Житие святого отца нашего Вассиана, епископа Лодийского 3801

Describing now the lives of saints who courageously armed themselves with God’s help against carnal lusts and commemorating them to subsequent generations is useful for two reasons. Firstly, remembering the courageous deeds of the saints, we believe that the saints also remember us before God; secondly, by describing the exploits and courage of the saints, we thereby encourage ourselves and others to imitate these exploits. With this in mind, we will try to briefly describe the life and exploits of Saint Vassian, bishop of Lodia and confessor; With the help of this saint of God, we will offer a description of his exploits, for the sake of which he was honored to be a participant in the Heavenly Kingdom. This holy man from an early age was an old man, of course not in number of years, but in intelligence and good character. His father Sergius, ruler of the Syracuse country in 3802, adhered to Hellenic impiety. He sent his son to Rome to study pagan philosophy, so that he could be the successor to his father's power and a skillful ruler of the citizens. Naturally wise and prudent, Vassian diligently began to study philosophy and succeeded in his studies. At this time he heard about the name of Christ and about the life of Christians 3803 and then he wanted with all his heart to change Hellenic philosophy to Christian soul-saving philosophy; Therefore, he began to ponder - to which of his father’s servants (to whom he was entrusted) he could reveal the secret of his heart. The Lord, not wanting to distance His warrior for a long time from his intended work, three times announced in a dream vision to one pious presbyter about the desire and intention of the young man Vassian to become a Christian. Having awakened from sleep, the presbyter began to visit all the schools in the city of Rome, trying to find in them the young man whom the Lord had shown him in a dream vision. Finally, after a long search, the presbyter, with the help of God, found the one he was looking for and asked him where he was from, who his parents were and why he lived in Rome? The presbyter was surprised at the wise and judicious answers of the youth Vassian when he told everything about himself in detail, and realized that this was the young man he was looking for. Like a loving father, the presbyter hugged the young man and kissed him; then he took him with him to the house, where he told him about the vision that he had from God; after this they both glorified God. Vassian then fell at the feet of the presbyter and begged him to quickly make him a Christian. The presbyter first of all began to teach the young man the truths of the holy faith and explained to him the sacraments of the Christian law. The young man, hearing this teaching, was touched and inflamed with love for Christ. Then the presbyter announced him 3804 and taught him how he should behave during holy baptism. From that time on, Vassian began to often come to the honest presbyter with one of his oldest slaves, who was faithful to him in everything, learning Christian wisdom from the inspired lips of his spiritual teacher. After the announcement, Vassian began to lead a harsh life: during the day he fasted and prayed, and at night he remained either in prayer or reading books, indulging in sleep only for a short time. Of the food offered to him, he ate only a third of the food, and gave the remaining two parts to the poor. Meanwhile, quite a lot of time passed; The hour of Vassian's baptism had finally arrived. Vassian and his faithful servant went to the presbyter’s house, where holy baptism was performed. When Vassian, according to the usual rite of baptism, entered the holy font, he saw a young man with a beautiful face, shining like the sun; this young man served at the baptism and held the clothes in which the newly baptized person was to put on upon leaving the font. Blessed Vassian dared to ask him: “I was sent to you a long time ago,” answered the young man, “to help you fulfill your holy intention and drive away everything that is contrary to this intention.” Having said this, the young man became invisible. After the young man’s departure, the room was filled with a wonderful fragrance, which was felt for half an hour, so that everyone who was there thought that they were not on earth, but in heaven. After holy baptism, Vassian began to lead an even more strict life, killing his young body and enslaving it to the spirit. The officers and servants, whom Governor Sergius ordered to protect Vassian as the apple of his eye, not knowing Vassian's secret 3805, were greatly surprised, even worried, seeing his unusual abstinence; they wondered why he took so little food and drink, why did he spend nights without sleep, why did his face turn pale and his body become emaciated? Seeing all this, they asked each other in bewilderment: “Why is our master exhausting himself so much?” The oldest slave, faithful to Saint Vassian