Russian Orthodox Church
Our heart is filled with inexplicable joy, and from the abundance of the heart our lips speak (Luke 6:45) about the greatness of spiritual achievement, the holiness of life and divine glory, the evangelical simplicity and active sacrificial love of the elders of the Optina monastery, which extended to all who came to them in sorrow and joy for help and advice.
For a whole century, Optina was a source of spiritual enlightenment for the entire Russian society: from unlearned simpletons to philosophers and writers, from peasants to royalty, from monastics to church hierarchs.
For all those who came here, the monastery was a healing spring that healed spiritual wounds; every pilgrim left here enlightened and transformed, strengthened spiritually, having written on the tablets of his heart for the rest of his life the evangelical love and holiness of the life of the Optina monks. Truly a marvelous feat of their lives, it is inscribed in the chronicle of Russian holiness.
In the glorification of... the saints of God, we see a special blessing from God to us, the action of divine grace that strengthens every person and manifests itself visibly through its chosen vessels on earth. We see evidence of an uninterrupted connection of times, which manifests itself through the spiritual experience of the elders of Optina Hermitage.
Hieroschemamonk Lev (Nagolkin) (1768-1841) - the first founder and inspirer of the Optina eldership. The entire life of this elder, spent in selfless service to God and his neighbors, was an expression of evangelical love. Through his exploits, unceasing prayer and God-imitating humility, he acquired the abundant gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Hieroschemamonk Macarius (Ivanov) (1788-1860) served as an elder in the Optina Hermitage at the same time as the Monk Leo, and after his death, until his death, he carried out the great and holy feat of caring for the elderly. The name of Elder Macarius is associated with the beginning of the publication of patristic works in the monastery, which united the best spiritual and intellectual forces of Russia around the monastery. Under his spiritual leadership there was not only Optina Pustyn, but also many other monasteries, and letters to monastics and laity, published by the monastery, became an invaluable guide for every Christian in spiritual life.
Schema-Archimandrite Moses (Putilov) (1782-1862) showed an amazing example of combining strict asceticism, humility and non-covetousness with wise management of the monastery and extensive charitable activities. It was thanks to his boundless mercy and compassion for the poor that the monastery gave shelter to many wanderers. Under Schema-Archimandrite Moses, old temples and monastery buildings were recreated and new ones were built. Optina Pustyn owes its visible flourishing and spiritual revival to the wise leadership of Elder Moses.
Schema-Abbot Anthony (Putilov) (1795-1865) - brother and associate of Schema-Archimandrite Moses, a humble ascetic and man of prayer, who patiently and courageously bore the cross of bodily illnesses throughout his life. He contributed in every possible way to the work of eldership in the monastery, which he led for 14 years. The venerable elder's written instructions are a marvelous fruit of his fatherly love and the gift of the teaching word...
Hieroschemamonk Ambrose (Grenkov) (1812-1891) - a great ascetic of the Russian land, whose holiness and godly life God witnessed with many miracles, and the Orthodox believing people - with sincere love, veneration and reverent appeal to him in prayer...
Hieroschemamonk Hilarion (Ponomarev) (1805-1873) - disciple and successor of Elder Macarius. Being a zealous defender and preacher of the Orthodox faith, he managed to return to the fold of the Orthodox Church many who were lost and had fallen away from the Orthodox faith.
Hieroschemamonk Anatoly (Zertsalov) (1824-1894) - the monastery leader and elder, instructed in the spiritual life not only the monks of the Optina Monastery, but also the nuns of the Shamordino convent and other monasteries. Being an ardent prayer book and ascetic, he was a sensitive father and a patient teacher for everyone who came to him, always sharing the treasure of wisdom, faith and special spiritual joy. Elder Anatoly had an amazing gift of consolation.
Schema-Archimandrite Isaac (Antimonov) (1810-1894) - the ever-memorable abbot of the Optina Hermitage, who combined firm management of the monastery and the subtle art of pastoral leadership with humble obedience to the great Optina elders and high asceticism. Schema-Archimandrite Isaac’s life’s work was to preserve and confirm in the monastery the spiritual covenants of the elders.
Hieroschemamonk Joseph (Litovkin) (1837-1911) - disciple and spiritual successor of the Monk Ambrose, who showed the image of great humility, gentleness, unceasing kind-hearted prayer, the elder was more than once honored with the appearance of the Mother of God. According to the recollections of contemporaries, many, even during the life of Hieroschemamonk Joseph, saw him illuminated by the grace-filled divine light.
Schema-Archimandrite Barsanuphius (Plikhankov) (1845-1913) - the monastery leader, about whom Elder Nektarios said that the grace of God in one night created a great old man from a brilliant military man. Without sparing life itself, he fulfilled his pastoral duty in the Russo-Japanese War. The elder had extraordinary insight, the inner meaning of the events that took place was revealed to him, he saw the hiddenness of the heart of the person who came to him, lovingly awakening repentance in him.
Hieroschemamonk Anatoly (Potapov) (1855-1922) , popularly nicknamed the comforter, was endowed by the Lord with great grace-filled gifts of love and consolation for the suffering, insight and healing. Humbly carrying out his pastoral service in the difficult days of revolutionary turmoil and godlessness, the elder affirmed his spiritual children in their determination to be faithful to the holy Orthodox faith even to death.
Hieroschemamonk Nektariy (Tikhonov) (1856-1928) is the last conciliarly elected Optina elder, who, through the feat of unceasing prayer and humility, acquired the greatest gifts of miracles and clairvoyance, often hiding them under the guise of foolishness. During the days of persecution of the Church, while he himself was in exile for confessing his faith, he tirelessly cared for the believers.
Hieromonk Nikon (Belyaev) (1888-1931) the closest disciple of Elder Barsanuphius, an ardent man of prayer and a loving shepherd, who selflessly performed the elder ministry after the closure of the Optina Hermitage, suffered torment from the atheists and died in exile as a confessor.
Archimandrite Isaac II (Bobrikov) (1865-1938) - the last rector of Optina Pustyn, who experienced the full brunt of the destruction and desecration of the holy monastery. Carrying his cross of abbot service during the years of trials and tribulations, he was filled with indestructible faith, courage and all-forgiving love. This holy elder suffered imprisonment four times and crowned his confessional life with martyrdom for Christ.
Beloved! In our difficult days, when we all feel the complexities of life and the changes taking place in the Fatherland, when the saint is in poverty and the truth has fallen away from the sons of men (Ps. 11:2), every Christian should feel with all his heart how gracious and inspired the bright images the great Optina elders, how bright the light of truly evangelical life they radiate to our contemporary Rus', setting an example of sincere faith, hope and love, testifying that Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8), an example of sacrificial service to others and distant ones, an example of selfless devotion to our Orthodox Fatherland.
Remembering the Gospel commandment to remember our mentors and imitate their faith (Heb. 13:7), let us hasten today in prayer to fall before the icon of the elders of Optina, ... who pray for all of us, and especially for the God-protected region, before the Throne of the Most High, for the granting of strength to all of us bearing the trials of life, so that we may have peace of mind, purity of heart, and lead our lives in chastity and holiness, preserving the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:3).
From the words of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus' on the day of glorification of the Council of the Elders of Optina (Holy Vvedensky Cathedral of Optina Hermitage, July 26, 1996)
Cathedral of the Venerable Optina Elders. Orthodox calendar for October 24
Main church holidays, days of remembrance of saints and Orthodox shrines of today
October 24 (October 11 according to the “old style” - the church Julian calendar). Thursday of the 19th week after Pentecost (nineteenth week after the feast of the Holy Trinity, Pentecost). There is no post. Today in the Russian Orthodox Church there is a celebration of the Council of the Optina Elders , as well as the memory of seven more saints of God known by name. Next we will briefly talk about them.
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Venerable Leo and his successors: October 24 – memory of Leo of Optina and the Council of the Optina Elders
Venerable Leo of Optina . One of the most revered Russian saints of the first half of the 19th century the Council of the Reverend Optina Elders is also celebrated . Read more about the Venerable Leo of Optina, who departed to the Lord in 1841 , and his spiritual heirs, among whom the Russian Orthodox Church glorified as saints the Venerables Leo (1841), Macarius (1860), Moses (1862), Anthony (1865), Hilarion ( 1873), Ambrose (1891), Anatolia (1894), Isaac (1894), Joseph (1911), Barsanuphius (1913), Anatolia (1922), Nektaria (1928), Nikon the Confessor (1931), Isaac the Hieromartyr (1938) , you can read in our material “Reverend Leo and his successors”, published on the pages of “Constantinople”.
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Apostle Philip of the 70 . Saint of the 1st century , who was part of the second circle of the Savior’s disciples and the disciples of the first 12 apostles. This saint should not be confused with another apostle Philip (from the 12th), who became the third disciple of Christ. This saint, along with the First Martyr Stephen, became one of the first deacons of the Church of Christ, and was subsequently ordained to the priesthood and episcopal rank. He performed his archpastoral service in Lydia, where he led many local residents to Christ. Died at a ripe old age.
Apostle Philip from the 70s. Photo: pravoslavie.ru
Venerable Theophan the Confessor . Saint of the 9th century , Bishop of Nicaea. Known as the creator of canons (liturgical texts), as well as a fighter against the heresy of iconoclasm. Together with his brother, the Monk Theodore the Inscribed, he suffered a lot from heretics, but saw the Triumph of Orthodoxy and was released from prison. He peacefully passed away to the Lord around 850 A.D.
Venerable Theophan the Confessor. Photo: pravoslavie.ru
Martyrs Zinaida and Philonilla of Tarsus . Holy sufferers who accepted the crowns of martyrdom for fidelity to Christ and His Church in the Apostolic 1st century . The relatives of the Supreme Apostle Paul , Saints Zinaida and Philonilla, left their native Tarsus and settled in a remote cave, where they constantly prayed and healed those who came to them. Having learned about these holy righteous women, the idolaters stoned them to death.
Venerable Theophan of Pechersk, faster . Saint of the 12th century , who performed monastic spiritual deeds in the first monastery of the Russian Land - the legendary Holy Dormition Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. He became widely famous for his strict fasting - an almost complete refusal of food.
Hieromartyrs Filaret Velikanov and Alexander Grivsky, presbyters . Orthodox clergy who suffered for their fidelity to the Christian faith at the beginning of Soviet atheistic persecution in 1918 . Later, both were glorified as saints in the thousands of new martyrs and confessors of the Russian Church.
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Congratulations to all Orthodox Christians on All Saints' Day! Through their prayers, Lord, save and have mercy on us all! We are happy to congratulate those who received names in their honor through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism or monastic tonsure! As they used to say in Rus' in the old days: “A golden crown for the Guardian Angels, and good health for you!” To our departed relatives and friends - eternal memory!
Optina Pustyn
Optina Pustyn was one of those cherished holy places to which Russian people, seeking the eternal salvation of their souls, went for spiritual bread. “If you want to thoroughly become acquainted with Christianity,” said I. V. Kireevsky, “then you need to get acquainted with monasticism, with the elders, and in this regard it is difficult to find better than Optina Pustyn.” Without exaggeration, we can say that this is the brightest spiritual lamp of Orthodox Rus' in the 19th–early years. XX centuries, kindled by the Russian people before God and had a huge impact on the fate of Russia. Of course, there were many saints in other monasteries, but it is difficult to say with certainty whether there has ever been a place in Russia in its entire history like Optina Pustyn, where a whole society of people was born, renewed by the power of the grace of the Holy Spirit, which would be so close to the ideal of Christian relations, towards the threshold of the Kingdom of Heaven already here on earth. The main shrine of the monastery were its famous God-loving elders.
Eldership is a special spiritual union, which consists of the voluntary and complete obedience of spiritual children to their spiritual father or elder. St. John Climacus says: “Just as a ship that has a skilled helmsman, with God’s assistance, safely enters the pier, so a soul that has a good leader ascends comfortably to heaven, even though it was previously guilty of much evil. Just as someone walking along an unknown path without a guide can easily get lost on it, even if he himself is very smart, so someone who, by his own will and understanding, wants to follow the monastic path will easily perish, even if he knows the wisdom of the whole world.” The elders - experienced ascetics and confessors - have been known from the very beginning of monastic life. One of the first elders in Rus' were the Monks Anthony and Theodosius of Kiev-Pechersk. The elder was St. Sergius of Radonezh. A century after him - the Venerable Joseph of Volotsk, the Venerable Nil of Sorsky.
The beginning of the Optina eldership was laid by Saint Philaret, Metropolitan of Kiev, who was at that time the Archpastor of Kaluga, the discovery of whose relics is also celebrated on these days. He set up a monastery at Optina Pustyn and invited here from the Roslavl forests Fathers Moses and Anthony, followers of the Moldavian elder Reverend Paisius Velichkovsky. A little later they were joined by Elder Leo, who arrived from the Alexander-Svirsky Monastery. The wisdom of the Monk Leo soon made him famous outside the monastery. For the sake of spiritual advice, merchants, nobles, townspeople and common people of both sexes began to come to the door of his cell from cities and villages. Under St. Macarius, the eldership flourished and strengthened even more, and continued to flourish under subsequent great successors in eldership until the final closure of the monastery after the revolution. The elders had a special gift of compassionate, sacrificial love. Laying down their souls for all those who came, they tried with all their might to guide them on the true path. They made other people's sorrows and downfalls their own. They died every day, accepting the suffering until they were completely exhausted. Every word of the elder was with power, touched the heart and watered it with unearthly power, directed it to Heaven, united it with God. The pilgrim was returning from Optina, flying as if on wings, carrying within him reflections of that unearthly light that warmed and illuminated his soul in the old man’s small cell.
People sought to get to Optina even during the years of hard times against God, they sought to be on the holy land of the monastery, to worship the graves of the Optina saints. The invisible great holiness of Optina, although destroyed and desecrated, attracted many. The elders continued to help people with their prayers.
Even now, standing before the throne of God, they pray for us and are ready to help and comfort each of us.
Prayers
Troparion, tone 5
Orthodox faith luminaries, / monasticism, unshakable pillars, / Russian consolation lands, / reverend elders of Optinstia, / who acquired the love of Christ / and laid down their souls for their children Shii,/ pray to the Lord,/ may he establish your earthly fatherland in Orthodoxy and piety// and save our souls.
Troparion, tone 4
(from a service compiled in Optina Pustyn)
The introduction of the most glorious monastery, / the blessed Optina desert, / ever trusting in the mercy of the Mother of God, / is filled with a river flowing into the eternal life, / having grown the wonderful tree of old age, / worshiped you fought against the city that came down from heaven,/ where God dwells with men,/ wiping away from from their eyes every tear,/ let us also rejoice, brethren,/ let us sing to Christ the King and our God/ and let us glorify the Lady of the World, the Blessed Virgin,/ for she has given us a refuge for salvation// and our father’s mentors in the reverends.
Kontakion, tone 3
Truly wondrous is God in His saints,/ The wilderness of Optina is like the manifest helicity of old age,/ where the fathers enlightened God,/ the secret heart of man leading,/ the sorrow of God’s people The nobles of virtue have appeared:/ and have been instructed on the path of repentance by sin,/ wavering in faith by the light of Christ’s teaching enlightened / and taught God’s wisdom, / gave suffering and healing to the suffering and weak. / Now, abiding in the glory of God, / / we pray unceasingly for our souls.
Kontakion, voice 1
(from a service compiled in Optina Pustyn)
The strong roots of monastic life /branches of piety appeared to nature, / the reverend fathers of Optina Desert, / and like a prolific helicopter city grew by nature, / nourishing with the gifts of their holiness / al feeling and thirsting for the truth of God, / overshadowing our Orthodox Fatherland / with prayers and intercession before the Throne of the Most High God. / Moreover, we diligently cry out to you: / do not leave us in sorrows and illnesses, / who yearn for help from you / / and deliverance from all troubles and misfortunes.
