Lives of the Holy Fathers. The Lives of the Saints are the Revealed Gospel

Reading the Holy Fathers

The elders advise reading and re-reading the works of the holy fathers. They are deep and understood gradually. Their subject is spiritual life, and it is vast: “Wide is Your commandment.” There is no limit to spiritual growth, so rereading is of great importance. It is better to reread a small number of books with reverence and attention than to read a lot quickly. Reading is one of the most necessary activities. Without reading or listening to reading, one cannot know the truth. When I talk about reading, I mean exclusively the reading of the Holy Scriptures and the writings of the fathers and churches. But reading will only bring the desired benefit when what you read, to the best of your ability and ability, enters life, becomes the rule of life, and not simple bare, soulless and cold knowledge. What good can it be that a person knows that he needs to pray, but does not pray, knows that he needs to forgive offenses, but does not forgive, knows that he needs to fast, and does not observe fasts, needs to endure, but does not tolerate, etc. Such knowledge, according to the word of the Gospel, will even be a condemnation for a person. Therefore, you need to read with attention and try to live in the spirit of what you read. Of course, we cannot immediately become the executor of everything that is written - we need gradualism. First, force yourself and humility, awareness of your weakness, then the knowledge gained from reading will bring the desired benefit. In general, all the books and writings of the holy fathers and true teachers of the Church on spiritual life, and especially the writings on prayer, must be read with extreme attention, slowly, delving into every saying, every word to the best of your ability, so as not to miss anything. - necessary, so as not to give yourself a reason for incorrect, arbitrary understanding and interpretation of what you read. Spiritual life and the feat of prayer have their own laws, their own sequence; they must be studied and understood, assimilated into the mind and heart. Arbitrariness and self-thinking should have no place here; they lead a person astray. A seemingly small deviation or inaccuracy sometimes leads to big mistakes and delusions that have bitter fruits and consequences. If something seems incomprehensible, unclear, then you need to ask someone who knows, if you have such a person, and if you don’t, then let it remain unclear for the time being; don't try to understand with your mind. In due time the Lord will send admonition; Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk speaks well about this. The elders advise reading and re-reading the books of the holy fathers. The writings of the holy fathers contain the truth of spiritual life and wisdom, and always provide those who read them with consolation, admonition and spiritual reinforcement! They can never lose their vitality, for the spiritual life set forth in them forever has its own unchangeable laws. They (the scriptures) are understood and assimilated gradually, as the reader and practitioner grows spiritually, as understanding is gained from their experiences and personal experiences. By the way, the latter is one of the reasons for the need to re-read the writings of our fathers. And it is advised to re-read them like this: if a person sees that he is being attacked, for example, by the passion of anger, then it is advised to read about this passion and the virtue opposite to it; if anger attacks, then read about anger and love; if fornication attacks, then read about fornication passion and chastity, etc. It is useful for someone depressed by grief to read about the benefits and necessity of sorrows, etc. It has been noticed that what makes a particularly strong impression on the soul is what it needs at a given time, such as the prohibition to read books in a row. Those who wish and have the opportunity, let them read each book in a row. This is even necessary to obtain a complete impression and understanding of the writings and teachings of a particular holy father. And you can use this advice according to your spiritual need for this or that reading. It is best, if possible, to receive the blessing of your spiritual father for each reading. In the absence of such an opportunity, you need to receive at least a general blessing for the order and choice of books to read (Venerable Nikon).

I cannot give an exact prescription for reading the books of our fathers; These are not written according to a scientific system, but simply about various passions and virtues, how to resist the former and acquire the latter. There are also high subjects for the perfect. When you read books, what is accessible to your mind and befits your structure, then assimilate for yourself, and what exceeds your understanding, then, after reading, leave it as is, without delving into the depth of understanding: it can be revealed over time, for infants it is solid food is inconvenient. Read books from the beginning, continue in a row, but not all one, but read one in the morning, another in the evening; read not for curiosity, but for learning piety and knowledge of your weakness, and from this come to humility (Venerable Macarius).

Read the books of the fathers and engage in their teaching, it will be useful in understanding one’s weakness and acquiring humility, patience and love, and instructs us on how to resist passions, how to cleanse our hearts from these thorns and plant virtues (St. Macarius).

They<святые отцы>not only did they write out of their minds, but first they passed through many sorrows and illnesses and left us, as a rich heritage and as a repository of hope, their God-inspired words, and we, sending thanks to the Lord, who gave us this gift, will teach soak in them and, if necessary, apply to our ulcers, like a healing balm... (Venerable Macarius).

Books to read to the sisters, depending on the dispensation of each, but it is more necessary to give active, rather than speculative, reading, such as: Saints Ephraim, Abba Dorotheus, Venerable John Climacus, Prologue and Lives of the Holy Fathers; and see the fruit from them - the knowledge of one’s weakness and humility, and not the fact that I know everything, and in the case of a conversation, challenge others. And then the Lord Himself will give them true reason, which is acquired from humility; and as much as it brings benefit, on the contrary, exaltation damages, as we ourselves have seen in experience on many (St. Macarius).

You can read moral books, that is, active books related to Christian life, as much as time allows during your community studies; speculative, i.e. contemplative ones are not yet available to us; Contemplative life occurs after purifying oneself with the commandments of Christ, and this grace itself teaches. In the fatherly teachings it is called: “action and vision.” Action is a commandment, and vision is the contemplation by the mind of sacraments that are not subject to the senses; One should not seek this at all, so as not to fall into delusion instead of truth (St. Macarius).

Trust your conscience and be guided by the teachings of the holy fathers, who walked the path of monastic life and left us an example with their life and teaching. In their teaching we see how to act and go through the path of life, to have a struggle with passions... (Venerable Macarius).

You write that you don’t understand some passages from the book of John the Climacus; be content with what you understand, and try to fulfill it, and then other things will be revealed (Venerable Macarius).

What you read in the books of your fathers and what you talked about orally, try to go through it with skill or experience, and most of all with self-denial, which consists in the rejection of your will and mind, and in the abandonment of your desires... (Venerable Macarius ).

Read your father's books; in their teaching you will find admonition and strengthening for yourself (St. Macarius).

I ask you, for God’s sake, read the word of God and fatherly instructions more often, you will find benefit, you will find there that the only path to peace is patience and humility (Venerable Macarius).

Get the book “The Teachings of Abba Dorotheus”... Read this book constantly, applying moral lessons to yourself and trying to correct and direct your life based on them. Our late elders called this book the ABC of monastic life (St. Joseph).

It’s good that you’re reading the book of Abba Dorotheus. May God grant that reading brings good fruit. Try to delve into what is written there, everything is clearly understandable there, and if you want, then it can be easily applied to life. And if it’s difficult, it’s because you’re reading it for the first time. If you read more diligently, you will understand better... It is also useful to read the “Ladder” of St. John, and do not be embarrassed by shortcomings, but try to reproach yourself for them, bring repentance for them and humble yourself more (St. Joseph).

Father said... that Fr. Macarius, the great elder, re-read Abba Dorotheus and “The Ladder” every three years and found in them everything new and new, for he grew spiritually (Venerable Barsanuphius).

Abba Dorotheos is the ABC of monastic life, although by reading it you can discover more and more new things, and for everyone it is consistent with his state... It has a shore, and from the shore you can walk first knee-deep, then deeper and deeper . Sometimes immediately into the depths... (Venerable Barsanuphius).

Question: “Father, I have noticed that reading books that are godless and generally disagree with my worldview, although it does not change my views, still leaves some kind of sediment after these books.” Answer: “Yes... the holy fathers and our elders advised us to read books of their own direction and by reading to further strengthen and develop our convictions...” (Venerable Barsanuphius).

It's good that you started reading this book<«Отечник» епископа Игнатия>. It is compiled as follows: Bishop Ignatius wrote out what answered the monastic questions of concern. From this point of view, his work is irreplaceable. Many perplexities that have troubled someone for a long time are immediately resolved by some extract (Venerable Barsanuphius).

I take great comfort from the writings of Bishop Ignatius. I don’t know how to thank the Lord and my father that I have such a treasure... I am amazed at the angelic mind of Bishop Ignatius, his marvelously deep understanding of the Holy Scriptures... I feel a special affection for his writings. They enlighten my heart, my mind with the true light of the Gospel (Rev. Nikon).