and who knew his secret, told them: “Do not be surprised at this, since philosophical teaching can only be comprehended by such students who have despised all passions and are content only with what is necessary to maintain life. Therefore, know that our master, wishing to study the highest wisdom, imposed upon himself such abstinence and vigilance.” But the servants were not satisfied with this answer; At the same time, they remembered that Vassian, while still a baby, sometimes wrote the sign of the cross in the sand or folded straw like a cross, for which his nurse was often angry with him. Finally, after various inquiries, watching where Vassian went, the servants began to guess that their master had accepted the Christian faith and lived his life in accordance with Christian teaching. From this they came to considerable confusion and fear, as they were afraid of the wrath of Vassian’s father, Sergius. They were finally convinced that Vassian was a Christian on the following occasion. One day, after an all-night vigil and all-night labors, the blessed young man, tired, fell fast asleep. During sleep, he began to utter words of prayer, calling on God, the One in the Trinity, and asking him to guide him on the path to the glory promised to all who love Him. Through prayer, a voice from above was heard: “Rejoice and be merry, most faithful warrior of Christ, Vassian! Your prayer is accepted by God and you are destined for a better place in heaven.” After this event, the servants were finally convinced that Vassian was a Christian; therefore, they secretly, one after another, went back to Syracuse to their old master, governor Sergius, with news that was unpleasant for him; they announced to the ruler that his son, Vassian, had accepted the Christian faith. Sergius, being an idolater, was greatly saddened by this and began to think about how to turn his son away from Christianity: with affection or threats. So little by little all the servants left Vassian from Rome; Only one old and faithful servant remained with him, who was also a Christian. In place of those who had retired, Vassian’s father wished to send new servants so that they, taking Vassian from Rome, would bring him to him. At this time, Saint Vassian had to enter at night, at the first cockcrow of 3806, into the church of the holy Evangelist John the Theologian. Here, praying according to custom, he saw an honest man, adorned with gray hair, who told him the following: “Know, faithful confessor of Christ, that you must, together with your faithful servant, go from here to the city of Ravenna 3807, for your father, who gave birth to you to carnal life, intends to prevent your spiritual salvation; flee from here, so that he does not lead you astray from the right path. For this reason, the merciful God, who does not abandon His servants, sent me, his apostle, to inform you about this, so that those sent by your father, having found you here, would not prevent you from escaping from here.” Saint John the Theologian after these words left Vassian. Blessed Vassian, having greatly rejoiced in his heart at the apostolic appearance, began to make many bows with prayer to God, asking not to forsake him with His help. After the prayer, Vassian announced everything he had seen and heard to his servant. The next morning they distributed all their belongings to the poor and, having received a blessing from their spiritual father Gordian, in the evening they left Rome and went to Ravenna. After several days of travel on the road, Saint Vassian saw a deer with two cubs; the animals were already exhausted and exhausted from the pursuit of the hunters chasing them. The hunters had almost overtaken the deer. Seeing this, the saint took pity on the deer and her cubs and said to her: “In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I command you to come to me without fear.” The deer immediately, as if understanding the words, became meek, stopped and without fear approached the saint with her cubs. Vassian began to stroke her with his hand, as if an animal had long been accustomed to him; the deer licked his feet. When the hunters who were chasing the deer, having reached it, saw that the deer was standing meekly in front of the traveler and he was stroking her with his hand, they were very surprised, wondering how the wildness of the animal could change so quickly into meekness. At the same time, one of the hunters, malicious and cruel, said to his comrades: “Madmen! Why do we hesitate and why don’t we take our spoils?” Having said this, he began to take the deer from the hands of the saint. “Not I, but the Supreme God commands you,” Saint Vassian said to the hunter, “do not do any harm to this wild animal or its cubs.” The hunter, with anger and insolence, dared to push away the hand of the saint of God; but immediately for such an impudent deed, a demon attacked that cruel hunter and began to torment him greatly. In agony, he fell to the ground, began to scream with