Житие святого Ефрема Печерского, епископа Переяславского

After blessed Varlaam, the boyar's son, blessed Ephraim the eunuch, a man of noble family and noble origin, much loved by Prince Izyaslav 1036 and in charge of his entire household, came from the princely house to our reverend father Anthony and asked him, instead of serving the prince, to associate him with the servants of the Heavenly King and place a holy angelic image on him monastic rank. The Monk Anthony, having given him instructions on the salvation of his soul, instructed Blessed Nikon to tonsure him. According to this command, Nikon tonsured blessed Ephraim and clothed him in monastic clothing. But the enemy who hates good, the devil, brought great sorrow upon the monks for the tonsure of this blessed Ephraim, as well as for the tonsure of blessed Varlaam, as recorded in the lives of the monks Anthony and Nikon. In fact, the prince of darkness, seeing that he was being defeated by that sacred host that was gathering in the dark cave, and realizing that from now on this place would be glorified, grieved over his death. With his hostile machinations, he began to inflame the heart of Prince Izyaslav against the saints, prompting him to disperse the sacred host. However, he could not achieve this and was himself driven away by the prayers of the monks; he fell into the hole he was preparing. True, the monk Nikon, who tonsured blessed Ephraim, was brought to the prince and sharply rebuked, and the head of the brethren, the monk Anthony and his brothers, as a result of the prince’s anger, were expelled from the cave, but then soon, at the request of the princess before Prince Izyaslav, or better yet, through the prayers of the Queen of Heaven, the Most Holy Theotokos, before the King of Glory, Christ God, the monks They returned to their cave, like brave warriors from the battlefield, having defeated their adversary - the devil. After this, they always remained in the cave, glorifying and blessing God. After all that had happened, our venerable father Ephraim, seeing what grief the enemy had caused to the entire sacred host, strongly armed himself against him with a godly life in a cave, constant prayer, fasting and all-night vigil. Obeying in everything the advice of his father and mentor, the Monk Anthony, he showed great zeal in imitation of all his virtues. That is why, following the example of St. Anthony, who traveled from Russia to the holy Mount Athos, this reverend father Ephraim burned in spirit, striving for holy places. He wanted to be a witness to the life of the holy Athonite fathers, equal to the angels, in order to be inspired by love for their virtuous works. Therefore, he begged the Monk Anthony to give him a blessing to travel to the Greek country. The monk, not wanting to deprive him of his reward for his pilgrimage, released him with blessing and prayer, just as Noah once released the dove from the ark so that it would bring an olive branch. Then our reverend father Ephraim, having received the blessing and prayer like two dove wings, rushed along the path set before him and reached Constantinople. Everywhere along the way he observed the life of holy people, visited the homes of hermits, earthly Angels, being fed in abundance with spiritual food, soul-saving conversations and instructions from the holy fathers. As a result, he slowed down somewhat on his journey. When he was drawn back by love for his homeland, he, in order not to return to his mental ark without any olive branch, copied the charter of the holy Studite monastery 1037 and brought it to the Pechersk monastery, about which the blessed abbot Theodosius sent to him, while he was in Greece, on behalf of the Monk Anthony. Upon his return from the holy places, he lived in the Pechersk Monastery for a short time, but for this he served as an example of many virtues for the spiritual benefit of the monks, so that everyone thanked God for him. At this time, the blessed Bishop of Pereyaslavl Peter reposed. By the good will of God, on the advice of everyone and at the desire of the Grand Duke Vsevolod Yaroslavich 1038, our venerable father Ephraim was installed as Bishop of Pereyaslav by the Right Reverend Metropolitan John of Kyiv. Having accepted the great rank of priesthood, he began to reveal great zeal for the establishment of churches in his bishopric. He considered this to be the most honorable and dearest thing for himself, intending to increase the glorification of the most holy name of God. God helped him in this matter: after just a few years, he built a large and majestic stone church of St. Michael the Archangel, which he made the cathedral church of the Pereyaslav diocese; then on this gate he built the church of St. Theodore, and finally, in front of the gates of the stone church he built the church of St. Andrew the First-Called. He also decorated the city of Pereyaslavl with various church buildings, moreover made of stone, which had not happened before in 1039. All this, after a little time, was destroyed when, by God’s permission, as punishment for our sins, the evil Tatar prince Batu invaded the Russian land 1040. Then the lot fell on the glorious city of Pereyaslavl. During his episcopate, Saint Ephraim was also present at the transfer of the venerable relics of our venerable father Theodosius of Pechersk. Having lived virtuously and pleasing to God, he rested from temporary life, and with his soul ascended to the miraculous Sovereign Throne 1041. His honest body was laid with honor in the church he created, in which he established the throne of the Pereyaslav bishopric. May we also be worthy to appear before the throne of the Lord, the Heavenly King, like sheep gathered by the voice of the prayers of our venerable father Ephraim, so that together with him we glorify the Chief Shepherd Jesus, and in Him and with Him God the Father and the Holy Spirit, to endless ages. Amen. Izyaslav Yaroslavich - Grand Duke of Kyiv; reigned from 1054–1068 The studio charter was drawn up by Rev. Theodore the Studite, founder of a monastery in Constantinople at the beginning of the 9th century. At the end of the 11th century, it was introduced into the leadership of the Russian Church and remained in it until the middle of the 14th century, when it began to give way to Jerusalem, but in some places it remained in force much longer and was active in some Russian monasteries even until recently. Vsevolod-Andrey Yaroslavich - Prince of Pereyaslavl (Pereyaslavl-South; the Pereyaslavl principality bordered on Kiev), - later Grand Duke of Kiev (1078–1093). In addition, in Suzdal, remote but subordinate to the Pereyaslavl prince, St. Ephraim also built two churches. Tatar Khan Batu is the grandson of Genghis Khan. Batu's invasion began in 1237 and ended in 1240 with the capture of Kiev and the conquest of Russian land. St. Ephraim of Pereyaslavl died in 1096. His relics rest in the caves of St. Anthony. You might be interested in: