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A Brief Essay on the Life of Elder Hilarion and the History of Name Glory in Russia
Schemamonk Hilarion, hermit of the Caucasus
As is known, our Russian Caucasus has been inhabited since ancient times by hermits-ascetics, who sought in its mountains of silence and solitude the necessary conditions for the practice of smart doing, one of the constituent features of the ancient teachings of hesychasm. It was in these places that the famous book "On the Mountains of the Caucasus" appeared, which absorbed the experience of many Hesychast Fathers.
Its author, Schemamonk Hilarion, spent more than 20 years on Mount Athos in the Russian Panteleimon Monastery. There is evidence that he lived there in the 80s. Then, together with his elder, Fr. Disiderius, he retired from Athos to the Caucasus.
The reasons for this migration and the history of the appearance of the book were described by the elder Varsanofiy of Optinsky: “In Old Athos, there lived an old man named Disiderius. Some proposed to turn to London to the Queen of England with a request to sell them land in Australia for the construction of a new Monastery there, but this proposal was rejected, and another was chosen - to move to the Caucasus. Here, on a plot of land donated by Emperor Alexander II, a "New Athos". Among the monks who moved there was Fr. Disiderius. But soon the noise of the hostel began to weigh him down and with the blessing of the elders, he retired to the mountains of the Caucasus for silence. Fr. Disiderius had one student with whom he talked about inner doing, that is, about The Jesus Prayer. When Disiderius died, the disciple buried his holy body. He gradually wrote down their conversations."
Upon the death of his elder, Fr. Hilarion, although he was assigned to the brethren of the New Athos Monastery, desiring even deeper solitude, retires further into the mountains and lives here for another quarter of a century, bypassing the entire Caucasus from the Caspian to the Black Seas. With him he had only a bag of crackers, a kettle and an ax for chopping wood. It is known that for a long time he lived in Teberda (Dombay) on the Gunachkhir River.
In 1899, on the Marhotsky ridge of the Caucasus Mountains between Anapa and Novorossiysk, in the place "Dark Buki" in a beech forest, Elder Hilarion founded the Intercession Community, which in 1904 was transformed into a monastery. In 1916, under the chapel of this monastery, in which divine services were performed, the elder was buried. Until 1929, the sisters, headed by the abbess, labored there according to the strict charter, but then the community was dispersed by order of the Soviet authorities.
The Monk Theodosius of the Caucasus, an admirer of the Jesus Prayer, who labored in those years close to these places, was obviously in spiritual communion with Elder Hilarion.
Speaking about the spiritual qualities of the elder, the ascetic of our time, who began her monastic life in Dark Buki, the nun of the Pyukhtitsky monastery Sergius (Klimenko) said that “there were many stories about his meekness and gentleness: he had a novice Fr. Theopempt, who had a terrible character, who tormented the elder, did not give him food and drink, insulting and humiliating the elder in every way. According to eyewitnesses, Father Hilarion meekly endured everything!
At the end of his life, the elder gave his manuscripts to Fr. Venedikt, also Athos. He decided to publish them and with this proposal came to Optina. Elder Barsanophius blessed this edition. The first edition of this book appeared in 1907. The money for the 2nd edition was given by the Reverend Martyr Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna with the blessing of Elder Schemagumen Herman, rector of the Zosima Hermitage. The book was approved by the Spiritual censorship (signed by the censor Professor-Archpriest of the Kyiv Spirit. Acad.) and met with the warmest reviews among both Athos monasticism and spiritually enlightened people of Russia: Rev. Elizaveta Feodorovna, Metropolitan Flavian of Kyiv, Metropolitan Veniamin (Fedchenkov), Bishops Feodor (Pozdeevsky), Feofan (Bystrov), Tryphon (Turkestanov), priests Sergius Bulgakov and Pavel Florensky, philosopher A.F. Losev, theologian M.A. Novoselov, VN Lossky, mathematicians prof. D.V. Egorov and N.M. Solovyov are just a few well-known names who met the work of Elder Hilarion with great attention and sympathy.
For five years, the book went through three editions, and the right to the last edition was acquired from the author by the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra and printed in an unprecedented for that time circulation of 10 thousand copies.
Elder Barsanofius of Optina recommended it to his spiritual children: "Everything described in his book deserves complete trust, as he learned by experience." The book outlines the patristic Orthodox teaching on the Jesus Prayer and mental ascent, and it is emphasized that outside the Name of Jesus, salvation is impossible for either a monk or a layperson. On Athos, several reviews were written on this book. The author of one of them, hieroschemamonk St. Andrew's skete, father Anthony (Bulatovich) later became the main defender of imyaslaviya.
However, not everyone on Athos was able to realize the subtle teaching about the Name of God. And now one of the opponents of this ancient teaching (Fr. Alexei Kireevsky) writes to his patron Archbishop Anthony (Khrapovitsky) that the hermits of Thebaid (from the Russian monastery New Thebaid on Athos), allegedly following the book of Father Hilarion, deify the very sounds and letters of the name " Jesus". Archbishop Anthony of Volhynia (Khrapovitsky), who had authority among the members of the Synod, wrote a number of articles in the Russian Monk magazine, in which he spoke negatively and even rudely about the book and its author. These articles caused unrest on Athos: "some and these were mainly representatives of the administration taught that the Name of God is just an empty sound and does not stand in any relation to God Himself, that he has the same beginning as all created and therefore his deification," they said, "is pagan pantheism and magic. Others, on the contrary, defended the Divine principle of the name of Jesus and asserted that the power (energy) of God resides in the name of God, inseparable from His essence, and therefore it cannot be created, and in this sense the Name of God is God Himself. Representatives of the latter point of view were mainly zealous monks and hermits who used to say the Jesus Prayer and took a vow of silence.
Meanwhile, I must admit that this dispute has very deep roots. In fact, "name worship is one of the most ancient and characteristic mystical movements of the Orthodox East, which consists in a special veneration of the Name of God, in the interpretation of the name of God as a necessary dogmatic condition for religious teaching." The representatives of this teaching were the greatest fathers of the ancient Church, beginning with the Apostle Hermas: Justinian the Martyr, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, John Chrysostom, Athanasius the Great, Gregory of Nyssa and many others.
"The essence of name-worship is most fully manifested in Eastern monasticism in the mystical teaching about unity with God through His Name in the Jesus Prayer," that is, it is about unity with God through the invocation of His name. This doctrine was given a finished form in the middle of the XIV century by the Bishop of Thessaloniki, Saint Gregory Palamas.
In the Athos case of the beginning of the century, a peculiar parallel can be seen with the questions raised at a number of Councils of Constantinople of the XIV century. For 10 years, the Church of Constantinople resolved the dispute between Barlaam and Akindin, who refused to call the Light of Tabor God. In 1351, at the Council, the final anathema of the heresy of the Barlaamites was pronounced: "Anathema to those who think that the Name of God, and not energy, is characteristic only of the Being of God" (Anath. 5 against Barlaam. See the Life of St. Gregory of Sinai ). Thus, the Church determined that every action of God is God, that is, it is inseparable from the Essence of God, although it is different from the Essence Itself, the Light of Tabor is not a creation of God and not a Divine essence; he "The Power (Energy) of the Essence, inseparable from the essence, and therefore is God Himself."
How is this ancient teaching of the Church connected with the naming of the 20th century? In the most direct way.
Without setting myself the task of unfolding in this article an exposition of the depths of this most ancient God-revealed teaching about mental work with the indispensable invocation of the Holy Name ( Gen. 4.26; 1 Thess. 2.13; 1 Thess. 5.17; Heb. 13.15; Ps. 4.4; Ps. 79.19; Ps. 104.1; Ps. 114.2; Is. 55.6; Soph. 3.9; Zach. 13.9; but about name-fighters, Is. 64.7), here are just a few theses from the manuscript of our contemporary A.F. Losev:
1. The name of God is the energy of the essence of God. And, as the energy of the essence of God, it is inseparable from the essence itself and therefore is God Himself.
2. Names of God mysterious symbols of the real action of God. The Name of God is God Himself, but God Himself is not a name.
3. The name of God is not a name-sound (that is, a created combination of sounds and letters).
4. Name of God the meeting place of God and man. In His Name we are cleansed from sins and saved, in His Name the sacraments are performed. Prayer itself is not a human created energy, nor a Divine power, which is God Himself, but it is a meeting place of two energies, Divine and human; fusion in one Divine name of two essences, Divine and human.
Thus, when opponents of the book of Elder Hilarion told the hermits of Athos that, they say, the name Jesus is a simple human proper name, like other human names, it is only a combination of sounds, experienced elders simply interrupted communication with such "teachers", because they saw in in their words "the subtle heresy of equating the Name of the Lord with the word of man", and even further the heresy of the Barlaamites, who separated the energy of God (contained in the Name of the Called One) from the Divine, that is, they did not recognize it as God. Indeed, "The Name of God, although it cannot be God in its sounds or letters, is God in its energies" or, as Father Antony (Bulatovich) writes, "The Name of God is the verbal action of God Himself and God Himself."
Continuing to get acquainted with the case of imyaslavtsy, one can notice the similarity of the imyaslavists (that is, those who opposed the teaching of imyaslavry) with the iconoclasts of the 8th century. The latter denied that the icon, like the Name, has communion with the Prototype, and through communion with it we are sanctified. Moreover, the icon is considered unconsecrated without the inscription of a name on it. Only after the inscription, the real presence of those named is recognized in the icon. Just as the opponents of icon veneration trampled on holy icons, the name fighters allowed themselves blasphemous antics against the name of the Lord Jesus, such as "throwing notes on the ground with the name of Jesus and trampling them." And, after all, the Name of God is the very first type of icon.
In addition, it is also appropriate to talk about iconoclasm here because during the physical reprisal against the name-glorifiers, there was also a desecration of the holy icons, which were also thrown to the ground and trampled under foot.
As can be seen from subsequent events, this deeply theological dispute concerning the ancient church practice of smart doing was resolved by administrative and forceful methods.
A brief chronicle of events is as follows:
1912
13 August Hieroschemamonk of the Andreevsky Skete Anthony Bulatovich, in connection with the persecution of the Imyaslavtsy by the Abbots of the Andreevsky Skete and the Panteleimon Monastery, who forbade even at confession to speak with confessors about the Jesus Prayer, writes a letter to Patriarch Joachim III of Constantinople with a request to protect the Imyaslavery. This epistle is followed by a letter from a group of name-glorifying monks to the Patriarch on the same issue.
After the condemnation in Russia of the book "On the Mountains of the Caucasus" by Archbishop Anthony (Khrapovitsky), who called imyaglory "Khlystism", a complaint follows from Father Anthony (Bulatovich) to the Patriarch and Chief Procurator of the Holy Synod with a request for protection from such attacks.
Hegumen of the Panteleimon Monastery Misail, frightened by the fact that among the Russian Athonites the name glory is gaining authority and familiar with the negative review of Archbishop Anthony (Khrapovitsky), presented the book "On the Caucasus Mountains" to the court of Patriarch Joachim III.