a terrible cry, emit foam and, numb, became as if dead. Then the rest of the hunters were horrified and trembled with fear and, falling at the feet of the saint, began to ask for forgiveness with tears, fearing that a similar fate would befall them. Vassian ordered them to retreat from this place, and he himself prostrated himself crosswise for prayer and, turning his whole mind to God, began to pray: “God, the wonderful Creator of everything, the merciful God, the Savior of the fallen human race, rejoicing not in the destruction of the dead, but in the salvation of the living: forgive him who lies in misfortune through ignorance, having sinned and angered Your goodness!” The saint prayed in these and similar touching words. Getting up from prayer, he approached the man lying on the ground, took him by the right hand and said to the demon that was in him: “Devil! He who cast you from the heights of heaven into the abyss commands you to immediately leave the image of God - this man - and retire to Tartarus 3808 prepared for you, where you will be tormented forever.” Even before the saint had time to finish these words, the enemy of the human race had already emerged from the man, whom even in a short time he had tormented so severely that he was almost dying. When the hunter began to come to his senses, he saw nothing with his eyes and lay motionless on the ground. The saint again began to pray to God and, through prayer, made the sign of the cross over the hunter’s eyes, which immediately opened, so that the hunter began to see. Then Vassian protected him all with the sign of the cross and ordered him to stand up, and the hunter stood up healthy, as if he had not suffered any harm. Other hunters standing in the distance looked at this wonderful incident with trepidation; then they approached the saint and bowed to him. The one who received the healing bowed with them, asked the saint for forgiveness and fervently thanked his healer. After this, everyone went to their places: the hunters went to their homes, the deer and her cubs were set free, and Saint Vassian himself and his slave set off on their further journey. Arriving in the city of Ravenna, Vassian went to the bishop of this city, Urs, who was his relative. The bishop, seeing his relative, rejoiced greatly, and especially when he learned that he believed in Christ and, for the sake of love for Christ, despised everything and began to wander. At the request of Vassian, the bishop set aside for him a quiet place outside the city at the church of the holy martyr Apollinaris, the first bishop of the city of Ravenna, ordained by the holy Supreme Apostle Peter and who suffered during the reign of Vespasian 3809 for the name of Christ. At this church, a very convenient place was found for Vassian: here, being in solitude, rejecting the world and everything worldly, he could work diligently for God, laboring in fasting and prayer. The Lord soon glorified His servant: He gave him the wonderful grace to heal bodily illnesses with prayer and mental illnesses with God-inspired teachings. For all this, he gained respect, love and fame from everyone around him. At this time, a command came from King Valentinian 3810 to the ruler of the city of Ravenna and to all citizens of this city: to put to death the city judge named Bithymnia; This happened because the slanderers accused Bithymnius before the king of great crimes allegedly committed by him. Bithymnius was tied up and brought to the place where he was to be beheaded. Here he remembered Saint Vassian and said to himself: “Servant of God Vassian! By the grace God has given you, be my helper!” The ruler of the city himself and many people were here, wanting to see the death of Bithymnius. And now Bithymnius had already bowed his neck to be cut off, and the executioner, holding a double-edged sword, raised it to strike Vithymnius with force on the neck. But at that moment an unexpected event happened. The sword fell from the executioner's hands and fell far from that place. The executioner again took the sword and, grasping it more tightly than before with his hands, raised it to behead Bithymnius, but as soon as he swung it, the sword again, as before, fell out of his hands and fell in the distance. The executioner again grabbed the sword with anger, but the same thing happened again. Everyone was amazed by this miracle. The ruler of the city, thinking that the executioner was sparing the condemned man because of the reward he thought he would receive, removed this executioner and ordered another to behead Bethimnia. But the same thing happened to the other: the sword was snatched from the executioner’s hands up to three times by an invisible force and fell in the distance. After this, the ruler of the city, surprised and fearful of what had happened, ordered the condemned man to be taken away from the place of execution, especially since the people also demanded the release of Bithymnia, for the power of God protected