[Readingsandsaints] Readings and Saints

[Daily Orthodox Readings and Saints]

Scripture Readings and Saints for Mon Nov 19 2007

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------ READINGS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
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1 Timothy 1:1-7
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our
Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope,
2 To Timothy, a true son in the faith:
Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.
3 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia-remain in Ephesus that you
may charge some that they teach no other doctrine,
4 nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause
disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith.
5 Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a
good conscience, and from sincere faith,
6 from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk,
7 desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they
say nor the things which they affirm.
Scripture Reading 1 of 2


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Luke 17:20-25
20 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God
would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not
come with observation;
21 nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the
kingdom of God is within you.
22 Then He said to the disciples, "The days will come when you will
desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see
it.
23 And they will say to you, 'Look here!' or 'Look there!' Do not go
after them or follow them.
24 For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven
shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be
in His day.
25 But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this
generation.
Scripture Reading 2 of 2



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------ SAINTS/FEASTS FOR TODAY ----------------------------
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Prophet Obadiah (Abdias)
The Holy Prophet Obadiah [or Abdia] is the fourth of the Twelve Minor
Prophets, and he lived during the ninth century B.C. He was from the
village of Betharam, near Sichem, and he served as steward of the
impious Israelite King Ahab. In those days the whole of Israel had
turned away from the true God and had begun to offer sacrifice to
Baal, but Obadiah faithfully served the God of Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob in secret.
When Ahab's wife, the impious and dissolute Jezebel, hunted down all
the prophets of the Lord (because of her quarrel with the Prophet
Elias), Obadiah gave them shelter and food (3/1 Kgs 18:3 ff). Ahab's
successor King Okhoziah [Ahaziah] sent three detachments of soldiers
to arrest the holy Prophet Elias (July 20). One of these detachments
was headed by St Obadiah. Through the prayer of St Elias, two of the
detachments were consumed by heavenly fire, but St Obadiah and his
detachment were spared by the Lord 4/2 Kgs 1).
>From that moment St Obadiah resigned from military service and became
a follower of the Prophet Elias. Afterwards, he himself received the
gift of prophecy. The God-inspired work of St Obadiah is the fourth of
the Books of the Twelve Minor Prophets in the Bible, and contains
predictions about the New Testament Church. The holy Prophet Obadiah
was buried in Samaria.
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Martyr Barlaam of Caesarea, in Cappadocia
The Holy Martyr Barlaam lived in Antioch of Syria. During Diocletian's
persecution against Christians, the aged St Barlaam was arrested and
brought to trial, where he confessed himself a Christian.
The judge, wanting to compel the saint to renounce Christ, ordered
that St Barlaam be brought to the pagan altar. His right hand was
placed over it, and a red-hot censer burning with incense was put into
his hand. The torturer thought that a physically weak old man could
not endure the pain and would drop it on the altar. In this way he
would involuntarily be offering sacrifice to the idol. However, the
saint held on to the censer until his hand fell off. After this, the
holy Martyr Barlaam surrendered his soul to the Lord.
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Venerable Barlaam
The Monks Barlaam the Wilderness-Dweller, Joasaph the son of the
Emperor of India, and his Father Abenner:
The emperor Abenner ruled in India, which had once received the
Christian Faith through the evangelization of the holy Apostle Thomas.
He was an idol-worshipper and fierce persecutor of Christians. For a
long time he did not have any children. Finally, a son was born to the
emperor, and named Joasaph. At the birth of this son the wisest of the
emperor's astrologers predicted that the emperor's son would accept
the Christian Faith which was persecuted by his father. The emperor,
in an effort to prevent the prediction from being fulfilled, commanded
that a separate palace be built for his son. He also arranged matters
so that his son should never hear a single word about Christ and His
teachings.
When he was a young man, Joasaph asked his father's permission to go
out the palace, and he saw such things as suffering, sickness, old age
and death. This led him to ponder the vanity and absurdity of life,
and to engage in some serious thinking.
At that time a wise hermit, St Barlaam, lived in a remote wilderness.
Through divine revelation he learned about the youth agonizing in
search of truth. Forsaking his wilderness, St Barlaam went to India
disguised as a merchant. After he arrived in the city where Joasaph's
palace was, he said that he had brought with him a precious stone,
endowed with wondrous powers to heal sickness. Brought before Joasaph,
he began to teach him the Christian Faith in the form of parables, and
then from the Holy Gospel and the Epistles. From the instructions of
St Barlaam the youth reasoned that the precious stone is faith in the
Lord Jesus Christ, and he believed in Him and desired to accept holy
Baptism. Having made the Sign of the Cross over the youth, St Barlaam
told him to fast and pray, and he went off into the wilderness.
The emperor, learning that his son had become a Christian, fell into
rage and grief. On the advice of one of his counsellors, the emperor
arranged for a religious debate between the Christians and the pagans,
at which the magician Nakhor appeared in the guise of Barlaam. In the
debate Nakhor was supposed to acknowledge himself beaten and thereby
turn the imperial youth away from Christianity.
St Joasaph learned about the deception in a dream, and he threatened
Nakhor with a fiercesome execution if he were beaten in the debate.
Nakhor not only defeated the pagans, but he himself came to believe in
Christ, and he repented and accepted holy Baptism and went off into
the wilderness.
The emperor also tried to turn his son away from Christianity by other
methods, but the youth conquered all the temptations. Then on the
advice of his counsellors, Abenner bestowed on his son half the realm.
When St Joasaph became emperor, he restored Christianity in his lands,
rebuilt the churches, and finally, converted his own father Abenner to
Christianity.
The emperor Abenner died soon after Baptism, and St Joasaph abdicated
his throne and went off into the wilderness in search of his teacher,
Elder Barlaam. For two years he wandered about through the wilderness,
suffering dangers and temptations, until he found the cave of St
Barlaam, laboring in silence. The Elder and the youth began to
struggle together.
When St Barlaam's death approached, he served the Divine Liturgy,
partook of the Holy Mysteries and communed St Joasaph, then he
departed to the Lord. He lived in the wilderness for seventy of his
one hundred years. After he buried the Elder, St Joasaph remained in
the cave and continued his ascetic efforts. He dwelt in the wilderness
for thirty-five years, and fell asleep in the Lord at the age of
sixty.
Barachias, St Joasaph's successor as emperor, with the help of a
certain hermit, found the incorrupt and fragrant relics of both
ascetics in the cave, and he brought them back to his fatherland and
buried them in a church built by the holy Emperor Joasaph.
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Venerable Joasaph the Prince of India
The Monks Barlaam the Wilderness-Dweller, Joasaph the son of the
Emperor of India, and his Father Abenner:
The emperor Abenner ruled in India, which had once received the
Christian Faith through the evangelization of the holy Apostle Thomas.
He was an idol-worshipper and fierce persecutor of Christians. For a
long time he did not have any children. Finally, a son was born to the
emperor, and named Joasaph. At the birth of this son the wisest of the
emperor's astrologers predicted that the emperor's son would accept
the Christian Faith which was persecuted by his father. The emperor,
in an effort to prevent the prediction from being fulfilled, commanded
that a separate palace be built for his son. He also arranged matters
so that his son should never hear a single word about Christ and His
teachings.
When he was a young man, Joasaph asked his father's permission to go
out the palace, and he saw such things as suffering, sickness, old age
and death. This led him to ponder the vanity and absurdity of life,
and to engage in some serious thinking.
At that time a wise hermit, St Barlaam, lived in a remote wilderness.
Through divine revelation he learned about the youth agonizing in
search of truth. Forsaking his wilderness, St Barlaam went to India
disguised as a merchant. After he arrived in the city where Joasaph's
palace was, he said that he had brought with him a precious stone,
endowed with wondrous powers to heal sickness. Brought before Joasaph,
he began to teach him the Christian Faith in the form of parables, and
then from the Holy Gospel and the Epistles. From the instructions of
St Barlaam the youth reasoned that the precious stone is faith in the
Lord Jesus Christ, and he believed in Him and desired to accept holy
Baptism. Having made the Sign of the Cross over the youth, St Barlaam
told him to fast and pray, and he went off into the wilderness.
The emperor, learning that his son had become a Christian, fell into
rage and grief. On the advice of one of his counselors, the emperor
arranged for a religious debate between the Christians and the pagans,
at which the magician Nakhor appeared in the guise of Barlaam. In the
debate Nakhor was supposed to acknowledge himself beaten and thereby
turn the imperial youth away from Christianity.
St Joasaph learned about the deception in a dream, and he threatened
Nakhor with a fearsome execution if he were beaten in the debate.
Nakhor not only defeated the pagans, but he himself came to believe in
Christ, and he repented and accepted holy Baptism and went off into
the wilderness.
The emperor also tried to turn his son away from Christianity by other
methods, but the youth conquered all the temptations. Then on the
advice of his counselors, Abenner bestowed on his son half the realm.
When St Joasaph became emperor, he restored Christianity in his lands,
rebuilt the churches, and finally, converted his own father Abenner to
Christianity.
The emperor Abenner died soon after Baptism, and St Joasaph abdicated
his throne and went off into the wilderness in search of his teacher,
Elder Barlaam. For two years he wandered about through the wilderness,
suffering dangers and temptations, until he found the cave of St
Barlaam, laboring in silence. The Elder and the youth began to
struggle together.
When St Barlaam's death approached, he served the Divine Liturgy,
partook of the Holy Mysteries and communed St Joasaph, then he
departed to the Lord. He lived in the wilderness for seventy of his
one hundred years. After he buried the Elder, St Joasaph remained in
the cave and continued his ascetic efforts. He dwelt in the wilderness
for thirty-five years, and fell asleep in the Lord at the age of
sixty.
Barachias, St Joasaph's successor as emperor, with the help of a
certain hermit, found the incorrupt and fragrant relics of both
ascetics in the cave, and he brought them back to his fatherland and
buried them in a church built by the holy Emperor Joasaph.
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Venerable King Abennar the father of the Venerable Joasaph
The Monks Barlaam the Wilderness-Dweller, Joasaph the son of the
Emperor of India, and his Father Abenner:
The emperor Abenner ruled in India, which had once received the
Christian Faith through the evangelization of the holy Apostle Thomas.
He was an idol-worshipper and fierce persecutor of Christians. For a
long time he did not have any children. Finally, a son was born to the
emperor, and named Joasaph. At the birth of this son the wisest of the
emperor's astrologers predicted that the emperor's son would accept
the Christian Faith which was persecuted by his father. The emperor,
in an effort to prevent the prediction from being fulfilled, commanded
that a separate palace be built for his son. He also arranged matters
so that his son should never hear a single word about Christ and His
teachings.
When he was a young man, Joasaph asked his father's permission to go
out the palace, and he saw such things as suffering, sickness, old age
and death. This led him to ponder the vanity and absurdity of life,
and to engage in some serious thinking.
At that time a wise hermit, St Barlaam, lived in a remote wilderness.
Through divine revelation he learned about the youth agonizing in
search of truth. Forsaking his wilderness, St Barlaam went to India
disguised as a merchant. After he arrived in the city where Joasaph's
palace was, he said that he had brought with him a precious stone,
endowed with wondrous powers to heal sickness. Brought before Joasaph,
he began to teach him the Christian Faith in the form of parables, and
then from the Holy Gospel and the Epistles. From the instructions of
St Barlaam the youth reasoned that the precious stone is faith in the
Lord Jesus Christ, and he believed in Him and desired to accept holy
Baptism. Having made the Sign of the Cross over the youth, St Barlaam
told him to fast and pray, and he went off into the wilderness.
The emperor, learning that his son had become a Christian, fell into
rage and grief. On the advice of one of his counselors, the emperor
arranged for a religious debate between the Christians and the pagans,
at which the magician Nakhor appeared in the guise of Barlaam. In the
debate Nakhor was supposed to acknowledge himself beaten and thereby
turn the imperial youth away from Christianity.
St Joasaph learned about the deception in a dream, and he threatened
Nakhor with a fearsome execution if he were beaten in the debate.
Nakhor not only defeated the pagans, but he himself came to believe in
Christ, and he repented and accepted holy Baptism and went off into
the wilderness.
The emperor also tried to turn his son away from Christianity by other
methods, but the youth conquered all the temptations. Then on the
advice of his counselors, Abenner bestowed on his son half the realm.
When St Joasaph became emperor, he restored Christianity in his lands,
rebuilt the churches, and finally, converted his own father Abenner to
Christianity.
The emperor Abenner died soon after Baptism.
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Venerable Barlaam the Abbot of the Kiev Near Caves
Saint Barlaam, Igumen of the Kiev Caves, lived during the eleventh
century at Kiev, and was the son of an illustrious noble. From his
youth, he yearned for the monastic life and he went to St Anthony of
the Caves (July 10), who accepted the pious youth so firmly determined
to become a monk, and he bade St Nikon (March 23) to tonsure him.
St Barlaam's father tried to return him home by force, but finally
became convinced that his son would never return to the world, so he
gave up. When the number of monks at the Caves began to increase, St
Anthony made St Barlaam igumen, while he himself moved to another cave
and again began to live in solitude.
St Barlaam became the first igumen of the Kiev Caves monastery. In the
year 1058, after asking St Anthony's blessing, St Barlaam built a
wooden church in honor of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos.
Afterwards, St Barlaam became igumen of the newly-formed monastery in
honor of the Great Martyr Demetrius.
St Barlaam twice went on pilgrimage to the holy places in Jerusalem
and Constantinople. After he returned from his second journey, he died
in the Vladimir Holy Mountain monastery at Volhynia in 1065 and was
buried, in accord with his final wishes, at the Caves monastery in the
Near Caves. His memory is celebrated September 28 and on the second
Sunday of Great Lent.
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Finding of the relics of Monkmartyr Adrian of Poshekhonsk,
Yaroslavl
The Uncovering of the Relics of the Hieromartyr Adrian of Peshekhon
and Yaroslav took place on November 19, 1625. On December 17, 1625,
under Patriarch Philaret, his incorrupt relics were transferred to the
monastery he founded. The account of the hosiomartyr Adrian is located
on the day of his death, March 5.
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Martyr Azes of Isauria
The Holy Martyr Azes and with him 150 Soldiers suffered at Isauria, in
Asia Minor, under the emperor Diocletian (284-305). For his confession
of the Christian Faith, the saint was arrested and brought to trial
before the eparch, Aquilinus.
One hundred and fifty soldiers had been sent to arrest the saint, but
they were converted to the path of salvation and they accepted holy
Baptism with water that sprang forth through the prayer of St Azes.
The martyr persuaded them to fulfill the commandment to obey those in
authority, and therefore to bring him before the eparch.
The soldiers and the saint confessed their Christian faith before
Aquilinus, and for this they were all beheaded. With them the eparch
executed his own wife and daughter, who had come to believe in Christ,
seeing the steadfastness of St Azes under torture.
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Martyred 150 Soldiers with Martyr Azes of Isauria
The Holy Martyr Azes and with him 150 Soldiers suffered at Isauria, in
Asia Minor, under the emperor Diocletian (284-305). For his confession
of the Christian Faith, the saint was arrested and brought to trial
before the eparch, Aquilinus.
One hundred and fifty soldiers had been sent to arrest the saint, but
they were converted to the path of salvation and they accepted holy
Baptism with water that sprang forth through the prayer of St Azes.
The martyr persuaded them to fulfill the commandment to obey those in
authority, and therefore to bring him before the eparch.
The soldiers and the saint confessed their Christian faith before
Aquilinus, and for this they were all beheaded. With them the eparch
executed his own wife and daughter, who had come to believe in Christ,
seeing the steadfastness of St Azes under torture.
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Martyr Heliodorus in Pamphylia
The Holy Martyr Heliodorus lived during the reign of the emperor
Aurelian (270-275) in the city of Magidum (Pamphylia). The ruler of
the city, Aetius, subjected the saint to fierce tortures for his faith
in Christ and had him beheaded.
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Venerable Hilarion the Monk and Wonderworker of Thessalonica,
Georgian
Saint Hilarion the Georgian was the son of a Kakheti aristocrat. There
were other children in the family, but only Hilarion was dedicated to
God from his very birth. Hilarions father built a monastery on his own
land, and there the boy was raised.
