Biography
The biography of schema-abbot Savva is not available in full. For many years his path is simply unknown, but the most basic, key points can still be found.
The boy was born on November 11 (25), 1898 in the most ordinary peasant family of Ostapenko at that time. Father Mikhail immediately gave his son the name Nikolai. He was not the only one in the family. Besides Kolya, there were 3 more sons and 5 daughters. My parents were deeply religious people, so they instilled love for the Lord and their children.
There was never any evil, rudeness or serious punishment in the family. By their own example, parents showed what a good person should be. Kolya has been interested in religions since childhood. He studied well at parochial school and attended all services.
Schema-abbot Savva (Ostapenko)
Already in his youth, the young man had a strong desire to become a priest. However, in 1914, Nikolai entered the army, prematurely due to the outbreak of the First World War. Three years later, already serving in the Red Army, the future schema-abbot received the position of military technician at the school. Later he becomes a foreman.
Despite the policies of the Soviet government, Nikolai often attended church. Since childhood, he retained his love for Christianity. Nicholas often read spiritual books in order to achieve insight and finally become a priest.
The schema abbot himself will later tell you that dreams played a huge role for him. So, in one of his night visions, Nikolai saw the dead, for whom he had just prayed and for whom he read the akathist.
A little later, after a conversation with schema-nun Martha, Nikolai received a lesson from her about correct prayer. That same night he had a dream about how he visited all the holy places in the life of Jesus. Later, Martha herself would become a close friend of the schema-abbot. She will help him on his spiritual path.
This is interesting! A schema-nun is a female nun who has accepted the great schema, which means her complete renunciation of the world and worldly life. A woman renounces this and becomes one with God, first in life, and then in life.
Schema-abbot Savva (Ostapenko)
Father Savva more than once repeated the words of St. Pimen the Great: “To have peace in your soul, be in your rank” [4]. Church, family, service - all these are structures where a person must find himself and determine his place. Father Savva did not approve of those abbots and abbesses who, because of false humility, are afraid to show their power: this causes disorder in monastic life. He also believed that a spiritual father should not, under the pretext of mercy, “dismiss” his children and himself become a novice to them. He cited the words of St. John Climacus that a monk, dying, would curse his overly lenient confessor [5].
Once I told Father Savva that I had no spiritual children, and I thought that he would approve of this. But he sternly told me that by refusing people advice and communication, I would not become St. Anthony, and that this was not the product of humility, but laziness, that I was proud of what a priest should be ashamed of. But he immediately added that one must be able to lead spiritual children and, while hiding love, show reasonable severity towards them. He said that a few minutes are enough to resolve spiritual issues and you should not allow people to manage your time, that for proper guidance you need to meet with a person rarely and for a short time, explaining this to him, for example, like this: “I have five minutes for you, take this time, you are not alone”; or you can tell the person to write the confession or questions on paper - no more than one page. Father Savva made an exception for those who came from afar. Very often, without answering questions, he said: “I will pray for you.” And, as a rule, the person received an answer, sometimes completely unexpected.
We can say that Father Savva communicated with people through prayer; the conversation was only a help. He said that a meeting with a spiritual father should be an event for a person, and not an everyday occurrence; that not a single word of the spiritual father, even said in jest, should be ignored. He said that some spiritual children receive more in three minutes of being with him than others in a week.
I once asked him: “What passion is the most dangerous and what sin is the most destructive?” He replied: “Cowardice and timidity. Such a person always lives a dual, false life, he cannot complete a good deed, he is always cunning and, as it were, maneuvers between people. The fearful one has a crooked soul; If he does not overcome this passion in himself, then unexpectedly, under the influence of fear, he may become an apostate and a traitor.” When I asked: “How to overcome this passion?”, he replied: “Overcome it in small ways, do not rely on people, including yourself, but trust in God. Fear of God destroys other fear.” Then he said: “Pray to the Mother of God. She is our Chosen Voivode.”
One hieromonk, wanting to confess to Father Savva, wrote on a piece of paper the sins that he remembered; There were also heavy ones among them. The elder took a sheet of paper and a pencil and began to read. His facial expression resembled a doctor who listens carefully and intently to a patient in order to determine his illness. He read slowly and intently, as if weighing each sin in the palm of his hand. Through confession, he seemed to strive to see a person’s soul, his spiritual path and hidden inner life and determine the reasons for the sins he committed. Suddenly he stood up and, with a sharp movement of the pencil, underlined one phrase, and then returned the sheet to the hieromonk: he wrote how, out of fear of a person, he had bent his conscience. Father Savva said: “Pay attention to this, cowardice is one of the most serious sins; it is the cause of many other sins and falls, because during the persecution people renounced Christ out of cowardice. The Apocalypse says that the fearful will not be saved and will not enter the Heavenly Jerusalem [6]. Try to eradicate this sin from your heart.” Then he added: “Leave this leaf, I will burn it.”
The hieromonk returned from Father Savva with a joyful feeling and the feeling that his sins had been burned in an invisible flame.
Father Savva had compassion for every person, but he was strict towards his children and often hid this compassion under external severity. The more he loved a person, the more demanding he treated him: his word sounded imperious. And, on the contrary, he showed condescension and even compliance to the weak in spirit, as to a child or a sick person. Father Savva said that each metal has its own measure of strength. When he gave a blessing for some matter, he did not tolerate objections and disputes. If he saw that a person was weak in soul and exhausted, then he himself removed obedience from him or made it easier; and if he believed that he could fulfill what was required, but hesitated, then he did not listen to his explanations, did not repeat his words, but abruptly cut him off and drove him away.
Father Savva considered Pharisee humility and lies to be the worst kind of pride. If a person came to him with sincere repentance, then he never reproached him, just as a doctor does not reproach a patient for purulent ulcers and wounds, but tries to do everything to heal the disease. The elder seemed to burn away the sins of his spiritual children with the fire of his prayer. But if he saw hypocrisy and cunning in a person, then he was angry with him, cut with words like a knife, and could literally drive such a person out of his cell by the neck. He considered the sin of Pharisaism to be one of the most difficult sins to heal. Therefore, his visible harshness was, as it were, the last resort to awaken a person’s conscience.
The elder treated the proud and disobedient strictly. He forced one vain and self-confident man who came to his cell to stand at the threshold, saying that the cell had just been removed, and he would dirty the floor with his feet. He said to another: “You did not come to ask, but to tempt me, so that you could then argue in whom there is more truth: in me or in your elder, whom you also tempted with questions, and now decided to abandon.” Father Savva said to some: “Have you been to the zoo? If you approach the animals with food, they will carefully watch your every move. The food you throw will not have time to fall to the ground before they grab it on the fly. So you must grab every word of the elder on the fly and remember it.”
Schema-abbot Savva could not stand verbosity. He taught his children to speak as briefly as possible. He gave some the rule to speak no more than a certain number of words per day. The elder sought to preserve inner prayer from scattering, so he preferred that his spiritual children write down their confession - no more than one or two pages. They had to think it over first, choose the most important and discard the unimportant. Father Savva said that when confessing to your spiritual father, you should not explain or tell the circumstances, indulge in deep introspection and a subtle review of your thoughts - you must point out the sins you have committed, and not write an autobiography. When they approached Father Savva to resolve a particular issue, he also stopped the verbosity: he asked them to briefly and clearly state what the matter was, and to wait for an answer from the spiritual father. The fewer words, the clearer the matter, the more correct the answer the confessor can give. Schema-abbot Savva believed that a person who explains his problem to the elder for a long time wants to convince him to agree with the decision that he himself has already made, and, as it were, forces him to bless what he himself wants. Here there is a kind of internal struggle between the questioner and the answerer: under the guise of additional explanations, such a person presents new arguments in favor of his decision and internally puts pressure on the will of the elder. It turns out to be deception or self-deception. The basis of blessing as trust in the elder is absent here, and therefore the will of God cannot be manifested through the elder. In such cases, Father Savva usually interrupted the conversation. He said: “One woman came up to me and wanted to ask for blessings on some matter and began to talk incessantly. I told her I understood. But she, not paying attention to those around her, did not lag behind me, continuing to talk. Then I took her by the collar and pushed her out of the cell. For some reason this seemed offensive to her. It also happens. A man comes to me and says: “Pray for me.” I nod my head; he goes away a few steps, returns and again says: “Pray for me,” and so on several times. Maybe I’ll pray for him, but I answer him: “Learn to pray for yourself.”
Father Savva said to some: “Shut your mouth and answer only the questions that I ask you.” He considered verbosity with his spiritual father to be promiscuity. “A spiritual father is for salvation, not for friendship,” he said. “And you talk to me like a neighbor you met on the street.” If everyday questions were not related to spiritual ones, then Father Savva often completely refused to answer them. He cited as an example the words of the Savior, who refused to divide the brothers’ property, saying that this was not what he came here for [7].
And among the people, Father Savva could maintain inner silence. Next to him, I remembered the words of St. Theodore: “Either distance yourself from people, or be like a sword to them” [8].
Books and works
During his long life, Savva wrote many books dedicated to the Lord. For example:
- “A brief explanation of the most important rules and customs of the Orthodox Christian faith”;
- "On Repentance";
- “About earthly and heavenly rewards”;
- “On the main Christian virtues and pride”;
- "On the Divine Liturgy."
Schema-Abbot Savva's book "Light in the Heart"
These works glorified the schema-abbot and brought him closer to God. They address a wide variety of topics and will always be able to help the true believer looking for answers.
On July 27/14, 1980, in the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery, schema-abbot Savva, known to many Orthodox people, ended his life and monastic feat. Inseparable from the name of schema-abbot Savva is the image of the faithful good shepherd of Christ, who for many decades served the Church of God with faith, love, and grace-filled gifts. He was an image of purity, kindness, spiritual wisdom. In his zealous service to God and the Church, he can be compared with those who, like the Apostle Paul, laid down their souls for their flock and were in the throes of birth, so that Christ would be portrayed in their faithful children.
But even now, the spiritual children of Elder Savva continue to share testimonies about his gracious life, about the spiritual gifts received from communication with the priest, about the power of his prayers, sermons and teachings. These testimonies are collected in a large two-volume book - a complete collection of sermons and teachings of Schema-Abbot Savva.
Content
Volume 1
Biography of the elder schema-abbot Savva Childhood and life in the world before monasticism Entering the brotherhood of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra and the beginning of the elder service Moving to the Pskov-Pechersk Holy Dormition monastery Temporary departures of the elder from the monastery The last years of his life and death Examples of prayerful assistance to people Advice and instructions of schema-abbot Savva Testaments Elder's Testament to all Testaments to spiritual children Testament first Testament second Testament third Testament fourth Testament fifth Spiritual testament of the brethren
Basis for salvation Preface What is salvation “Pray, pray without distraction...” Explanation of the four main prayers Symbol of Faith Remember the main thing About the spiritual father Useful thoughts of the holy fathers About disastrous condescension The spiritual ladder of the Holy Apostle Peter Show virtue in your faith In virtue, reason (judgment) In reason - abstinence In abstinence - patience In patience - piety In piety - brotherly love In brotherly love - love The Cross of Christ “She knows all the infirmities of men” Mother of God and our Fatherland Joy of conscience Light in the heart Sweetest name Kneel True humanity Day holy life How to behave towards the Lord How to behave towards people How to behave in various life circumstances Passions of the heart “It was from Me!” Thy will be done To live long The door to the Kingdom of Heaven Twelve good deeds Twelve commandments of salvation “Whoever wants to come after Me...” “And in the Holy Spirit...” “Come and dwell in us...” The power of humility Only believe There can be no hope without patience The life of the heart is love The breath of the soul In the royal way Love simplicity The return of baptism The gift of tears Spiritual friends The more painful, the more healing The great space Healing the soul The leadership of virtues About reasoning Daily death The feeling of immortality A word about remembrance Earthly heaven Holy days The mystery of mysteries Spiritual food The demonic invention of Judas the sin Mother of all vices Break yourself He who loves his enemy is a miracle worker Always tell the truth About murmuring Do not judge Rule 121 of the Ecumenical Council Fear praise Woe to the evil One Bread and water do no harm Silence gathers The most subtle and difficult war The purpose of asceticism Spiritual sobriety Has fallen - rise Consecrate to the Lord the firstfruits of your day The rank of angels The third grace Obedience is the basis of monasticism Virginity and chastity Non-covetousness The Holy Fathers on monasticism The teaching of Ephraim the Syrian Rules of monastic life of Basil the Great Get used to inconveniences Spread with joy Man is the house of God Mother’s prayer for a stillborn child To parents and educators Truth is on the side of the little ones “Remember God - and rejoiced" Recognize yourself as the first of sinners. What would happen to us without You, Lord? Constant struggle with oneself “I will calm myself with faith...”
In addition to the general prayer book Preface Prayers for every need Prayer when kissing the cross Prayers for remembrance For the living For the departed Prayer for the spiritual father and for the salvation of us sinners Prayer of the holy righteous John of Kronstadt “Love for the people” Rule for ailments Prayer for the spiritual father and for salvation us sinners Prayer of a child Hourly prayer of St. Joasaph of Belgorod Prayer from vanity of Archpriest John of Kronstadt Prayer from the enemy Prayer for the eradication of anger among the warring Prayer from the Antichrist Prayer for the spell of the enemies of St. Abraham Prayer for expelling the enemy from home for 24 hours Prayer of the Optina elders to Jesus Christ for every day Prayer for fear Prayer for hunger Prayer for drunkenness
The Theotokos Rule Interpretation of the Theotokos Rule Most Holy Theotokos, help us! After the 1st dozen, the Nativity of the Mother of God is remembered After the 2nd dozen, the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary is remembered After the 3rd dozen, the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is remembered After the 4th dozen, the meeting of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the righteous Elizabeth is remembered After the 5th dozen, the Nativity of Christ is remembered After On the 6th ten, we remember the Presentation of the Lord and the word prophesied by Saint Simeon: “And a weapon will pierce your very soul.” After the 7th ten, we remember the flight of the Mother of God with the Child of God into Egypt After the 8th ten, we remember the disappearance of the 12-year-old Child Jesus in Jerusalem and grief Mother of God on this occasion After the 9th decade, we remember the miracle performed in Cana of Galilee, when the Lord turned water into wine according to the word of the Mother of God: “They have no wine.” After the 10th dozen, we remember the standing of the Mother of God at the Cross of the Lord during the sorrow , like a weapon, pierced Her soul After the 11th decade, the Resurrection of Christ is remembered After the 12th dozen, the Ascension of Christ, at which the Mother of God was present, is remembered After the 13th dozen, the Zion Upper Room and the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and the Mother of God are remembered After the 14th ten, the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos is remembered After the 15th ten, the glory of the Mother of God is remembered, with which She is crowned by the Lord after Her translocation from earth to heaven Prayer Benefits of reading the Theotokos rule
Prayers to the Lord Jesus Christ. Prayers to the Most Pure Mother of God and the saints of God Prayer to the crucified Christ The cross is our strength! Holy Cross Prayer of the Cross Prayer to the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord Prayer to the Mother of God Prayer to the Mother of God for intercession in life, death and after death “Protect Me, Lord My God, from evil spirits!” This is how the Most Holy Theotokos prayed. Prayer of the Mother of God before Her icon, called “Joy of All Who Sorrow.” Troparion of the Mother of God before Her icon, called “Softening of Evil Hearts” Troparion of the Mother of God before Her icon, called “Healer” Prayer to the heavenly Powers Prayer to the holy angel Holy prophet and To the Baptist of the Lord John Saint Nicholas of Myra, the wonderworker Transfer of the venerable relics of our father Nicholas the Wonderworker from Myra to Bar-grad To the Venerable Savva, the Zvenigorod wonderworker The Venerable and God-bearing father of ours Savva the Sanctified Venerable Seraphim, the Sarov wonderworker Venerable Martyr Cornelius, the Pskov-Pechersk wonderworker Daily Confession before the spiritual father Prayer before starting any business Prayer for travelers
Soulful teachings The basis for salvation Daily rules For what it is proper to thank God What is needed in relation to a spiritual father Useful thoughts from the holy fathers About the spiritual father About the prayer “Lord, have mercy” Holy fathers about grievances The order of conquering the passions About unction About the communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ About the omnipotence of God About the human soul About the ways of salvation About repentance About the constant confession of sins About obedience About anger and ardor About prayer About mutual prayer About the cross About the cherubic song “We sing to you...” About the intercession of the Queen of Heaven About the dignity of virginity About faith and believers About faith in God’s providence About good deeds About humility About condemnation About self-abasement About the only thing needed About piety
Repentance and sighing Repentance and sighing The cry of a sinful soul to the Lord Sin of hatred Prayer of repentance Prayer of thanksgiving for salvation
Memo to the monk
Applications
Appendix Art. I. Do not be upset with your neighbors Memo Art. II. On outward piety Art. III. On the knowledge of the spiritual world Art. IV. Keep clean, avoid affection, beware of voluptuousness Art. V. We are saved by faith and repentance, and not by the value of works and serviceability
Appendix 2 Brief rules for life About asceticism and passions Do not be proud if you stand, but humble yourself and be afraid Do not be embarrassed by sores
Volume 2 Seeds of the word for God's field
Part one Selected teachings in confession Rite of confession
Part two Teachings at prayer services Teachings at memorial services
About the main Christian virtues and pride Preface
Pride The essence of pride Symptoms and development of the disease
How to recognize pride in yourself? Devilish temptations Examples of temptations from the lives of children Dejection and despair Imitation of Jesus Christ in enduring temptations Brief admonition
Humility The essence of humility and its fruits Signs of humility How to acquire humility Imaginary humility Meekness Examples of meekness and humility of saints Examples of the humility of spiritual children
Love of Christ Types of love Love for God The essence of Christ's love Signs of true love How to acquire the love of Christ Christ's love for neighbors and natural love Christ's love among saints An example of love among spiritual children
Mercy Outer and heartfelt mercy God's mercy The meaning of mercy Forms of mercy and trust in God's mercy Prudence in matters of mercy Peace of the soul Peacemaking Spiritual growth Spiritual perfection and the beatitudes About the bliss of bearing the cross Meditation and instruction
Memo of Christian instructions Response to the letter of nun D. Instead of a preface Corruption from intemperance Idleness, laziness and despondency About negligence towards salvation Continuation of the response to the letter of nun D. Preface Neglect in the matter of salvation Impoverishment of faith Impoverishment of the Holy Spirit Free choice Parables Traces of God Sin Lord, save us , we are dying! The path to perfect joy Pious friend D. Human soul Soul and body Mind or reason Thoughts Schema-Archimandrite Sophrony on the fight against thoughts Heart Heart and faith Human will Replenishing weak human will and mind with God's grace How to receive grace? Diseases of the soul sin, slavery of the soul and the depth of the fall Passions Addiction Examples from the Bible Temptations Diseases of the will, hypnosis, obsession Charm The birth of the “inner”, “spiritual” person The growth of the “inner”, “spiritual” person Features of the “spiritual”, “inner” person Inner the eye and inner hearing of a spiritual person The difference between the “external” and “internal” person The laws of growth in the human soul Habits From external to internal Inertness To the properties of the soul. Hearing God's voice: conscience Dreams Crying, tears and tenderness Contemplation and comprehension of the invisible Perception of names and images Comprehension and display of the beauty of the soul Special abilities and capabilities of a person
The fruits of true repentance Response to a letter of repentance Instead of a preface Three moments of repentance Preparation for confession Basic sins and derivatives Contrition of the heart Crying Determination not to sin Tears Confessor Two confessors Inner life Imitation of Jesus Christ Communion of the Holy Mysteries Fruits of repentance Good intention Soulful instructions for those seeking salvation Meditation Robe of the soul Longsuffering God's Vision of the Apostle Paul What are you, Lord! Repentance Airy ordeals Idle talk Condemnation Self-knowledge Gentle admonition Analysis of conversation Silence Cry with someone who is crying Hatred Prayer for enemies Sick pride Image of God Prayer books for peace Prayer of the earth Instructions Prayerful cry of repentance
Appendix to the text If sadness overcomes you and you are abandoned even by your friends If things are going badly for you If you lose courage and are in trouble If you feel that you are not at all at ease If you completely begin to lose faith in people If everything does not work out your way If you hesitate unbelief If you are completely tired, exhausted by sin If you despair If everything is fine with you, warm yourself up If you are looking for strengthening in the hope of God
