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† Rev. Piamas (or Piamuks) and Alexandras In the vicinity of Alexandria, during the reign of St. Chrysostom, there were many virgins who were saved. Some lived in separate cells, others in cinemas. “In the country of Egypt,” says the great preacher, “in Antioch, you can see the army of Christ, a wonderful society, a way of life characteristic of the heavenly powers. And this is not only between men, but also between women... And wives often surpass their husbands in their exploits and erect signs of a brilliant victory” 43. Near Alexandria, the great virgin Alexandra escaped and was saved in a grave cave. “I could not,” says the zealous visitor to the eastern hermits, Melania the Elder, “to see this blessed one in person, but, standing at the hole, I asked her to reveal the reason why she left the city and imprisoned herself in a grave cave.” She answered me through the hole: “One man was crazy about me: in order not to upset or dishonor him, I decided it would be better to imprison myself alive in this tomb than to spoil the soul created in the image of God.” When I said to her: “How can you, servant of Christ, bear this, that you see no one at all, and alone you struggle with sorrow and thoughts”; she answered: “From the very morning until nine o’clock I pray; I spin flax for an hour; during the rest of the day I remember stories about the faith of the holy fathers and patriarchs, about the exploits of the blessed apostles, prophets and martyrs; when evening comes, I, having brought praise to my Lord, eat my share of bread, and spend the whole night in prayer, waiting for my end, when I will be released from here with good hope and appear in the face of Christ.” One kind woman brought her food and passed it through the opening of the cave. Otherwise, the recluse did not show herself to either man or woman. This is how she labored until she was twelve years old! Feeling the approach of death, she prepared herself for burial. Once a woman, having brought food, does not receive any response from the recluse. Realizing that she had died, she let the city know about it. Whole crowds hurried from the city to the cave of the great ascetic, opened the entrance to the cave and saw that the Lord, in anticipation of the ascetic, took her to Himself in the village of the righteous 44. Since Melania did not talk with the recluse before 373, and Palladius, who had been traveling through the deserts of Egypt since 388, no longer found her alive, the death of the saint must be attributed to 376 45. The holy virgin Piamuka (Piama) ascended to a wondrous degree of spiritual perfection in her mother’s house. She lived here as if in a seclusion, alone, did not see empty people, ate food every other day, and after prayer she spun flax. This is what Palladium says about her life. With such simplicity of life, but also with vigilant observation of her soul, she so transformed her soul that the Lord honored her with the gift of insight. The latter opened on a special occasion. Since the Nile fertilizes the fields with its flood of water, the settlement, valuing the beneficial moisture, retains it in the fields with artificial fences; At the same time, human infirmities raise disputes and quarrels, often accompanied by fights. A community more populous than the one where Piamuka lived vowed to exterminate the weak settlement for water. Through the prayers of Amma Piama, God saved her from crime and death. The angel revealed to Piamuka about the villainous plans of the neighbors. She, having called the elders of her village, announced to them the plan. Go, she said, meet those who are coming at you, beg them to refrain from fighting. The elders fell at her feet in fear and said: “We don’t dare go to meet them; we know their drunken life and their riotousness; show us a new kindness, go to them yourself and persuade them to leave us alone.” She did not act at their request, did not go to deal with people with whom she had long refused to communicate, but turned to the Lord; Retiring to her house, she spent the whole night in prayer. "God! so she prayed. You are the Judge of the earth and do not love untruth, accept my prayer, send Your power, so that those who rush to our destruction will stand like pillars in the place where Your power will meet them!” And her prayer was heard. The enemies stopped on the third stone from the village and could not move. They were also given to know that the prayer of the righteous woman was delaying them. They sent their envoys to the village and asked for peace. Give thanks, they said, to God, who, through the prayers of the virgin Piamuka, delivered your property from destruction 46 . Memory of St. Piamuka (Piama) is honored on the 3rd day of March and on