Глава 7. Переход иеромонаха о. Макария (Иванова) из Площанской пустыни в Оптинский скит ради сожительства с старцем о. Леонидом. Их взаимные отношения; единомыслие и единомудренность обоих старцев в отношении к их духовным детям. Влияние старца о. Леонида на посторонние обители мужские и женские

Now we have met the name of hieromonk Fr. Makaria (Ivanova). We’ll say a few words about it as time goes on. Father Macarius, as mentioned above, an ascetic monk, had long been in the closest relationship with the elder Fr. Leonid, who spent six months in the Ploshchanskaya hermitage, continuing spiritual communication with him even after he left for Skete, through correspondence. And although Fr. Macarius loved the Ploshchanskaya hermitage very much and, perhaps, would never have parted with it, but his fiery love for the elder Fr. Leonid, a blessed husband with a high gift for spiritual reasoning, and besides this, also unpleasant circumstances unnatural to his spirit, prompted him to decide to say goodbye forever to his native nest, where he spent many years and was reborn spiritually. It is known that Fr. Macarius, with his inclination towards an ascetic life, did not have the ability or attraction to economic affairs. Meanwhile, in 1831, by order of the diocesan authorities, he was simultaneously appointed a member of two committees - for the reconstruction of the Sevsky school building and for the construction of a stone fence around the Sevsky Convent. He became bored with this activity, which was uncongenial to his spirit, as he expressed himself in a letter to the elder Fr. Leonid like this: “I got involved in committees.” Moreover, in October of the same year, the Orlovsky Bishop Nikodim, going to the Holy Synod, unexpectedly for Fr. Makaria summoned him to Oryol and took him with him to St. Petersburg as treasurer and housekeeper, in which position he remained for almost a whole year, until October 21, 1832. On the way from Orel to St. Petersburg, Fr. Macarius had the consolation of going to Optina Pustyn (located half a mile from the big Kyiv highway) to see and say goodbye, and by the way, to consult with his spiritual mentor and friend, the elder Fr. Leonid. Upon arrival in the capital, he soon wrote with sorrow to the Elder: “I see myself as very incapable of making economic decisions, and even more so when everything is still unsettled. And I don’t know what will happen to me next; but God’s will be done!” In his further letters from St. Petersburg to the elder Fr. Leonid O. Macarius constantly expressed the sorrow of his soul over the deprivation of desert habitation and the burden of constantly being in the rumors and cares of the city, which were so inconsistent with his spiritual dispensation. Finally, on the way back from St. Petersburg, stopping again at Optina Pustyn, Fr. Macarius has already asked permission from his elder Fr. Leonida and the consent of Fr. abbot Moses to move him to the Optina monastery. He submitted a petition for this to Fr. Optina. to the abbot, asking him to give him a move when he finds it convenient; and he himself returned to the Ploshchansk hermitage and, surrendering to the will of God, calmly waited for what the Lord would say about him. Meanwhile, he was presented as one of three candidates for the position of builder of the Ploshchanskaya hermitage, since its rector, Fr. Markellin had long been hopelessly ill. But oh. Macarius, having experienced the full weight of official sorrows, did not want this appointment; for in my thoughts I had already decided to live and strive together with my elder and spiritual mentor, Fr. Leonid, and obey his will and leadership in everything. The case of the transfer of hieromonk Fr. Makaria's journey from Ploshchanskaya to Optina Pustyn lasted almost a whole year, and only in 1834, on April 14, he received a decree from the spiritual consistory, which fulfilled his long-standing desire. He tearfully said goodbye to the monastery, under the shadow of which he had lived for more than 23 years, and, having given thanks to the Queen of Heaven, to whose protection he had entrusted himself in this matter, he hurried to the Optina monastery to unite with his loving elder, Fr. Leonid. Thus, in addition to the two above-mentioned men of high spiritual life and experience, the abbot of the monastery, Fr. Moses and the hermitage leader Fr. Anthony, two more godly and wise men appeared in Optina Pustyn, the elder hieromonks Fr. Leonid and Fr. Macarius. These were the four spiritual pillars on which the spiritual life of the Optina brotherhood was mainly built and strengthened. And it is remarkable that all these truly holy men were of completely different characters. But despite this diversity of character, they lived in such a union of peace and sincere Christian love that each of them was ready to lay down their souls for the other. Yes, they actually laid down their souls for each other through their good will and willingness to patiently endure various troubles and misfortunes when one of them or their common good required it. From the very moment he entered the Optina monastery, Fr. Macarius