him from death. They put Bethimnias in prison and sent word to the king that two executioners could not behead the condemned man. Upon this news, a merciful command immediately came from the king - to free Bithymnius from the death penalty and forgive his guilt. Bithymnius did not hide, but, on the contrary, spoke about his, according to God, intercessor, Saint Vassian, whom he called in his prayer to help him. Having been freed from prison, he went to the saint and, kissing his feet, gave him thanks, but the holy saint of God commanded him to thank only God alone, who had delivered him from death. From that time on, all the inhabitants of the city began to treat the saint with great respect, looking at him as an Angel of God and resorting to him for help. The clergy and noble citizens together began to ask the bishop to convince Saint Vassian to accept the priestly rank, since then Vassian’s God-pleasing prayer, offered by him when performing a bloodless sacrifice, would be stronger before God. Thus, the saint of God, although not of his own free will, was ordained to the priesthood, in which he spent quite a long time. At this time, Vassian’s faithful servant, who came with him from Rome, died. Saint Vassian began to make a bloodless sacrifice for his repose. On the seventh day after the servant’s repose, during the liturgy, the monk, diligently praying for the repose of the soul of the newly departed, heard a voice from heaven, informing him that the soul of the deceased had received mercy from God and was canonized. Vassian told Bithymnius, who was in the church during the liturgy, about this news, and then both of them rejoiced in spirit about the salvation of the soul of the deceased. Around this time, a bishop died in the city of Lodia, in Liguria 3811. The inhabitants of this city imposed a three-day fast on themselves and earnestly prayed to the Lord, asking Him to send a worthy man who, having ascended to the hierarchal throne, could successfully rule the Church of Christ. During general fasting and prayer, one of the presbyters of the cathedral church, named Clement, a virtuous and honest man, who fell asleep after church labors, a certain luminous man appeared in a sleepy vision and said: “Know everything that God has prepared for you to be a bishop, Presbyter Vassian, who resides in the city of Ravenna and is adorned with the gifts of God.” Having awakened from sleep, Clement immediately called upon the most honest men from the church clergy and laity, to whom he announced what the Lord had told him in a vision. Then they chose noble men and sent them to Ravenna with a request to Saint Vassian to come to them in Lodia and accept the holy throne. To Saint Vassian, even before the messengers arrived in Ravenna, God revealed in a night vision about their coming and commanded, without refusing, to go with them. In the morning, the Lodian messengers came to the saint and told him what they had been commanded. The saint addressed the messengers with the following words: “God created man immortal so that he would always obey the will and instructions of his Creator. Man, having transgressed God’s command given to him in paradise, made himself mortal, and in the same way made his descendants mortal. Therefore, a person should not resist the will of his God and violate His commands, but everyone needs to try with all diligence to do what is pleasing to God and commanded by Him. In view of this, I, not out of a desire for honor, but for the sake of the needs of my fellow believers, by God’s command, do not refuse to accept the yoke imposed on me.” Having said this, Saint Vassian invited the travelers to rest after their difficult journey. But the messengers, rejoicing at the saint’s consent, did not think of staying and resting, but rather wanted to present an invaluable treasure to their city, strove to quickly set off back on the road and begged the saint to quickly go with them; Therefore, in the evening the monk and the messengers set off on their journey. When they approached Lodia, all the people came out with joy and joy to meet their God-given shepherd. At this time, there was one person in the crowd who was paralyzed and did not speak the language. Together with the people, this sick man, although with great difficulty, approached the saint and kissed the holy right hand of the saint of God. He immediately became stronger in body; his tongue loosened, and he began to glorify the greatness of God. The people increased their joy when they saw what a holy shepherd and wonderworker God had given them. For the consecration of Saint Vassian to the rank of bishop, the holy Bishop Ambrose of Milan and the aforementioned relative of Saint Vassian, Ursus of Ravenna, arrived in Lodia. On the first day of January, the God-chosen husband Vassian was consecrated as a bishop, which brought great joy and great triumph to the entire city. Saint Vassian, having become a bishop, began to teach his flock in word and deed, but