Cheese Saturday. The kind of ascetic life that the blessed virgins Alexandra and Piamuk lived through has many advantages, but it is also associated with many dangers. According to the observations of spiritual experience, life alone brings one closer to pride or despair, and sometimes to a passion for self-interest, while the community takes away food from this latter passion and breaks off angular pride. Here is an example given by Palladius from the life of modern saints. Alexandra and Piamuka. There was a virgin in Alexandria. She was humble in appearance, but proud in her soul, and loved money more than Christ. She was rich, but did not give benefits to either the wanderer, or the virgin, or the monk, or the offended, or the poor, or to the church. She took her sister's daughter into her care. She promised her her property day and night, parting with her love for Heaven. The poor thing was deceiving herself. At first she became infected with a passion for money; then he brought his love for his niece to passion, under the influence of vanity. Whoever has enslaved his soul to the care of his relatives is subject to the judgment of the law for the fact that he valued his soul little. Presbyter Macarius, overseer of the almshouse for the crippled, decided to heal the sick virgin. In his youth he was a jeweler, as the maiden knew. Having come to her, he says: I came across expensive emerald and yacht stones; I can’t say whether they were stolen or not, only high-priced stones; the owner sells them for 500 chervonets; This is a wonderful outfit for your niece! The virgin, attached to her niece bride, says: “Do me a favor, do not give them up to anyone; Here’s the money for you,” and gave out 500 chervonets. Saint Macarius used the money for the needs of the almshouse. A lot of time passed, and the virgin was ashamed to remind him about the stones. “He was highly respected as a very pious and merciful elder; he lived for about a hundred years, and I still found him alive,” notes Palladius. Finally, having met him in the church, the maiden says: “What about the stones for which 500 ducats were given?” He answered: “On the same day that you gave me the money, I paid it for the stones; Let's go to the hospice house, I have them there; If you don’t like these stones, take your money back.” When they arrived at the house, the elder said: “Which would you like to see first – yachts or emeralds?” “Whatever you want,” she answered. Macarius led her upstairs and, pointing to the crippled and blind women, said: “These are the yachts!” Then, going down, he pointed out to her the same men, saying: “and these are emeralds!” In my opinion, you won’t find more precious stones than these anywhere! However, he added, if you don’t like them, take your money back.” The ashamed virgin went out and, coming to her place, fell ill with grief. But later she thanked the elder when her niece, after getting married, died childless. She herself began to use her property as it should 47. In our regular monasteries, where money is divided between hands, how often we come across such patients! On the same day, the celebration of the Volokolamsk Icon of the Mother of God On the same day, the celebration of the Volokolamsk Icon of the Mother of God. This holy icon became famous on March 3, 1677 in the Joseph Monastery in the city of Volokolamsk. St. Muchch. Eutropia, Cleonica and Basilisk – Cappadocian St. Muchch. Eutropia, Cleonica and Basilisk - Cappadocian, warriors from the squad of St. Theodore Tiron, for the confession of Christ to those who suffered at the end of the 3rd table. The first two, brothers in the flesh, were crucified after suffering in Amasia Pontic from Asklipiad on March 3rd; The basilisk was beheaded by the sword under Maximian; his memory on May 22nd. Demon. 4, on the Gospel of Matthew. Among the Abyssinians and Copts they are revered among the Saints: Feb. 9. (3) “three bright hermits”; Apr. 8 (3) Agapis, Ariana and Ascopius virgins; Apr. 13 (8) Deaconess Dionysia; May 6 (1) Salome the ascetic; May 20 (15) Sedeza student of teacher. Ammon; July 3 (June 27) Mary the ascetic; July 6 (June 30) Saturnine ascetic. Ludolfi comm. ad hist, æthiop. p. 405, 413. 415. Unfortunately, we do not have detailed information about their lives. Lavsaik Palladia, ch. 5. In Heraclides, in ch. 1, Didymus speaks of the recluse: “in the twelfth year, going to her last rest, she took herself away.” Also according to a special edition by Lavsaik. Migne T. 94, p. 255, 348. Among the Copts, St. Alexandra – Apr. 15 (10). Ludolfi comm. ad hisst. p. 413. Heraclides, ch. 18, Lavsaik, ch. 33. Lavsaik, ch. 6. Heraclides, ch. 2. The same story in the Prologue March. 30 and in the collection Patericon under the banner. m. There and here the nun is called Monaca.