helped the elder Fr. Leonid in his extensive correspondence with persons who asked him for spiritual advice and edification; and also was the Elder’s assistant in the spiritual care of the brethren and visitors, especially since 1836, when he was appointed confessor of the monastery. The relationship between the elders, Fr., was instructive and edifying. Leonid and Fr. Makariy. This latter had been the confessor of the Sevsky nunnery for more than seven years, and many had him as their mentor, using his spiritual advice. Despite the fact that he, humbled and imputing himself to nothing, ran away from human glory, striving, as a special honor and distinction, to be at the feet of another elder. Filled with faith and love for his spiritual father, Fr. Macarius, being the main designated monastery confessor and skete commander, did nothing without asking Fr. Leonidas, and out of humility he attributed all the success of his undertakings secretly and openly to the prayers, advice and blessings of his father until his very blessed death. Leonidas remained one of his most zealous students. He showed the same humility on his part in relation to Fr. Macarius and Elder Fr. Leonid. From the beginning of his monastic life, he himself always followed the same path of obedience. Having been under the spiritual guidance of Elder Theodore for almost twenty years, Fr. Leonid so loved to obey the advice of his mentor in everything that even after his death he did not do anything on his own behalf, as we will now see below. Having met in the Ploshchanskaya Hermitage with Fr. Macarius, Elder Fr. Leonid, as noted above, was glad to become close to such a gifted and skillful monk, and upon his transfer to the Optina monastery, he looked at him not as a student, but as his collaborator and spiritual friend. In this he imitated the example of his humble elder Fr. Theodore, who, being his mentor and leader, at the same time had him as his spiritual father and often conferred with him as with his friend and brother about Christ. Most of all, Elder Fr. Leonid revealed his humility and his respect and love for Fr. Macarius in that he brought him closer to himself and made him his assistant, sharing with him the work of spiritual care for the brethren and visitors. In the last five years of his life, Elder Fr. Leonid mostly blessed those who wanted to use his guidance to contact Fr. Macarius and reveal to him everything that was revealed to Fr. Leonid. For his part and Fr. Macarius, when he learned from his spiritual children something important concerning them, always asked whether they had explained this to the Elder; and if they didn’t explain, then I sent him to him for an explanation. Thus, the soul of each of those related to them was equally open to both elders, and both of them equally knew all the circumstances of their spiritual children. If anyone, having confessed to Fr. Macarius, came to receive a blessing from the elder Fr. Leonidas, the Elder, who, as noted above, had the gift of revealing and recalling forgotten sins, asked whether this or that was said about. Macarius; and if they did not speak out of oblivion or for some other reason, then they sent him again to explain what was unspoken. When asked about something about. Macarius, he did not give any decision without the Elder. Also the Elder without Fr. Macaria did not decide anything, but in such cases he used to say: “Let’s wait, Fr. will come. Macarius, let’s talk together.” It was touching to see such unanimity and mutual love between the two elders. “It happened,” said the spiritual daughter of Fr. Leonida and Fr. Macaria, who was later the abbess of the Belevsky convent, Abbess Pavlina 73, used to talk to Fr. Leonid, enters Fr. Macarius. Father Leonid says to him: “Father! Talk to her; she needs to explain something to you." Or, they sit, like Angels of God, next to each other, and we stand on our knees before them and open our souls to the two as if to one, and never separated them or made any distinction between them. Truly, their heart and soul are one... 74 Therefore,” the narrator added, “when Father Leonid died, although We grieved for him, but our grief was moderate, since we lost one half, and the other remained with us.” Thus, the elders, inspired by unity of wisdom and bound by mutual spiritual love and unanimity, taught their spiritual children these most important Christian virtues not only by word, but most of all by their own example, and did not allow any division to arise between them, to which the disciples, due to human weakness, are often prone, as the Apostle Paul denounced the Corinthians for such division, saying: Let me know about you, my brethren... for zeal is the essence of you. I say this, as every one of you says: I am Pavlov, I am Apollos, I am Cephas, I am Christ. Food stripped Christ? (1 Cor. 1:11-13). Between the spiritual children of Fr. Leonida and Fr. Macarius there were no such divisions or parties. The unanimity and like-mindedness of the elders was also reflected in their spiritual children. Thus, in one monastery there were two elders, but there was no division, and