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Paphnutius Borovsky, he, like others, deserved his inclusion in the list of saints, at the cost of his life. He had the gift of prophecy and foresaw his death. Memorial Day falls on May 14th. A large number of pilgrims strive to get there on this day to perform a miracle.
Life of a Saint
He was born in 1394 near Borovsk. My father converted from the pagan Tatars to Christianity. At the age of 20, he decided to leave home and take monastic vows. Thus began the young man’s religious life. For about 30 years he lived in the Intercession Monastery in zealous service to the Lord. At 51 years old - a serious illness and taking schema.
After the disease subsided, he independently went to a tributary of the Protva, where he settled. Soon the brethren began to gather to him. This was the beginning of the future monastery of St. Paphnutius. Initially, a wooden church was built there, which was later replaced by a stone one, and named in honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Dionysius handled his schedule. The saint constantly set an example of the correctness of all the rules and foundations of religion. He was revered not only by representatives of his monastery, but also by others.
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After his departure to another world, he was buried. And in 2021, not far from the Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Vysokoye, a bronze monument to him was erected.
Pafnuty Borovsky's life
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Author: V. Kotarbinsky. "Saint Paphnutius"
The abbot of one monastery, located near the city of Borovsk, became seriously ill. 30 years before that he had been a caring father for the brethren, but now he decided to leave his abbotship and accept the great schema - the highest degree of monasticism. He planned to spend the rest of his days in silence and repentance. However, having unexpectedly recovered, at the behest of the Mother of God herself, he settled on the other side of the river and founded a new monastery in honor of the Nativity of the Most Pure One. This monk's name was Paphnutius. The monastery very quickly became a new center of spiritual life. Ordinary people flocked here, boyars and princes came, and everyone asked the abbot for advice and prayer. And he treated everyone - regardless of rank, wealth and position - with love. And he told everyone the truth. One day a certain proud man came for the saint’s blessing and arrogantly asked the brethren where to find the elder. He did not know the monk by sight and, having met him by chance, pushed him and began to speak rudely.
Proud man: - Hey, you! Show me where Paphnutius is! Reverend Paphnutius: - Wait, calm down, what are you doing? It seems to me that you have been possessed by a crafty and proud spirit. Proud man: - Should you tell me?! Who are you?! (suddenly changes intonation, guesses, gets a little scared) So you are Paphnutius? Rev. Paphnutius: - Yes, it’s me.
The proud man was confused. He jumped on his horse and galloped away, now angry with the old man, now ashamed of his rudeness:
Proud man: - Oh, the one I considered great turned out to be different... But will he give me a blessing now? Do I need it? He's just a poor monk. No, he is a miracle worker and a saint. What should I do? I am so sinful that even the elder will not have a warm word for me now...
Soon people came running to the elder and began to talk about a certain man who rode directly on a horse into the monastery pond and did not want to get out, saying that he was going to drown himself here. The elder sighed and began to pray to the Mother of God, asking her for mercy on the unfortunate man. After some time, that man, disheveled and wet, but already calm, again came to Paphnutius.
Proud man: - Father, let me fall at your feet. Forgive me, forgive me! Never before has it been so easy for me, so calm in my soul! Thank you, Father Paphnutius!
Rev. Paphnutius: “Don’t thank me, child, thank the Most Pure One, she delivered you from pride and despondency that were eating you up from the inside.” The Mother of God is the mistress here. All just through her prayers.
Many more miracles were revealed to the saints. Through his prayers, food appeared for the hungry, hopeless situations were resolved, and the sick were healed. The famous icon painter Dionysius came to do paintings in the monastery cathedral, but could not begin - his legs hurt badly. Paphnutius blessed him, and when he got to work, the illness subsided. The life of the old man was simple and strict. He had the poorest cell and vestments, he ate little and fasted a lot, he performed the heaviest of general work - he carried stones, chopped wood, dug a garden, and at the same time he was always the first to come to prayer. The saint spent the last week of his life in fasting and prayer, leaving his cell only for church services, and thanked God for the six days of repentance given to him before his death without fuss. He also ordered that no one from the world be present at the funeral. The brothers buried him quietly and almost secretly. And when the news of the elder’s death began to spread, people flocked to the saint’s monastery, bowed to his grave and asked for heavenly intercession. Now the relics of the saint rest in the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, the St. Paphnutievsky Borovsky Monastery he founded. And to this day, turning to Saint Paphnutius, many believers receive help and support from God in their good deeds.
How does prayer to a saint help?
