The Life of Saint Blessed Andrew of Simbirsk, Christ the Fool for the Fool, Wonderworker.

Saint Andrew: Christian ascetics with this name

“Andrey” is a beautiful sonorous male name, translated from Greek meaning “courageous, brave.” From the word "άνδρας", meaning a man. It came to Rus' from Byzantium and began to quickly spread among the inhabitants after the adoption of Christianity.

Priest Artemy Vladimirov characterizes the meaning of this name with the following words:

“Every boy who received the name Andrei should, thanks to good upbringing on the part of his parents, teachers and mentors, pay special attention to such soul forces as courage, masculinity, courage. Male charisma does not imply cowardice and timidity, which have always been considered a sin in Russian families. Courage presupposes composure - the skill of keeping the mind calm , clear and active when surrounding reasons seem to want to unsettle a person. God grant that every man named after Saint Apostle would have a strong shoulder and be a true knight of Faith and Love.”

Apostle Andrew the First-Called

The apostle was from the Israeli village of Bethsaida, where, together with his brother, the future apostle Peter, he was engaged in fishing. He is called the First-Called because he was the first of Christ’s disciples to respond to His preaching and follow the Redeemer.

Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called. Palekh icon painting workshop

After the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles, he preached the Gospel in Asia Minor, Thrace, Macedonia, Crimea and the Black Sea region. Then he climbed along the Dnieper to the place where the city of Kyiv is now located. His word turned entire tribes to the True Faith.

Archpriest Alexander Ageikin, rector of the Epiphany Cathedral in Yelokhov, says:

“For Russia, Apostle Andrew has a special meaning. According to Tradition, it was he who erected the first Cross on the Kyiv Mountains, where a city later appeared that became the Mother of Russian cities. And, since then, it is believed that this apostle is the patron of our land, and the Orthodox Faith was first preached in this territory by the Apostle Andrew.”

And professor of Church history Vladislav Petrushko adds:

“Rus' has always been very respectful of the memory of this saint. Peter I highly him . He declared the apostle the Patron of Russia and established the highest Russian order in his honor - the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called and the famous St. Andrew’s flag.”

Through the efforts of the apostle, Christian churches arose in the lands where he preached, in which he installed bishops and priests. The last place where Saint Andrew came to preach was the city of Patras. Here he performed many miracles, the most memorable of which was the healing of the wife of the city ruler, who later converted to Christianity.

Almost the entire population of the city turned away from paganism, however, among the remaining idolaters was the ruler Aegiatus. Angry, he ordered the righteous man to be crucified. A cross with diagonal crossbars, shaped like the letter “X,” was chosen for the execution. Since then, a similar cross has been called “Andreevsky”.

Interesting fact

Currently, in the Cathedral of Patras there is the head of the Apostle Andrew and part of the very cross on which he was crucified. In 2013, a piece of this cross was brought to Russia.

The Orthodox Church honors the memory of Saint Andrew the First-Called on December 13.

The Life of Saint Andrew, Christ for the Fool's Sake

During the reign of the Greek Emperor Leo the Great - the Wise, the son of Emperor Basil the Macedonian, a certain man named Theognostus lived in Constantinople. He bought many slaves, among whom was one youth, a Slav by birth, named Andrei. This youth was handsome and had a good disposition. Theognostus fell in love with him more than other slaves, appointed him as his most trusted servant and gave him to teach the sacred books. Having studied the Holy Scriptures, Andrei often went to churches, prayed to God and read holy books. One night, when he was standing in prayer, the evil devil, seeing this, became jealous of this good deed and began to hit hard on the door of the room where the young man was. Andrei was horrified, stopped praying, hurriedly lay down on the bed and dressed himself in goatskin. Seeing this, Satan rejoiced and said to another devil: “Do you see this young man: not long ago he ate beans, but now he is already arming himself against us!” Having said this, Satan disappeared. The blessed one fell soundly asleep out of fear and in his sleep had the following vision. It seemed to him as if he were in a large square, on one side of which stood many Ethiopians, and on the other many holy men in white robes. There was a kind of competition and struggle between both sides. The Ethiopians, having one black giant on their side, proudly invited those clothed in white robes to present from their midst such a fighter who would be able to fight their black Ethiopian, the thousand-leader of their countless legion. The black-faced Ethiopians boasted of their strength, but the Belorians did not answer them. Blessed Andrei stood there and watched, wanting to know who would dare to fight this terrible enemy. And then he saw a beautiful young man descending from a height, who was holding three crowns in his hands: one of them was decorated with pure gold and precious stones, the other with large, shiny pearls, and the third - the largest of the crowns - was woven from unfading white and red flowers and branches of God's paradise. These crowns were of such wonderful beauty that the human mind cannot comprehend it, and it cannot be described in human language. Seeing this, Andrei thought about how he could get at least one of those three crowns. Approaching the young man who appeared, he said: “For Christ’s sake, tell me, are you selling these crowns?” Although I myself cannot buy them, wait for me a little, I will go and tell my master - he will pay you for these crowns as much as you wish. The young man, his face beaming, said to him: “Believe me, beloved, that if you had brought me the gold of the whole world, I would not have sold you or anyone else a single flower from these crowns, because these crowns are made up of heavenly The treasures of Christ, and not from the decorations of the vain world. Those who will overcome those black Ethiopians will be crowned with them. If you want to receive - and not even one, but all three crowns - then enter into single combat with that black Ethiopian and, when you defeat him, you will take from me all the crowns that you see.

Hearing this, Andrei was filled with determination and said to the young man: “Believe me that I will do what you said, just teach me his tricks.” The young man said: “Don’t you know what his skill is?” Aren't the Ethiopians scary and formidable in appearance? - and yet they are weak in strength. Do not be afraid of his enormous height and terrible look: he is weak and rotten like rotten grass! Strengthening Andrei with these speeches, the wonderful young man began to teach him how to fight the Ethiopian. He said: “When the Ethiopian grabs you and begins to fight with you, do not be afraid, but grapple with him crosswise, and you will see God’s help.” After this, the blessed one stepped forward and shouted to the Ethiopian in a strong voice: “Come out to fight!” Frightening and threatening, the Ethiopian approached, grabbed Andrei and for a very long time turned Andrei over in one direction or the other. The Ethiopians began to applaud, and those dressed in white robes seemed to turn pale, because they were afraid that this Ethiopian would strike Andrei on the ground. Andrei was already overcome by the Ethiopian, but, having recovered, rushed at him in a cross shape. The demon collapsed like a huge felled tree, and as he fell, he hit his forehead on a stone and shouted: “Woe, woe!” Those dressed in bright clothes came to great joy. They lifted Andrew up in their arms, began to kiss him and celebrated his victory over the Ethiopian. Then the black warriors fled with great shame, and the handsome young man gave the crowns to Andrey and, kissing him, said: “Go in peace!” From now on you will be our friend and brother. Go to the feat of virtue: be naked and a fool for My sake, and you will appear on the day of My reign as a partaker of many blessings.

Having heard this from that beautiful young man, blessed Andrei woke up from his sleep and was amazed at the extraordinary dream. From that time on, he became a holy fool for Christ's sake. The next day, rising from sleep, he prayed, took a knife, and went to the well; Then he took off his clothes and, appearing to be devoid of reason, cut them into pieces. Early in the morning the cook came to the well for water, and, seeing Andrei as if going into a frenzy, he went and told their master about this. Grieving over Andrey, their master went to him and found him as if he was senseless and speaking foolishly. Thinking that Andrei was possessed by a demon, he placed iron chains on him and ordered him to be led to the church of St. Anastasia. During the day, Andrei seemed to be devoid of reason, and at night he prayed to God and Saint Anastasia. In the depths of his heart, he reflected on whether the work he had undertaken was pleasing to God or not, and he wanted to receive information about this. When he was thinking this way, in a vision he imagined that five women and one bright-looking old man were walking around, healing and visiting the sick; They also came to Andrei, and the elder said to the oldest woman: “Madam Anastasia!” Why don't you heal him? “Teacher,” the woman answered, “he was healed by the One who said to him: “Become a fool for My sake, and on the day of My reign you will be a partaker of many blessings.” He doesn't need healing. Having said this, they went to church, from where they never returned, although Andrei looked after them until they began to strike for Matins. Then the blessed one, realizing that his feat was pleasing to God, rejoiced in spirit and began to struggle even more diligently - at night in prayer, and during the day in feats of foolishness. One day, at night, blessed Andrei, according to his custom, offered prayers to God and Saint Anastasia the Martyr in the depths of his heart. And then the devil came to him, in a clearly visible form, with many demons, holding an ax; the rest of the demons carried knives, trees, stakes and spears, as if intending to kill the blessed one. The former Ethiopian also appeared in the form in which he fought with Andrei, and growled at him from afar. Rushing at the saint, he wanted to cut him with the ax he was holding in his hands. All the other demons rushed after him. The saint, raising his hands with tears, cried out to the Lord: “Do not betray to the beasts the soul that gives You glory and honor!” Then he cried out again: “Holy Apostle John the Theologian, help me!” And then thunder roared, a multitude of people appeared, and a handsome old man with a face brighter than the sun appeared, and with him a great many servants. Menacingly and sternly, he said to those with him: “Close the gates so that not one of these escapes!” Immediately the gates were closed, and all the Ethiopians were captured. And Andrew heard one secretly say to his comrade: “Cursed is the hour in which we were tempted: for John is unmerciful and wants to cruelly torment us!” Saint John commanded the people who came with him, dressed in white robes, to remove the iron chains from Andrei’s neck. Then he stood outside the gate and said: “Bring the Ethiopians to me one by one.” They brought the first demon and spread him out on the ground. Taking the chain, the apostle bent it in three and gave the demon a hundred blows. The demon, like a man, shouted: “Have mercy on me!” After this, another demon was spread out, and he was also subjected to blows; then the third - and he received the same number of blows. The blows to which the Lord subjected the demons were not illusory, but real punishments that cause suffering to the demonic race. When all the Ethiopians were punished in this way, John said to them: “Go and show your father, Satan, the wounds inflicted on you - will this please him?” After those dressed in white robes left and the demons disappeared, that splendid old man approached the servant of God Andrew and, placing chains on his neck, said to him: “You see how I hastened to your aid: for I am very concerned about you.” I care because God has entrusted me with the care of you. So be patient: soon you will be released and you will walk according to your own will, as you please. “My lord,” asked Andrei, “who are you?” The elder replied: “I am the one who reclined on the Lord’s breasts” (John 13:22; 21:20). Having said this, he shone like lightning and disappeared from the young man’s eyes. Blessed Andrew glorified God for sending His beloved disciple to help him. After the appearance of Saint John the Theologian, the conversation with him and the torment inflicted on the demons, blessed Andrew, still shackled, lay down, wanting to sleep - and at the same time came to an ecstatic state. He saw himself in the royal chambers. The Tsar sat on the throne in great glory, who called Andrew to him and asked: “Do you want to work for Me with all your soul?” Andrei answered: “I wish, Lord!” The king gave him a taste of something very bitter and at the same time said to him: “Such is the sorrowful path of those who work for Me in this world.” After this, He gave Andrew something whiter than snow and sweeter than manna to taste. Having tasted it, Andrei rejoiced and forgot the bitterness of the first food. And the king said to him: “This is My food for those who serve Me and endure courageously to the end.” And you will courageously complete your feat as you began: for, having endured a little suffering in this life, you will forever remain in endless life.

Waking up from sleep, Andrei came to the idea that the first food he saw - bitter - typifies patience in this world, and the last - sweet - eternal life. After this, Andrei’s master kept him with him for four months, and then released him. Pretending to be devoid of reason, Andrei began to run through the streets. He walked through the city “suffering faults, sorrows, bitterness, things of which the whole world was not worthy” (Heb. 11:37-38). Some mocked him as if he were crazy, others drove him away from them, abhorring him like a stinking dog, others considered him possessed by a demon, and the young boys mocked and beat the blessed one. He endured everything and prayed for those who insulted him. If one of the merciful beggar-lovers gave Andrei alms, he accepted it, but gave it to other beggars. However, he gave away in such a way that no one knew that he was giving alms; angry with the beggars and as if wanting to beat them, he, like a holy fool, threw the money he was holding in his hands in their faces, and the beggars picked them up. Sometimes he did not eat bread for three days, sometimes he went hungry for a whole week, and if there was no one to give him a loaf of bread, then he spent the second week without food. Andrei's clothing was worthless rags, which barely covered his bodily nakedness. Being likened in everything to Saint Simeon, the Fool for Christ's sake, he ran through the streets during the day and spent the night in prayer. Living in such a vast city among a large population, he had “no place to lay his head.” The poor drove him away from their huts, and the rich did not let him into the courtyards of their homes. When he needed to fall asleep and somewhat calm his exhausted body, he looked for garbage where the dogs lay and positioned himself between them. But even the dogs did not allow the servant of God to approach them. Some drove him away from themselves by biting, while others ran away from him themselves. He never fell asleep under a roof, but always in the cold and heat, wallowing like Lazarus in the muck and dirt, trampled underfoot by people and animals. This is how the voluntary martyr suffered and this is how the holy fool laughed at the whole world: “For the foolish things of God are wiser than men” (1 Cor 1:25). And the grace of the Holy Spirit infused him, and he received the gift of clairvoyance, for he began to discern the thoughts of people. Once, in Constantinople, a daughter of a certain noble husband died, who lived her life in virgin purity. Dying, she bequeathed to bury her outside the city, in a cemetery for the poor, located in her father’s garden. When she died, she was carried to the place where she was buried according to Christian custom. At that time there was a grave digger in Constantinople who, tearing up the graves, removed the clothes from the dead. Standing on the road, he watched where the girl would be buried. Noticing the place of her tomb, he decided at nightfall to dig up the grave and remove the clothes from the dead woman. It happened that Saint Andrew, performing the usual feats of foolishness for Christ’s sake, went to that place. As soon as he noticed that grave digger, he foresaw his evil intention in his spirit. Wanting to divert the thief from his intended business and foreseeing what punishment would befall him, Saint Andrew looked at him with a stern look and, as if in great anger, said: “Thus says the Spirit who judges those who steal the clothes lying in the tombs: you will no longer see the sun.” , you will not see the day, nor the face of man; the gates of your house will be closed to you and will never be opened again. The day will darken for you and will never brighten again. Hearing this, the grave digger did not understand what the saint was talking about and walked away, not paying any attention to his words. The saint, looking at him a second time, said: “Are you leaving?” - Don't steal! If you do this, then - I testify in the name of Jesus - you will never see the sun. Realizing what the saint was telling him, the grave digger was surprised how he knew his intention, and, returning to the saint, said: “You are definitely possessed by a demonic demon and, at the instigation of a demon, are talking about the mysterious and unknown!” I will go there on purpose to see if your words will come true! After this, the saint left, continuing to act like a fool. When evening came, having chosen a convenient time, the thief rolled away the stone from the coffin, entered the coffin and, first of all, took the outer clothing of the deceased and all the jewelry, for they were very valuable. Having taken this, he intended to leave, but some inner voice told him: “Take off your shirt too: it’s good.” Having taken off the girl’s shirt, the grave digger wanted to leave the grave. The dead girl, at the command of God, raised her right hand and hit the grave digger in the face, and he immediately became blind. Then the unfortunate man was horrified and trembled, so that his jaws, teeth, knees and all his bones began to break from fear. The dead girl opened her mouth and said: “Unhappy and rejected man!” You were not afraid of God, you did not think that you were a man! You should be ashamed of maiden nudity; What you have already taken is enough for you - at least you left the shirt to my naked body. But you did not have mercy on me and treated me cruelly, planning to make me a laughing stock before all the holy virgins on the day of the second coming of the Lord. But now I will deal with you in such a way that you will never steal again, so that you may know that God Jesus Christ lives and that after death there is judgment, reward and punishment. Having uttered these words, the girl stood up and took her shirt. She put on it, and, having put on all her clothes and jewelry, she lay down and said: “You, Lord, alone give me security and peace (Ps 4:9). With these words she again rested in peace. And that outcast barely had the strength to leave the tomb and find the fence of the garden. Grabbing his hands first to one or the other wall of the fence, he went out onto the nearest road and wandered to the city gates. To those who asked about the cause of his blindness, he told something completely different from what actually happened. But later he told everything that happened to him to one of his friends. From then on, he began to beg for alms and thus earned food for himself. And often he said to himself: “Cursed be my larynx, for because of you blindness has befallen me!” He also remembered Saint Andrew and was amazed at how everything was fulfilled, according to what was foreseen and predicted by the saints. One day, while walking around the city, Saint Andrew saw a dead man being carried towards him. The deceased was a very rich man and a great crowd of people with candles and censers followed his coffin. The clergy sang the usual funeral chants, and the relatives and friends of the deceased cried and sobbed. Seeing with his perceptive eyes what was happening to that dead man, the saint stopped and began to look. And so, having fallen into complete insensibility for a long time, he saw with his spiritual eyes many Ethiopians walking behind the coffin and shouting loudly: “Woe to him, woe to him!” Some of them held bags in their hands, from which they scattered ashes onto the people surrounding the dead man. Other demons danced and laughed shamelessly like shameless harlots, others barked like dogs, and others still grunted like pigs. The dead man was a source of joy and amusement for them. Some of the demons, surrounding the dead man, sprinkled him with stinking water, others flew through the air near the bed on which the dead man lay. A suffocating stench emanated from the corpse of the deceased sinner. Walking behind the dead, the demons applauded and made a terrible stamp of their feet, cursing at the singers and saying: “May God not allow any of you to see the light, miserable Christians, for you sing over the dog: “rest his soul with the saints,” and at the same time you call him, who is involved in all kinds of evil, a servant of God. Taking a second look, Andrei saw that one of the demonic princes, with a fiery gaze, was walking towards the tomb of that outcast with tar and sulfur to burn his body. When the burial ceremony was completed, Saint Andrew saw an angel walking in the form of a beautiful youth and crying bitter tears. Passing by, the angel approached Saint Andrew. The latter, thinking that this young man was one of the relatives of the deceased and that is why he was crying so much, approached him and said: “I ask you in the name of the God of heaven and earth: tell me what is the reason for your crying.” For I have never seen anyone weeping so bitterly for the dead as you do. The angel answered: “That’s why I shed tears: I was assigned to guard the deceased, whom you saw when he was carried to the grave.” But the devil took him to himself. This is the reason for my crying and sadness. To this the saint said to him: “I now understand who you are; I pray you, holy angel, tell me what kind of sins the deceased had, because of which the devil captured him in his hands? - Andrey, God's chosen one! - answered the angel. - Since you want to know about this, I will tell you without hiding anything. I see the beauty of your holy soul, shining like pure gold; Seeing you, I was somewhat consoled in my sorrow. This man was held in great esteem by the king. But he was a terrible sinner and led a life of crime. He was both a fornicator and an adulterer, infected with the sin of Sodom, a flatterer, unmerciful, a lover of money, a liar and a misanthrope, vindictive, a bribe-taker and an oath-breaker. He starved his poor servants with hunger, beatings and nakedness, leaving them without shoes or clothing in the winter. He even killed many slaves and buried them under the floor of the stables. Possessed by a lust hated by God, he desecrated up to three hundred souls with the vile and disgusting sins of fornication. But the time of harvest also came for him and his death found him unrepentant and having unspeakable sins. Demons took his soul, and his disgusting body - you saw it yourself - the evil spirits saw off with desecration. That is why, holy soul, I am pressing; overwhelmed by deep sorrow, I cry, because the one I protect has now become the laughing stock of demons. At these words of the angel of God, the saint said: “I beg you, friend, stop this crying: the deceased acted badly, therefore he died without repentance; let him be satisfied with the fruits of his deeds. But you, fiery, full of all virtues, servant of the Almighty Lord of Hosts, from now on you will forever be under the grace of Your God. After these words, the angel invisibly moved away from Andrei. Those passing by, due to their unworthiness, could not see the angel and, thinking that the saint was talking to himself, they said to each other: “Look at this holy fool, how he amuses himself and talks senselessly to the wall.” At the same time, they pushed him and drove him away, saying: “What do you want, holy fool?” Unworthy of talking to people, are you talking to the wall?! The saint silently walked away and, secluded in a secret place, wept bitterly over the death of the unfortunate man whom he saw being carried to the grave. One day Saint Andrew was walking among a crowd of people at the market near a column that Tsar Constantine had erected. A certain woman named Varvara, being enlightened by the Holy Spirit, saw with horror in the crowd blessed Andrew shining like a pillar of fire. At the same time, some foolish people pushed him, and others beat him; many, looking at him, said: “This man is mad: he has ruined his reason.” May this not happen to our enemies! The demons, following Saint Andrew in the form of black Ethiopians, said: “Oh, if only God had not sent another like this to earth; for no one has dried up our hearts like this man, who, not wanting to work for his master, pretended to be a holy fool and mocked the whole world. And that woman saw that the Ethiopians noted those who were beating the saint and said to each other: “We are pleased that they are beating him recklessly, for for torturing the innocent saint of God they will be condemned at their hour of death, and there is no salvation for them.” Hearing this, the blessed one, at the inspiration of the Spirit of God, rushed at them like a flame, destroyed the signs of demons with wondrous power and, angry at them, said: “You should not mark those who beat me, for I pray to my Master, so that he will not charge them with the sin of inflicting I got a beating. They do this out of ignorance and, for the sake of their ignorance, they will receive forgiveness. When the saint was saying this, the sky suddenly opened like a gate and from there a multitude of the most beautiful swallows descended over the saint, and in the middle of them was a large snow-white dove holding a golden olive leaf in its beak. And the dove said to the saint in human language: “Take this leaf, the Lord Almighty sent it to you from paradise, as a sign of His favor towards you, for you have mercy and forgive those who beat you and pray for them, so that this is not imputed to them as sin.” With these words, the dove landed on the saint’s head. Seeing all this, the pious woman was surprised and, coming to her senses after the vision, said: “How many lamps God has on earth, and no one knows them!” Many times she intended to tell others about her vision, but the power of God held her back. Subsequently, Saint Andrew met her in one place and said to her: “Keep my secret, Varvara, and do not tell anyone what you saw until I reach the place of the wondrous settlement, even to the house of God” (Ps 41:5 ). “Honest lamp and saint of God,” answered Varvara, “even if I wanted to tell someone my vision, I cannot, for the invisible power of God holds me back.” Walking around the city, Saint Andrew one day met a certain nobleman and, foreseeing his life, spat on him, saying: “You crafty fornicator, blasphemer of the Church, you pretend that you are going to church: you say: “I’m going to Matins,” but you yourself are going to Satan for bad deeds. O wicked one, who rises at midnight and angers God! The time has already come to accept you according to your deeds! Or do you think that you will hide from the terrible, all-seeing and all-testing eye of God? Hearing this, the nobleman hit his horse and rode away, so as not to be embarrassed even more. After several days, he became seriously ill and began to dry out. Those close to him carried him from one church to another and from one doctor to another; but this did not bring him any benefit. Soon this rejected man departed to eternal torment. One night the saint saw an angel of the Lord coming from the west near that nobleman’s house. The angel had the appearance of a fiery flame and held a large flaming club. When the angel approached the sick man, he heard a voice from above: “Beat this blasphemer, the disgusting Sodomite, and, striking him, say: “Do you still want to commit sins and defile various people? Will you walk for the devil's iniquity, pretending that you are going to matins? The angel began to do what he was told to do. At the same time, the voice of the angel and his blows were heard, but the angel himself was not visible. In such torment, the man gave up his ghost. Arriving one day at the market, Saint Andrew met a monk, whom everyone praised for his virtuous life. True, he labored as befits a monk, but he was immoderately inclined toward the love of money. Many of the city residents, confessing their sins to him, gave him a lot of gold to distribute to the poor. He, being possessed by the insatiable passion of love of money, did not give it to anyone, but put everything in his bag and rejoiced when he saw the increase in money. Walking along the same path as that pitiful monk, blessed Andrei saw with his perspicacious eyes that a terrible snake was entwined around this money-lover. Approaching the monk closely, the saint began to examine that serpent. The monk, mistaking Andrei for one of the beggars asking for alms, said to him: “God will have mercy on you, brother; I have nothing to give you. Having moved a short distance away from him, the blessed one noticed that around him in the air above the serpent was written in dark letters: “The root of all lawlessness is the serpent of the love of money.” Looking back, the saint noticed two young men arguing with each other - one of them was black and had dark eyes, it was a demon, the other, God's angel, was white as the light of heaven. Black said: “The monk is mine, because he carries out my will.” He is unmerciful and lover of money - he has no part with God and works for me like an idolater. “No, he is mine,” the angel objected, “for he fasts and prays, and, moreover, he is meek and humble.” So they bickered, and there was no agreement between them. And there was a voice from heaven to the luminous angel: “You have no part in that monk, leave him, because he works not for God, but for mammon.” After this, the angel of the Lord retreated from him and the spirit of darkness received eldership over him. Seeing this, blessed Andrei was surprised that the hostile demon had defeated the bright angel in a dispute. Having once met that monk on the street, the saint took him by the right hand and said: “Servant of God, listen to me, your servant, without irritation, and graciously accept my wretched words.” , for because of you great sorrow has befallen me, and I can no longer bear it that you, being at first a friend of God, should now become a servant and friend of the devil. You had wings like a seraph: why did you surrender to Satan so that he could cut them to the ground? Your face was as brilliant as lightning: why did you darken? Alas for me! You had the sight of many eyes, but now the serpent has completely blinded you. You were the sun, but you went into a dark and disastrous night. Why did you, brother, destroy your soul, why did you make friends with the demon of love of money, and allowed him to stay with you? Why are you collecting gold? Will you be buried with him? After all, after your death, others will get it! Do you really want to be ruined by stinginess? While others die of hunger, cold and thirst, you rejoice, looking at the abundance of gold. Are these the paths to repentance? Is this the rule for monks, commanding them to neglect their vain life? Have you thus renounced the world and what is in the world? Are you so crucified to the world and all its vanity? Have you not heard the Lord saying: “Take neither gold, nor silver, nor copper, nor two layers of clothing” (Matthew 10:9)? Why have you forgotten these commandments? Now or tomorrow our life will end, who will get what you have prepared (LC 12.20)? Do you not know that the angel guarding you with crying has retired far from you, and the devil is standing near you, and snakes of abbreviation have wrapped around you around your neck, you don’t notice him. I tell you the truth - that passing by, I heard the Lord denied from you. I beg you: hand out the estate to the poor, orphans, widows, wretched and wanderers who have no place where to bow their heads. Try it, so that you again be a friend of God. If you do not listen to me, you will die with a fierce death. In the name of Jesus Christ, I testify that you will immediately see the devil. After this, he added: - Do you see him? And the monk opened spiritual eyes, and he saw the devil of black as an efiop, a beast -shaped, with a terrible mouth; But he stood in the distance and, at the sight of Andrei, did not dare to approach. Then the ogin told the saint: - The servant of God, I see Him, and a terrible fear declared me; Tell me: what is needed to save my soul? Andrei again said to him: “Believe me: if you don’t listen to me, I will find him on you so that he will torture you and that not only these citizens, but all four countries of the universe will hear about your shame; Watch out and do what I tell you. Hearing this, the monk was afraid and promised to fulfill everything that the saint ordered. And immediately Andrei saw that a mighty spirit in the form of lightning came from the east and touched that serpent, destroying the power of the latter; The serpent, not being able to take this, turned into a crow and disappeared. Black Efiop also died, and again the Angel of God took power over the monk. Having parted with the monk, Blessed commanded him: - Look, do not tell anything about me, and I will remember you in my prayers day and night, so that the Lord Jesus Christ directed you on a good journey. After that, the monk went and distributed all his gold to the poor, and was later glorified by God and people; many brought gold to him so that he would distribute it to the poor. But he ordered the donors to distribute it with their own hands, saying: - What is the use for me to take care of someone else's Sore? At a time when he lived as it is appropriate for a monk, a joyful face in a vision appeared to him St. Andrew, showed him a light tree on the field, which has the color of a sweet fruit, and said: - Respect God, a father, because he is thin You made your soul from the mouth of the snake of a similar color -bearing tree. Try to turn this color into the sweet fruit. This beautiful tree that you see is an image of your soul. Having come to his senses, the monk was even more strongly strongly in spiritual work and always brought thanks to God and his saint Andrei, who instructed him on the path of salvation. Saint Andrei was so well -pleasing to God and the Lord loved so that he was one day, like the apostle Paul, delighted to the third sky (2 Cor 12.2) and he heard there indescribable verbs and contemplated the parallers invisible to the mortal beauty of Paradise. He told Nicephorus to his faithful to his friend to his friend. Once there was a harsh winter, and in Constantinople there was a severe frost for two whole weeks; All dwellings were covered with snow; The trees and birds broke from the storms fell dead to the ground, not finding food. Then all the poor and the poor were in strong sorrow and elimination; Wall, crying and trembling with a cold, they died due to deprivation, hunger and cold. Then Blessed Andrei, having neither a refuge nor clothes, experienced considerable grief due to a cold. When, wanting, although for some time he came under the roof for some time, he came to the other poor, they drove him away from his sticks like a dog, shouting at him: - He went away from here, dog! Having no shelter from the calamity of the calamity and despairing his very life, he said to himself: “The Lord God is blessed! If I die from this cold, then let me die for my love for him - but God is strong to give me the patience to transfer this cold. " Entering one nooks, the saint saw the dog lying there and, wanting to warm up from her, lay down with her. But, seeing him, the dog got up and left. And Andrei said to himself: “Oh, how sinful you are, cursed. Not only people, but also the dogs neglect you! " When he thus lay, trembling from the fierce cold and wind, his body measured and blue, he thought that the time of his last exhalation came, and began to pray that the Lord would take his soul with the world. And suddenly he felt in his inner warmth, and, opening his eyes, saw a certain beautiful young man, whose face glowed like the sun. He held in his hand a branch covered with various colors. Looking at Andrei, the young man said: - Andrey, where are you? Andrei answered: - Now I am "in the darkness and the canopy of the mortal" (PS 87.7)! Then the appeared young man touched Andrei's face slightly with a flowering branch that he held in his hand, and said: “Get a revival of your body.” Saint Andrei breathed into himself the fragrance of those flowers, it penetrated into his heart, warmed and revived his whole body. Following Sim, he heard a voice, the speaker: “Lead him to calm down here for a while, and then he will return again.” With these words, he found a sweet dream on him, and he saw the indescribable God's revelations, about which he informed the aforementioned Nikifor himself in detail in the following words: - What happened to me, I do not know. According to the divine excitement, I was in a sweet vision for two weeks, like a person who, having sweetly overslept all night, wakes up in the morning. I saw myself in a beautiful and marvelous paradise and, surprised at this in my soul, thought: “What does this mean? I know that I live in Constantinople, but I don’t know how I got here. ” And I did not understand, in the body, outside the body - I do not know: God knows (2 Cor 12.2). But I saw myself embedded in a bright, as if from lightning woven, a robe, on my head was a wreath woven from many colors; I was surrounded by a royal belt and was very happy at the sight of that beauty; I was surprised at the inconsistent charms of God of God and delighted with my mind and my heart, walking along it. There were many gardens filled with tall trees, which, swaying their peaks, have amused my eyes, and great fragrance emanated from their branches. Some of those trees bloomed, others were decorated with golden foliage, while others had an inconsistent beauty; These trees cannot be likened to any earthly tree in beauty, for they were not planted by the human hand, but by God. In those gardens there were countless birds with golden, snow -white and multi -colored wings, they sat on the branches of paradise trees and sang so beautifully that I did not remember themselves from the sweet -sounding singing: my heart was so delighted, and I thought that their singing was heard even on The highest height of heaven. Those beautiful gardens stood in rows, like one regiment against the other. When I walked between them with cordial joy, I saw a large river flowing in the middle of Paradise, which irrigated the beautiful gardens. On both banks of the river, grapes grew up, stifling the vines, decorated with leaves and golden clusters, there were quiet and fragrant winds from all four sides, from the blow of which the gardens swayed, producing a wonderful rustle with their leaves. After this, some kind of horror attacked me, and it seemed to me that I was standing at the top of heavenly firmament, but some young man walks before me, with a bright face, dressed in a crimson. I thought it was the one who hit me with a flowering branch in the face. When I walked in his footsteps, I saw a large and beautiful cross like a rainbow, and it was all around its fiery, like flame, singers and sang a sweet chant, glorifying the Lord once crucified on the cross. The young man who was walking before me, going to the cross, closed him, and let me know that I also put a cross to me. Having fallen to the holy cross with fear and great joy, I diligently kissed him, scolding him, I was fulfilled with unspeakable spiritual sweetness and smelled the fragrance stronger than the paradise. Passing by the cross, I looked down and saw a sea abyss under me. It seemed to me that I was walking through the air; Frightened, I shouted to my guide: - Mr., I'm afraid that I would not fall into the depths. He, turning to me, said: - Do not be afraid, for we need to rise even higher. And he gave me a hand. When I grabbed it, we were already above the second firmament. There I saw marvelous husbands, their repose and the joy of their holiday indescribable in the language of human. After this, we entered some wondrous flame that did not scorch us, but only shone. I began to be horrified, and again my guide, turning around, gave me a hand, and said: “We should rise even higher.” And after these words, we rose above the third sky, where I saw and heard a lot of forces of heavenly, singing and glorifying God. We approached some kind of light and terrible youths that shone, like lightning, before which stood, like a fiery flame, as it were; Their faces shone brighter than the sun, and in their hands they had fire weapons. The present with fear, I saw countless heavenly army. And the young man who drove me told me: - When the curtain is opened, you will see the Lord of Christ. Bow the throne of his glory. Hearing this, I rejoiced and trembled, for I was declared horror and indescribable joy. I stood and looked, waiting for the curtain to cure. And some kind of fiery hand opened

Martyr Andrew Stratelates

Martyr Andrei Stratelates, Taurian

This saint was a Roman military leader (stratilate in Greek) during the reign of Emperor Maximian (285-305). He served in Syria, since he was from these places. He was a secret Christian, although unbaptized.

During the war with Persia, the emperor entrusted him with the advanced legions going to fight the enemy. Before the battle, Andrei addressed his soldiers with a fiery speech, saying that if they call on the True God - the Lord Christ - for help, they will win. The soldiers did so, and the Persian army was defeated.

However, upon returning to his homeland, envious people accused the saint of secretly practicing Christianity and reported him to the ruler. Stratilates was summoned to trial and asked to publicly renounce Christ. Seeing the steadfastness of the brave warrior, the king did not dare to execute him immediately, fearing the people's anger for killing a favorite who had won a glorious victory. He ordered Andrei to be killed secretly.

The saint, having received a revelation in a dream about the royal intention, left the city. 2,593 of his loyal warriors left with him. Arriving in the city of Tarsus, the legionnaires were baptized, and then went to the distant Armenian Mount Taurus. In one of the gorges of this mountain, the Roman army overtook the holy martyrs, dealing with the righteous who did not want to defend themselves.

Interesting fact

At the site of the shedding of the blood of these saints of God, a miraculous spring flowed, the water of which healed various ailments.

Memorial Day of the Martyr Andrei Stratelates of Tauria - September 1.

The Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos and the Holy Fool Andrew

Happy Feast of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary!

The Feast of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary was established in honor of the miraculous deliverance of the inhabitants of Byzantium from an enemy siege. This holiday is also connected with the life of the holy fool Andrei.

The Veil of the Queen of Heaven and the Holy Fool Andrei

That night, when the Queen of Heaven unfurled Her Veil over those praying in Blachernae, the Saracens fled away. Constantinople was saved from sack.

The holy fool Andrei and his friend Epiphanius stood at the service. Andrei, his eyes turned to grief, suddenly brightened his face, and, carefully touching Epiphanius on the shoulder, pointed upward. Epiphany looked there, and reverent tears streamed down the sunken cheeks of the fasting man. The vault of the temple seemed to have disappeared. Where he was, a wide area of ​​light now spread, and in this light Andrei and Epiphanius saw the Most Holy Virgin walking from the royal gates. She was surrounded by holy prophets, apostles, and angels, glorifying the Most Pure One with songs of praise and names. Next to the Mother of God are John the Baptist and John the Theologian.

“You see, brother,” Andrei asked Epiphanius, the queen praying for us? “I see, holy father, and I tremble,” answered Epiphanius.

And they saw how, on bended knees, the Most Holy Virgin prayed for all Christians, how she took off a veil that shone like lightning from Her head and spread it over those praying.

On the very night when She unfurled Her Veil over those praying in Blachernae, the Saracens fled away. Constantinople was saved from sack.

Holy Baptism of Andrew

The wondrous appearance of the Most Holy Theotokos was revealed to Saint Andrew not by chance. According to his life, Andrei lived during the time of the Christ-loving basileus Leo the Great.

A Slav by birth, in his youth he was captured by the Greeks and was sold in Constantinople to the wealthy dignitary Theognostus. The boy soon became the owner's favorite, who sent him to school, where Andrei learned to read and write with amazing ease, although the Greek language was foreign to him.

Meek, obedient and at the same time quick-witted, grasping everything on the fly, Andrei fell in love with Theognost so much that he made him his secretary, completely entrusting not only the management of the household, but also the conduct of correspondence. Among the documents that Andrei became acquainted with, entering them into a special book and preparing draft answers, there were documents of national importance. But Theognost believed Andrei as himself, knowing that state secrets would be preserved.

Andrei lived in contentment and prosperity, as many free Byzantines did not live. But it was not the sweet, calm life that pleased him. The greatest joy for him was receiving holy baptism.

When he was captured and sold in the slave market, he was a pagan. In the house of Theognostus, he learned about the Son of God and became a Christian. From that time on, there was no greater pleasure for him than church services and reading the Holy Scriptures. Having finished with the day's duties as a secretary, he hurried to the temple in the evening, and if there was no service, he opened the sacred books at home. With emotional excitement and delight, he read about the exploits of the ancient saints and regretted that he did not have the strength to imitate them.

Amazing dream

One day he had a strange dream. A spacious square in an unfamiliar city. An Ethiopian of gigantic stature walks along it and challenges everyone to fight. A young man came down from heaven. He holds three wreaths in his hands: one is gold, the other is decorated with precious stones, and the third is woven from white and red wildflowers.

Andrey said that he would like to buy one of the wreaths, or even better, all three. “These wreaths are not for sale,” said the young man, “they are more expensive than all the riches of the world. But if you defeat the Ethiopian giant, you will receive them as a reward.” “Am I able to cope with him? – Andrei said doubtfully. “He’s twice as tall as me.” “Don’t be afraid,” said the young man, “the Ethiopian is only formidable in appearance, but in reality he is weak, like rotten grass. Grab him crosswise, then you’ll see what happens.” Andrei came out to fight, the giant burst into laughter and began throwing Andrei to the ground like a kitten. But then Andrei broke free from his iron embrace and rushed at him, spreading his arms in the form of a cross. The giant staggered, collapsed, hit his forehead on a stone, groaning: “Oh woe is me,” and gave up the ghost.

The young man handed the wreaths to Andrei and said: “Go in peace, be naked and a fool for Christ’s sake.” Suffer for His sake, then you will become a partaker of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Crown of Foolishness

The next day, priest Nicephorus explained his dream to Andrei. The Ethiopian is a demon. The young man is an Angel, and the wreaths are a reward in the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who labored on earth, being poor and begging for the sake of Christ, can receive them.

“I want to get wreaths,” Andrey said firmly. “But it’s very difficult to be a holy fool,” Father Nikifor warned him. “I can do everything through Jesus Christ who strengthens me,” said Andrei.

The priest explained to Andrey what it meant to be a holy fool, and soon the inhabitants of Constantinople were amazed at the incredible picture. The secretary of the nobleman Theognost, the most learned young man Andrei, sitting on the threshold of the house, cut his clothes into small shreds with scissors, muttering some nonsense under his breath. The news was so incredible that the townspeople came running from the most remote corners of Constantinople to marvel at Andrei.

– This is what it means to read a lot of books! “Yes, I read and got engrossed,” passers-by chatted.

Feognost was informed about what had happened.

- Can't be! - he exclaimed, abandoned the urgent matter he was doing, and ran as fast as he could to his house. Here he became convinced of the sad truth. “Andrey, my friend,” said Theognost (as he addressed his beloved secretary), touching his shoulder, “what’s wrong with you?” Are you unwell?

Andrei looked up at him with dull, half-mad eyes and started working with the scissors.

Theognost was upset that the secretary, on whom he relied entirely, had lost his mind. Before Andrei, he had many secretaries, most of them were careless, sluggish, almost all of them robbed him, and one even committed a crime: he sold an important secret contained in a secret letter for a hundred gold solids.

Still, hoping for the best, Theognost ordered to take Andrei to the temple of the Great Martyr Anastasia, maybe the holy saint would heal the young man. In the temple, the Great Martyr Anastasia herself and the Apostle John the Theologian appeared to Andrei, who strengthened him in his decision to become a holy fool. Four months later, since the saint was not “healed,” Theognostus hugged him for the last time, stroked him on the head and released him on all four sides.

The holy saint Andrei began to wander through the squares and streets of Constantinople: dressed in rags, he endured abuse and beatings. He drank from puddles, stole food from the market, slept on a dung heap among stray dogs. People laughed at him as if he were crazy, others drove him away, considering him possessed by a demon. The young boys mocked and beat the blessed one. He endured everything and prayed for those who insulted him.

If someone gave Andrey alms, he accepted it, but gave it to other beggars. However, he gave it away so that no one knew that he was giving alms: angry with the beggars and as if wanting to beat them, he threw money in their faces or after them when they ran away from him. And the beggars picked up this money.

The righteous man exposed the morals of the townspeople, warning them against the path of sin. Few knew about Andrew's holiness. One of these people was Epiphanius, a young man from a rich and noble family, whom the saint turned away from grave sin and repeatedly helped him with advice and instructions. Also, one righteous woman saw Andrei walking through the market in the form of a pillar of fire. Andrei spent the day wandering, and at night he prayed for a long time in church. Sometimes he didn't eat anything for several days. Sometimes I went hungry for weeks, walked around in rags, and slept in the open air. For such a great renunciation of himself, for great deeds, he received from God the gift of clairvoyance.

Once a magnificent funeral was held, almost half the city accompanied the dignitary to the cemetery. Candles were burning, censers were smoking, hired mourners filled the wide street with piercing sobs. Saint Andrew took a closer look, and behind the coffin swirled darkness and darkness of demons, black Ethiopians. An angel flew from heaven and told Andrei that the dead man was a cruel, ferocious man. In his life he did not feel sorry for anyone, did not caress them, but only oppressed them. He killed the slaves who did not please him and buried them under the floor of the stable. He died without repentance, drunk on wine. His soul went to the demons, and only he, the Guardian Angel, cries for him.

About the death of the holy fool Andrey

Constantinople lies far to the south and winters are rare here. But one day the north wind drove a cloud, snow fell and covered the whole city. The snow caused tree branches to break and the roofs of poor people's homes to collapse. And then the cold struck, so much so that birds fell dead in flight, poor people froze in their unheated huts. What can we say about Andrei, whose rags barely covered his body? Feeling that he was dying, he knocked on the shacks of the beggars who fed on his alms. But the beggars angrily shouted to him from behind the locked doors: “Get out!” - Go away!

In the ruins of the port gatehouse, huddled together, a pack of stray dogs whiled away the night. Andrey lay down next to them, dreaming of being warmed by their warmth. But the dogs, growling in displeasure, ran out into the street.

“This is what you’ve come to,” Andrey said to himself, “both people and dogs abhor you.”

Having prayed to the Lord, Andrei curled up into a ball and was already preparing to die. Suddenly a wave of warmth washed over him. He opened his already frozen eyelids and saw a young man in white clothes. In the hands of the young man was a branch dotted with small, but very beautiful fragrant flowers.

– Where are you now, Andrey? – the Angel asked him. “I am in darkness and the shadow of death,” the numb Andrei barely moved his lips. “Get your body revived,” said the Angel, touching Andrei’s face with a flowering branch, and he, already half-dead, felt how his body was immediately filled with warmth and life returned to him. “Follow me now,” said the Angel and led him to heaven. Andrei walked through the heavenly villages. Indescribable beauty surrounded him. He was honored to see the Lord Jesus Christ Himself and worship Him. But nowhere did he find the Mother of God. The angel who led Andrei through the heavenly abodes said: “You wanted to see the Most Pure Queen.” She's not here. She retired to a multi-rebellious world to help people and console the grieving.

And now you need to return from where you came.

Andrei seemed to fall asleep and found himself where he had recently been lying, dying from the frost.

The saint spent the last days of his life in the house of Epiphanius. Andrew predicted that Epiphanius would become Patriarch of Constantinople. Just before his death, the saint withdrew to a secluded place and, after spending the night in prayer for the whole world, went to the Lord. His body miraculously disappeared, leaving only a fragrance.

Prayers to the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Blessed Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky

Blgv.kn. Andrey Bogolyubsky

This saint was the son of Grand Duke Yuri Dolgoruky. Driven by the idea of ​​​​creating a new state capital in the North-East of Rus', he secretly left his father's house in May 1155. And instead of a parental blessing, he took away from the convent in Vyshgorod the icon of the Mother of God, later called the Vladimir icon, painted by the Evangelist Luke himself during the life of the Mother of God. In his hands was the sword of the holy prince-martyr Boris. The deeply religious prince could not come to terms with the constant internecine strife tearing his native land apart, and wanted to create a new state - powerful, Orthodox, similar to Great Byzantium.

According to legend, not far from Vladimir, on the Klyazma River, a cart with a miraculous icon suddenly stopped, and no force could force the horses to move from this place. That night the Most Pure Virgin Herself appeared to the prince. She ordered to leave Her Image in Vladimir, and not to take it to Rostov, as Andrei wanted. The prince did not dare to disobey the Lady.

In the morning he took the icon to the Vladimir Cathedral and announced that this small town would now be the capital of his principality. On the site of the wondrous vision, he erected the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, where he often came to pray. Over time, a village appeared around the parish, which today bears the name Bogolyubovo.

Little by little, relying on faithful advisers, the prince turned Vladimir into a capital city, from where, according to his plan, autocratic power should spread throughout Rus', ending the civil strife tormenting the Russian lands. He drew the main principle from Byzantine books:

“There is one God in Heaven, one sovereign on earth!”

By reducing duties, he attracted the most eminent merchants and artisans to his lands. Ancient cities began to be decorated with new churches, the first of which in splendor was the Assumption Cathedral, specially erected for the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God.

Interesting fact

Saint Andrew Bogolyubsky was the first of the Russian princes to clothe himself in purple - throne clothing in the manner of the Byzantine kings. He also organized palace rituals according to the Byzantine model.

It was Saint Andrew Bogolyubsky who first secured the trade route along the Volga and made it a great Russian river.

Vasily Tatishchev, a Russian historian, left the following description of the saint’s appearance:

“This prince was not tall, but broad-shouldered and strong. The hair is curly. He was courageous in battle. Lover of truth."

He fought with the Volga Bulgars. The chronicle reports about him:

«killed a lot of Bulgars. Took their banners. The Bulgarian prince and his small retinue barely managed to escape to his great city

».

The prince’s beloved son, Izyaslav, died in this campaign. In memory of him and in gratitude to God for the victory, the Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God on the Nerl was erected.

Subsequently, the prince subjugated Kyiv and Novgorod, but he was killed as a result of a boyar conspiracy in 1174.

Memorial Day of the Righteous Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky July 17.

THIS BOOK IS ABOUT THE LIFE AND LIFE OF OUR HOLY AND BLESSED FATHER ANDREW, CHRIST FOR THE SAKE OF THE FOOL-FOOL, AND OUR HOLY FATHER EPIPHANIUS. PATRIARCH OF CONSTANTINOPLE

Word first. How he became a holy fool

My dears, I want to tell you about the life pleasing to God and the immaculate life of a good husband, and therefore I ask you to listen to my story with attention. For this story seems to exude a honey fragrance, sweet and wondrous oil. Therefore, prepare to enjoy it with all your soul, and this will further encourage me to begin the beginning of this story and reveal to you the spiritual greatness of this man. Here is the beginning of the story about him.

During the reign of the Christ-loving Emperor Leo the Great, there lived in Constantinople a certain man named Theognostus, to whom the blessed emperor granted the title of protospatharius and appointed him leader of the eastern regions.

This husband, who had numerous servants, after that bought many more new slaves, among whom was the one about whom we are now humbly telling the story. He was a Slav by birth.

When the master bought him along with the others, he looked younger than everyone else and was very handsome, so the master took pity on him and decided to take him into his personal service. He immediately sent him, who still could not speak Greek, to study the Holy Scriptures.

Thanks to his clear mind, the youth soon learned the Psalter and counting and everything that his teacher taught, so that the teacher marveled at the speed of his progress. No one assumed that he was a Slav, for he had a handsome face, endowed with spiritual intelligence, physical strength, and knew how to write beautifully.

Therefore, the master began to entrust him with secretarial duties. He performed this work with all diligence and care, for which he was loved by the master and lady and all the members of the household.

Theognostus showed him great honor and presented him with his clothes, for he saw how diligently he took care of his property, so that those who saw him used to say: “The slave is dressed better than his master.”

He often went to churches and loved to read sacred books, especially the torment of the saints and the lives of the holy fathers, and his heart burned with the desire to become like them. And in his soul he decided to start a righteous life. Thus he began to serve God.

One night he got out of bed to pray, following the one who said: “At midnight I got up to confess to You.” Hating his good intentions, the evil Devil arrived and began loudly knocking on the doors of the house where the young man was. Greatly frightened, the young man interrupted his prayer and hurriedly went to bed and covered himself with his goatskin. Seeing this. Satan rejoiced and said, as if to his brother: “Look at this one. Recently I ate a meager stew, and now I’m getting ready to fight us.” And having said this, he disappeared.

After such a fright, the blessed one fell soundly asleep. In a dream, he saw that he was in some kind of theater. And on one side there was a huge crowd of Ethiopians, and on the other side there were a lot of Belorians and other holy men. And between both sides there is a dispute about a race in running and wrestling. The Ethiopians, having a certain black giant on their side, ask the assembled Belorians if there is anyone among them who would compete in a race or enter into single combat with this black one. For, they said, he fought with many and no one anywhere could resist him. For it was a thousandth of the unfed satanic legion.

And while they were boasting like that, and the blessed one stood there and listened, and the Belorizians did not know what to answer, a beautiful young man descended from a height, holding three crowns in his hand. One of them was decorated with pure gold and precious stones, and the second shone with large expensive pearls, and the third, the largest, was woven from all kinds of red and white flowers and the unfading branches of God's paradise. They emitted such a fragrance that the human mind is unable to express.

Seeing this, Andrei began to grieve and worry about how he could get at least one of these crowns. And, approaching the one who was in the guise of a young man, he said to him: “For Christ’s sake, are you selling them? If I cannot buy them, wait a little, I will go to my master and he will give you as much gold as you want.”

The young man answered him with a smile: “Believe me, my dear, that even if you bring me the gold of the whole world, I will not give you a single one of these flowers - neither you, nor anyone else, nor your imaginary master. For these crowns do not belong to this vain world, as you think, these are the crowns of Christ from the heavenly treasuries, with which those who defeat these blacks are crowned. And if you want to get not only one, but all three, then go and fight this black Ethiopian. And if you defeat him, then not only these, but also others, better than these, that you wish, you will receive from me.”

Hearing this, Andrei was inspired and said to him: “Believe me, I will do as you said. Just teach me his tricks."

And the young man said to him: “Aren’t you familiar with his tricks? After all, the formidable and terrible Ethiopians are weak. Do not be afraid of his enormous height and terrible appearance. He is like a rotten plant, rotten and weak.”

Having strengthened the young man with such words, the beautiful young man grabbed him, as if intending to fight him, and began to teach him how to resist the Ethiopian. And he said in his ear: “When he grabs you and begins to spin you around - for I know this - do not be afraid, but hook his leg - and you will see the glory of God.”

And he immediately went out of the blessed to the fight and shouted in a loud voice: "Come here, black -haired, we will fight you!" The Ethiopian approached, snuffling and wheezing menacingly, grabbed Andrei and began to circle him and circled him for a long time. And the Ethiopians began to clap their hands, and the Belorizians turned pale, thinking that the black one would now hit him on the ground, so that his eyes would pop out, and Andrei, circling around the Ethiopian, contrivedly caught his leg. And the demon, falling, hit his forehead on a stone and began to scream.

The Belarusians rejoiced and clapped their hands. And, lifting the righteous man into their arms, they began to kiss his face, anointing him with spiritual oil. Then all the blacks dispersed, disgraced. And the beautiful young man gave him honorable crowns and, kissing him, said: “Go with goodness. From now on you are our friend and brother. Strive for a good deed, be naked and a fool for my sake, and you will be rewarded with great good on the day of my kingdom.”

Hearing this, the blessed one woke up from this deep sleep and marveled at what happened to him, because he felt the incense on his lips; and his face was fragrant as if with a divine fragrance, the source of which was invisible.

The next morning he came to me unworthy and, having made up his mind, told me about the vision he had. And after listening to him, I marveled at his vision. After consulting, we decided that from now on he needed to be transformed and present himself as insane and possessed for the sake of the one who told him: “Be a fool for my sake and you will be rewarded with great good on the day of my kingdom.”

Otherwise, he could not have left his earthly master, for no one wants to set their slave free, especially for God’s work, for the devil zealously tries to prevent this.

The next night, rising at midnight, Andrei prayed and, having finished the prayer, took a knife and went to the well, which was near his master’s bedroom. And taking off the clothes that he was wearing, he began to cut them into pieces. And pretending to be possessed, he began to utter incoherent speeches and mutter senselessly, as crazy people do.

His owner, waking up, marveled at all this, especially since it was midnight. But on reflection, I decided that it was the well spirit that crawled out of the well and breathed on the first person he met, and it turned out to be Andrei. And he remained silent until the morning.

At dawn the cook went to get water and, when he saw what happened to Andrei, was surprised. Leaving the bucket, he went and told the owner, who was singing at Matins. Hearing this, the owner was surprised that Andrei, as the cook said, had fallen into madness and, having torn his clothes, was sitting at the mouth of the well. He went out with his wife and all the household members, and when they saw him in madness, they wept bitterly and lamented, thinking that he had really become a victim of an unclean spirit. His master was very saddened by this misfortune and, not knowing how to help him, ordered him to be taken to the church of the Holy Martyr Anastasia, which was built by the blessed Leo the Butcher, and there to put him in chains, and sent many pieces of silver to the church minister for his maintenance and feeding.

All day long the righteous man seemed crazy and talked like a holy fool. And at night he cried with all his heart, bowing and praying to the Martyr of Christ that she would appear to him and, if he was worthy, would tell him whether the feat he had begun was acceptable.

When he stopped crying and praying, he soon saw five wives come in visible form and with them in front a venerable old man. They began to go around the patients lying there, visiting one after another. Having passed everyone, they approached Andrei, the elder stopped first, and the holy women stood next to him. Looking at him intently, the elder smiled tenderly at him, planning something good. And he said, as if jokingly, turning to the fifth wife, who shone brightest of all: “Mrs. Anastasia, why aren’t you doing medicine here?”

She answered him: “Mr. Teacher, there was another healer here, and he doesn’t need anyone else. For he said to him: “Be a fool for my sake and you will gain much good on the day of my kingdom.” And after such a doctor he does not need healing. He has already learned this craft and will not leave it until his last breath, and he will be a vessel chosen by God, holy and beloved by the Spirit.”

The elder said: “I knew this, lady, and only asked you jokingly.”

So they spoke in the presence of Andrei, then, leaving him in peace, they went inside the church to worship. And after that he did not see any of them either leaving or entering until the attendant knocked on the beater. Amazed by what he saw, the monk glorified God and thanked the holy martyr for hastening to his prayer.

He sat in chains all day, not eating and uttering obscene words. When night came and he, having waited until midnight, as usual, began to pray in the secret temple of his heart, offering prayers and supplications to God and the holy martyr, the devil came to him in the flesh with many demons, holding an ax, and the demons carried knives, clubs, stakes, swords, spears and chains. This was a thousand-strong demonic army, and therefore many demons came with him to destroy the blessed one.

And from afar the rotten old man roared (for he appeared in the form of an old devil) and rushed at the saint, intending to kill him with the ax he was holding in his hands. And all the demons that were with him rushed at him, wanting to kill him. He raised his hands and cried out to the Lord with tears: “Do not betray my soul, which believes in you, to the beasts!” And he also said: “Holy Apostle John the Theologian, help me!”

And immediately there was thunder, as if in the heavens, and the screams of many people. And an old man with big eyes, slightly bald, with a face shining brighter than the sun, appeared, and with him a large retinue. And he said menacingly to those who came with him: “Close the gates so that no one can escape.” And those who were more numerous than the demons immediately did this. And when all the demons were caught, one of them secretly said to the other: “Cursed be the hour when we were tempted to do this. For John is severe and intends to punish us severely.”

The honest old man ordered his companions to remove the iron chain from Andrei’s neck. And, leaving the church gates, he said: “Lead them to me one by one.” And they brought the first one and spread him out on the ground. And the apostle, taking an iron chain, folded it in three and struck him a hundred times. And the demon screamed like a man: “Have mercy on me!”

Then they spread out another demon on the ground, and he was beaten in the same way.

Hearing them screaming “Have mercy on us!”, Andrei involuntarily began to laugh. It seemed to him that the Ethiopians, like people, were caught and really beaten. They also stretched out the third one, and he suffered the same amount. For God dealt them serious blows, sensitive to their nature. Beating them all in turn, the beaters said to those beaten and released: “Go and show yourself to your father Satan, will he like it?”

And when they dispersed, all the Belarusians disappeared. The handsome old man came to the servant of God and, placing shackles on his neck, said jokingly: “You see how I hastened to your aid. For I am very concerned about you, because God commanded me to look after you and take care of what most serves your salvation. Endure this, and you will be tempted in everything. For the hour will soon come when you will be released and will be able to walk freely wherever you please.”

Andrew asked: “Who are you, my lord? I do not know you".

The elder replied: “I am the one who reclined on the honest and life-giving chest of our Lord Jesus Christ.” And having said this, he disappeared from sight, as if turning into lightning.

Blessed Andrew marveled and fervently glorified the mercy of God, who helped him in words and deeds, who delivered him from the evil spirits that had taken up arms against him. And he said to himself: “Lord Jesus Christ, great and incomprehensible is your power and boundless mercy, since you are kind to me, humble and care for me, showing me a wondrous miracle. Keep me further on the path of your truth and make me worthy to receive your grace. Most High, great power, formidable, do not leave us.”

While he was praying, night fell, and dozing off, he saw himself in a dream in the royal chambers. While he was there, the king called him to him. And when he came and stood before him, the king asked him: “Do you want to work for me with all your soul, and I will make you one of the revered in my chambers?” Andrei replied: “Who refuses the good? I would really like that."

The king said: “If you want, take the food of my service.” And with these words he handed him something that looked like snow. Taking it, Andrey ate it. It was so sweet that the human mind cannot compare such sweetness with anything. But it was not enough, and after eating, Andrei began to silently pray that they would give him more of the same. “For,” he said, “when I ate, it seemed to me that this sweetness was comparable to the peace of God.”

And again he gave him a small piece of something similar to kidonat. And he said to him: “Take it and eat it.” Andrey took it and ate it. It was hot and bitter, bitterer than wormwood, so that the previous sweet good food also became disgusting to him.

The king, seeing his disgust, said to him: “Do you see how you could not accept this bitter taste, which means serving me? The food that I have given you is a narrow and sorrowful path that leads those who want to enter the gates of my kingdom.”

The blessed one said: “This food is bitter, sir. Who is able to eat it and serve you?

The king answered: “You understood the meaning of bitter, but did you understand sweet? Didn’t I give you first the sweet and then the bitter?”

He said: “Yes, sir. But you only told your servant about bitter things, that this is an image of a sorrowful path.”

The king said: “No, the path lies in the middle between sweet and bitter. And in the bitter there is embodied a taste of the torment and suffering that you will have to endure for my sake, and in the sweet and best, coolness, peace and consolation are found for those who suffer for my sake. From my grace comes not only bitter or only sweet, but sometimes one, sometimes the other, alternating and alternating. And if you want to work for me, tell me so that I know.”

Andrey said: “Let me taste the same thing again, I’ll try and tell you.” And he again gave him the bitter, and then the sweet. Suffering from bitterness, Andrei said: “I cannot serve you by feeding on this. This food is bitter and heavy.”

The king smiled and took out from his bosom something else, which looked like fire, emanating a fragrance and decorated with flowers. And he said to him: “Take it, eat it and forget everything you saw and heard.” He took it, tasted it and stood for a long time in oblivion from this sweetness and from great joy and from the great fragrance and glory. And having come to his senses, he fell at the feet of that great king and prayed with the words: “Have mercy on me, good lord, and do not cast me away from serving you from now on. For I have truly realized that the path of your service is very sweet, and outside of it I will not bow my head to anyone.”

And he answered him: “Did this meal surprise you? Believe me, this is the least of my goods. But if you calm me down, everything I have will be yours and you will be my friend and partake of my holy kingdom and you will be my heir.” And having said this, it was as if he had been sent to a heroic deed. And immediately Andrei woke up.

The blessed one kept all this in his heart and marveled, saying: “What could this be?”

After four months of his stay in the church of St. Anastasia, the church servants, seeing that he was not recovering, but, on the contrary, he was getting worse, reported him to his master. Hearing this, Theognostus rejected him as if he were insane and possessed by a demon, and ordered him to remove his shackles and set him free. And having removed his shackles, the church ministers released him. Seeing that what he had planned was coming true, Andrei glorified God, who arranged it so that his will would come true.

Beginning of life

From that time on, he began to run and frolic in the streets, following the example of his predecessor Simeon the Holy Fool <...> and wandered all day without food and without rest. When evening came, he either did not sleep, if he did not want to sleep, but walked along the city streets and prayed in his soul, and so he stayed awake all night, and slept the next morning; or, when he did not feel like walking in the night, he looked for a place on the street where the dogs were lying, and, having driven the dog away, he lay down in his place and rested as if on a bed - naked, wretched, poor, having neither matting nor clothes, not a hair shirt or even a piece of cloth. Instead of all this, as was said before, he had on himself only a piece of cloth, and he walked in it.

Getting up in the morning, he said to himself: “Well, despicable holy fool Andrei, the dog slept with the dogs all night in the wild. Let us continue to work, for death is approaching. And let no one tempt you, for in the hour of death no one will help you. For each person receives the fruit of his labor at the hour of the end of this life. Let us go quickly, unfortunate one, mocked by people in this world, and we will receive praise and glory from the heavenly King and God.”

Saying this, the honest man, according to the words of the great Apostle Paul, sought to stretch forward, forgetting what is behind. Looking at him, people said: “Here is a new demoniac.” Others said: “The earth is not worthwhile without a holy fool.” And others pushed him and beat him in the neck, and spat in his face with contempt.

Patiently enduring all this, hungry, thirsty, dying of cold, scorched by heat and enduring insults, he remained invulnerable. And he carried such a prayer in the secret temple of his heart that when he whispered it, it could be heard far away. And just as thick steam comes out of a seething cauldron when boiling violently, so from his mouth came the steam of the Holy Spirit, so that some who saw him said: “This is the demon sitting in him, it is he who spews out this steam.” And others said: “No, it is his heart, angry from the presence of a demonic spirit, that breathes.” But this was not so, this was unceasing, godly prayer. So, just as previously the ignorant considered anyone who spoke a different language to be drunk, so here they thought about this glorious thing.

About whores

One day he walked past a whorehouse while playing. One of the harlots, seeing the holy fool, grabbed him by the edge of the old clothes he was wearing and dragged him inside. The true mocker of Satan yielded and entered with her. And when he entered the whorehouse, other harlots gathered around him and, laughing at him, asked: “How did this happen to you?” The righteous man only grinned, without answering. Pushing him, they tried to force him to commit nasty fornication, caressing his secret parts. Others, kissing, tempted the chaste, trying to persuade him to shame. Others said: “Fornicate with us, holy fool, and satisfy your spiritual lust.”

But he showed a wondrous miracle. Plunging him into such a strong temptation, they were not at all able to induce him to desire this stinking illness.

Then they abandoned their intentions with the words: “Either he is a dead man, or an insensitive log, or a lying stone: no matter how much we inflame him with lust, nothing comes of it.”

One of them said: “I am surprised at your foolishness and indignation. After all, he is a holy fool and possessed, hungry and cold, and there is nowhere for him to lay his head - where does his lust come from? Leave him alone and let him go crazy."

The righteous man saw a prodigal demon standing among the harlots; in appearance he looked like an Ethiopian, with a big mouth, and instead of hair on his head, he had horse dung mixed with ash. And his eyes were like those of a fox; old rags covered his shoulders. And such a fetid smell of sewage emanated from him that, unable to bear this heavy stench, the blessed one began to spit frequently and covered his nose with his clothes.

Seeing that Andrei abhorred fornication, the prodigal demon became enraged and screamed: “People cherish me like sweet honey in their hearts, but this one mocks the whole world, disdains me, spits on me. But did you yourself become a holy fool for a good purpose, and not in order to thus evade earthly labors?

The blessed one saw him in reality, but the harlots only heard the voice of the demon, but did not see anyone. Sitting among them, the blessed one laughed at the stinking and ugly demon. When they saw him laughing, they said, “Look how he laughs with his demon.” And one of them said: “He has good clothes. Let’s take it and sell it, and we’ll have something to drink today.” Getting up quickly. They stripped him, leaving him naked, and sold his clothes for pieces of silver and divided them, each getting two coppers.

The eldest said to the others: “Let’s not let him go naked, but give him at least some old matting.” They brought matting and, having made a slit in the middle of it, placed it on his neck instead of clothing and drove him out of the house.

And going out into the street, he began to run, acting like a fool. Those who saw him, laughing at him, said: “A good blanket lies on your donkey, holy fool.” He answered: “Truly you are the holy fools, I wear good clothes. For my Lord has made me a patrician.”

Some lovers of Christ themselves gave him coppers, although he did not ask. For Christ cared for him. And no matter how much they gave him, he accepted. Sometimes it was up to twenty, sometimes thirty or more coppers a day. And he looked out for a secluded place where the beggars were gathering, and walked towards them with coppers in his hands, pretending to be blissful so that they would not guess his plan, and, sitting down, began to play with the coppers. And when one of the beggars tried to take them away from him, he slapped him. Seeing this, the rest of the beggars came at him with sticks, wanting to avenge their comrade. Using this as a reason to escape, throwing away the coppers, he ran away from them. Then they appropriated his coppers.

VISION OF THE RICH REST

One day, when Andrei was going to his spiritual work, having walked away a little, he saw in the distance how a dead man was being carried towards him. He was a noble, very rich man.

A great crowd of people followed the coffin. Loud singing of those walking with many candles and censers was heard. Wailings and loud cries came from his loved ones.

Seeing what was happening above the dead man, the saint stopped and fell into oblivion for a long time. And I saw: in front of the candles there were many black demons, shouting, drowning out the singers: “Woe to him! Woe to him! And everything that they burned incense reeked of sewage, and they carried some bags and scattered ashes and ash alternately. And all this multitude, dancing as they walked and laughing brazenly, like shameless harlots, now barked like a dog, now squealed like a pig. And for them the dead man was a subject of fun and joy. And some of them walked next to the body, sprinkling the face of the deceased with sewage and slurry, while others, flying through the air, hovered around the bed.

An unbearable stench emanated from the bed and from the body of that sinner, as happens when they clear out latrines and splash slurry around and scatter stinking sewage. And some put dog feces and sea dog fat and other stench on his face, while others, following him, danced, clapping their hands and terribly stamping their feet, laughing and invisibly mocking the singers, and saying: “God forbid any of you see the light, pathetic Christians, singing over the dog, “rest his soul with the saints,” and calling the one who committed all kinds of evil a servant of God.”

And here is a terrible vision of the saint. He looked and saw: the prince of unclean demons with an enraged gaze that terrifies those who watch, holding fire, brimstone and resin in his hands, goes to the tomb of that unfortunate man to dishonor his body and burn it with fire, which is what happened after the burial.

And when the dead man was carried past, Andrei looked and saw: a handsome young man was walking behind him and crying, overcome with sadness. And sobbing, he passes by the saint.

Believing that he really was a young man and one of the relatives of the deceased, that’s why he was crying like that, and as if forgetting about the secret affairs of the Lord, he extended his hand and, touching the crying young man, turned to him with the words: “I conjure you by the God of heaven and earth, what is the reason for your crying and why are you shedding such tears? I have never seen anyone cry so much for a dead person; please tell me why you are doing this?”

The angel answered him: “The reason for my crying is that the one who is being buried now, whom you saw, the devil took for himself. He is the reason for my crying and sadness, and having lost him, I cry.”

The saint said to him: “Tell me, my dear friend - for I understand who you are - what were his sins?”

And the angel answered him: “Since you, Andrew, are God’s chosen one and since you are allowed to know this, listen and hear. For now your beautiful soul is pure and bright, and as if I saw pure gold, I was a little consoled in my sadness. He was a noble husband of the emperor, but during his lifetime he was a sinner and a very evil man. In everything he was a fornicator and an adulterer and a sodomite, treacherous and unmerciful, arrogant and proud, and a lover of money, and deceitful, and hateful of man, vindictive and a bribe-taker, and an oath-breaker, he starved his poor servants, and with beatings, and with nakedness, leaving them without clothes. and without shoes on cold days; He killed many of them with a stick and buried them in the stable. And he was so inflamed with vile and ungodly lust for the youths and eunuchs that he desecrated up to three hundred souls with this vile and disgusting sin. But now, my friend in the Lord, the harvest came upon him, and death, having come, found him without repentance, mired in many indescribable sins, and you yourself saw his vile body with what dishonor they carried him to the grave. And therefore, O holy soul, I grieve and cry in great sorrow, for, my beloved, I have become a laughing stock for the demons and a receptacle for a vile stench.”

O r a s k a z e a n g e l a

When the angel finished, the saint said to him: “I ask you, my friend, calm down. He deserved a nasty end: he strove for evil and was now satisfied with it. But you, fire-like, filled with delight, in the name of the Lord Almighty Hosts, you will remain in goodness from now on and forever.”

After these words, the angel flew away invisibly. Passers-by walking along the street where the saint was talking to the angel, and seeing that he was standing and talking to himself - for they did not see the angel, being unworthy - said to each other: “Look at this holy fool, how he is fooling around, talking senselessly with the wall." And pushing him and driving him away, they said: “What are you thinking, you fool, possessed, standing and talking to the wall?”

The saint, hearing that they were chatting, smiled and said nothing. And laughing at their ignorance, he walked away from them and, coming to a secluded place, surrendered to silence.

Prayer of the Holy One for the Dead

And remembering that unfortunate man who was being carried to the grave, he began to cry bitterly until he was exhausted and his eyes were swollen from long crying. And in tears he said the following prayer to the Lord: “Inscrutable and invisible and terrible God the Father, creator and ruler, creator of endless centuries and the beginning of all wisdom and knowledge! Incomprehensible birth, the splendor of holy glory, similar and equal to the Father and your beloved and almighty Spirit, born from time immemorial from a great mind, always remaining in the womb of the one who gave birth to you, one of the inseparable Trinity and after your incarnation! I ask you, save the body of that unfortunate man from the desecration of tar and brimstone, bow your holy womb to the prayer of your insignificant servant. Since there is no deliverance for his defiled soul, for death has closed everything for him, I ask you and pray that at least his body will be freed from such shame, so that the cursed deep serpent will not fully rejoice at the prey and will not swallow his soul along with his body, insulting your sacred Name".

And while the saint was praying, inspiration descended on him. And falling into ecstasy, he saw himself coming to the grave of that unfortunate man. And then the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, like quick lightning, holding a fiery rod in his hand and driving away the unclean spirits that were there. And they disappeared, and the desecration of the body by burning in pitch and brimstone was stopped.

Seeing this, the saint expressed gratitude to God, who fulfilled his prayer.

O m o g i l n o m V o r e

A few days later, the daughter of a nobleman died. And she was a girl who lived her life in purity. Dying, she asked her father to be buried at their country estate in a chapel in the middle of the garden.

And when she died, they took her to bury her in the place that she had indicated to her father during her life.

At that time there was one grave thief who, tearing up the graves, took off the clothes of the dead. And standing on the way, he watched where they were going to carry her and bury her. And having learned where she was buried, he planned to do the same with her.

It happened that a saint passed by, doing his work for Christ. And as if having seen with the gaze of his heart, he comprehended in his spirit the vile intent of this wicked man. And wanting to turn him away from this act, for he knew what punishment was in store for him, and looking menacingly into his face, he said to him with anger: “Thus says the Spirit, judging the thieves of the clothes lying in the tombs: “You will no longer see the sun, you will not see more than a day, no longer see a human face. For the gates of your house will be shut and will never be opened again. And the day will darken and never dawn."

He, having heard this, did not understand what the saint was talking about and, without worrying about anything, walked away.

The saint, looking at him, said: “Go, go, steal, you fool. I swear by Jesus, if you do this, you will never see the sun.”

The same one, fully understanding what Andrei told him, began to praise him, calling him a righteous man and saying: “Really, you unfortunate demoniac, and at the devil’s instigation you are talking about the unknown and secret. I will go there on purpose to see if your words will come true.” The saint, acting like a fool, continued on his way.

When evening came, the madman chose an hour and, coming to the grave, rolled away the stone and went inside. And first he took the shroud and the cape, which were beautiful and precious. And having taken it, I wanted to leave.

But the demon, a hater of the human race, told him to take off his shirt and leave his body naked, which he did. And when he took the shirt, by the will of God - for this story is amazing - the dead girl, raising her right hand, hit him on the cheek. And immediately his eyes went blind. And horrified, he trembled so much that his jaws and knees began to knock with fear.

And opening her mouth, the dead maiden said to him: “Be miserable and wretched because you did not fear God or his angels. And at least you, as a person, would be ashamed to see a woman’s body naked and would be content with what you took first, and leave the shirt to my unfortunate body. But you acted inhumanly and cruelly and planned to make me a laughing stock in front of all the holy virgins on the day of the second coming. But today I will teach you a lesson so that you never steal again and so that you understand that Christ is the living God, and that there will be judgment and reward and life after death, and those who love the Lord will be joyful.”

Having said this, the girl got up and, taking her shirt, dressed herself and wrapped herself in a shroud and a cape, and again lay down and fell asleep in peace, saying: “In you alone, Lord, is my hope.”

The unfortunate man barely managed to find the garden wall and so went out. And since there was a road nearby, he, groping from wall to wall, came to the city gates. And to those who asked about the reason for his blindness and how it happened to him, at first he said something different, and not how it really happened. But then, having calmed down, he told the whole truth to his friend. And from then on he began to beg for alms and thus began to feed himself.

And sometimes, sitting and turning to his throat, he swore: “Curse you, insatiable throat, because because of you and my womb I accepted blindness.” And he also said: “He who gluttons and does not work steals and gets what he deserves.”

Remembering the saint, he marveled at how he predicted everything that was going to happen to him.

Many at that time, hearing about this miracle, rejected the works of Satan and were good in character and deed.

About the vel who was

p r o t i v e n s v i t o y

When the blessed one from time to time mocked, as usual, at the hippodrome and did something indecent, and the people who saw him, some grieved, others, disdainful, cursed him as possessed by an evil demon, one of the nobles, driving by, seeing him, was disgusted spat on him.

The saint of Christ, looking at him for a long time and gaining insight into his life, said to him: “You wicked fornicator, a mocker of the church, aren’t you, getting up at night and pretending that you are going to church for matins, and go, wicked man, to Satan for matins. But now retribution has already come to you, and you will receive it according to your deeds that you committed, hoping to hide from the terrible all-seeing eye.”

Hearing this, the nobleman hit his horse and galloped away so as not to be embarrassed. For he was a naval charterer.

A few days later he became seriously ill and gradually began to waste away. And they began to carry him from church to church, from doctor to doctor, and there was no relief for him. And soon he went to eternal damnation.

One night, at the courtyard of this nobleman, the saint saw a fire-like angel of the Lord, flying from the west, looking with a menacing gaze and holding a large fiery rod in his hands. And he entered the house of that unfortunate man, threatening and angry, and intending to destroy his house to the ground. And when he entered the sick man, a voice was heard from above saying: “Strike this blasphemer, the Sodomite, the fornicator and the wicked. And, beating, punish him: “Will you still commit fornication with the male sex and with other people’s wives?” Will you go to matins with the Devil?”

And (the angel) began to beat him and punish him. And the voice of an angel and the sounds of blows were heard, but the one striking was not visible.

In torment, the unfortunate man, willy-nilly, without shame, prayed: “I will never commit fornication again! Have mercy on me!

Thus tormented for three days and three nights and repeating: “I will not commit fornication anymore!”, he gave up the ghost.

This, my friends, I heard from Blessed Andrew and wrote down for the benefit and edification of our souls, so that we keep ourselves pure while walking in this world. For nothing can be hidden from God and his saints.

And I asked the saint: “How and in what way did the unfortunate man sin?”

And, answering me, he said: “He had two eunuchs with whom he committed fornication. And they bought him lunch and, walking around the city, looked for him, now girls, now married women, now harlots. And all his thoughts were occupied with this, and getting up before the roosters, he went to them.

His wife often asked him where he was going at this hour. He answered: “I go to church.”

And when he left, he first engaged in devilish deeds, and then, defiled, stinking, he went to church.

Many, seeing how early he gets up, said: “This is a holy man.” And he was a secret devil. Therefore, God is disgusted by those who do this. It is not enough for him that he is a sinner, but still creates for himself the glory of a saint.”

VISIONS OF THE HOLY Mother of God

in V lakh ernakh

When there was an all-night vigil in the holy church in Blachernae, blessed Andrew went there, doing his usual business. Epiphanius and one of his servants were also with him. And sometimes they stood until midnight, and sometimes until dawn.

At four o'clock in the morning, blessed Andrew saw in reality the Holy Mother of God entering through the Imperial Gates - very tall, accompanied by formidable servants, among whom were the honest Forerunner and the Son of Thunder, who supported her on both sides. And many other saints in white robes walked in front of her and behind her with spiritual songs.

And when she approached the pulpit, the saint approached Epiphanius and asked: “Do you see the Lady and Queen of the world?”

He replied: “I see, my father.”

And before their eyes, she knelt down and prayed for a long time, watering her godlike face with tears. Having finished the prayer, she went to the altar and prayed for the people standing there.

And having prayed, she took off the maforium shining like lightning, which covered her most pure head and shoulders, and, taking it into her most pure hands - it was large and terrible - she spread it over the people standing there. For a long time the saints saw him stretched out over people and radiating, like electricity, the glory of God. And while the Holy Mother of God was there, they saw the covering, and when she left, they no longer saw it, for she obviously took it with her, and left the grace to those who were there.

Saint Andrew of Crete

Saint Andrew of Crete

The saint was born in Damascus. Until the age of 7, the boy was mute. His parents thought that he would remain like this for the rest of his life, but a miracle happened. At the age of 7, he was taken to communion for the first time, and, after partaking of the Holy Gifts, the boy’s tongue was freed from its binding bonds. The youth spoke.

Andrey studied many sciences. He became an excellent speaker. The parents brought their grown-up son to the Holy Sepulcher, dedicating him to God. The Patriarch of Jerusalem Theodore himself became the young man’s mentor. The future great ascetic learned a lot from him.

In 680, he was honored to be a participant in the Sixth Ecumenical Council, after which he remained to live in Constantinople, taking upon himself the feat of complete silence. However, the emperor soon became aware of his piety, and the saint, against his will, was appointed trustee of orphanages. Fulfilling this obedience, the saint showed himself so brilliantly in caring for the poor and orphans that he was soon elevated to the High Hierarchal Throne of the Metropolis of the island of Crete. It was this service that allowed him to become a great shepherd and teacher of the Church of Christ.

The saint of God left behind many written works. Including canons and troparia, which decorate holiday services today and evoke a feeling of tenderness in believers. He is also the author of the Great Penitential Canon, read in the first week of Great Lent.

The saint's prayer saved the island of Crete from the attack of barbarians. Despite the fact that the invaders were well armed, they hastily fled from the island without being chased by anyone. Many of them remained on its coast, finding eternal peace here.

The saint’s prayers helped avoid the plague epidemic. And, one day, the shepherd begged God for abundant torrential rain after a long, disastrous drought.

The saint reposed in about 740, foreseeing the day of his death in advance.

His memory was designated by the Church on July 17.

Rev. Andrei Rublev

Rev. Andrei Rublev

Little is known about this brilliant Russian icon painter. Born in the 60s of the 14th century, at a time when Rus' had been languishing under the Tatar yoke for a century and a half. It is not known what his name was in childhood, since Andrei is the second name of the saint of God, a monastic one.

Interesting fact

Ordinary people did not have surnames in those days. Rublev is a nickname. From the word “rubel” - a tool for processing leather.

Artists at that time worked in artels. One of the most famous artels painting temples was the artel of the brilliant icon painter Theophanes (Greek). Among his students was Andrei Rublev. The first mention of it can be found in the chronicle describing the construction of the Epiphany Cathedral in Moscow:

“ masters bykhu Feofan the icon painter Grechin and Prokhor the elder from Gorodets, and the monk Andrei Rublev.”

The saint went to paint churches in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, in Vladimir he painted the Assumption Cathedral, in which the Vladimir princes were crowned kings. His depiction of the Last Judgment scene has been preserved here. This fresco is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The greatest creation of the saint is the icon of the Holy Trinity, which represents the perfect artistic embodiment of Divine Love as the basis of the Universe. That Love, which is God. Only a person of high spiritual life, well acquainted with the Holy Scriptures and the works of the holy fathers, could write such a work.

Interesting fact

The peculiarity of this image, according to theologians, is that the Angels, personifying the Holy Trinity, occupy only three sides of the quadrangular table depicted on the icon, as if leaving the worshipers the opportunity to take the free fourth place and take part in the Sacrament of the Eucharist.

The icon painter reposed in Moscow, in the Spaso-Andronikov Monastery, on January 29, 1430. In 1988, the brilliant master was canonized.

The day of remembrance of St. Andrei Rublev is set on July 17.

Saint Andrew the Fool

Saint Andrew, Fool for Christ's sake

This saint was a Slav by birth. In his adolescence, he was captured and bought as a slave by the Constantinople nobleman Theognost during the reign of the Byzantine emperor Leo the Wise (866-912). Theognost fell in love with the beautiful young man and, seeing in him a sharp mind and curiosity, sent him to study book sciences.

Andrey really loved going to church. One day he was granted a vision of an Angel, who invited him to undertake the feat of foolishness in order to be able to openly expose people mired in sins. Having heeded the vision, Andrei decided to devote himself to this feat.

The young man pretended to be crazy. The saddened owner took him to the Church of St. Anastasia the Pattern Maker so that prayers would be read over him. When these actions did not help, reluctantly, Theognostus released him.

Andrei began to live as holy fools live. During the day he pretended to be a madman, and at night he prayed fervently. He lived in a field, had no clothes, ate what God sent him. At the same time, he gave away much of what people gave him to the poor, and did not like being praised for it. For such an ascetic life, the righteous man was granted the gift of clairvoyance and power over demons. He was awarded the vision of the Lord and the Heavenly Lady.

Interesting fact

Saint Andrew the Fool was honored to see the Most Pure Mother of God in the Blachernae Church of Constantinople, holding Her Honorable Omophorion over the inhabitants. In memory of that event, the Orthodox Church established the Feast of the Protection of the Mother of God, which is celebrated on October 14.

The righteous man reposed in 936.

The Church remembers the feat of Saint Andrew, Christ for the sake of the holy fool, of Constantinople on October 15 .

Life of St. Andrew of Tsaregrad

From the editor: The day after the Feast of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Church honors the memory of Blessed Andrew, Christ for the Fool's sake. It was to him in the Blachernae temple that a miraculous vision of the Queen of Heaven praying for all people was revealed. The article tells about the life of the saint, the significance of his feat and the Russian saints who followed his example - for the sake of Christ, they took upon themselves the feat of imaginary madness.

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“There are many so-called wisdoms on earth, but all of them will remain on earth. The deepest wisdom of all is to save one’s soul, since it lifts the soul to heaven into the Kingdom of Heaven and places it before God.”

Flower garden of the holy monk Dorotheus

“In My Father’s house there are many abodes,” this is what the Lord says about the place of rest that is prepared in Paradise for the souls of the righteous. Just as the stars shine in the clear midnight sky, so the faces of the holy righteous in the eternal heavenly palaces are glorified by heavenly light. And just as the diverse wildflowers on a forest meadow are diverse in their unique beauty, so are the saints of God adorned with virtues, each according to his rank and title. But the most extraordinary among all the others is, undoubtedly, the feat of “foolishness for Christ’s sake,” which could only be undertaken by those people who had a special Divine revelation about it.

IN AND. Surikov. Holy fool. Fragment of the painting “Boyaryna Morozova”

The highest degree of self-denial is visible here - everyday martyrdom and complete impartiality. When a person forgets himself so much that for the sake of an ascetic life he renounces not only all concepts about any natural and necessary bodily comforts, but also completely renounces all his pride. And then such a person lives only with his body on earth, but with his soul he dwells in the heavenly villages of paradise. For the more sorrows a person endures for the sake of God, the more spiritual consolation he receives. A person becomes like an angel and with the high example of his holy life instructs others on the path of salvation and virtue.

It is indisputable that among the most popular and revered saints in Russia is the name of St. Blessed Andrew of Constantinople , a great Christian ascetic of the mid-10th century. From his life it is known that he was from Slavic countries, but along with other slaves captured by Saracen robbers, he was brought to Byzantium and sold into slavery, being a young fifteen-year-old youth.

In the book “Izmaragd” there is a word about the Monk Andrew of Constantinople, which speaks of a vision that prompted him to take upon himself the feat of foolishness:

“Under Leo, the great king, there lived a man in the city of Constantinople, named Theognostus, who, having bought many people for his work, also took from among them this Andrei, very young in age, a Slav by birth. Andrei was very handsome, and his master appointed him to serve before him, fell in love with him very much and taught him to read and write. The saint quickly and easily mastered all book wisdom, the skill of going to church services and reading Divine books. One night he rose up to pray to give thanks to God. But the hostile demon, envious of his good undertaking, decided to frighten him with various imaginary ghosts in order to weaken him and tear him away from prayer. Saint Andrew was then greatly horrified by the demonic evil misfortune, lay down on his bed and covered himself with goat skin. But the Lord Himself consoled His saint and showed him some miraculous vision. So, plunging into a deep sleep, Andrei saw himself in some kind of disgrace (ts.-glorious spectacle, performance - editor's note), like on a battlefield, where on one side stood many black Ethiopians, and on the other - beautiful luminous youths in shining white robes. Then a huge miracle giant appeared before the black horde, calling a combatant to him for a duel, but no one answered him. One of the Belorizians held in his hand three heavenly crowns of indescribable beauty and splendor, and promised to crown the winner with them on the battlefield. Then Saint Andrew asked the angel how he could overcome that black giant in order to accept these beautiful crowns himself. The angel replied that, first of all, he should not be afraid of either His terrible Majesty or the menacing gaze. For all his power is similar in appearance to a huge but rotten tree, which is ready to fall and indulge in corruption (c.-glorious decay, rotting - editor's note). Andrei, having become very strong in spirit, went and fought with the demon and, kicking his right foot, managed to win and threw him down on his back to the ground. Then the Belorians had great joy over him; they kindly kissed Andrei and called him their close and sincere friend. And Andrei heard a voice from above, as the Lord Himself told him: “Hasten now to a good deed, be poor, and naked, and a fool for My sake, and I will give you much reward on the day of My Kingdom.”

There is another similar legend from the life of St. Andrew, given in the Flower Garden of the Hieromonk Dorotheus. In a dream vision, Andrei appeared before the King of Heaven in His royal chambers, created from the purest gold and richly decorated with all sorts of precious stones. The king welcomed him and gave him a taste of His meal, which He had prepared for His faithful and good servants, who served Him with all their souls. At first the food was indescribably sweet. But, having tasted more, Andrei felt such bitterness that seemed to him completely unbearable for the human taste. And he answered the King that this service was bitter and that it was impossible to serve Him while tasting such unbearable bitterness. But the King smiled and said:

You understood about the bitter, but didn’t you understand about the sweet? My path lies between sweet and bitter. The bitter shows the sorrows, hardships and illnesses that you will have to endure. In the sweet and best there is, by My grace, silence, peace and consolation for those who suffer for My sake. After all, there is not always one bitter or one sweet. Sometimes this, sometimes that replace each other.

Then Andrei tasted such indescribable sweetness that he stood as if in oblivion, completely filled with heavenly spiritual joy. When he came to his senses, the King answered him:

Were you surprised by this food? Believe Me that in all the good things I have, this is the least. And if you serve Me, then everything Mine will be yours, and I will make you My friend, and you will become a partaker and heir of My Holy Kingdom.

Troparion, tone 1.

Hearing the voice of your Apostle Paul saying, “We are fools for Christ’s sake, your servant Andrew, we are fools on earth for you for the sake of Christ our God.” In the same way, now we respectfully pray to you for his memory, Lord, save our soul.

Kontakion, voice, 4.

Having transformed into foolishness by will, you hated the beauty of this world at all, you withered carnal play with fasting and thirst, heat and cold. Never avoid rain and snow and other airborne burdens. You purified your soul like gold in a furnace, Andrei, most honorably.

From that time on, Andrei left the house of his good master and began to struggle in the most severe feats, having neither shelter, nor food, nor clothing. Once, during the harshest winter season, he suffered unbearably from severe frost. But during the most unbearable suffering, an angel of God appeared to help him, who took him to the heavenly paradises and showed him the places of wondrous peace prepared for the saints. Then Andrei began to strive even more diligently: at night he almost never slept, but gave prayerful praise to God, and during the day, as if crazy, he wandered among the crowd, causing himself contempt, ridicule and even beatings. When there was a burning heat at midday, he would go and lie down somewhere in an unworthy place in the city, in the very sun, pretending to be very drunk and unworthy of respect. Thus the saint humbled himself, avoiding any honor and glory from people, but at the same time having the highest incorruptible glory from God, Who, even during this life, gave him the gift of being a seer and wonderworker and a contemplator of the hidden Heavenly mysteries.

“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (1 Pet. 5:5). Just as pride cast down the fallen star from heaven to earth, so humility lifts him to heaven, purifies the soul and heart and makes man a temple of God. From the life of St. Andrew it is known that, avoiding vain human idle talk, he was often honored to be an interlocutor with holy angels, and once was awarded a special miraculous revelation. When he, together with his disciple Epiphanius, was at the Divine service in the Blachernae Church of the Most Holy Mother of God, he saw the Queen Theotokos Herself, who stood in indescribable heavenly glory and extended Her luminous omophorion from above, overshadowing all those praying with it and showing Her merciful protection over them. One of the most revered Christian holidays in Rus', the Feast of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, was established in honor of this ever-memorable event, when we ask our Heavenly Representative to intercede for us and the entire Russian land with Her omnipotent prayers, to protect and protect it, as Her chosen destiny, from any adversary, from secret and obvious hostile forces.

In Rus', the names of many holy saints of God are known, who, following the example of Blessed Andrew, took upon themselves such feats, in which with the utmost accuracy the commandment of Christ about complete selflessness and contempt for all visible earthly blessings is fulfilled. But, living like this among worldly people, these people served the world and were in it spiritual lamps and prophets, miracle workers and prayer books, fearless denouncers of proud and cruel rulers. There is a widely known legend about how in 1570 Blessed Nikola saved Pskov from ruin and death: he stopped the punitive detachment of Tsar Ivan the Terrible and fearlessly offered the Tsar himself a piece of raw meat. The king recoiled indignantly, saying that it was Lent, and he was a Christian and did not eat meat at this time. “Do you drink Christian blood?!” - the blessed one exclaimed in response. This heroic act impressed the Terrible Tsar so much that he canceled his intention and returned back.

The holy righteous Procopius of Ustyug also appeared as the savior of his city. For a long time, under the guise of a holy fool, he boldly and freely denounced the Ustyuzhans for their secret evil deeds and vices, calling for repentance. But the Ustyun residents did not listen and scolded him, until, finally, the wrath of God befell them and such black and menacing clouds hung over the city, which even the most ancient city old-timers had never seen before. A terrible hurricane arose, and frightened people gathered in the city cathedral church for fervent prayer. Saint Procopius also fervently prayed for the salvation of the city. The Lord then heeded the saint’s request - the cloud passed by and burst into a stone hail on the field outside the city, which could have significantly destroyed the city buildings and killed the inhabitants themselves, and the fiery lightning that scorched many trees would undoubtedly have caused a terrible city fire.

The word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those who are being saved the power of God is (1 Cor. 1:18).

Of course, not all of us can live and strive the way the great saints labored, but we have the ability to imitate their exploits to some extent. For whoever tries to keep his conscience pure, do acts of mercy towards his neighbors and avoid soul-harming temptations will certainly receive his reward and will be glorified along with the great ascetics. Thus, the Lord sometimes revealed the hidden deeds of His unknown righteous people, who lived, apparently, an ordinary worldly life, but in their humility achieved such a high measure of perfection that they sang the “trisagion” chant together with the angels at night prayers. And may God grant us all to live in such a way that, strengthened by the prayers of God’s holy saints, we see before us worthy examples of imitation of a pious, virtuous life. To abide in truthfulness, brotherly love and humility. And then the Most Holy Lady Theotokos will overshadow us, like a blessed cloud from above, with Her honorable omphora and cover us from all evil adversity and opposing forces, like that wonderful vision that St. Andrew was privileged to contemplate in the Blachernae Church.