Venerable Pelagia of Antioch
Memorial Day: October 8/21
We must always give great thanks to our Lord for the fact that He does not desire death for sinners, but patiently awaits their conversion to a righteous life. A wondrous event, writes the deacon of the Iliopolis Church, Jacob, happened in our days; Therefore, I am passing it on to you, the holy brothers, so that by reading with attention you will receive great benefit.
His Holiness the Archbishop of Antioch summoned eight bishops from the surrounding cities for church needs.
Among them was a holy man of God, my bishop Nonnus, a wonderful man, who had previously been the most strict monk of the Tavenna monastery. For his virtuous life, he was taken from the monastery and made a bishop. Nonnus came from Iliopolis, taking me with him. When the bishops gathered in the church of the holy martyr Julian, they wished to hear teaching from Nonnus and all sat down at the church doors. Nonnus immediately began to teach orally for the benefit and salvation of those who listened. Everyone reverently listened to his holy teaching. At that time, one pagan woman, a harlot known throughout Antioch, walked past the church doors with great pride, dressed in valuable clothes, decorated with gold, expensive stones and pearls, surrounded by many girls and boys in beautiful clothes, with gold necklaces. She was so beautiful in face that secular youths could not get enough of contemplating her beauty. As she passed us, she filled the entire air with fragrant incense. Seeing her walking so shamelessly, with her head uncovered and shoulders bare, the bishops closed their eyes and, sighing quietly, turned away, as if from a great sin. And Blessed Nonnus looked at her intently and for a long time until she disappeared from his eyes, and then, turning to the bishops, he said: “Didn’t you like the beauty of that woman?”
They didn't answer. Nonnus bowed his head weeping and wetted with his tears not only the handkerchief that was in his hands, but also his chest. Sighing from the depths of his heart, he again asked the bishops: “Didn’t you enjoy the sight of her beauty?”
They were silent. Nonnus said: “Truly I learned a lot from her; for the Lord will appoint this woman at His terrible judgment and judge us with her. How much time do you think she spent in her bedchamber, washing, dressing, decorating herself in various ways and looking around in the mirror, devoting all her thought and care to appearing most beautifully before the eyes of her temporary admirers? And we, having the Immortal Bridegroom in heaven, upon whom the angels desire to look, do not care about decorating our accursed soul, defiled, naked and filled with shame, we do not try to wash it with tears of repentance and clothe it with the beauty of virtues, so that it appears pleasing in the eyes of God and not was put to shame and rejected at the marriage of the Lamb.”
Having finished this moral teaching, blessed Nonnus took me, his sinful deacon, and we went to the cell that was given to us at the same church of St. Julian. Entering his bedchamber, my bishop threw himself face down on the ground and, crying, said: “Lord Jesus Christ! forgive me, a sinner and unworthy. This woman’s worries about decorating her body surpassed all my worries about my damned soul. That woman, in order to please her corruptible admirers, adorned herself, showed so much effort: but I do not try to be pleasing to You, my God, but am in laziness and negligence. With what face will I look at You? With what words will I be justified before You? Woe to me, a sinner! Standing before Your holy altar, I do not bring You that spiritual beauty that You seek from me. That woman, in her vanity, promised to please mortal people, appearing to them in such a splendid form, and does what she promised: but I promised to please You, my God, and lied out of my laziness. I am naked, for I have not kept Your commandments; I do not trust in my works, but in Your mercy, and from it I hope to receive salvation.”
Saint Nonnus cried out for so long with sobs. He also prayed for that woman, saying: “Lord, do not destroy the creation of Your hands: may such beauty not remain in depravity, in the power of demons, but turn her to Yourself, may Your holy Name be glorified in her: for for You all things are possible.”
After that day and night, after Matins (the day was Sunday), Saint Nonnus said to me: “Brother Jacob, listen to the dream I had that night. It seemed to me that I was standing in one of the corners of the holy altar. And so, during the service, some kind of black dove appeared, covered with uncleanness and filling the air with a stench; she flew around me, and I could not stand her stench. When the deacon said: “Go forth from the catechumens,” the dove flew away, and I did not see her until the liturgy was over. After the liturgy was celebrated, when we were leaving the church, I suddenly saw again the same unclean dove, which was again flying around me. Stretching out my hand, I took it and threw it into the water standing in the church vestibule; in it that dove washed itself from all its uncleanness, flew out clean and white as snow, and, rising in height, became invisible.”
Having told me this dream, blessed Nonnus, taking me with him, went with the other bishops to the cathedral church, where, having brought greetings to the archbishop, they performed the Divine service. At the end of the holy service, the Archbishop of Antioch invited Blessed Nonnus to teach a lesson to the people. Nonnus opened his mouth and taught people by the power of the wisdom of God that dwelt in him. His words were not distinguished by the refined wisdom of this world, but were simple, intelligible to everyone and effective: for the Holy Spirit spoke through his mouth. He spoke about the Last Judgment and about future reward for the righteous and the sinful. All those present were so moved by his words that they watered the ground with tears.
According to the vision of the merciful God, this harlot, about whom we are telling, and who had never been to church before and did not remember her sins, happened to casually enter the church at that very time. Hearing the teaching of Saint Nonnus, she came into the fear of God; Thinking about her sins and hearing the teaching of Saint Nonnus about eternal torment for them, she began to fall into despair, shed streams of tears from her eyes and, in heartbreak, could not stop her crying. Then she said to her two servants: “Wait here, and when that holy man who spoke the lesson comes out, follow him, find out where he lives, and when he returns, tell me.”
The servants carried out the order and told their mistress that the saint lived near the church of the holy martyr Julian. Then she immediately wrote with her own hand the following message to blessed Non: “To the holy disciple of Christ, a sinner and disciple of the devil. I have heard about your God that He bowed down the heavens and came down to earth not for the righteous, but for the salvation of sinners. He humbled himself to the point of eating food with tax collectors. He, whom the cherubim do not dare to look upon, had fellowship with sinners and talked with harlots (Luke 7:37-50; John 8:3-11, etc.).
My lord! If you, as I hear from Christians, are a true servant of Christ, then you will not reject me, who wants, with your help, to come to the Savior of the world and see His Most Holy Face.”
Having read this message, Saint Nonnus wrote in response to her like this: “Whatever you are, both you and your intention are known to God. Therefore, I ask you: do not tempt me, unworthy: I am a sinful servant of God. If you really have a good desire to believe in my God and see me, then other bishops are here with me; and so come and see me with them. You shouldn’t see me alone.”
Having received and read this, the sinner was filled with great joy, hurried to the church of St. Julian and let Blessed Nonnus know about her arrival. He, having gathered seven other bishops to himself, ordered her to enter. Appearing before the council of holy bishops, she threw herself weeping to the ground and fell at the feet of Saint Nonnos, exclaiming: “I beg you, my lord, be an imitator of your teacher, the Lord Jesus Christ, show me your grace and make me a Christian: I am a sea of sins, my lord, and the abyss of iniquity; wash me with baptism.”
All the assembled bishops and clergy, seeing the harlot who came with such repentance and faith, shed tears. The blessed one could hardly force her to rise from his feet.
“Church rules,” he said, “command not to baptize a harlot without guarantors, for fear that she will not return to the same harlot life.”
Hearing this answer, she again threw herself at the saint’s feet, washed them with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head, as the gospel sinner once washed the feet of Christ (Luke 7:37-38).
“You will give an answer to God about my soul if you do not baptize me,” she said. “May God then seek my soul from your hands, and write down my evil deeds for you.” If you reject me not baptized, then you will be guilty of continuing my prodigal and unclean life. If you do not deliver me now from my evil deeds, then I will turn away from your God and worship idols. If you do not now make me the bride of Christ and bring me to your God, then you will have no share with Him and His saints.”
All those present, hearing this and seeing how such a harlot was so strongly inflamed with a desire for God, glorified God, the Lover of Mankind. Blessed Nonnus immediately sent me, humble Jacob, to the archbishop to tell him about this. The archbishop, having heard about what had happened, was very happy and said to me: “Go, tell your bishop: honest father, this matter awaited you, for I know you well that you are God’s mouth, according to His word: “If you extract precious things from worthless things, then You will be like My mouth” (Jer. 15:19).
And, calling Mrs. Romana, who was the first deaconess of the church, he sent her with me.
When we arrived, we found Pelagia still lying on the ground, at the feet of blessed Nonnus, who could hardly make her rise, saying: “Rise, daughter, to announce yourself before baptism.”
She stood up and the bishop said to her:
- Confess your sins first.
She answered with tears:
“If I begin to test my conscience, I will not find a single good deed in myself; I only know that my sins are more numerous than the sand of the sea, and there is not enough water in the sea to wash away my bad deeds. But I hope in your God that He will lighten the burden of my iniquities and look mercifully on me.
The bishop asked her:
- What is your name?
She answered:
“My parents called me Pelagia, but the citizens of Antioch renamed me Margaret for the sake of those beautiful and valuable decorations with which my sins adorned me.
Then the bishop announced her, baptized her in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, anointed her with myrrh and communed with the Most Pure and Life-Giving Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins. Pelagia's spiritual mother was the deaconess Romana; Having received her from the baptismal font, she led her out of the church into the rest of the catechumens, since we were there too. Blessed Nonnus said to the other bishops: “Let us eat, brothers, and rejoice with the angels of God that we have found the lost sheep: let us taste food with oil and wine for the sake of spiritual consolation.”
When everyone came and began to eat with the newly baptized woman, the demon began to scream loudly. Sobbing in a human voice, he said:
- Woe, woe, what I endure from this talkative wine drinker! Oh, evil old man! Wasn't it enough for you to have thirty thousand Saracens, whom you baptized after stealing them from me? Wasn’t Iliopolis enough for you, which you took from me and brought to your God - and it was once mine, and everyone living in it worshiped me! And now you have taken away my last hope. What should I do, stubborn old man, deceiver? I can't stand your tricks. Cursed be the day you were born, you evil old man! Streams of your tears poured into my home and made it empty.
So, weeping, the devil screamed before the doors of the chamber where we were, and everyone there heard his voice. And again, turning to the newly baptized woman, the demon said:
“What are you doing to me, Mrs. Pelagia?” You are imitating Judas. He, honored with apostolic glory and honor, betrayed his Lord, and you did the same to me.
Then the bishop ordered the servant of God Pelagia to protect herself with the sign of the cross. She made the sign of the cross of Christ on her face and said to the devil:
- May Jesus Christ, who delivers me from you, drive you away!
When she said this, the devil immediately disappeared.
Two days later, when Pelagia was sleeping with Mrs. Romana, her spiritual mother, the devil appeared to her, woke her up and began to tell her:
“My dear lady, Margarita, what evil have I done to you?” Have I not enriched you with gold and silver? Have I not adorned you with valuable stones, headdresses and clothes? I pray you, tell me: what grief have I caused you? Whatever you tell me, I will do immediately, just don’t leave me and don’t make a laughing stock of me.
Protecting herself with the sign of the cross, Pelagia answered:
“My Lord Jesus Christ, who delivered me from your teeth and made me the bride of His heavenly palace, drive you away from me.”
And immediately the devil disappeared.
Having immediately awakened Saint Romana, Pelagia told her:
- Pray for me, my mother: the evil one is pursuing me.
Romana replied:
“My daughter, do not be afraid of him, for now he fears and trembles even at your shadow.”
On the third day after her baptism, Pelagia called one of her servants and said to him: “Go to my house, copy everything that is in my gold guards, and all my clothes, and bring everything here.”
The servant went and did as he was ordered. Then blessed Pelagia, calling the holy Bishop Nonnus, gave everything into his hands, saying: “These are the riches with which Satan has enriched me; I hand it over into your holy hands: do with them what you want, but I must seek the treasures of my Lord Jesus Christ.”
