba Zosima, it is fitting for you to bless and say a prayer, since you have been honored with the rank of presbyterate and for many years, standing at the altar of Christ, you have offered the Holy Gifts to the Lord.” These words frightened the Monk Zosima even more. With a deep sigh he answered her: “O spiritual mother! It is clear that you, of the two of us, have come closer to God and died for the world. You recognized me by name and called me presbyter, having never seen me before. Your measure must also bless me. For God's sake." Finally yielding to Zosima’s stubbornness, the saint said: “Blessed is God, who desires the salvation of all people.” Abba Zosima answered: “Amen,” and they rose from the ground. The ascetic again said to the elder: “Why did you come, father, to me, a sinner, devoid of all virtue? However, it is clear that the grace of the Holy Spirit directed you to perform one service that my soul needed.
Tell me first, Abba, how do Christians live today, how do the saints of God’s Church grow and prosper?” Abba Zosima answered her: “Through your holy prayers, God gave the Church and us all perfect peace. But heed the prayer of the unworthy old man, my mother, pray, for God’s sake, for the whole world and for me, a sinner, so that this deserted walk will not be fruitless for me.” The holy ascetic said: “You should rather, Abba Zosima, having a sacred rank, pray for me and for everyone. That's why you were given the rank. However, I will willingly fulfill everything you commanded me for the sake of obedience to the Truth and from a pure heart.” Having said this, the saint turned to the east and, lifting her eyes and raising her hands to the sky, began to pray in a whisper. The elder saw how she rose in the air an elbow from the ground. From this wonderful vision, Zosima prostrated himself, praying earnestly and not daring to say anything other than: “Lord, have mercy!” A thought came into his soul - was it a ghost leading him into temptation? The venerable ascetic, turning around, lifted him from the ground and said: “Why are you so confused by your thoughts, Abba Zosima? I'm not a ghost.
I am a sinful and unworthy woman, although I am protected by holy Baptism.” Having said this, she made the sign of the cross. Seeing and hearing this, the elder fell with tears at the feet of the ascetic: “I beg you, by Christ our God, do not hide your ascetic life from me, but tell it all, in order to make the greatness of God clear to everyone. For I believe in the Lord my God, and by Him you also live, that for this reason I was sent into this desert, so that God would make all your fasting deeds obvious to the world.” And the holy ascetic said: “I am embarrassed, father, to tell you about my shameless deeds. For then you will have to run from me, closing your eyes and ears, as one runs from a poisonous snake. But still I will tell you, father, without keeping silent about any of my sins, but I conjure you, do not stop praying for me, a sinner, so that I will find boldness on the Day of Judgment.
Reader: Lord, have mercy. (Three times). Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.