12-th of September he condemned the book in his Message, although there is evidence that initially (in 1907, at the first edition) he approved it.
1913
January 9 in the St. Andrew's skete, in the presence of the Vatopedi proestos, in full accordance with the Charter on the inner life of the skete, the brethren replaced Igumen Jerome, who did not share their convictions and even intended to expel the name-glorifiers from the skete. The change was made by a simple majority of votes (302 against 70). Fr. David. Vatopedi initially agreed in writing to recognize the results of the election, however, at the request of the Russian Embassy, he subsequently withdrew his consent. Soon a company of Greek soldiers took up posts at the monastery.
January 27 hegumen Misail, fearing expulsion from the monastery, signed under the confession of the name-glorifiers, destroying his former Act on the unworship of the Name "Jesus". This day of reconciliation was celebrated by all the brethren as Easter and was called by them "the triumph of Orthodoxy."
However, Abbot Jerome did not want to submit to the requirements of the brethren and turned to the Russian Embassy in Constantinople. After that, secular diplomatic structures began to roughly interfere in the internal life of the monastery. Vice-Consul Shcherbina demanded on behalf of the Imperial Government that the brethren of the skete take back the deposed abbot, declaring that the Government does not recognize (?) the new abbot Archimandrite David. Further, Shcherbina stated that if the brethren did not comply with the requirements of Ambassador Girs and did not return the deposed abbot Jerome, then in this case she would be "delivered to the Greeks to be torn to pieces."
February 2 The council of the abbots of the Athos monasteries to adopt the "Prohibition to perform Divine services" to supporters of imyaslavie.
February-June blockade of the name-glorifiers on Athos: they were deprived of mail, food supplies, money transfers.
7 March The Russian ambassador in Constantinople, Girs, sends a church leader, Senator P.B. Mansurov, to Athos with a peacekeeping purpose on the issue of the political situation of the Russian Athos. Unable to convince the monks of "wrongness", he refused, however, to use a military station against them and to be a judge in the Theological dispute.
March 30 Chalkinsky Theological School, at the request of Patr. Herman V-th, gives a review of the book and naming. The teachers of this, "although they have not finished reading the book" On the Caucasus Mountains, "they consider themselves to have studied this issue sufficiently to make a definite comment" and characterize the name-glory as "pantheism."
Great Lent In 1913, "Apology of Faith in the Name of God and the Name of Jesus" by Fr. Antony (Bulatovich) was published with a foreword (unsigned) by Fr. Pavel (Florensky) and a letter (unsigned) by prof. M.D.A. M.D. Muretov, in which they act as defenders of imyaslavie.
5 April new Patriarch Herman V of Constantinople , based on the judgment of Archbishop Anthony (Khrapovitsky), he confirms the opinion of his predecessor about imyaslaviya as heresy and threatens with the stubborn adoption of certain measures against them. Father David is summoned to court, demanding renunciation of hegumen's power, to which he agrees, and released back, without, however, demanding "repentance" and renunciation of "heresy".
9 April The Imperial Ambassador in Constantinople informs in a letter to the Chief Procurator of the Holy Synod V.K. riots over the religious doctrine of the Name of God, the Ecumenical Patriarch has already expressed his intention to send an exarch to Athos in the rank of bishop to take measures to establish peace among monasticism. From the same archival file it follows that the Holy Synod wanted, at the direction of P.B. monastery and the upcoming glorification of Patriarch Hermogenes, Father Arseny, it was decided to leave in Moscow, and send a member of the State Council and the Holy Synod, Archbishop Nikon of Vologda. At the Most Submissive Report of V.K.
May 18 After a preliminary hearing of the reports of Archbishops Anthony, Nikon and prof. M.D.A. S.V. Troitsky, the Message of the Holy Synod follows with an analysis of the name-glory. The teaching of the imyaslavists is recognized in it as "khlystism" in view of the idea of "reincarnation of the Deity". This Epistle sets out three false dogmas: The Name of God is "only a name, and not God Himself and not His properties, the name of an object, and not the object itself. ... it is not the energy of God"; miracles are done not by the Name of God, but by our faith; the sacred Mysteries are performed not in the Name of God, "but through the prayer and faith of the Holy Church."
To resolve the issue, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Empire sent people to Athos who did not have a theological education, who obviously could not resolve this issue.
June 4 On the gunboat "Donets", Archbishop Nikon arrived at Athos by order of the Holy Synod, who was given military transports with soldiers at his disposal. He, having taken on faith the theological argument of Archbishop Anthony, failed to find a common language with the Athonites and, thus, was used as a person who led the defeat of Russian monasticism on Athos .
June 11 Russian steamer "Tsar" delivered to Athos 118 soldier and 5 officers.
June 13 Protatus stated that if the "heretics" are not removed from Athos by the Russians, then the Greeks will remove them.
From 14 to 17 June a census was made in the Panteleimonovsky Monastery: 661 imyaslavtsy, 517, 360 imyaslavtsy did not appear for the census. In general, out of 1700 inhabitants of the monasteries who participated in this dogmatic dispute, only 1/4 did not join the imyaslavtsy, and they themselves numbered only 100 people who did not join.
July 31 during the forcible eviction of the imyaslavtsy with the help of soldiers on the arrived military steamer Kherson, some of the monks of the Panteleimon Monastery resisted. Then "the unarmed monks who performed church service were subjected to unheard-of torture for a whole hour they were doused point-blank from two hoses with a strong jet of cold mountain water, knocking them down, hitting their face and body with the strongest blows ... Two machine guns: hunters were chosen from among the soldiers to "beat the monks", whom hegumen Misail had previously ordered to drink heavily with wine at dinner, and, finally, half-drunk and rabid soldiers were thrown at unarmed monks at the command "beat with bayonets and rifle butts!"... They beat mercilessly! "They grabbed me by the hair and threw me on the ground... They beat me on the floor and kicked me! They threw me down the wet stairs from the fourth floor! They beat me with rifle butts on the head and anything!... If there were no stabbed to death with bayonets, then only thanks to the extreme non-resistance and non-malice of the monks, who, with their arms crossed, did not offer any resistance! ... However, there were 46 wounded with stab, cut ... wounds, which were registered by the court oh doctor on "Kherson". Without feeling, many monks rolled down the stairs, and below they were picked up by the henchmen of the name fighter Misail and beat them there with large iron pokers made of prosphora ... Those who had completely lost their senses and were killed were dragged into the prosphora. On the same night, according to eyewitnesses, four dead were buried ... Finally, the wounded, flooded monks were driven onto the steamer. Blasphemy was also committed against sacred icons, which were thrown to the ground, trampled underfoot, etc. "From the Andreevsky Skete, the imyaslavers went to the ship without any coercive measures.
The ship with the captured monks stayed near Athos until July 9, and then with 621 monks (418 from Panteleymonovsky and 183 from St. Andrew's Skete) went to Odessa. 40 monks mutilated by the soldiers were returned to the monastery hospital from the transport "Kherson", as unable to follow to Russia. After interrogation in Odessa, 8 people were sent to the courtyard of the Andreevsky Skete, 40 to prison, the rest in worldly attire and with cropped hair and beards to be returned to their homeland at their places of registry. On July 17, another 212 monks arrived on the ship "Chikhachev", who were temporarily distributed among the Athos farmsteads. Some monks were dressed in Jewish yarmulkes, which was undoubtedly a ritual mockery.
July 7 the rest of the Athonites, at the direction of Archbishop Nikon and prof. M.D.A. SV Troitsky signed a rejection of the doctrine of the Name of God. The mission of the envoys of the Synod was completed. As a result of this, the Russian part of Athos was reduced by almost half, since on the next steamers a large number of monks voluntarily left, refusing to give the required signature on non-recognition of the Deity of the Name of the Lord.
July 17th The Sovereign listened to the report of the Chief Procurator of the Holy Synod V.K. Sablera about the events on St. Gora. On the same day, he met with G.E. Rasputin, who undoubtedly sympathized with the name-glorifiers.
July 29 Archimandrite Misail telegraphs the Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod V.K. At the Most Submissive Report on this, the Sovereign wrote with restraint: "I wish the Panteleimon Monastery peace, silence and piety."
August 9 more than 600 exiled monks submitted a Request to the Holy Synod to review their case.
27 August Holy Synod, after listening to the reports of archbishop Nikon and prof. S.V. Troitsky about their business trip, decides to ask the Patriarch of Constantinople to prosecute the stubborn.
December 11th The Patriarch hands over the entire trial against them to the Holy Synod and demands that those who were expelled, even after repentance, should not be sent back to Athos. This testifies to the insincere approach of the Greeks to solving this problem and is fully consistent with their plans for the Hellenization of Athos.
The arriving Athos residents were greeted severely by the Russian Church authorities. They were sent to different dioceses with a ban on worship. Many were then buried according to the secular rite. So were buried: Schemamonk Jonathan and Schemamonk Afinogen, who lived on Athos one for 60 years, and the other for 45 years. The last communion of the Holy Mysteries was denied to Schemamonk Sebastian and Schemamonk Athenogenes. Moreover, the first priest deprived even the funeral service.
1914
After being expelled from Athos, Father Anthony (Bulatovich) left for his mother's estate at the village of Lutsykovka, Lebedinsky district, Kharkov province. In the same place, he began to build a house of prayer for the name-glorifiers, and sent out the brochure "Thoughts of the Fathers of the Church on the Name of God." Some imyaslavtsy come to live with him.
February 5th about. Anthony (Bulatovich) writes a petition to the Holy Synod with a request to allow those deported to surrender themselves to the spiritual care of the Holy Synod and stop all dogmatic disputes by clarifying all the perplexities of the imyaslavers.
February 13 imeaslavtsy was given the highest audience in Tsarskoye Selo, for which they asked the Sovereign, considering themselves offended. Hieroschemamonk Nicholas, schemamonks Isaac and Martinian, monk Manasseh were received. In the Memorandum dated February 14, 1914, the executor of the Office of the Chief Prosecutor M. Shergin, who accompanied the monks to the Imperial Reception at Tsarskoe Selo, states the following:
“The monastics returned from the Palace in the most joyful mood, deeply moved by the High attention paid to them. According to them, after a half-hour wait in the Palace, they were awarded a gracious conversation with the Sovereign Emperor and Empress Empress Alexandra Feodorovna lasting approximately 40 minutes, moreover, in At the end of the Audience, at the request of the monastics to grant them the High Grace to see the Heir to the Tsarevich, His Imperial Highness entered the room and offered the monastics his hand, which they kissed, and one of them, in reverent feeling bowed before the royal youth, kissed him on the head. Then the most merciful audience was over.
Thus, the Sovereign "received them very graciously, listened to the whole story of their removal from Athos and promised them His assistance in a peaceful settlement of their case, and Her Imperial Majesty ... was so moved by their sad story that she could not refrain from tears." The monks, impressed by the caresses of the Royal family, hoped that they would be given the Pitsunda Skete, where they would choose their rector according to the Athos Rule. According to the memoirs of S.P. Beletsky, the elder G.E. Rasputin was a supporter of this trend in the monastic environment.
