There are many ways to glorify the Lord. But during worship services, many are attracted by the beauty of church singing. Temples usually value workers who can sing beautifully and know all the intricacies of rituals. One of these people was Saint Roman the Sweet Singer, as evidenced by his nickname.
About the author About the book
Life path
The righteous man was born in the 5th century, lived in Syria, but was of Greek origin. When he reached adolescence, he moved to Constantinople, where he entered the temple. Since childhood, I dreamed of devoting myself to serving the Lord. His faith and zeal did not escape the attention of the patriarch, which aroused the envy of those around him. There was a period when the life of Roman the Sweet Singer was quite difficult.
Some priests began to persecute the young man because he was uneducated and also had no talent for singing. This offended Roman very much, but he decided to endure everything patiently in the name of Christ.
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One day, during a large festive service, temple employees pushed a young man out of the altar. He was overcome with embarrassment, his voice trembled, and he could not solemnly and clearly sing the necessary prayer. Roman the Sweet Singer was very upset, and when he came home, he began to earnestly pray to the Most Holy Theotokos.
Life
Roman, nicknamed the Sweet Singer, lived in the Eastern Roman Empire, at the end of antiquity - in the 5th-6th centuries. He came, as can be assumed from the kontakion, which has come down to us only in fragments and published by the Byzantinist Grodidier da Maton, from a Jewish family:
“I was originally from the Jews, but I had an established mind. He was not a Pharisee, but he was a most reliable vessel.”
In his youth, Roman labored as a cleric in the Church of the Resurrection in the city of Beirut. Later he moved to the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. Here, in Constantinople, the future saint served as a sexton at the Church of St. Sophia. This was not yet the majestic temple built by order of Emperor Justinian, but one of his predecessors. However, this earlier and more modest basilica was an important liturgical center for Constantinople. Members of the imperial family and the emperor himself visited here, the Patriarch served here.
Useful materials
Roman was one of many clergy of the capital's church, zealous, modest and inconspicuous. However, the Patriarch singled him out from others, probably precisely for this modesty and humble zeal. And, as often happens, the favor of his superiors became the reason that other clerics disliked him. They began to laugh at the “provincial upstart” and play all sorts of evil tricks on him.
One day, during a solemn service on the eve of Christmas, they unexpectedly pushed the priest into the center of the temple. The moment of the service was such that it was necessary to sing kathismas. The emperor, his family, and many courtiers were present, and the service was led by the Patriarch himself. And in the presence of all this brilliant gathering, Roman, who until now had not been distinguished by either his voice or his hearing, began to sing - ineptly, absurdly and ugly.
Interesting fact
Having survived this shame, Roman fell on his knees before the icon of the Mother of God and began to pray. He prayed long and fervently, and finally fell asleep in exhaustion. The Blessed Virgin herself appeared to him in a dream. She handed the young man a scroll and ordered him to eat it. Having awakened from his wonderful sleep, Roman discovered that he was no longer voiceless; the Blessed Virgin gave him a wondrous sounding voice and the ability to sing. In addition, the sexton also discovered a poetic gift. Delighted with what happened to him, Roman took a stylus and began to compose.
Arriving at the temple that day, Roman, not paying attention to the ridicule, volunteered to sing. He stood in the very place where he had suffered such a painful fiasco the day before, and sang his first kontakion: “Today the Virgin gives birth to the Most Essential.”
Thus, Roman the Sweet Singer became the creator of the kontakion genre. The word itself comes from the Greek “scroll.” Everyone who was in the temple was delighted with the wondrous voice singing wondrous words. Roman was called the Sweet Singer, and since then no one has laughed at him.
Roman Sladkopevets lived a long life. He was elevated to deacon, took singing lessons, organized choirs at churches, and achieved a lot in this field. Shortly before his death, Deacon Roman took monastic vows.
The memory of the Venerable Deacon Roman the Sweet Singer was carefully preserved in Constantinople centuries later. In the 13th century, a traveler from Novgorod visited the capital of the empire and left detailed notes about his impressions. He also mentions that he was shown the grave of Roman Sladkopevets. The feast day of this saint is celebrated on October 1.
Finding a Gift
That night a great miracle happened to him. The Virgin Mary herself descended from heaven and gave him a scroll, ordering him to swallow it. The icon of Roman the Sweet Singer reflects this moment. He received a gift - a sonorous, beautiful voice, as well as the gift of composing church hymns. To do this, it is not enough to have literary talent - you must understand all church dogmas very well. At the same hour, the singer composed the kontakion of the Nativity, which is still sung by all believers on the festive night.
The next day he sang it in the temple, everyone was amazed. The chant was very beautiful and well written. And the execution is divine. Therefore, the young man received the nickname “Sweet Singer”. Former enemies who oppressed Roman repented of treating him badly. The meek young man forgave them.
- Roman the Sweet Singer wrote more than a thousand troparions, kontakions and akathists.
- His performance was the decoration of any service; the modest deacon made a huge contribution to the development of the beauty of Orthodox worship.
- What are akathist, kontakion and troparion;
- You can learn about the lives of the forty martyrs of Sebaste here;
- Nectarius of Aegina - prayer, icon, life - .
Creative heritage
Roman the Sweet Singer left the greatest memory of himself as the author of many chants: kontakia, ikos, hymns, prayers and akathists. Roman was the author of both the words and the music of these works, which were included in the treasury of Orthodox hymnography. The hymns of Roman the Sweet Singer usually contain variations on the themes of biblical stories.
Roman Sladkopevets is considered the author of more than a thousand works. Despite the fact that over time, kontakia were replaced in Orthodox hymnography by another type of chants - canons, the influence of the work of Roman the Sweet Singer on later authors remained very significant over the centuries.
The canons developed themes that were started by Roman the Sweet Singer; the kontakion “Today the Virgin is giving birth to the Most Essential”, which he composed, is still performed in Christmas services; the initial stanzas of many canons, which we call today kontakia, have been preserved from the time of Roman.
Among the most significant works of Roman the Sweet Singer are the already mentioned kontakion to the Most Holy Theotokos, as well as kontakia to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the holy unmercenary Cosmas and Demian, Simeon the Stylite and others.
Appearance of the Mother of God to Roman the Sweet Singer. OK. 985
Reverence
Shortly before his death, God's servant took monastic vows. After his death he was canonized. Often the talented minister is depicted together with the Virgin Mary, surrounded by believers singing in the temple.
There is also a separate icon of him.
- On it is a handsome young man in the vestments of a deacon. This is a surplice and an orarion (ribbon thrown over the shoulder).
- In his right hand he holds a censer, or it is raised to make the sign of the cross.
- In the left hand there may be an unrolled scroll, on which the text of the most famous kontakion composed by the minister is indicated. Or it may be a rolled scroll; sometimes - an image of a church building (the temple in which the saint served).
- There is a very interesting icon in which the Most Pure Virgin stands over the sleeping Roman the Sweet Singer. She holds a scroll in her hands, after swallowing which the saint received his blessed gift.
- Also very often, the great church author is depicted on the icon of the Intercession.
In Russia, there are several churches consecrated in the name of Roman the Sweet Singer - in St. Petersburg, Nizhnekamsk, etc. There is such a temple in Kyiv.
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This saint is especially revered by those who are involved in church singing or simply the art of music. It also helps in other situations:
- when developing the talent of a performer, poet;
- when protecting against envy;
- when gaining confidence and in other difficult situations.
People bearing the name Roman can ask for his intercession every day. You can pray near the icon if there is no temple nearby in the name of this saint.
Icons
There are several types of icons of Roman the Sweet Singer:
- The most common: a half-length image of a saint with a scroll in his hand, as an indication of a miraculous gift from the Mother of God.
- The second, also very common type: depiction of Roman’s vision. The saint himself is depicted standing up on a bed and receiving a scroll from the hands of the Mother of God.
- The third version of the icon: a saint standing in the middle of the temple, surrounded by other worshipers. Here is captured the very moment when Roman first sings the praises of the Mother of God with his miraculously found voice.
Prayer to Roman the Sweet Singer
Oh, sacred head, reverend father, most blessed Abvo Roman, do not forget your poor to the end, but always remember us in your holy and auspicious prayers to God. Remember your flock, which you yourself shepherded, and do not forget to visit your children. Pray for us, holy father, for your spiritual children, as if you have boldness towards the Heavenly King, do not be silent for us to the Lord, and do not despise us, who honor you with faith and love.
Remember us unworthy at the Throne of the Almighty, and do not stop praying for us to Christ God, for you have been given the grace to pray for us. We do not imagine that you are dead, even though you have passed away from us in body, but even after death you remain alive. Do not give up on us in spirit, keeping us from the arrows of the enemy and all the charms of the devil and the snares of the devil, our good shepherd.
Even though your relics are always visible before our eyes, your holy soul with the angelic hosts, with the disembodied faces, with the heavenly powers, standing at the Almighty Throne, rejoices with dignity.
Knowing that you are truly alive even after death, we bow down to you and pray to you: pray for us to Almighty God, for the benefit of our souls, and ask us time for repentance, so that we may pass from earth to heaven without restraint, from the bitter ordeals of the demons of the air princes and may we be delivered from eternal torment, and may we be heirs of the Heavenly Kingdom with all the righteous, who from all eternity have pleased our Lord Jesus Christ, to Him belongs all glory, honor and worship, with His Beginning Father and with His Most Holy and Good and Life-Giving Spirit, now and ever and ever. Amen.