It is better to read the works of St. Isaac the Syrian in Russian translation. His works, with very deep content, must be read with caution. What is said there for beginners is in our time accessible only to those who have succeeded in spiritual life, and much of it cannot be applied at all. Books such as the works of St. Isaac should be read not to apply to oneself, but for the mood. Otherwise it could be very bad. You can fall into self-conceit and delusion and get hurt. And you need to take the entire essay or article, you need to look at the whole. So it is said by Isaac the Syrian that his teaching as a whole must be taken... It is better to read what is simpler, more understandable, for example: Abba Dorotheus, “The Ladder”, Theodore the Studite, Cassian the Roman and others (Rev. Nikon).

When you read spiritual books without direction, you are afraid that you will fall into some wrong thoughts and wrong opinions. Your fear is very reasonable. Therefore, if you do not want to suffer such a spiritual calamity, do not indiscriminately read any new works, even if they are of spiritual content, but of such writers who did not confirm their teachings with the holiness of life, but read the works of such fathers who are recognized by the Orthodox Church for being firmly known and, without a doubt, edifying and soul-saving (Venerable Ambrose).

In order not to lose firm Orthodoxy, take as a guide for yourself and your children the book “Orthodox Confession” by Peter Mogila. Examine it with attention and diligence, and keep what is written there firmly in your memory, so that you yourself know well the matter of your salvation, and know what needs to be said and pointed out to your children at the appropriate time. Let the second book of this kind be the “Chronicle” or the 4th part of the works of St. Demetrius of Rostov. Read after it and other parts of his works not only for guidance regarding right opinions and understandings, but also for guidance in life itself, what to know and be able to do, how to act in a purely Christian manner, according to Orthodox decrees. For the same purpose, read the book of Abba Dorotheus, which is rightly called the mirror of the soul. This mirror will show everyone not only his actions, but also the very movements of his heart. During fasting, and especially during fasting, it is decent and useful to read the works of Ephraim the Syrian in Russian translation, choosing chapters on repentance (Venerable Ambrose).

In order to become more firmly established in Orthodox concepts, I would advise you to read with attention and diligence all the works of the new saint of God, Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk. Although their style is heavy, when reading, try to pay your attention more to the thoughts and to the proposed Christian rules. Reading two Russian luminaries, St. Demetrius of Rostov and St. Tikhon of Zadonsk, will clarify a lot for you and confirm a lot for you. Add to this the words of the Apostle Paul: “Do not be carried away by different and alien teachings; For it is good to strengthen the hearts with grace, and not with foods from which those who indulge in them do not profit” (Heb. 13:9). And in another place: “But even if we or an angel from heaven preach to you a gospel other than what we preached to you, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:8). Hold tightly to this testimony and do not agree to accept any new teachings, no matter how plausible they may be, imitating one who knows well all the signs and signs of pure silver, who soon notices the admixture of any ligature and rejects impure silver. Likewise, you reject any teaching where you notice even the slightest ligature of various human opinions that are charged to the mind of God (2 Cor. 10:5). Having established yourself in the Orthodox teaching, first read all spiritual journals, with the indicated analysis, and then choose the one that suits your spirit more (Venerable Ambrose).

You also write and ask why His Eminence Theophan did not approve of the works of His Eminence Ignatius Brianchaninov. I have not read all of his works, but I remember his inaccurate citing of passages from the writings of the holy fathers. For example, in the “Philokalia” of Simeon the New Theologian, the third way of attention of prayer is said to be about obedience to the elder and spiritual father, without whom it is inconvenient to be saved by the Jesus Prayer, and the Right Reverend Ignatius attributed this to simple general monastic obedience, and you After all, you yourself know what a great difference there is between one and the other obedience. The Venerable Theophan must have found many other inaccurate passages from the Venerable Ignatius. However, “The Tale of Death” was written well by him, and he also explains well the charm of the mind and the charm of the heart (Venerable Ambrose).

Don’t worry about reading your father’s books when your inner feeling is not inclined to do so. Someone says: acquire God within yourself, and you will not require books (Venerable Ambrose).

Reading spiritual books

When reading spiritual books, apply what is written in them more to yourself, and not to others, otherwise, instead of applying a band-aid to your ulcers, you apply harmful poison, and more<раны>dissolve (Venerable Macarius).

Your thirst for reading spiritual books is commendable, but you should not limit yourself to just reading, but also extend to doing; but everything must be done with humility. The benefit that comes from reading is that, seeing the height of life and recognizing our weakness, we must involuntarily humble ourselves and thereby attract God’s grace and help in our affairs. However, there is no need to become arrogant about what you read (St. Macarius).

I advise you not to give up reading spiritual books, because sometimes one line, read in a good hour, will be valued more than the entire annual publication and will remain forever in the memory (Venerable Anthony).

I earnestly ask you, as a sincere friend, not to fill your heads with your idleness and nonsense, but to use your memory to read books, the most spiritual and edifying (Venerable Anthony).

Nothing consoled my soul so much and calmed it down as the constant reading of spiritual books, which I read alternately, and, noticing some passages, I repeated, so that they could be preserved longer in my memory. For sheep, when they are full, usually chew their previous food, setting an example, so that we, eating incorruptible food, that is, reading or listening to the word of God, chew it more often, that is, with attention and reasoning in our memory, we carry what we have heard and disposition They corrected their property (Venerable Anthony).

The best guidance will be for you to read the lives of the saints (St. Barsanuphius).

The lives of saints represent irreplaceable reading, which has such a beneficial effect on the soul, especially when read in the Slavic language. Nowadays, the Slavic language is often not understood, but meanwhile, it is much more beautiful and richer than the Russian language. One expert compares the Slavic language with Russian and says that between them there is the same difference as between a palace and a tavern... In the world, reading the lives of saints, and especially in the Slavic language, has been completely abandoned, you don’t follow the customs of this century, but study this saving reading (Venerable Barsanuphius).

I am sending you... three brochures: 1) advice from the mind to your soul, 2) about things that hinder salvation, with soul-helping conversations of the blessed elder Zosima, and 3) an interpretation of “Lord have mercy.” The volume of these little books is apparently very small, but their content is great, very great. In them, although briefly, it is clearly and practically stated how every Christian should adapt the Gospel teaching to his way of life in order to receive the mercy of God and inherit eternal bliss. ...Read at least one of these books every week and do the same every month, because what is said in these spiritual books is not retained in memory for a long time. And why he can’t resist, the late 80-year-old elder, Archimandrite Moses, told us the reason: “These matters require books” (Venerable Ambrose).

You wrote that your N., besides the Gospel, does not recognize other books of theological content and considers them, like modern sermons by priests in the church, to be an unnecessary repetition and distortion of the Gospel teaching. Why? Is it because he doesn’t read spiritual literature at all and doesn’t listen to sermons? But in this case, is it possible to correctly judge the merits of spiritual and moral works? After all, only the poor sing Lazarus by heart, that is, without looking at the book. And N., who thinks a lot about himself, is ashamed to speak so reproachfully about spiritual literature without any factual evidence (Rev. Ambrose).

Miracles

You see your N. as a contradiction to yourself. This is the absolute truth. In fact, he does not believe in the Gospel miracles of Christ, but partakes of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. Meanwhile, the Holy Eucharist is the first, most important and greatest miracle of Christ, and other gospel miracles are already secondary. For how could one not call it the greatest miracle that simple bread and simple wine, once directly transubstantiated by the Lord into the true Body and into His true Blood, for almost two thousand years now, through the prayers of the priests, therefore, ordinary people, have not ceased to be transubstantiated? in exactly the same way, producing a wonderful change in people who partake of these Divine Mysteries with faith and humility (Venerable Ambrose).

N. your Gospel miracles of Christ are attributed to hypnotic and telepathic phenomena and calls them tricks. But there is an immeasurable difference between the miracles of the Gospel and magic tricks. And firstly, they differ from each other in their meaning. The miracles of Christ, being extraordinary deeds, at the same time were the greatest blessings to suffering humanity. In fact, to heal a man born blind, with a withered arm, to resurrect the dead, aren’t all these the greatest blessings. It is not for nothing that the Apostle expressed himself about the Lord Jesus Christ this way: “And He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil” (Acts 10:38). And these wonderful benefits of Christ had the most beneficial effect on the people benefited by the Lord. For example, after healing a man born blind, the Lord, having found him, said to him: “Do you believe in the Son of God? “And who is He, Lord, that I should believe in Him” (John 9:35-36), he objected. The Lord said to him: “And you have seen Him, and He speaks to you” (John 9:37). The healed one said: “I believe, Lord! And he worshiped Him” (John 9:38). And when performing tricks, what do we see? The magician is busy with selfish goals, cares only about his own profit, how to collect more money from the audience, and the audience will look, yawn, say: “yes, this is amazing,” and then walk away with empty pockets. And how many seductive speeches and looks there are. And there’s nothing to talk about about bad thoughts. Secondly, the miracles of Christ were true miracles. For example, raising a four-day-old dead man (Lazarus), whose body has already begun to decompose, is this a trick? And what hypnotist or telepathist can do anything like this? And tricks are deception, everyone has known this for a long time (Rev. Ambrose).

Chess

The game of chess serves to waste time, which we lose a lot even without this game... (Venerable Anthony).

Jokes

Jokes are indecent in our rank, we must not do this in advance - and pray to God with repentance: “I know my iniquity, and I will take away my sin before me...” (Ps. 50:5). When we remember our sins, we will not fall into new ones (St. Macarius).

Foolishness

You're just crazy! And she's sick of it! And it’s hard to live on earth! And he wants to play the fool! And go to another monastery! If only he was there! Humble yourself!.. Father told you to tell you that “the saints act as fools,” that is, these people have too few sorrows between brothers, and they look for them in the worldly crowd! (Venerable Anatoly).

Your reasoning is that one should not trust all holy fools, because many of them are in delusion and deceive others with their imaginary foolishness, but that one should also not condemn them - in accordance with the truth (Venerable Hilarion).

Snitching

What you are complaining about is the same thing they complained about you before, that you unnecessarily conveyed a lot to M., what you see or hear, and sometimes incorrectly, but as it seemed to you; for this they grieved you, and now the word is being fulfilled: what we sow, that we will also reap... (Venerable Ambrose).

Language

For some people, the tongue is the reed of the Holy Spirit, that is, edifying and comforting, while for others, the tongue utters words of the devil, irritable, upsetting those who listen to the point of illness. The most important thing (not to say this as a reproach) I often noticed in the words of T.V., which I always regretted, and I did not find any opportunity to correct him, because he took every outside word for himself in a bad way. Therefore, we have no other means to protect ourselves except one prayer to the Lord (Venerable Anthony).

Our benefit comes not from the number of words, but from the quality. Sometimes a lot is said, but there is nothing to listen to, and at other times you hear just one word, and it remains in your memory for the rest of your life (Venerable Anthony).

If you take your language alone into consideration, then how much evil was uttered by it - blasphemy against God, condemnation of neighbors, grumbling, ridicule, blasphemy, chatter, abuse, desecration, and so on and so forth! And is there even one day that goes by in the year on which we do not sin with our tongue, forgetting that we will give an answer to God for every idle word? Therefore, the Lord God, who provides for our correction and salvation, sends sorrows, which make it difficult for a person not only to talk idle, but also to speak meaningfully (St. Anthony).

Fury

You, N.N.. through these cases, falling into rage, you understand that this comes from pride, and not being able to fight or repent, you fall into cowardice and despondency, and this is also from pride or spiritual pride: you, not seeing correction in yourself, you lose heart and become despondent, but it would be necessary, seeing your poverty in spiritual work and in failure to fulfill the commandments, to humble yourself and bring repentance, then God’s mercy will visit you and give you peace: “God looks upon the humble”( Wed: Ps. 112, 6) (Venerable Macarius).

READING THE LIVES OF THE SAINTS

Don't go into tedious reading, it's not helpful at all. The most instructive reading is the Lives of the Saints; theoretical knowledge is not given here, but living examples of imitation of Christ the Savior are presented. Let the saints be your mentors, do not have other teachers, so as not to be troubled in spirit, especially those who try to distract from the Orthodox Church, run away from such mentors.

For example, reading the Lives of Saints. When we read them, at least the life of St. vmchts. Catherine, then the Saint begins to pray for such a person before the throne of God, and the prayer of the saints, of course, is important. Perhaps some soul was on the verge of destruction, but by reading the Lives of the Saints, she attracted their prayer for herself and was saved. Buy these books: they are not so expensive, others will get more, and by reading them we gain enormous benefits.

Learning to fight your passions is very important and even necessary. The best guidance in this will be for you to read the Lives of the Saints. The world has long since abandoned him, but do not conform to the world, and this reading will give you much comfort. In the Lives of the Saints you will find instructions on how to fight the spirit of evil and remain victorious. May the Lord help you.

I have always advised and advise you to read the Lives of the Saints, and you will find great consolation in this reading. Your sorrows will seem insignificant to you in comparison with those that the saints endured. Reading the Lives of the Saints, you will have a desire, if possible, to imitate them. You will want to pray and ask the Lord for help, and the Lord will help.

In the world, reading the Lives of the Saints, and especially in the Slavic language, has been completely abandoned; Do not conform to the customs of this age, but engage in this saving reading.

Monasticism... how many times have we talked about it, and I always advise, if you don’t join a monastery yourself, then at least read descriptions of the lives of holy monks and reverends. They can teach us a lot.

The world of evil spirits is now looking at us and is already forging chains, wanting to destroy the words of the sinful Barsanuphius, but do not be afraid! The Lord will save us from their evil power. Read Holy Scripture, the Gospel, the Epistles, and the Lives of the Saints. This reading is of great importance, but here’s what’s sad: The Lives of the saints are published, perhaps acquired by some, but the majority do not read them. Meanwhile, what benefits can be derived from this reading! In it we will find answers to many of our questions, they will teach us how to get out of a difficult situation, how to resist when darkness envelops the soul on all sides, so that it seems as if God has abandoned us.

What empty books are given to children to read and destroy young souls. Reading the Lives of the saints fills their pure souls with light. After all, the word “holy” comes from the word “light,” since saints shed the Light of Christ around them. By reading the Lives of the Saints, you will not gain knowledge in physics or chemistry, but you will learn to go deeper into yourself, how to know yourself. There are the most learned people who seem to be comprehensively educated, but lacking faith, they do not know their souls at all.

I remember my childhood. We lived in a village. My parents were believers. My father usually read aloud the life of some saint before dinner on holidays. I remember I was not even 7 years old, but I listened to my father with enthusiasm. I used to run my little hands through my brown curls and I was afraid to utter a word from what my father was reading.

“Dad,” I tell him, “I want to be a saint.” But it’s painful to go into the furnace or into the tin pot.

“You can become a saint in another way.”

“I have no time to talk to you,” the father answers and continues reading.

I remember how my soul lit up from this reading. I was still little then, and my soul was pure. Reading was of great importance for my later life. Now, although I am unworthy, I am still a monk. Our family was Orthodox: we all kept fasts and went to church. It is a pity that now all the decrees of the Church are violated, which is why children become spoiled and often grow up completely unfit.

When I was already an officer, the works of Spielhagen were in fashion. Once they persuaded me to read “From Darkness to Light.” I started reading and was disappointed. Everything there is only darkness, heroes and heroines are also filled with darkness; When will the light appear, I thought, but I read and read, and didn’t even get to the light, it was all just darkness. I left this book unread. One day I entered the orderly’s room to give him some instructions: I saw that he was sleeping, and on the table, next to him, was a little book about Philaret the Merciful. I became interested in her, woke up the orderly so that he would open the doors if anyone came, and I took the book and went out into the garden. From the very first pages I could not restrain myself from tears and with great eagerness I read (I generally read quickly) the whole story. I gave the book to the orderly. He smiles:

— Did you like the book?

“I liked it very much,” I answer, “I read it with pleasure.”

- Spielhagen? Well, did you like it?

- Where I like it, I read one page, didn’t understand anything, read another, too, and then quit.

- Yes, I don’t like it either, yours is better.

- So why are you reading?

“Yes,” my orderly concluded thoughtfully, “there is only emptiness there.”

And he was right.

I have read a lot of secular books, and, for the most part, they really contain only emptiness. True, sometimes something will flash, like a distant lightning, and disappear, and then darkness again. The current literature of all the Andreevs and Artsybashevs gives absolutely nothing useful and comforting to either the mind or the heart. It becomes scary for the younger generation, which is brought up on such literary garbage. Both poetry and art greatly influence the human soul and ennoble it. For example, a talentedly executed picture, especially if it has something lofty as its subject, even happens to regenerate a person’s soul, of course, by the grace of God.

