Rev. Sergius of Radonezh. Biography

As a child, the saint earned God's mercy. How he discovered a new trend in Orthodoxy and founded the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. What can be asked of the righteous.

The Orthodox Church celebrates the memory of St. Sergius of Radonezh twice a year. On July 18, the Uncovering of the relics of the saint is celebrated (when the monks removed the remains from the coffin with water) and on October 8, the saint himself is honored. He was the first to be canonized in Russia after the overthrow of the Tatar-Mongol yoke.

Childhood and youth of the saint

The monk was born into the family of the boyars Cyril and Mary under the name Bartholomew. His parents were originally from Rostov, and then moved to the village of Radonezh near Moscow. When the boy was seven years old, his parents gave him to learn to read and write, but the child could not master science. Bartholomew constantly asked God to endow him with the gift of book understanding.

One day, the father sent the boy to look for runaway horses in the field. Under an oak tree, Bartholomew saw a praying old man-Chernoriz. The lad plucked up courage, approached the monk and told about his misfortune. The elder listened to the complaint, then treated the boy to a piece of prosphora and promised that the grace of the Lord and the ability to interpret the Holy Scriptures would rest upon him. This is what happened in reality.

From a young age, Bartholomew, having believed in the Lord, decided to devote himself to service. He could not go into solitude, like the ancient righteous, but in the family he set an example of obedience and meekness. The lad respected his parents, completely obeyed them and often fasted. His diet consisted of bread and water.

When his parents died, Bartholomew, together with his older brother named Stefan, went 10 miles from Radonezh to build a cell and a small church with his own hands. The brothers left the entire inheritance to the younger Peter. After the man-made church was erected, it was consecrated in honor of the Holy Trinity.

Life in the forest and the formation of the Lavra

Over time, Brother Stefan was called to become rector in the capital's monastery, and Bartholomew (who was tonsured a monk under the name Sergius) went into the forest for two years to test the strength of faith. Forest predators did not touch the righteous man, and the brown bear became a faithful friend of the saint. The righteous often shared the last piece of bread with the beast and treated him kindly. For this, the bear scared away the wolf packs.

The fame of Sergius' asceticism was so great that other monks came to him and asked him to become the head of the new monastery. The righteous man understood that this was the will of the Lord and in the first half of the 14th century he founded the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.

The saint laid the foundation for a new movement in the history of Russian monasticism. He organized a community of hermits with a very strict charter, where they even used a torch instead of candles. Soon peasants began to settle nearby and Lavra became known as a generous giver of alms. The monks also took care of wanderers and the sick.

The merit of the saint in the Battle of Kulikovo

Strong faith and adherence to Orthodox commandments allowed Sergius to perform numerous miracles. Therefore, the Grand Duke Dimitri Ivanovich Donskoy, going to battle with the enslaver of the Russian Land, Khan Mamai, came to Serg for a blessing. The holy elder encouraged the prince and wished him to go into battle boldly. He also sent with him two monks of heroic stature and strength. Their names were Peresvet and Oslyabya. They fought on a par with other warriors and died a heroic death in the Battle of Kulikovo.

The prophecy of victory was fulfilled. On the day of the Nativity of the Virgin, Dimitry Donskoy won the historic battle that put an end to the Tatar yoke. Russia stopped paying shameful tribute to the khans, and Sergius of Radonezh began to be revered as the heavenly patron and protector of the Russian Land.

What helps Sergius of Radonezh

You can ask the saint for help in any trouble. He bestows the taming of pride and humility. They pray to him for help in teaching, in raising children and for the soldiers to return home alive from the battlefield.

They ask Sergius for industriousness and diligence, since during his lifetime the saint (despite the meager food) worked for two people and set an example for all the brethren. If you decide to go on a diet, then it's time to ask the righteous for moderation. Deciding to serve God, he stopped eating meat altogether and became the first vegetarian in Russia.

Also, the saint will help restore peace in the family, being a model of meekness and humility. Throughout his life, he never raised his voice to his neighbor, and in childhood he dutifully carried out his parental orders.

06.07.2015 16:06

St. Sergius of Radonezh is one of the most revered Russian saints. He helps students, schoolchildren and...

Saint Sergius was born in the village of Varnitsy near Rostov the Great on May 3, 1314, in the family of the boyar Kirill and his wife Maria. The child was baptized with the name Bartholomew, which means "son of joy." Even before his birth, God chose him to serve Himself: the baby in the womb of his mother proclaimed three times in the temple during the Divine Liturgy.

From childhood, Bartholomew was distinguished by kindness, love for prayer and visiting the temple. He grew up as a quiet and meek boy who loved solitude and shunned his peers. Together with the brothers Stepan and Peter, at the age of seven, Bartholomew was given to the teaching, which was given to him with great difficulty. The impressionable boy was very worried about this attack and earnestly prayed to the Lord "to open the door of bookish understanding for him."

One day, looking for lost horses in the field, he saw an old monk. From the humble and meek appearance of the old man breathed such extraordinary kindness and love that, unexpectedly for himself, Bartholomew told him his grief. The elder prayed, blessed the boy, and... The Lord gave him memory and understanding: Bartholomew began to excel in book wisdom much more than his brothers and all his fellow students who had previously mocked him.

After this miraculous event, young Bartholomew's desire to serve only God became even stronger.

The XIV century was a difficult time for Russia - the Tatars ruined almost the entire country, and there were endless strife and civil strife between the Russian princes. Impoverished from the Tatar raids and extortions of the Moscow prince, the once quite prosperous family of Bartholomew was forced to leave their native Rostov land. Like many Rostovites, they moved to the small town of Radonezh - the inheritance of the youngest son of Ivan Kalita Andrei, where the settlers were promised many benefits and all kinds of assistance. It was in 1328.

After the death of his parents, at the age of 20, Bartholomew, together with his older brother Stefan, who by that time had been widowed and taken monastic vows, settled 10 miles from Radonezh in a dense forest on Mount Makovets near the Konchura River. Here they cut down a wretched cell and a small church, which they consecrated in honor of the Holy Trinity. Thus, in 1337, the foundation was laid for the later famous monastery of St. Sergius.

Soon Stefan, unable to endure the harsh life, went to Moscow, to the Epiphany Monastery. By the way, later, as an archimandrite, Stefan became the confessor of the Grand Duke Simeon the Proud, and his son, Saint Theodore, would be the spiritual father of the sovereign of Moscow, the right-believing Prince Dimitry Donskoy.

Bartholomew, who was tonsured a monk in the 23rd year of his life with the name Sergius (which the ancient Romans meant “high, venerable”), lived alone for two years. Life in the “desert” was hard: hungry wolves ran past his lonely cell, ready to tear the monk to pieces, bears roamed, he used to be cold and hungry ... But some miraculous power that lived in him made him endure all hardships and hardships - in all sorrows and in temptations the Lord was with him! The invisible help of God, through the fervent prayers of the young monk, supported and protected from all misfortunes, encouraged and strengthened the zealous and faithful servant of the Lord.

As it is said in the Holy Gospel: “A city standing on the top of a mountain cannot be hidden” (Matt. 5: 14), so the exploits of Sergius could not be hidden, and soon rumors began to spread everywhere about the extraordinary desert-dweller. Some spoke of his industriousness and strict abstinence, others marveled at his simplicity and gentleness, others spoke of his power over evil spirits - everyone was amazed at his humility and spiritual purity. From the surrounding villages and villages, many began to make their way to the monastery of Sergius: who turned to him for advice, who wanted to enjoy his soul-saving conversation - everyone heard a kind word from him, returned comforted and reassured.

12 monks also came to Sergius, who began to share with him the hardships of hermit life. Sergius worked harder than anyone: he chopped wood, built dwellings for the brethren, baked bread, carried water, constantly remembering the words of the Savior: “And whoever wants to be first among you, let him be a slave to everyone” (Mark 10: 44). He remained the most humble of the monks, wearing the most dilapidated clothes. Soon, as the most worthy, the brethren chose Sergius as their igumen. He was at that time about 40 years old. And for another long 30 years, St. Sergius ruled over his native monastery.

Years passed... The fame of St. Sergius spread not only throughout the Russian land, but also beyond its borders: the Patriarch of Constantinople Philotheus himself sent the St. Sergius a cross and a letter, which approved the new order of desert communal life. Metropolitan Alexy of Moscow, with whom St. Sergius had close ties of spiritual friendship, foreseeing his imminent death, wanted to transfer his powers to him, but Sergius, out of his humility, refused the primacy.

As it is sung in church hymns, “in singing, vigils and fasts, you were an example to your disciples, therefore the Holy Spirit dwelled in you.” The Monk Sergius performed many miracles through prayer, was rewarded with great revelations: four years before his death, the Mother of God appeared to him and promised the patronage of his monastery. Here is how Epiphanius, a disciple and author of the life of the saint, describes this miracle.

Once the blessed elder was praying before the image of the Mother of God. After reading the prescribed prayers, he sat down to rest a bit and suddenly said to his disciple Micah: “Child, be sober and stay awake, for a wonderful and terrible visit is now being prepared for us.” And immediately a voice was heard: “Behold, the Most Pure One is coming.” The saint hurried from his cell to the passage. And then a bright light dawned on him, and he saw the Most Pure with two apostles, Peter and John. And he fell on his face, unable to endure the "unbearable dawn."

“The Pure One touched the saint with her hands, saying: “Do not be horrified, my chosen one, I have come to visit you. Your prayer has been heard for the disciples... and for your abode. Do not grieve already, for from now on it abounds with everything, and not only during your lifetime, but even after your departure to the Lord, I will be inseparable from your abode, giving what you need without fail, supplying and covering it. And having said this, she became invisible. Indeed, throughout its existence, the Trinity-Sergius Lavra has never been captured by enemies - the Tatars passed by it, the Poles unsuccessfully besieged it, the Russians (adherents of the impostor) could not take it.

Many other miraculous phenomena were observed by the disciples of Sergius in his holy life: for example, Isaac saw how, together with the monk, an angel of God served the liturgy - "a luminous man in shining robes"; Simon - as during the service, the heavenly fire that surrounded the holy altar, suddenly twisted "like a kind of shroud, inside the holy chalice, and so the monk took communion."

Saint Sergius rendered invaluable services to the Russian land in strengthening and maintaining peace, assisted in the concentration and strengthening of state power in the hands of the Grand Duke of Moscow, and pacified the appanage princes.

So, at the request of Metropolitan Alexy, the Monk Sergius went to the quarreling prince-brothers Dmitry and Boris Konstantinovich, who were challenging each other for Nizhny Novgorod, the capital city of their principality. In order to force the younger, Boris (an opponent of Moscow) to submit, St. Sergius applied an “extreme” measure to the stubborn then unprecedented in Russia: he “shut up” all the churches in Nizhny Novgorod, stopping worship. And Prince Boris was forced to make peace with his brother, to give him the city.

On another occasion, at the request of the Grand Duke of Moscow Dmitry Ivanovich, the monk came on foot to Prince Oleg of Ryazan in order to persuade him to reconciliation and alliance with Moscow. After much exhortation, the mission of the Trinity abbot ended successfully.

Saint Sergius blessed Prince Dmitry Donskoy for the battle against the hordes of Mamai, predicting victory for the Russian army: “Without any doubt, sir, go boldly against their ferocity, do not be horrified, God will help you in every way.”

The testament of Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy was sealed with the signature of St. Sergius, in which the new order of succession to the throne was written - from father to eldest son.

The Monk Sergius and with his assistance founded 37 (!) monasteries in the hitherto uninhabited places of our Fatherland, which constituted a kind of "school". Among them are Simonov in Moscow, Kirzhachsky, Golutvin in Kolomna, Vysotsky near Serpukhov, Borisoglebsky near Rostov, Dubensky (in memory of the Battle of Kulikovo), Pokrovsky near Borovsk, and others.

Renouncing all the blessings of this world for the sake of love for the Almighty, the Monk Sergius did not have children by birth, but created the greatest "family" of Holy Russia. His spiritual children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren led the Russian Church, explored remote lands and lit "lamps of the spirit" everywhere. The disciples of St. Sergius - Andronik, Theodore Simonovsky, Athanasius of Serpukhov, Savva Zvenigorodsky, Abraham of Galich, Methodius Peshnoshsky, Jacob Zheleznoborsky and many others - founded about 50 more monasteries, which later became the spiritual and cultural centers of Russia. Among them Spaso-Andronikov in Moscow, Savvino-Storozhevsky near Zvenigorod, Zheleznoborsky near Galich, Voskresensky in the north of the Yaroslavl region, Ferapontov, Kirillo-Belozersky and others.

Undoubtedly, it was God's will: the disciples of St. Sergius remembered the amazing story of their teacher, who became the all-Russian abbot, the father-mentor of the entire Russian people. One night in his cell, the monk heard a voice calling his name: “Sergius!” Opening the window, Sergius saw an extraordinary heavenly light and many “green-red birds”. And the same voice solemnly said: “In the same way you saw this bird, so the flock of your disciples will multiply, and they will not fail for you, if they desire to follow your steps.”

As Archimandrite Nikon (Rozhdestvensky) wrote, “the spiritual offspring of the great Radonezh ascetic spread throughout northeastern Russia, igniting the blessed flame of spiritual life everywhere and shedding the light of Christian enlightenment.”

In the autumn of 1392, at about the age of 80, Saint Sergius fell into a serious illness. Anticipating the imminent end, he called the brethren for the last instructions...

The relics of St. Sergius († 1392; his memory is September 25) were uncovered on July 5, 1422 under the Monk Abbot Nikon (+ 1426; his memory is November 17). In 1408, when Moscow and its environs were invaded by the Tatar hordes of Edigey, the Trinity Monastery was devastated and burned, the monks, led by Abbot Nikon, took refuge in the forests, preserving icons, sacred vessels, books and other shrines associated with the memory of St. Sergius. In a night vision on the eve of the Tatar raid, St. Sergius informed his disciple and successor of the coming trials and predicted as a consolation that the temptation would not last long and the holy monastery, having risen from the ashes, would flourish and grow even more. Metropolitan Filaret wrote about this in the Life of St. Sergius: “In the likeness of how it was fitting for Christ to suffer, and through the cross and death to enter into the glory of the resurrection, so everything that Christ is blessed for the length of days and glory, like to test his cross and his death." Having passed through a fiery cleansing, the monastery of the Life-Giving Trinity resurrected in the longitude of days, and St. Sergius himself rose to dwell in it forever with his holy relics.

Saint Sergius was born in the village of Varnitsy, near Rostov, on May 3, 1314, into the family of the pious and noble boyars Cyril and Mary. The Lord had chosen him from his mother's womb. The Life of St. Sergius tells that during the Divine Liturgy, even before the birth of her son, the righteous Mary and those praying heard the baby’s exclamation three times: before the reading of the Holy Gospel, during the Cherubic Hymn, and when the priest said: “Holy to the saints.”

Saint Sergius, hegumen of Radonezh

God gave Saint Cyril and Mary a son, who was named Bartholomew. From the first days of his life, the baby surprised everyone with fasting, on Wednesdays and Fridays he did not take mother's milk, on other days, if Mary ate meat, the baby also refused mother's milk. Noticing this, Mary completely refused meat food. At the age of seven, Bartholomew was sent to study with his two brothers - the elder Stefan and the younger Peter. His brothers studied successfully, but Bartholomew lagged behind in teaching, although the teacher studied with him a lot. The parents scolded the child, the teacher punished, and the comrades mocked his absurdity. Then Bartholomew with tears prayed to the Lord for the gift of book understanding. One day, the father sent Bartholomew for horses in the field. On the way, he met an Angel sent by God in a monastic form: an old man stood under an oak tree in the middle of a field and prayed. Bartholomew approached him and, bowing, began to wait for the end of the prayer of the elder. He blessed the boy, kissed him and asked what he wanted. Bartholomew replied: "With all my heart I want to learn to read and write, Holy Father, pray for me to God that He would help me to learn to read and write." The monk fulfilled the request of Bartholomew, raised his prayer to God and, blessing the lad, said to him: "From now on, God gives you, my child, to understand the letter, you will surpass your brothers and peers." At the same time, the elder took out a vessel and gave Bartholomew a particle of prosphora: “Take, child, and eat,” he said. “This is given to you as a sign of the grace of God and for the understanding of Holy Scripture.” The elder wanted to leave, but Bartholomew asked him to visit his parents' house. Parents greeted the guest with honor and offered refreshments. The elder replied that one should first taste spiritual food, and ordered their son to read the Psalter. Bartholomew began to read harmoniously, and the parents were surprised at the change that had taken place with their son. Saying goodbye, the elder prophetically predicted about St. Sergius: "Your son will be great before God and people. He will become the chosen abode of the Holy Spirit." Since then, the holy lad could easily read and understand the contents of the books. With special zeal, he began to delve into prayer, not missing a single Divine Service. Already in childhood, he imposed a strict fast on himself, did not eat anything on Wednesdays and Fridays, and on other days he ate only bread and water.

Around 1328, the parents of St. Sergius moved from Rostov to Radonezh. When their eldest sons got married, Cyril and Maria, shortly before their death, accepted the schema in the Khotkovo Monastery of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, not far from Radonezh. Subsequently, the widowed older brother Stephen also accepted monasticism in this monastery. Having buried his parents, Bartholomew, together with his brother Stefan, retired to the wilderness to live in the forest (12 versts from Radonezh). First they built a cell, and then a small church, and with the blessing of Metropolitan Theognost, it was consecrated in the Name of the Most Holy Trinity. But soon, unable to bear the difficulties of life in a deserted place, Stefan left his brother and moved to the Moscow Epiphany Monastery (where he became close to monk Alexy, later Metropolitan of Moscow, commemorated February 12).

Bartholomew, on October 7, 1337, received monastic vows from hegumen Mitrofan with the name of the holy martyr Sergius (Comm. 7 October) and laid the foundation for a new life to the glory of the Life-Giving Trinity. Enduring demonic temptations and fears, the Saint ascended from strength to strength. Gradually he became known to other monks who sought his guidance. Saint Sergius received everyone with love, and soon a brotherhood of twelve monks formed in the small monastery. Their experienced spiritual mentor was distinguished by rare industriousness. With his own hands he built several cells, carried water, chopped wood, baked bread, sewed clothes, prepared food for the brethren, and humbly performed other tasks. St. Sergius combined hard work with prayer, vigil and fasting. The brethren were amazed that with such a severe feat, the health of their mentor not only did not worsen, but even more strengthened. Not without difficulty, the monks begged St. Sergius to accept hegumenship over the monastery. In 1354 Bishop Athanasius of Volhynia consecrated the Monk a hieromonk and elevated him to the rank of abbot. As before, monastic obediences were strictly observed in the monastery. As the monastery grew, so did its needs. Often the monks ate meager food, but through the prayers of St. Sergius, unknown people brought everything they needed.

The glory of the deeds of St. Sergius became known in Constantinople, and Patriarch Philotheos sent the Reverend a cross, a paraman and a schema, as a blessing for new deeds, a Blessed letter, advised the chosen one of God to build a cenobitic monastery. With a patriarchal message, the Monk went to Saint Alexy and received advice from him to introduce a strict communal life. The monks began to grumble at the severity of the charter, and the Monk was forced to leave the monastery. On the Kirzhach River, he founded a monastery in honor of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos. The order in the former monastery began to quickly decline, and the remaining monks turned to Saint Alexy to return the saint.

Saint Sergius unquestioningly obeyed the saint, leaving his disciple, Saint Roman, as abbot of the Kirzhach monastery.

Even during his lifetime, Saint Sergius was rewarded with the grace-filled gift of miracles. He resurrected the boy when the desperate father considered his only son forever lost. The fame of the miracles performed by St. Sergius began to spread rapidly, and patients began to be brought to him both from the surrounding villages and from distant places. And no one left the Reverend without receiving healings of ailments and edifying advice. Everyone glorified St. Sergius and reverently revered on a par with the ancient holy fathers. But human glory did not seduce the great ascetic, and he still remained a model of monastic humility.

One day Saint Stephen, Bishop of Perm (Comm. 27 April), who deeply revered the Monk, was on his way from his diocese to Moscow. The road ran eight miles from the Sergius Monastery. Assuming to visit the monastery on the way back, the saint stopped and, after reading a prayer, bowed to St. Sergius with the words: "Peace be with you, spiritual brother." At this time, Saint Sergius was sitting with the brethren at a meal. In response to the blessing of the saint, the Monk Sergius stood up, read a prayer, and sent a return blessing to the saint. Some of the disciples, surprised by the extraordinary deed of the Reverend, hurried to the indicated place and, catching up with the saint, were convinced of the truth of the vision.

Gradually, the monks became witnesses of other similar phenomena. Once, during the liturgy, the Angel of the Lord served the Monk, but out of his humility, the Monk Sergius forbade anyone to talk about this until the end of his life on earth.

Close ties of spiritual friendship and brotherly love connected St. Sergius with St. Alexis. The saint, in his declining years, called the Reverend to him and asked him to accept the Russian Metropolis, but blessed Sergius, out of humility, refused the primacy.

The Russian land at that time was suffering from the Tatar yoke. Grand Duke Dimitry Ioannovich Donskoy, having gathered an army, came to the monastery of St. Sergius to ask for blessings for the upcoming battle. To help the Grand Duke, the Monk blessed two monks of his monastery: Schemamonk Andrei (Oslyabya) and Schemamonk Alexander (Peresvet), and predicted victory for Prince Demetrius. The prophecy of St. Sergius was fulfilled: on September 8, 1380, on the day of the feast of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, Russian soldiers won a complete victory over the Tatar hordes on the Kulikovo field, marking the beginning of liberation from the Tatar yoke. During the battle, St. Sergius, together with the brethren, stood in prayer and asked God to grant victory to the Russian army.

For the life of an angel, Saint Sergius was rewarded with a heavenly vision from God. One night, Abba Sergius was reading the rule in front of the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. Having finished reading the canon of the Mother of God, he sat down to rest, but suddenly told his disciple, the Monk Micah (Comm. 6 May), that a miraculous visit awaited them. In a moment, the Mother of God appeared, accompanied by the holy apostles Peter and John the Theologian. From an unusually bright light, the Monk Sergius fell on his face, but the Most Holy Theotokos touched him with her hands and, blessing, promised to always patronize his holy monastery.

Having reached a ripe old age, the Monk, having foreseen his death in half a year, called the brethren to him and blessed the disciple, the Monk Nikon, who was experienced in spiritual life and obedience, for the abbess (Comm. 17 November). In silent solitude, the Monk reposed to God on September 25, 1392. On the eve, the great saint of God called for the last time to the brethren and addressed with the words of the testament: "Take heed to yourself, brethren. First, have the fear of God, purity of soul and unfeigned love ..."

prayers

Troparion to St. Sergius, hegumen of Radonezh, for repose, tone 4

Even the ascetic of virtues, / like a true warrior of Christ God, / on the passions of the greats, you labored in temporary life, / in singing, vigilance and veneration of the image of being your disciple; / there the Holy Spirit dwelled in you, / His action was adorned. / But as if having boldness to the Holy Trinity, / remember the flock, you have already gathered, wiser, / and do not forget, as you promised, / visiting your children, / / ​​St. Sergius, our father.

Kontakion to St. Sergius, hegumen of Radonezh, for repose, tone 8

As if the incorporeal equal of all the saints excelled you with fasting labors and prayerful vigils, wise Sergius, then you received from God to heal ailments and drive away demons, and for that sake we cry out to you: Rejoice, Father, reverend Sergius.

Magnification of St. Sergius, hegumen of Radonezh

We bless you, Reverend Father Sergius, / and honor your holy memory, mentor of the monks and companion of the angels.

First prayer to St. Sergius of Radonezh

Oh, sacred head, reverend and God-bearing our Father Sergius, by your prayer, and by faith and love, even to God, and by purity of heart, still on earth in the monastery of the Most Holy Trinity, setting up your soul, and visiting the angels and visiting God, the most holy received miraculous grace, after your departure from earthly things, drawing closer to God, and partaking of the powers of heaven, but not departing from us in the spirit of your love, and your honest relics, like a vessel of grace full and twisting, left us! Great, having boldness to the All-Merciful Master, pray to save His servants, the grace of His believers in you and flowing to you with love. I ask us from the Great Dodary of God for all the gift, to all and of which are well -great -consuming, the beliefs are immaculate observation, the city of the assertion, the world of peace, from Glaud and the sagging, from our ours спасе́ния возвраще́ние, подвиза́ющимся укрепле́ние, благоде́лающим в дела́х благи́х преспе́яние и благослове́ние, младе́нцем воспита́ние, ю́ным наставле́ние, неве́дущим вразумле́ние, сирота́м и вдови́цам заступле́ние, отходя́щим от сего́ вре́менного жития́ к ве́чному благо́е уготовле́ние и напу́тствие, отше́дшим блаже́нное упокое́ние, и вся ны споспешеству́ющими твои́ми моли́твами On the day of the Last Judgment, grant a part of Shuya to be delivered, but the gums of the country, the fellows of being, and the blessed voice of the Lord Christ, hear: Come, bless My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Amen.

Saint Sergius was born in the village of Varnitsy, near Rostov, on May 3, 1314, into the family of the pious and noble boyars Cyril and Mary. The Lord had chosen him from his mother's womb. The Life of St. Sergius tells that during the Divine Liturgy, even before the birth of her son, the righteous Mary and those praying heard the baby’s exclamation three times: before the reading of the Holy Gospel, during the Cherubic Hymn, and when the priest said: “Holy to the saints.” God gave Saint Cyril and Mary a son, who was named Bartholomew. From the first days of his life, the baby surprised everyone with fasting, on Wednesdays and Fridays he did not take mother's milk, on other days, if Mary ate meat, the baby also refused mother's milk. Noticing this, Mary completely refused meat food. At the age of seven, Bartholomew was sent to study with his two brothers - the elder Stefan and the younger Peter. His brothers studied successfully, but Bartholomew lagged behind in teaching, although the teacher studied with him a lot. The parents scolded the child, the teacher punished, and the comrades mocked his absurdity. Then Bartholomew with tears prayed to the Lord for the gift of book understanding. One day, the father sent Bartholomew for horses in the field. On the way, he met an Angel sent by God in a monastic form: an old man stood under an oak tree in the middle of a field and prayed. Bartholomew approached him and, bowing, began to wait for the end of the prayer of the elder. He blessed the boy, kissed him and asked what he wanted. Bartholomew replied: "With all my heart I want to learn to read and write, Holy Father, pray for me to God that He would help me to learn to read and write." The monk fulfilled the request of Bartholomew, raised his prayer to God and, blessing the lad, said to him: "From now on, God gives you, my child, to understand the letter, you will surpass your brothers and peers." At the same time, the elder took out a vessel and gave Bartholomew a particle of prosphora: “Take, child, and eat,” he said. “This is given to you as a sign of the grace of God and for the understanding of Holy Scripture.” The elder wanted to leave, but Bartholomew asked him to visit his parents' house. Parents greeted the guest with honor and offered refreshments. The elder replied that one should first taste spiritual food, and ordered their son to read the Psalter. Bartholomew began to read harmoniously, and the parents were surprised at the change that had taken place with their son. Saying goodbye, the elder prophetically predicted about St. Sergius: "Your son will be great before God and people. He will become the chosen abode of the Holy Spirit." Since then, the holy lad could easily read and understand the contents of the books. With special zeal, he began to delve into prayer, not missing a single Divine Service. Already in childhood, he imposed a strict fast on himself, did not eat anything on Wednesdays and Fridays, and on other days he ate only bread and water.

Around 1328, the parents of St. Sergius moved from Rostov to Radonezh. When their eldest sons got married, Cyril and Maria, shortly before their death, accepted the schema in the Khotkovo Monastery of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, not far from Radonezh. Subsequently, the widowed older brother Stephen also accepted monasticism in this monastery. Having buried his parents, Bartholomew, together with his brother Stefan, retired to the wilderness to live in the forest (12 versts from Radonezh). First they built a cell, and then a small church, and with the blessing of Metropolitan Theognost, it was consecrated in the Name of the Most Holy Trinity. But soon, unable to bear the difficulties of life in a deserted place, Stefan left his brother and moved to the Moscow Epiphany Monastery (where he became close to monk Alexy, later Metropolitan of Moscow, commemorated February 12).

Bartholomew, on October 7, 1337, received monastic vows from hegumen Mitrofan with the name of the holy martyr Sergius (Comm. 7 October) and laid the foundation for a new life to the glory of the Life-Giving Trinity. Enduring demonic temptations and fears, the Saint ascended from strength to strength. Gradually he became known to other monks who sought his guidance. Saint Sergius received everyone with love, and soon a brotherhood of twelve monks formed in the small monastery. Their experienced spiritual mentor was distinguished by rare industriousness. With his own hands he built several cells, carried water, chopped wood, baked bread, sewed clothes, prepared food for the brethren, and humbly performed other tasks. St. Sergius combined hard work with prayer, vigil and fasting. The brethren were amazed that with such a severe feat, the health of their mentor not only did not worsen, but even more strengthened. Not without difficulty, the monks begged St. Sergius to accept hegumenship over the monastery. In 1354 Bishop Athanasius of Volhynia consecrated the Monk a hieromonk and elevated him to the rank of abbot. As before, monastic obediences were strictly observed in the monastery. As the monastery grew, so did its needs. Often the monks ate meager food, but through the prayers of St. Sergius, unknown people brought everything they needed.

The glory of the deeds of St. Sergius became known in Constantinople, and Patriarch Philotheos sent the Reverend a cross, a paraman and a schema, as a blessing for new deeds, a Blessed letter, advised the chosen one of God to build a cenobitic monastery. With a patriarchal message, the Monk went to Saint Alexy and received advice from him to introduce a strict communal life. The monks began to grumble at the severity of the charter, and the Monk was forced to leave the monastery. On the Kirzhach River, he founded a monastery in honor of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos. The order in the former monastery began to quickly decline, and the remaining monks turned to Saint Alexy to return the saint.

Saint Sergius unquestioningly obeyed the saint, leaving his disciple, Saint Roman, as abbot of the Kirzhach monastery.

Even during his lifetime, Saint Sergius was rewarded with the grace-filled gift of miracles. He resurrected the boy when the desperate father considered his only son forever lost. The fame of the miracles performed by St. Sergius began to spread rapidly, and patients began to be brought to him both from the surrounding villages and from distant places. And no one left the Reverend without receiving healings of ailments and edifying advice. Everyone glorified St. Sergius and reverently revered on a par with the ancient holy fathers. But human glory did not seduce the great ascetic, and he still remained a model of monastic humility.

One day Saint Stephen, Bishop of Perm (Comm. 27 April), who deeply revered the Monk, was on his way from his diocese to Moscow. The road ran eight miles from the Sergius Monastery. Assuming to visit the monastery on the way back, the saint stopped and, after reading a prayer, bowed to St. Sergius with the words: "Peace be with you, spiritual brother." At this time, Saint Sergius was sitting with the brethren at a meal. In response to the blessing of the saint, the Monk Sergius stood up, read a prayer, and sent a return blessing to the saint. Some of the disciples, surprised by the extraordinary deed of the Reverend, hurried to the indicated place and, catching up with the saint, were convinced of the truth of the vision.

Gradually, the monks became witnesses of other similar phenomena. Once, during the liturgy, the Angel of the Lord served the Monk, but out of his humility, the Monk Sergius forbade anyone to talk about this until the end of his life on earth.

Close ties of spiritual friendship and brotherly love connected St. Sergius with St. Alexis. The saint, in his declining years, called the Reverend to him and asked him to accept the Russian Metropolis, but blessed Sergius, out of humility, refused the primacy.

The Russian land at that time was suffering from the Tatar yoke. Grand Duke Dimitry Ioannovich Donskoy, having gathered an army, came to the monastery of St. Sergius to ask for blessings for the upcoming battle. To help the Grand Duke, the Monk blessed two monks of his monastery: Schemamonk Andrei (Oslyabya) and Schemamonk Alexander (Peresvet), and predicted the victory of Prince Demetrius. The prophecy of St. Sergius was fulfilled: on September 8, 1380, on the day of the feast of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, Russian soldiers won a complete victory over the Tatar hordes on the Kulikovo field, marking the beginning of the liberation of the Russian land from the Tatar yoke. During the battle, St. Sergius, together with the brethren, stood in prayer and asked God to grant victory to the Russian army.

For the life of an angel, Saint Sergius was rewarded with a heavenly vision from God. One night, Abba Sergius was reading the rule in front of the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. Having finished reading the canon of the Mother of God, he sat down to rest, but suddenly told his disciple, the Monk Micah (Comm. 6 May), that a miraculous visit awaited them. In a moment, the Mother of God appeared, accompanied by the holy apostles Peter and John the Theologian. From an unusually bright light, the Monk Sergius fell on his face, but the Most Holy Theotokos touched him with her hands and, blessing, promised to always patronize his holy monastery.

Having reached a ripe old age, the Monk, having foreseen his death in half a year, called the brethren to him and blessed the disciple, the Monk Nikon, who was experienced in spiritual life and obedience, for the abbess (Comm. 17 November). In silent solitude, the Monk reposed to God on September 25, 1392. On the eve, the great saint of God called for the last time to the brethren and addressed with the words of the testament: "Take heed to yourself, brethren. First, have the fear of God, purity of soul and unfeigned love ..."

In 1992, the Orthodox Church celebrated 600 years since the death of St. Sergius of Radonezh. Now, 22 years later, we are celebrating the 700th anniversary of his birth, the importance of which was emphasized by the participants in the readings in Moscow. And we are joining this.

The memory of St. Sergius lives on among the people and has always lived, even in the most difficult times. Because he was a spiritual light, an example, and even from his memory a great power flowed, helping people to keep their faith, helping people to keep alive the moral evangelical ideal.

St. Sergius is the greatest example for all of us, for the Church, for our people - an example of how the Divine commandments can be realized in the personality of a person, how a person with weaknesses and illnesses, bound by the existence of this world, acquires angelic likeness.

St. Sergius of Radonezh, before monastic vows - Bartholomew, is truly one of the most outstanding ascetics of piety whom the Orthodox Church knows today and prayerfully honors. More than six centuries ago, he carried his earthly feat, which even today does not cease to amaze us.

Moscow sovereigns, beginning with Prince John Kalita, are called the gatherers of Russia: they created the state, external unity of their homeland. St. Sergius of Radonezh was the gatherer of Russia in the highest, spiritual sense - he rallied the Russian people under the Protection of the Divine Trinity.

He was born in the village of Varnitsy, near Rostov the Great, in a boyar family. Obednev, his parents Cyril and Maria, together with their three sons Stefan, Bartholomew and Peter, moved to Radonezh. After the righteous death of his parents, who before their death took monastic vows, Bartholomew went to the Khotkovsky Intercession Monastery. At that time, his older brother Stefan lived there, having become a monk after the death of his wife. Together they set off in search of a desert solitary life. In the dense forest on the hillock of Makovets, where the Trinity-Sergius Lavra currently stands, they built a wooden cell and a church, which was consecrated in the name of the Holy Trinity. Soon Stefan left this place and moved to the Moscow Epiphany Monastery. And Bartholomew took the tonsure with the name Sergius and remained in seclusion. Subsequently, having learned about his exploits, other monks began to come to him and build their cells nearby. From time to time, they persuaded Sergius to accept hegumenship over them, and therefore the monk was ordained to the priesthood. In his monastery, he forbade accepting alms and established a rule according to which the monks had to live from the fruits of their own labor, in which he personally set a good example for them.

