Letters to A. S. Norov

Contents Alexey Lyubomudrov. “My most sincere friend” Letter No. 1 Letter No. 2 Letter No. 3 Letter No. 4 Letter No. 5 Letter No. 6 Letter No. 7 Letter No. 8 Letter No. 9 Letter No. 10 V. E. Norova Letter No. 11 Letter No. 12 Letter No. 13 Alexey Lyubomudrov. "Most Sincere Friend" Among the few people with whom Saint Ignatius felt a spiritual kinship and whom he could call true friends was Abraham Sergeevich Norov (1795–1869) - one of the remarkable Russian people, a patron of science and enlightenment. A. S. Norov belonged to an old noble family. He was born on October 22, 1795 in the village of Klyuchi, Saratov province, and grew up in an atmosphere of peace, respect and love. In his memoirs, an attractive image emerges of a sociable, energetic man, an enthusiast, absorbed in science and literature, who conscientiously fulfilled his civic duties. Perhaps the most surprising thing about his personality was his deep piety, so unusual in the high society of the 19th century. “Norov has a lot of piety, which, however, does not turn into hypocrisy,” Baron M. A. Korff wrote in his diary in 1820. 1 At the Battle of Borodino, Norov, a seventeen-year-old youth, commanded two guards artillery guns on the left flank. During an attack by a French mounted battery, he was seriously wounded: grapeshot crushed his leg. Norov was brought to Moscow, occupied by the French, where he soon found himself in a hospital for wounded French and Russian prisoners. He was beginning to develop gangrene, but Napoleon’s physician Larrey himself operated on the wounded man and saved his life by amputating his leg. Norov took up literature and science, which he had been attracted to since childhood. In the 1820s. his poems and prose were published in the magazines “Bulletin of Europe” and “Son of the Fatherland”. In 1818 he was admitted to the Free Society of Lovers of Literature, Science and the Arts, and in 1819 - to the Society of Lovers of Russian Literature. At meetings of the Free Society, I met Pushkin; the acquaintance grew into a friendship that lasted until the poet’s last days. Abraham Sergeevich spoke four European languages, studied Latin and Greek, and in order to read the Bible, he learned Hebrew. He collected a library on history and philology, unique in its completeness and rarity of publications, especially rich in books on the culture of the East, Egypt and Palestine. Contemporaries recalled that Norov had the gift of seeing predominantly the bright side of things. “And although more than once his loving, kind heart was amazed by the spectacle of great human disasters, great errors and crimes, these harsh lessons and experiences did not change his worldview, inspired by a deep and firm faith in Providence,” wrote A. V. Nikitenko 2. Despite the loss of his leg, Norov became one of the most famous travelers in Russia in the mid-19th century. Noteworthy places, antiquities, life and customs of peoples were for him not an object of idle curiosity, but a subject of scientific study. In 1821, he traveled around Germany, France, Italy, and Sicily, writing descriptions of the places he saw. In 1827, he was appointed an official in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, then seconded to Admiral D.N. Senyavin as a translator. Norov belonged to those rare people in his era who combined education, scientific research and deep faith. From his youth until his death, he remained a church-going, ardently religious person. In 1834, Norov went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, which lasted two years. “Having passed half of my life, I learned what it means to be sick in soul... I was looking for spiritual refuge... The thought of traveling to the Holy Land had long been lurking in me... the consolation of kissing the footprints of the Savior of the world in the very places where He accomplished the mystery of human redemption forced me to overcome many obstacles,” Norov later wrote in the preface to his book. A visit to the holy places of Palestine, associated with the events of biblical history, Jerusalem and its environs, is captured by Norov in the book “Travel to the Holy Land in 1835.” (SPb., 1838). Every thought and every word of the author when meeting with biblical antiquities is warmed with sincere religious feeling. Filled with religious awe, the descriptions of A.S. Norov combine lyricism and scientific pathos: being not only a pilgrim, but also a researcher, the author clarified the historical and topographical picture of the events narrated in the Holy Scriptures. During his journey, Norov visited Egypt, climbed the pyramids, descended into the catacombs, and explored the ruins of Thebes and Memphis. The results of his reviews were presented in a two-volume book, “Travels through Egypt and Nubia” (1840). From Palestine Norov went to Asia Minor and subsequently published the book “Journey to the Seven Churches Mentioned in the Apocalypse” (1847). The second edition of the book (1854) included an article - “A Study on Atlantis.” In the 1839–1850s gt. Norov is a member of the Petitions Commission of the Senate. In 1851 he was elected a full member of the Imperial Academy of Sciences in the department of Russian language and literature. In 1850–1854 served as Comrade Minister, and in 1854–1858. was the Minister of Public Education. Scientific works and literature were the objects of his tireless care and attention. He made a lot of efforts to improve both the moral atmosphere and the financial situation of scientists, teachers, and students. He later recalled: “In my time, thanks to God, Christian piety was carefully guarded within the walls of all educational institutions and universities. I could be far from being a brilliant minister, I could make a lot of mistakes; but in my time, the morality of students was protected from infection...” 