ANATOLY
St. Anatoly (Potapov)
St. Anatoly (Potapov) (Potapov Alexander Alekseevich; 02/15/1855, Moscow - 08/12/1922, Optina empty), Venerable. (memorial July 30, Oct. 11 - in the Cathedral of the Optina Elders), Optina. Genus. in a merchant family, before entering the monastery he was engaged in trade and served as a clerk in Kaluga. The mother did not want to let her son go to the monastery, and only after her death, in 1885, A. A. Potapov entered Optina as a novice in honor of the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy One. The Virgin Mary is empty. He was assigned to the St. John the Baptist monastery as the cell attendant of St. Ambrose (Grenkov) together with the monk St. Nectarius (Tikhonov). Apr 23 In 1888 he was tonsured into the ryassophore, and on June 3, 1895 he became a monk with the name A. in honor of St. Anatoly, Patriarch of Poland. July 5, 1899 Kaluga bishop. Makariy (Troitsky) ordained a hierodeacon, on March 26, 1906 he was ordained a hieromonk, by decree of the Kaluga Consistory of March 6, 1906 he was appointed confessor of Shamordinsky in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God of Women. mon-rya. In 1908, after the death of the confessor, Optina was empty. hieroschema Savva, A. was transferred from the monastery to the monastery, to a cell at the Vladimir Church.
A., receiving first of all the laity, treated people with great love: he was always friendly, affectionate, and cordial. He acquired the spiritual gifts of insight, love, comfort and healing; the elder helped the sick in secret, sending them to the spring of St. Paphnutius Borovsky or to the grave of St. Ambrose. In 1914, the leader came to A. for spiritual conversations. Kng. mts. Elisaveta Feodorovna. Over the years, famous people turned to him for advice. clergy: archbishop. Seraphim (Sobolev), bishop. Tryphon (Turkestan), Archpriest. Valentin Sventsitsky, schmch. prot. Nikolai Zagorovsky, priest. Pavel Florensky.
In 1921, A. was arrested and sent to Kaluga; on the way he fell ill and was mistakenly placed in a typhoid hospital. Returning to the monastery, in the summer of 1921 he accepted the schema. Aug 11 1922, when they came to arrest him again, A. asked to wait until the morning to get ready “to go,” he prayed all night, and by morning he went to the Lord in prayer. The funeral service took place in the Kazan Cathedral in Optina Pust. A. was buried behind the Vvedensky Cathedral, next to St. Ambrose.
On July 26-27, 1996, A. was canonized as a locally revered saint in the Cathedral of the Optina Elders. The Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church in 2000 glorified him for church-wide veneration. On July 10, 1998, the relics of A. were found together with other venerable Optina elders; A.’s relics rest in the Vladimir Church of Optina Pust.
Mon. Ekaterina (Filippova)
Life of the Venerable Optina Elder Anatoly the Elder (1824 - 1894)
Our Reverend Father Anatoly (in the world Alexei Moiseevich Zertsalov) was born on March 6, 1824 in the family of a deacon who served in the church of the village of Bobyli, Kaluga province. The parents raised their son in severity and piety. He grew up quiet, meek and inquisitive. He was distinguished by his special kindness, loved to go to the temple of God and there he always stood decorously next to his mother.
After graduating from the Kaluga Theological Seminary, Alexey entered service in the Treasury Chamber, but soon fell ill with consumption. In those days, consumption was considered a fatal disease, and Alexey made a vow: if he recovered, he would enter a monastery. The Lord gave him life. In July 1853, having asked for his parents' blessing, he came to Optina Pustyn. Elder Macarius said to the mother of the future monk: “Blessed are you, good woman, on what a good path you have sent your son!” The Venerable Elder Macarius with his spiritual gaze saw in the young man who had again come from the vain world a special zeal for salvation and therefore with great love began to guide his spiritual life .
On November 17, 1862, Alexey was tonsured into a mantle with the name Anatoly.
The young monk had to endure many sorrows and hardships. His wise mentor, the Monk Macarius, did not take these sorrows away from his disciple in order to create in him a good monastic dispensation and temper his spirit in patience.
Seeing in him a special disposition to the feat of prayer, the Elder himself began to teach him the Jesus Prayer. When the Monk Macarius left the monastery, he blessed Fr. Anatoly refers to Elder Ambrose. So the future great prayer book and elder went through the Jesus Prayer under the guidance of both elders: Macarius and Ambrose, being in complete obedience to them. Therefore, the spiritual growth of Fr. Anatolia was fast and significant.
In 1866 he was ordained to the rank of hierodeacon, and in 1870 to the rank of hieromonk. Elder Ambrose, seeing that Fr. Anatoly had already reached a level of high spiritual dispensation and began to introduce him to the labors of old age.
In 1871, the Monk Anatoly received the appointment of rector of the Spaso-Orlovsky Monastery and was elevated to the rank of archimandrite. But love for his native Optina and Elder Ambrose forced him to refuse the honorary appointment. The Monk Ambrose asked him first to be his assistant, then to become the dean of the Skete. In 1874, for obedience to the Elder, the Monk Anatoly accepted the position of monastery commander. Elder Ambrose also entrusted him with the care of the newly created Shamordino women's monastery. The monk often told the sisters: “I rarely take you to my place (for a conversation), because I am calm about you: you are with Father Anatoly.”
Having taken charge of Shamordin, he was involved in all aspects of the sisters’ lives, he himself taught them the rules of worship, the monastic prayer rule, the five hundred, and church singing. For twenty-one years he was a devoted, endlessly loving father and mentor to the nuns of Shamordin.
Elder Anatoly put all the power of his love and prayer into his difficult spiritual work. For his children, he was a sensitive father, a demanding teacher, a treasure of wisdom, faith and special Easter joy.
The Monk Ambrose himself testified to the great power of Elder Anatoly’s prayer; “He was given such prayer and grace as is given to one out of a thousand.” At the same time, he was not only a doer of prayer, but also its teacher and mentor for many, many monks and nuns.
The Monk Anatoly possessed all the fullness of the gifts of the Holy Spirit: the gift of insight, spiritual reasoning, healing of mental and physical ailments. With a few words, filled with love and spiritual experience, he knew how to console a grieving soul, carefully warn about upcoming trials, tell a person the most important things, strengthen and support.
His fatherly, loving and at the same time firm pastoral care raised such great elders of Optina Pustyn in recent times as Schema-Archimandrite Barsanuphius and Hieroschemamonk Nektarios. He was especially concerned about acquiring such virtues for monastics as patience, or better yet, long-suffering without murmuring of all sorrows, humility and revelation of thoughts. He instructed his monastic children: “Stick to the traditions of your fathers; “Monasticism is above all sciences, it teaches heavenly angelic life; “The image of true monasticism is sincere humility, and Saint Isaac the Syrian calls humility the garment of the Divine.
About prayer he said: “We must pray in such a way that between the soul of the person praying and God there is nothing and no one, only God and the soul.
The Monk Anatoly was very simple in his approach: he would cheerfully and jokingly tell something, but in these stories he would aptly expose someone’s sinful thoughts or shortcomings. He had sincere love for everyone, was very trusting and, treating everyone simply, did not suspect deception in anyone. Elder Ambrose said about him: “This is an Israeli, there is no flattery in him.
Having become seriously ill, Elder Anatoly secretly accepted the schema on December 15, 1893 and received the Holy Mysteries until the last day of his life.
On January 25/February 7, 1894, the Venerable Elder Anatoly rested quietly while reading the funeral service.
The entire life of St. Anatoly, a great and gracious man of prayer, confessor and elder, mentor of many souls, was always illuminated by the light of faith, true obedience and humility. So now, after his departure from earthly life, the great man of prayer, the constant worker of the heartfelt Jesus Prayer, the Monk Anatoly remains for us an indispensable mentor and teacher of prayer, and continues to intercede for the salvation of our souls before the Throne of God.
Parents' prayer builds children's homes
The Monk Anatoly was born, in the world Alexey Kopiev, in 1824 in the family of a deacon who served in the church of the village of Bobyli, Kaluga province, and was named in holy baptism in honor of Saint Alexy, the man of God. Like many Optina elders, he was brought up in severity and piety, justifying the words: “The prayer of parents builds the homes of children.”
When Alexey was five years old, his father began teaching his son to read and write. He grew up as a smart and capable child and very soon learned the alphabet, after which they began to teach him to read the Book of Hours and the Psalter.
The boy loved to go to God's temple and stood decorously next to his mother. The father wanted his son to read in the choir, but he did not have to do this: the boy had a very quiet and weak voice. At home, the book was his constant companion. Being inquisitive and cheerful, he was also distinguished by his kindness towards others. Whether they give him gifts or toys, he will soon distribute everything to his sisters, then to other children he knows.
Studying at theological school and seminary
The parents wanted to see their son become a monk and at the age of eight they sent him to study at the Borovsk Theological School. After four years of study, Alexey successfully graduated from this school, and then studied at the seminary in Kaluga. The young man was not particularly healthy. In seminary, he often suffered from insomnia. At such moments, especially in the spring, he sat on the window, and even then more than once his thought was carried away to the quiet monastic monasteries. In his free hours, he often went beyond Kaluga to Mount Vyrku. There he sat for a long time alone in his thoughts.
At the age of fourteen, due to illness, he missed a year of study, and then almost went to the hermits in the Roslavl forests, among these hermits were the future Optina monks Moses and Anthony. He had already moved several miles away from Kaluga, but a strong thunderstorm arose and heavy rain began to fall, and he returned back, seeing in these manifestations of the formidable forces of nature a revelation of God’s disapproval on his path. He completed the seminary course as the third student, and in the seminary he was given a different surname, Zertsalova, and a wide field of life opened up before him, so attractive to young souls.
Modesty and Humility
The humble Father Anatoly accepted all assignments out of obedience to his beloved elder, and never became vain about his power. He himself later said that after his appointment as dean, many did not know about this for a long time. One day he was walking and saw that the brothers were doing something wrong. Father Anatoly reprimanded him, and in response they asked him a question: what do you care? And they were very embarrassed when someone came up and told them that it was the dean. They began to ask for forgiveness and for him not to tell the archimandrite.
Father Anatoly did not tell Father Archimandrite, and in general, before reporting any of the brethren’s misdeeds to the boss, he asked Father Ambrose for advice. In general, he did not like to exhibit, and did not demand honor for himself. And for a very long time, being already a hieromonk, he continued to receive the hierodeacon’s tea share.
Blessed are you, kind woman, for sending your son on such a good path!
His parents blessed the young man to take the monastic path; he was twenty-nine years old at that time. Educated, well-behaved, meek and diligent, he was received with love by his father, Archimandrite Moses. Elder Macarius said to the mother of the future monk: “Blessed are you, good woman, for sending your son on such a good path!” From that day on, the Venerable Elder Macarius began to guide the spiritual life of the young novice. He fell in love with him and taught him the Jesus Prayer himself. The young novice went far into the forest and prayed there in solitude.
Modest and strict in life
After graduating from the seminary, the young man was offered several priestly positions, but the Lord judged him to have a different lot. In the meantime, he lived at home, served in the Treasury Chamber, and went on pilgrimages. With sister Anna, they visited St. Sergius of Radonezh, then stopped at Khotkovo, where they liked it so much that the young man persuaded his sister to enter this monastery. The young, eighteen-year-old girl obeyed her brother, and her mother joyfully blessed her. Subsequently, Father Anatoly, who highly valued such obedience of his sister and cared for her all her life, transferred her to Shamordino, where she, five years after the death of her brother-mentor, died in the schema with the name of Augusta.
And he himself served for some time in the Treasury Chamber. Receiving a salary, he shared it with his family, was still modest and strict in life, loved and respected by everyone. Handsome in appearance, neat in his clothes, even in character, he was a consolation for his relatives when he came to them. His mother also visited him often and always heard a lot of praise for her son. He avoided public entertainment, and if he was visiting, he had a large selection, and there he brought a good spirit.
One day he was visiting a friend, where something strange was happening in the apartment: things were flying and the like, which was witnessed by the guest, who advised him to serve a prayer service to get rid of these phenomena. They listened to him, and these cases stopped.
The young man continued to think about monasticism. He often and diligently went to pray to God in churches, and when his mother came in the morning, she always did not find him: he left for early mass. He loved to go to the cathedral, he stood up to hear better in front, but when new pilgrims came, he moved away and, finally, always ended up at the door, giving space to others.
Lessons in Patience
Then Alexei had to live in a tower. At first he lived with the monk Father Macarius (Struchkov), and then with another forty-year-old monk who did not recognize old age. From not getting enough sleep, from uncomfortable rooms and unusual work, the young novice began to have a very bad headache. Sometimes he lay for days with a sore head, and there was no one to give him water; often remained without food when he could not go to meals. And below in the tower there was a place where they chopped wood. This knock further aggravated the patient’s position.
He often came to Father Ambrose; he is busy and does not accept him, and does not order him to leave. The monk endured the lesson of patience, but often returned to his place after midnight; and before he has time to go to bed, they wake him up for the morning service. After the black obediences, he was given choir obedience, but he was not here for long. When he began to sing in the choir, he, being tall, so as not to cover the notes, was kicked out of the choir by the regent. He ordered them to watch and sing from there, and Alexei obeyed. Then the simple regent became angry with the new singer because he, as an expert in singing, sometimes gave him business instructions, and complained about him to the rector.
Alexei was sent to the forge. This obedience was hard for him; the bench was small, narrow and short, and he was tall. He lies down, covers his head with a scroll, his feet are cold; my feet are covered, my head is cold. Through these seemingly small, but very serious griefs, a spirit of humility and patience, meekness and firmness of spirit was developed in the young novice.
What did Father Anatoly say?
As a confessor and monastery director, the Monk Anatoly lovingly cared for the brethren, not only about their spiritual progress, but also about their everyday needs. When Father Ambrose was contacted about the affairs of the monastery, he sent everyone to Father Anatoly, to his boss, as he called him. And Father Anatoly sent his spiritual children on all important issues to Father Ambrose for advice. Elder Ambrose always asked in such cases: “What did Father Anatoly say?” And I always took his opinion into account. Thus, unanimity and love reigned between the two elders.
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Weigh their destinies
Perhaps Alexei’s path to Optina would have been longer, but the Lord, “by their own destinies,” made this path more direct and faster. The young man sought understanding in prayer and waited for a clearer indication of the will of God, which is what happened. And it happened, as always, imperceptibly and naturally: just as the Lord appeared to Elijah not in a thunderstorm and a storm, but in a quiet breeze, so here the will of God for his entry into the monastery approached in the ordinary circumstances of his life.
Alexey falls ill with tuberculosis, in those days this disease was considered fatal. Two fellow officials fell ill with him. And the young man made a vow: if he recovered, he would enter a monastic monastery. His comrades soon both died, and the future Optina elder recovered. Upon recovery, he refused to serve. “To him who loves God, all things work for the good,” and now Alexei was lovingly received in 1853 by the rector and elder of Optina, the Venerable Moses.
