[Readingsandsaints] Readings and Saints

[Daily Orthodox Readings and Saints]

Scripture Readings and Saints for Tue Aug 7 2007

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------ READINGS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
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2 Corinthians 2:4-15  (Monday)
4 For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you, with
many tears, not that you should be grieved, but that you might know
the love which I have so abundantly for you.
5 But if anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me, but all of
you to some extent-not to be too severe.
6 This punishment which was inflicted by the majority is sufficient
for such a man,
7 so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort
him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow.
8 Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him.
9 For to this end I also wrote, that I might put you to the test,
whether you are obedient in all things.
10 Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have
forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the
presence of Christ,
11 lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of
his devices.
12 Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a
door was opened to me by the Lord,
13 I had no rest in my spirit, because I did not find Titus my
brother; but taking my leave of them, I departed for Macedonia.
14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and
through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being
saved and among those who are perishing.
Scripture Reading 1 of 4


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2 Corinthians 2:14-3:3
14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and
through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being
saved and among those who are perishing.
16 To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the
other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for
these things?
17 For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of
sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.
1 Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some
others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation
from you?
2 You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all
men;
3 clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not
with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone
but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.
Scripture Reading 2 of 4


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Matthew 23:13-22  (Monday)
13 But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up
the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves,
nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.
14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour
widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you
will receive greater condemnation.
15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land
and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice
as much a son of hell as yourselves.
16 Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple,
it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is
obliged to perform it.'
17 Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that
sanctifies the gold?
18 And, 'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever
swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.'
19 Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that
sanctifies the gift?
20 Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all
things on it.
21 He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in
it.
22 And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him
who sits on it.
Scripture Reading 3 of 4


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Matthew 23:23-28
23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of
mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of
the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done,
without leaving the others undone.
24 Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the
outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and
self-indulgence.
26 Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that
the outside of them may be clean also.
27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like
whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside
are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.
28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you
are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Scripture Reading 4 of 4



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------ SAINTS/FEASTS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
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Afterfeast of the Transfiguration of our Lord
On the first day of the Afterfeast of the Transfiguration, the hymns
of Vespers speak of the amazement of the Apostles when they saw Christ
transfigured before them. The Savior's equality with the Father is
also stressed, for He who covers Himself with light as with a garment
is now transfigured before His disciples, "shining more brightly than
the sun."
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Martyr Dometius of Persia
St Dometius lived in Persia during the fourth century. In his youth he
was converted to the Faith by a Christian named Uaros. Forsaking
Persia, he withdrew to the frontier city of Nisibis (in Mesopotamia),
where he was baptized in one of the monasteries, and also received the
monastic tonsure.
Fleeing the ill-will of some of the monks, St Dometius moved to the
monastery of Saints Sergius and Bacchus in the city of Theodosiopolis.
The monastery was under the guidance of an archimandrite named
Urbelos, a strict ascetic, of whom it was said that for sixty years he
did not taste cooked food, nor did he lay down for sleep, but rather
took his rest standing up, supporting himself upon his staff.
In this monastery St Dometius was ordained a deacon, but when the
archimandrite decided to have him made a presbyter, the saint,
considering himself unworthy, hid himself on a desolate mountain in
Syria, in the region of Cyrrhus.
Stories about him constantly spread among the local inhabitants. They
began to come to him for healing and for help. Many pagans were
brought to faith in Christ by Dometius. And one time, in the locality
where St Dometius struggled with his disciples, the emperor Julian the
Apostate (361-363) arrived, traveling on his campaign against the
Persians. By order of the emperor, soldiers found St Dometius praying
with his disciples in a cave, and walled them up alive inside.
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2 Martyred Disciples of Dometius of Persia
These two disciples of St Dometius lived during the fourth century,
and were walled up inside a cave with him by order of the emperor
Julian the Apostate in the year 363.
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First finding of the relics of St Metrophanes the First
Bishop of Voronezh
The Uncovering of the Relics of Saint Metrophanes, Bishop of Voronezh
(1832): The memory of the deep piety and pastoral virtues of St
Metrophanes (Macarius, in the schema) was revered at Voronezh from the
time of his death (November 23, 1703). His successors, the Voronezh
hierarchs, considered it their sacred duty to make annual remembrance
of the first hierarch of their flock, together with his parents, the
priest Basil and Maria.
The people of Voronezh and its environs came to the Annunciation
cathedral, where memorial services were offered at his tomb.
Contributing to the intense remembrance of St Metrophanes was also his
dying request that prayers be said for him. For this purpose the
saint, even during his lifetime, had built a chapel at the cathedral
in honor of the holy Archangel Michael (his patron saint), and in it a
special priest served the Liturgy. Although succeeding generations did
not know the saint, they also revered his memory.
The veracity of the sainthood of the first hierarch of the Voronezh
diocese was also confirmed by his incorrupt relics, attested during
their repeated transfers from one temple to another. In the year 1718,
Metropolitan Pachomius of Voronezh, about to begin the construction of
a new cathedral, gave orders to demolish the old Annunciation
cathedral. The body of St Metrophanes was temporarily transferred into
the church of the Unburnt Bush. In 1735, the body of St Metrophanes
was transferred into the new cathedral, during which time the
incorrupt state of his relics was again observed. At the place of the
burial of the saint, panikhidas were customarily served for him.
By 1820 it was noticed that the number of those venerating St
Metrophanes and thronging to Voronezh, had extraordinarily increased.
Grace-filled signs also increased. Archbishop Anthony II of Voronezh
made repeated reports to the Holy Synod about the miracles, and he
petitioned for a resolution for the glorification of the saint. The
Holy Synod then prescribed that records be kept of miracles at the
grave of St Metrophanes. In the year 1831, after seeing the incorrupt
body of the saint, Archbishop Anthony together with commission members
of the Holy Synod, Archbishop Eugenius of Yaroslavl and Archimandrite
Hermogenes of the Moscow Savior-Androniev monastery, became convinced
in the miraculous intercession of St Metrophanes before the Throne of
God. The Holy Synod then issued its resolution adding St Metrophanes
to the ranks of the Saints. Since then, the Russian Church celebrates
the memory of the saint twice during the year: November 23, the day of
his repose, and August 7, the day of his glorification.
Archbishop Anthony II (1827-1846) established in the Voronezh also the
following feastdays in honor of St Metrophanes: June 4, the Feast of
his namesake St Metrophanes, Patriarch of Constantinople; April 2, the
saint's day of consecration as bishop in 1682; and December 11, the
day of the transfer of the relics of St Metrophanes in 1831.
St Metrophanes left behind a Spiritual Testament. Its original is
preserved in the State Historical Museum. Upon the testament is the
unique authoritative signature of the saint: "This spiritual dictate
is attested to by me... Bishop Metrophanes of Voronezh."
On the lower cover (inside) is an inscription from the eighteenth
century: "This is the book of testament or last will of the Voronezh
schemamonk Macarius, written in the God-saved city of Voronezh, in the
house of His Grace the bishop and schemamonk Macarius, who reposed in
the month of November on the 23rd day in the year 1703, and was buried
on the 4th day of December."
On the day preceding the Uncovering of the Relics of St Metrophanes,
Archbishop Anthony of Voronezh went to church, so as to lay out the
new vestments prepared for the relics. Suddenly, he felt so weak that
he was barely able to go about his cell. Troubled by this, he sat and
pondered and then he heard a quiet voice: " Do not transgress my
legacy."
This he did not understand right away, and instead thinking about his
own plans, he gathered up his strength and opened the closet where the
vestments were, and there he caught sight of the monastic schema,
brought shortly before this by an unknown monk who had entrusted it to
him and said that it soon would be needed.
Seeing this monastic schema, the hierarch then realized that the
words, "Do not transgress my legacy," was actually the will of St
Metrophanes, that they not place upon his relics bishop's vestments,
but rather to clothe them in the schema. By this and by his extreme
humility, he indicated the deep spiritual connection with his patronal
saint (in schema), St Macarius of Unzhensk.
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Venerable Pimen the Much-Ailing of the Kiev Near Caves
Saint Pimen the Much-ailing attained the Kingdom of Heaven by enduring
grievous illness. This Russian ascetic was both born and grew up
sickly, but his illness preserved him from illness of the soul.
For a long time he besought his parents to send him to the Kiev Caves
monastery. When they brought their son to the famed monastery, they
then began to pray for him to be healthy. But the sufferer himself,
conscious of the high value of suffering, instead asked the Lord both
for the continuation of his sickness, and also his tonsuring into
monasticism.
One night, radiant angels appeared in the guise of monks, and tonsured
him. They told him that he would receive his health only on the day of
his death. Several of the brethren heard the sound of singing, and
coming to St Pimen, they found him attired in monastic garb. In his
hand he held a lit candle, and his tonsured hair could be seen at the
crypt of St Theodosius. St Pimen spent many years in sickness, so that
those attending to him could not tolerate it. They often left him
without food and water for two or three days at a time, but he endured
everything with joy.
Compassionate towards the brethren, St Pimen healed a certain crippled
brother, who promised to serve him until death if he were healed. But
after a while the brother grew lax in his service, and his former
ailment overtook him. St Pimen again healed him with the advice, that
both the sick and those attending the sick receive equal reward.
St Pimen spent twenty years in grievous sufferings. One day, as the
angels had predicted, he became healthy. In church, the monk took
leave of all the brethren and partook of the Holy Mysteries. Then,
having bowed down before the grave of Abba Anthony, St Pimen indicated
the place for his burial, and he himself carried his bed there.
Pointing to those buried there, one after the other of the monks, and
he predicted that the brethren would find one buried in the schema to
be without it, since this monk had led a life unworthy of it. Another
monk, who had been buried without the schema, would be found clothed
in it after death, since he had greatly desired it during his life,
and he was worthy.
Then St Pimen lay down upon his bed and fell asleep in the Lord. The
brethren buried him with great honor, glorifying God.
After the death of St Pimen, the brethren were persuaded of the truth
of his words. On the day of St Pimen's repose, three fiery columns
appeared over the trapeza, and moved atop the church. A similar event
was described in the chronicles under February 11, 1110 (See the
August 5 commemoration of St Theoctistus of Chernigov), therefore the
day of demise of St Pimen is surmised as also occurring on February
11, 1110.
The relics of St Pimen rest in the Antoniev Cave.
A second commemoration of the saint is made on September 28, the
Synaxis of the Monks of the Near Caves.
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Venerable Pimen the Faster of the Kiev Caves
St Pimen, Faster of the Caves, labored in the Far Caves. His
abstinence was such that he ate food only once a day, and only in the
most necessary quantity. His outward fasting corresponded to an inward
abstemiousness from any actions, thoughts or feelings, displeasing to
God. St Pimen was igumen of the Kiev Caves monastery from 1132 to
1141. A second commemoration of the saint occurs on August 28.
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St Mercurius the Bishop of Smolensk, Kiev Near Caves
Saint Mercurius of Kiev Caves pursued asceticism in the Farther Caves
in the fourteenth century, and was strict in fasting. During his
lifetime St Mercurius had a deep spiritual friendship with St Paisius,
and when they died, they were buried in the same grave. The November
24 commemoration of the saint is made because of his namesake, the
holy Great Martyr Mercurius. He is also remembered on August 28, the
Synaxis of the Saints of the Far Caves; and on the second Sunday of
Great Lent, the Synaxis of all the monastic Fathers of the Kiev Caves.
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Martyr Marinus the Soldier at Caesarea in Palestine
The Holy Martyr Marinus (December 16) was a soldier during the reign
of the pagan emperors Valerian (253-259) and his son Gallienus
(260-268).
When he was about to be promoted to centurion, Marinus refused to
swear the customary oath invoking the pagan gods, or to offer
sacrifice to idols. St Marinus was beheaded in Caesarea Philippi after
cruel tortures.
St Asterius also happened to be present at the sufferings of the
Martyr Marinus. When the execution was over, he took off his
senatorial garb, spread it upon the ground and wrapped the head and
body of St Marinus in it. On his own shoulders he carried the martyr's
relics to the grave and reverently consigned them to earth. For doing
this, he was himself sentenced to death and beheaded in the year 260.
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Martyr Asterius the Senator at Caesarea, in Palestine
The Holy Martyr Asterius the Senator lived during the reign of the
pagan emperors Valerian (253-259) and his son Gallienus (260-268).
Although he was a Roman senator, Asterius nonetheless held firmly to
the Christian Faith, in spite of the persecutions occurring during
those times.
Once, while in Palestine, he came to the city of Caesarea Philippi,
where by custom a pagan feast was made with the offering of sacrifice
to an idol. The demon residing in the idol made the sacrifice
disappear, and this was looked upon as a great wonder. St Asterius
expelled the demon by prayer. The sacrifice ceased to be invisible,
and the pagans ceased to celebrate this impious festival.
St Asterius also happened to be present at the sufferings of the
Martyr Marinus (December 16). When the execution was over, he took off
his senatorial garb, spread it upon the ground and wrapped the head
and body of St Marinus in it. On his own shoulders he carried the
martyr's relics to the grave and reverently consigned them to earth.
For doing this, he was himself sentenced to death and beheaded in the
year 260.
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Venerable Horus of the Thebaid, Egypt
St Horus in his youth withdrew into the Thebaid desert and struggled
in complete solitude for many years, leading the life of a strict
hermit. Having advanced in years, St Horus was granted to see an
angel, who announced that the Lord had destined him for the salvation
of the many people who would seek his guidance.
After this, the monk began to accept everyone who came to him for
advice and help. The Lord granted him a gift of reading the Holy
Scriptures, despite the fact that the saint since childhood had not
been taught reading and writing.
Gradually, a large monastery formed around St Horus, in which the holy
Elder was the spiritual guide. The monk never entered the trapeza for
food, nor did he eat on the day of partaking of the Holy Mysteries. He
often taught the brethren by means of stories about the temptations
which might beset a monk living in solitude. But he always told them
in such a way that everyone would know that he was speaking of
desert-dwellers personally known to him. The saint concealed his own
ascetic exploits.
Once, when the saint still lived with only one disciple, he brought to
the Elder's attention the approach of Holy Pascha. St Horus
immediately stood up at prayer, and raising his hands, he stood thus
for three days under the open sky, in unceasing prayer. He then
explained to his disciple that for a monk every feastday, and
especially Pascha, is celebrated by removing oneself from everything
mundane, and lifting up one's mind to unity with God.
All the thoughts and deeds of his disciples was revealed to St Horus,
and no one dared to lie to him. Having survived well into old age, St
Horus founded several monasteries, comprising altogether as many as
1,000 monastics. He died at age 90 in about the year 390.
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Virginmartyr Potamia the Wonderworker
The Holy Martyr Potamia the Wonderworker died under the sword.
Sometimes the saint is incorrectly listed as St Potamius the
Wonderworker.
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Venerable Dometius of Philotheou of Mt Athos
Saint Dometius was an Athonite Elder. He pursued silence at the
Philotheou monastery together with the Hieromartyr Damian of
Philotheou (February 23), who suffered under cruel tortures by the
Turks in the year 1568.
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Valaam Icon of the Mother of God
One of the greatest treasures in the possession of the Monastery of
New Valamo in Heinävesi, Finland is the wonder-working icon of the
Mother of God of Valaam. Painted on lime wood, the 132 x 79.5 cm icon
depicts the Virgin Mary as a full-length figure standing on a cloud
with lowered gaze, clothed in a bright red cloak and a dark turquoise
undergarment. She is holding the Christ child, who is dressed in a
thin, pale yellow smock, on her left arm. With her right hand, she
points to Christ, in the style of the "hodigitria" icons of the Mother
of God. Christ blesses with His right hand and holds an orb,
surmounted by a cross, in His left hand, signifying that He is the
Creator of the world and King of all. According to the inscription,
the icon was painted in 1878, the work of the monks of Valaam. It is
customarily attributed, however, to Father Alipy, one of the leading
iconographers at the original Valaam Monastery in Lake Ladoga in
Russian Karelia. Father Alipy painted the icon only a few years after
he arrived at the monastery, before he had become a novice there. He
was tonsured to monastic orders in 1884 and ordained as priestmonk in
1893. Following the conventions of the late 19th century, the icon was
painted in a naturalistic style, employing a technique that combined
the use of tempera and oils. Originally, the icon was to have been
placed in the Valaam Monastery's Church of the Dormition. This never
occurred, however, and subsequently the icon was misplaced. In 1897,
the icon was rediscovered and gained its miracle-working reputation on
the strength of a succession of visions of the Mother of God
experienced by an elderly woman with serious rheumatoid arthritis,
Natalia Andreyevna Andreyeva, who was cured of her illness. Despite
the Valaam Monastery's long history, it had never had an icon of the
Mother of God of its own design, although Father Alipy's icon came to
occupy such a position in subsequent years. In the turmoil of World
War II, the icon was transported to safety in Finland, along with many
other treasures from Valaam and the majority of the monks. It now
occupies a prominent position in the Church of the Transfiguration of
Our Lord at the New Valaam Monastery. In 1987, the bishops of the
autonomous Orthodox Church of Finland established an annual feast in
the Valaam Icon's honor on August 7. The troparion and kontakion for
the feast were written by the late Archbishop Paul of Finland. On July
29, 2005, the Valaam Icon of the Mother of God was brought for the
first time to North America by His Eminence, Archbishop Leo of Karelia
and All Finland.
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---------- Mother dear, is it true that you live at Valaam? The story
of the icon of the Mother of God of Valaam, as recorded in 1897 In a
corner behind the choir enclosure on the south side of the lower main
church at the monastery of Valaam, where the miracle-working remains
of the monasterys founders, the Saints Sergei and Herman of Valaam,
lie at rest interred in the rock, stands an icon of the All-Holy
Mother of God. This full length image of the Queen of Heaven holding
the divine child in her arms is known as the icon of the Mother of God
of Valaam. It is a work of considerable artistic merit that was
painted by a local artist-monk and later hieromonk, Father Alipi, in
1878. Nowadays this icon is one of the most cherished objects of
reverence at Valaam. As if by some divine providence, no suitable
place could be found for the icon at first when it was finished, and
it was placed in the entrance hall to the upper main church, where it
remained until that church was demolished to make way for a new one.
At that stage the majority of the icons, including this one, were
taken to the Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God, where the
monastery held its regular services until the lower main church was
completed. The icon was hung in a relatively high position on a pillar
to the left of the entrance to the church. When the lower main church
was ready for consecration, all the icons that had been moved to the
Church of the Dormition were returned to it, but again, for some
inexplicable reason known only to God, no place could be found for
this one. As scarcely any services were held in the Church of the
Dormition any longer, this icon, along with some others, was placed in
temporary storage in the Church of St Nicholas the Miracle-Worker.
There it lay forgotten for many years, until it was moved to its
present place in response to a vision experienced by a holy woman
servant of God. The story of the indescribable act of grace bestowed
upon this woman by the Queen of Heaven is recounted below in her own
words. I am a member of the peasant estate from the village of Zarino
in the parish of Paskina, part of the district of Korchevski within
the province of Tver. My name is Natalia Andreyevna Andreyeva. I am
now sixty-four years of age and live in St Petersburg, in the
Brusnitsyn old peoples home, at Kosaya Line no. 15 on Vasili Island. I
was placed in this home, through the grace of God, by the lady in
whose service I was a serf in former days. In the year 1878 or 1879 I
caught a bad cold on one occasion when washing clothes and developed
rheumatism in my arms and legs. I began to seek treatment for this,
but my health became worse year by year. I went to the Mariski
Hospital for massage for a long time, but it didnt help, and I went to
the Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovnas clinic opposite the Tauria gardens
for as long as I could. I was more or less a cripple for most of the
winter. All my money went on doctors fees and medicines, but the Lord
God didnt look kindly on my afflictions. In the end I was told that my
illness had reached the stage of serious rheumatoid arthritis and that
the only way of curing it was to go to a spa and take warm water
baths. What could I do? By that time I could scarcely afford to eat,
so how could I find the money for treatment at a spa? And so, sinner
that I am, I began to pray ardently to the Mother of God that in her
mercy she would help me in my sufferings. I could walk only with great
difficulty, leaning on a stick, and I had such pains in my hands and
arms from time to time that I could no longer hold on to the stick.
Sometimes I could make my way into the Church of the Sign only by
crawling up the steps on all fours. I lived as a beggar, on food that
people gave me as alms. This went on until 1887. At that point my
former mistress heard about my pitiful state and invited me to come
and live with her at Käkisalmi in the province of Viipuri in Finland
and look after her children as far as my health would permit. There
was no other work that I could think of doing in the condition that I
was in. The family was not a rich one, and so I was not to receive any
wages for this but, thank God, at least I was sure of food and a roof
over my head. While I was at Käkisalmi I heard many accounts of the
miraculous cures that had taken place at the tomb of the Saints Sergei
and Herman of Valaam, and this aroused a powerful desire in me to
visit Valaam and prostrate myself before the tomb of these saints who
had been acceptable unto the Lord and entreat their help in my serious
state of illness. I had heard a lot about Valaam earlier, while I was
living in St Petersburg, and I had often thought of visiting the
monastery to pay reverence to its founder saints, but in all the
vanities of life I had never got round to it. The main reason had been
the cost of the journey, of course, but now the monastery was closer.
Also, there was an inner voice speaking to me all the time, Go to
Valaam and be cured! I could no longer resist this desire, and I asked
the lady of the house for leave to go there. As I had no money at all,
I pawned my warm scarf for four roubles and started to make
preparations for the journey. As the day of departure approached I
began to feel uneasy and distressed. I was an old woman who was
utterly sick and lacking in strength. How could I travel alone? I had
very little money, only just enough for the journey. How could I set
out at all on such a journey? And if something were to happen, what
would a poor creature like me do then? Thoughts like this began to
haunt me until I was quite distraught. The night before I set out I
just lay on my bed and wept. What should I do? I wanted so much to
make this journey, but still I was frightened for some reason. Then I
dont know whether I was asleep or awake I saw quite clearly a tall
woman clad in pink velvet and with a child in her arms, surrounded by
an amazing light. The thought immediately struck me, could this be the
Mother of God? I didnt dare to call out to her by that name, though. I
wanted to go to her, but she stepped back and said, Dont weep. The
Saviour is coming, and I am coming to you! Then I said to her, Mother
dear, how beautiful and good you are! Is it true that you live at
Valaam? Yes, I live there. You will see me at Valaam! After that the
vision disappeared, but now that the Mother of God had spoken to me it
was as if a stone had been lifted from my heart. My mind was at ease
and all my fears had been swept away. The next day the ship came and I
set out joyfully on my journey. The old ladies sitting beside me began
to offer me food and drink, one bread, another tea and yet another
coffee, so that I was not short of anything all the way. It was a
happy journey. The only problem was that my legs were very painful
because of the rocking of the ship. At Valaam they were celebrating
not only the annual feast of the Saints Sergei and Herman but also the
laying of the foundation stone for a new church. There were a huge
number of pilgrims there, and also the Grand Duke Vladimir
Alexandrovich and his wife the Duchess. There were throngs of people
everywhere. Once I had arrived and rested after the strenuous journey,
I made my way to the tomb of the Saints Sergei and Herman and prayed
there ardently so that the tears streamed from my eyes. I asked the
saints who had been acceptable unto God to help me, to grant me,
sinful as I was, relief from my illness. I spent the last coins that I
had on a short service of prayer to them, so that I had nothing left
but twenty kopecks and my return fare. The evening service was held in
the Church of the Dormition, and the crowd was so enormous that with
my illness, I stood no chance of pushing my way into the church but
had to stand, or rather sit, in the entrance. The following day I had
to return home. I would have liked to stay there longer to pray, but I
couldnt, as even a few days would have cost so much that I would not
have had any money for the fare home. Just before the ship was due to
leave, some unseen force began to drive me back to the Church of the
Dormition once more to pray. Although I was frightened of missing the
ship, I didnt dare to resist this inner voice which ordered me into
the church, so I gathered up all my strength and practically ran back
there. As soon as I stepped into the church I involuntarily looked to
the left and stood rooted to the spot. My legs went weak beneath me,
and I would certainly have fallen down if it hadnt been for the
railings beside the stairs leading to the upper church. The reason for
my surprise and bewilderment was something quite miraculous. Hanging
on the pillar to the left of the door, in a golden frame, and looking
at me was the Mother of God! And what was more, I recognised in Her
the same figure who had appeared to me in a dream on the eve of my
departure for Valaam and strengthened my failing spirit for the
journey. I couldnt take my eyes off the icon, and I became more and
more convinced that this was the same dear mother who had been
gracious enough to visit me in a dream. I recognised Her radiant face
and Her merciful gaze. Even Her clothing was the same, and She held
the Child in just the same way as I had seen in my dream. As soon as I
had recalled all this I wanted to have a service of prayer for the
Mother of God and to kiss Her holy icon, but this was evidently not a
suitable moment for Her, as our defender, to receive my unworthy
prayers. The ships siren sounded in the distance, announcing its
departure, and the icon was hung so high up that it was impossible for
me to kiss it. I just had time to buy a candle with my last twenty
kopecks and place it in front of the icon. Then, with tears in my
eyes, I had to leave for the ship. It was only during the voyage that
I recovered my composure. I was delighted beyond words with this
miracle that had been granted to me, a sinner, although I was also
saddened by the fact that I had seen the icon of the All-Holy Mother
of God only in the last few minutes before leaving Valaam. This had
evidently been Her wish. * * * * * * * * A few days after I arrived
back in Käkisalmi I began to feel much better. I could walk without a
stick and do little jobs around the house. I resolved at once to go
back to the monastery again at the first opportunity to thank God and
the holy fathers and definitely to have a service of prayer said in
front of the icon of the Mother of God. But the Lord determined
otherwise. The lady in whose house I was living decided to move into
the country, and I had to go back to St Petersburg again and rely on
assistance from the good people there. The years went by. My life was
a hard one, and I was often facing hunger. My illness became worse,
and I again had to walk with a stick. I prayed ardently to the Mother
of God for help. Then, in 1896, nine years after my visit to Valaam, I
came home from Vespers one Saturday evening, said my prayers and went
to bed. Again I had a dream. The Mother of God appeared to me in
exactly the same form as on the first occasion, and said, So your
enthusiasm has waned and youve forgotten your promise to return to
Valaam. You were shown the way, but you didnt follow it. I am poor, I
answered, I havent the money. You find money for everything else, but
not for this. Alas, this is a bitter disappointment for me, the Mother
of God complained. I was horrified at this vision. I had evidently
offended our dear mother. What was I to do now? Suddenly I heard that
my former mistress had recently returned to St Petersburg, and so I
went to her and told her the reason for my sorrow. She again came to
my rescue may God grant her all his goodness and unexpectedly gave me
five roubles. With these I was able to travel to Valaam at once. As
soon as I reached the monastery I went to the new church to pray at
the tomb of the founder saints, and then to the Church of the
Dormition to pray to the Mother of God. To my great sorrow, however, I
couldnt find Her icon where it had been on the first occasion. I began
to ask the monks where it was, and the former treasurer Father Evgeni
advised me to ask the master of the church furnishings, Father
Pafnuti, who was responsible for all the icons. Even he couldnt tell
me exactly where the icon of the Mother of God that had been in the
Church of the Dormition now was, and thought it might have been sent
to the monasterys chapel on Vasili Island in St Petersburg. I was
very, very upset that I had not found my Queen of Heaven, and shed
many bitter tears as I prayed to the Mother of God and the Saints
Sergei and Herman that they would not abandon me in my sin. I stayed
at Valaam for two and a half weeks, looking everywhere for the icon,
but I couldnt find it. My health was poor, and my soul weighed heavy
within me. Eventually I went back to St Petersburg and called at the
Valaam chapel on Vasili Island, but the icon was not there, either. I
was more grief-stricken than ever. Another year passed, and my illness
began to grow worse again, so that I could scarcely walk even with a
stick. I had scrimped and saved all year and gradually collected the
kopecks together for another journey to Valaam. I set out to spend the
feast of St Peter at the monastery and to look for the icon of the
Mother of God once again. Although I was exhausted by the time I
arrived, I prayed earnestly at the tomb of the founder saints and with
tears in my eyes prayed to the Mother of God that she would show me
where I could find Her blessed icon. And my prayer was answered. That
night I had another dream. I was walking through the yard of the
monastery and past the now abandoned Church of St Nicholas. I was
crying and praying to the Mother of God, Oh mother dear, if only I
could see you once more! I was greatly surprised, but I went on
praying. Again I heard a voice, but this time it was someone elses.
What are you so sad about? What are you looking for? I turned round
and there was a grey-bearded old monk in a blue biretta standing
behind me. I am looking for the Mother of God, I replied. Wait. We
will find Her. How can you find Her so quickly, I asked, when Father
Pafnuti searched for three weeks without finding her? He searched in
the wrong places. He had forgotten where She is, the old monk said. I
followed him to a door. This door is closed, I said. He opened it. She
is in here. I looked into the inside of the church, and in one corner,
amidst a heap of furnishings and old icons, was the icon of the Mother
of God, half wrapped in a linen cloth and sacking. I recognised it at
once as the icon I was looking for. Here She is! I exclaimed in a loud
voice. It was then that the other women in the same room woke me up.
The next day, a Wednesday, I went to the Liturgy early in the morning,
after which Father Pafnuti conducted a service of prayer at the tomb
of the founder saints. I told him about my dream. In the name of God,
forgive me, he said. I looked for the icon at first and then forgot
all about it. I will go and search for it at once. Now I remember. Im
sure its in the Church of St Nicholas the Miracle-Worker. I intended
to take Communion on the Saturday, and the night before I had another
dream. It was as if I were standing alone in the lower church. There
were just two monks beside the founders tomb, Father Seraphim and
Father Nikolai. I was waiting impatiently for something and could not
take my eyes off the outer door. Suddenly the door opened and the icon
of the Mother of God was carried in by Father Pafnuti and a young monk
in a short, grey cassock. There She is, my dear mother! I cried, and
threw myself on the floor, thinking that the icon would be carried
over me and I would be made well. But Father Pufnuti said, There is
nothing ready for you here. We have to hold a short service to bless
the holy water before a sick person can be made well. And at that I
awoke. In the morning I took Communion. I told Father Pafnuti of my
dream and, sobbing, entreated him to go and look for the icon. Before
the later Liturgy I was in a chapel when I suddenly saw a crowd of
people hurrying from the hotel to the church. What is happening? I
asked. They told me that the missing icon of the Mother of God had
been found and that it was being taken to the lower church. I went
into the church and saw the icon on the steps in front of the
iconostasis. Is this the icon you meant? Father Pafnuti asked me. Yes,
this is the one, I replied. Then be comforted and pray to the Holy
Mother of God, he said. I asked him to hold a service of prayer to the
Mother of God, and he did so, with a blessing of water as well, and
lit a lamp in front of the icon. Hieromonk Alipi was reading a service
of prayer at the tomb of the founder saints just then, and I was told
that it was he who had painted the icon. I went to him and bowed down
to the ground before him. My breath stuck in my throat and tears
streamed down my cheeks from the sheer joy of finding at last the icon
of the Mother of God who had appeared to me, and I gave thanks to the
Lord with all my heart for the unspeakable mercy he had shown to me.
The holy water was poured into a bottle for me, and when I drank it I
felt my strength return. I took some oil from the lamp and went to my
room. There I spread it on my hands and feet. The pain abated, and for
the first time for many years I was able to sleep peacefully. I week
later I could walk without a stick. After giving thanks with all my
soul and from the bottom of my heart to the Mother of God for the
miracle that She had worked on me in my unworthiness, I returned to St
Petersburg. I began to gain in strength all the time without any
medicine, and by Easter I had completely recovered. It was then that I
decided that I would buy a lamp for the icon. By the grace of God I
managed to gather together eight roubles from the little that I had,
but a lamp cost ten roubles. Then a friend of mine who had bought a
charity lottery ticket promised that if she won she would give me the
two roubles I needed, and she did win a gold watch, so that I was able
to buy the lamp and send it to the monastery. Many people asked me to
give them a photograph of the icon. Now I am in perfect health. I can
do washing and scrub floors, and I have even been helping with the
haymaking at the Konevits Monastery. I have no pain at all in my legs.
Altogether the illness lasted twelve years. At one time I couldnt even
get my arms into the sleeves of my clothes, and sometimes I could only
climb steps by crawling on my hands and knees. I shed countless tears
at such times and prayed to the Mother of God that I might be cured.
Now I am healthy again and have everything that I need. There are even
good people around me who have put me in an old peoples home. Glory be
to the Queen of Heaven! Natalia Andreyevnas story of the discovery of
the icon in the abandoned Church of St Nicholas is thoroughly
plausible. It would have been impossible for her to know anything
about the contents of the church or about the objects stored there
beforehand. The church is kept closed and no people other than the
monastery staff are allowed into it. Everything really happened as she
had seen in her dream. Following her instructions, Father Pafnuti went
into the church, found the icon in a corner and brought it to the
lower main church. There he placed it on the right-hand side of the
church, on a pillar behind the right-hand choir enclosure, where it
has been to this day. And by some miraculous means the person who
helped Father Pufnuti carry the icon was indeed dressed in a short,
grey cassock. Natalia Andreyevna released this account of her visions
on 7th August 1897, and it was written down in the present form on
26th July 1898.
_________________________________________________________________
Venerable Anthony of Optina
Saint Anthony (Putilov) was born on March 9, 1795 in the town of
Romanov in the Yaroslavl province, and was baptized with the name
Alexander. His siblings were called Timothy, Jonah, Basil, Cyril, and
Anysia. John Putilov named all his children after the saint
commemorated on the eighth day after their birth, so the future St
Anthony was named for the holy hieromartyr Alexander the Bishop of
Rome (March 16). The children were educated at home, since their
parents feared they would be corrupted in some way if they were sent
away to school.
>From an early age, Alexander was quiet and modest, disdaining the
noisy games of other children. It is not surprising that he should be
inclined toward monasticism even as a child, because his
great-grandfather Joel had been a hierodeacon at the Serpukhov
Monastery, and his cousin Maximilla was a nun in the Annunciation
women's monastery in Moscow.
When Alexander was ten years old, his brothers Timothy and Jonah
entered the Sarov Monastery. They wrote to him and sent him spiritual
books, which he enjoyed reading. When he was only thirteen, he wrote
to them expressing the wish to become a monk like them.
The young Alexander endured many trials and illnesses during his
childhood, and on ten separate occasions he was in danger of losing
his life. Once he nearly drowned, another time he fell and fractured
his skull. He had several other close calls, yet God spared his life,
forseeing something better for him (Hebrews 11:40).
After his father's death in 1809, Alexander went to work for the
merchant Karpishev in Moscow, for whom his older brothers had also
worked. He lived in Moscow only three years, but he remembered the
location of all the city's holy places and wonderworking icons for the
rest of his life.
On September 2, 1812, he tried to flee Moscow during Napoleon's
invasion, but it was too late to escape. A Pole on horseback pointed a
pistol at Alexander and stole his money. Later, French soldiers robbed
him of his watch and most of his clothing, and held him prisoner for
ten days. During his captivity he consoled himself with the words of
St John Chrysostom, who said that the worst sufferings on earth are
nothing compared to the least sufferings in hell.
After learning that there were Russian soldiers outside of Moscow,
Alexander escaped on September 12 while it was raining. He found a
group of Russians, including some of his relatives. They walked
through forests and swamps by night, and hid from the French by day.
Eventually, Alexander arrived at the home of some relatives in Rostov.
Not knowing what had become of his brothers, he took a job similar to
the one he had in Moscow.
Alexander loved to visit the St James Monastery in Rostov, where the
relics of St Demetrius of Rostov (October 28) were enshrined. By the
end of 1815, circumstances finally permitted him to withdraw from the
world. First, however, he arranged for his older brother Basil to
marry, choosing a suitable and pious bride for him.
At the end of 1815, Alexander went to Moscow to visit the various
churches and monasteries. He prayed to the Most Holy Theotokos and to
all the saints, asking that his intention to become a monk might be
blessed. From Moscow, he traveled to Kaluga, and then to the Roslavl
forests in Smolensk province where his brother Fr Moses had been
living for about five years.
Alexander consulted with his brother about his desire to enter the
monastery at Sarov, and decided to remain with Fr Moses until spring.
He was made a novice on January 15, 1816. In the spring, Alexander
decided he would remain a while longer. Several months later, he went
with Fr Moses on pilgrimage to Kiev. On their return trip the brothers
stopped at several monasteries, conversing with many Elders about the
spiritual life. Alexander was not inclined to enter any of them,
however.
Back in the Roslavl forests, Alexander realized that he did not want
to leave his brother. He had come only for a brief visit, but ended up
staying with Fr Moses for the next twenty-four years.
Despite the many illnesses of his childhood, Alexander was blessed
with great physical strength, and devoted himself to seemingly
impossible ascetic labors. The brothers would get up at midnight and
read through the cycle of services without omissions, and so Alexander
became familiar with the church Typikon. He copied out patristic texts
by hand, and helped his brother compile extracts from various sources
in order to provide a system of rules for the Christian life. Out of
reverence for these spiritual books, the brothers remained standing
when they read or copied them. Alexander spent so much time standing
on his feet that he damaged his legs, which caused him pain for the
rest of his life.
As the youngest member of the community, Alexander had to get up
before the others in order to wake them. He chopped wood, carried
water, worked in the vegetable garden, and still fulfilled his daily
rule of prayer.
After a trial period of four years, Alexander was tonsured by Fr
Athanasius on February 2, 1820 and was given the name Anthony. He was
also placed under the spiritual guidance of Fr Moses.
In 1821 Bishop Philaret of Kaluga (later Metropolitan of Kiev) decided
to establish a skete at Optina Monastery for experienced ascetics who
wished to live in silence. He had met Fr Moses at Optina in 1820 where
they were introduced by Igumen Daniel. The bishop offered him the
opportunity to move to his diocese and establish a skete at Optina,
and Fr Moses accepted.
On June 3, 1821 Fr Moses left the Roslavl forests with Fr Anthony, and
the monks Hilarion and Sabbatius. The Elders Athanasius and Dorotheus
decided to remain behind until the skete was completely ready. For the
rest of his life Fr Anthony would always remember his five years in
the Roslavl forests with a special joy.
On June 6 St Anthony arrived at Optina with the other monks. The site
they selected for the skete was 400 yards from the monastery's eastern
side. They cleared the land of trees and built a cell and a church
dedicated to St John the Baptist. St Moses was appointed igumen, and
on August 24, 1823 Anthony was ordained as a deacon.
St Anthony was placed in charge of the skete when his brother was made
Superior of Optina Monastery in 1825. For the next fourteen years the
skete flourished under Anthony. Wise Elders and experienced ascetics
were attracted to the hesychast skete by the fame of Fr Moses. St
Leonid (October 11) came from the St Anthony of Svir monastery with
five of his disciples in 1829. St Macarius (September 7) came from
Ploschansk monastery in 1834 at the invitation of Fr Moses.
With the help of Fr Leonid and Fr Macarius, Fr Moses and Fr Anthony
introduced the ancient monastic tradition of eldership at the skete
and monastery. St Anthony was an example of obedience to others.
Though he was Superior of the skete, he never made any decisions or
gave any orders without the blessing of his own Elder, Fr Moses.
At first, life in the skete was very difficult. There were not enough
monks to do all the work, so Fr Anthony carried his own water and
firewood. He also worked on the grounds, cleared paths, took his turn
serving in church, and greeted visitors. The hard work made him
appreciate the simple food served in the trapeza. Sometimes a
benefactor would donate wheat loaves for the brethren, but most days
they ate black bread.
Fr Anthony suffered from various afflictions throughout his life. His
legs pained him because of his continual standing. He also had eye
trouble, and even lost his sight for a brief time. In 1836, while
hurrying to the monastery along a forest path for the midnight paschal
service, Fr Anthony stubbed his right foot on a tree stump. His legs
were already sore from years of standing, and now they developed open
sores.The inflammation in his legs prevented him from leaving his cell
for six months.
He bore all these trials with patience and humility, believing that
illness is sometimes given to us by God in order to heal the
infirmities of the soul. When anything unpleasant happened to him, he
remained meek and calm. He offered thanks to God because his sickness
gave him more time for reading spiritual books for the benefit of his
soul.
On November 30, 1839 Bishop Nicholas of Kaluga summoned Fr Anthony,
and appointed him as igumen of the Maloyaroslavets Monastery. He had
hoped to remain at the skete for the rest of his lfe, but in spite of
his sorrow at leaving Optina, he went obediently to his new
assignment.
By the mercy of God, three Putilov brothers were now serving as
igumens of monasteries: Moses at Optina, Anthony at Maloyaroslavets,
and Isaiah at Sarov. Fr Moses seemed to have the least difficulty in
bearing the sorrows and labors of his office. The others sometimes
found it difficult to fulfill their duties and provide for the needs
of the monastery.
After five years in the forest and eighteen years at the skete, Fr
Anthony found life at Maloyaroslavets monastery like living in the
midst of a noisy city. The monks did not share the same oneness of
mind as the Optina monks. Besides this, Fr Anthony was so ill that he
was not able to observe what was going on in the monastery, and he had
to issue his orders through others. After only a few days he became
depressed at his situation. One night St Metrophanes of Voronezh
(November 23) appeared to him in a dream and blessed him. He said,
"You have been in Paradise and you know it. Now work, pray, and don't
be lazy." From that time, Fr Anthony felt himself to be under the
saint's special care.
Fr Anthony zealously devoted himself to improving the spiritual life
of the monastery, but he was not happy there. More than once he wrote
to the bishop and asked to be allowed to retire. The bishop, however,
would not hear of it. Fr Anthony also wrote to Fr Moses to express his
sorrow and his desire to be relieved of his duties. Fr Moses told him
that he could not abandon his responsabilities, for that would insult
the monastery, and would also grieve the bishop and Fr Moses himself.
He chastized his brother, saying that in seeking deliverence from his
sorrows, Anthony was placing his own will in opposition to the will of
God.
Fr Anthony accepted the rebuke of Fr Moses and learned to bear his
cross with meekness, and to place all his trust in God. Finally, in
1853, Bishop Gregory of Kaluga relieved Fr Anthony of his duties, and
permitted him to retire to Optina.
Fr Anthony arrived back at his beloved Optina on February 12, 1853,
and was given a cell near Fr Moses. Although he continued to suffer
from physical ailments, he bore them with exemplary patience. He went
to church for all the services, and took his meals with the brethren.
Since he continued his prolonged standing, his legs became covered
with sores. The writer I.V. Kieryevsky told Fr Anthony that he
fulfilled the words of Scripture: "Whom the Lord loves, He chastises"
(Hebrews 12:6). Fr Anthony retorted, "Many are the scourges of the
sinner" (Psalm 31/32:10).
He never complained about his sufferings, even though they prevented
him from leaving his cell for weeks at a time. If he could not be at
the church services, he would read his rule of prayer in his cell at
the very time the services were taking place.
Only those experienced in the spiritual life themselves could
understand what spiritual gifts God had granted Fr Anthony, which he
tried to conceal from everyone. There is reason to believe that he saw
visions, and attained great spiritual heights. When he was serving the
Liturgy, his face seemed to radiate such grace that those who merely
looked at him felt that their souls were transformed.
After services in the church and prayers in his cell, Fr Anthony
devoted himself to his favorite occupation - reading. He loved the
Holy Scriptures and the writings of the Fathers, and also enjoyed
other books of a spiritual or historical nature. He gave over 2,000 of
his books to the monastery library, and he had read every single one.
He made notes on what he read, and also copied excerpts from books and
magazines for the benefit of his spiritual children.
The Elder was blessed with a remarkable memory. Not only could he
remember everything he had read for many years afterward, he also
remembered who had visited him on a particular day, and what their
conversation had been about.
St Anthony knew how to balance strictness with a certain amount of
compassion for human weakness. He would not bless anyone to depart
from the Church's norms, however. He was very strict concerning
spiritual matters in general, and especially the teachings and canons
of the Church. He himself believed in the Church's teachings and kept
its precepts, and he required the same faith and obedience from his
spiritual children.
Fr Anthony's retirement at Optina lasted for twelve years. When Fr
Moses reposed in 1862, Fr Anthony was stricken with grief. For the
first forty days he secluded himself in his cell, constantly reading
the Psalter for his newly-departed brother. For about a year, he
avoided people as much as he could, and prayed for Fr Moses. He
refused to speak to anyone about the hidden spiritual life of Fr
Moses, but he did reveal to a few people that he remained in spiritual
contact with his brother even after his death.
In 1863, Fr Anthony went on a pilgrimage to venerate the relics of the
newly-glorified St Tikhon of Zadonsk (August 13) and St Metrophanes of
Voronezh. He also visited several other monasteries, and some families
who loved him. Upon returning to Optina, Fr Anthony began to prepare
for his departure from this world, and on March 9, 1865, at the age of
seventy, he received the Great Schema.
On June 24, 1865, the Nativity of St John the Baptist and the Skete's
Feast Day, Igumen Anthony attended Liturgy in the skete church for the
last time. He was growing weaker day by day, and in July he began to
suffer from typhoid fever. As a result, he was able to sleep only for
brief periods.Still, he continued to receive visitors, giving advice
and instructions, and revealing to some that he was about to die.
The Elder received Holy Unction on July 21 and received Holy Communion
every day. In his last days he asked to be sprinkled with holy water
from Theophany, and requested that his bed and his room also be
sprinkled. This brought him great comfort. He said, "How necessary is
this sprinkling. The grace of God is present."
St Anthony was not afraid of death, but awaited it in a spirit of joy
and peace, surrendering himself to the will of God. He asked that his
schema and the other garments in which he wanted to be buried be laid
out and ready. He also started distributing his belongings to others
as a remembrance.
After Liturgy on August 6, some of the brethren came to his cell to
sing the troparion and kontakion for the Transfiguration. The next day
he asked to be clothed in the full garb of a schemamonk. Due to his
weakness, however, this could not be done. They placed the schema over
him, and that satisfied him.
That evening St Anthony asked to see the Superior, and sought his
blessing for his final journey. Fr Isaac blessed him and took leave of
him. Then the Elder asked Fr Isaac to ring the bell three times. In
monasteries this is normally done after someone has died, so his
request seemed rather unusual. However, in 1863 St Anthony had
compiled a collection of prayers for those who were incurably ill,
with prayers for the departed. In this collection he stipulated that
the bell be rung three or more times "to announce to the brethren that
the sick brother is departing" so that they might pray for him.
The Canon for the Departure of a Soul was read for him, and when it
was completed he lay silent for a while. Suddenly he looked to the
right and to the left in a threatening manner, and even raised his
left fist. Those present became fearful, for they believed that he saw
something which their eyes could not see. Perhaps they recalled that
many of the saints had seen demons just before they died. One of the
spiritual Fathers of the monastery blessed him three times with a hand
cross. The holy Elder sighed three times, then departed to the Lord.
The funeral took place on August 10, and was attended by many people.
Although St Anthony wanted to be buried in the new cemetery, the
Archishop ordered that he be buried next to his brother St Moses in
the side altar of the monastery's Cathedral (katholikon).
The Moscow Patriarchate authorized local veneration of the Optina
Elders on June 13,1996. The work of uncovering the relics of Sts
Leonid, Macarius, Hilarion, Ambrose, Anatole I, Barsanuphius and
Anatole II began on June 24/July 7, 1998 and was concluded the next
day. However, because of the church Feasts (Nativity of St John the
Baptist, etc.) associated with the actual dates of the uncovering of
the relics, Patriarch Alexey II designated June 27/July 10 as the date
for commemorating this event. The relics of the holy Elders now rest
in the new church of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God.
The Optina Elders were glorified by the Moscow Patriarchate for
universal veneration on August 7, 2000.
_________________________________________________________________
St Theodora of Sihla
Saint Theodora, the greatest of Romania's holy ascetics, was born in
the village of Vanatori, Neamts in the first half of the seventeenth
century, and was the daughter of Stephen Joldea and his wife.
She was married to a man of Ismail, but had no children. Therefore,
she and her husband decided to enter the monastic life. Her husband
went to the Skete of Poiana Marului, where he was tonsured with the
name Eleutherius. He was also ordained to the holy priesthood.
Theodora also received the monastic tonsure in the Skete of Poiana
Marului. In just a few years, she advanced in obedience, prayer, and
asceticism, acquiring the grace of unceasing prayer of the heart.
When her skete was destroyed by the Turks, she fled to the Buzau
Mountains with her spiritual mother, Schemanun Paisia. They lived for
several years in fasting, vigil and prayer, enduring cold, hunger, and
demonic temptations. When her spiritual mother fell asleep in the Lord
(1670-1675), St Theodora was led by God to the mountains of Neamts.
After venerating the wonderworking Neamts Icon of the Mother of God
(June 26) in the monastery, she was told to seek the advice of
Hieromonk Barsanuphius of Sihastria Skete. Seeing her desire for the
eremetical life, and recognizing her great virtues, he gave her Holy
Communion and assigned Hieromonk Paul as her Father Confessor and
spiritual guide.
Fr Barsanuphius advised Theodora to go and live alone in the
wilderness for a year. "If, by the grace of Christ, you are able to
endure the difficulties and trials of the wilderness, then remain
there until you die. If you cannot endure, however, then go to a
women's monastery, and struggle there in humility for the salvation of
your soul."
Fr Paul searched in vain for an abandoned hermitage where St Theodora
might live. Then they met an old hermit living beneath the cliffs of
Sihla. This clairvoyant Elder greeted them and said, "Mother Theodora,
remain in my cell, for I am moving to another place."
Fr Paul left Theodora on Mount Sihla, blessing her before he returned
to the skete. St Theodora lived in that cell for thirty years.
Strengthened with power from on high, she vanquished all the attacks
of the Enemy through patience and humility. She never left the
mountain, and never saw another person except for Fr Paul, who visited
her from time to time to bring her the Spotless Mysteries of Christ
and the supplies she needed to survive.
St Theodora made such progress in asceticism that she was able to keep
vigil all night long with her arms lifted up toward heaven. When the
morning sun touched her face, she would eat some herbs and other
vegetation to break her fast. She drank rainwater which she collected
from a channel cut into the cliff, which is still known as
StTheodora's Spring.
When Turks attacked the villages and monasteries around Neamts, the
woods became filled with villagers and monastics. Some nuns found St
Theodora's cell, and she called out to them, "Remain here in my cell,
for I have another place of refuge." Then she moved into a nearby
cave, living there completely alone. An army of Turks discovered the
cave, and were about to kill the saint. Lifting up her hands, she
cried out, "O Lord, deliver me from the hands of these murderers." The
wall of the cave opened, and she was able to escape into the woods.
As St Theodora grew old, she was forgotten and there was no one to
care for her. Placing all her hope in God, she continued her spiritual
struggles, and reached great heights of perfection. When she prayed
her mind was raised up to Heaven, and her body was lifted up off the
ground. Like the great saints of earlier times, her face shone with a
radiant light, and a flame came forth from her mouth when she prayed.
In time her clothes became mere rags, and when her food ran out, she
was fed by birds like the Prophet Elias (July 20). They brought her
crusts of bread from the Sihastria Skete. Seeing the birds come to the
skete and then fly away with pieces of bread in their beaks, the
igumen sent two monks to follow them. Night fell as they walked toward
Sihla, and they lost their way in the woods. They decided to wait for
daylight, and began to pray. Suddenly, they saw a bright light
stretching up into the sky, and went to investigate. As they
approached, they saw a woman shining with light and levitating above
the ground as she prayed.
St Theodora said, "Brethren, do not be afraid, for I am a humble
handmaiden of Christ. Throw me something to wear, for I am naked."
Then she told them of her life and approaching death. She asked them
to go to the skete and ask for Fr Anthony and the hierodeacon Laurence
to come and bring her Communion. They asked her how they could find
their way to the skete at night, for they did not know the way. She
said that they would be guided to the skete by a light which would go
before them.
The next day at dawn, Fr Anthony went to Sihla with the deacon and two
other monks. When they found St Theodora, she was praying by a fir
tree in front of her cave. She confessed to the priest, then received
the Holy Mysteries of Christ and gave her soul to God. The monks
buried her in her cave with great reverence sometime during the first
decade of the eighteenth century.
News of her death spread quickly, and people came from all over to
venerate her tomb. Her holy relics remained incorrupt, and many
miracles took place before them. Some kissed the relics, others
touched the reliquary, while others washed in her spring. All who
entreated St Theodora's intercession received healing and consolation.
St Theodore's former husband, Hieromonk Eleutherius, heard that she
had been living at Sihla, and decided to go there. He found her cave
shortly after her death and burial. Grieving for his beloved wife,
Eleutherius did not return to his monastery, but made a small cell for
himself below the cliffs of Sihla. He remained close to her cave,
fasting, praying, and serving the Divine Liturgy. He lived there for
about ten years before his blessed repose. He was buried in the
hermits' cemetery, and the Skete of St John the Baptist was built over
his grave.
St Theodora's relics were taken to the Kiev Caves Monastery between
1828 and 1834. There she is known as St Theodora of the Carpathians.
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St Nicanor, Wonderworker of Mt. Calistratus
No information available at this time.
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St Theodosius the New, Healer of Peloponnesus
No information available at this time.
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