In February The Holy Synod invites "for private exhortation of the defendants of Athos monks" the Optina Elders archim. Agapita and Hieromon. Anatoly, wanting to win over their unconditional spiritual authority. However, the elders, citing ill health, did not come.
In February, the Holy Synod instructs the Moscow Synodal Office to take into consideration the case of the imyaslavtsy.
March 18 Athos monks submit to the Holy Synod "Confession of Faith" with a request to revise the message of the Holy Synod dated May 18, 1913 and change the theses expressed in it about the Name of God. However, the Synod did not consider the essentially dogmatic dispute and left the Moscow Spiritual Court to justify those who would sign the opinion expressed in their message of May 18.
25 Martha about. Anthony (Bulatovich) writes the first letter to the Sovereign with a request to order to understand the teachings of the imyaslavtsy, appointing a special Theological Commission. The delay and actions of the Synod "push" Russia into disasters: "What further disasters this will lead Russia to, only God knows", Fr. Anthony ends his letter in such a prophetic way.
In April The sovereign writes a letter to Metropolitan Macarius of Moscow, expressing a favorable opinion about the name-glorifiers.
April 11 follows the Statement of the monks of Athos to the Holy Synod, which says that "due to the fact that the wrong teaching about the Name of God is accepted by the Synod irrevocably, they are put off from any spiritual communion with the All-Russian Synod and refuse to appear at the court of the Moscow Synodal Office." The Declaration had more than three hundred signatures.
April 15 on Easter, in Livadia, the Sovereign handed over the following note to Chief Prosecutor V.K. the consolation of being in the temple. Let us forget the strife: it is not for us to judge the Greatest shrine - the Name of God, and thus incur the wrath of the Lord on the Motherland ; the court should be canceled and all the monks, following the example of Metropolitan Flavian, should be placed in monasteries, returned to their monastic rank and allowed to serve as priests. "The note was brought by V.K. Sabler to the Holy Synod.
In May there is a series of meetings and conversations with the name-glorifiers of Bishop Modest of Vereya, appointed to this obedience by the Moscow Synodal Office. In order to avoid division of the church, the monks suggested to the Holy Synod that they should accept the opinion that the imyaslavtsy had always been in Orthodoxy, so that they would be left with monastic and priestly titles and the Pitsunda Skete would be handed over. The theological side of the question of the veneration of the Name of God was proposed to be postponed until the convocation of the Council.
May 7 followed by the Determination of the Moscow Synodal Office, which stated that "the monks of the name-glorifiers have no reason to retreat from the Orthodox Church for the sake of the teaching about the Names of God." Some of the monks were appointed to the Intercession Monastery, some were allowed to serve in certain Moscow parishes, and the sieve on the church court was canceled. However, at the meeting on May 10, the Holy Synod approved this Definition only partially, "without changing its previous judgment about the error itself." This decision was signed by six bishops, and the signatures of the Archbishop. Finnish Sergius (Stragorodsky) and Archbishop. Nikon had additions: "without admitting them to the Holy Mysteries" (but these notes of theirs were purely editorial in nature and were not accepted for execution).
May 14 His Grace Modest, who was entrusted with the archpastoral care of the Imyaslavers, writes to A.L. Garyazin, publisher of the magazine Smoke of the Fatherland: “All the Imyaslavtsy monks turned out to be true children of the Church... Differences of opinion should not interfere with unity and love...”.
May 18 follows the Statement from the monks of Athos to Metropolitan Macarius (Nevsky) with gratitude for the withdrawal of the charge of heresy: "We take back the application for the postponement. Archbishops Anthony and Nikon are the main culprits of the Athos turmoil." The actions of Metropolitan Macarius were perceived by the monks as "an act of Orthodoxy, generosity and justice."
24 May Decree of the Holy Synod No. 4136 approved the decision of the Court of the Moscow Synodal Office on the Orthodoxy of the Imyaslavtsy.
Despite the Determination of the Moscow Synodal Office, where all the spiritual color and all the authorities of theological thought gathered, in the dioceses the imyaslavers continued to be considered "heretics", since this decision was not made public and did not reach the local church authorities.
27 august about. Anthony (Bulatovich) submits a petition to the chief prosecutor, where he asks to be allowed to go to the army as a priest. On the petition there is a petition of Metropolitan Macarius and Bishop Modest, who wished "the speedy liquidation of the entire Athos affair." The Synod granted Father Antony's wish.
1915
July 1 Schemamonk Hilarion, who is in the mountains of the Caucasus, receives a petition to the Holy Synod, in which he asks to notify him whether the rumors that have reached him that he is excommunicated from the Church are true. Apparently there was no answer.
In the answer of Elder Hilarion to a letter to him from one of the publishers, prophetic words sound: “I am very offended by the actions of the spiritual authorities towards me. Why, when she was examining my book and condemning it, did not treat me with a single word or question ... Crumbles... that this terrible “straight line” with God, mainly the highest members of the Russian hierarchy, is a true omen of the nearness of times, in which the last enemy of truth, the all-pernicious Antichrist, has to come.
1916
4 March archim.David, hierochem.Nikolai (Ivanov), hieromonks Vikenty (Filatov), Sila (Ershov), schemamon. Isakiy (Gryazev), Hilarion (Fedyukov), Philodelfiy (Orlov), the monks Ierinei (Tsurikov) and Manasseh (Zenin), authorized by all Athos monks-nameslavers, submitted a petition to the Sovereign: “We humbly ask Your Imperial Majesty for official publication in the Church Gazette "given almost two years ago the Synodal order, so that there would be no obstacles to perform the priesthood for those of us who came from Athos monks who have a holy order, and for all of us monks to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ." On this request, the Sovereign inscribed: "should be satisfied."
October 7th about. Anthony (Bulatovich) writes his second letter to the Sovereign, in which he mystically correlates Russia's military failures at the front with the struggle of the Synod with name glory, for example, the death of the Donets steamship, on which Archbishop Nikon arrived on Athos, the capture by the enemy of the Pochaev Lavra, from which the first blasphemy of the archbishop was heard. Anthony (Khrapovitsky) for naming. On the copy of the letter there is a later postscript about. Anthony: " Not the Sovereign heeded good advice and spiritual warning<...> the desecrated honor of the Name of the Lord has not been restored, and the deviation from the true dogmas has brought upon the country and the people the great wrath of God and heavy punishments ... " Here Fr. Anthony also points out significant signs confirming his prophetic lines: the coup took place on the Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas; the metropolitan was subjected to a terrible punishment. Vladimir, "most responsible for the entire Athos case, as the first shepherd, who authorized all the most criminal actions of Arch. Nikon on Athos, who agreed with the completely non-Orthodox opinions of Archbishop Anthony and stubbornly opposed until very recently that the Athos case was authoritatively reviewed and sorted out" .
1917
The Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, convened so late, finally raised the question of the Name of God and allocated a special subcommittee to consider this issue, the chairman of which was appointed Bishop Feofan (Bystrov) of Poltava. The subcommittee also included S.N. Bulgakov, P.B. Mansurov, Prince. E.N. Trubetskoy and others. Among its members were both irreconcilable opponents of imyaslavie, and its future apologists. The topics of the reports stated in the program of work (for example, "General philosophical and religious introduction to the question of veneration of the Name of God" speaker S.N. Bulgakov or "Mystical and ascetic coverage of the issue of veneration of the Name of God" speaker Bishop Feofan), speak that the coverage of the issue of imyaslavie was supposed to be made as complete and comprehensive as possible and only then make a conciliar decision on this issue. And despite the fact that, due to revolutionary events, both the Council and the subcommittee were forced to stop their work (there were only three meetings of the subcommittee), having not adopted a definition on the issue of imyaslavie, some members of the subcommittee considered it their duty to continue working alone. So, in defense of imyaslaviya in exile were written "Philosophy of the name" Fr. S.N. Bulgakov (completed in 1942), as well as "On the Names of the Divine" and "The Name of God" by Bishop Feofan (Bystrov).
1918
During the period when the Kuban was free from the Bolsheviks, local missionaries met with the Caucasian imyaslavtsy and jointly signed a number of dogmatic provisions.
February Father Anthony (Bulatovich), after returning from the front, where he served as a priest for about three years, writes a series of letters to the Holy Synod with a request to allow him to serve in the monastery to which he is assigned. There was no reply to his letters until October.
In October The Holy Synod decided that the previous decision of the Moscow Synodal Office on the Orthodoxy of name-worship is denied. For acceptance into church fellowship, renunciation is required from the "name-worshippers". Father Anthony and others are prohibited from serving. This act was signed by Patriarch Tikhon, Metropolitans: Agafangel, Arseny, Sergius of Vladimir, Archbishops: Eusebius and Michael.
1919
January 8 about. Anthony (Bulatovich) writes to the Holy Synod a waiver of any spiritual communion with Church authorities "until the case is examined on its merits." He leaves for his mother's estate at the village of Lutsykovka, Lebedinsky district, Kharkov province, where, according to the official version, on the night of 5 on 6 December was killed by robbers.
1928-1931
In the Caucasus Mountains and in the Pskhu valley (80 km from Sukhumi), more than 300 imyaslavtsy deported from Athos were tracked down, exiled and shot.
In the future, almost all the name-glorifiers broke away from Metropolitan Sergius, who earlier, being a member of the Synod, compiled the Synodal Message of 1913, threw on the floor and trampled under his feet a torn piece of paper with the name "God", proving by this that the Name of God has no essential relation to God Himself. It has.
+ + +
Thus, until the moment of the analysis of the "Athos case" in the Holy Synod, the ancient doctrine of the Name of God was naturally and unanimously confessed by the Russian Church in her dogma and prayers. That which “cannot be known by the mind” (St. John Chrysostom) and that the simple monks comprehended by direct ascetic experience, the philosophizing cunningly Theologians tried to busily “dissect” with the surgeon’s knife, and they themselves did not notice how they fell into the new Varlaamite heresy.
Indeed, the Providence of God in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century was destined to solve the most serious dogmatic issue: it faced the choice of accepting the Ancient Fathers veneration of the Name of God or denying this veneration. Through the efforts of some influential hierarchs, this choice leaned towards denial, and "today there is every reason to believe that the non-Orthodox views of Archbishop Anthony Khrapovitsky were the true, albeit a secret spring of name-defeating inspiration." But the final decision is ahead after all, the Council resolution has not yet been issued.
After the 4th edition of the book "On the Caucasus Mountains" (1998), the name-fighters raised a new wave of criticism: they again repeat far-fetched artificial accusations that God Himself is identified with the name of God. Opponents stubbornly refuse to see what the name-glorifiers were saying about the presence of God when invoking His holy name.
The last and most important thing to pay attention to. In order to enslave the people and easily manage them, turning them into a verbal herd (which "should be cut or sheared", and for which the Divine gifts of freedom are useless), it is important to deprive them of their connection with God, which is carried out precisely in invoking God through His Holy Name. And as long as there are dark anti-people forces interested in this, there will be name-fighters.