Patristic creations

Works of the bishop. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) are necessary, they are, so to speak, the alphabet, the syllables. The works of the ep. Feofan Vyshensky - the essence is already grammar, they are deeper. Even the Successful Ones read them with some difficulty...

Today, while signing a book by one of my spiritual daughters, entitled “Invisible Warfare” and setting the date January 6, I remembered that this is precisely the day of the death of Bishop Theophan, who translated this book from Greek into Russian.

Bishop Theophan did not translate it word for word, but conveyed the spirit of this book, like Zhukovsky, who, when translating Schiller, was so imbued with the spirit of this poet that the translation was difficult to distinguish from the original.

5th volume of the bishop's works. Ignatius, contains the teaching of St. fathers in relation to modern monasticism and teaches how to read the writings of the saints. fathers. Bishop looked very deeply. Ignatius and even, perhaps, deeper in this regard, Bishop. Feofan. His word has a powerful effect on the soul, because it comes from experience...

"Fatherland" ep. Ignatius (Brianchaninova)

It's good that you started reading this book. It is composed as follows: ep. Ignatius wrote out what answered the monastic questions of concern. From this point of view, his work is irreplaceable. Many perplexities are immediately destroyed by some extract. D.N.

Creations of the Holy Spirit. Petra Damascene

This book is deeper than Abba Dorotheus. Of course, Abba Dorotheos is the ABC of monastic life, although by reading it, you can discover more and more new things, and for everyone it is consistent with his state. It has a shore, and from the shore you can walk first up to your knees, then deeper and deeper. Another - immediately into depth.

There are strange mysterious places in this book. There you will see how the saints began to understand the meaning of visible nature. They do not care about the visible mechanism of things, but they understand their meaning. Just as we use a watch, and we have nothing to do with the structure of the mechanism and its chemical composition. Or, we taste an apple, feel a pleasant taste and do not care about its chemical composition... Saints, indeed, begin to learn the meaning of visible nature.

The description of the invisible world must be understood spiritually and not literally

All this must be understood spiritually, this is only a hint of reality itself, and some, not understanding that everything is said here in the highest spiritual sense, are tempted. For example, in heaven before the Throne of God there is a curtain that was parted when blessed Theodora approached her... Of course, this must be understood in a spiritual sense. Just as they say that the Jews had a veil over their eyes, this does not mean that there really was some kind of material veil over them. Or they also say about the seraphim that they covered their faces with wings. What kind of wings could they have? This means that they cannot see the full glory of God...

MIRACLES

Once, when I was about six years old, there was such a case: we lived in a dacha on our estate near Orenburg. Our house stood in a huge garden-park and was guarded by a guard and dogs, so it was impossible for an outsider to enter the park unnoticed.

One day my father and I were walking in the park, and suddenly, out of nowhere, an old man appeared in front of us. Approaching my father, he said: “Remember, father, that this child will one day drag souls from hell.” Having said this,

A year before I entered the Skete, on the second day of the Nativity of Christ, I was returning from early mass. It was still dark and the city was just beginning to wake up. Suddenly an old man came up to me, asking for alms. I realized that I didn’t take my wallet with me, and there were only twenty kopecks in my pocket. I gave them to the old man with the words: “I’m sorry, I don’t have them with me anymore.” He thanked me and handed me the prosphora. I took it, put it in my pocket and just wanted to say something to the beggar, when he was no longer there. I looked everywhere in vain; he disappeared without a trace. The next year on this day I was already in Skete.

If you look at life carefully, it is all full of miracles, but we often do not notice and pass by them indifferently. May the Lord give us the wisdom to carefully spend the days of our lives, working out our salvation with fear and trembling.

The former abbot of the Meshchovsky Monastery, Fr. Mark, now living in retirement in Optina Pustyn: “I remember, it was, it seems, in 1867. I was very sick and did not expect to get up. At this time I lived in Optina. One day I see, as if in a subtle dream, as if I was standing in a clearing near Kozelsk, and opposite three Churches. The sun is rising. There are some creatures standing next to me on the right and left sides. I notice that the sun that I see is an icon standing in the attic of the Ascension Church. To my question to the one who stood next to me on the left side, he answered: “I am George! The icon you see is the icon of the Akhtyra Mother of God.” When he woke up, he told Fr. Ambrose. A search began in all the churches of the city of Kozelsk, but the icon of the Akhtyrskaya Mother of God was not found anywhere. They also searched in the Ascension Church. After a long and unsuccessful search, the priest of that Church, Fr. Demetrius discovered this icon in the attic of the Church, lying in dust and debris. The holy icon was then solemnly brought to Optina, and I, having venerated it after the prayer service, received relief from my illness and soon recovered completely.”

After this miracle, many came to her with faith from this icon. To this day, St. This icon is located in the Church of the Ascension in the city of Kozelsk and is revered by the residents as miraculous.

When I was returning from Manchuria by rail, I wanted to be alone at night - whether I was sad or something else, I don’t remember. I went into the hallway of the carriage, so to speak, I mean that small room, of which there are usually two in every carriage: in front and in back; they have 4 doors: one leads to the carriage, the other to the platform to the next carriage, and two to the right and left for passengers to exit. I went out and leaned on one door and thought: “Glory to You, Lord. I’m going to dear Optina again.” And I wanted to go to the opposite side door, I walked and suddenly, as if by some force, I was pushed away. I stopped in the middle and, looking closely, saw that the door was pushed to the side (there are doors of such a device), which I did not notice in the dark, but wanted to lean my elbows on it. And what would have happened... The Lord saved...

THE FOOL-FOOLS, THE BLESSED

Skete ryasophore monk Fr. Athanasius told me about a certain servant of God for Christ’s sake who acted like a fool, the following. His name was Sergei Nikolaevich. Played the fool in the city of Livny, Oryol province. Descended from peasants. He died at the age of 70. He always wore rags and led a wandering life. Living in the world, Fr. Afanasy once started pouring bread. The deal was profitable. He somehow brings bread to Livny on Sunday morning and sells it to a merchant. We made a deal and finished the matter. At that time, Sergei Nikolaevich, who was with the merchant, came to them and at the words of Fr. Afanasy tell him something, says: “It’s a sin to take a merchant’s hands!” He did not understand these words then. Their meaning was subsequently explained by the Liveni monks - that is, that it is sinful to trade on holidays.

The same holy fool went to a Livny merchant and shit in his front corner. Soon after this, a great misfortune happened to the merchant - two men were buried in his well by a collapsed log house. The court came and the merchant had to fork out money.

We also saw Sergei Nikolaevich, how one day he crossed the river along its bottom, disappearing under the water. He also said to one girl, the daughter of a poor bourgeois widow in Livny: “You and I will die together!” And so it happened. When this girl died, the holy fool came to the widow, sat down on the right side of her coffin and died. They were buried together on the same day. They were taken out of the city Church at 8 o'clock in the morning, and brought to the cemetery in the evening. Requiem services were held along the way all the time. There were a lot of people, almost the entire city gathered to bury the righteous.

Fr. told me today, January 22, 1896. Demetrius the artist, a skete monk, who recently came to Shamordino, the holy fool John, who lived in the village of Khlopov, 30 versts from Shamordin. He came to the cell of nun Olga, whose daughter was sick with consumption. He showed with signs that she needed to receive unction and prepare for death. Then he demanded the key to the locked box, and when it was unlocked at his request, he took out the icon lying there - the blessing of the sick woman from Fr. Ambrose. He placed the image on the goddess and ordered an unquenchable lamp to be lit before it. Then he left.

Blessed ones. Blessed Annushka

When I entered, she began to quickly undress, even began to take off her shirt, so that even her breasts became visible: I turned away. She says: “Give me that green caftan.” I handed her a caftan that was hanging on the wall. Having put it on, she began to say: “You see how beautiful I have become, do you see?” For me this was completely incomprehensible... And this meant that I needed to renew my soul. Finally, I asked her: “How will it all end for me?” She took it and wrapped her head in a caftan and sat down like that. I left her while she was still in that state. I didn't understand anything and asked about it. I was told that this means monasticism. And then I didn’t even think about going to the monastery. At first I was afraid to go to her, thinking that maybe it was a demonic charm. But spiritual people assured me that this was truly a truly blessed soul. When I was with her, she had been lying on her bed of three pieces of wood covered with felt for 40 years: she had paralysis of her legs.

She was an orphan, and some old woman was following her. Poor to the last degree, but the entire furnishings of her room were clean.

Blessed Ivanushka

His family considered him a fool, but the people respected and loved him. One day he came running to the hayfield. They ask him: “What do you want, Ivanushka?” And he immediately ran in the direction of the Zhizdra River. In this very place there was a steep cliff and one of the deepest parts of the river. They look - he's gone. Everyone thought he had drowned. What to do? And he, having passed under the water to the other shore, came out of the water, bowed to everyone and left. In the summer they let him go, and in the winter they tied him by the leg.

I was still a military man then, although not in uniform. I come in, and Ivanushka says:

- Father has come.

They tell him:

“This is not Father,” thinking that he was mistaken. And Ivanushka again:

- Father has come.

Then he told me to take a whip and whip the “kitten”.

- Do you see her running after you? Well, that's it, that's it, that's it.

I was whipping through the air, not understanding anything. He continued:

- Oh, she ran away. What? Oh, she's a kitten.

Then it was 3 o'clock in the afternoon, dawn was beginning. I began to say goodbye to him. He turned to the window directly at Optina Pustyn at dawn and began to look. I don’t know what he saw; of course, he didn’t tell me. But it was clear that he was seeing a wondrous vision. So I left him.

Saints- these are Christians who have most fully implemented in their lives the commandments of Christ about love for God and neighbor. Among the saints were the Apostles of Christ and equal-to-the-apostles preachers of the Word of God, reverend monks, righteous laymen and priests, holy bishops, martyrs and confessors, passion-bearers and unmercenaries.

Holiness- a distinctive property of Man, created in the image and likeness of God. The saints, glorified by the Church and revered by the people of God, do not have a spiritual hierarchy. The establishment of church veneration for ascetics of faith and piety usually follows popular veneration. In the church tradition, the procedure for glorifying a deceased ascetic as a saint was formed gradually. In the ancient Christian Church there was no canonization, that is, the establishment of veneration of a saint; it arose later as a reaction to manifestations of false piety of those who deviated into heresy.
It should be noted that the act of canonization does not determine the heavenly glory of the saints, it includes them in a clear annual liturgical circle and thereby calls on everyone to venerate the saints in the form of public worship. The liturgical difference between canonized saints and non-canonized saints, and in general from the deceased, is that prayer services are served to the saints, not memorial services. The unity of the Heavenly and earthly Church occurs in prayer, the secret of eternal life is hidden in this unity. The intercession and help of the saints is evidence that Christ is the Way and the Truth.

History of the compilation of hagiographic texts.

The Apostle Paul also said: “Remember your teachers, who preached the word of God to you, and, looking at the end of their lives, imitate their faith” (Heb. 13:7). According to this commandment, the Holy Church has always carefully preserved the memory of its saints: apostles, martyrs, prophets, saints, saints and saints, their names are included in the church Diptych for eternal remembrance.
The first Christians recorded events from the lives of the first holy ascetics. Then these stories began to be collected in collections compiled according to the calendar, that is, according to the days of honoring the memory of saints. Acts of martyrdom, patericon, limonaria, synaxari, prologues, Chetyi-menaion - the first texts that tell us about the Christian feat of the holy saints of God. Saint Demetrius of Rostov worked for many years on the collection of lives of saints; They were written at the end of the 17th century and published from 1711 to 1718. It is also worth remembering: the Great Chetya-Menaion of the Holy Metropolitan of Moscow Macarius, which he devoted 12 years to collecting. The famous Nestor the Chronicler, Epiphanius the Wise, and Pachomius Logothetes dedicated their verbal gifts to the glorification of the saints of God.

What is another name for lives?

Lives of the Saints otherwise called Chetii-menaia - books for reading, where lives are set out according to the calendar for each month of each year ("menaia" in Greek - "lasting month"). IN Lives of the Saints Saint Demetrius of Rostov, in addition to biographies, included descriptions of holidays and instructive words on events in the life of this or that saint. Subsequently, some other church authors worked on the collection of Lives of Saints, supplementing and correcting the work of St. Demetrius. The Chet'i-Minei were published in modern Russian only in 1900. There are also modern selected lives of saints, including locally revered ones; also detailed lives of the saints of God who labored in famous monasteries. We offer for reading the lives of the most famous and revered saints by the entire Orthodox Church.

How to read lives.

Lives were favorite reading in Rus'. Modern man for the most part knows little about the saints; at best, the bearer of a certain name knows that it is in the calendar; has (sometimes) an idea of ​​the place where the saint lived. But the concepts of asceticism, the rite of holiness, glorification and veneration are unknown to the majority. We can say that a literate and even educated person has not only forgotten how to read spiritual books, but also does not read them at all. They strive to turn church tradition into a written monument and cultural heritage. For a long time now, thanks to the light hand of atheist researchers, the living word that nourished Christians has been ranked by science among the corpus of Byzantine or Old Russian literature. Historical and philological commentaries on the lives are replete with remarks about the insufficiency of facts and myth-making tendentiousness. They expect literature and historicism from hagiographic works, losing sight of the fact that their main content is the mystery of the saints. But the value of collecting and presenting information about saints lies not in literary and stylistic achievements, but in showing the path to holiness.
Lives of the saints both short and lengthy, they are a monument to spiritual life and, for this reason alone, an instructive reading. In our country of universal literacy, when preference is given to books of a different kind, even when reading hagiographic literature, they see only the reported fact behind the letter, but are not imbued with the gracious spirit of asceticism. Lives were and remain a life-giving source, rich reading for one and all, and not a frozen monument of church literature. In them, before the reader’s gaze, examples of truly great piety pass in a row: selfless feat for the sake of the Lord; examples of humility and obedience, patience in everyday misfortunes, deep contrition for sins and sincere repentance. Having fallen to the spiritual source of hagiography not as church literature, but as patristic tradition, everyone learns strengthening faith, is consoled in sorrows, rejoices and finds the path to salvation.

For our readers: the lives of the holy fathers with detailed descriptions from various sources.

Who are the saints in Orthodoxy? These are ordinary people who have chosen the path of serving Christ and His Church as the purpose of their lives. This path was different for everyone - we have martyrs for the faith, and great preachers, and saints, and many others.

A saint differs from an ordinary person in one most important quality - his determination to live according to the Will of God and follow Him everywhere.

The Orthodox Church honors and glorifies such people, because they were honored to stand next to God himself after their death. It will be very useful for every Orthodox Christian to know and study how these people lived and managed to achieve the crown of holiness. In this section of our website you will find descriptions of the lives and miracles of many ascetics of piety - both known throughout the Christian world, and revered only by some Christians.

• Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Kirill
• Holy Venerable Ambrose of Optina
• Holy Great Martyr Barbara
• Holy Father Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia
• Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke of Vladimir
• Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious
• Holy King and Prophet David
• Saint Demetrius of Rostov
• Holy Prophet Elijah
• Holy Great Martyr John the Warrior
• Saint John Chrysostom of Constantinople
• Holy Great Martyr John the New, Sochava
• Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John
• Holy Great Martyr Irene of Macedonia
• Holy Apostle Jude Jacob
• Nine Martyrs of Cyzicus
• Saint Luke, Archbishop of Simferopol and Crimea
• Holy Venerable Mary of Egypt
• Matrona of Moscow (miracles)
• Matrona of Moscow (life)
• Saint Mitrophan of Voronezh, Wonderworker
• Saint Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia
• Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker (miracles today)
• What and who does St. Nicholas the Wonderworker help with?
• Saint Paisius Svyatogorets
• Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon
• Martyr Paraskeva, named Pyatnitsa
• Saints Peter and Fevronia of Murom
• Holy Wonderworker Seraphim of Sarov
• Venerable Sergius of Radonezh
• Venerable Elder Silouan of Athos
• Saint Simeon of Verkhoturye
• Saint Spyridon of Trimifuntsky
• Saint Tikhon of Voronezh, Zadonsk
• Saint Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow
• Holy Martyr Tryphon

The Life of Our Holy Father Theophan the Confessor

The Monk Theophan was born in Constantinople from noble parents - Isaac and Theodotia. Isaac was related to King Leo the Isaurian and his son Copronymus, which is why he was nicknamed Isaurian, since he was of the same royal family and came from the country of Isauria. He held honorary positions at the royal court and was a commander during the reign of Copronymus.

At this time, the iconoclastic heresy arose, and strong persecution began against pious people.