3. Since 1858, Norov has been a member of the State Council. High positions did not damage the remarkable spiritual qualities of this man. They noted his simplicity and artlessness in communication, his constant goodwill. “Only one thing changed his always even tone and was able to outrage his soft, kind nature - this was when one of the interlocutors allowed himself to treat issues of Christian faith and morals frivolously” 4 . Meanwhile, Norov’s personal life had many sorrows. In 1840–1841 he experiences the death one after another of all his children - two-year-old Seryozha, Yura and baby Tanechka. The Norovs had no other children, and from that time on, the only person close to him was his wife Varvara Egorovna. Having married Norov in 1836, she was twenty years younger than her husband, but died before him, at the age of 45, after a long, serious illness. So in 1860, Norov lost his dearly loved person, his most devoted friend, and at the end of his days he remained completely alone. Norov completely immersed himself in scientific studies. In memory of Varvara Yegorovna, he prepared a unique edition of the New Testament in Greek and Slavic languages, with a detailed index of church readings (1861). Norov’s activities as chairman of the Archaeographic Commission, which he headed since 1851, turned out to be extremely fruitful. The commission’s task was to study and publish historical documents and monuments of ancient Russian literature. Under the chairmanship and with the direct participation of Norov, the commission published 35 volumes containing chronicles, charters, scribal books, Chetya-Minea, etc. In 1861, despite his advanced age and illnesses, A. Norov again set off on a trip to the Holy Land. And on this journey, seeking consolation at the Holy Sepulcher, he does not abandon research on the history and topography of Palestine. Overcoming the difficulties of the mountain road, he visited the Sinai Monastery. The description of this journey came out after Norov’s death (“Jerusalem and Sinai”, 1878). His broad education and natural aesthetic sense made him a connoisseur of literature. However, in contemporary democratic literature, he saw a danger for the future destinies of the Russian state. In 1866, he addressed Tsar Alexander II with a letter, where he spoke about “nihilism” as a socially dangerous phenomenon. The letter opened with the confession: “Lonely in the world, I no longer seek or desire anything in it; I seek only God’s mercy, fulfilling my official and public duty impeccably” 5 . Norov's critical essay on L. Tolstoy's novel War and Peace (1868) became famous: while paying tribute to the artist's talent, Norov protested against the distortion of the historical events of 1812 (in which he himself took part), as well as against the far-fetched historical and philosophical concept of the count. A tireless worker, Norov did not give up his studies until the last days of his life. Shortly before his death, he assisted the publishing house of the Panteleimon Monastery on Athos in the preparation of the book “Tales of the Earthly Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary.” On January 23, 1869, A. S. Norov peacefully reposed before God. He was buried in the Trinity-Sergius Hermitage near St. Petersburg. According to a contemporary, “he felt, thought, lived and worked as a citizen worthy of his great fatherland” 6. The brothers of A. S. Norov, whose fates developed differently, were not deprived of literary talent. The elder brother, Vasily Sergeevich (1793–1853), became a participant in the Decembrist movement, a member of the Union of Welfare and the Lodge of the Three Virtues. He spent about ten years in prison, where he wrote “Notes on the Campaigns of 1812 and 1813...”. Through the mediation of Abraham Sergeevich, these memoirs were published anonymously in St. Petersburg in 1834. The younger brother, Alexander (1798–1864), became a lyric poet, in whose work Christian motifs were persistently heard. He spent almost his entire life in rural solitude. In 1836, they tried to accuse him of having connections with the disgraced Chaadaev, and Abraham Sergeevich had to stand up for his brother before A. Benckendorff. In 1855, the poet turned to his brother with a request to protect him from strict censorship and help him publish his poems. The surviving letters of Saint Ignatius to Norov cover a 25-year period - from 1840 to 1865. The Saint's acquaintance with Norov probably took place in the late 1830s. In a letter dated February 21, 1840, Vladyka thanks Norov for his wonderful book about the Holy Land and asks him to write down his name “on the tablets of his heart” as a sincere admirer. Apparently, responding to this message, Norov expressed the desire to see his friend in the person of Saint Ignatius, and the Saint joyfully accepts this offer (letter No. 2). The letters are filled with warmth and tenderness, which are generally not characteristic of the Vladyka’s epistolary heritage. The frequently encountered epithet of A. S. Norov in these letters is “the kindest.” The saint sensed in Norov the pure soul of a good man. In a letter dated September 4, 1847, sent from the Babayevsky Nikolaevsky Monastery of the Kostroma diocese, where Saint Ignatius was on vacation, he already calls himself “the most devoted friend” of Abraham Sergeevich. The true nature of Saint Ignatius himself, who sometimes seems too harsh, is evidenced by his touching concern for his wife Norov, apparently already ill at that time: he sends her apples and confesses his sincere love for Abraham Sergeevich: “My soul seems to hear in his soul something especially kind and dear” (letter No. 10). The subjects of Saint Ignatius' letters are varied. Sometimes it is simply a desire to share one’s feelings, thoughts about the Christian purpose of life (letter No. 2), about the beauty of nature and the benefits of quiet solitude (letter No. 4), an opportunity to console a friend who is sick (letter No. 9). More than once the Saint turned to Norov with requests for assistance: to work for the restoration of justice in relation to an acquaintance (letter No. 6) or to console his elderly father with a reward (letters No. 5, 7). A reply note from Norov dating back to the time of the abbot of Archimandrite Ignatius in the Sergius Hermitage (1835–1857) has been preserved: “Please accept my heartfelt congratulations, my venerable friend and Most Reverend Father Ignatius. I recently returned from Moscow, I have a lot to do, and as soon as I recover, then this very hour, at the behest of my heart, I will come to your monastery to ask for your blessing. Devoted in soul A. Norov 7. In his correspondence with Norov, Saint Ignatius also discussed serious theological topics, touching on important religious issues that remain to this day the subject of polemics between the Orthodox East and the Catholic West. This is the policy of Rome, aimed at subjugating the Orthodox churches, and the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. It is known that one of the main themes in the theological heritage of Saint Ignatius was the defense of the truth of Orthodoxy, the protection of believers from the assimilation of false dogmas and incorrect spiritual dispensation. So, for example, in contrast to the “Imitation of Christ” by Thomas a à Kempis, which has become popular in Russia, Vladyka writes the work “On Following Our Lord Jesus Christ.” In his books, he conducts a tireless polemic with foreign ideas: “Western teaching is darkness and draws us into its darkness with a multiplicity of speculations according to the flesh,” he writes to Norov (letter No. 11). In the person of A. S. Norov, Saint Ignatius found a like-minded person who cared about the purity of the faith. In 1859, A. S. Norov’s book “Mark of Ephesus and George Scholarius Unpublished Works” was published in Paris. It includes the district letter of St. found by Norov in the manuscripts of the Paris library. Mark of Ephesus and his funeral eulogy by George Scholarius. A. S. Norov translated the manuscript from Greek into Russian and accompanied the publication with his preface. The correspondence of St. Ignatius sheds light on the background of this book. Saint Mark, Metropolitan of Ephesus, was a participant in the Council of Florence in 1439, convened to resolve the issue of unifying the Western and Eastern Churches. Many Orthodox bishops, yielding to pressure from the Latin side, agreed to submit to the Pope, but St. Mark refused to sign the conciliar act. His message became a clear protest against attempts to unite the Orthodox Church with the Latin. The funeral homily of George Scholarius, later Patriarch of Constantinople, confirms the correctness of St. Mark, who defended the position of the universal Orthodox Church. From letter No. 3 it is clear that Saint Ignatius supported the scientist’s interest in the personality of the saint. Mark of Ephesus. It was he who prompted Norov to search and study his manuscripts: “You just have to acquire the works of Mark of Ephesus and take care of translating them into Russian.” Thus, Norov’s publication of this book became the fulfillment of the advice and blessing of St. Ignatius. The following facts indicate how close and important this letter turned out to be for Norov. Norov cited a fragment of an ancient manuscript quoted by Saint Ignatius in his work “Journey to the Seven Churches Mentioned in the Apocalypse” (St. Petersburg, 1847, pp. 287–288). He also noted that these lines were told to him by a “pious man” and quoted words from the letter of St. Ignatius himself: “Mark of Ephesus was engaged in spiritual mental prayer, which only the greatest saints did.” These circumstances suggest that letter No. 3 of St. Ignatius was composed between 1840 and 1847. In letter No. 11, Saint