Blessed Bishop Nonnus, having called the church steward, gave him, in the presence of everyone, the treasures handed over to him by Pelagia and said to him: “I adjure you in the name of the Holy and Undivided Trinity not to bring any of this gold either into the bishop’s house, or into the church of God, or into your own.” house, nor to the house of any of the clergy: but distribute all this with your own hands to the orphans, the poor and the weak, so that what is collected by evil will be spent for good, and the wealth of sin will become the wealth of righteousness. If you break this oath, let your house be anathema, and your fate be with those who cried out: “Take it, take it, crucify it” (Luke 23:21).
The servant of God Pelagia did not leave anything of her property even for food for herself, but she ate at the expense of Romana the deaconess: for she vowed not to use anything from the wealth of sin. Having called all her servants and maidservants, she set them free, giving everyone enough silver and gold.
“I free you from temporary slavery,” she told them, “but you try to free yourself from slavery to the vain world, full of sins, so that we, who lived in this world together, may be honored to dwell together in a blissful life.”
Having said this, Pelagia dismissed her servants.
On the eighth day, when, according to the custom of newly baptized people, she had to take off the white clothes received at baptism (the day was Sunday), Pelagia, getting up very early, took off the white clothes in which she was dressed at baptism and put on a hair shirt. Taking the old clothes of Blessed Nonnus, she secretly left Antioch from everyone, and from that time no one knew where she was. Deaconess Romana grieved and cried for her. But the omniscient God revealed to blessed Nonnus that Pelagia had gone to Jerusalem, and consoled Nonnus Romana, saying: “Do not cry, my daughter, but rejoice: Pelagia, like Mary, who “chose the good part, which will not be taken away from her” (Lk. 10:42).
A few days later, we were released by the archbishop and returned to Iliopolis. Three years later, I had a desire to go to Jerusalem - to worship the holy resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and I asked my bishop, Blessed Nonnus, to let me go. As he released me, he said: “Brother Jacob! When you come to holy places, look for a certain monk there, whose name is Pelagius: he is a eunuch, very virtuous and lives in seclusion for several years. Having found him, talk with him, and you will receive great benefit from him, for he is a true servant of Christ and a monk who has achieved perfection.”
Nonnus said this about God’s servant Pelagia, who near Jerusalem built a cell for herself on the Mount of Olives, where our Lord once prayed and, shutting herself up there, lived for God. But Nonnus did not reveal this to me.
Having gathered, I went to the holy places, bowed to the holy resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and His honorable Cross, and the next day I found a monk named Pelagius, as my bishop commanded me; I found his cell in the Mount of Olives. This cell was fenced off everywhere and had no doors; I only saw a small window in the wall, knocked on it and when it was opened, I saw the servant of God. She recognized me, but did not reveal herself to me. I didn't recognize her. And how could I recognize that one whose great beauty faded so quickly, like a flower withers? Her eyes sunk deeply, and from much and immeasurable abstinence the bones and joints of her face were revealed. The whole country of Jerusalem considered her a eunuch, not a single person knew that she was a woman, and I myself did not know it: for my bishop told me about the eunuch - a monk, and I received a blessing from her, as from a monk - a husband. She told me:
“Tell me, brother, are you not Jacob, deacon of the blessed Bishop Nonna?”
I was amazed that she called me by name and recognized me as the deacon of Blessed Nonnus, and I answered:
- Yes, my lord.
She told me:
“Tell your bishop to pray for me, for truly he is a holy man and an Apostle of Christ.”
“And you, my brother,” she added, “I ask you to pray for me.”
Having said this, the blessed one closed the window and began to sing for the third hour. I said a prayer and walked away; The contemplation of the angelic ascetic and her sweet conversation did me a lot of good.
Returning to Jerusalem, I toured various monasteries, visited the brethren, talked with holy men, received blessings from them and received much benefit for the soul. The good fame of the eunuch Pelagia spread throughout all the monasteries, and his example of life was to the benefit of everyone. For this reason, I wished to go to him again and be consoled by his soulful conversation. Arriving at his cell, I knocked on the window with a prayer, and dared to call him by name, saying: “Open, Father Pelagius!”
But he didn’t answer me anything.
I thought that he was praying or resting and, after waiting a little, I knocked again, asking him to open it, but there was no answer; Again I waited for a while, and knocked again. I spent three days like this, sitting at the window, and knocking at certain intervals, having a strong desire to see the holy face of Pelagius and receive his blessing: but there was no voice, no obedience. Then I said to myself: “Either he left this cell, and there is no one in it, or he died.”
I dared to open the window by force and saw that Pelagius was lying dead on the ground. I was horrified, and I felt very bitter that I was not worthy to receive his last blessing. Having closed the window, I went to Jerusalem and announced to the holy fathers living there that Abba Pelagius, the eunuch, had reposed; and immediately the news spread throughout Jerusalem that Saint Pelagius, the spirit-bearing monk, had died in the Lord. Monks from all the surrounding monasteries, all the inhabitants of Jerusalem and countless people from Jericho and on the other side of the Jordan came to bury his honorable body. Having broken the window of the cell, they made an entrance sufficient for one person; Having entered through the hole made in this way, reverent men brought out the honest body. The Patriarch of Jerusalem also came with many other fathers. When they began to anoint the body with aromas according to the ritual, they saw that the deceased ascetic was a woman by nature.
“Wonderful in the saints, God,” those present then cried out with tears, “Glory to You: for You have hidden saints on earth, not only husbands, but also wives.”
They wanted to hide the secret of Pelagia from the people, but could not: for God was pleased not to hide, but to declare and glorify His servant. And a great multitude of people gathered; The nuns also flocked from their monasteries with candles and censers, with psalms and church hymns, and, taking the honest and holy body of Pelagia, with due honor they brought her into the same cell where she labored, and buried her there.
Such was the life of the former harlot, such was the conversion of the lost sinner, such were her labors and exploits with which she pleased God. May our Lord Jesus Christ grant us mercy on the day of judgment! To him be glory with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Troparion of Venerable Pelagia of Antioch
voice 8
In you, your mother knows that you were saved, hedgehog in the image: / having accepted the cross, you followed Christ, / and, in action, you taught to despise the flesh, which passes away, / but to be careful about the soul, things more immortal. / In the same way, the angels rejoice, the reverend Pelagie, your spirit.
Kontakion of St. Pelagia of Antioch
voice 2
Having exhausted your body with fasts, / you begged the Creator with vigilant prayers for your deeds, / as if you would receive complete abandonment, / and you have found it, mother, in reality, / having shown the path of repentance.
Venerable Tryphon and his story according to the legends of Orthodox people
Every year on October 21, the Orthodox Church honors the memory of Saint Tryphon. He was born into a Christian family, which sought to marry him as soon as possible. After the death of his father, the young man remained to live with his mother and brothers, who constantly courted him. Because of this, Trifon, at the age of 22, decided to run away from home.
For many years the Monk Tryphon wandered around different cities. He professed the Orthodox faith, fasted very strictly and prayed often. Near the mouth of the Mulyanka River, the saint founded a small church in which he converted many pagans to the Christian faith. One day he fell ill and was able to be healed only after Saint Nicholas came to him.
At the end of his life, Tryphon was expelled from the monastery, which is why he again had to wander around different cities and countries. He begged on the streets and spread Orthodoxy. Tryphon died in Vyatka when the people asked the saint for forgiveness for all their sinful deeds.
Important customs and signs on the day of remembrance of Tryphon and Pelageya on October 21, 2021
Orthodox people have long believed that on October 21, one should begin to thoroughly prepare for winter cold snaps. On the holiday of Tryphon and Pelageya, you need to warm yourself, buy winter outerwear, do home renovations and sew new things.
On October 21, the peasant people always pickled cucumbers and tomatoes, lowering them to the bottom of reservoirs. It was believed that it was on this day that lakes and rivers began to become covered with a thick ice crust.
People on the holiday of Tryphon and Pelagia have always believed in many signs, many of which are truly true:
- if all the leaves have not fallen from the trees, then snow may not be expected for a long time;
- low floating clouds mean the approach of frost;
- livestock behaving restlessly leads to bad weather;
- a graying forest means the onset of frost soon.
On October 21, 2021, all girls should tell fortunes and perform magical rituals. It has long been believed that this holiday is ideal for finding a future husband.