At the age of fourteen Hilarion left the monastery and his fathers
guardianship and settled in a small cave in the Davit-Gareji
Wilderness. There he remained for ten years.
Soon report spread through all of eastern Georgia of the angelic
faster and tireless intercessor in prayer. Crowds flocked to his cave
to receive instruction, blessings, and counsel. When the bishop of
Rustavi came to visit Hilarion, he ordained him a priest. Soon he was
made abbot of St. Davit of Gareji Lavra.
After his ordination, the holy father was praised even more among his
people, and he decided to leave his motherland. Hilarion chose one of
the brothers to replace him as abbot of the monastery and set off on a
pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
On the way Venerable Hilarion was attacked by a band of vicious
thieves. They sought to kill the holy father, but their hands suddenly
withered. When the terrified thieves realized that God had punished
them for raising their hands to kill the saint, they fell to their
knees before St. Hilarion and begged his forgiveness. The venerable
father blessed them with the sign of the Cross, healed them and let
them depart in peace.
St. Hilarion venerated the holy places in Jerusalem, then settled in a
cave in the Jordan wilderness (according to tradition, the holy
prophet Elijah had dwelt in that same cave).
One night St. Hilarion saw a vision: He was standing before the Most
Holy Theotokos, in the midst of twelve men, on the Mount of Olives,
the place of our Lords Ascension. The Holy Virgin said to him,
Hilarion! Return to your home and prepare a meal for the Lord, my Son!
Upon waking, Hilarion understood this vision with both his heart and
mind and immediately set off for his motherland.
When he returned to Georgia, St. Hilarion learned of the repose of his
father and brothers. His mother gave her only living son the family
inheritance.
Blessed Hilarion founded a convent with the resources he had
inherited, donated lands to the monastic community, and established
its rules. Then he gathered seventy-six worthy monk-ascetics and
founded a monastery for men. He distributed his remaining property to
the poor and disabled.
As before, the news of St. Hilarions virtuous deeds spread quickly
through all of Georgia. Again many desired to receive his blessing and
counsel, but when the clergy announced their intention to consecrate
him a bishop, he abandoned Georgia for the second time. He took two
companions and journeyed to Constantinople.
After the long journey, Hilarion and his companions finally reached
Mt. Olympus in Asia Minor and settled in a small, forsaken church.
During the evening services on Cheese-fare Saturday, the lamplighter
from the Monastery of St. Ioannicius the Great came to the church to
light an icon lamp, and seeing that several people had settled there,
he brought them some food.
The next Saturday, the feast of St. Theodore the Tyro, the same monk
returned to the church and saw that the brothers had gone the whole
week eating nothing but a few lentils. They had not touched the food
he had brought them. So the monk asked St. Hilarion what they needed,
and Hilarion requested prosphora and wine for the Bloodless Sacrifice.
Then St. Hilarion celebrated the Liturgy at the appropriate time,
received Holy Communion, and served the Holy Gifts to the brothers.
When the abbot of the Great Lavra heard that a service had been
celebrated by an unknown priest in a language other than Greek, he was
infuriated and ordered his steward and several of the monks to chase
the strangers off the monastery property. But St. Hilarion responded
to the steward in Greek and asked for permission to spend the night in
the church, promising to depart in the morning.
That night the Theotokos appeared to the abbot of the lavra in a
vision. She stood at the foot of his bed and rebuked him, saying,
Foolish one! What has moved you to cast out these strangers, who left
their own country for the love of my Son and God? Why have you broken
the commandment to receive and show mercy to strangers and the poor?
Do you not know that there are many living on this mountain that speak
the same language as they? They are also praising God here. He who
fails to receive them is my enemy, for my Son entrusted me to protect
them and to ensure that their Orthodox Faith is not shaken. They
believe in my Son and have been baptized in His name!
The next day the elder fell to his knees before St. Hilarion, begged
forgiveness for his impertinence, and requested that he remain at the
monastery. St. Hilarion consoled the elder and agreed to stay.
St. Hilarion spent five years on Mt. Olympus, then journeyed again to
Constantinople, to venerate the Life-giving Cross of our Lord. From
there he traveled to Rome to venerate the graves of the holy Apostles
Peter and Paul. On the way to Rome his prayers healed a paralyzed man.
After spending two years in Rome, St. Hilarion set off again for
Constantinople. On the way, in the city of Thessalonica, the blessed
Hilarion stopped for a rest at the home of the prefect. When he
arrived, a servant woman was carrying a paralyzed fourteen-year-old
boy out of the house, and she laid him in the sun. The saint asked the
woman for water, and when she had gone to bring it, he blessed the
child with the sign of the Cross and healed him. Immediately the boy
ran to his mother, and St. Hilarion quickly departed from that place.
But the prefect, the boys father, had witnessed the miracle, and he
ordered that the wonderworker be found. When he had been brought
before him, the prefect begged St. Hilarion to remain in Thessalonica
and choose for himself a place to continue his miraculous works.
Recognizing the prefect to be a true lover of God, the saint heeded
his entreaty and agreed to remain. The prefect built a church in the
place that Hilarion had chosen, and before long the entire city had
heard about St. Hilarion and his miracles.
St. Hilarion spent the remainder of his days in Thessalonica. When the
Lord made known to him the day of his repose, he called for the
prefect, thanked him, and instructed him to love the monks and all the
suffering and to be just and merciful.
The saint reposed on November 19, 875, and the sorrowful prefect
prepared a marble shrine for him. Those who were sick and who
approached St. Hilarions grave with faith were healed of their
infirmities.
The prefect and the archbishop of Thessalonica informed the Byzantine
emperor Basil the Macedonian (867886) about the miracles that had
occurred at the holy fathers grave. The emperor in turn informed the
monks who came to him from Mt. Olympus, among whom was the elder who
once had tried to chase St. Hilarion out of the church. Emperor Basil
became intrigued with St. Hilarions disciples and fellow countrymen
through the stories of Hilarions miracles. St. Hilarions three
disciples were presented to him, and the emperor was so struck by
their holiness that he sent them to the patriarch of Constantinople to
receive his blessing. Recognizing immediately that the three elders
were filled with divine favor, the patriarch advised the emperor to
confer great honors upon them.
In response, Emperor Basil invited the elders to choose for themselves
and their countrymen one of the monasteries in Constantinople and make
it their own. The fathers graciously declined since they did not wish
to live in the populous city. Instead the monks asked the emperor to
build cells for them outside the capital. So Emperor Basil built a
large church dedicated to the Holy Apostles in a place that the
Georgian fathers had chosen in a certain ravine, where a spring of
cold water flowed from beneath a little hill, and he carved a cell for
himself as well. The monastery was called Romana, after the nearby
brook.
Later the emperor sent his own two sons, Leo1 and Alexander, to be
raised by the holy fathers. Emperor Basil sought to bury St. Hilarions
holy relics in the capital, but the people of Thessalonica would not
allow the relics to be taken away. In the end, it was necessary for
the emperors envoys to conceal the sacred shrine and carry it back to
Constantinople in secret.
The emperor, the patriarch, and all the people met the arrival of St.
Hilarions relics with glorious hymns and prayers. Before the special
burial vault had been built, the emperor kept St. Hilarions holy
relics in his own chamber. Three nights after the relics had arrived,
Basil awoke to an unusual fragrance. No one in the court could
discover its source.
When the emperor dozed off again, St. Hilarion appeared to him in his
vestments and said, You have done a good deed by preparing a shelter
for my remains. But the sweet fragrance you smell was acquired in the
wilderness, not in the city. Therefore, if you desire to receive the
divine blessings in full, take me away to the wilderness!
The emperor reported this wondrous turn of events to the patriarch and
the prefect, and with their consent he brought the holy relics of St.
Hilarion to the Monastery of Romana.
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Repose of St Philaret (Drozdov) the Metropolitan of Moscow
Saint Philaret (Drozdov) was born on December 26, 1782 in Kolomna, a
suburb of Moscow, and was named Basil in Baptism. His father was a
deacon (who later became a priest).
The young Basil studied at the Kolomna seminary, where courses were
taught in Latin. He was small in stature, and far from robust, but his
talents set him apart from his classmates.
In 1808, while he was a student at the Moscow Theological Academy at
Holy Trinity Lavra, Basil received monastic tonsure and was named
Philaret after St Philaret the Merciful (December 1). Not long after
this, he was ordained a deacon.
In 1809, he went to teach at the Theological Academy in Petersburg,
which had been reopened only a short time before. Hierodeacon Philaret
felt ill at ease in Petersburg, but he was a very good teacher who
tried to make theology intelligible to all. Therefore, he worked to
have classes taught in Russian rather than in Latin.
Philaret was consecrated as bishop in 1817, and was appointed to serve
as a vicar in the diocese of Petersburg. He soon rose to the rank of
archbishop, serving in Tver, Yaroslavl, and Moscow. In 1826, he was
made Metropolitan of Moscow, and remained in that position until his
death.
The Metropolitan believed that it was his duty to educate and
enlighten his flock about the Church's teachings and traditions.
Therefore, he preached and wrote about how to live a Christian life,
basing his words on the wisdom of the Holy Fathers. His 1823 CATECHISM
has been an influential book in Russia and in other countries for
nearly two hundred years.
The reforms of Tsar Peter the Great had abolished the patriarchate and
severely restricted the Church, placing many aspects of its life under
governmental control. Metropolitan Philaret tried to regain some of
the Church's freedom to administer its own affairs, regarding Church
and State as two separate entities working in harmony. Not everyone
shared his views, and he certainly made his share of enemies. Still,
he did achieve some degree of success in effecting changes.
One day, Archimandrite Anthony (Medvedev), a disciple of St Seraphim
of Sarov (January 2), paid a call on his diocesan hierarch. During
their conversation, Fr Anthony spoke of the patristic teaching on
unceasing prayer, and he may have told the Metropolitan something of
St Seraphim. St Philaret felt a deep spiritual kinship with Fr
Anthony, who soon became his Elder. He made no important decision
concerning diocesan affairs, or his own spiritual life, without
consulting Fr Anthony. St Seraphim once told Fr Anthony that he would
become the igumen of a great monastery, and gave him advice on how to
conduct himself. It was St Philaret who appointed him as igumen of
Holy Trinity Lavra.
Metropolitan Philaret wanted to have the Holy Scriptures translated
into modern Russian, so that people could read and understand them. Fr
Anthony, however, criticized the unorthodox ethos of the Russian Bible
Society, which was popular during the reign of Alexander I. In his
eagerness to have the Bible translated into modern Russian, St
Philaret at first supported the Bible Society without realizing how
dangerous some of its ideas were. The first Russian translation of the
Bible was printed during the reign of Tsar Alexander II.
Under the direction of his Elder, Metropolitan Philaret made great
progress in the spiritual life. He also received the gifts of
unceasing prayer, clairvoyance, and healing. It is no exaggeration to
suggest that St Philaret himself was one of the forces behind the
spiritual revival in nineteenth century Russia. He defended the Elders
of Optina Monastery when they were misunderstood and attacked by many.
He protected the nuns of St Seraphim's Diveyevo Convent, and supported
the publication of patristic texts by Optina Monastery.
Metropolitan Philaret was asked to dedicate the new Triumphal Gate in
Moscow, and Tsar Nicholas I was also present. Seeing statues of pagan
gods on the Gate, the Metropolitan refused to bless it. The Tsar
became angry, and many people criticized the saint's refusal to
participate. He felt that he had followed his conscience in this
matter, but still felt disturbed by it, and so he prayed until he
finally dropped off to sleep. He was awakened around 5 A.M. by the
sound of someone opening the door which he usually kept locked. The
Metropolitan sat up and saw St Sergius of Radonezh (September 25)
leaning over his bed. "Don't worry," he said, "it will all pass." Then
he disappeared.
Two months before his death, St Philaret saw his father in a dream,
warning him about the 19th day of the month. On November 19, 1867, he
served the Divine Liturgy for the last time. At two in the afternoon,
they went to his cell and found his body. He was buried at Holy
Trinity Lavra.
St Philaret was glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1995.
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Icon of the Mother of God "the Joy of All who Sorrow"
Icons of this type depict the Mother of God standing full-length, with
a scepter in Her right hand. In some variants of this icon, She is
also holding Christ in Her left arm. See July 23 and October 24.
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