The pious Isaac and his wife Theodotia strictly adhered to Orthodox teaching and were honored to become the parents of such a son, who was soon to shine like the dawn in the Church of Christ. They named him Theophanes, which means revealed by God. He was named so primarily because he was born on the feast of the Epiphany, which in Greek was called Theophany; but mainly he was so named according to God's vision - to inform him that, like the once prophet Jeremiah, the Lord chose him from his mother's womb and sanctified him to be the great lamp of His Church (Jer. 1: 5). As the bookkeeper Anastasius testifies, he was sometimes called by his stepfather's name - Isaac, but that was before he was tonsured to the monastic rank, to which he ardently aspired from his very youth, as this will be told in his life.

After the birth of the blessed and epiphanic Theophanes, his father Isaac, having lived another three years, passed on to endless life. Dying, he wrote a will in which he gave his three-year-old son and his mother into the care and protection of Tsar Constantine Copronymus himself, as his relative.

Studying the Divine Scripture and improving in a virtuous life, the youth began to be distinguished by his extraordinary intelligence over the years. When Theophanes was twelve years old, one of the senators wished to betroth his ten-year-old daughter to him, since the young man Theophanes was handsome, very smart, rich and was a relative of the king. Theodotia, Feofan’s mother, also readily agreed to this betrothal. But since all this could not happen without the royal will, the senator made an earnest request about this to the king himself, seeking to become related to him through the marriage of his daughter to the royal nephew. When the king agreed to this, the betrothal of the children took place, before the age allowed for marriage, but the marriage itself was postponed until the betrothed came of age.

At this time, King Copronymus died; after him, his son Leo IV ascended the throne, nicknamed Khazar after his mother, for she was the daughter of a Khazar khan and in idolatry was called Khazar, and in holy baptism she was named Irina.

A few years later, Theodotia, Feofan’s mother, also died. She died before her son's marriage, leaving him countless wealth.

At that time, a certain God-fearing and chaste slave lived in Theophan’s house; Theophan loved him very much for his virtuous life and considered this slave to be his best adviser. Inspired by frequent soul-saving conversations with him, and more often instructed by the all-active Holy Spirit, Theophan fell in love with chastity, thinking only about one thing: how to preserve his virgin purity incorruptible, and, ardently desiring the monastic rank and life, he began to distribute all his wealth to the poor and wretched.

Having learned about this, Feofan's father-in-law, contrary to the wishes of the groom, tried to consummate the marriage as quickly as possible, especially since the bride and groom had come of age.

When the day appointed for the marriage arrived and, according to custom, the wedding feast was already underway, the epiphany young man Theophan, lifting his mind to God, prayed in the secret of his heart that the Lord, by His grace, would preserve him in pure virginity.

And so, when the young man Theophan and his bride were already in the bridal chamber, he sat down on the bed and, sighing heartily, discovered the thought hidden within him, and so he said to his bride:

O beloved, don’t you know that the time of this life of ours is short, but our death is unknown and an unmerciful judgment awaits those who, spending their lives in pleasures and wealth, often anger the Lord. Marriage, although established by God Himself, but the worldly cares necessary during married life alienate the human mind from the Lord, make people’s pious thoughts futile and do not allow them to look at the future life with the bright eyes of the soul. We know that Lazarus, for temporary suffering, was carried by the angels to the bosom of Abraham, and the rich man, who had spent his life in abundance, was cast into hell and could not receive even a drop of water to cool his tongue (Luke 16:24). We also hear the Gospel beatitudes prepared in heaven (Matthew 5). Who are they promised to? Not the rich, who live in the joy of this world and in all prosperity, but the poor, who weep, hunger, thirst, and endure persecution and reproach for the sake of Christ; I’ll say briefly: the strait and narrow way leads into eternal life, but the wide gate and broad path lead into Gehenna (Matthew 7:13-14); We also know that whoever lives luxuriously in this century, in vain pleasures, will endure sorrow and grief in the next century - and it cannot be otherwise. Therefore, my beloved bride, if you wish, let us abstain from carnal marital union and with one accord let us remain in pure virginity; Now we will live a little together, as if in a carnal marriage, for the sake of your cruel father, but under the guise of marriage we will remain like brother and sister; and then, when the Lord sends us a convenient time, we will go to the monastery: I will go to the men’s monastery, and you will go to the women’s monastery. So let us devote ourselves to the Lord for the rest of our lives, so that in the next century we may be worthy of a portion of His saints.

The holy bride Theophan, like the good earth, having accepted this good seed, answered blessed Theophan with joy in her soul:

I know, my beloved master, the words of our Savior, who says in the Gospel: “If anyone does not hate his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, and whoever does not take up his cross and follow Me, he not worthy of Me” (Luke 14:26; Matt. 10:38). So, let us make ourselves worthy followers of our Lord and, if you want, let us leave all vanity. If you agree, I agree; if it pleases you, it pleases me too; and if you want to remain a virgin, then I want this too. And let us present ourselves blameless to the Heavenly Bridegroom, keeping not only our souls pure, but also our bodies. What benefit will it be to us if, having lived this short life in vanity, we are deprived of eternal blessings? And if we have children, we will be filled with even greater sadness, worrying day and night about their food and their fate, while falling into the manifold snares of this world. When death, unknown to us, comes, where we will then go - to heaven or Gehenna - we still do not know. So, let us live in purity, secretly preserving our virginity, until the Lord grants us the monastic rank.

The blessed young man, hearing these words of his chaste bride, marveled at her prudence and, falling to the ground, gave thanks to God, who guided the maiden by His Holy Spirit to such a decision, which was completely in accordance with his intention. And they spent that whole night in prayer, asking for help from above, so that the way of life they had begun would be carried out to perfection.

When morning came, they fell asleep for a short time and both saw the same dream: a certain young man with a bright face appeared to them in a vision; smiling, he said to them affectionately:

The Lord accepted your intention and sent me to bless you for the life to which you agreed, so that you would appear to Him holy and blameless.

Having said this, he marked them all over his body with the sign of the cross and became invisible. Having risen from sleep, they told each other a dream that they had seen in the same way. At this time they felt an indescribable fragrance emanating from the presence of the Angel and were surprised. And then, falling to the ground before the Lord, they gave Him fervent praise. The same heavenly fragrance, for a long time, was smelled by many not only in their palace, but throughout the house. And this holy couple lived like angels in the flesh, burning before God with the flame of Divine love, like two priests or like two olive trees exuding the oil of generosity, for every day they gave innumerable alms, generously distributing all their property to the poor.

After some time, Feofan’s father-in-law, having learned about his son-in-law and daughter that they were living in virginity and giving away all their wealth to the poor, became very sad. Going to the king, he informed him about this and complained about his son-in-law:

Alas for me, unfortunate one! - he screamed, - alas for my accursed old age because of my obscene son-in-law! He wastes his wealth senselessly and in vain destroys my young daughter, not living with her as a spouse, and I have no hope of being consoled by my grandchildren. And why did he take her? Why didn’t he break his betrothal vow before marriage and abandon her, so as not to bring her, so young, into such misfortune, and expose my old age to even greater sadness? I have a double sadness: I regret about my daughter, that she, being married, does not have a husband and cannot be a mother, and about the wasted wealth, since Theophanes squandered not only his estate, but already a considerable part of what was given to me for his daughter's dowry.

And he asked the king to punish and convince his son-in-law to live according to marital law and not waste his property in vain.

The king, filled with anger, called blessed Theophanes to him and, looking furiously at him, began to threaten him, ordering him to change his way of life; in case of disagreement, he promised to gouge out his eyes and send him to prison.

But the godly young man did not pay attention to the king’s threats and did not abandon his so beautifully begun, pure, virgin life: he tried more to gain favor from the King of Heaven than from the king of the earth.

Soon after this, Theophanes was ordered by the king, due to some popular needs, to go to the Kizichesk country. This journey was deliberately invented by his father-in-law: on the one hand, so that, amid concerns about the affairs entrusted to him by the tsar, Theophanes would stop and forget to perform the usual feats of prayer, fasting and abstinence, - on the other hand, so that he would stop giving away his property, over whose guardian his father-in-law now became.

When Theophanes, fulfilling the royal command, went to Cyzicus, the king and his father-in-law were ordered to go with him and his wife, for the father could not bear for his daughter to be separated from her husband, even for a short time.

They happened to cross the river, which was formerly called Rindakos, and then the people called it Great; on one bank of it lay the Olympian region, and on the other - the Sigrian region.