In the meantime, we will limit ourselves to only a few patristic quotations from their innumerable multitude:
St. Basil the Great: “The name of God is called holy, of course, not because it has some sanctifying power in the syllables themselves, but because every property of God (by which God is named) is holy and pure” (interpretation of Psalm 32, 21).
St. John Chrysostom: "The name of Christ is holy, since it works countless miracles" (interpretation of the Psalter by Euthymius Zigaben. 1898, p. 888).
St. Tikhon of Zadonsk: "The Name of God in Itself, as holy, so glorious and glorified is, that for the sake of us it does not require our glorification: it is always glorious, holy and terrible, and it emits the rays of His glory in creatures ... The glory of the Name of God is eternal, endless and is indispensable, like God Himself, for the sake of neither multiplying nor diminishing in Himself can ... , omnipotence, goodness, wisdom, omnipresent, omniscience, truth, holiness, truth, spiritual being, etc. ... These own properties are revealed to us by the Holy Spirit in His word "(Creations. M. 1889. T.Z. Book 2 0.64-65).
St. Right. John of Kronstadt: "The Name of the Lord is the Lord Himself, the Spirit is everywhere and fills everything, the Name of God Almighty is God Himself, The Spirit is omnipresent, and simple" (My Life in Christ. 1994. Vol. 1. P. 237); "When you say to yourself in your heart or pronounce the Name of God, the Lord, or the Most Holy Trinity, or the Lord of hosts, or the Lord Jesus Christ, then in this Name you have the whole being of the Lord: in Him is His infinite goodness, infinite wisdom, impregnable light, omnipotence, immutability. With the fear of God, with faith and love, touch with your thoughts and heart to this omnipotent, all-containing, all-ruling Name. That is why the commandment of God strictly forbids the use of the Name of God in vain, because, that is, that His Name is He Himself The One God in three Persons, a simple Being, depicted and contained in a single word, and at the same time not concluded, that is not limited by Him and nothing that exists. Great names: the Most Holy Trinity, or the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, or the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit, called with living heartfelt faith and reverence, or imagined in the soul, are God Himself, and bring down into the soul God Himself in three Persons ... This infinitely simple Being itself can in some way be embraced by our one thought, one word" (Thoughts of a Christian. S.-Pb. 1903. Ps.46-47).
The time has come for Russian Orthodoxy to realize its traditions. And the restoration of the ancient patristic attitude to the Name of God is as important as the life of the entire people.
As for the book “On the Mountains of the Caucasus,” I would like to follow the advice of the holy elder Barsanophius of Optina, who blessed its publication: “This book must be read several times in order to fully perceive the full depth of its content. contemplative life, God grant that reading will bring you not only high spiritual pleasure, but also help in the salvation of your soul. Amen.
In a world where TV screens and computers are constantly streaming information about global terrorism, I really want to find a reliable support that supports the desire for good in any normal person. The elders of Athos give such hope to many. These spiritual fathers devoted their lives to saving humanity from the filth of the current civilization. Sometimes they give predictions for the future. And some of them have already come true. For example, the predictions of the Athonite elders about the collapse of the USSR, made long before the tragic event, caused surprise and distrust.
However, this cup did not pass the peoples of a powerful superpower. She has sunk into oblivion. Let's see what the noble fathers said about the fate of the world in the near future.
Preliminary note
It should be noted the incredible interest of the current public in all kinds of prophecies and forecasts based on clairvoyance. Athos elders attract the attention of many people. Their words are heeded with awe and hope. Especially lately. After all, the political crisis, aggravated by economic problems, is already visible to the naked eye. And not only in the countries of the former USSR. All over the planet there is a serious decline in the standard of living of the population. Everyone feels it on their wallet, so to speak. Unfortunately, this lively interest in the prophecies of holy men is being taken advantage of by some specialized services. They cover up their own, deeply politicized information stuffing with the name of the Athos elders.
This is done in order to influence relatively ongoing events. In addition to their will, other authors of materials who wish to attract the public to their resources are included in this work. Therefore, it is quite difficult to separate the tares from the grains of propaganda. It is recommended to read such materials with the soul, trying to understand their content from the point of view of a person who loves all of humanity. And the Athonite elders, deeply religious people, cannot reason differently. Their worldview does not allow.
Predictions about humanity and morality
The arguments of the elders about where the peoples of the world are going under the leadership of the current leaders are interesting. Paisius the Holy Mountaineer has long said that true faith dries up. Her priests, sold out, turn into a tool They profit from the parishioners, and do not carry the word of God to the suffering. Times will come when man will not be able to find refuge from the horrors of reality in the Holy Temple. There, under the guise of the teachings of Christ, they will inspire him with devilish designs in order to throw the unfortunate man into the fiery furnace of gain and wars. Morality will disappear as such. Every sin is recognized as the norm.
We can see that this is already happening. After all, they try to show sodomy (Paisius Svyatogorets put it that way) as an occupation acceptable to people. And it is not only the secular authorities of some countries who do this. Priests and leaders of denominations indulge them. Athos elders pay much attention in their speeches to the greed cultivated in modern society. This, in their opinion, is an attempt to lead people away from God. After all, striving to constantly receive more and more, without working, the peoples betray the holy covenants. People are supposed to pray earnestly that the Lord would protect them from temptations. There is no happiness in material enrichment. This idea is suggested to people in order to turn them into cattle. Let them forget about morality and conscience. Then it will be easy to control the crowd. Hang a carrot in front of the donkey, he will go where the shepherd points.
About the end of time and Armageddon
Decline in morals, departure from God, deceit and love of money - this is only the forerunner of more terrible catastrophes. They talked a lot and with great pain about the upcoming Armageddon. State power will weaken in the countries. They will plunge into chaos. There will be no one to stop criminals, punish thieves and murderers. Yes, and people will stop growing grain, producing food, as they will turn away from God. Many nations will die of hunger. There will be nothing to eat, nowhere to get bread. And they will not remember that the Lord bequeathed to work. New diabolical trends will hit the church. People will listen to priests speaking in the name of the Antichrist.
The prophecies of the Athonite elders also concerned military operations. They even pointed to signs that would be visible to all, heralding Armageddon. So, Paisius Athos told his students that a big war would happen in the Middle East, in which the forces of light and darkness would fight. There is an old prediction that China will send an army of 200 million to the Middle East. She will cross the Euphrates. But before that, the river will dry up. Elder Paisius taught that one should not take literally what was written several hundred years ago. As soon as the Turks block the Euphrates, it will “dry up”. That is, downstream the water will be much less. This is the harbinger of Armageddon. Many people will die in that war. There will be nowhere to hide. Only the true will protect against the angry flames of this catastrophe.
Athos elders about Russia
In a world where power will pass to the Antichrist and his army, the believer will have only one hope. Athos elders saw her in Russia. It is in this country that the Lord will not be forgotten. False prophets and priests who sold themselves to the Antichrist will not be able to shake the true faith of this people. It is from here that salvation for all mankind will come. Only people should pray fervently, support one another. This is the difference between Russians and other peoples. They will never forget that the truth lies in compassion. Numerous tempters will not be able to force the Russian people to abandon their brothers and plunge into selfish greed. The time will come when the spirit of the people will rise, indignant at the deeds of the Antichrist throughout the world. Rus' will rise. And the Orthodox Tsar will lead it.
Many elders, worried about the fate of people, considered it their duty to help believers. After all, their hearts and souls suffer from the contemplation of terrible events taking place everywhere in the world. So, the elder Pansofiy Athos compiled a special prayer book. It contains texts with which one should turn to the Lord for protection from evil and temptations. Only by the prayer of the true Orthodox will Rus' stand, the elders said. And with it, the whole world will be saved. But it takes effort from every person. Together we need to rejoice about the blessing for Rus'. This country is appointed by the Lord for the most important mission. But without believers, she will not cope with it.
Conflicting predictions about Putin
Reading the words that are attributed to the holy men about the President of the Russian Federation, one should understand the significance of his personality for the modern political process. After all, this man has occupied the minds of ordinary citizens in all countries for more than one year. He is scolded by governments and the media, he is admired by the common people (and vice versa). It was like the whole world was focused on this man. Athos elders also talked about Putin. All known information can be divided exactly along the line of confrontation, which is clearly visible in public opinion. So, the Athos elder Athanasius, as follows from the media, anathematized the president. He considered him a usurper, acting to the detriment of Russia. Allegedly, it was V.V. Putin who ignited a war in which brothers kill each other.
It should be noted that the anathema of the Athonite elders is not quite a real thing. Think for yourself, will a Christian who is sincerely devoted to the Lord with all his soul begin to release aggression into the world? Doesn't he thereby help the Antichrist to gain power? Such materials should be treated with caution. Moreover, there are others that are excellent in content. So, the elder Gabriel of Athos said that V.V. Putin took on a huge and heavy cross. Even if he has some mistakes or sins, the Lord will forgive everything. Putin is a sincere person who cares for Rus' and the people. And ordinary people should help him with passionate prayer. Athos elder Athanasius, despite the obvious condemnation of the decisions of the President of the Russian Federation, agrees with the role of an ordinary person in saving Russia. He said that he placed all his hopes on the people. Russian Orthodox people will not lie, will not go against their conscience.
Athos elders about Ukraine
Elder Parthenius warned against the insincerity of the European Union. In his opinion, if Ukraine enters it, it will be much worse in this country than in Greece. Wars and lawlessness are happening all over the world. But the main thing is that the sins of Sodom are welcomed by rulers and states. Is it on the Orthodox path with people who welcome such deeds? A lot of effort fell to the lot of the Ukrainian people. He is kind and sincere, does not wish harm to anyone. Therefore, the elders see great power in him. Ukraine will cope with its problems and emerge victorious. People will worship God in their souls. Even the elders said that the Slavic people should be together. However, demonic forces separated them for a long time. Everyone should strive to unite the Orthodox. This is their only strength. Who among the Ukrainians goes against this, he will become a servant of the Antichrist, the elders said. And so there is a lot of evil in the world. It is possible to overcome it, to survive, to protect the world only together. And Ukrainians are the same Slavic people as Russians and Belarusians. They need to join hands, but unite against sin.
Even the elder Parthenius warned Ukraine against the debt hole. He cited Cyprus as an example, on which Mount Athos is located. Until he joined the European Union, he was a prosperous, strong country. They ruined Cyprus, plunged its people into poverty. There is nothing good about debt. Today you have everything, and tomorrow you will have to give more of what you have received.
Note that there are other predictions of Athos elders about Ukraine. They talk about the victory over Russia. However, politicians already recognize that there is no war between the fraternal countries. So is it worth reading propaganda materials? People are open-minded at heart. How can they believe that their relatives have taken up arms against them? Indeed, many families are separated by a border for more than twenty years, but hearts cannot be so easily broken. Will lovers kill?
About Russia and Ukraine
You know, all the elders are talking about the same thing. The world is gradually approaching the border where people will have to choose which side to take. This is not about the conflict that hit Ukraine. They talked about souls and faith. Today the planet is embraced by global processes. They affect every person and occur at many levels: in the economy, politics, the spiritual realm. The latter is the most subtle and dangerous. Therefore, everyone considered it his duty to warn people about the Antichrist. He will come to earth in human form. Dad will support him. He will point the believers to him as the messiah. The Antichrist will plunge mankind into chaos and sin, will push towards vices and the fall of spirituality. We see all this with our own eyes. And this war is not on the battlefield, but in the souls. Whom to support, consider the righteous and the messenger of the Lord? Everyone decides for himself, judging according to his conscience.
The elders say about this, that you need to strengthen faith in yourself. It is necessary to know for sure that the Lord will not leave the one who did not cheat, was not tempted by either gold or demonic pleasures. You ask, what does the relationship between Russia and Ukraine have to do with it? Thus, the peoples of these countries found themselves on the front line of the front between light and darkness. As they say, everyone will be rewarded according to their deeds. Nothing else. Therefore, the elders insist on sincere prayer, so that the Lord will show the right path. Is it possible for a brother to go against a brother? But it is precisely to this that the servants of the Antichrist are pushing people. Everything will become clear in time. The repentance of those who made a mistake, succumbed to sin, will be cruel. One should strive for peace, believe in Jesus, support Orthodoxy. It will save you in the global storm.
About America and other "partners"
There are prophecies of the elders regarding the consequences of Armageddon. It is said that two-thirds of humanity will perish in a bloodbath. The Antichrist will not want to give up his power. He will raise an army against Rus', which will have to fight almost alone for the Lord. By the way, everyone is sure that the Orthodox people will endure and save others. And at the end of this war, America and Japan will go under water. This was told by the elder Vladislav (Shumov). And Australia will sink to the bottom of the sea. After all, it is in these lands that the Antichrist will find many supporters for himself. The cataclysm will also affect Chinese lands. Some of them will be flooded. Then China will want to fight Russia for territory. On the other hand, Germany will attack. But Rus' will stand. The people who now live outside the borders of the state will help her. Everyone in the world who considers himself Russian will unite to restore the greatness of the Motherland.
About Greece and Turkey
Paisios Athos spoke about a big war in the Middle East. In his opinion, Turkey faces big problems. After all, Serbia was divided to please this state. Muslims were allowed to create their own country, separate from the Orthodox. The same fate will befall Turkey. The European Union will point out to her the need to allocate land for non-Muslims. will go to Greece, but will lose. The elder claimed that the Orthodox would win this battle. And Constantinople will be given to Greece. Not because her army will be powerful. No, this will benefit everyone. The Russians will take the city, but cede it to the Greeks. Because it will be useful for the whole world for political reasons. The Turks will have to flee. They will go to Mesopotamia. Orthodoxy will eventually become the faith and hope of most nations. Even the Chinese will join him.
About World War III
We have already talked about Armageddon and we will repeat it again. The fact is that any listener who listens to the prophecies of the elders understands them through the prism of his own worldview. Therefore, it is recommended to listen and read their words several times, trying to penetrate into the deeper meaning. By the way, some residents of Ukraine perceived the idea of the victory of the people as a harbinger of the collapse of Russia. Is it so? Do the elders talk about it? Everyone does not get tired of repeating that it is necessary to seek the truth in the soul, to strengthen the Orthodox faith. Joseph of Athos went further in his advice. The elder told people to study themselves. They did not look at events, but at their own role in them. Are you acting according to your conscience?
Everything in this world is done by people. Without the support of the people, no ruler will hold power. What is inside a person? How can he deal with the devil? The elder speaks about this in detail in his research. Humility comes to those who have attained enlightenment. And it is in self-knowledge! If people go along this road, then no Antichrist will be able to cope with them. The third world war in the soul of everyone is happening. Some have won a victory before, others are still fighting, others have surrendered. And there are no allies in this war, except for the true faith. And Orthodox people are invincible. For they never really gave up their faith in the Lord. You ask, when will this battle come? Isn't she already in our hearts? Check out the news today. Answer yourself, which side are you on? Were you able to win the first fight? Congratulations!
The native niece of the Belevsky Cathedral Archpriest Ivan Vasilievich Glagolev, who was in friendly communication with the elders Leonid and Macarius, who was very well disposed towards the Belevskaya maiden monastery and the dean of the Belevsky maiden monastery, the city of Belev (see the description of the Belevsky maiden monastery, 1863, p. 97- 98), from the age of six she lived in the monastery of Abbess Pavlina together with her niece, nun M., was a choir and had a pleasant voice. One day, two choir sisters left Belev for one of the Moscow monasteries, and later they took Masha with them. But in Moscow she was not calm for long, her conscience was not silenced: nervous attacks began with her. Some Belevsky sisters asked the elder to pray for her. The elder said that the Lord was able to convert her and return her to her former abode with consciousness and repentance. The words of the elder came true: in June 1871 she returned to the Belevsky monastery.
When she came to the elder, there were many people in the hut; she wept at the feet of the elder, who received her with the usual love, saying: "Masha! Are you still alive? Thank God! It's true, the Mother Superior's prayer reached God." She said to the elder: “Merciful father! If there is mercy from the Lord for a sinner like me, save me! All my hope after God is on you and your prayers, to which I have long entrusted myself!” The elder said: "The Lord is merciful! Do not despair, believe and hope; if only you bring true repentance for everything that weighs on your conscience, and with God's help make a good start!" The elder wanted to take care of the patient without delay, but she had a seizure again. The sisters who were with her, believing that she would not come to her senses soon, explained to the elder that such seizures often happened to her, and suggested if the elder would not be pleased to leave her until the next day. But the old man, who had been following the attack with concern and attention, decided not to delay it. He ordered the cell-attendant to bring St. Epiphany water, blessed the sick woman and gave her a drink; the patient drank and became calmer, finally, and completely calmed down. It was necessary to see with what heartfelt participation the old man watched her! The patient fell into a light sleep for a few minutes. The elder ordered one of the sisters to watch her, so that as soon as she came to her senses, confess her, while he himself, meanwhile, continued to receive other visitors, who this time were many. Some time later, the patient woke up. The elder, leaving classes with others, asked her: "What is the matter with you now?" She answered: "Because of your holy prayers, almost everything has passed with me, only it is still dark in my eyes." "Do you remember everything? Can you confess?" the elder asked. "I remember everything, dear father!" And she asked, if possible, to confess her. After that, the elder worked with her for more than an hour. At the end of the confession, he consoled her like a child, gave her his rosary, his service, the prosphora, St. water and artos. He blessed her to drink water when she had a seizure. Releasing the patient, he blessed her and said:
“Thank God: now you will be alive, and even if you even had to die, the Lord is merciful! May His holy will! addressing the sisters accompanying her, he ordered that the patient should not be left. Upon leaving, the sick elder was very comforted that the sick woman could bring sincere repentance, and said: “The sisters, although they think that she is not so dangerous, but God knows? all the more not safe. We do not know what may happen to us the next night or tomorrow. Whatever could be done to help the poor - everything is done. In such cases, we should not delay, but use every minute so as not to lose a soul seeking salvation, without possible help."
Returning to the hotel, the patient said to the sisters: "My friends! How easy it is for my soul now. For a long time my sinful heart has not felt such a joyful peace of mind and such an inexplicable feeling that I endured from the priest. Glory to God for everything!" She asked to light a lamp, drank St. water, took the rosary she received from the elder, and lay down on the bed, crossing herself and her with the sign of the cross. The sisters left the patient and went to supper. After supper and talking among themselves about the consoling change that had taken place that evening in the patient's condition, they returned to her to read together the rule "For the dream to come", but found Mary already asleep in eternal sleep.
Upon learning of her death, the elder said: “This was to be expected, which is why I did not dare yesterday to leave her without confession,” and he cited a story from the Prologue (July 14) about how one sister left the monastery into the world (in Thessalonica) and then, after some time of sinful life, she came to the gates of her monastery with a sincere intention to repent, but falling down before the gates, she suddenly died. One bishop had such a revelation about her death: Angels protected her soul, saying: "She worked for us for so many years." The demons objected to them: "She even went to the monastery with laziness, how can you say: she repented?" To this, the angels said: "God saw her mind, already bowed to that, and accepted her repentance, for she controlled repentance, formed with the thought of him, but the Lord God owns life."
Abbess Pavlina and her sisters also came to the burial, among whom there were choristers. The elder wished to bury the deceased himself, but unexpectedly Fr. hegumen, so that the funeral service was performed in the cemetery church of Fr. hegumen, elder Hilarion and celebrating the Liturgy, Fr. Treasurer Flavian. It was touching to see the old man, in a weak and agitated voice, read the Prayer of Permissiveness over the deceased.
On Thursday, June 10, 1871, at seven o'clock in the evening, the patient was in a hut for confession, and at 11 o'clock she died at the age of 22; on Sunday, the 13th, the deceased was buried in the new monastery cemetery of All Saints. See the bibliographic essay of Belevsky abbess Pavlina, "Wanderer" 1880, December.
Elder Hilarion of Optinsky
Brief life
Our reverend father Hilarion, in the world Rodion Nikitich Ponomarev, one of the great Optina elders, was born in the village of Klyuchi, Voronezh province in 1805, on Easter night on April 9, and was named in holy baptism Herodion, in honor of the Apostle Herodion. His future monastic name Hilarion, which means “quiet” and “joyful” in Greek, revealed the main thing that was characteristic of this ascetic of faith and piety: a quiet, humble meekness of heart and a constant stay of the soul in Paschal joy in the Risen Lord.
Rodion was the third son of Nikita Filimonovich Ponomarev and his wife Evfimiya Nikiforovna, and there were four sons in the family. Nikita Filimonovich was a well-known tailor in the district, he was often away, fulfilling numerous orders, and therefore the supervision of the family and household lay with Evfimiya Nikiforovna, a venerable and God-fearing woman. Rodion grew up quiet and silent, focused and impressionable, with a clear desire for contemplation and deepening into his inner world. Without a doubt, not without a wise and good purpose, the Lord provided for him, educating and preparing the future spiritual mentor of monastics and laity.
Following the commandments of the Lord from infancy became an immutable law for him. Here is a characteristic episode from the adolescence of the future Optina ascetic. Once, while picking berries in the forest with his mother, the boy came across a particularly fruitful place and began to call his village peers who were nearby. Mother tried to resist this: “Don’t call them, we’ll tear ourselves here, and let them go to another place.” But her young son, in the sincerity and purity of his childish heart, answered thus: “Why? After all, God did not give us alone, but gave birth to berries for all!“...
The mother predicted to her son, even at the age of seven, the future monasticism. Yes, and the boy himself from childhood felt the desire to become a monk. He had his first encounters with monastic life at the age of thirteen and seventeen, during a pilgrimage with his mother to the shrines of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.
While studying tailoring in his father's house, the sensible young man, who was thinking about monasticism, decided that this profession would be useful to him in the monastery. It was then that the conviction was established in him that every business should be treated in good faith: what you do, you must try to do it well. And this is precisely the very rule that the holy fathers point to as a necessary condition for salvation, both for newcomers and for those who have grown in spiritual life, and which they call in their writings “preservation of conscience”...
Being twenty-four years old, Rodion moved with his parents to live in Saratov. A zealous executor of the statutes of the Orthodox Church, even at home he tried to lead a strictly pious life, living in the fear of God and paternally observing the steady fulfillment of Christian duties by the artel of his workers.
Rodion looked at the artel, consisting of about thirty people, as if they were his children, for whom it would be necessary to give an account to God. He kept them well and strictly observed their morality. Brought up in the fear of God from a young age, sincerely devoted to the Orthodox Church and strictly observing its statutes, he instituted that on Sundays and feast days the entire artel would certainly attend the church for the Vespers and Mass. In addition, with the help of an acquaintance of the deacon of the Intercession Church, he taught his workers church singing, and at work they sang spiritual songs instead of secular songs.
In all his actions, Rodion was distinguished by his extreme gentleness, meekness and peacefulness, and he acted on the workers not with threats or punishments, but with various mild persuasive ways that influenced their moral disposition ...
During these years, Saratov was flooded with many schismatics. The sects were at enmity with each other, agreeing on only one thing: in hatred for the Orthodox, who were fewer in comparison with them. In addition, many of the Orthodox, having been among the schismatics for a long time, remained in a state of duplicity and doubt.
It was during this period that the Lord opened to Rodion a new opportunity for serving people - missionary, apostolic service, which contributed to the return to the bosom of the Mother Church of many, many souls of schismatics who had gone astray and fatally fallen away from her. Elder Semyon Klimych, well-known in the Saratov province, advised him to engage in interviews with schismatics in order to encourage them to join the Orthodox Church...
Rodion began to talk about faith, based solely on the word of God and on the explanations of it by the holy fathers of the Church. Gradually, he led those who fell away from the true faith to the realization that, by challenging the Holy Scriptures and the patristic interpretation, they turned into opponents of Christ, His words and teachings, that is, into “antichrists.” This new turn, which the interviews took, set the schismatics in motion, puzzled them, and in many ways contributed to their conviction of the truth. The schismatics now and then either came to their opponents themselves, or invited them to talk to them. The future father Hilarion began to work with them a lot and successfully ...
The brotherhood, headed by Rodion, became known far beyond Saratov. Seeing that the Lord blessed the initial labors with success, His Grace James asked the Holy Synod for permission to establish a mission in his diocese for the conversion of schismatics. Reliable information has been preserved that Rodion Ponomarev was one of the most zealous and active missionaries. But, later telling in Optina Pustyn about this period of Saratov life, Elder Hilarion always left his personal participation in the affairs of the mission in the shadows, showing modesty and humility so characteristic of him.
So nine years passed. “Although we tried to live pleasing to God,” he recalled in Optina Pustyn, “and it seemed as if we were doing pious deeds, I felt that we still did not live as we should, that the monks live better than us.”
Even in his early youth, monastic life attracted him, and now, thirty-three years old, he seriously wondered if the time had come for him to embark on this path. The echo of first impressions from long-standing pilgrimages to the Kiev-Pechersk shrines gave rise in his soul to a desire to take a closer look at monastic life and monasteries. For nine months he got acquainted with wonderful Russian monasteries: Sarov, Suzdal, Rostov the Great, Belozersk, Tikhvin, visited Solovki, Pochaev, Valaam, Glinskaya and Ploschanskaya deserts. It was on these trips that Rodion received a blessing to visit the Optina Elders Leo and Macarius without fail. So for the first time, through ascetics from other monasteries, the will of God was visibly revealed to Rodion, directing his steps to Optina Pustyn.
Arriving in Optina, he found in the elders Leo and Macarius what his soul was looking for. Father Macarius talked a lot with the future monk, visited him at the hotel, bringing with him some book to clarify the questions he proposed.
Returning to Saratov and managing all worldly affairs, he soon returned to Optina Pustyn to embark on a new, difficult path of ascetic life. So, in the thirty-fourth year from birth, on March 13, 1839, Rodion, by the Providence of God, was determined to live in the Optina John the Baptist Skete, in a cell next to the cell of Abbot Varlaam, who had just arrived from Valaam. Along with the guidance of the elders Leo and Macarius, Rodion found at the very first time of the skete life and another experienced mentor - the Valaam ascetic, who had a beneficial effect on the spiritual prosperity of the novice ...
Assuming in 1839 the position of head of the skete, the Monk Macarius chose Rodion as his cell-attendant, who on August 13, 1849 was tonsured into a mantle and became monk Hilarion.
The position of a cell-attendant, which Fr. Hilarion corrected for twenty years, put him in constant close contact with the Elder, which was especially conducive to achieving a firm, lasting cut-off of self-will, tested by many temptations. According to his faith, Father Hilarion used the example of the charitable life of Elder Macarius, full of love, humility, meekness and simplicity, to a great extent. How great was the devotion of Father Hilarion to his Elder, one incident testifies. One day Saint Macarius left the monastery to visit his spiritual children. On the way, the carriage overturned into a ditch, and the Elder received dislocations and severe bruises, which was reported to Optina Pustyn. At this time Father Hilarion was seriously ill. However, having received this news, he immediately, forgetting his own ill condition, hurried with the doctor to his spiritual father, having traveled about three hundred versts on the relay along a bad autumn road.
Monk Hilarion also had one more obedience - gardening and floriculture. After the rule, at dawn, when all the brethren had already dispersed to their cells, monk Hilarion was doing work in the garden: he was grafting trees, daubing apple trees, planting flowers. Lovers of floriculture had something to admire when visiting the Skete, covered with fragrant flower beds - it was hard to believe that all this was the work of the zeal of one person, the unfading fruit of obedience and love for his mentor ...
In 1853 Father Hilarion was ordained a hierodeacon. As a deacon, Fr. Hilarion used the time set for rest and sleep mainly for reading patristic writings. Until his death, he set aside no more than four hours a day for sleep. With the blessing of the Elder, Father Hilarion set up a first-aid kit at home and was engaged in the treatment of the brethren of the monastery and Skete, for which he went to the sick and often performed the work of a paramedic. In late autumn and winter, he was also engaged in spoon needlework ...
On the dying days of the Monk Macarius, many of his spiritual children were handed over by him to Father Hilarion, who became a hieromonk on April 21, 1857. This was the beginning of his spiritual path, favored by the succession of elders.
In response to the questions of Abbess Pavlina of Belevskaya: “Who are you leaving us to, Father?” Elder Macarius pointed to the Reverend Fathers Hilarion and Ambrose and immediately called Father Hilarion from another room, saying: “Don’t leave the abbesses!” To Father Hilarion’s words: Father, I am unworthy and I don’t know anything myself.” The elder answered him: “Don’t leave her!” The mother abbess bowed at Father Hilarion’s feet. Already after the death of Elder Macarius, on April 8, 1863, Father Hilarion assumed the position of head of the skete and confessor of the monastery...
Both in administration and in clergy, Saint Hilarion tried to maintain the order that had been established by his late teacher. According to the memoirs of the brethren, his instructions were short, clear, simple, and had the power of persuasiveness, because he himself was the first to do what he advised the brethren...
Once, two brothers who did not make peace with each other asked the Elder to allow them to personally explain themselves to him in order to end the quarrel. After listening to the arguments of each, Father Hilarion said: “From your words it turns out that you are both right ...” Everyone still stood his ground. Then the Elder, seeing their inflexibility towards reconciliation, said to them: “Well, I did not expect such fruits from you! .. I am left alone to blame for not teaching you self-reproach.” And, to their amazement. The Elder humbly bowed to them to the ground with the words: “Forgive me, for God’s sake!” With such an unexpected bow of their mentor, the brethren were deeply touched, realized their pride and guilt, and asked the Elder to forgive them, promising to begin their correction. But the experienced mentor did not suddenly forgive them, but only after some more trial...
The gift of healing spiritual ailments, which the Lord endowed all the venerable Optina elders, was fully assimilated by the Monk Hilarion. The Elder recognized the various causes of these illnesses not only through questioning the afflicted, but also in other ways, known to him alone, and made his conclusion. Irreconcilable enmity, family strife, grave unrepentant sins were most often the causes of diseases, and therefore the Elder healed the sick, with the help of God, by the grace of the sacrament of repentance, at home he gave them Epiphany water, artos and oil from the lamps that burned on the graves of the reposed reverend elders Leo and Macarius.
His love for the suffering was boundless, as evidenced by at least such cases. Somehow, a most stubborn mentally ill woman came to St. Hilarion for confession, exuding rude, obscene abuse at him. Ignoring this, Batyushka still managed to get her to regain full consciousness and repent of the sin for which she suffers so much. “You should leave her, Father, if she is like that,” someone remarked, to which the Elder replied: “But her soul is the same as that of you and me. The whole world is not worth one soul!“
One young merchant for about two years was possessed by persecution mania, which drove him to madness. He avoided people, wandered around with a wandering eye, uttering meaningless words. Elder Hilarion studied with him for a long time, and from inquiries he found out that the main reason for his illness was the enmity and disobedience to his father, which he concealed in his heart. The father for a long time urged him to leave his anger and ask his father for forgiveness, arguing that only after that he could hope for God's help and get rid of the disease. Finally, his stubbornness was wisely healed, his soul was cleansed by repentance, and peace settled in it.
In addition to the brethren of the monastery and the masses of the coming people, as already mentioned, many nuns of women's monasteries used the spiritual guidance of Elder Hilarion and his instructions. The elder corresponded with them, answering not only the questions of the sisters' spiritual life, but also thoughtfully examining the most varied life circumstances, temptations, and needs. The surviving letters of the Elder have not lost their spiritual significance to this day.
Just as a city cannot hide itself on top of a mountain (Matt. 5:14), so the lofty activity of Elder Hilarion could not hide from the attention of people. But along with a benevolent attitude towards him, there were also cases of obvious slander against the Optina ascetic, and in this crucible of trials his soul was tempered even more: the peace of the father’s heart did not shake, the meekness of his disposition did not upset ...
The Elder especially assisted in the matter of spiritual nourishment of numerous children by his inherent gift of clairvoyance, which, due to a feeling of deep humility, he diligently concealed from people. The Schema-Archimandrite of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, Elder Zakharia, who visited Optina Pustyn in his youth, also visited the perspicacious Elder Hilarion. When he approached his cell, he silently recited the Jesus Prayer to himself. “Amen,” the Elder answered through the closed door. The door opened, and he warmly and kindly received Zacharias. And the Elder said to him, not knowing him at all and having no idea about his life and intentions: “What, your mother died? Look, now do not marry, and your father will let you go to the monastery "...
The mother of a pious family, who deeply respected the advice of St. Hilarion, her spiritual father, came to the monastery to consult with him regarding the marriage of her daughter. For three days the mother and daughter went to the Elder in the hope of hearing which of the three grooms Father would indicate. But he was silent, and only on the fourth day, he said: “Well, daughter! When to swim, so swim. Cross over and you'll be a man. Clearly, God wants it that way." The Monk Hilarion implied that the girl would have to endure many sorrows upon her marriage. And indeed, at first it was very difficult for her in her husband's family: sorrows and sorrows fell to her lot - and her good health was ruined, and she began to weaken in spirit. And after three years, everything suddenly changed, her health returned to her again, the young people began to live in peace and joy, blessing the memory of the old seer.
Once a widowed young merchant turned through his brother for advice to the Monk Hilarion and a blessing for a second marriage. The answer was this: “Let him wait another year and come to us, and we will see if he suits us.” He did not fulfill that advice of the Elder - he got married, but three weeks later the second wife also died. And after a while he nevertheless ended up in the monastery, was accepted into the Skete and tonsured a monk.
The wisdom of the Father was great: although he spoke very little, his words had a blessed holy power, and therefore, having received instruction from him, a person felt a sincere desire to fulfill it. His knowledge of the human heart was such that it was impossible not to be amazed. Among his wise advice are: "Do not be ashamed to expose your scabs to your spiritual mentor and be ready to accept from him for your sins and disgrace, so that through him you will avoid eternal shame."
To encourage the grieving, the elder often said: If the Lord is for us, who can be against us?
“Every work must begin with an invocation of the name of God for help.”
The elder often spoke about guarding one's conscience, about carefully observing one's thoughts, actions, and words, and about repentance for them. He taught the infirmities and shortcomings of his subordinates to carry complacently. “Make comments,” the elder instructed, “without giving food to your own pride, wondering if you yourself could bear what you demand from another.”
“If you feel that anger has seized you, remain silent and do not say anything until your heart is calmed by unceasing prayer and self-reproach.”
“It is more useful for the soul to recognize itself as guilty in everything and the last of all, than to resort to self-justification, which comes from pride, and God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” The elder often quoted the apostle's saying: "True love is not irritated, does not think evil, never falls away."
The spring of 1872 came. On March 4, Saint Hilarion served his last Liturgy. Returning to the cell, he said: “I have never been so tired, it must be my end.” On March 9, he was tonsured into the schema, retaining the name Hilarion. Doctors were afraid of heart paralysis, but the far-sighted Elder said this about himself: “I don’t believe in dreams, but I think that this time I will stay alive. I dreamed that there was a strong thunderstorm around me: an unusual thunderclap broke out, but I passed by, and I remained alive "...
In these difficult dying days, this great Optina elder was honored with consolation from the Heavenly World. The Monk Macarius had repeatedly appeared to him before in dreams, but now these visions became more frequent. In one of them, the mentor who appeared said: “But I’ve come to you, Hilarion, I’ve stopped by ... I’ll still be there, I’ll pick you up.” During his illness, the Elder usually took communion of the Holy Mysteries at least every two or three days, and from August 17, 1873, he began to take communion every day, and in this way he took communion for thirty-three days, until his death, inclusive. Starting from August 22, the Reverend could no longer go to bed, could not move himself, and until his death he sat in an armchair.
On August 22, Mother Abbess of Belev, Pavlin's mother, came to say goodbye to the Elder. He blessed her with the icon of St. Hilarion, and about the sisters he said that those wishing to say goodbye should not all come all at once, but several sisters at a time. “It still takes time,” he said, “I will live in an armchair for a few more weeks; they sit in water sickness for four weeks. With these words, as it later turned out, he, as it were, appointed the time of his sitting from August 21 to September 18, that is, four weeks and one day. Before his death, he said: “The elders who were in the water all sat before their death, but for me, a sinner, why shouldn’t I sit?” Despite excessive painful weakness, insomnia, constant shortness of breath, which turned into suffocation at night, and the extreme pain that appeared in the last days from some painful seizures, until the last morning of his life, the elder never left the fulfillment of the prayer rules laid down in the Skete ...
At dawn on September 18, 1873, Elder Hilarion quietly and peacefully departed to the Lord. The weather, which had been cloudy and rainy before, cleared up on the day of the death of the Elder. When the body of the Elder was transferred to the monastery, it was so quiet that not a single candle went out. The funeral service took place in the Vvedensky Cathedral, which was full of people, lit with chandeliers and large candles, candles were also distributed to all those present. After the funeral, there was a farewell to the Elder of the monastic brethren and the laity. And the bitterness of loss gave way to another feeling - Paschal joy about the future resurrection from the dead ...
In 1996, the Monk Hilarion was numbered among the locally venerated Saints of Optina Hermitage, and in August 2000, by the Jubilee Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, he was glorified for general church veneration. The relics of St. Hilarion rest in the Vladimir Church of Optina Hermitage.
IS IT A WAR?
(Prophecy of Father Theodosius of the Caucasus)
Germany is defeated.
Was that a war? -
Monk, already quite weak,
The future will open to all:
In the unknown, in the appointed year
Disaster will come from the east.
From the abyss the dragon will lead
All-devouring fire
To Rus' that goes out like a candle.
And then - like a locust
Follow him from outside
The whole world is subject to Satan.
And yet be saved
Russia ... But war, war -
What will be!
AFTER DACHAU
(St. Nicholas of Serbia)
“Apostasy... yes! -
Cause of God's Judgment.
In this terrible and godless age
The poor man is shaking
Not understanding one thing:
There is nothing without God.
Sinfulness - from time immemorial
Cause of droughts, disasters, wars,
Turmoil and popular riots, ”-
The new "Chrysostom" was broadcasting to everyone,
The one who was himself
An example of love and instructed
In the innocence of spiritual children...
Passed through Dachau hell.
DEAD BODY
(Mother Alipia+1988)
Troubles follow wave after wave:
Carry out the corpse - and the war will begin.
WHAT WILL IT BE?..
(Schimonahina Nila (Novikova) +1999)
What will it be, righteous God! ..
Everything that was, will be the same:
Again satanic will care
Children of the October Revolution
Sprinkle Orthodox Rus' with blood,
Hang, shoot, drown in the sea.
INEVITABILITY
(Archimandrite Tavrion)
Troubles are inevitable. No doubt -
There will be harassment and persecution.
Due to apostasy in faith -
Inevitably, the mark of the beast...
A man will recoil from the truth, -
And an unprecedented war will break out
The world is maimed to the ground,
In oceans of human blood.
ELECTIONS
(Prot. Vladislav Shumov +1996)
What times will be
And there is war, and there is war!
How long can you kill!?
And the world will get tired of fighting.
And will be chosen for the people
Ruler over the entire planet.
You must know his name:
Antichrist, child of Satan.
But God is your father, the church is your mother.
Remember: Vote
It is impossible - neither "against" nor "for".
The storm is already gathering.
SWORD OF WAR
(Prot. Nikolai Guryanov)
Hanging, not sheathed,
The sword of the hanging war
Threatening with terrible misfortune,
Above Russia - a beggar and a saint.
At God's Altar
Prayer of the Russian Tsar -
In sacred quivering fire! -
God's wrath takes away from us.
While before God it is necessary
Our Tsar - Russia will stand
In the final hour of death...
Oh, how he prays for us!
How she cries!
HARD TIMES ARE COMING
(Prophecy of Elder Hilarion)
The fear of God disappears in people.
Faith is diminished in the hearts...
Shepherds and laity are one
They will. Desecrated, to the bottom
No useless words
Compassion and love will sink.
People will cry, but just can't find
They will have no fathers, no way.
Salvation will flee from them.
Love of money will be their God, -
And Christ will be betrayed again.
They will sell their souls for profit.
THERE WILL BE SUCH A WAR IN RUSSIA
(Prot. Vladislav Shumov)
Here is the price of falling away from God:
There will be such a war in Russia, -
That there is nowhere to go from her:
From the west - the Germans, from the east - the Chinese.
FROM YOUR WORDS...
(Prot. Vladislav Shumov)
Shamelessness, swearing, shameful expressions
For a sinner, they are like radiation.
It has long been confirmed by science,
What will turn into incurable flour
Words addressed to hell
Crazy sick creature.
They squirm and blow up boors in themselves
The structure of the hereditary program.
So, inevitably the memory of life is gene
It will turn out to be a change and change ...
The river of time carries away generations
To their earthly inheritance - degeneration.
DESIRE TO SAVE
(Unknown old man)
Adulterer,
Don't you remember:
Noah called people -
Only cattle came.
FOOT OF THE THRONE
(Saint John of Kronstadt)
Rus', the foot of the Throne of the Lord,
On the bones of the martyrs, pleasing
God's will, - she always got up ...
To divide it, no matter how annoying
Enemy - she will always remain
as the one Church of Christ.
RUSSIA WILL RISEN
(St. Theophan of Poltava, confessor of the royal family)
An unprecedented spiritual explosion will happen:
Pushing the powerful and proud, -
One day, surprising the whole world with yourself,
Russia will rise from the dead!
And its domes will shine again
Through the dark years of oblivion...
But the faith that used to be in Russia -
It won't be, unfortunately.
PREDICTION OF WAR IN UKRAINE
They drag us to fratricidal hell
Demons of decay, but the main thing -
They want to destroy Holy Rus',
Faith to change the Orthodox.
Let the spring shine bright
Will be inflexible to the enemy ...
This war will become bloody
Spiritual war of things.
DOLLARS
(Schiarchimandrite Iona Ignatenko)
"Here it is, the world's conceited lie," -
Say tired and gloomy
The old man, in his hands unusually holding
Dollar bills.
"To the sinful world - the grass does not grow -
Dollars would only ... In the end
The wind will one day avenge them
Like leaves on the road."
ABOUT WARS, HUNGER
(Hieromonk Anatoly +2002, buried in Kyiv)
Disasters are not far away.
Gold is cleansed by fire.
In hunger - just one prosphora
The Lord will nourish the faithful.
TRINITY
(Rev. Lavrentiy Chernigovsky)
In their immensity boundless,
Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, -
Always - one, always - inseparable,
One soul, one Holy Rus'.
The promises of the righteous are not false:
No matter how much blood you shed to your enemy,
But it is impossible to separate their brotherhood,
How can the Trinity never be divided!
RESTRUCTURING IN THE WEST
(From the book "The Last Fates of Russia and the World")
1
The fall of countries is not prepared in a year ...
Oh, how the reckless West rejoices
Someone else's trouble, not understanding only
That "perestroika" has come for them too.
2
All the gold of the world does not saturate the bosom
The risen second Babylon.
All the same, the angel will bring everyone out of the house again, -
Opposing the new Sodom.
And the clean becomes unclean
Under the yoke of wicked Satanists.
3
All that has seen, the sky will shudder,
Seeing what is happening on demand
Antichrist - where is everything before the collapse
It will choke on lack of will and debauchery.
DELAYED TIME
(Archbishop Averky,
work "Modernity in the light of the Word of God")
In the future, we - this is clearly visible -
Nothing good to come:
Slowly, persistently and ingloriously
The world is heading towards its death.
God will delay the end of the world,
The righteous hearing the voices
In the midst of the thick, universal black night,
For maybe half an hour...
