A certain lover of Christ, Mikhail Markov’s son, had the love of Christ for the servant Michael.
And he went overseas on ships with goods from Kolyvan [29]. And there would be a great storm for him at sea. The ship was tossed around for 6 days, and the shipman and Michael were in trouble and in great sorrow. And remembering Mikhail, Markov, the son of God’s servant Mikhail: “Lord, servant of God, help me!” And see the merchant Michael, even the servant of God holds Michael by the stern. And the silence was great. And he waves his hand and the ship moves. And Michael died as a merchant, and besides, he did not see the servant of God Michael. And go without any dirty tricks. And he arrived at the houses and lined the coffin with stones. And to this day. ABOUT THE LIFE OF SAINT MICHAEL, CHRIST FOR THE SAKE OF THE FOOL FOR THE FOOL
Translation by L.A. Dmitriev The arrival of Michael, Christ for the sake of the Fool for the Fool, to the Klopsky Monastery of the Holy Trinity under Abbot Theodosius, who was later elected to the lord's table. And he came on Midsummer night. Priest Macarius, having bowed in the church at the ninth ode, went to his cell. I came to the cell - and the cell was open. He entered the cell, and there the elder was sitting on a chair, a candle was burning in front of him, and he was rewriting the acts of the Holy Apostle Paul - the story of the voyage. The priest, frightened, backed away and returned to the church. He came and told Abbot Theodosius and the monks about the stranger. Hegumen Theodosius, taking the cross and censer, went to the cell with the brethren, and the entrance to the cell was already locked. And he looked out the window of the cell - the elder was sitting and writing. Then the abbot said a prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us sinners!” And the stranger responded with the same prayer. And the abbot said this prayer three times, and three times the stranger answered Theodosius with the same prayer. So Theodosius says to him: “Who are you - a man or a demon? What is your name?" And he responded with the same words: “Are you a man or a demon? What is your name?" And Theodosius repeated his question for the second and third time: “Are you a man or a demon? What is your name?" And the second and third time Mikhail answered the same thing: “Are you a man or a demon?” Then Abbot Theodosius ordered the roof of the cell and the entryway to be dismantled and the door to the cell to be broken down. The abbot entered the cell, began to burn incense in the cell, and the elder began to burn incense. And he covers himself from the incense, and makes the sign of the cross himself. And Abbot Theodosius asked him: “How did you come to us, where are you from? What kind of person are you? What is your name? And the elder answered with his own words: “How did you come to us? Where are you from? What is your name?" They could not find out his name. And Theodosius said to the elders: “Do not be afraid, elders, God sent us this elder.” Then they called for mass, and priest Macarius went to church. We began to serve mass. And when they sang “The Only Begotten,” they saw that the old man entered the church and also began to sing “The Only Begotten Son and Blessed One” and “Apostle” and sang the entire mass to the end. When the priest finished mass, he approached Abbot Theodosius with the prosvira. And Theodosius, taking the bread, gave it to the elder, and said to him: “Go, elder, eat bread in our refectory.” And he went with everyone to the refectory. And when they had eaten, Theodosius said to him: “Stay with us, elder, live with us.” And Theodosius himself led him into the cell. A little time passed, and Michael said to Abbot Theodosius: “We will have guests.” Theodosius asks him: “My son, what kind of guests will there be?” But he didn’t answer. Theodosius, the abbot, and the elder left the church from mass, having sung the mass, and three unknown people were standing in the monastery courtyard. Hegumen Theodosius gave them a piece of bread: two took it, but one didn’t take it. And the elder said to Theodosius: “Call them to eat bread, because they came from afar.” And Theodosius said: “Let’s go, children, to the refectory and eat bread.” And one of them replied: “Father, there are still people with us, our comrades.” Then Theodosius the Abbot and Mikhaila say: “Let one of you go and call the others and let’s all eat together.” One of them went and called the others. And there are thirty of them, all in armor, with weapons and suits. They entered the refectory to eat bread. Theodosius and Mikhaila tell them: “Sit down, children, there is bread.” Everyone sat down at the tables and ate, but two did not eat. Then Mikhail said to them: “Your intention with which you came here will not come true!” And immediately the two who did not eat became ill. Everyone got up from the meal, glorifying God and the Holy Trinity, and one of the guests gave a hundred Bel for the meal and said: “Take care, fathers, of our comrades - and we will leave you in peace!” And the two sick people lay there for five days. And one of them, who was very ill, wanted to be tonsured. But Theodosius did not dare to tonsure him. Then Mikhail said to Theodosius: “Get tonsure, father, he will be our brother.” And they tonsured him and named him Erofey as a monk. And the other, when he recovered, was released, and Mikhail said to him: “Go and tell your friends that from now on they will no longer rob or rob and forsake their sins.” Soon after this, at the Transfiguration of the Lord, Prince Constantine and his wife came to take communion and feed the monastery. At dinner, Michael was forced to read the book of Job the Righteous. And the prince, hearing the elder’s voice, looked into his face and recognized him. He tells him: “But this is Mikhail, Maxim’s son.” And he answered the prince: “God knows.” Then Theodosius said: “Why, son, don’t you tell us your name?” And he answered: “God knows.” And from that time on he said his name - Mikhail. And they started calling him Mikhail. The prince said to the abbot and the elders: “You take care of him - this man is related to us.” From then on, the abbot began to take care of the elder. It happened - in Veryazh all the water dried up. There was a drought for three years in a row. Once the sexton went to get water for the church, he saw Michael writing in the sand: “I will accept the cup of salvation, I will call on the name of the Lord. There will be an inexhaustible source here.” And the sexton, as mass was being sung, told Abbot Theodosius about this. The abbot went with Mikhail to the shore, he looked at what was written on the sand, and asked Mikhail: “What, Mikhail, is written on the sand?” And Mikhaila answers: “It is written in the sand - I will accept the cup of salvation, I will call on the name of the Lord. There will be an inexhaustible source here.” The abbot and Mikhail said a prayer. We dug a little and the water came out like a spring. So, an inexhaustible source still flows in this place. That same year there was famine throughout the Novgorod land. The abbot of Theodosius and all the brethren were saddened. And Mikhail says to Theodosius: “Do not grieve, father, God fed forty thousand people in the desert, not counting women and children.” And Michael begged Abbot Theodosius and the elders to order the rye to be boiled in a cauldron and given to the wanderers. And the elders began to grumble against Theodosius and Michael. Then Theodosius and Michael said: “Let’s go to the granaries and take a look.” And they found everything in abundance in the granaries - nothing was missing. After this, they ordered to boil the rye even more and distribute it to the people without fail. And they glorified God, and the Holy Trinity, and his saints. Some time later, the saddened Prince Konstantin Dmitrievich came to the Klopsky Trinity Monastery, on Lazarus Saturday, asking for blessings from Abbot Theodosius and Michael. He says to Abbot Theodosius and Elder Mikhail: “I am sad now - my brothers will not give me my estate.” And Mikhail answered him: “Prince, don’t worry, you will be on your estate - your brothers will soon send for you. Serve, prince, the Holy Trinity, build a stone temple, and the Holy Trinity will prepare for you a temple of God in heaven.” And the prince asked abbot Theodosius: “Father, are there such masters? I want to erect a stone temple to the Life-Giving Trinity to commemorate myself and my parents.” Then Theodosius sent for the craftsmen and called the masters Ivan, Klim and Alexei. The prince asks the craftsmen: “Will you build me a stone temple of the life-giving Trinity, the same as the Church of St. Nicholas on Lyatka?” The masters answered him: “We can, Mr. Prince, serve you with the help of God and the life-giving Trinity.” And the prince contracted the craftsmen; He gave them thirty rubles as a deposit, and then they would receive one hundred rubles in single rows, and they would have monastery bread, without hirelings. The temple was founded in 6931 (1423), on April 22, on the day of remembrance of our reverend father Theodore Sekiot. And they have already erected walls the height of a man. And the stone was transported with water. Suddenly such a strong wind arose that everyone began to think: the stone cannot be transported with water, and the craftsmen cannot stand on the church. You can't get anything anywhere - the weather is so bad. And there was bad weather for two weeks. Then the masters decided to leave. The prince began to grieve that the church was not completed, and he already had to go to Moscow. And Mikhaila says to the prince: “Prince, don’t bother! God will give you silence in the morning.” It became quiet inside. And Mikhaila says to the craftsmen: “Pray to God - God is building the temple with invisible power.” And, as Michael predicted, God gave a favorable wind: they will go after the stone with the wind, and back with the stone the wind will also be favorable. Prince Konstantin arrived with food and drink to celebrate the completion of the temple with the princess and the boyars, he was very happy. And the temple of the life-giving Trinity was completed in 6932 (1424) on September 24, on the day of remembrance of the holy first martyr Thekla, with the blessing of Abbot Theodosius and the prayers and supplication of the saint of Christ Michael. Prince Constantine says to Abbot Theodosius and Elder Mikhail: “Through your prayers, fathers, a message came to me from the elder brothers - they are giving me my patrimony.” Theodosius and Mikhail answered him: “Go, child, in peace - they will receive you with love. Don’t forget, child, the house of God and the temple of the life-giving Trinity, and us, your beggars.” And the prince said: “Until the end of my life I will not forget the house of God and the temple of the life-giving Trinity and you, my humble pilgrims!” And the prince went to Moscow to his brothers, and they received him with honor. Michael predicted to Theodosius the abbot: “You will be in sovereignty, and you will be brought into the sovereign’s court, chosen for dominion, and you will remain a ruler for three years.” And at that time, Bishop John had been ill for three years, and they elected an honest man from the Spaso-Khutyn Monastery, Semyon, to rule. They brought him into the bishop's court, and ruled for three years without consecration, and then the metropolitan dedicated him, and ruled for another three years. After him, by lot, Theodosius, an honest husband, was brought into the court of the ruler, as Michael had predicted. He remained in power for three years, and then the boyars removed him from the lord’s court and sent him to a monastery. And he lived in the monastery under Euphemia for two years: Euphemia, as the honest husband Emelyan was called during his reign, was brought into the lord’s court after Theodosius. Once a deer disappeared from the monastery - and Mikhail with it. For three weeks, it was unknown where both Mikhail and the deer disappeared. And at this time, on the eve of the Intercession, Theodosius reposed. They sent for Bishop Euthymius to escort Theodosius, but he did not go. The abbot lay unburied for three days. Then good people from the city gathered, and the abbots and priests of Theodosius carried him to the grave to bury him, and they saw Mikhail walking, and behind him a deer, not tied to anything: only Mikhail had a piece of moss in his hand, and the deer was reaching for the moss. And they put Theodosius in the grave and buried him with honor. Somehow the elders missed Michael during Holy Week, but he was not in the monastery. At that time he appeared in the city, in the vestibule of St. Sophia. The mayor Grigory Kirillovich recognized him when Matins ended and said to Mikhail: “Taste the bread with us.” And he answered: “God knows.” The mayor assigned a man to him, and before he knew it, Mikhail was gone. At the Klopsky monastery, the priest went to church to serve mass and saw Mikhail standing in the vestibule. The monks went from the church to the refectory to eat bread. We ate a little, and the mayor sent a man to the Klopsky monastery to see if Mikhail was in the monastery, but he was already in the monastery. And the mayor Grigory Kirillovich became angry with the monastery. He arrived at the monastery on Great Day for mass in the Church of the Holy Trinity. The abbot, having said mass, left the church, and the mayor with him. The mayor stopped the abbot and the elders in the yard and said: “Don’t let the horses and cows out in the heat - this is my land. Don’t fish in the Veryazh River, or in the swamp, or near my yard. And if you start fishing, I will order the fishermen to break your arms and legs.” Mikhail answered the mayor: “You yourself will be left without arms and without legs and will almost drown!” The abbot and Mikhail sent fishermen to catch fish in the river and swamps. And the mayor went to the river, and the fishermen were just pulling their nets. He ran towards them, to the river, and then chased them into the river, hit someone with his hand, wanted to hit someone a second time, but missed, fell into the water and almost drowned. The people who arrived in time lifted him up and led him away, and, according to Michael’s prophecy, both his arms and legs were taken away. Early in the morning they brought him to the monastery. But Mikhail did not order to let him into the monastery, and not to take from him either the eve, or the candles, or the bread. And Michael said: “Don’t feed us, don’t give us water, just don’t offend us.” The abbot and the brethren were in doubt, having not accepted either the eve or the prosvir from the mayor. And those who brought the mayor drove away, threatening: “We will complain to the lord and Veliky Novgorod that you did not want to sing a prayer service for the mayor and will not accept either the prosvir or the eve.” And Yakov Andreanov, Feofilat Zakharyin, Ioan Vasiliev went to complain to the ruler and Novgorod. The Bishop sent his archpriest and protodeacon to Michael and the abbot, commanding: “Sing a prayer service and mass for the mayor!” And Mikhail said to the archpriest and archdeacon: “We pray to God for all people, not only for Gregory. Let him travel to monasteries and ask God for forgiveness!” The mayor went to the monasteries and all the city churches and began to give alms. He traveled like this to monasteries for a year and a month and a half, but did not find healing in any monastery. And, having returned, he sent to tell the bishop: “I did not find help for myself in the monasteries.” And the bishop: “Child, now go to the monastery of the Holy Trinity and ask for mercy from the Holy Trinity and Elder Michael.” And the lord sent his priests with the mayor. When they arrived, Michael ordered a prayer service and mass to be sung. They carried the mayor into the church on a carpet, but he couldn’t even cross himself. They began to sing a prayer service to the Holy Trinity. When they reached the kontakion, he began to move his arm, but for a whole year and a month and a half he did not move his arm or leg. When they went out with the Gospel, he crossed himself and sat down. And when they got to the transfer, he got to his feet and stood until the end of the service. Having finished mass, we went to the refectory, where the mayor set lunch. And the mayor said: “Holy brethren, bread and salt for you, fathers!” Mikhail answered this: “The Lord has prepared for those who love him and for those who keep his commandments.” And Michael also said: “Whoever starts an army, God will destroy him!” From then on, the mayor became kind to both Mikhail and the monastery. Olferiy Ivanovich and Ivan Semenovich Loshinsky argued over land. And Mikhail predicted to Olferiy Ivanovich: “You will be without arms and without legs and you will be numb!” So Olfery Ivanovich came to the Church of the Holy Mother of God in Kuretsk and said: “Brother Ivan, here is my land!” They hit Olferiy Ivanovich's hands to the ground with a mitten. He bent down to pick up his mitten, but his arm and leg and tongue were taken away and he couldn’t speak. And here is another prediction - for Nikifor the priest. He stole the priest’s panagia, and Mikhail tells him: “You’ll lose your mind!” And after that the priest had no mind or memory. Mikhail ordered to dig up the ash in the oven, and there was a panagia. And further. Trouble came to the monastery from Bishop Euthymius the First - he wanted to get money from the monastery. And he took a black horse from the monastery. And Mikhail said to Vladyka: “It’s not enough for you to live - everything will remain!” And from then on the bishop fell ill and died. In those years, Bishop Euthymius the Second was brought into the court. He ruled for three years, chosen but not initiated. Once the bishop came to the Klopsky monastery to feed the brethren. So, sitting at the table, the bishop says: “Mikhailushka, pray to God for me that the Grand Duke will agree to the dedication.” And the bishop has a handkerchief in his hands. Mikhail grabbed the handkerchief from the bishop’s hands and placed it on his head: “You will go to Smolensk, and there they will ordain you as a bishop.” And Vladyka went to Smolensk and received initiation there. He came again to Michael: “God consecrated me and the Metropolitan.” And Michael says to the bishop: “They will still call you to Moscow, and you will have to go and beat the Grand Duke and Metropolitan with your forehead.” At that time, Prince Dmitry Yuryevich arrived in Novgorod and came to the Klopsky Monastery to be blessed by Michael. He says: “Mikhailushka, I am wandering far from my patrimony - they drove me out of my great reign!” Michael answered him: “All power is given from God.” The prince asked: “Mikhailushka, pray to God that I can achieve my patrimony - a great reign.” And Mikhail answered him: “Prince, you will achieve a three-armed coffin!” But the prince, not heeding this, went to seek a great reign. Then Mikhail said: “You are trying in vain, prince, but you will not get what God will not give.” And there was no God's help for the prince. At that time they asked Mikhail: “Did God help Prince Dmitry?” And Mikhail said: “Our people have lost in vain!” We recorded that day. And so it turned out. The prince came running to Veliky Novgorod again. On Trinity Week, on Friday, he came to the Klopsky Monastery to feed the brethren and to be blessed by Michael. He fed and watered the elders, and gave Mikhail a fur coat from his shoulder. When they began to escort the prince out of the monastery, Mikhail patted the prince on the head, saying: “Prince, the earth groans for you!” Yes, he said that three times. And the prince says: “Mikhailushka, I want to go to Rzhev, to my patrimony.” And Michael said: “Prince, you will not fulfill your desire.” And on the eve of Ilya’s day, the prince reposed. Mayor Ivan Vasilyevich Nemir arrived at the monastery, and Mikhail met him in the monastery courtyard. Mikhail asks the mayor: “Why are you driving?” The mayor answers him: “I visited my great-mother-in-law, Euphrosyne, and came to you to be blessed.” And Mikhail said to him: “What are you thinking, child, that you are consulting with women?” The mayor responded: “In the summer the great prince will come to us, he wants to subjugate our land, but we have Prince Mikhail of Lithuania.” And Mikhail answered him: “Then your prince is not dirt! Better send ambassadors to the Grand Duke and hit him with your forehead. If you don’t beg the prince, he will come with strength to Novgorod, and there will be no help from God for you, the great prince will stand in Burega and send his strength across Shelon and conquer many Novgorodians: he will take some to Moscow, execute others, and take a ransom from others. But Prince Mikhail will abandon you, and you will have no help from him. And then you will send the Reverend Father Vladyka and the mayors to beat the Grand Duke with his forehead. And he will accept your petition and take a ransom from you. And soon the great prince will come again, and take the city, and do everything according to his will, and God will help him.” And so it all came true. This is what life was like for Michael during his earthly life. He lived alone in a cell. He had no bed, no headboard, no bedding, no blanket, but slept on the sand. The cell was drowned with horse manure. He lived in the monastery for forty-four years, and ate only bread and water every day. In December, on Savvin Day, Mikhail fell ill, but continued to go to church. And he stood on the right side of the church, in the courtyard, opposite the grave of Theodosius. The abbot and the elders began to say to him: “Why, Mikhail, are you standing not in the church, but in the courtyard?” And he answered them: “I want to lie down here!” On Theodosius Day, Michael himself accepted the holy gifts and, taking with him the censer and incense, went to his cell. The abbot sent him food and drink from the meal. And when they came to him, the cell was closed. They opened the cell - and the incense was still smoking, but he was already dead. They began to look for a place to bury him - the ground was very frozen. Then the monks reminded the abbot: “look at the place where Mikhail stood.” We tried it, but the ground in this place was melting. And they buried Michael honestly at the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity on the 11th day of January, on the day of remembrance of our venerable father Theodosius of Jerusalem. A certain lover of Christ, Mikhail Markov’s son, had love in Christ for God’s servant Michael. He went from Kolyvan overseas in a ship with goods. And there was a strong storm at sea. The ship carried for six days, and both the helmsman and Mikhail began to strain. Then Mikhail Markov, the son of God’s servant Mikhail, remembered: “Lord, servant of God, help me!” And the merchant Mikhail saw that God’s servant Mikhail was holding the ship by the stern. And there was silence. The saint waved his hand, and the ship sailed. Mikhail the merchant fell on his face, and the servant of God Mikhail was no longer visible. And they sailed on unhindered. And, having arrived home, the merchant erected a stone tomb for Michael, and it still stands.
Prayers
Troparion of St. Michael of Klopsky, Novgorod
voice 8
Who, for Christ's sake, was willingly given over to the earth into violence, / you hated the beauty of this world, / and withered the carnal games of fasting and thirst, and laying on the earth, / from the heat and cold, from rain and snow, / and from other airborne burdens You never strayed, / but you purified your soul with virtues, like gold in a furnace, / Father Reverend God-bearing Michael, / and now in Heaven you stand before the throne of the Most Holy Trinity. / But since you have much boldness, / pray to Christ God that our souls may be saved.
Kontakion of St. Michael of Klopsky, Novgorod
The voice of the 8th
Holy Spirit with power made you like the God-speaking ancient prophet, / saying the unknown and secret and every year the destinies of God into reality, / and performing many miracles about Christ, / and surprising people, you made them cry in triumph: / glory to God, who glorifies His saints .