Blessed Theophan wanted to travel by this river, although it was possible to travel by land; but in view of the bodily weakness that befell him then, he preferred the river route, as it was easier. All this happened according to God's will. Having sent his friends and slaves with horses and chariots overland, he himself got into the boat with his blessed wife and a few servants; floating along the river, Theophanes admired the beautiful Sigrian mountains, hills and deserts and burned in spirit for a silent life on them. And he saw in one place, among the mountains, a spacious valley on which a dense forest grew; and he really liked this place. Having landed on the shore to spend the night, and ordering everyone else to stay in the boats, Theophanes went to this valley and, walking around that deserted place, was touched by his soul. Standing in one place in a dense forest, he began to earnestly pray to God. Raising his hands to the sky and falling to the ground many times with tears in his eyes, he said:

Show me the path I should follow! (Ps. 142:8).

Embraced by a great desire for desert life and deciding to immediately leave everything, Theophanes hid in that desert. Having become tired in prayer and sitting down to rest, he saw that light-like angel who had once appeared to him and his bride in their bridal chamber. This celestial being, pointing his finger at the desert, said to Theophanes:

It is fitting for you to settle here, but wait a little until those blocking your path are taken from the land of the living; they will soon be taken from here, and then you will freely go where you want.

Saint Theophan was very pleased with this vision. Returning to the boats in joy, he continued on his way. Noticing the desert monasteries and hermitages located in those Sigrian mountains, he visited them, walking around together with his chaste wife. In these places he met a certain perspicacious old man named Gregory, nicknamed Stratigius, who lived in an area called Polychronia. Blessed Theophan revealed his intention and desire to this elder and heard from him what the angel who had appeared earlier had told him. This elder, for his angelic life, granted by God the gift of foresight, said to Theophanes:

Wait a little, good young man, soon both the king and your father-in-law will be destroyed from the face of the earth, and you, being free, will fulfill your good intention.

The holy elder said quietly in the ear of the virtuous bride Theophan that her beloved brother Theophan would in due time receive the crown of martyrdom.

After this, Saint Theophan went to Cyzicus and carried out what the king ordered him regarding public administration. There he often went with his servants to the nearby Sigrian Mountains, where he visited the holy fathers. Asking for their blessings and prayers, Theophanes at the same time edified the soul with their divinely inspired conversations.

He especially often went to the perspicacious Gregory Stratigius and to Christopher, the abbot of “Maly Selo” - that was the name of that monastery. Once, when Theophanes was passing through the Sigrian Mountains to visit the desert dwellers, in one place he had to hesitate. At that time there was intense heat, for it was harvest time, and therefore Theophanes and all those who were with him were very thirsty.

The place was deserted and waterless. When the day was already approaching evening, we had to lie down there and spend the night. At this time, both they themselves and their cattle were positively exhausted from thirst. Blessed Theophan, having prayed, sat down under one hill in order to get some sleep and quench his thirst with sleep. And just as he dozed off, suddenly a source of living water flowed over his head and wet him. So, the Lord did not despise His servant, who once poured out water from a stone to the ungrateful Jewish people; all the more He deigned to do this for His grateful servant at a time of such need. The saint, awakened by the unexpected noise of water splashing him, immediately stood up from his place and called everyone who was with him. And everyone, having gathered, was amazed at that unexpected and unexpected miracle and glorified God. And everyone not only quenched their thirst, but also watered their livestock.

When they got up the next day, the source was no longer there: the place had become dry, and there was not even a trace of water on it.

They were especially surprised at this and glorified the miraculous power of God because the Lord, during a thirst and in a completely waterless land, brought out a spring, and when there was no longer a need for water, He dried up the water, clearly showing that in every place the Lord is ready to give everything necessary for those who first of all seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33).

After that, Theophanes spent some time in Cyzicus and, having duly fulfilled everything ordered by the king there, returned to Constantinople.

At this time, the prediction of the angel of God and the prophecy of St. Gregory came true: King Leo the Khazar, son of Copronymus and grandson of Leo the Isaurian, died; Theophan’s father-in-law also died, and he, like his holy bride, became free. Immediately, as they wanted, they distributed all their wealth and all their estates. Then Theophanes tonsured his bride in one of the women’s monasteries in Bithynia, giving this monastery a lot of land to feed her; When she was tonsured, she was named Irina. In monasticism, Irina pleased God and performed many miracles, receiving from God the gift of healing illnesses and casting out demons. These miracles were subsequently told by His Holiness Patriarch Methodius of Constantinople, who was the descriptor of the lives of both of them.

After the tonsure of his blessed bride, the maiden Irina, Saint Theophan distributed the rest of his estate to the poor in Constantinople and, leaving only a little money, went to the aforementioned seer Gregory Stratigius. It was for him that Theophan was tonsured as a monk. There, from the remaining money, Saint Theophan created a monastery for this elder and lived with him for quite a long time, perfecting himself in monastic deeds.

Then, on the advice of the same elder, Saint Theophan went to an island called Kalonimos; on this island Feofan had a small village left over from his parents, which he had not yet managed to distribute to the poor. There he built a monastery, where he transferred all the brethren from the Theodore monastery, called Monocheraria; He summoned and appointed an abbot for them - a reverent and experienced man. Theophan himself shut himself up in his cell and began copying books, for he was a skilled scribe. He sold these books and used the proceeds to feed not only himself, but also others.

After several years, the abbot of that monastery died, and the brethren began to persistently ask the Monk Theophan that he himself would agree to be their abbot. But the saint did not agree and again went to Mount Sigrian; Remembering that desert where he was rewarded with the appearance of an angel when he was sailing to Cyzicus, Theophanes went there and began to live in that desert, pleasing God. Soon the Monk Theophan populated that desert with godly desert dwellers, for many began to come to him and settle near him, so that soon the need arose to build a monastery.

In this desert there was a certain place that belonged to a certain farmer; this place was called “Great Village”. Saint Theophan, having sent to his friends and borrowed money from them, bought this place and built a monastery here with the help of the Lord, who according to His Divine providence provides everything we need. Soon the monk gave away the money he had borrowed, and in his monastery he had in abundance everything necessary to feed the brethren who had gathered to him.

Saint Theophan could not help but accept the rank of abbot in this monastery, for all the desert inhabitants begged him for this, and it was necessary.

Being an abbot, Theophan was the leader that Christ commands to be in the Gospel: “And whoever wants to be great among you, let him be your servant; and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave” (Matthew 20:26-27). The Venerable Abbot Theophan worked with his own hands, serving everyone, for the Lord then gave him great bodily strength, and he took part in every monastic work more than anyone else and was an example for everyone of a virtuous and at the same time hardworking life.

At this time, namely during the reign of Constantine, son of Leo and grandson of Copronymus, under his pious mother Irene and under the holy Patriarch Tarasius of Constantinople, the VII Ecumenical Council was convened in Nicaea against the iconoclasts. At this council, the Holy Church cursed the iconoclastic heresy, and reverent veneration of holy icons was again restored. The Monk Theophan, abbot of the Great Village in Sigrian, was also summoned to this council. Establishing true orthodoxy at this council, Theophan shone among the holy fathers like a bright star. His presence at the council was very useful for many; where many showed off beautiful clothes, chariots and horses, he arrived there on a bad donkey, in old clothes and patched rags. Everyone who knew his former life, when he was rich, noble and close to the king and was one of the members of the synclite, was touched to see him in such humility and poverty, and everyone learned that for the sake of the Lord one can humble oneself and become poor, and everything in the world is considered as nothing.

At the end of the holy council, the monk returned to his monastery, bringing the pious dogmas of the holy faith, approved at this Ecumenical Council, as the best decoration of his monastery. Here Theophan continued to strive in his usual exploits, enlightening with the example of his virtuous life not only his monastery, but also the entire surrounding country; rumors spread about him everywhere, and everyone glorified the Heavenly Father for his sake. For his pious life, he was given from God the grace of working miracles: he healed illnesses and cast out demons from people. One day, when the monk fell asleep, the demon planned to attack him; resembling a wild boar, he began to gnaw the saint’s thumb, so that it became very painful for him. Immediately rising from sleep, Theophanes noticed on his finger the marks of the teeth of his enemy, who wanted to completely gnaw off his finger, and this wound caused severe pain to the saint, but taking the myrrh that was in his possession from the Life-Giving Tree of the Cross, he anointed his sore finger with it and immediately healed . From then on, having received power over demons, Theophanes with his word began to drive them out from the suffering people brought to him.

