20th of March. Great Lent. Venerable Paul the Simple

This Paul was a farmer in one village. He was an unlearned man, but his soul was very simple and kind. He married a woman with a beautiful face, but bad in soul and behavior; For a long time she led an adulterous life secretly from her husband. One day, returning home from work, Paul found his wife with someone else. Then, smiling a little, he said to the adulterer:

- Good good! I don't pay any attention to it at all. I call on Jesus Christ as a witness that I no longer want to live with her. Now you have it, so feed the children, and I will leave and become a monk.

And immediately, leaving everything, Paul left the house; He said nothing to anyone, and did not reproach his vicious wife at all, but silently went into the desert. There he came to the Monk Anthony the Great 1 and knocked on the door of his cell. Anthony asked him:

- What do you want?

Paul answered:

- I want to be a monk.

Anthony, seeing that he was already old, said to him:

“You, old man, are already about 60 years old; you cannot be a monk; return to the village again and do your work, thanking God; but you will not be able to endure desert labor and endure temptations.

But Paul answered:

- Father! I am ready to do everything that you command.

Anthony, not listening to him, said:

- I told you that you are old and can no longer be a monk. Get out of here. And if you want to be a monk, then go to a monastery where there are many brethren who can bear your infirmities; but I live here alone and eat nothing for five days; therefore you cannot live with me.

Having said this, Anthony closed the doors and did not leave his cell for three days. But the elder remained near the cell all this time, without leaving anywhere. On the fourth day, Anthony opened the door and again saw Paul and, in order to force him to leave, said:

- Get out of here, old man. Why are you bothering me? I told you that you can't stay here.

“I’ll die here instead of leaving,” the elder answered.

Anthony, seeing that the old man had neither bread nor water, and that he had been left without food for the fourth day, thought to himself: “This old man, not accustomed to fasting for so long, may die of hunger, and my soul will suffer for him.” sin". Therefore he agreed to keep him and said:

“You can be saved if you are obedient and do what I command you.”

Paul replied:

“Father, I am ready to do everything that you tell me.”

Anthony, testing him, said:

“Stay and pray in this place until I come and bring you what you need to work on.”

Leaving Paul, Anthony entered the cave.

For a whole week he did not go out to see him, but secretly watched him through the window and saw him all that time standing motionless day and night in one place.

Then, leaving the cell, Anthony brought date branches to the elder and, dipping them in water, said to him:

“Weave, old man, a rope the same way I weave.”

And Paul wove the rope until the ninth hour and with great difficulty wove fifteen lacteas. 2. Anthony, having looked at the work, said:

“You braided it badly, unbraid it and weave it again.”

And it was already the seventh day that he had not given him anything to eat. Nevertheless, Anthony did this in order to remove Paul from himself, for he thought that he would leave him without passing the test. But Paul continued with great difficulty to unravel the rope and braid it again; and no matter how hungry he was, he was not at all upset or complained. Then Anthony took pity on him, and so, when the sun was already setting, he said to Paul:

- Elder, would you like to taste a little bread?

“As you wish, father,” answered Pavel.

Anthony was moved by these words of Paul, who, even suffering from hunger, was in no hurry to satisfy it with bread, but surrendered to the will of Anthony.

They ate a little bread and water and, rising from the table, thanked the Lord.

Saint Anthony also tested Paul in prayers, staying up whole nights and singing psalms with many bows, but in this too Paul turned out to be patient and cheerful.

Once, when they were eating food, Anthony ordered Paul to taste more than he himself had eaten, for he pitied him as he was still unaccustomed to strict fasting.

But he answered:

- If you, father, will eat more, then I will too.

“It’s enough for me,” said Anthony, “because I’m a monk.”

And Paul answered:

“And that’s enough for me, because I want to be a monk.”

And Paul always did everything that Anthony commanded him.

One day Anthony ordered clothes to be sewn for him; When Paul sewed it together, Anthony said:

“You sewed it poorly.” Rip it apart and sew it again.

And he ordered the stitched one to be ripped open and sewn again.

Anthony did all this in order to test Paul’s patience and obedience. And he did not grumble at all about this, but with zeal and diligence he carried out all the commands of Anthony.

Finally, Anthony became convinced of Paul’s ability to live in the desert and said to him:

“Now you have already become a monk in the name of the Lord Jesus.”