Ignatius continues the discussion of the topic of the patristic confession of the Mother of God, which began during a personal meeting (“while I was with you”), and answers questions that interest Norov. The Bishop expounds the thoughts that formed the basis of his famous work - “An Exposition of the Teaching of the Orthodox Church about the Mother of God,” where, explaining the Orthodox understanding of the Mother of God, Saint Ignatius showed the heretical essence of both the Catholic dogma about the sinless conception of the Mother of God, and the Protestant teaching that does not recognize Her Ever-Virginity. Considering that this work was created by Saint Ignatius during his stay at the Stavropol See, the letter to Norov can be dated to approximately 1858–1861. In turn, A.S. Norov helped Saint Ignatius with information on church history for the preparation of his works, for which the Bishop thanks him (letter No. 13, which deals with the “Ascetic Experiences” that have just been published). At the same time, he asks “to explain the book, which is clear to you, to those who are in need of explanation,” meaning the highest church authorities, and expresses his joy at the work accomplished: “I am glad that I have been given the opportunity to bring my mite to the feet of modern Christianity.” Two replies from Norov to Saint Ignatius with an assessment of his works are known. On April 20, 1865, Norov wrote to Vladyka: Your “Ascetic experiences are a valuable pearl in our spiritual literature; I say valuable for a reason, for this work is completely new for us, and despite the severity of its asceticism, it is sweet and gratifying for the soul and heart, especially for those who, living among the world, have already known all its futility, your books will be reference books, guiding and strengthening in the fight against the vain world. I consider them to be such for myself, although I grumble somewhat about my friend Thomas a Kempis 8 . The success of your book is also comforting; glory to the Lord! Love has not dried up in our hearts. I am writing to you on the eve of the most sorrowful day in my life, when I was separated on earth from the blessed soul of my wife, who was protecting me here. Tomorrow early in the morning I’m going for two days to the Sergius Hermitage, full of memories of you, where your books now constitute my favorite reading” 9. In a letter dated April 9, 1867, having received new volumes of the works of St. Ignatius, Norov reports: “Deeply comforted by the precious gift of the 3rd and 4th parts of your highly inspiring works, which I received just before Holy Week itself, on the day of the resurrection of St. Lazarus, I hasten to offer my warm, heartfelt gratitude. Thank you, Holy Father, for bringing me closer to those for whom this world no longer offers any consolation. I became close to your books; they delight me both in the city and in the Sergius Hermitage, full of your memories; there they always lie prepared on the table of the room that has been adopted for me” 10. If Saint Ignatius managed to receive this letter, then it became one of the last ones he read in his earthly life: on April 30 he departed to the Lord. Norov outlived his friend by two years and rested in his beloved Trinity-Sergius Hermitage, the rector of which was St. Ignatius for a quarter of a century. Letters to A. S. Norov No. 1–7, 9, 11–13 are printed from autographs stored in the OR RNL. F. 531. Unit. hr. 360. L. 1 – 17 vol. Letter No. 8 – autographed at the OR RSL. F. 425. K. 3. Unit. hr. 19. Letter No. 10 (to V. E. Norova) - according to the autograph in the OR RNL. F. 531. Unit. hr. 772. All letters are published for the first time. Most Gracious Sovereign! Abraham Sergeevich! The book “Journey to Jerusalem” 11 is constantly before me. From the completeness and accuracy of the story, from its clarity, supported so satisfactorily by the most charming drawings, I get a strange feeling: I am transported to the Holy City, wandering through these mountains, from them the breath of quiet silence blows over me, I involuntarily plunge into the most pleasant reverie, I hear a voice in my heart: I would stay here forever. I owe all these feelings to you, most venerable Wanderer and Writer! Accept these lines - an expression of sincere gratitude, and on the tablets of your heart add my name to the names of those who are disposed towards you with true Christian Love. Your most humble servant and Bogomolets Archimandrite Ignatius. 