mainly by the example of his virtuous life. He showed great love for Saint Ambrose in the Holy Spirit, and from Ambrose he had the same love, which was expressed in their frequent kind messages from one to another. After some time, Saint Vassian of Christ built a magnificent church in the eastern suburbs of the city in the name of the holy apostles and invited Saints Ambrose of Milan and Philax of Comana 3812 to the consecration of this church (Ursus of Ravenna had already fallen asleep in the Lord at that time). While the bishops were consecrating the church, among the people who had gathered for the consecration there was one demon-possessed girl, through whose mouth the devil began to cry out loudly: “Why have you, men of God, risen up against me unrighteously? Why did all three armed themselves with invincible weapons against me alone? Is it not enough for you that you have taken away from us the power to harm any of you? So you are driving us out of those over whom we had power. If you drive me out of here, then, taking two or more (demons) with me, I will go to another place where you will not come.” The servants of Christ, hearing the devil’s cry, bowed their knees and began to pray more earnestly to the Lord. During prayer, the demon, unable to tolerate their prayerful power, threw the girl to the ground and came out of her with a terrible cry. Then the saints approached the young woman and, having lifted her from the ground, already healthy, they gave her to her parents, commanding them to give thanks to the Lord for the liberation of their daughter from demonic torment. After the consecration of the church, a meal was arranged for the glory of God, at which the saints talked about what was useful for the Church of God. After a meal and friendly conversation, the arriving bishops went to their places, and Saint Vassian escorted each of them with honor. One day, during the harvest, a certain youth was gathering sheaves among the reapers; he was bitten by a snake and died. His parents, weeping inconsolably over his death, brought him for burial to the church newly built by Blessed Vassian in honor and glory of the holy apostles, where at that time the bishop of God himself, Vassian, happened to be there. He often came to this church and performed divine services there. During the singing of the usual funeral canon, the crying of the parents for the youth began to drown out the voice of the singers. The Bishop of God, feeling sorry for those crying, ordered everyone to leave the church; then he was left alone, threw himself on the ground before God with tears and begged Him that the Lord would command the soul of the boy to return to his body. During the saint’s prayer, the body of the deceased youth began to move at first a little, and then more and more. The saint rose from prayer, took the youth by the hand and ordered him to stand up. The boy, as if waking up from a dream, opened his eyes, began to call his mother and stood up. The parents and people who were outside the church, hearing the boy, could not remain in place for joy, immediately opened the church doors and entered the church. Seeing the youth risen from the dead, everyone was amazed and horrified and, falling to the saint, joyfully kissed his hands and clothes. The saint, having given thanks to Almighty God and said a lesson, sent everyone away in peace. Several years later, Saint Ambrose of Christ fell mortally ill. The Bishop of God Vassian, having learned about the illness of his beloved, about the Holy Spirit, father and friend, hastened to go to Mediolan to visit the sick man. Here, seeing Ambrose on his sick bed, he remained to serve him, pray with him and console him with hope in Christ. Saint Ambrose had the following vision: he imagined that he saw our Lord Jesus Christ coming towards him with a bright face and smiling kindly at him. Saint Ambrose told Saint Vassian, who was near him, about this vision. Then Vassian, realizing that the hour of Saint Ambrose’s death was approaching, began to cry and rejoice together. He rejoiced that the holy man was going to Christ, who was calling him, but he cried because he was deprived of his dear friend in this temporary life: but he had a firm hope in Christ to meet with him in the future life and to be together with the deceased in the ranks of the hierarchs. At the death of Saint Ambrose, Vassian and all the inhabitants of Mediolan mourned the saint and buried his holy body with honor. After this, Vassian went to his city, where he began to offer a bloodless sacrifice before the Lord with a prayer for the repose of Ambrose, although he was quite sure that his soul was laid to rest with the saints; but prayer and Bloodless Sacrifice for saints are never fruitless. If prayer for a saint cannot help him in any way, then it returns to the bosom of the one praying - it will benefit the latter, as David says: “My prayer returned to my bosom” (Ps. 34:13). After quite a long time, Saint Vassian again had