It is advisable, before turning to him, you need to find out more about Saint Paphnutius of Borovsky and what they pray to him for, because miracles were created during his lifetime. There are several references to the fact that he was able, through his prayers, to bring about the condescension of the Lord on those who needed it. Most often they ask him:
- relieve hunger;
- protect from enemies;
- protect from negative thoughts;
- solutions to material and everyday difficulties;
- heal from illnesses.
If you read the text of the prayer in front of his icon with concentration, then you can count on the fact that part of the task has already been completed. But in this case, the faith that you carry in your heart is also important. Only her steadfastness will help overcome all troubles.
“Oh, sacred head, earthly Angel, Heavenly man, great miracle worker, our reverend Father Paphnutius! We zealously resort to you with faith and love and tenderly ask: show us your holy and powerful intercession to us humble and sinners. We do not dare, sin for our sake, with the freedom of the children of God, to ask our Lord and Master for mercy and forgiveness. But to you, the prayer book is favorable to Him, we offer and pray, ask us from His goodness for the beneficial and saving gifts of our souls: right faith, strong piety, true repentance, forgiveness of sins b, perfect life, decisive correction, and turning from evil deeds to pleasing God, otherwise we do not anger the Lord by violating His holy commandments. Pray, Holy One of God, to the Most High Creator to grant peace and piety to our Orthodox country. Preserve, saint of Christ, your holy monastery, created by you, and all who live and labor in it are free from all evil. Look mercifully at the people who come running to you, and fulfill all their requests for good. For all of us, spiritual and physical health, fruitfulness of the earth, a quiet and pleasing life, a good, Christian death and a good answer at the Last Judgment from the All-Merciful God, as warriors Have the truth with great boldness toward Him. Hey, Father, we know that your prayer can accomplish much before the face of the Almighty Lord, and nothing is possible for your intercession, unless you only desire it: for this reason, we firmly trust in you and in your saints Our great prayers, we hope that you will lead us through your intercession to the quiet haven of salvation and the heirs of the bright Kingdom of Christ will appear. Do not disgrace our hope, miracle-working saint. And grant us, together with you, the bliss of paradise to enjoy, let us glorify, praise and magnify the great mercy towards us of the Lover of God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and your good, fatherly intercession forever and ever. Amen."
Rev. Paphnutius Borovsky. Orthodox calendar for May 14
Main church holidays, days of remembrance of saints and Orthodox shrines of today
May 14 (May 1 according to the “old style” - the church Julian calendar). Thursday of the 4th week of Easter (fourth week after the Holy Resurrection of Christ). There is no post . Today the memory of 10 Christian saints is celebrated, as well as a celebration in honor of three revered shrines. Next we will briefly talk about them.
Rev. Paphnutius Borovsky. Photo: pravoslavie.ru
Venerable Paphnutius Borovsky . The blessed Kaluga land is famous for its many ancient temples and monasteries. Among them are the legendary Optina Pustyn and the Pafnutyevo-Borovskaya monastery. The latter was founded in the first half the 15th century by one of the most revered saints of medieval Russia - the Monk Paphnutius of Borovsky .
Prayer lamp: May 14 - memory of St. Paphnutius of Borovsky
The Monk Paphnutius was born in 1394 in the village of Kudinov near Borovsk into the family of the son of a Tatar Baskak who was baptized into the Orthodox faith. At the age of twenty, the future saint took monastic vows at the Pokrovsky Monastery on Vysokoe. After which he was in obedience to another famous saint of that time - Nikita of Serpukhov , a student of St. Sergius of Radonezh . Father Paphnutius passed this succession on to another great ascetic, spiritual and statesman of the late 15th - early 16th centuries , the Venerable Joseph of Volotsky , who was a student, spiritual child and heir of the Venerable Paphnutius.
The monastic feat of Elder Paphnutius lasted more than 60 years. By the end of his days, he left not only a great spiritual legacy, but also the Borovsk monastery of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which, after the death of the saint, also received dedication in his honor. Over almost six centuries of its history, the Pafnutiev-Borovsky Monastery has undergone a lot: burning during the Time of Troubles and during the Napoleonic invasion, and the period of atheistic persecution, and, of course, the tragedy of the Russian Schism. Thus, it was within the walls of this monastery that the famous archpriest Avvakum was imprisoned.
During the Soviet years, the monastery housed a correctional colony and an agricultural technical school. And only a quarter of a century ago monastic life resumed here. The Pafnutyevo-Borovskaya monastery was revived practically from oblivion. Through the prayers of its holy founder, who, as they figuratively say in the monastery, lit a prayer lamp here. And every believer should visit this wondrous monastery at least once in their life to venerate the relics of St. Paphnutius, whose help is visibly present far beyond its borders.
* * *
Prophet Jeremiah . Old Testament saint the 6th century BC . He became famous for denouncing the Jews for their apostasy from the True Faith and idolatry, predicting disasters and a devastating war for them, being scolded for this by his own people. Here is what is said about this in the biography of the prophet Jeremiah:
Depicting the Jews' impending slavery to the king of Babylon, Jeremiah, at the command of God, first put a wooden and then an iron yoke around his neck, and so walked among the people. Angry at the prophet’s menacing predictions, the Jewish elders threw the prophet Jeremiah into a prison ditch filled with fetid mud, where he almost died. Through the intercession of the God-fearing courtier Ebed-melech, the prophet was taken out of the ditch and did not cease to prophesy, for which he was put in prison. Under the king of Judah, Zedekiah, his prophecy came true: Nebuchadnezzar came, beat the people, took the rest into captivity, and plundered and destroyed Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar freed the prophet from prison and allowed him to live wherever he wished. The Prophet remained on the ruins of Jerusalem and mourned the disasters of his fatherland. When he began to predict that the king of Babylon would devastate the land of Egypt and destroy the Jews who had settled in it, the Jews killed the prophet Jeremiah. That same year, the saint’s prediction came true.
Prophet Jeremiah. Photo: pravoslavie.ru
Venerable Martyr Vata the Persian . 4th century saint , Persian monk killed during anti-Christian persecutions in the city of Nizibia.
Blessed Queen Tamara the Great . Conqueror and educator, who strengthened the military-political positions of Georgia and did a lot to spread Christianity in Transcaucasia. And at the same time - a symbol of femininity and beauty. All this is the holy Queen Tamara, the legendary ruler, who has been the main symbol of Georgia for eight centuries. A symbol that was sung during her lifetime by Shota Rustaveli, who fell in love with her, in “The Knight in the Skin of the Tiger.”
Queen Tamara could have used her fabulous beauty for political purposes. After her first (unsuccessful) marriage, Byzantine princes, the Aleppo Sultan and the Persian Shah asked for her hand. But pious Tamara did not take advantage of this and married for love her childhood friend - the Ossetian prince David Soslan, whose military talents allowed Georgia to reach the highest peak of military power.
The saint who glorified Georgia: Orthodox Christians celebrate the day of the blessed Queen Tamara
Tamara and David managed not only to restrain the expansion of all kinds of conquerors, but also to annex many territories to the Georgian kingdom. Moreover, in 1204 AD, when Constantinople was captured by the crusaders, it was Queen Tamara who helped save the Byzantine Empire, the Second Rome, from complete collapse, the role of which later passed to Moscow - Rome the Third. At the same time, the queen herself, whom the surrounding rulers often called the king, according to the 13th-century who compiled “The Life of the Queen of Queens Tamar,” enjoyed unquestioned international authority:
“She sat like a judge between neighboring kings, making sure that no one started a war or tried to throw the yoke of violence on each other...”
Blessed Queen Tamara the Great. Photo: pravoslavie.ru
But in addition to strengthening its military-political power, Queen Tamara did a lot to make Georgia exalted as a Christian state. Under her, Orthodox churches and monasteries were exempted from duties. Moreover, one day the queen gathered all the clergy, monks and hermits of her kingdom for a Church Council, appealing to them with a prayer:
Oh, holy fathers, examine everything well and establish what is straight and drive out what is crooked. Do not be partial to princes because of their wealth, and do not despise the poor because of their poverty.
Exclusive interview with Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II
The main motto of the reign of Queen Tamara was the proclamation of mercy to all the weak and humiliated. “I am the father of the orphans and the judge of widows,” said the queen. She abolished the death penalty and corporal punishment, but at the same time, she promptly removed officials who abused their power, saving their lives but depriving them of their ill-gotten property. All surrounding countries admired the power of this woman. But no one on the outside knew that at night Saint Tamara put on a hair shirt and prayed to the Most Holy Theotokos for long hours, calling Her the Queen of Georgia, and herself the last slave.
The last days of the queen’s earthly life were spent in the ancient mountain monastery of Vardzia, carved into stones. Her cell overlooked the temple, so she could listen to divine services constantly, offering her prayers to God. Saint Tamara died in 1213 from the Nativity of Christ. And very soon after her death she was canonized.
Hieromartyr Macarius, Metropolitan of Kiev . Saint of the 15th century , high priest of the Kiev Metropolitan See, killed in 1497 from the Nativity of Christ by the Crimean Tatars who invaded Russian lands. From the holy relics of the saint, now resting in Kyiv, many miracles and healings occurred.
Rev. Gerasim Boldinsky . Russian ascetic of the 16th century , founder of several monasteries on the Smolensk land and departed to the Lord in 1554 after the birth of Christ
Reverend Martyrs of Athonite Euthymius (1814), Ignatius (1814) and Akakios (1816) . Svyatogorsk monks who received martyr's crowns from the Hagarian Turks at the beginning the 19th century .
Martyr Nina Kuznetsova . An Orthodox laywoman who suffered for her faith during the period of Soviet atheistic persecution, in the bloody year of 1938 . Glorified among the thousands of new martyrs and confessors of the Russian Church.
Icon of the Mother of God “Unexpected Joy”
Also today, a celebration is being held in honor of several miraculous images of the Most Holy Theotokos, revealed in different years: the Tsarevokokshai or Myronositsk (1647), Andronikov (XIV) and the “Unexpected Joy” icons of the Mother of God . You can learn more about the last of these shrines from our story, published on the Tsargrad TV channel.
Congratulations to Orthodox Christians on the day of these shrines and the memory of all today's saints! Through their prayers, Lord, save and have mercy on us all! We are happy to congratulate those who received names in their honor through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism or monastic tonsure! As they used to say in Rus' in the old days: “A golden crown for the Guardian Angels, and good health for you!”
To our departed relatives and friends - eternal memory!
Christ is Risen!
Holy spring
In addition to the pilgrimage to the monastery, believers also visit other places that are associated with it. They say there is a certain strength and peace there. These include the holy spring of Paphnutius and the icon. There are different opinions about whether the saint was here or not. But they have no confirmation. Therefore, in most cases everything is based only on legend. A chapel was built above it, and then a bathhouse.
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After the revolution, the place was abandoned. Only in the 80s its work was restored again. Soon the water was blessed there. To believe in it or not is everyone's business. But remember that faith sometimes works such miracles that cannot be explained by any scientific arguments.
God bless you!
You will also be interested in watching a video story about Saint Panfutius:
The miraculous deeds of the saint
Saint Paphnutius of Borovsky received many miraculous abilities as a reward from the Almighty. He:
- prophesied;
- saw prophetic dreams;
- He healed the mentally and physically sick;
- he saw through a person, knew how to read the soul, free him from vices.
The Borovsky elder became famous during his lifetime as a miracle worker and healer. A lot of written evidence of the miraculous deeds of the Monk Paphnutius has been preserved; below are only the most remarkable of them.
One day before Easter, the monks were saddened by the lack of fish. Paphnutius ordered them not to anger the Almighty, but to hope for a successful outcome of the problem. That same evening, a monk who came to the river noticed that the water had overflowed, pushing a large number of large fish onto the shore. The catch was such that the monks served fish twice a day throughout Easter week.
Saint Paphnutius forbade the icon painters who arrived to work at the monastery church to eat meat. But the icon painter Dionysius was tempted by lamb meat and brought it to the monastery. As soon as he tasted the forbidden food, he saw that it was full of worms. Soon after this, Dionysius' body was covered with scabs. The icon painter repented, then the abbot held a prayer service, cleansed the patient’s body with holy water, after which not a trace remained of the scabs.
One day one of the monks went to the village on business, and there he was seduced by feminine charms. The Borovsky elder saw in a dream the Garden of Eden, and in it one tree was uprooted and fell to the ground. When the monk returned, Paphnutius persuaded him to confess and helped him correct himself with wise instructions and teachings.
A forest grew around the monastery, abundantly populated by animals and birds. Forest crows flew up to the very monastery walls, the abbot loved to watch them. Once a hunter was driving past the monastery, saw a flock of crows in the sky, and killed one bird with a bow. And then he realized with horror that his head, raised to the sky, could not return to its original position. In despair and repentance, the hunter rushed to the venerable elder and asked for forgiveness for the killed raven. Paphnutius Borovsky called a prayer service, crossed the hunter, and he was healed.
There is a legend that Princess Elena Glinskaya prayed to the holy elder for conception. Thanks to her prayers, Tsar Ivan the Terrible was born.
One night, thieves stole three monastery bulls, but got lost, and until the morning, as if blind, they wandered around the monastery. In the morning they wanted to abandon the bulls and run away, but an unknown force chained them to the spot. They stood there until they were found by monks who went in search of the missing cattle. The thieves were taken to the monk. Paphnutius gave them orders not to steal anymore and sent them on their way.
One day, generous princely alms were delivered to the monastery. But the man who brought it took part of it for himself. The Borovsky elder revealed this secret, thanks to his insight, but remained silent. He ordered the guest to be fed. As soon as the thief started eating, he immediately became numb. He was healed only after repentance.
