The Life of the Moscow Wonderworker Aristokleus of Athos
The future locally revered saint and wonderworker Aristoklius was born in 1848. This happened in the city of Orenburg, his parents were simple peasants who sincerely believed in the Lord and lived according to his commandments. At birth, the child was given the name Alexey and raised in the spirit of Christian humility and piety.
When the future reverend was still a small child, his father died, and all worries about the family fell on the shoulders of his mother. However, the trials did not end there for Alexei. At the age of 10, he became very ill, after which his legs were completely paralyzed. His mother, in tears, constantly offered prayers to Nicholas the Wonderworker with a request to grant her son healing. Matrona (that was the name of Alexei’s mother) even made a vow to Nicholas the Pleasant to dedicate her son to the Lord if the boy recovered, and to leave worldly life and go to a monastic monastery after the child grew up a little and could live independently.
The prayers of the pious woman did not go unanswered, and on the day of the celebration of the memory of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (December 6), the boy miraculously received healing and was able to stand on his feet and walk independently. Having fulfilled her vow, Matrona left the world and retired to a monastery, taking monastic vows when Alexei turned 17 years old and reached monastic age.
In what year the future saint tied the knot and who his wife was is not indicated in the biography, however, immediately after the death of his wife (this happened in 1876), Alexei Alekseevich Amvrosiev left worldly life and went to the holy Mount Athos to take monastic vows in the Russian St. Panteleimon Monastery. After the necessary preparation, he was tonsured a monk, this happened in 1880, and he received a name in honor of the holy martyr Aristocles of Salamis, who lived in Cyprus.
Four years later, the future Moscow wonderworker was ordained to the rank of hierodeacon, and 2 years later he was tonsured into the schema, without changing his name.
Since 1891, Aristoclius of Athos became the rector of the metochion of the Athos St. Panteleimon Monastery and spent 3 years in this position. At that time, the farmstead was located in a small estate, which was located on Bolshaya Polyana. This estate was once donated to the monastery by the then famous benefactor Akilina Smirnova.
During this time, the monk not only performed the duties of abbot, people flocked to him from all over Russia, having learned about his gift of healing, and Aristokleius of Athos received all the suffering, prayed with them, asking the Lord to send recovery. He distributed the donations that wealthy people brought to the farmstead to the poor, and also used this money to pay for the education of children from poor families.
Thanks to the initiative of St. Aristoclius of Athos, in 1888, a magazine called “Soulful Interlocutor” began to be published at the metochion. It told about the holy ascetics and the life of Russian monks inhabiting Mount Athos. Also on its pages were published letters from the holy elders, which they wrote to their spiritual children. Thanks to the publications of this magazine, Russian monks again rushed to the holy Mount Athos, began to equip destroyed monasteries and build new churches. Wealthy Russians also began to make generous donations for the construction of monasteries on Mount Athos.
In 1894, the Monk Aristoclius was forced to return to Athos, leaving the position of rector of the metochion, as a false denunciation was received against him. However, in 1909, the council of confessors again appointed the elder as rector of the metochion, and he returned to Moscow.
After his arrival, hundreds of believers again flocked to the compound, thirsting for spiritual and physical healing.
During the time that Aristoclius was in charge, several new buildings were built. One housed a library with spiritual literature, while the others housed charitable institutions. On the top floor, in one of the corner rooms, the monk created a house church, which he dedicated to his favorite icon of the Mother of God “Quick to Hear.” The temple was completely consecrated after the death of the priest.
In 1918, the Monk Aristoklius of Athos died and was buried in the crypt of the tomb, which was located in the courtyard. After the revolution, all the liturgical premises in the courtyard were nationalized and closed, so the priests decided to rebury the remains of the saint at the Danilovsky cemetery in Moscow.
Brief biography
Baptized into the world by Alexei, the boy was born into a family of pious peasants in Orenburg. Almost nothing is known about his father, except that he died when his son was only a few years old. His mother, Matrona, played a significant role in the boy’s life.
When, at the age of 10, as a result of illness, her son lost his legs, she constantly prayed for help from St. Nicholas the Wonderworker to heal her beloved child. She made a vow to go to a monastery when Alexei reached adolescence, and to dedicate him to God.
It is not surprising that on the feast of St. Nicholas (December 6), Alexei was miraculously healed. When the young man grew up, Matrona retired to a monastery. After this, the future elder and saint lived in solitude.
in 1876, he went to the Russian St. Panteleimon Monastery on Holy Mount Athos, and on March 11, 1880, he was tonsured into a mantle with the new name Aristoclius, in honor of the Cypriot martyr Aristoclius of Salamis. A short time later, on December 2, 1884, monk Aristokle was ordained a hierodeacon, and 2 weeks later - a hieromonk. Exactly two years later, Hieromonk Aristoklius was tonsured into the schema without changing his name.
Venerable Aristocles. Icon Photo from the site akafist.narod.ru
Several years, from 1891 to 1894. Aristoclius was the rector of the Moscow courtyard of the Athos St. Panteleimon Monastery. In those years, the monastery was located in a modest city estate on Bolshaya Polyanka Street - it was donated to the monastery in September 1879 by the famous philanthropist Akilina Alekseevna Smirnova. Father Aristoclius not only headed the courtyard. He was at the same time the rector of the chapel of the holy great martyr and healer Panteleimon, while also performing the duties of treasurer. The elder, possessing the gift of insight and healing, received hundreds of people in need of help every day. The elder immediately distributed considerable donations from those who prayed to the suffering, and paid for the education of poor children from these funds.
With the active participation of the elder, the magazine “Soulful Interlocutor” was published at the farmstead in 1888, telling about the life and exploits of Russian monks on the Holy Mountain. He introduced readers to the biographies of Athonite ascetics, and also published letters from the elders to their spiritual children. There were days when the priest received up to a thousand people. And he tried to console everyone with his conversations. Sometimes he would say: “Oh, my beloved children, if you only knew how much I want to save you! I would endure everything for you, may the Lord save you all! Just to lead you to Him! If only you could be saved. After all, I have no greater concern than to bring you to the Lord, and there is no more serious matter on earth than the salvation of your souls.”
To the great sorrow of all who knew Aristoklius of Athos, the elder died on August 26 (September 8, 1918), on the Presentation of the Vladimir Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. The funeral service for Hieroschemamonk Aristoklius was conducted by three bishops at once: Tryphon (Turkestan), Arseny and Joasaph, the rector of the Epiphany Monastery, who at that time was acting as Metropolitan of Moscow.
After the funeral service, Elder Aristoclius was buried in the marble crypt of the tomb of the courtyard. However, in the wake of revolutionary trends, searches and confiscations often took place in the compound. Then the spiritual children of the saint decided to rebury the Elder of Athos, and in 1923 the coffin with his body was reburied at the Danilovsky cemetery in Moscow. The monks carried him out of the tomb, loaded him onto a cart and took him to the Danilovskoye cemetery. According to eyewitnesses, the pigeons, which the elder loved to feed during his lifetime, flocked from all over the city and formed a living cross in the sky. This cross accompanied the elder until his grave.
Texts of prayers
To ask the saint for help, they read a troparion or a short prayer.
Troparion
You have flourished like a phoenix on the Holy Mount Athos and you have multiplied like a cedar on the Russian land, having acquired the Holy Spirit through the purity of God-given life, and the peace of Christ has reigned in your soul, Reverend Father Aristocles, pray to Christ God to save our souls.
Prayer
O holy servant of God and glorious elder Aristocles, ascetic of the Holy Mountains of Athos and tireless prayer worker of the city of Moscow! Diligently honoring your honorable memory, we fall to your saints with your might and warmth, crying out: look upon us, your spiritual children, who seek your help and intercession in troubles, in mental and physical illnesses, healing, in sorrows, consolation and admonition. With your prayers, make our faith unshakable, so that we can be saved from all adversity and the actions of the enemy, keep our hope unashamed, so that we do not fall into despondency in the hour of evil temptations, trying to kindle in us, the cowardly and weak, unfeigned love, so that we do not lift up the works of Christians in vain feat and, following Christ's coming, we will bear the cross of our earthly life in good victory, for you promised that after your death you would hear the petitions of everyone, if they come with faith to your resting place. And now, after you have been glorified by the Church of God, your holy relics have become a guarantee of your love and care for us, who await your intercession before the Throne of the Heavenly King. Ask God Almighty for peace and silence in our country, wise care for the shepherd, observance of vows for the monastics, piety for our people and everything that is useful for salvation. Do not be silent for us, pray in the Trinity to the glorified God, to Him belongs all glory, honor and worship, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Canonization, discovery of relics and their location today
In the summer of 2004, the holy relics of the elder were found at the Danilovsky cemetery.
On September 6, 2004, Elder Aristoclius was glorified among the saints as a locally revered saint of the city of Moscow and the Moscow diocese.
On November 13, 2004, the holy relics of St. Aristoclius were transferred in a religious procession from the St. Daniel Monastery to the Athos courtyard in Moscow. From that day to this day, the relics of the saint remain in the church of the Holy Great Martyr Nikita in the Athos courtyard of Moscow. For general reference, not far from the famous high-rise building on Kotelnicheskaya Embankment. You can get there from the Taganskaya metro station.
Aristoclius of Athonite Photo from afonit.info
Miracles of Healing
Through the prayers of the Elder of God Aristoklius of Athos, many miracles, healings of the sick and reprimands of the possessed were performed in the Panteleimon Chapel on Nikolskaya. Often the possessed were brought to Father Aristocles' chapel. And when he scolded them and then anointed them with oil, they squealed, and barked, and whined, and some were literally twisted and shook - it was scary to see. And the priest ordered the demons to leave, and they obeyed him.
Here is one of many examples of healing. One of the parishioners had a very painful hand for several years. And no medicine could relieve the pain. The doctors could not help. She decided to turn to the elder for help. When she came to him, Aristoclius was not entirely healthy and was in his cell. However, he gladly accepted it. And somehow he kept smiling, as if waiting for someone. He blessed her and began to talk to her. He took his hand and began to rub it. He continued to rub, and he smiled, as if he had something comforting, and he could not help but smile with pleasure. Then he left his hand alone, gave him prosphora, anointed him with oil and released him. Since then there has been no pain.
One day, Elder Isaiah became an eyewitness to the resurrection of a dead girl through the prayers of Elder Aristoclius. After the elder’s death, he himself told about this to another elder, Daniil from the Donskoy Monastery. One day a woman came to Aristocles in tears, carrying a dead girl in her arms. She began to tell how they came from Ryazan, because they had heard about the miracles of the elder. She took her sick daughter to him with the hope that the priest would heal her. But on the way the girl died. And now the inconsolable mother begged the elder to revive her child. She sacredly believed in the power of the elder’s prayerful word before the Lord and with great hope expected a miracle from the priest. And the miracle happened! Through the prayers of Elder Aristocles, the girl came to life and was completely healed of her illness. The mother, hugging the revived girl to herself, could hardly find words of gratitude, and only repeated: “God bless you, father!”
And in our time, as in the first centuries of Christianity, amazing miracles occur through prayers to the saints. The rector of the Athos metochion in Moscow, Hegumen Nikon, spoke about one of many similar cases, where the relics of the revered Moscow holy elder Aristokle, the last rector of the Athos metochion during the period of persecution of the Church, who rested in 1918, were transferred from the Danilovsky cemetery. Then the celebration was attended by clergy from the Vladimir diocese, who took with them the blessed oil from the lamp that burned near the relics. Vladimir priest Vladimir Vedernikov handed over the bottle to the parishioners of the local church, the spouses Marina and Alexander, who had a baby with unopened eyes. They were very sad, and the priest, to console the young parents, gave them the shrine and told them how during his lifetime Elder Aristocles, with his prayers, healed a 10-year-old boy who had not opened his eyes since birth. That same evening, Marina’s mother came to him with the joyful news that the child’s eyes had opened after they were anointed with sacred oil.
The relics of St. Aristoclia