to go to Milan on church business. Entering the city, he saw a weighmaster in the square, who was hanging various goods on scales. This weigher was unrighteous, deceived many and thereby tried to make a profit for himself. The saint saw a demon on the scales, in the form of a little Ethiopian, pulling the scales, which the unrighteous weighmaster took advantage of. The saint asked those with him: “Do you see anything strange?” They told him that they didn’t see anything special. Then the saint prayed that the eyes of others would be opened to see what he saw too, for reliable testimony. And indeed the spiritual eyes of Presbyter Clement and Deacon Elbonius were opened: they saw the same thing that the bishop of God saw, namely, a little Ethiopian sitting on the scales and carrying out the orders of the weighman. They told the saint about what they had seen and confirmed the words of David, who says: “The sons of men are a lie; if you put them on the scales, all of them together are lighter than emptiness” (Ps. 61:10). The saint called the weigher and asked him: - By what unjust measure do you increase weight and deceive merchants? “I am not doing anything wrong,” answered the weigher and confirmed with an oath that his weight was correct. Then the saint showed him the hellish Ethiopian on the scales and said: “This Ethiopian will immediately enter you, crush your body and tear your soul out of you with terrible torment.” The unrighteous weighmaster trembled with fear and, falling at the feet of the saint with repentance, promised to give up the untruth. The saint admonished him from the Holy Scriptures and commanded him to give everything that he had acquired by untruth to the poor. After this, with holy prayer he drove away the demon from the scales and went on his way. Returning back to his city, the saint of God took up the usual affairs of pleasing God and caring for his flock. He lived in the rank of bishop for five years and departed in peace to the Lord, for whom he worked faithfully and truly, being ninety years old 3813. The faithful sheep buried their shepherd with honor in the Apostolic Church he had built, and they cried a lot, having lost such a father. The saint died during the reign of Honorius 3814 in the West and Theodosius 3815, son of Arcadius, in the East. Both during his life, and especially after his death, he was a miracle worker: from his tomb, healings were miraculously given to the sick through his holy prayers and through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, is given honor and glory, now and to endless ages. Amen. Lodia or Lavda was located near Mediolan (see below p. 384) Syracuse is one of the first Greek colonies on the eastern coast of the island of Sicily, founded in the 8th century BC; subsequently the largest and richest city on the island. From the further narration it is clear that Saint Vassian heard about Christians even in childhood (the life tells that Vassian, as a baby, drew the sign of the cross on the ground); but in Rome, Vassian became more thoroughly acquainted with Christianity and had the opportunity to personally observe the very life of Christians. Usually, everyone who approached baptism in the ancient Church was subjected to a preliminary announcement - that is, oral instruction in the truths of the Christian faith. The catechumens were allowed to be present only during the celebration of the first (proskomedia) and second (liturgy of the catechumens) parts of the Divine Liturgy; Before the third part (the Liturgy of the Faithful), the catechumens had to leave the church, which was announced by the deacon’s proclamation: Depart, catechumens. The duration of the announcement varied: it lasted from several days or weeks to several months and even years. That is, without knowing that he was a Christian. The first Christians, following the example of the ancient Jews, divided the night into four parts (3 hours each), called guards. The crowing of roosters, which took place during the third watch, was called loop-crying or kur-crying. Ravenna was located in the so-called Cispadan Gaul, on the shores of the Adriatic Sea. Nature and art made this city a strong, almost impregnable fortress, which is why Ravenna was considered the stronghold of Italy. Roman emperors, starting with Honorius (395–423), chose it as their seat. By the name Tartarus, the ancient Greeks meant a dark abyss located in the depths of the earth. Emperor Vespasian reigned from 70 to 79. Emperor Valentinian II reigned from 383 to 392. Liguria in Italy was the name given to the region inhabited by the Ligurians, a tribe of Celtic origin. Liguria bordered on Gaul. The city of Comana was located in the province of Ponte, in the northeast of Asia Minor. Nowadays, on the site of this city there is the village of Gumenek. The death of Saint Vassian followed ca. 409 Emperor Honorius ruled the West from 395 to 423. Emperor Theodosius II ruled the East from 408 to 450. You might be interested in: