Job (Gumerov): Philosophy led me to the priesthood

As a Tatar, a former Muslim, Shamil became a learned philosopher, and subsequently an archimandrite of an Orthodox monastery and a leading theologian in Russia.

This article is about an amazing person, a good family man, who raised three children, was baptized with his whole family and became a monk.

Archimandrite Job Gumerov, candidate of theology and philosophical sciences, publicist, writer and religious figure, resident of the Moscow Sretensky Monastery

Memorable dates

Hieromonk Job (Gumerov):

It used to happen that people went to the priest for spiritual advice, covering hundreds of miles on foot. Nowadays it’s enough to go online and be on the desired page in a couple of clicks. It may have become somewhat easier for the questioners, but it is harder for the shepherds, since the number of questions is growing exponentially. And although human sins and infirmities remain the same, the priest has to find the answer to a specific person’s question individually each time. Hieromonk Job (Gumerov), a resident of the Moscow Sretensky Monastery, talks about how to build communication and relationships with parishioners, and about his experience in answering “questions to the priest.”

— Father Job, every priest has had to answer the same questions for many years. Based on your experience, can you give advice to young pastors on what to consider when responding?

“The person whom God appointed to be a confessor must constantly acquire active love in himself. I think that the most important thing is that the one who seeks spiritual help feels that the priest is involved in his needs and problems. Any person, even one who does not have a subtle structure of the soul, feels very well how they treat him: either formally, albeit very politely, or they show heartfelt sympathy.

I remember many years ago reading a small book “58 Advice of the Athonite Elder”. I was literally captured by one thought, to which I kept returning later: do not miss the opportunity to please God by treating people kindly. We often look for what good we can do to save ourselves. But we don’t think about it and don’t realize that such an opportunity is nearby. Treating people kindly is nothing more than a manifestation of active love in everyday life. This must be constantly remembered. And the first thing a shepherd should do when a person turns to him for advice is to show him goodwill and openness. This is the basis on which he should build further communication with the interlocutor. I noticed that if this did not work out, if there was some kind of coldness in the first words, then more often than not there would be no further positive result.

For everyone who comes to him, the priest must pray, at least briefly. The Lord, seeing that we sincerely want to participate in his problems, gives the shepherd His all-powerful help.

It is important that the priest does not show his interlocutor that he is busy. Everything must be done so that a person who comes in need does not feel that the priest is in a hurry or tired. The priest's attention should be completely occupied by the interlocutor who came to him for advice. Sometimes I tell my parishioners: “Don’t be embarrassed, tell me, I have enough time.” And this greatly helps a person overcome stiffness or get rid of the imaginary fear that he is taking up a lot of the priest’s time.

On the other hand, everything must be done with reasoning. If you do not direct the conversation, albeit gently, in the right direction, it can continue for hours. Those who come to the priest have a need to speak out. A person believes that if he talks in every detail about what worries him, then the priest will be able to help him more easily. For many who come with serious problems, a long and detailed story provides psychological relief. Therefore, it can be very difficult for a pastor to find the necessary measure in communication.

— What is the most difficult thing for a priest to communicate with parishioners? How do you manage to find the right words? What literature do you use?

— The shepherd is a co-worker with God. The Lord, Who placed him in this ministry, helps and strengthens him with His grace. Without this it is impossible to bear such a heavy cross. Saint John of Kronstadt wrote: “My God, how difficult it is to confess properly! How many obstacles there are from the enemy! How gravely you sin before God by confessing improperly! How the word becomes impoverished! How the source of the word is blocked in the heart! How language changes the mind! Oh, how much preparation is needed for confession! How much you need to pray for the successful completion of this feat!” (My life in Christ. Vol. 2).

When I am scheduled to confess, I begin to pray in advance so that the Lord will help me fulfill this obedience and benefit people.

The performance of the sacrament of confession is undoubtedly the focus of pastoral activity, since the human soul is cleansed and reborn. But even just a conversation or answer to a letter requires special internal composure. Starting to answer letters from parishioners, at first I did not imagine the full difficulty of this matter. After some time, I realized that if a letter is written with pain, then you need to let at least part of this pain pass through yourself, otherwise you won’t be able to help. You can write the answer very accurately and correctly from a theological point of view, but it will not work if there is no empathy.

To answer various questions, it was necessary to turn to a variety of sources. He often turned to the works of Saints John Chrysostom, Ignatius Brianchaninov, Theophan the Recluse, John of Kronstadt and others.

Secondly, I also relied on the knowledge that I had. You can call me an “eternal student.” I have been studying and studying all my life. At the age of seventeen, a very important event happened to me: I made a choice of life path. Before that, I had to make decisions: who to play with, where to go on vacation, and so on. But not a single such choice could affect my life. Finishing school radically changed my situation. What to do next? Since I had a real interest in learning, it was clear to me that I needed to continue learning.

As I review my past life, I am amazed at how thoughtfully God is involved in the life of an individual. Knowing the natural capabilities of everyone, He sows seeds into the soul in childhood and adolescence, which must then sprout and bear the fruits he needs for spiritual life and salvation. Now, with inner excitement and gratitude to the Lord, I see that He directed my educational interests in the direction that led me to theology and the priesthood. By the will of God, I was led to theology by philosophy, which in the Middle Ages was called the “handmaiden of theology” (“philosophia est ministra theologiae”). Philosophy began to interest me at school. We lived on the outskirts of Ufa. In our regional library I discovered the classical works of R. Descartes, G.W. Leibniz, G. Hegel and other philosophers and became very interested in them. After graduating from high school, I wanted to enter the Faculty of Philosophy at Moscow University, but they only accepted people with work experience (at least two years). My mother persuaded me to enter the history department of the Bashkir State University. There I completed four courses and moved on to the fifth. But my desire remained unsatisfied, because it was impossible to obtain a second higher education in the Soviet Union. Unexpectedly for me, the rector of the university, who knew about my passion for philosophy, suggested that I try to transfer to the Faculty of Philosophy at Moscow University. Everything went without any difficulties, and I was accepted into the third year. A very busy life began; during the academic year I had to pass exams and tests for three courses. After graduation, a three-year postgraduate course, a candidate's dissertation in the field of sociology.

My studies in philosophy, history, sociology, and literature greatly helped me subsequently answer letters. When I became a church member (this happened in April 1984), I was worried that I had spent so many years studying secular sciences, which, as it seemed to me, would no longer be useful to me. But it turned out that my reasoning was naive, and the Lord arranged everything in such a way that I simply needed all my knowledge.

— Whose experience helped you in your spiritual choice and subsequent priestly path?

— I think that the greatest influence on me was my mother, who, although she was baptized only in old age, was always very close internally to Christianity in terms of her soul (abundance of love, desire to live in peace with everyone, responsiveness to everyone). She did not miss a single opportunity to say some kind word to us. This was her need. She never scolded us. Already in old age, she told me that her mother, my grandmother, forbade her to do this. Dad was often transferred for work to different cities. When my mother said goodbye to my grandmother (it was clear that they would not see each other again), my grandmother said: “I ask one thing, do not hit the children or scold them. If you hit your hand even once, my mother’s blessing will leave you.” But mom would never have done that: she was simply incapable of it. My mother’s love, her attitude towards people, of course, formed the basis on which my personal faith was born. This helped me, without any sorrows or shocks, smoothly come to the realization of the need to be baptized and become a Christian. I then worked as a senior researcher at the Academy of Sciences at the All-Union Scientific Research Institute for System Research.

I came to the priesthood by obedience to my confessor. When I became a church member, my spiritual mentor, priest Sergius Romanov (now he is an archpriest), four years after that, said that I should teach at the Moscow Theological Academy. Such a thought could never have occurred to me. But since I had complete confidence in his words, I easily agreed. Everything happened quite quickly and settled down without any obstacles. I met with the vice-rector of the Moscow Theological Academy and Seminary, Professor Mikhail Stepanovich Ivanov, who offered me a course called “Christianity and Culture.” He asked me to write a program. On the appointed day, he and I came to Archbishop Alexander (Timofeev), the then rector of the academy. Apparently, he had already made a decision, so the conversation was short. After a few introductory phrases, he looked at the pieces of paper that were in my hands and asked: “What do you have?” I said, “This is the course syllabus.” He took the sheets, put his finger on some line and asked how I understood this question. I answered immediately, and this satisfied him. He had no more questions. Turning to Mikhail Stepanovich, with his characteristic energy, the bishop said: “Prepare for the council.”

Under Bishop Alexander there was a mandatory requirement: teachers who came from secular institutes and did not have theological education had to graduate from the seminary as an external student and then from the academy. I graduated from the seminary in May 1990, and passed the exams for the academy the following academic year. In the fall of 1991, he defended his dissertation for the degree of candidate of theology. Since September 1990, I began teaching the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament at the academy, and basic theology at the seminary.

At the end of May 1990, Father Sergius Romanov said that I needed to submit a petition for ordination as a deacon. Again, without any hesitation or doubt, I answered: “Okay.” A few days later I met Archbishop Alexander in the corridor and asked to see me. He asked: “For what reason?” "About ordination." He set a day. When I arrived, he immediately said without any introductory words: “On the day of the Holy Trinity.” Then he added: “Come three days before. Live in a laurel. Pray.”

In September, my second year of teaching at the academy began. Father Sergius says that it is time to file a petition against the priest. And I agreed with the same readiness. Some time has passed. And then one day (it was on Saturday around noon) the Vice-Rector for Educational Work, Archimandrite Venedikt (Knyazev), called me. He said: “Come today to the all-night vigil, tomorrow you will be ordained.” I immediately got ready and went. On Sunday, the week before the Exaltation, between two holidays, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, September 23, I was ordained.

—What was your path to the monastery?

- I was already sixty years old. Gradually he grew old and began to remember his long-standing desire to become a monk. While the children were small, of course, this was out of the question. But now they have grown up. In addition, although I had been a healthy person all my life, a streak of constant illness began. There was one more circumstance: the son joined the army and fought in Chechnya in an offensive group. I think the Lord specifically sent me all these trials, which prompted me to think about the monastic path.

I decided to read the akathist to the Mother of God for 40 days. Before and after the reading, I asked the Most Holy Theotokos to reveal God’s will to me through Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov), since I was then teaching at Sretensky Seminary and he was the only abbot of the monastery with whom I was in close contact. And the Mother of God fulfilled my request exactly: ten days later I was walking home from the seminary and walked around the temple on the south side to go to the gates of the monastery. Father Tikhon walked towards me, we said hello, and the first words he said to me were: “When will you move in with us? We have prepared a cell for you.” After that, I returned home and told my wife about what happened. Mother told me that this is the will of God. She added: “I feel good only when you feel good. If you feel good in the monastery, then do it, and I will be patient.” A month later I arrived at Sretensky Monastery. I took monastic vows in April 2005.

— You have been teaching in theological schools for many years, and you yourself came to receive theological education, already being a candidate of philosophical sciences. What changes do you see in the system of education and training of future pastors?

— For me this is a very important and even painful topic. Under Archbishop Alexander, they talked a lot about the moral state of students and the quality of teaching. Structural transformations by themselves cannot increase the level of spiritual education. After all, as Hieromartyr Hilarion (Trinity) said, theological schools are strong in tradition and closeness to the Church.

The most serious difficulty is that students come to the seminary not from some desert island, but from the world around us, from our sick society, affected by many ailments. Some lack not only Christian, but also general education. It is impossible to re-educate a person who entered the seminary at the age of 18 in five years of study; he already has a fully formed spiritual appearance. And life in the hostel is such that sometimes they don’t take the best from each other. All this leads to the fact that some seminarians very easily fall under the influence of the spirit of the times. This then affects their service. Most often, this manifests itself in the desire to combine high service to God and people with service to oneself, without missing the opportunity to acquire something or make friends among wealthy people. This is where I see the serious consequences of the destruction of traditions.

— For several years, you ran the “Questions to the Priest” column on the Pravoslavie.ru website, which was in great demand and helped many people come to the Church. What place did this project occupy among your priestly obediences?

— The column was created in 2000, even before my arrival at the Sretensky Monastery. At this time I taught the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament at Sretensky Theological Seminary. Then the editors of the Pravoslavie.ru website often asked me to answer some letters. Then I became a resident of our monastery and my participation in the column became regular. Along with fulfilling priestly duties, answering “questions to the priest” became my main obedience. It must be said that preparing and publishing answers to questions on the site was only a small part of the work. The number of letters gradually increased. The overwhelming majority of the letters that arrived were purely personal, and the answers were sent to the authors at their address. It’s difficult to say how many responses were sent because I never counted. Maybe more than 10,000. Time passed. The Pravoslavie.ru website has become the most visited of all religious portals. In recent years, 1500-1800 letters arrived per month, and during Lent and on holidays the number of letters doubled. Answers to questions that were of general spiritual interest were posted on the site. Hieromonk Zosima (Melnik) and I answered personal letters together. Young and energetic, he took the lion's share of the letters himself, for which I am grateful to him.

When you manage to help someone, you always feel joy. But I also had constant pain. Most of the letters remained unanswered: it is impossible to give more than what you have. The growing flow of letters literally overwhelmed us. This obedience greatly limited my monastic work, for which I will have to answer to the Lord at the Judgment. By this time, there were about 1,370 answers in the archive of the “Questions to the Priest” section. Therefore, the acceptance of letters was stopped. Now I spend more time communicating with parishioners in person. Our parish numbers about 900 people.

— What do you get asked most often? What questions are you most excited about?

— The invisible audience with whom I had to communicate was very heterogeneous. Many of the letter writers had experience of spiritual life. They asked to explain a certain passage from the Holy Scriptures, to give a theological assessment of some work or cultural phenomenon. For example, one of the letter writers was interested in the Orthodox attitude to Dante’s Divine Comedy. Another asked to comment from the point of view of Orthodox spirituality on the image of the holy fool in “Boris Godunov” by A.S. Pushkin. For example, there was a question: how to relate to the work of the religious philosopher Lev Karsavin. Answers to such questions later made up an entire section of my book “A Thousand Questions for a Priest.”

Many letters arrived from those who had recently come to the Church. Having encountered the first difficulties in their spiritual life, they asked for pastoral help. Almost everyone who comes to faith at a conscious age has problems in relationships with loved ones who are far from faith. The authors of these letters asked for advice on how to act in a difficult, sometimes painful life situation.

My greatest joy was receiving letters from people who asked me to help them enter the temple. Sometimes these letters were very short and simple: “I have never confessed, please advise me what to do.” And I always, no matter how busy I was, no matter how many letters came, I tried to be sure to answer these questions, because it was noticeable that something significant was emerging in a person’s soul, the Lord awakened some kind of sprout of faith that could easily wither , if you don't take care of it. You feel some kind of reverent affection for such a person. I tried to answer these letters in great detail, despite any degree of fatigue.

— Were there any letters that upset you or caused anxiety?

“Having lived thirty years in a very happy marriage, it’s always hard for me to hear about family troubles, which often end in the breakup of the family.” This is a tragedy. Elder Paisiy Svyatogorets said: “The only value in life is family. Once the family perishes, the world perishes. Show your love to your family first.” And he also said: “When the family is destroyed, everything will be destroyed: both the clergy and monasticism.” It seems that the family was literally crushed by the vices and sins of our sick society. It is hard to see that the state makes no attempt to curb the corrupting effects of television, radio, the Internet, and the low-quality press. Unfortunately, clergy do not impartially remind government officials of their responsibility for the moral health of the people. I am deeply convinced that representatives of the Church at all levels of the hierarchy must maintain a distance from power. Otherwise, their conscience becomes bound by earthly relationships.

— This year you turned 70 years old. How are you coping with this age?

— The ideas of ordinary consciousness about old age are extremely primitive. In fact, the Creator has endowed every age with wonderful virtues. The glory of young men is their strength, but the adornment of old men is gray hair (Prov. 20:29). The sacred writer calls gray hair the crown of glory (Prov. 16:31), meaning a person who has chosen the path of righteousness in life. Old age is usually complained about by people who entered old age empty-handed, having not collected spiritual and moral wealth.

In old age you experience the joy that fills a navigator when his ship has completed a dangerous voyage and entered calm coastal waters. There comes that calmness that is known to a person who has been entrusted with difficult work, and he sees that the work has come to an end. Life is a special work that God entrusts to everyone. To want to exchange old age for youth means to be like the king of Corinth, Sisyphus, who almost lifted a heavy stone to the top of the mountain, but it fell. We have to go down and start all over again. I remember in December 1996, when I was teaching at the Moscow Theological Academy, the vice-rector of the academy, Professor Mikhail Stepanovich Ivanov, celebrated his 55th birthday. It was a weekday. During the break between lectures, he treated us (there were several people) to some pastries prepared in our refectory. Speaking about his 55th birthday, he, whose duty was to ensure that students did not get two marks, said: “This is probably the only case when two twos are better than two fives.” I remained silent, but internally did not agree: returning to the age of 22 means rolling down a stone that has already been lifted up the mountain, and then lifting it again for 33 years.

However, old age is different. The Bible contains the expression: died in a good old age (Gen. 25:8; Par. 29:28), full of life (Gen. 25:8; 35:29; Job 42:17), in peace (Luke 2: 29). This refers to those whose lives were righteous and pleasing to God. A person who did not strive to live with God, but spent his days in vain, will not bear fruit in old age. Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap: he who sows to his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life (Gal. 6:7-8).

"Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate"

Publications

Author of more than 110 publications.

Books

1. Gracious Shepherd. Archpriest Valentin Amfitheatrov. M., publishing house of the Moscow Patriarchate, 1998, 63 p.
2. The trial of Jesus Christ. Theological and legal view. M., publication of the Sretensky Monastery, 2002, 112 pp.; 2nd ed. M., 2003, 160 pp.; 3rd ed., M.., 2007, 192 p.
3. Questions for the priest. M., publication of the Sretensky Monastery, 2004, 255 p.
4. Questions for the priest. Book 2. M., edition of the Sretensky Monastery, 2005, 207 p.
5. Questions for the priest. Book 3. M., edition of the Sretensky Monastery, 2005, 238 p.
6. Questions for the priest. Book 4. M., edition of the Sretensky Monastery, 2006, 256 p.
7. Questions for the priest. Book 5. M., edition of the Sretensky Monastery, 2007, 272 p.
8. Questions for the priest. Book 6. M., edition of the Sretensky Monastery, 2008, 272 p.
9. A thousand questions for the priest. M.: Sretensky Monastery Publishing House, 2009, 896 p.
10. The Sacrament of Anointing (unction). M.: Sretensky Monastery Publishing House, 2009, 32 p.
11. Holy baptism. - M., 2011. - 32 p. (Series “Sacraments and Rites”).
12. What is marriage? - M., 2011. - 64 p. — (Series “Sacraments and Rites”).
13. Cross power. - M., 2011. - 48 p. — (Series “Sacraments and Rites”).
14. Sacrament of repentance. - M., 2011. - 64 p. — (Series “Sacraments and Rites”).
15. The spiritual life of a modern Christian in questions and answers. Volume 1., M., Sretensky Monastery, 2011, 496 p. Volume 2.. M., Sretensky Monastery, 2011, 640 p.
16. Law of God, M., Sretensky Monastery, 2014, 584 p. (co-authored with priests Pavel and Alexander Gumerov)

Articles

1. The truth of faith and life. The life and works of the Hieromartyr John Vostorgov. M., publication of the Sretensky Monastery, 2004, 366 p.
2. “If we want to be the salt of the earth...” John of Kronstadt. - Siberian Lights, 1991 No. 5, p. 272—278
3. Three quarters of academic theology (Spiritual heritage of the Additions to the works of the Holy Fathers" and "Theological Bulletin"). - Bogoslosky Herald. M., 1993. [T.] 1. No. 1-2, p. 21 - 39. .
4. Right and Truth [the trial of Jesus Christ]. — Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. M., 1993. No. 5. p. 57 - 74.
5. Good sowing. Russian writer Alexandra Nikolaevna Bakhmeteva. — In the book: A. N. Bakhmeteva. Stories for children about the earthly life of the Savior and Lord our God Jesus Christ, M., 2010.
6. Guardian of church tradition. — In the collection: “The Lord is my strength. In memory of Archbishop Alexander (Timofeev)", Saratov: Saratov Metropolitan Publishing House, 2013, p. 88 - 93.
7. Image of Heavenly Fatherhood. - “Orthodoxy and Modernity”, 2014, No. 27 (43).
8. A clergyman's handbook. M., 1994. (Articles in the section “Dictionary of Preachers”): Archbishop Ambrose (Klyucharyov)
9. Archpriest Valentin Nikolaevich Amfitheatrov
10. Metropolitan Anthony (Vadkovsky)
11. Archpriest Alexy Vasilievich Belotsvetov
12. Professor Archpriest Alexander Adreevich Vetelev
13. Bishop Vissarion (Nechaev)
14. Archpriest Pyotr Viktorovich Gnedich
15. Metropolitan Gregory (Chukov)
16. Archbishop Dimitri (Muretov)
17. Bishop John (Sokolov)
18. Archpriest John Vasilievich Levanda
19. Metropolitan Macarius (Bulgakov)
20. Metropolitan Macarius (Nevsky)
21. Archbishop Nikanor (Brovkovich)
22. Archbishop Nikolai (Ziorov)
23. Metropolitan Nikolai (Yarushevich)
24. Archpriest Vasily Ioannovich Nordov
25. Metropolitan Platon (Levshin)
26. Archpriest Rodion Timofeevich Putyatin
27. Priest Mikhail Dimitrievich Smirnov
28. Archpriest Petr Alekseevich Smirov
29. Archpriest Pyotr Aleksanrovich Sollertinsky
30. Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk
31. Metropolitan Filaret (Amphitheaters)
32. Archbishop Filaret (Gumilevsky)

Co-authored with priest Pavel Gumerov

1. Everlasting memory. Orthodox burial rite and commemoration of the dead. M., Publishing House of the Russian Orthodox Church, 2009, 160 p. - 2nd revised edition, M.. 2011.
2. Christian's house. Traditions and shrines. M.: Sretensky Monastery Publishing House, 2010, 63 p.

Scientific publications

1. Systemic-semiotic invariants of culture. — In the book: System Research. - M., 1982, pp. 383-395.
2. Methodological problems of system analysis of an organization. In the collection: “Philosophical and methodological foundations of systemic research. System analysis and system modeling. M.: Nauka, 1983. pp. 97-113.
3. Development and organization. In the collection: “System Concepts of Development”, M., 1985. Issue 4., pp. 70-75.
4. Global tasks and problems of “universal ethics”. — In the collection: The concept of global problems of our time. - M., 1985.
5. Ecological values ​​in the cultural system. In the collection: System research. Methodological problems. Yearbook, 1988. -M.: Nauka, 1989. - P.210 - 224.
6. Philosophical and anthropological problems of ecology. — In the collection: Ecology, culture, education. M., 1989. P. 96-100.

Notes[ | ]

1. ↑ 12
   “It is impossible to help a person without love,” ZhMP, 2012, No. 6, p. 50
2. Gumerov, Shamil Abilkhairovich. System analysis of the mechanism of change in social organization: Abstract of thesis. for the degree of candidate of philosophical sciences. (09.00.01) / USSR Academy of Sciences. Institute of Philosophy. — Moscow: [b. i.], 1973. - 20 p.
3. Monastic tonsure was performed at Sretensky Monastery // Pravoslavie.Ru, 04/05/2005
4. On Holy Monday, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrated the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts at the Donskoy Stavropegic Monastery. // Patriarchia.Ru
5. Priest Alexander Shamilevich Gumerov. Official website of PSTGU.

Family[ | ]

• Father, Abilkhair Gumerovich, (1913-1996) was the head of the radio communication service at the Ufa airport.
• Mother, Nagima Khasanovna, nee Iskindirova, (1915-1999) worked as an accountant. In January 1996 she was baptized with the name Nina.
• The eldest son Pavel (born in June 1974) is an archpriest and rector of the Church of the Blessed Princes Peter and Fevronia in Maryino.
• The second son Alexander (born in July 1979) is a priest of the Church of the Holy Trinity in Khokhlovsky Lane, a teacher of the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament at PSTGU[5]. Married to the daughter of sociologist Leonid Blekher.
• Daughter Nadezhda graduated from the St. Demetrius School of Sisters of Mercy, currently lives in Australia, married to engineer Pyotr Ivlenkov.

Links

• [www.pravoslavie.ru/authors/507.htm HIEROMONCH JOB (GUMEROV)] Publications on the website “Orthodoxy.Ru”
• [www.jmp.ru/archiv/Jmp_6_2012_small.pdf It is impossible to help a person without love] // Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate - No. 6. - 2012. - P. 49-54.
• [www.nsad.ru/index.php?issue=36§ion=9999&article=470 The rule is not for everyone]
• [www.pravoslavie.ru/sm/46552.htm Conversation with Hieromonk Job (Gumerov) about how he became a priest]

Work on the canonization of saints

In 1997-2002, on behalf of the clergy, he prepared materials for the canonization of saints. Among them are canonized: Righteous Matrona of Moscow, Metropolitan Macarius (Nevsky), Archbishop Seraphim (Samoilovich) of Uglich, Bishop Gregory (Lebedev), Archpriest John Vostorgov, Martyr Nikolai Varzhansky, Bishop Nikita (Pribytkov) of Belevsky, Archpriest Neophyt Lyubimov, Archpriest Sergius Goloshchapov, Archimandrite Ignatius (Lebedev), Hieroschemamonk Aristocles (Amvrosiev), Mikhail Novoselov, Anna Zertsalova, Schema-nun Augusta (Zashchuk) and others.

He also collected materials for the canonization of Archpriest Valentin Amfitheatrov, the ascetic of piety of the Moscow Ioannovsky Monastery nun Dosithea, the elder of the Novospassky Monastery Hieroschemamonk Filaret (Pulyashkin), the murdered Grand Duke Sergius Alexandrovich, the spiritual writer Evgeniy Poselyanin. However, the Synodal Commission for Canonization did not make a decision on their glorification.