THE FATE OF THE Tsar AND THE FATE OF RUSSIA
(according to St. Anatoly Potapov)
I will say this, since the main thing was asked:
The fate of the Tsar is the fate of Russia.
Everything is connected, and we need to understand:
When the Tsar is happy, then Russia is also happy.
And if disorder, and even more so -
The Tsar will cry - and the Motherland will cry.
When will madness rise on the Throne,
Then Russia will no longer be ...
What is a body without a head? - the sighted one will answer:
The corpse is ugly - abandoned, stinking.
So is Russia outside the tsar's will -
A stinking corpse, I tell you, no more.
ABOUT GRIEF
(St. Nektarios of Optina)
We live, still unfamiliar with sorrow:
What is our sorrow? - insect bites
Compared to unsatisfied blood
The last - on the world going sorrow ....
And the world - now too soon - will collapse at once,
Belted with iron and paper.
THIRD WORLD
(St. Lavrenty of Chernigov)
No wonder Revelation says:
The earth will burn, and everything on it will burn.
In the all-encompassing omnipotence of fire
Both stone and armor will melt.
Hail and everything will be wiped off the face of the earth.
Fire and dust reach to heaven.
In the times of the last, fatal
Few will survive.
And it will be through prayers and groans -
For extermination, not repentance
Coming to us
Third world.
IN HELL
(St. Barsanuphius of Optina)
Crazy age, - the old man remarked directly, -
The people are in such a hurry to hell - as if from a temple
On a holiday day; and to paradise (it's easy to see),
As if in a temple - on an ordinary day,
On a weekday...
THE BIRTH OF THE ANTICHRIST
(St. Nil the Myrrh-streaming)
And the time is drawing near when
The fiend of hellish fornication -
From an evil and malicious harlot,
But virgin in appearance - in due time
Deadly, I warn you -
It will be incarnated without the male seed.
Hey, I say...
REPENTANCE
(St. Seraphim Vyritsky)
Our people are not beyond death, -
As long as repentance is alive in him ...
And again a brother will rise up against his brother,
When it doesn't exist at all.
ABOUT CHINA
(schema Macarius)
Pray, threaten, cry out - now what is the need?
Who is friend, who is enemy? - we are alien to the whole world ...
And if someone is destined to be afraid, -
We are most afraid of the Chinese.
THE FLOOD
(St. Nektarios of Optina)
Everything will be so, nothing else will happen, -
What happened under the pious Noah.
In what sins is everything, and what to fear -
Everyone knew, but they didn't lift a finger.
And only one showed the will to act
A family that rejected the sin of Sodom.
The mad ones betrayed oblivion
All God's commandments about salvation.
Blind eyes, petrified souls...
So it will be in the Coming Coming!
CARNAL MULTIPLE-CAREFULNESS
(St. Nil the Myrrh-streaming)
Indulging their unbelief,
carnal care,
Preparing near Gehenna,
Humility will replace...
Such is already at the door of the century,
That a person will become dead
And to the thought of your salvation,
And to the horror of condemnation.
TREASURY OF GOLD
(St. Nil the Myrrh-streaming)
All sinners will come to this
Despair, finished bargaining
The last one, as if in front of you
Seeing an unpaid debt.
It's coming, payback is coming
For sin, for accepted flattery:
Alchba, treasure of gold -
The Antichrist is exactly what it is.
He, - impudently, without delay
In the hour that was allowed to appear, -
So far - only flesh in the distance,
And mentally - for a long time between us.
UNCLEAN FRUIT
(St. Nil the Myrrh-streaming)
So that this bad, unclean fruit
In the delayed year came
To the unfortunate ones who accepted the seal, -
Irreversibly impoverish
The world must - whatever you want to call it -
With the unanimity of love
And chaste, simple,
A humble life of purity.
Before that - how to fall at his feet,
Power must disappear everywhere, -
And so - as the worst of evils -
Anarchy of cities and villages;
And how the fall is the result -
Anarchy in the Church, God sees.
Retaining from the environment
Take only - sewage
The fruit will appear in the world...
TO YOUR END
(Fr. Ioannikii)
1
And here it is - very close, close, -
The future - do not breathe from the stench.
You can't make up for curses, beggar,
Lack of water, warmth and food.
So do not blame the bitter orphanhood:
What kind of leadership are we!
And yet, "give back to the king,"
But don't expect better from them.
Save yourself, my dear children,
While the Lord grants the Liturgy.
It's so close, folks.
You will go to the temple, but there will be no service there.
But people are so lazy, so careless,
As if they will live this life forever.
Everything is heavier, more unbearable burden.
And time is reaching its end.
ON READING REVELATION
(St. Barsanuphius)
Avoids the troubles of the universe, -
Who reads the Apocalypse.
And only those who know, notice
The end that the Lord allowed
And all events are in the future
It will ripen without distortion.
EXECUTION
(Mont. Alipiya Kyiv)
Times like these are coming
That there will be an execution, not a war, -
Blind to salvation and deaf
For the stench and for their corruption.
Accustomed to lying to the truth
Everyone will run
To the place from the place, but on the way
They can't find shelter.
Will a calm syllable describe
All these mountains along the roads
Bodies doomed to rot...
And who will bury them?
1848
(St. Macarius of Optina)
Looming over the world and country
Year one thousand eight hundred and forty-eight.
Above Optina, falling from a height,
The whirlwind tore down all the roofs and crosses.
Macarius regarded this with spirit:
The wrath of God on an apostate world;
Europe would know at this hour:
Their demonic - will be with us! ..
And the saint saw through the ashes of demolished roofs
Revolutionized Paris.
HATRED
(St. Barsanuphius of Optina)
Everywhere sin, everywhere wretchedness,
Christianity is hated everywhere.
It is a yoke to those who live carefree,
It prevents them from sinning freely.
But what's in store for them? - famous road
Aspiring to arrange life without God,
Attracting blind generations
Only to degeneration and disappearance.
And waiting for Russia - whether you like it or not
Invasion of antichrist hordes.
In their world, satanically equal,
There is no place for Orthodox Russia.
War on Rus' - as the foundation of Tverd -
Will go for the first time
And in the second
And in the third...
1917 "CENTURY OF SILENCE"
(St. Nektarios of Optina)
There was a war, the faces of the saints were gloomy ...
A brother lived in the skete, who eagerly collected books.
The inhabitants of the future did not know
But for picking up a brother they reproached him.
And so the old ascetic enlightened them,
Interceding for the monk Nectarios:
“Books will not be available soon, do not be strict:
Spiritual hunger is already on the threshold.
“... There is a figure "" six "" - the past number.
Following - menacingly "" seven "" harsh came,
And the age of silence has come. And thunderstorms
The unseen is entailed ... ", -
And he fell silent, and flow down his cheeks
Humble suffering tears.
ABOUT EDUCATION OF CHILDREN
(St. Nectarios)
He spoke, as if by duty,
That the godless power came for a long time,
That it is vain to hope for the past,
What for children are mentors of faith
Father and mother should be - and an example,
But they will have to be sent to school.
"WILL NOT BE"
(St. Nectarios about the Eighth Council)
Thinking for a moment,
He said about the unification of churches.
“There won’t be, - rivers to avoid disputes, -
Since there were already seven cathedrals,
Familiar to us for the heart and for hearing;
There are seven sacraments - the gifts of the Holy Spirit,
Serving for the salvation of man,
And the number "eight" - the next century ...
Of the heterodox - rare, only a select few
The Lord will vouchsafe the title of the Orthodox.
"EDUCATION"
(St. Macarius of Optina)
Rejecting church teaching,
We took "enlightenment" from the West.
And the young, now rushing for a century,
They eat non-Orthodox milk,
And, as if possessed by an illness,
Some poisonous muddy spirit.
COLD WAR PREDICTION
(St. Nektarios of Optina)
According to human, not according to God's will,
Blowjob three decades and more;
One in the future, everything is not minutes -
Walls have been erected between nations.
And the earth - until time - bloodless,
It will be filled with teeth grinding.
VISION OF O. NEKTARIUS
(according to N. Pavlovich)
Like a breath from the mountain worlds -
The saint once had a vision.
The sky and the pines that rustled in the sky,
The air prayed for in a beggarly cell,
Skit - God-loving humble village -
Everything suddenly disappeared, disappeared in an instant.
He sees: the saints who trampled hell,
All stand in a circle
In the sky, already touching its top,
So that there is almost no space left,
In anger ready to collapse on us ..
A prophetic voice touched the rumor:
You will immediately see the end of the world, -
This small gap will only be filled.
ABOUT CONFIDENCE
(St. Nektariy Optinsky)
How much will he have to push,
Who wants to live up to the Antichrist.
Many in the world of spiritual fall -
From proud ignorance.
Know, as you embark on this path of the Cross:
Sorrow of the world throughout the heavens
It will, and remember Peter's words:
"Righteous if barely saved..."
Near - zausheniya, persecution, deprivation.
presumptuous temptation
Will they be able to?
ONLY ONE PRIEST...
(St. Nektarios of Optina)
And faith in us is not hot,
And it doesn't shine like a candle
And it glows like a candle.
And the church is already a reality or a dream? -
Was in the boundless horizon
And it became like a ring.
Look: all evil, all hellish rabble
On the right faith goes
One invasion...
Then - one of the whole church
The priest will be faithful to her
With only one layman.
RUSSIA
(St. Theophan the Recluse)
1. ORTHODOXY. AUTOCRACY. PEOPLE.
What is Russia more magnificent than ours!
In her plans, deeds grandiosity.
Keep Holy Orthodoxy
And in it - Autocracy, Nationality.
These beginnings will lead over the abyss;
From the ashes with them, reborn, you will rise.
People! If you stain them with treason, -
You will cease to be the Russian people.
2. SPIRITUAL EXHAUST
Yet we do not live with our minds,
Adopting customs
Alien; take from abroad
The abominations are all pagan.
We had the gift of heavenly faith,
They lived under God, comforted.
Now, having inhaled the infernal fumes,
We're spinning around like crazy.
TSAR'S WILL
(St. John of Kronstadt)
Not by the will of man, but by His will
The Lord does not plant a kingdom of kings.
Keeper of Russia to this day - as of old,
One after God is only Father-Tsar.
While his will is over many wills -
The Antichrist does not dare to appear until...
And the Sovereign, given by God, will descend from the throne, -
And the mystery of iniquity will appear to us.
WHILE THE KING IS RULING YOU...
(St. John of Kronstadt)
O Rus', sufferer for all,
Open your ears, turn away sin
Cast out the hypocrite...
You will be God's, as of old,
As long as you are ruled by the King
The holy faith lives on.
On those who do not want to comprehend
This - the Lord is an iron scourge -
Rulers above you
Send, - administering a quick judgment.
Those - the Russian land will be flooded
Bloody tears.
Monasticism in the End Times
(Hegumen Nikon (Vorobiev) 1894 - 1936
Holy people directly tell us
That there will be no former monasticism, -
And the appearance is only visible to everyone,
Without doing spiritual things at all.