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St. Spyridon, Bishop of Trimythous St. Spyridon was born on the island of Cyprus from parents of simple rank; was married, had children and was distinguished by extraordinary humility and Christian wise simplicity of heart, which gained him such respect for himself that after the death of his wife, for the holiness of his life, he was unanimously elected and appointed bishop of the city of Trimifunt. And in the priesthood of St. Spiridon lived with the same simplicity, worked in the field along with ordinary workers, continued to engage in sheep breeding, which did not prevent him from paying active attention to all the needs of his flock, spiritual and material. He served with the greatest love in word and deed and was so pleasing to God that he received the gift of foresight that saved many and, in general, of working miracles. The memories preserve countless examples of the complete accuracy of his predictions, as a result of which he even refrained from uttering threats, so that he would not be considered the cause of the disasters he shrewdly foresaw... So, for example. Saint Spyridon predicted the disgrace of the plan of one inhuman, self-seeking man who wanted to enrich himself at the expense of the needy, and this came true. When, during a famine on the island, one of the grain merchants, having purchased a large supply of grain, did not want to give it up to even a single poor man at a reduced price, then in response to the complaint of one of these unfortunate people who were threatened with starvation, the saint said: “Don’t cry... tomorrow your house will be filled with life, and the rich man who refused you bread today, tomorrow he will beg you to take bread from him without payment” ... - And indeed that same night It rained so heavily that all the grain merchant's granaries were washed away and grains of grain were scattered throughout the city, so that everyone could collect as much as they wanted, and the confused rich man, rushing in all directions, begged everyone, including yesterday's poor man, to take as much bread as they wanted, just to help him save the rest of the grain... Saint Spyridon, as a well-known zealot of the faith, was also among the bishops who took part in the first Ecumenical Council, convened in Nicaea to expose the false teaching of Arius, and, despite his simplicity and the lack of any learning, with a simple but full of conviction statement of faith, he convinced one famous philosopher of the truth of the Orthodox faith to such an extent that he, not finding words for objection, said to the saint: - “Now I believe in everything that you said,” and later confessed to his friends that “I felt the irresistible power of truth emanating from the lips of the holy bishop” ... Glorified by many miracles, Saint Spyridon, having foreseen in advance the time of his departure from the world, died peacefully in old age - in 348. He was buried in the Church of the Holy Apostles in the city of Trimifunt. It is known about his incorruptible relics 171 that “about half of the 7th century. due to barbarian raids they were transferred to Constantinople; in 1453, May 29, priest George, nicknamed Kaloheret, taking them and also the relics of Theodora Augusta, went to Serbia, and from there to the island of Corfu in 1460. The relics of St. He transferred Theodora to the inhabitants of Corfu as a common property, and the relics of St. Spiridon is still kept intact by his descendants, like a valuable treasure, so that the skin of his flesh remains soft. – Indeed, Russian pilgrims of the 14th and 15th centuries, Stefan of Novgorod in Zosima, saw his relics in Constantinople in the Church of the Apostles. Barsky in the 17th century. I saw his whole body on about. Corfu in the church named after him, except for his right hand, which is in Rome, in the Church of Our Lady of the New.” “Glory to him who gave you strength, glory to him who crowned you, glory to him who heals you all!” - the Church sings to St. Spyridon, - having been wounded by the love of Christ, most sacred, your mind was fixed on the dawn of the spirit, with your diligent vision you found your deed, more pleasing to God, having become the Divine altar, and asking for the Divine radiance to all" ... St. Alexander, Bishop of Jerusalem Around 209, he served as a bishop in some city of Cappadocia and suffered imprisonment for zeal for Christianity. Having been in prison, I heard about the elevation (210) of the confessor Asklipiades to the Antiochian throne and greeted the Church of Antioch with the following message: “Alexander, slave and prisoner of Jesus Christ, I wish the blessed Church of Antioch well in the Lord. The Lord made my bonds light and bearable during my imprisonment, deigning me to hear that by the providence of God, Asclepiades, a man most worthy of the merits of the faith, was placed on the episcopal throne of your Antiochian Church,” and so on. Having been freed from prison, he arrived on Bogomolye in Jerusalem (212) and here he was elected co-ruler to the one hundred and sixteen-year-old Bishop of Jerusalem Narkis (August 7), after whose death (213) he served as bishop in Jerusalem for 38 years. In the history of Christian enlightenment, he is known for having collected at his own expense a significant library of books by St. Scripture and the works of Christian writers that existed at that time. This library was also used in his time (in the 4th century) by Eusebius, the writer of Church History. During the persecution of Decius, in the year 250, Saint Alexander was summoned to Caesarea in Palestine for trial and there he confessed Christ a second time. Thrown into prison, he stayed there for a long time and died in 251. A Roman by birth, he was promoted to reader by Pope Sixtus (257–258), and during the reign of Aurelian, around 275, he was tortured and beheaded for confessing the name of Christ. The name Razumnik is a translation of the Greek Sinetos (Συνετός - Reasonable); among the Romans he is called Synesius. † Venerable Ferapont of Monza The Monk Ferapont 172 was a hidden servant of God almost throughout his entire life. He tried to hide his exploits from human eyes. From some cases and his words it is clear that he lived in Moscow and spent his life following the example of Blessed Basil. So, when Paphnutius saw him back in the Obnorsky monastery, to the Paphnutii’s question: “who is he”? answered: “I am Vasiliev’s roommate, who is in Moscow.” In the same way, when Adrian saw him for the first time, he told him: “You will be my father and then you will know my name; Now I’ll say that I am Vasily’s roommate, who is in Moscow.” Having settled in the Monza monastery, he answered the questions of the curious that he was “a monk of the Vozdvizhensky Monastery, also in Kostroma, but he had also been in the reigning city, where he lived near the house of Blessed Basil, separated from him by only one wall.” 16 years before his death, as he himself told his confessor, he was tonsured in the Kostroma Vozdvizhensky Monastery, and so on. in 1575. Thus it is clear that he did not see the blessed one alive. Vasily († 1554), but only imitated his innermost spiritual life. It was learned about his life in the Kostroma monastery that he served here as an example of obedience, was a great faster, and the brethren respected him for his high life. The inhabitants of Kostroma, starting with the governor, had respect for him, came to listen to his instructions and receive his blessing; he received those who visited with love, but severely rebuked others for their weak life and addiction to worldly vanity. Weighed down by fame, he withdrew from Kostroma and settled on the Monza River, at its confluence with Kostroma, 25 versts from Galich; the place where he settled was forested and surrounded by swamps, so that it was possible to get here only by the Kostroma River. “Unseen by anyone, he labored here in prayer and fasting. Only the trace of an unknown person was seen here on the grass; but the hermit did not show himself to anyone. The monk Adrian, who settled with several in the deserted Annunciation Monastery and was offended by the hollow water here, wanted to move the monastery to another place he liked. An unknown hermit came to him and said: “Don’t work, old man! Another place has been assigned to you - on the banks of the Monza River; you will recognize him when two young men are healed of a cruel illness,” Adrian examined the place on the Monze River and finally decided to transport the monastery there. At this time, two sick youths were brought to the Annunciation Monastery of Adrian, one from Buigorod, the other from Solgalich; the father of the first said that an unknown elder told him that his son would be healed by the elder Adrian, who has the dilapidated Annunciation Monastery, and in the new place - the Church of the Resurrection of Christ and St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. According to the story of another, the elder told him that his sick son would be healed by Adrian, who moved the monastery to the mouth of the Monza River. The sick were actually healed by Adrian after performing a prayer service in the church. When the monastery was already being established in a new location, the Monk Ferapont himself came to the Monzen monastery and began to live here. He made Adrian promise that he would not say anything about him that was known to him, and asked to be his spiritual father. “Soon,” added the monk, after two and a half years, God’s will will be fulfilled over me; until my death, do not disclose anything about me.” From that time on, Ferapont left the monastery every day and, crossing the Monza River, hid in the thicket of the forest; There he prayed alone, but spent the night in his cell without sleep and copied books. Monk Cyril complained about St. the elder, who did not participate in the construction of the monastery, and saw the Ethiopians, who instilled in him indignation at the saint; It was hard for him from these visitors until Ferapont came to him, who dispersed the spirits, but forbade him to talk about it. One day the monk went out into the forest to his usual place for solitary prayer. The woman Pelagia, who was picking berries, saw him from a distance and crossed the ravine to look at him up close. The elder was sitting on a log, naked to the waist; blood flowed over his body, bitten by mosquitoes, and gadflies swarmed over him. Due to the woman's inquisitiveness, she came even closer and became blind. In fear, she shouted: “pleaser of God! forgive me, a sinner,” and with this word an invisible force threw her over the ravine, and she began to see; but she was afraid to tell anyone other than Elder Adrian about what had happened to her. Peter, who served in the monastery, once