the unity of elder care was not lost. However, despite such unanimity and mutual love and respect of both elders, Fr. Leonid, from the very moment he entered the Skete, Fr. Macarius, yielding to his unhypocritical request, humility and constancy, decided to treat him as a son and disciple beloved in the Lord and, following the instructions of St. John of the Climacus, did not miss opportunities to bring crowns to a skilled ascetic by testing his patience. For this purpose, Elder Fr. Leonid often subjected him to reprimands and remarks in front of others, so that they too could take advantage of his humility. Here is one of many examples of this. Rector Fr. Moses, calling Fr. Macarius (after his appointment as confessor of the monastery), asked him to take over the mantle from the brethren who were preparing to be tonsured. Father Macarius, turning the boss’s request into an order, responded to it with humble worship. Having then come to the Elder and finding him, as usual, surrounded by many people asking about their spiritual needs and perplexities, Fr. Macarius briefly told him why the abbot had called him. Father Leonid, with an air of severity, asked Fr. Macaria: “Well, did you agree?” “Yes, I almost agreed, or, better to say, I didn’t dare refuse,” answered Fr. Macarius. “Yes, this is characteristic of your pride...” said the Elder, raising his voice and, taking on the appearance of an angry one, began to reproach Fr. Macaria. And he stood with his head bowed, humbly bowing and repeating from time to time: “I’m sorry, forgive me for God’s sake, Father!” All those present, accustomed to respect Fr. Macarius is on a par with the elder Fr. Leonidas looked at this, some with bewilderment, others with reverent surprise. When the Elder fell silent, Fr. Macarius, bowing at his feet, meekly asked: “Forgive me, Father! Would you bless me to refuse? - “How to refuse? You asked for it yourself, and why not refuse? No, now we can’t refuse, the job is done,” said Fr. Leonidas, who did not at all mean to deprive those who were entrusted to the spiritual guidance of an experienced mentor of spiritual benefit. The purpose of the reprimand was different: to tempt the humility of the elder disciple who was successful in it and to take advantage of others through this - and it was completely achieved. By doing this, Elder Fr. Leonid, meanwhile, not only deeply loved fatherly, but also heartily respected Fr. Macarius, as his spiritual friend and co-secretary, and when he found it useful, he showed these feelings to such an extent that he amazed those who heard. Some once asked Fr. Leonid about the mental state of the abbot of the monastery, Fr. Moses, his brother - the head of the hermitage, Fr. Anthony and the hieromonk mentioned here, Fr. Macaria. The elder answered briefly: “Father Moses and Fr. Anthony is a great man, and Macarius is a saint.” Those who heard it later explained to themselves the words of the Elder with the words of St. John Climacus: “Great people have the ability to endure annoyance courageously and with joy; saints and venerables - to accept praise without harm" 75 . Spiritual activity of the elder Fr. Leonida was not limited to Optina Pustyn and its many visitors. In 1837, one of the students of Fr. Leonida, who arrived with him in Optina Pustyn from the Alexander-Svirsky Monastery, Hieromonk Geronty, was appointed rector of the Kaluga Tikhon Monastery. With him, up to five brothers of the same wisdom were released from Optina. And in time, some more came to him with the blessing of the Elder. From that time on, the Elder himself visited the Tikhon Hermitage every year and lived there for several periods of time, taking care of the spiritual nourishment and strengthening of its brethren. In addition, through people who were devoted to him and in material terms, he benefited this poor monastery, which from that time on began to improve little by little. But this will be discussed in more detail below. In 1839, the monastery leader, Hieromonk Anthony, was appointed abbot of the Maloyaroslavets Nikolaevsky Monastery (Kaluga diocese), where some of the elder Fr.’s disciples also went with him. Leonida. Living in Maloyaroslavets, they continued to use his instructions. Thus, the spiritual influence of the elder Fr. Leonid extended, in addition to Optina Pustyn, to two more monasteries within the Kaluga diocese, in which at one time he also introduced eldership. Finally, from some women’s monasteries of other dioceses, many nuns used the spiritual guidance of the elder Fr. Leonid, especially from the Sevsky Trinity Monastery of the Oryol diocese, the Borisov Tikhvin Hermitage of the Kursk diocese and the Belevsky Holy Cross Monastery of the Tula diocese. In each of these monasteries, Fr. Leonid had some disciples devoted to him, who were more successful than others in spiritual life, who both during his life and after his death were elders and mentors of many of the sisters who belonged to them. So the spiritual seed of the elder Fr. Leonida grew and spread far and beyond the borders of the Kaluga diocese. Died June 20, 1877 Ladder. Step. 22. Ch. 12.