The good fame of the Sergius Monastery led to him more and more pilgrims and those wishing to take on the angelic image. A settlement later grew up next to the monastery, i.e. a settlement that grew all the time. Having learned about the great ascetic, Patriarch Philotheos of Constantinople sent him with a special embassy a cross, a paramand and a letter in which he noted his virtuous life and recommended that a strict cenobitic charter be introduced in the monastery, in the manner of the monasteries of the East. Knowing that the fame of him even reached Constantinople, he did not at all cling to the gifts he sent with his heart.

The life also describes such a case: a certain person wanted to see Sergius, he was pointed to a monk in patched clothes working in the garden, but he could not believe that this was Sergius. Only when the prince got off his horse and bowed at the feet of this grandfather in patches, then he realized that it really was the abbot himself. Moreover, Sergius put on patches on himself not for the sake of some kind of theater, to show that he loves poverty, but because he was not at all interested in external regalia. He was only interested in his own inner life, he only cared about it, thought about it and prayed to God about it, he only created it. First of all, the spiritual filled his whole soul, and his desire was only spiritual, and he wanted only the salvation of his soul - and the rest was added to him.

The reverend enjoyed great authority with Metropolitan Alexy of Moscow, who wanted to see him as his successor in the metropolitan see, but the reverend, showing humility, refused, not wanting either the hierarchical dignity or any awards. According to contemporaries, Sergius, with quiet and meek words, influenced the most callous and cruel hearts. He very often reconciled with spiritual reasoning princes who were at enmity with each other. So it was with the troublesome prince of Tver, Mikhail, who several times called on the Lithuanian Olgerd against Moscow, so it was with the restless Oleg of Ryazan, who entered into alliances with Olgerd, then with Mamai and Tokhtamysh.

The wise Epiphanius, who described the life of St. Sergius, said: “ The Monk Abbot, our father Sergius, an amazing elder, adorned with all sorts of virtues, friendly, peace-loving, will always console and greet, warm and feed the traveler. But most of all he acquired humility, unfeigned love, and had a loving heart.».

Thanks to his blessing, prayer and spiritual support, Russian soldiers led by Dimitry Donskoy won the Battle of Kulikovo, which marked the beginning of the liberation of the wild Asian hordes from slavery and the end of the shameful era of the Golden Horde yoke. He contributed to the spiritual revival and renewal of the Russian land. As a true sorrower for her, he breathed faith in God's help, raised the spirit of his native people to stand against the enslavers.

And for the sake of crushing the intrigues of papal Rome, St. Sergius raised and inspired the Grand Duke Basil the Dark, the only one who raised his voice against the lie that the sovereign Byzantium and the entire famous East supposedly recognized the spiritual authority of the pope over themselves, “united” with Rome.

The heavenly knight Sergius stood up for the defense of Orthodox Russia in times of great turmoil. He himself chose the leader and deliverer of the Russian land from foreign Poles and his own rabble of traitors, appearing three times to the simple pious man Kosma Minin with the command to collect the treasury and raise the people to save the Orthodox Fatherland, threatening the chosen one with punishment for disobedience. The army of Minin and Pozharsky began the feat of liberating Moscow with a prayer service in front of the holy relics of the hegumen-wonderworker. He appeared to the enemy leaders and predicted their near death.

Reverend Sergius and Napoleon were frightened. Napoleon wanted to admire the surroundings of Moscow and climbed the bell tower. Bonaparte directed his gaze towards the Sparrow Hills and suddenly trembled, and turned to those close to him. “You see, there, in the southwest, an army is moving! And great armies are approaching from both sides! These are Russians! They are approaching and will be in Moscow. It seems that they do not walk on the ground, but rush through the air, like angels or demons. And ahead - the leader. And this leader is all in black. He signed the army with a cross. What's this? Who is this leader? Napoleon was shaking. Napoleon went to the Annunciation Cathedral, where he recognized the gray-haired leader guarding Russia on the icon of St. Sergius. And Napoleon was terrified to stay in Moscow.

And these are not all examples. The heavenly hero, St. Sergius, as in ancient times, continues his stand for Russia, gives her spiritual strength, reason and hope.

Special reverence and understanding of the depths Mysteries of the Holy Trinity St. Sergius became famous. This earthly angel and heavenly man was the abode of the Most Holy Trinity. From the life of the saint, which tells about obvious events, we learn about the fire that, during the service of the Liturgy to the monks, entered the Chalice with the Holy Gifts of the Body and Blood of Christ, how this fire walked around the holy throne, illuminating the entire altar. From the life we ​​learn about the Angel in shining robes, who co-served the saint, and about the appearance of the Most Holy Theotokos with the two apostles Peter and John the Theologian, and about the miracles that St. Abba Sergius performed during his lifetime with his prayer. Not by divination, not in a dream, but in reality, he saw the Mother of God, and this was the crown of his exploits here on earth.

The Church calls him a great ascetic, and for good reason. He never complained even about the most straitened circumstances of life and is great in his truly Christian patience. He endured solitude in the wild thicket of the forest, starting to build a holy monastery. He endured when he went hungry with his brethren. He tolerated the wicked. He endured when, not understood by the brethren, he had to retire from the monastery and lived, as it were, in exile from his brothers. He endured throughout his ascetic life, until the end of all his days. Nowhere is it noted that the Reverend was dissatisfied with something, irritated or angry, trying only by human forces to correct something. With his patience, he also shows us the true path: in patience, through prayer, repentance, good deeds and love for one's neighbor, to acquire peace, the soul needs to become the receptacle of the Holy Spirit, which transforms a person and leads to the Kingdom of Heaven. Life testifies to us of a wise, spiritually strong, wonderful person.