And Anthony ordered him to live alone, making a cell for him at a distance of four stone throws from his own. And blessed Paul stayed near Saint Anthony in that separate cell, working day and night in monastic deeds; for this he received from God power over unclean spirits in order to cast them out and heal ailments.

Once a young man was brought to Saint Anthony who had within himself an unclean spirit, very evil and strong, one of the princes of darkness, who blasphemed God.

But Anthony said:

“This is none of my business, for I have not received from God power over the strongest demons, but simple Paul has this gift.” And he went with the young man to Paul and said to him:

- Abba Pavel! cast out the unclean spirit from this young man, so that the young man can return to his home healthy, praising God.

But Paul said:

- And you, father, why didn’t you expel him?

Anthony replied:

“I have one urgent matter and that’s why I brought him to you.”

And, leaving the possessed youth and Paul, Anthony left. And Paul, having prayed to God, said to the demon:

- Devil! Abba Anthony orders you to leave this man.

The devil answered with abuse:

“I won’t go out, you all-evil and deceitful old man.” Then Paul, taking the skin in which he walked, began to beat him, saying:

“Come out,” Saint Anthony commanded you.

But the devil did not want to come out. Then Paul said:

- Either you go out, or I will pray to Christ and it will be bad for you.

But the demon, blaspheming Christ, said:

- I won’t go out.

Then Paul became angry with the demon, and at noon, when in Egypt the sun was burning like a fiery furnace, he climbed onto a stone and stood on it like a motionless pillar, calling out to Christ:

- Lord Jesus Christ, crucified under Pontius Pilate! You know that I will not come down from this stone, even if I have to die on it, and I will not eat either bread or water until You hear me and cast out the demon from this young man.

While he was still saying this, the demon began to shout:

“I go out and go out and don’t know where I’ll be.” And leaving the youth, the demon turned into a large serpent, 70 lacs long, and settled in the Red Sea 4. So Saint Paul defeated the devil with his simplicity and humility; for people cast out the weakest demons by the power of faith, and people defeat the rulers of the princes of demons by the power of humility, like this Saint Paul.

Blessed Paul also had the gift of insight. Once, having entered one monastery, he stood at the church, observing who entered it with what thought. It was vespers and everyone entered the church with a joyful face and an enlightened soul, and with each of them a guardian angel entered with joy. One brother went to church with a gloomy face, an embittered soul, being surrounded by demons, each of which attracted him to himself; His guardian angel followed at a distance, despondent and weeping. Seeing this, the saint was saddened and greatly grieved for his dead brother; Out of great sadness, Saint Paul did not enter the church, but sat outside it weeping. When the church service ended, all the brethren left the same as they entered, and the Divine light illuminated them. Paul also saw the one who had been gloomy before; and now his face shone like the face of an angel, and the grace of the Holy Spirit overshadowed him, and his guardian angel joyfully held his hand; The demon was sobbing from afar and did not dare to even get a little closer to him.

Seeing such a rapid change that had happened to his brother, the blessed one was delighted and, stopping him, told those around him what he had seen and then asked his brother about the reason for his sudden change.

He, seeing himself convicted by God's revelation, in the presence of all the people, told everything about himself:

“I am,” he said, “very sinful: I have lived for many years until this day in lawlessness.” Entering the church today, I heard that they were reading the book of the prophet Isaiah, or better, God Himself, through the prophet saying: “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; remove your evil deeds from before my eyes; learn to do good: and though your sins be as scarlet, they will be as white as snow” (Isa. 1:16-18) 5. Hearing this, I was touched in my soul, spiritual eyes were opened in me, and, realizing my wickedness and wickedness, I with contrition he said in his soul to God: “You, Lord, came into the world to save sinners, as you told me through your prophet today; fulfill this with me, a sinner, in practice. For I vow from now on, with Your help, not only not to do any harm to anyone, but also to abandon all lawlessness and serve You, Master, with a clear conscience; Only You Yourself accept me repentant and do not reject me who falls to You. With such promises,” he continued, “I left the church, deciding in my heart not to sin again before God.

Hearing this, everyone with a loud voice glorified God, who accepts everyone who turns to Him in repentance.

So perspicacious was Saint Paul, for for his simplicity and gentleness he was filled with the grace of God. And who is more pleasing to God than someone who is kind? “Let integrity and righteousness,” says the Lord through the mouth of the Psalmist, “guard me” (Ps. 24:21).

The monk lived in his holy simplicity for many years and, having performed many miracles, departed to the Lord 6. He who was simple and unlearned on earth has now become the wisest in heaven, more than all the wise men of this world, and with the wise cherubim he contemplates Christ, God Power and Divine Wisdom. For true wisdom consists in fearing God and, in purity of soul and kindness of heart, serving Him and pleasing Him.

Through the prayers, O Lord, of Thy saint, the simple Paul, make us wise in the fulfillment of Thy commandments. Grant that we may have Your fear as the beginning of wisdom, so that out of reverence for You, having turned away from sin, we may do good before You and receive Your mercy forever. Amen.

1 St. Anthony the Great, the first founder of monastic life, an Egyptian by birth, labored on the eastern bank of the Nile River, near Thebaid. There, wearing a hair shirt, eating only herbs and roots, he, in constant labor and prayer, lived 20 years in obscurity, overcoming, by the grace of God, the seducing spirit that troubled him with temptations and fear. Finally, the holiness of life and miracles attracted many ascetics to Anthony in the desert; they settled near him and accepted the rules given by Anthony as a model of life, which was the beginning of monastic life. St. reposed Anthony, 105 years old, in 356. His memory is celebrated on January 17.

2 Lakot or cubit is a measure of length equal to 10.5 vershoks (about half a meter).

3 That is at such a distance from your cell that you can throw a stone four times.

4 The Red Sea, or the so-called Red Sea, is a long, narrow strait of the Indian Ocean that separates the Arabian Peninsula from Egypt and Asia from Africa. The Jews crossed this sea under Moses on their way from Egypt to the Promised Land, i.e. Palestine (Exodus 14).

5 (“Crimson”, i.e. dark red). Those. I will wash away those sinful stains from you, I will completely cleanse you from them (cf. Ps. 50:9). God, out of His mercy towards people, forgives their sins, but under the condition only of sincere repentance and moral correction.

6 Rev. Paul died in the 4th century.

Reprinted from www.ispovednik.ru

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Venerable Paul the Simple

This Paul was a farmer in one village. He was an unlearned man, but his soul was very simple and kind. He married a woman with a beautiful face, but bad in soul and behavior; For a long time she led an adulterous life secretly from her husband. One day, returning home from work, Paul found his wife with someone else. Then, smiling a little, he said to the adulterer:

- Good good! I don't pay any attention to it at all. I call on Jesus Christ as a witness that I no longer want to live with her. Now you have it, so feed the children, and I will leave and become a monk.

And immediately, leaving everything, Paul left the house; He said nothing to anyone and did not reproach his vicious wife at all, but silently went into the desert. There he came to the Monk Anthony the Great[1] and knocked on the door of his cell. Anthony asked him:

- What do you want?

Paul answered:

- I want to be a monk.

Anthony, seeing that he was already old, said to him:

“You, old man, are already about 60 years old; you cannot be a monk; return to the village again and do your work, thanking God; but you will not be able to endure desert labor and endure temptations.

But Paul answered:

- Father! I am ready to do everything that you command.

Anthony, not listening to him, said:

– I told you that you are old and can no longer be a monk. Get out of here. And if you want to be a monk, then go to a monastery where there are many brethren who can bear your infirmities; but I live here alone and eat nothing for five days; therefore you cannot live with me.

Having said this, Anthony closed the doors and did not leave his cell for three days. But the elder remained near the cell all this time, without leaving anywhere. On the fourth day, Anthony opened the door and again saw Paul and, in order to force him to leave, said:

- Get out of here, old man. Why are you bothering me? I told you that you can't stay here.

“I’ll die here instead of leaving,” the elder answered.

Anthony, seeing that the old man had neither bread nor water and that he had been left without food for the fourth day, thought to himself: “This old man, not accustomed to fasting for so long, may die of hunger, and my soul will bear the sin for him.” " Therefore he agreed to keep him and said:

“You can be saved if you are obedient and do what I command you.”

Paul replied:

“Father, I am ready to do everything that you tell me.”

Anthony, testing him, said:

“Stay and pray in this place until I come and bring you what you need to work on.”

Leaving Paul, Anthony entered the cave.

For a whole week he did not go out to see him, but secretly watched him through the window and saw him all that time standing motionless day and night in one place.

Then, leaving the cell, Anthony brought date branches to the elder and, dipping them in water, said to him:

“Weave, old man, a rope the same way I weave.”

And Paul wove the rope until the ninth hour and with great difficulty wove fifteen lactees[2]. Anthony, having looked at the work, said:

“You wove it badly, unravel it and weave it again.”

And it was already the seventh day that he had not given him anything to eat. Nevertheless, Anthony did this in order to remove Paul from himself, for he thought that he would leave him without passing the test. But Paul continued with great difficulty to unravel the rope and braid it again; and no matter how hungry he was, he was not at all upset or complained. Then Anthony took pity on him, and so, when the sun was already setting, he said to Paul:

- Elder, would you like to taste a little bread?

“As you wish, father,” answered Pavel.

Anthony was moved by these words of Paul, who, even suffering from hunger, was in no hurry to satisfy it with bread, but surrendered to the will of Anthony.

They ate a little bread and water and, rising from the table, thanked the Lord.

Saint Anthony also tested Paul in prayers, staying up whole nights and singing psalms with many bows, but in this too Paul turned out to be patient and cheerful.

Once, when they were eating food, Anthony ordered Paul to taste more than he himself had eaten, for he felt sorry for him, as he was not yet accustomed to strict fasting.

But he answered:

- If you, father, will eat more, then I will too.

“It’s enough for me,” said Anthony, “because I’m a monk.”

And Paul answered:

“And that’s enough for me, because I also want to be a monk.”

And Paul always did everything that Anthony commanded him.

One day Anthony ordered clothes to be sewn for him; When Paul sewed it together, Anthony said:

“You sewed it poorly.” Rip it apart and sew it again.

And he ordered the stitched one to be ripped open and sewn again.

Anthony did all this in order to test Paul’s patience and obedience. And he did not grumble at all about this, but with zeal and diligence he carried out all the commands of Anthony.

Finally, Anthony became convinced of Paul’s ability to live in the desert and said to him:

“Now you have already become a monk in the name of the Lord Jesus.”

And Anthony ordered him to live alone, making a cell for him at a distance of four stone throws [3] from his own. And blessed Paul stayed near Saint Anthony in that separate cell, working day and night in monastic deeds; for this he received from God power over unclean spirits in order to cast them out and heal ailments.

Once a young man was brought to Saint Anthony who had within himself an unclean spirit, very evil and strong, one of the princes of darkness, who blasphemed God.

But Anthony said:

“This is not my business, for I have not received from God power over the strongest demons, but Paul the Simple has this gift.”

And he went with the young man to Paul and said to him:

- Abba Pavel! cast out the unclean spirit from this young man, so that the young man can return to his home healthy, praising God.

But Paul said:

- And you, father, why didn’t you expel him?

Anthony replied:

“I have one urgent matter and that’s why I brought him to you.”

And, leaving the possessed youth and Paul, Anthony left. And Paul, having prayed to God, said to the demon:

- Devil! Abba Anthony orders you to leave this man.

The devil answered with abuse:

“I won’t go out, you all-evil and deceitful old man.”

Then Paul, taking the skin in which he walked, began to beat him, saying:

“Come out,” Saint Anthony commanded you.

But the devil did not want to come out. Then Paul said:

“Either you go out, or I will pray to Christ and it will be bad for you.”

But the demon, blaspheming Christ, said:

- I won’t go out.

Then Paul became angry with the demon and at noon, when in Egypt the sun was burning like a fiery furnace, he climbed onto a stone and stood on it like a motionless pillar, calling out to Christ:

– Lord Jesus Christ, crucified under Pontius Pilate! You know that I will not come down from this stone, even if I have to die on it, and I will not eat either bread or water until You hear me and cast out the demon from this young man.

While he was still saying this, the demon began to shout:

“I go out and go out and don’t know where I’ll be.”

And leaving the young man, the demon turned into a large serpent, 70 cubits long, and settled in the Red Sea[4]. So Saint Paul defeated the devil with his simplicity and humility; for people cast out the weakest demons by the power of faith, and people defeat the rulers of the princes of demons by the power of humility, like this Saint Paul.

Blessed Paul also had the gift of insight. Once, having entered one monastery, he stood at the church, observing who entered it with what thought. It was vespers and everyone entered the church with a joyful face and an enlightened soul, and with each of them the Guardian Angel entered with joy. One brother went to church with a gloomy face, an embittered soul, being surrounded by demons, each of which attracted him to himself; His Guardian Angel followed in the distance, despondent and weeping. Seeing this, the saint was saddened and greatly grieved for his dead brother; Out of great sadness, Saint Paul did not enter the church, but sat outside it weeping. When the church service ended, all the brethren left the same as they entered, and the Divine light illuminated them. Paul also saw the one who had been gloomy before; and now his face shone like the face of an Angel, and the grace of the Holy Spirit overshadowed him, and the Guardian Angel joyfully supported his hand; The demon was sobbing from afar and did not dare to even get a little closer to him.

Seeing such a rapid change that had happened to his brother, the blessed one was delighted and, stopping him, told those around him what he had seen and then asked his brother about the reason for his sudden change.

He, seeing himself convicted by God's revelation, told everything about himself in the presence of all the people:

“I am,” he said, “very sinful: I have lived for many years until this day in lawlessness.” Entering the church today, I heard that they were reading the book of the prophet Isaiah, or better, God Himself, through the prophet saying: “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; remove your evil deeds from before my eyes; learn to do good: and though your sins be as scarlet, they will be as white as snow” (Is. 1 :16-18)[5]. Hearing this, I was touched in my soul, my spiritual eyes were opened in me and, recognizing my own villainy and wickedness, I said with contrition in my soul to God: “You, Lord, came into the world to save sinners, as you told me through your prophet today.” ; fulfill this with me, a sinner, in practice. For I vow from now on, with Your help, not only not to do any harm to anyone, but also to abandon all lawlessness and serve You, Master, with a clear conscience; Only You Yourself accept me repentant and do not reject me who falls to You.” “With such promises,” he continued, “I left the church, deciding in my heart not to sin again before God.”

Hearing this, everyone with a loud voice glorified God, who accepts everyone who turns to Him in repentance.

So perspicacious was Saint Paul, for for his simplicity and gentleness he was filled with the grace of God. And who is more pleasing to God than someone who is kind? “Let integrity and righteousness, ” says the Lord through the mouth of the Psalmist, “guard me” (Ps. 24:21 ).

The monk lived in his holy simplicity for many years and, having performed many miracles, departed to the Lord[6]. He who was simple and unlearned on earth has now become the wisest in heaven, more than all the wise men of this world, and with the wise Cherubim he contemplates Christ, God's Power and God's Wisdom. For true wisdom consists in fearing God and, in purity of soul and kindness of heart, serving Him and pleasing Him.

Through the prayers, O Lord, of Thy saint, Paul the Simple, make us wise in the fulfillment of Thy commandments. Give us the beginning of wisdom - Your fear, so that out of reverence for You, having turned away from sin, we can do good before You and receive Your mercy forever. Amen.

Notes

[1] St. Anthony the Great, the first founder of monastic life, a native of Egypt, labored on the eastern bank of the Nile River, near Thebaid. There, wearing a hair shirt, eating only herbs and roots, he lived in constant labor and prayer for 20 years in obscurity, overcoming with the grace of God the seducing spirit that troubled him with temptations and fear. Finally, the holiness of life and miracles attracted many ascetics to Anthony in the desert; they settled near him and accepted the rules given by Anthony as a model of life, which was the beginning of monastic life. St. reposed Anthony, 105 years old, in 356. His memory is celebrated on January 17.

[2] Lakot, or cubit, is a measure of length equal to 10.5 vershoks (approximately half a meter).

[3] That is at such a distance from your cell that you can throw a stone four times.

[4] The Black, or so-called Red, Sea is a long narrow strait of the Indian Ocean that separates the Arabian Peninsula from Egypt and Asia from Africa. The Jews crossed this sea under Moses on their way from Egypt to the Promised Land, i.e. Palestine (Ex. 14).

[5] (“Crimson”, i.e. dark red). Those. I will wash away those sinful stains from you, I will completely cleanse you from them (cf. Ps. 50 :9). God, out of His mercy towards people, forgives their sins, but under the condition only of sincere repentance and moral correction.

[6] Rev. Paul died in the 4th century.