This reverend father, once sailing on a ship, calmed the storm. He distributed bread and other food in abundance to the strangers and the poor who came to his monastery, and at the same time the bread did not diminish - just as the prophet Elijah did this with a tub of flour from the widow with whom he lived (1 Kings 7:16).

One day the cellarer began to murmur against the saint because he was distributing bread to the poor, and yet there was not enough for those living in the monastery. Then the Monk Theophan ordered him to count and measure everything that was in the pantry, and it turned out that nothing had decreased; all the brethren glorified God for this, and the grumbling cellarer, falling to his knees, began to ask forgiveness from the Saint.

Already fifty years old, the Monk Theophan fell ill with stone disease and suffered severely. From that time on, he spent the rest of his life on his bed, and the one who healed others from illness with his prayer did not ask the Lord to heal his illness, but endured it with thanksgiving. In this illness, the time for his confessional death came for him, according to the prophecy of that perspicacious elder Gregory, who quietly told his bride, the holy maiden, in his ear that in due time her groom would receive the crown of martyrdom.

Many years later, when the monk had already grown old and several Greek emperors had replaced him (for after the aforementioned Tsar Constantine, who reigned with his mother Irina, Nicephorus ascended the imperial throne together with his son Stavrikiy, and after them Michael Kuropalate reigned), - after these It was Leo the Armenian who accepted the scepter of the Greek kingdom as emperors. This emperor erected the iconoclastic heresy. He greatly confused the Church of Christ by expelling the holy Patriarch Nicephorus and also the Monk Theodore the Studite, together with his disciples, from the throne; He directly tortured and killed many other Christians for venerating icons.

Church historian Georgy Kedrin writes the following about Saint Theophan: when Patriarch Nikifor of Constantinople was traveling by sea to imprisonment and on a ship passed by the area where the monastery of Saint Theophan was located, this latter learned about this with his perspicacious spiritual eyes; he ordered his disciple to bring burning coals in a censer, put incense on them and, ordering the candles to be lit, bowed to the ground, as if talking with someone passing by. When the student asked Theophanes:

What are you doing, father, and with whom, having bowed, are you talking?

The monk replied:

Here, His Holiness Patriarch Nicephorus, exiled for his orthodoxy, is going to prison and is now sailing past our country on a ship. For his sake, I lit candles and incense, so that we could pay due honor to the patriarch.

His Holiness Patriarch Nicephorus, who was traveling on the ship, foresaw this, for he, suddenly kneeling, responded to the holy elder with a bow and, raising his hands, blessed him. One monk, who was with the most holy patriarch, asked him:

Who do you bless, Holy Father, and before whom did you kneel?

To this Patriarch Nikifor answered:

Right now, confessor Theophan, abbot of Velikoye Selo, greeted us with lighted candles and incense; I mutually bowed to him; after all, like us, he too will soon have to suffer.

All this soon came true.

After a little time, the evil Tsar Leo the Armenian, wanting to seduce the Monk Theophan to like-mindedness with himself, sent ambassadors to him and honorably called him to his place in Constantinople; at the same time, he slyly wrote to him: “Soon I will have a war with the wicked, but before I go out to them, I need to arm myself with your prayers; So, honest father, do not refuse to come to us.”

The Monk Theophan, although he saw the king’s deceit and was at that time overcome by a serious illness, nevertheless decided to go in order to suffer for the true faith. Having boarded the ship, the saint soon arrived in Constantinople, but there he was not introduced to the king, for the king was ashamed and afraid of Theophan’s denunciations. But he sent his noble dignitaries to the Monk Theophan in order to seduce him into his evil faith with flattering promises.

If,” he said through them to the holy man, “you are of the same mind with us, I will build your monastery with tall stone buildings and enrich it in everything; and you will be exalted in my honor more than anyone else, as well as all your close relatives, I will be honored with great rank.

To these promises, however, the tsar also added a threat:

If you,” he continued, “contradict us, then you yourself will be guilty of great dishonor.

To this Saint Theophan answered the king through the messengers:

I do not desire anything from the riches of this world: if, as a youth, for the love of Christ, I left all my gold, silver and all my possessions that I had, then will I really desire them in my old age? Let this not happen. The Lord Himself provides for the monastery and for my brothers, more than all the kings and princes of the earth. Why, O king, do you frighten me with your threat, like some little boy with a rod! Prepare torment for me, light a fire, and although I cannot walk due to my illness, as you see, I will throw myself into the fire for my orthodoxy.

Having heard these words of the saint spoken with great boldness, the messengers went to the king and conveyed all this to him. The king, surprised at such unheard-of courage, ordered a certain sophist John, an insidious wizard and heretic, to go to the monk in order to talk with him; but before the divinely inspired words of the reverend father he found himself as if dumb and defeated, and with shame he returned to the king who had sent him.

Then the king, filled with anger, ordered the Monk Theophan to be imprisoned in a dark and cramped room at the so-called Eleutherian Chamber and guards to be assigned to him. The monk, already old and sick, spent two years in this gloomy imprisonment; Here every day, either by kindness or by threats, they tried to draw him into iconoclasm, and the evil heretics deliberately sent to him mocked him and slandered him. Once, when the king kindly sent his ambassador to the saint, wanting him to sign the decree on the overthrow of the icons, the Monk Theophan answered him:

Know, O king, who has given you the kingdom, the One by whom kings reign and tormentors rule on earth. Know, I tell you, that the Lord, being indescribable, deigned to be visible and, having accepted our nature, became like us in everything, except for sin; and with this nature, deified in Himself, He raised the dead, enlightened the blind, cleansed the lepers, and performed many other miracles. With this human nature He voluntarily accepted death from the Jews, was resurrected on the third day, ascended into heaven with glory and was never separated from the Father. The Gospel teaches us about this human nature in Christ; Therefore, we accept this Gospel book with reverence, believing everything written in it, all the wonderful deeds of Christ, so that in the Gospel we honor Him, as it were. And if we are not condemned for believing in the works of Christ described in words, then why are we condemned if we accept and honor the same Gospel story, but only depicted in icons? And the barbarians who came to our faith, thanks to icons, easily recognize all the life of Christ on earth with people and all His wonderful deeds. And how many unlearned people, looking at the miracles of Christ depicted on the icons and at His free death, glorified the Lord who suffered for us? But you, rejecting the icons, must have envied their salvation. And what council has ever considered it a sin and sacrilege to venerate holy icons? Didn’t Christ Himself send an image of His Face, made miraculously, to the Edessa prince Abgar for healing? And didn’t the holy Apostle Luke leave us an icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary painted with multi-colored paints? There is nothing here contrary to the tradition and teaching of the holy fathers: Saint Basil the Great, the tester of the ineffable Mysteries, said that the honor shown to the icon goes back to what is described on it. John also said with his golden lips: “I love the image made of wax.” Saint Cyril, the harp of the Holy Spirit, said: “Often seeing the image on the icon of the Passion of Christ, I cannot pass by this icon without tears.” So, if the first six Ecumenical Councils, which took place before the seventh council, did not forbid the veneration of holy icons, giving honor to the persons and events depicted on them, then do you think you are wiser than them! Your job, king, is to wage war against foreigners, but to investigate church dogmas and laws belongs to holy fathers, not kings.

Having read this message from the reverend father, the king was filled with unspeakable rage; he immediately sent one of his cruel dignitaries to the Sigrian country to destroy the Theophanes monastery, called the “Great Village”, and completely burn it down; His disciples, having beaten him mercilessly, were dispersed. The king sent another ambassador, equally fierce, to the Monk Theophanes, who had already been imprisoned in the gloomy dungeon of the Eleutherian castle for two years.

This messenger, having torn off the clothes from the holy elder, who was already exhausted by fasting and prolonged illness, beat him mercilessly with ox sinews on the ridge and belly and, having given him three hundred blows and imprisoned him again, left him.

In the morning, by order of the king, this tormentor again came to the monk; taking him out of prison, he brutally beat him. And then Saint Theophan was sent into captivity on the island of Samothrace. The reverend father foresaw this in advance with his perspicacious eyes and told the novice who served him a few days in advance that they would be sent to this island. Having lived in this place for only twenty-three days, the holy martyr from earthly exile, adorned with the crown of confessional suffering, moved to the heavenly fatherland, and his venerable body was laid there in a wooden shrine. God glorified His holy saint not only during his life, but also after his repose: He bestowed healing power on his saints, and many sick people, only by touching his cancer, received healing.