What does a saint help with?
Deacon Roman is revered as the patron of church singing and other creativity pleasing to God, and a protector in various life troubles.
Those who turn to this saint are:
- strives to master the art of singing and develop his creative abilities;
- wants to better understand the Holy Scriptures, prayers and other church texts;
- wants to get rid of self-doubt;
- suffers from envious people and persecutors;
The name of Roman the Sweet Singer will forever remain an example for all Orthodox Christians that any deed done for the glory of the Lord with a pure heart and sincere faith will not remain without a reward.
Author: Olga Elnikova
The machinations of envious people
Roman, who was not taught to read and write from childhood and was deprived of the opportunity to read spiritual literature, nevertheless surpassed many scribes in his godly deeds. For this he gained the love of Patriarch Efimy, a man of high spiritual qualities, who became his mentor and patron. However, this disposition of the head of the church aroused the envy of many clergy, who saw the patriarch’s favorite in the young sexton.
It is known that envy often pushes people to do mean things. This applies equally to laity and clergy. So many of the Constantinople clergy grumbled at the patriarch and tried to build all sorts of intrigues for Roman in order to humiliate him in the eyes of the primate of the church. One day they succeeded.
Troparion, kontakion, magnification
Troparion of the Venerable Roman the Sweet Singer, tone 8:
In you, father, it is known that you were saved in the image:/ for you accepted the cross, you followed Christ/ and, acting, you taught to despise the flesh, for it passes away,/ to lay close to the soul things that are immortal./ In the same way, your spirit will rejoice with the Angels, Rev. Roman.
Kontakion of St. Roman the Sweet Singer, tone 8:
With the divine virtues of the spirit / adorned from childhood, the wise Roman, / you were a most honorable adornment of the Church of Christ: / having adorned you with beautiful singing, blessed one. / Thus we pray to you: grant to those who desire your Divine gift, / as we cry to you: / Rejoice, blessed father, church beauty.
Ikos 3
Having strong faith in the good providence of God for the salvation of man, you flowed to the honest image of the Most Holy Theotokos, co-representing in the Church of the Blachernae, and you humbly prayed to the Lady to direct your path. We, seeing your persistent hope in the mercy of the Queen of Heaven, sing to you:
Rejoice, faithful and beloved child of the Mother of God.
Rejoice, the power of Her sacred cover is secretly comprehended.
Rejoice, Zealous Intercessor, reverent admirer.
Rejoice, thou who tearfully offered up prayers to Her warmly in the night.
Rejoice, having found such consolation in your heart.
Rejoice, sweet-singing Roman, church beauty.
Basil the Great
The boy was born in the first century into a wealthy family. The father was a famous master of rhetoric and lawyer in Pontus. The parents were famous for their adherence to the Orthodox faith; out of ten descendants, five were considered saints. Vasily received an excellent education from teachers in Caesarea, Constantinople and Athens, where he became friends with Gregory the Theologian.
The father wanted his son to follow in his footsteps and study law and rhetoric. But he renounced worldly life and devoted himself to ascetic pursuits. He received baptism and the rank of reader, then, in order to study theology, he went to Egypt, where he comprehended Christian deeds. Then he visited Palestine, Syria and Mesopotamia to get acquainted with the life of hermits. When he returned to Cappadocia, he gave his property to the needy, organized a hostel near the Iris River and gathered monks in it, where everyone worked, spent their days in prayer and studied sacred works. Basil the Great compiled a set of rules for spiritual life, which was accepted by many monastic monasteries.
In those days, the teaching of Arius, where God the father, and the son and the holy spirit were subordinate to him, posed a great danger to Christians. The father of Gregory the Theologian, archbishop of Nazianza, was in advanced years and could not resist the heretics and called his son to help. Vasily was forced to return to Caesarea, where he was assigned the rank of deacon and then presbyter. He was elected Bishop of Cappadocia and was engaged in charity work, providing people with work in workshops, erecting hospitals, defending the poor and sick, who loved him for his decency and compassion. The Saint died before he even reached the age of fifty, and was counted among the holy saints.
Yokos v7i
Singing your praiseworthy life on earth2, we joyfully glorify the di1vnagw in your 1x tsrs nbsnagw. You enjoy the blessing in the villages of the holy ones, and even see the endless glory of God. Mh ўmi1lnw we sing thy2: Joy, ћkw beauty and3 glory of the world segw2 tрsсл є3сi2. Rejoice, I have transferred your soul to a high rank. Rejoice, your verb is broadcasting to the universe and fulfillment. Rejoice, teach beneficial knowledge to everyone. Rejoice, sweet bath tub2, proclaiming the glory of God. Rejoice, crowned with God, who has not left us in your prayers. Rejoice, sweetly singing novel, beauty2 tsRk0vnaz.