Of course, one cannot penetrate into the inner life of such a holy person. It is always the mystery of man's standing before his God. But " every tree is known by its fruit". And because the life of Sergius brought, we see that this man is of extraordinary holiness, because the fruits that his life brought are enormous. That is why we can say with confidence that he recreated the Kingdom of God in his heart. And from the fire that burned in his heart, the hearts of all his disciples also caught fire. Therefore, the disciples of St. Sergius also became saints, and the disciples of the disciples. He did not persuade anyone, did not convince anyone of anything, he simply lived and prayed, and people began to save themselves around him. About 70 monasteries were opened by himself, his students and students of his students.

While still living on earth, St. Sergius expanded his heart with great love so that he embraced his entire homeland with it - from hegumen of Radonezh he became the hegumen of all Russia.

How I wish that all of us during our ordinary life should not forget the main thing, that after all, the first commandment is to remember that there is a God, that we must honor Him, that we must love Him, that our whole life must proceed from this love. And even if we do not have this love, then we must live as if we have it. That's when our heart will break, i.e. we will have love for God. And on the example of such holy saints of God as St. Sergius, we see that all this is achievable. Let, of course, we succeed not to the same extent as St. Sergius, but each of us, in his measure, not only can succeed, but must, and, moreover, will certainly succeed, if only he puts effort into it.

Every believer has a thought from time to time: is it even possible to achieve this divine likeness in our modern world?

What helps to understand the mystery of such a life?

Where does it start, what supports such a lifestyle?

We read wonderful texts of Holy Scripture in connection with the memory of the Reverend Fathers. Everyone knows the words from the Gospel of Matthew: Come and learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart... and you will find rest for your souls."(Mt.11.28-29). The Lord associates meekness and humility with inner peace, but peace is a synonym for human well-being. You can be rich, noble, have power, you can be a hierarch, a priest, a minister - anyone, but if there is no inner peace, then there is no well-being. And modern life shows us amazing examples of how people who reach heights in political life, become very rich, super-rich, cannot find this peace. And why? Yes, because we live in a world where sin exists, and different feelings arise in human hearts towards other people.

What makes people sick the most today? From stress, from nervous tension. And if you look at the cause of these stresses - you don’t need to go to any psychotherapist - the source of all this is in human sin, because without sin there would be no illnesses. The modern world, today's human society clearly shows us this connection - between illness, trouble and sin. Meekness and humility is the greatest power that helps not only rule the world according to God's law, but also helps a person find peace, and along with peace, health.

Each of us is infected with the pernicious trends of sin, the vices of modern society, and until we are cleansed of filth by repentance, we will not be able to help either others or ourselves.

At the crossroads of spiritual life, terrible ghosts and substitutions seduce. Like putrid waters, hellish hordes and their earthly propagandists are crawling on our Fatherland. Their goal is to divide, to pulverize not only the Russian people, but also all Orthodox peoples into “atoms”, to turn us into a formless agglomeration of heartless “businessmen”, robbers and thieves, bestial libertines, Baptists, Jehovists and other “ists”, as well as a downtrodden "workforce" and starving beggars. If this satanic plan succeeds, the Russian people will finally perish.

All “patriotism”, attempts to serve Russia are doomed to failure and can even become harmful if they are not based on the solid foundation of the Orthodox faith and personal purity. Our true patriotism comes from religious and moral the face of our people. Great deeds and victories are bestowed only by the Spirit of God.

To love the Motherland means to love not just your national character, but precisely the spirituality of the national character. The great Russian philosopher Ivan Ilyin once said: “ The spiritual solidarity of citizens among themselves is the real basis of the state. Homeland is built by faith».

We must be intelligent, educated, kind and grateful to our ancestors, who created for us and our descendants that spiritual and patriotic core of Russian culture, which is based on the Orthodox faith. It is Orthodoxy that plays the role of a creative stimulus in Russian history, because God Himself gives this or that people talents and strength. The originality and uniqueness of Russian history and culture is the result of spiritual causes, the result of a special service entrusted by the Providence of God to our people.

Metropolitan St. Petersburg and Ladoga John (Snychev) said: “ Standing “under the dome and the cross” became the content of a painful, exhausting feat for all Russian people who saw in Orthodox Russia the only possible form of existence for their people and did not allow themselves to be carried away by the novelty of all kinds of “rethinking” of Russian service, demanding in exchange for the illusory the historical perspective of the renunciation of the fundamental principles of the Russian national identity».

Unbelief, godlessness, moral uncleanliness and licentiousness, disregard for and contempt for everything primordially native and holy - all this must become completely alien to the soul of a Russian person if he really wants to see the Motherland resurrected to a new life.

Our earthly fatherland lives and is animated by the connection with our Heavenly Fatherland - with the joyful Radonezh of St. Sergius, where the All-Russian Abbot himself shines in glory with many wondrous chicks of his nest, where the eternal family of the righteous and exalted by the Lord sons and daughters of the Russian land is glorified and rejoices. This Mountainous Russia is indestructible and invincible, triumphs over petty malice and ascends to incomprehensible happiness. Let, remembering our Heavenly Fatherland, cast out cowardice, grumbling and despondency from our hearts, grant us the joy of Mountainous Russia, inspiring us to true service to the earthly Fatherland and the Church.

St. Philaret of Moscow also speaks of this: Love for the fatherland succeeds only when it is animated by piety, when it is guided and affirmed by help from above.».

Report by Priest Sergiy Komarov at the Christmas Readings.

On January 26-29, 2014 in Moscow, under the chairmanship of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, the XXII International Christmas Educational Readings “Reverend Sergius. Rus. Heritage. Modernity. Future". Representatives of state authorities, clergymen, monastics, teachers, educators, scientists and culture workers, representatives of public organizations - almost 15,000 people - took part in the work of the church-public forum. Once again, the key role of the Church in the life of the country, in consolidating spiritual values ​​and healthy forces for upholding state sovereignty, shaping culture and national identity was emphasized.