saw the monk walking across the Monza River, and said to him mockingly: “You are ancient for years, but you walk skillfully, as if you were swimming with your feet, and the mantle on you does not move.” The elder did not answer him and walked past. Peter, returning to the monastery, felt a terrible pain in his head, and his face contorted. Adrian, having learned about his unexpected illness, asked: “did you say anything offensive to St. old man? Peter confessed his sin. Adrian advised him to pray and ask for forgiveness from Blessed Ferapont. When St. the elder came out from vespers, the sick man asked him for mercy. Ferapont laid his hands on him and said: “there is no need to condemn anyone,” and the illness passed. The day before his death, Blessed Ferapont said to the brethren: “My end is near,” and asked him to give him Holy Communion. Mysteries during the liturgy. The brothers, seeing him on his feet, did not want to believe that he would soon die. On the very day of his death, everyone gathered for Matins; It was Sunday, St. week. forefather; Blessed Ferapont also came to Matins: at the end of the service, he said goodbye to all the brethren and went to his cell. Hegumen Adrian invited the brethren to go to the cell to see the death of the righteous man. The brothers repeated now that he was still strong; but when they arrived at the cell, the monk was lying on his bed in a robe and doll, and candles were burning in front of the icons; he has already gone to the Lord. It was December 12th, 1591 173. In his afterlife, the monk performed many miracles for the earth. Once after the liturgy, Abbot Adrian lay down to rest on the matting. Ferapont appears and says: “in ten years there will be a great famine in Russia; take care of the rye: then many will eat from your granaries, and they will not become scarce; then your empty lands will also be populated.” Theodosius, a blind elder, tonsured at the monastery, was grinding rye with a millstone at midnight. And then a bright light filled the church, and he saw light coming from the church of St. Nicholas; The Monk Ferapont stood in front of the royal doors. “What do you ask of the Lord?” the monk asked him. “Remission of sins,” answered the blind old man. “Strive, and as you begin, so complete it; after a little time you will see the light of eternity,” the wonderful Ferapont told him. After that, the elder was again left in darkness. At another time, Theodosius ground bread at noon. Ferapont appeared to him again and said: “Peace and blessings be upon you.” Theodosius, who knew him well during his lifetime, fell at his feet. The monk said: “In a little while there will be a great famine throughout all of Russia, but you will not live to see that; soon you will see me in another world; secretly tell Adrian to take good care of the rye; many will have to eat from the monastery.” Blessed Theodosius soon died 174. During the Dormition Fast of 1601, frost destroyed grain throughout Russia: a terrible famine set in and lasted for three years. In Moscow, up to 127,000 people who died of hunger were buried in skudelnitsa 175. The monastery of the Monk Ferapont was a nourishment center for the entire surrounding area; people settled in the wastelands of the monastery, not finding food in their former places. Hegumen Adrian distributed bread to everyone in need, trusting in the Lord, and, as the Monk Ferapont predicted, the monastery’s granaries did not become scarce 176 . The life of St. Ferapont repeats to us the Savior’s instructions: “When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand in prayer in the synagogues and on the streets so that people can see them. Truly I tell you, they have already received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and, having shut the door behind you, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” (Matthew 6:5-6). From the Greek Book of Hours (1838) - by decree. archim. Serg. in "Full month" East." vol. II, part II, p. 385. RKP. a narrative about the beginning of the Monzen monastery, written by the Monzen hieromonk, 39 years after the death of St. Ferapont. At Tsarskoe No. 118. The story about the beginning of the monastery says that the monk reposed in 1591. In the RCP. Saints: “pr. Ferapont, the wonderful father of the Annunciation Monastery of Monza, a miracle worker, reposed in L. 7094 m. Dec. 12 d." track. 1585. The same in history. Hier. 6, 849. The truth is on the side of the story: the famine that occurred 10 years after the death of Ave. Ferapont occurred in 1601. “Reverend. Theodosius, worker of the Monzen monastery,” in the RCP. Saints About the three-year famine that began with the Dormition pestilence of 1601 Artsibashev in the story. about Russia, book. 5, pp. 62–64. Trekhletov has an Apostle written in the Rostov Boris and Gleb Monastery, with the following. modern notes: “l. 7110 (1601) the frost broke... the heat set in from him. From those places bread became dear. 110 In Rostov there was a quarter of rye for 20 altyn, and in 111 in Rostov there was half a third of a ruble for a quarter of rye, and in Moscow it was three rubles and too much, and that year a lot of people died from hunger and death, both from robbery and from fire. That year there was a rebellion. And in 112, rye was forty altyn, and in Moscow it was one and a half rubles, and oats were for 20 altyn” (Yarosl. Provincial Gazette. 1855, No. 36).