1840 February 21st day. My most sincere friend, Abraham Sergeevich! My good governor brought me the joyful news from you that you want to be called my friend, having been one for a long time in your soul. I agree - we will be friends; and may God be the strong knot of our friendship. Then our friendship will go into eternity! Yes - eternity! Let's direct our gaze there. Let us value the temporary at the price due to it; We recognize it as insignificant: it is definitely insignificant before eternity. Let us develop Christianity within ourselves, so that Christ will recognize us as His own when we enter eternity. Let us not hear the terrible and bitter: “We don’t know you...” Considering your sincere character, I have always recognized you as capable of living a truly Christian life. I notice that some mysterious voice of yours reminds me of this. Your soul begins to feel the need for true, complete Christianity, and your mind begins to understand this. Christ sacrificed Himself for us and thereby obliged each of us to sacrifice ourselves to Christ. The Apostle directly and clearly tells us that we are no longer our own, that we were purchased by God at the price of the blood of the God-man. Let's not be sacrileges!.. Was it not so that the Name of God would be glorified in us, God arranged it so that the sinful Ignatius came to the heart of the wide-hearted Abraham. I see the finger of God in our friendship. Without God there would be nothing. When the merciful Lord arranges for me a meal of abundant repentance, then I will share my cup with my friend. Archimandrite Ignatius November 8 days. To my true pleasure, dearest to my heart Abraham Sergeevich, I remembered in which manuscript of mine something was said about Mark of Ephesus. Remembering, I found it. Having found and read, I found these lines very significant, which is why I am copying them for you: “Follower of the apostolic footsteps, an insurmountable pillar of the Orthodox faith, at the Synod of Florence, the Dukhoblast of the Latin heresy with the fiery sword of the Spirit and the true Orthodox dogmas, like a spider’s net, torn to pieces, Marco, I say, the most holy, wise and verbal Metropolitan of Ephesus,” at the beginning of the interpretation of church succession he writes “about the Divine With the mind of Jesus in the heart, secretly performed prayer, using evidence from the Divine Scripture, which (that is, Mark) and the most God-wise, I offer verbs, the essence of which is: It is fitting, therefore, according to the commanding commandment, to pray unceasingly, and in spirit and in truth to offer up worship to God; but to worldly thoughts in [nrzb.] and about the body, the care of the ud takes many and leaves the Kingdom of God within us, just as the Lord’s word will support the intelligent one to sit at the altar, but spiritual and verbal sacrifices are offered to God according to the Divine Apostle, he stammers: just as we are the church of God who lives in us and His Divine Spirit lives in us” and etc. From this it is clear that after Mark of Ephesus some works remained, and very important ones; for, as can be seen, he was engaged in spiritual mental prayer, which only the greatest Saints and, what is remarkable, Patriarch Photius, whose spiritual heir Mark was, did. All you have to do is purchase the works of Mark of Ephesus and take care of translating them into Russian. I am writing to you, dearest to my heart, Abraham Sergeevich, from the secluded, beautiful monastery of St. Nicholas of Christ, where I have finally settled permanently after many travels and am beginning to receive treatment 13 . I had to go to Kostroma and Yaroslavl and appear before the saints there. I made the journey with great fatigue; My St. Petersburg illness returned twice or twice, that is, my legs were paralyzed. Now they are sweating heavily and I feel some relief. I’ll tell you about the Babaevsky Monastery that I like it extremely in all respects. The location is great; what waters, what crystal, spring waters! They beat, boil from the mountain and in such quantities that there would be enough of them for the whole of St. Petersburg. What groves with centuries-old oaks! What glades! What a Volga! What silence! What a beauty! I open the book of the ascetic writer, read it, and see that here one can actually implement its advice, whereas in St. Petersburg one can implement them only in fantasy and desire. In a word, for my earthly journey I would not wish for a better, no other shelter than here. With heartfelt pleasure I remember my friends from St. Petersburg, I remember them with gratitude, I invoke God’s blessing on them. I remember the strange-loving, kindest Abraham, I remember the kindest, most sincere Varvara Egorovna. From a quiet refuge, from a distant desert, I appeal to you: do not get carried away by the stream! May the ears of your hearts be attentive to the voice of my prayer!.. O Lord, your most devoted friend Archimandrite Ignatius 1847 September 4th day. My address: Yaroslavl, Timokhino camp. Do not refuse, Dearest Friend, to fulfill my most humble request regarding the Committee of Ministers, in which you, of course, are present in the absence of Prince Shikhmatov 14. This committee received a proposal from the Ministry of Justice to award the Order of St. Anne to my parent, Chairman of the Vologda Civil Chamber, Alexander Semenovich Brianchaninov. Support, Dearest One, this idea with your word, and, to complete the favors, if it is approved, then notify me. I really wanted to console the elder, especially because of his relationship with me (alas!) 15. Christ is with you! May God's blessing rest upon you! Archimandrite Ignatius October 11th day 1850. My soul! The bearer of this letter is an honorary citizen of the city of Kozelsk, Kaluga province, Gn Bryuzgin 16, who belongs to the most pious house, welcoming wanderers and monastics. And the sinful Ignatius, while still a novice, was accepted into their house and received many services from them, living in Optina Pustyn 17. The “Shemyakin trial” was carried out against Mr. Bryuzgin, which I clearly saw from the papers in his possession. Give him, Father, a note to your Apraksin 18 and take Apraksin to deal with him and help him with whatever he needs. And when this happens, I will ask for the next one in a special letter. Christ is with you. Devoted in soul to the kindest Abraham, sinner Ignatius Dearest to my heart, Abraham Sergeevich! I bothered you with my most humble request about my parent, whose nomination to the Court Advisors is now in the Inspectorate Department of Taneyev 19 . I would like to console my elder with some pleasant answer. Take the trouble to write me at least a line, a nice line! Christ is with you! Get well, and check on me. My most sincere friend Abraham Sergeevich! The consolation that I now taste is incomparable! I constantly drink from the cup of love that is given to me by all those who love me, and among them is the priceless Abraham Sergeevich! Thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart! I also thank the Count for his gracious participation! By decree of the Consistory, a written review was required from me, in which the proposal you mentioned was written solely on behalf of the Right Reverend Vicar; Having accepted him with gratitude for his attention to me, nevertheless I saw the need to refuse him. Here is an account of my behavior. Once again thank you for your sincere concern for me. Archimandrite Ignatius April 9th. To the sick person - hello! My contemplations or dreams that come to me on my sick bed are not suitable for you! You need something more fun. And from sad things come joyful things... The once pious Hezekiah wept on his sick bed, and his weeping was not useless. The Prophet announced to him the mercy of Heaven; and Heaven, commanding the luminary of the day to return to twelve degrees, announced the truth of the words of the Prophet. On my sick bed, what could be the subject of my crying? – Hezekiah cried, turning his gaze to the wall; and I can cry if I turn my gaze to my sinful life, which has become a high and solid wall between me and my God. But where is Isaiah? Before what prophetic voice will the shadow of sin stop, give in, and run back? By whose command will the sun of my righteousness, bowing toward its setting and heralding the approaching darkness of the night, again become the rising sun? Is it possible that in the course of one day the day will be twice for me? Is the voice of the Prophet necessary? - And he is heard: “Let me confess my iniquity to the Lord, and You have forsaken the wickedness of my heart...” “Bless the Lord for my soul and do not forget all His rewards, who cleanses all your iniquities, heals all your spiritual ailments, delivers your sinful life from incorruption, crowns you with mercy and bounties” of righteousness and salvation. “He will be renewed” by repentance and correction “like your youth”, the old age that has come from your negligence and your iniquities. Not a Prophet, not an Apostle, but Himself, the Lord Himself, proclaims: “I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. I want mercy, not sacrifice! And so my day, the day of my life, which is already leaning towards its decline, can be renewed again, and at the end of my days the day of my God-pleasing can begin, which is the true day for which there is no night, that is, dark, painful, eternal hell. I look at my sickbed and say to him: easily, easily you can become my deathbed. Now I’m sick, and the time will come when I’ll die. This terrible time will come, it will certainly come! It’s already coming and getting closer, but I flatter myself that I don’t notice it!.. So why hesitate? Why put off repentance and self-correction? Why hold on to the chains of sin? A warrior deserves a sword and courageous determination! One blow and the chains fell apart. The winner is in eternal freedom! Saint Ambrose of Milan said to Monica, weeping for her son 20: “Impossibile est, at filius talium lacrimarum pereat” 21. It is impossible, impossible, says the sinful Ignatius, that Abraham, so directly and sincerely disposed towards goodness and Christianity, remained outside the palace of blessed eternity, the keys of which are living according to the commandments of the Lord Jesus. Amen. Letter No. 10 to V. E. Norova 22 Most Gracious Empress, Varvara Egorovna! I have the honor to introduce these apples, wanting you to like them; Now there is a poor harvest for apples, and therefore I cannot send you such as are sometimes found in the garden of the Sergius Hermitage. Be sure that my soul is devoted to you; At the same time, I cannot help but admit that I love and love Abraham Sergeevich. My soul seems to hear something especially kind and dear in his soul. The husband's assessment is together with the wife's assessment. Invoking God's abundant blessing upon you, with feelings of complete respect I have the honor to be Your Excellency Archimandrite Ignatius 1857 September 28th. I am forwarding to you, my most beloved and highly respected Abraham Sergeevich, an ikos from the canon of the Forerunner. Do not be embarrassed by the words of St. John Chrysostom, oh, which we watched together when I was with you. Chrysostom is an ecumenical teacher, his writings are approved by the recognition of the universal Church, nothing wrong has been found in them. Chrysostom was a spirit-bearing man; but the Holy One, enlightened by the Spirit, sees differently from carnal ones, and the imaginary audacity in the judgments of St. Chrysostom is much more holy and more pleasing to God than our imaginary carnal and superstitious reverence. St. Simeon the New Theologian speaks about the Spirit-Bearers: “Those who are ill with a worldly spirit, as if they are arrogant and proud, turn away from the Holy Spirit, being horrified by his words, rather than being touched. From the womb, or teachings, which speak thinly and lie against one’s salvation, the great ones praise and accept...” If you want, you can see the teaching set forth by Chrysostom in detail, stated very briefly in the Gospel, namely: 1) Luke ch. 1st, art. 17. The Mother of God says: “My spirit rejoiced in God my Savior”; clearly recognizing God not only as God (like the Angels), but also as the Savior (like fallen men), She recognizes Herself as being in destruction, that is, sin. 2) Luke ch. 2, Art. 50: “And She (the Mother of God and Joseph) did not understand the verb, even the verb Ima.” You see that the spiritual enlightenment of the Mother of God is depicted here in the same state as it was in the Apostles, about which the same St. speaks. Luke (chapter 9, v. 45): “But she did not understand this verb...” Subsequently, the descending Holy Spirit changed everything; He enlightened the dull and fearful Apostles and clothed them with wonderful power, finding them pure vessels, purified by the Word of God (John 15:3); The Holy Spirit filled with His gifts the Mother of God, as she who bore and gave birth to the incarnate Word and as she composed all the words of that Word in Her heart (Luke 2:51). All this is beautifully expressed in the prayer of the Mother of God before Her holy Dormition, a prayer preserved for us by church history: “I could not have been worthy to receive You, Master, (says the Most Holy Virgin even more dogmatizes) into My womb, if You Yourself had not shown mercy to me, Your servant. But I have preserved the treasure entrusted to me and I pray to You, King of Glory, protect Me from the region of Gehenna, so that it does not cause me any harm. Heaven and Angels always tremble before You; much more so is man, created from the earth, having nothing good in himself except what he receives from Your goodness!..” Consider all this with attention, and you will recognize the same meaning in the words of Chrysostom; Take into account that this same Chrysostom in his Liturgy, having remembered the Forerunner, the Apostles, the Prophets, the martyrs, in a word, all the saints in the secret prayer of the priest, exclaims in the hearing of the entire Christian people: “A lot (that is, especially) about the Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed Lady of our Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary!” This is the true Orthodox teaching (the words of the service book at the Liturgy), which shows the inexpressible, unthinkable greatness of God, looking at the humility of the Virgin, making Her his dwelling and exalting Her above the Cherubim and Seraphim. When you look at the works of God according to the pure guidance of our Church, then let every mind be silent. God is God. He has no law; who can understand the mind of the Lord, or who can be His adviser? Who understands the mind of the Lord, who will explain it? (1 Cor. 2.16). On the contrary, the Western teaching on this subject constrains the power of God, as if doubting it, and therefore invents for the Mother of God both a sinless conception and complete sinlessness on a par with the Savior, as some writer put it. Western teaching is darkness and draws us into its darkness with a multiplicity of speculations according to the flesh, and not according to Christ, everywhere trying to limit Christ, attaching another ugly head to the body of the Church, and replacing the Holy Spirit with a material spirit. Orthodox teaching is bright, clear, simple - everything is in Christ. Your loving lines, dear Abraham Sergeevich, brought me true consolation. I very much understand that the death of Varvara Egorovna made a strong impression on you 24 . I judge by myself. During my 24-year stay in the Sergius Hermitage, most of my acquaintances moved to the cemetery. It affected me deeply and continues to do so. I imagine myself as being in line. ABOUT! May we all be granted to appear into eternity in some way worthy of eternity. You ask about my other works. I’ll tell you that now, due to my extreme exhaustion, I no longer write; Sometimes I look through something old. Be healthy and prosperous. With feelings of sincere devotion and respect, I have the honor to be Bishop Ignatius April 4, 1863. Accept, my dear, from my brother a copy of the “Collection” of my works, written in the rank of archimandrite, corrected and expanded in the rank of bishop during my stay in the Caucasus and in the Babayevsky monastery. I called the book what it is: “Ascetic Experiences” 25. Here you will also find “Following” 26, which I previously thought to present in a separate book. I couldn't do this for various reasons. My work is news in our literature. For this reason, it is natural that some will accept it with pleasure, and for others it will seem more or less strange. You, as those who have breathed the air of the East, as those imprinted with the wondrous impressions of the Orthodox, sacred East, are able to sympathize with the newly published book, written under the influence of the spirit of the holy desert dwellers of the East, from the study of their profound creations. You talked with me a lot about these subjects, conveyed a lot of information, especially on church architecture, information that I tried to apply to the case as best I could. Take upon yourself the good work of explaining the book, which is clear to you, to those who are in need of explanation. Tell Metropolitan Isidore 27, Akhmatov 28 and others belonging to the Holy Synod what you know about my work and how long I have been busy with it. A precise concept of my direction can have an impact on my calm, which is so necessary for me in my painful situation. Almost no one assumed that I deal with such subjects, that such subjects were studied by me - and therefore they were composed for me and attributed to me intentions and directions that were completely alien to me. I rejoice that I have been given the opportunity to bring my contribution to the feet of modern Christianity. I have become exhausted under the burden of long-term illness and am now no longer capable of working as a writer; I don’t know if I will ever be able to do it. The swan song, at least, has been sung. Be healthy and prosperous! Invoking God's abundant blessing upon you, with feelings of perfect respect and sincere devotion, I have the honor to be Bishop Ignatius February 20, 1865. P.S. My address: Yaroslavl Preparation of the text, publication and notes by A. M. Lyubomudrov. Russian archive. 1895. M" I. S. 352 A. V. Nikitenko. Abraham Sergeevich Norov. St. Petersburg, 1870. P. 9 Letter from A. S. Norov to Sovereign Alexander II dated July 2, 1866 // Russian Archive. 1895. No. 11. P. 367 E. Dylevsky. Abraham Sergeevich Norov // Wanderer. 1871. T. 2. pp. 36–37 Letter from A. S. Norov to Sovereign Alexander II dated July 2, 1866, p. 366 A. V. Nikitenko. Abraham Sergeevich Norov. P. 39 OR RSL. F. 425. K. 4. Storage unit. 11 In his works, Bishop Ignatius repeatedly denounces the work of the 14th century mystic-ascetic Thomas a à Kempis, “The Imitation of Christ,” which became popular in Russia. In the first volume of “Ascetic Experiences” he placed his work “On Following Our Lord Jesus Christ,” which was polemical in relation to the book of the Catholic author. L. A. Sokolov. Saint Ignatius: His life, personality and moral and ascetic views. M., 2003. Part 2. pp. 26–27 "Journey to Jerusalem" by St. Ignatius, as can be seen from the context, calls the book by A. S. Norov “Travel to the Holy Land in 1835” (SPb., 1838). The letter is folded in the form of an envelope with the inscription: “To His Excellency the gracious Sovereign Abraham Sergeevich Norov.” Sealed with the personal seal of St. Ignatius. The letter was written during the stay of Archimandrite Ignatius in the Nikolsky Babayevsky Monastery during his 11-month vacation. Prince P. A. Shirinsky-Shikhmatov was the Minister of Public Education in 1849–1853 The relationship between Alexander Semenovich Bryanchaninov (1784–1875) and his son became complicated after the latter, in violation of his parents’ will, left his secular career and took monasticism There is a well-known letter from Archimandrite Ignatius to D.V. Bryuzgin dated November 14, 1837, in which he consoles his addressee, who is grieving the death of his wife (St. Ignatius Brianchaninov. Collection of letters. M.; St. Petersburg, 1995. pp. 608–609). Novice Dmitry Brianchaninov was in Optina Pustyn in the summer of 1829 Apraksin - official of the spiritual department Probably, this means Sergei Alexandrovich Taneyev (1821–1889) - actual privy councilor, manager of the royal chancellery Ambrose, Saint of Milan (340–397), commemorated December 7/20. Monica is the mother of St. Augustine. “The son of such tears cannot die!” (lat.) This is one of the last letters of St. Ignatius, written in the rank of archimandrite: exactly a month later he was consecrated bishop. In this letter to St. Ignatius sets forth the thoughts that became the basis of his work “Exposition of the Teaching of the Orthodox Church on the Mother of God,” on which Vladyka worked during his stay at the Stavropol See. This allows us to date the letter to 1858–1861 The letter was written shortly before the third anniversary of the death of Varvara Egorovna Norova (06/07/1814–04/21/1860) "Ascetic Experiences" of St. Ignatius came out in 1864. This refers to the work “On Following Our Lord Jesus Christ”, which opens “Ascetic Experiences” Isidore (Nikolsky) – Metropolitan of Novgorod and St. Petersburg in 1860–1892 Akhmatov Alexey Petrovich – Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod in 1862–1865 Here and below the letter numbers are given in the original numbering. ed. ABC of Faith portal You might be interested in: