Childhood and youth of the saint
The Youth Bartholomew
At the beginning of the fourteenth century, in the village of Varnitsa in the Rostov province, a son was born to wealthy parents Cyril and Maria, who was named Bartholomew. The child was not quite ordinary; he declared his destiny to God even in the womb. When Mary was at the liturgy, the baby cried out from the womb three times during the service. The priest said that a minister of the Holy Trinity would be born .
When he was born, he already showed in infancy his love for fasting. He did not latch on when his mother ate meat. On Wednesdays and Fridays the child completely refused to breastfeed. He was baptized on the fortieth day.
The boy grew up smart, calm, and thoughtful. He loved to pray and did not play with his peers. His parents were pious and loved to receive strangers. So the boy learned piety and faith from his father and mother. He had two more brothers. When the boys were sent to study in a rural school, the brothers studied well, but Bartholomew was not able to read and write.
The boy was very upset. Indeed, in those days, teachers used corporal punishment for poor performance. Bartholomew prayed a lot to God so that He would give him the understanding of literacy. And through his prayers a miracle happened .
Meeting with the schema-monk
Vision to the youth Bartholomew
One day his father sent a boy to look for missing horses. Bartholomew went far into the fields and suddenly saw a schema-monk praying under a tree. The boy waited until he finished his prayer and asked him to pray that he would be able to read and write. The monk gave the boy prosphora. Bartholomew persuaded him to go to their house, because his parents love to receive strangers. He agreed.
When they arrived home, the monk gave the boy a psalter to read. To the surprise of everyone, Bartholomew suddenly read the psalm very well, without a single mistake. Thus a miracle happened through the prayers of the man of God.
Vladimir Khotinenko: “I’m making a film about Sergius of Radonezh in the form of a conversation”
— Vladimir Ivanovich, we recently finished a large, multi-part film “Demons” - an adaptation of Dostoevsky’s novel. Perhaps while working on “Demons” you thought about Sergius of Radonezh?
— Dostoevsky owns the phrase “There is no God, and everything is possible.” Unfortunately it is so. If life still has an end, then the level of responsibility is very low - non-believers in immortality live by this principle. The meaning of life in infinity is not to live long, but to be fully responsible for everything. The wonderful actor Alexander Baluev, while starring in my film “Muslim,” said: “I can somehow imagine hell, but I can’t imagine heaven.” There are no righteous people among us. But there must be guidelines. Modern civilization has elevated tolerance to a cult, erasing moral values from constitutions and forms of government. Even “Thou shalt not kill” has become a kind of formality. An example is that a murderer of 75 people was placed in a three-room apartment, and he demands the Internet, and most people treat this with understanding. Human life has become devalued. When people ask me about my attitude towards religion, about how much of a believer I am, I don’t answer these questions, considering them purely personal. But the theme of religion and faith runs through all my work. Currently I am working on a film about Sergius of Radonezh. I note that it is almost impossible to make a film about a saint. Pavel Lungin found a way in his film “Island”, but in it the main character is a holy fool, who from time immemorial has been allowed a lot, which means there is room for imagination and fiction. For this reason, I would not make a serious historical film about Sergius of Radonezh. This hero does not have a single negative quality, not a single unseemly act... Well, why not invent vices for him? And I decided to resort to the form of a so-called conversation, or, in modern terms, a “talk show”, in order to find out and understand who Sergius of Radonezh is today, what place he occupies in our lives, simply saying, what do we know about him? By bringing together different people, representatives of all ages, on a talk show, you can get an interesting result.
— The director is obliged to see the finale, the result of his work, isn’t it? Which Sergius of Radonezh do you represent in your film?
- If we succeed, then Sergius of Radonezh will not appear material, but rather musical, poetic, elusive and at the same time tangible. When I talked with the actors who came to audition for roles in this film, the first thing I asked was: “What do you know about Sergius of Radonezh?” If anyone knew anything, it was no more than that Sergius of Radonezh blessed Dmitry Donskoy for the Battle of Kulikovo. While there is no historical clarity on this issue. The actors cannot remember anything else. Maybe they heard something about the departure of St. Sergius from the Lavra, and even then vaguely?!
— Director Otar Ioseliani told me in an interview that he does not like to shoot historical films for fear of unwittingly endowing the characters with traits that, perhaps, they did not have. You still decided, why?
“Ioseliani said absolutely correctly. Every artist still has temptations to break something, bring in his own and, as I already said in the case of the saints, endow ideal people with flaws - well, so that the movie turns out to be interesting, multifaceted, spectacular. It's no secret that many actors love to play negative characters, considering them more interesting and clearly portrayed. But I know for sure that it is much easier to play negative characters than positive ones, and that is why actors prefer villains. How did Dostoevsky suffer when creating the image of an ideal person - Prince Myshkin in the novel “The Idiot”? Fyodor Mikhailovich wrote about this that “he knows only one absolutely positive hero - Don Quixote,” adding: “and that’s because he’s funny!” He endows Prince Myshkin with this quality of a “funny, strange person.” I note that being funny is not a vice at all, but this feature of positive people - seeming ridiculous, awkward, unusual - helped Dostoevsky make Myshkin interesting and relatable to readers.
— What audience are you counting on when making a film about Sergius of Radonezh?
— Firstly, in our time the era of great prophetic cinema has ended. Today you can make a movie on a mobile phone, and I think this is a progressive phenomenon. I am convinced that thanks to the availability of technical capabilities, cinema will become more democratic and, over time, more widespread. Personally, I would like to live to see the age when I dare to make a film on a mobile phone. I teach young people directing at VGIK, and if I sprinkle ashes on my head, communicating with them as a master who sets big goals, then this is unlikely to benefit the cause. Yes, I want young people to see the future film about Sergius of Radonezh. By the way, it will be shot by a young but already experienced cameraman Denis Alarcon Ramiros, who has a good sense of the language and style of youth.
Construction of the monastery
Icon of Sergius of Radonezh
Soon the family moves to the city of Radonezh. The older brothers grew up and got married, and Bartholomew took a vow of virginity to God. He dreamed of becoming a monk, but his parents persuaded him to first wait until they died, then go to a monastery. The obedient son did just that. Soon the parents reposed, having accepted monasticism before their death. And Bartholomew, having distributed the inheritance to the brothers, went to the monastery.
By that time, his brother Stefan was widowed, and both brothers went to the Khotkovsky monastery, where their parents were buried. There Stephen became a monk. Bartholomew did not yet begin to take monastic vows, but persuaded his brother to go to a deserted place for heroic deeds. He agreed, and they found a place for themselves in a deep forest and began to build a cell there. Then they cut down a small church, which Metropolitan Theognostos would later consecrate in honor of the Holy Trinity.
Stefan thought the desert life was beyond his strength, and he left, leaving his brother alone. Then Bartholomew asked Abbot Mitrofan to tonsure him into monasticism with the name Sergius . After tonsure and communion, the temple was filled with fragrance.
The arrival of the monks
For some time Sergius lived alone. He worked during the day and prayed at night. The demons frightened him and ordered him to leave this place, but the monk was not afraid of them. Soon rumors spread about the lonely monk, and monks began to settle near him. At first there were twelve of them.
The estimated date of formation of the monastery of St. Sergius Ave. is 1342 . Mitrofan became the first abbot, but after his death Sergius went to the Pereyaslav bishop in order to beg for a new abbot. He blessed Sergius to become hegumen and priest himself.
Every day he served the liturgy and worked hard as an example to the brethren. In the evening he walked around the cells and if he heard that someone was talking and not praying, he knocked on the window. One day there was no food in the monastery, but the abbot forbade begging. The brothers grumbled greatly because of hunger, and then the Angel brought them bread . Another time, everyone was indignant that there was no water nearby. The monk prayed, and a spring gushed nearby. It still exists today, where believers go for healing.
Miracles of the Reverend
People began to come to the monastery to visit the monk, and he helped everyone. One day a man came to him carrying a sick boy. But the son died on the way. Then the father began to cry and went to buy a coffin, and left the boy in the monastery. When he returned, he found his son alive .
One day, a possessed rich man was brought by force to the monastery. The saint healed him with his prayer. The demon came out of this unfortunate man. Since then, the number of people coming for healing has increased.
The saint had a vision: many wonderful birds flew to his monastery. And a certain voice predicted that there would be the same number of monks in this monastery.
During the liturgy, the monks saw how a certain luminous man was in the altar with the monk. Sergius admitted that the Angel concelebrates with him . And one of his disciples once saw how fire descended into a bowl while the saint was serving.
The Mother of God Herself appeared to the saint with the apostles, promising that she would not leave the monastery.
When Khan Mamai went to war against Russia, Prince Dmitry came to the monk to ask for prayers. Then the Saint predicted his victory over his enemies and gave him two monks to help him, who helped in the decisive battle. During the battle, Sergius stood in prayer, calling the names of the fallen and praying for their repose. He was mentally on the battlefield.
Venerable Sergius of Radonezh
Audio |
Archpriest Alexy Ladygin, rector of the Church of Euphrosyne of Moscow in Kotlovka, answers questions from viewers. Broadcast from Moscow. Broadcast July 14, 2014
— Hello, dear TV viewers. The program “Conversations with Father” is broadcast on the Soyuz TV channel. In the studio of Denis Beresnev.
Today our guest is the rector of the church in the name of St. Euphrosyne of Moscow in Kotlovka, Archpriest Alexy Ladygin.
Hello, father. Bless our viewers.
- Hello. God bless!
— Our program today is dedicated to St. Sergius of Radonezh.
I would like to start the program with a quote from the outstanding Russian historian V.O. Klyuchevsky: “Reverend Sergius with his very life, the very possibility of such a life, made the grieving people feel that not everything good in them had yet extinguished, not everything had frozen. By his appearance among his compatriots, who were sitting in darkness and the shadow of death, he opened their eyes to themselves. He helped them look into their own darkness and see there the still smoldering sparks of the fire that burned the light that illuminated them.”
What is the overall significance of St. Sergius of Radonezh for Russian history?
— The appearance of St. Sergius of Radonezh as a heavenly gift to our Fatherland. St. Sergius grew up in our midst, and what was embodied in him is an expression of that pure and sincere spirit that is inherent in our people, because he purely and brightly accepted holy Orthodoxy. It is in the Orthodox environment that such adamants appear, to which generations of people later look up, passing through almost a whole millennium.
The image and significance of the feat of St. Sergius are simply invaluable. We are talking about a person who leads a spiritual life, directs his gaze to Him and does not deny his earthly Fatherland, and the problems that exist in it, but sanctifies everything with his feat. Such was the Monk Sergius of Radonezh.
Subsequently, the Monk Seraphim of Sarov will speak about this bright and very significant feat: save yourself and thousands will be saved around you. If a person truly saves himself, then his saving light illuminates hundreds and thousands of people who come to him, and spreads over hundreds and thousands of kilometers from the place where this person lives.
The appearance of St. Sergius in our Fatherland is a completely different turn of outlook, not only spiritual, but also physical. A serious change is taking place here, because he gives our people such inspiration, which becomes a kind of beginning of the unification of Russian lands, the transformation of our Fatherland into a single strong state. It was impossible to do this without the feat of St. Sergius, because everyone relied on their own “I”, their own significance, strength, and local interests.
St. Sergius discovered that at the basis of a strong state and any statehood, especially Orthodox, there should be a person’s relationship with God and the discovery of divine love and divine unity, as a role model, without which it is impossible to acquire an earthly Fatherland.
This is how Saint Sergius appeared. His veneration of God is veneration of the Holy Trinity. It is no coincidence that when he retired to the Radonezh forests, the first thing he did was build a church in the name of the Holy Trinity. He reveals to the whole world the image of the Holy Trinity, as an image of a certain unanimity, love for the entire human race. By revealing this divine image, he shows how with unity we can defeat the hateful discord that then captured our earthly Fatherland. It is by imitating the Holy Trinity in this that great results can be achieved. And our Fatherland, even during the life of St. Sergius, achieves such results through his faithful spiritual son, the Holy Blessed Prince Dmitry Donskoy, who embodies this idea and gathers the great Russian state.
We know the famous expression of our chroniclers that the Volokolamsk, Dmitrov, and Muscovites went to the Kulikovo Field, but the united Russian people returned. We know that the spiritual principle that St. Sergius laid as the foundation of the Russian state later bore wonderful fruit. We saw both a great strong empire and a great Russian power. It is impossible to imagine this power without the feat of St. Sergius of Radonezh, without his prayerful standing, without the revelation of his great feat, which every person must bear, illuminating the Russian land.
Especially in our time, when the very foundations of our state are becoming shaky, it is important to remember on what the Monk Sergius of Radonezh built our statehood. It is impossible to build a great state without Orthodoxy, the heights of spiritual life, and the fulfillment of God’s commandments. The strength of the state consists not only in economic power, military-technical potential, but the spiritual principle must be of primary importance, only then will there be a strong, indivisible Orthodox state of Holy Rus'.
On the days of the celebration of the 700th anniversary of the birth of St. Sergius, the ideal and values that he left us are proclaimed to us. With his life, his feat, his passion, he bequeaths to us to live and think in this way in order to preserve the earthly Fatherland and join the Heavenly Fatherland.
- How a person, completely directed towards Heaven, in some incomprehensible way influences earthly affairs. It would seem that he does not interfere with them, but has a strong influence?
— The feat of prayerful and spiritual standing is always very high. We know that the Lord gives such people enormous gifts; they greatly influence all aspects of our lives.
Even today we can see that even people in power, who have enough money to live without thinking about anything, stand in queues to the great elders and ask for their blessings. Due to our spiritual blindness, we do not know what will happen to us tomorrow, what to do so as not to ruin tomorrow. Therefore, spiritual people have always had influence, they opened their eyes, pointed out the path that a person should follow.
Likewise, St. Sergius, who did not isolate himself in the Radonezh forests, but understood the meaning of the actions that a person commits. If he saw that actions were not right, he went, eradicating what was wrong and healing and uniting with his enormous authority.
We know that St. Sergius emerged from the dense forests of Radonezh when his authority became enormous. The authority of a prayer book, a miracle worker, a man who showed the full height of spiritual life, showed the height of humility. Who in his life showed that he was ready to be a novice to the very last person in this world. This phenomenon was extremely rare in those days, and St. Sergius gained enormous authority. Not even a conversation, but one look from him answered many questions. Wherever St. Sergius appeared, there was always consolation, spiritual support and the authority of the word. They trusted St. Sergius, they knew that he was not looking for his own personal gain, but only for the benefit of our Fatherland. Therefore, both rich and poor believed him.
All the common people listened to the opinion of the monk. When it was necessary to reconcile the prince of Novgorod or Ryazan with the prince of Moscow, then, with the blessing of St. Alexis, the Monk Sergius goes and closes the churches. Addressing people, he says: if there is no reconciliation, there will be no our Orthodox Fatherland, there will be no Orthodox churches. People believe St. Sergius and simply force their prince to submit to the Prince of Moscow, to that single principle that will transform the divided Russian principalities into a single and strong Russian state.
St. Sergius did not seek anything for himself, but only glory for our Fatherland, the strengthening of Orthodoxy. He understood that those who came to Rus' were not looking for material wealth. All the “walkers” who came from the West to our land always had as their goal to Catholicize our population so that it would not be Orthodox.
Strengthening statehood means preserving Orthodoxy, preserving Orthodoxy means introducing all Orthodox people to eternal life, eternal heavenly abodes. The deepest meaning and significance of the words and actions of St. Sergius was that a person living on earth should be involved in eternal life. Therefore, St. Sergius succeeded in many things, and he performed all this as obedience.
In his life he did not look for anything earthly, he refused everything that was offered to him, because the most important thing for him was service to the earthly Fatherland, service to the Heavenly Fatherland and joining the Kingdom of Heaven.
— Question from a TV viewer: Why are there no saints like St. Sergius of Radonezh and Seraphim of Sarov in our time?
“Probably because we ourselves are not holy.” If we engage in holiness, our eyes will be opened and we will see many saints. It is not for nothing that the book of Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov) “Unholy Saints” now enjoys enormous authority, showing that people who live in the simplicity of their hearts and perform obedience are already saints. This holiness can be hidden from us, because we are looking for special saints: so that he does not eat, does not drink, God forbid, so that he does not drive a car. But this is a wrong understanding of holiness.
A holy person is one who from his youth strives to fulfill the commandments of God, and there are many such people, especially among the monastic clergy. We know many elders - whose names I will not list - including those living in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, who answer our questions, point out the true path of spiritual life, through whom the Lord reveals His will.
We can see such great people in other monasteries, and among our white, married clergy. You can see many pious people in parishes. It is no coincidence that Metropolitan Veniamin (Fedchenkov) wrote a wonderful book of memoirs, where he writes about the saints with whom he had to meet during his earthly life. I can also name even simple lay people, whom I could also call saints and who have partly already gone into the divine world; others live on earth, but have holiness because they sincerely and humbly bear their cross in life. In order to see the saints, we ourselves must partake a little of holiness and abandon the condemnation that reigns in our hearts. When a person stops condemning, then the saints and the true path of spiritual life are revealed to him, even the opportunity to communicate with these saints and to be sanctified during his lifetime. Perhaps this should be our desire to see saints during our lifetime.
- You said that St. Sergius sought only the benefit of the Fatherland and completely renounced anything for himself. Why did he refuse the metropolitan see , although, it would seem, in this post one could bring great benefit to the Fatherland?
“Reverend Sergius understood that being Metropolitan of Moscow and All Rus' means not only having enormous influence, but also enormous honors and respect. In order not to spoil his inner feelings and aspirations, he refuses this high service in order to remain a monk to the end. And he refuses anything that, even to a small extent, could affect the purity of his relationship with God. No arrogance. He refused to be the abbot when the brethren were embarrassed by the abbot, who did not care about their financial situation, and the Monk Sergius left the Monastery. But this was God’s providence, because wherever he went, he founded new monasteries, thereby consecrating our Russian land with sources of piety and holiness. Because monasteries to this day bring purity and heights of life, illuminating the life of a worldly person.
Today, old monasteries are being restored, new ones are being built, and we see that even the services in the monastery are different: filled with sublimity. Those living in the monasteries have abandoned our vanity and information sources, and this renunciation of everything that clogs their heads gives them the opportunity to communicate purely and brightly with Heaven, to bring this heavenly grace to earth. A person who comes to a monastery really feels this grace. People who have visited the monastery at least once and felt this grace again strive to return to it.
There are people who, instead of relaxing in a comfortable hotel on the Turkish coast, prefer to go to a monastery. There they stand for many hours of services, and then go to work, help the brothers or sisters of the monastery. But if at sea a person only delights his flesh, then from the monasteries people return spiritualized, sublime, his eyes filled with life. Because a person not only saw this life with its vanity and worries, but eternity is revealed to him, and he always strives for this eternity.
St. Sergius saw this enormous task - to open Heaven here on earth, in himself through the feat that he carried out. He revealed this to the brethren, and we know that the great Sergius Lavra gave hundreds and thousands of ascetics of piety, revealed and not revealed to this world. We don’t know about many, many lived and died as simple monks, and only when they died did they understand what a wonderful person lived, worked and carried out obedience in the Monastery. He was completely unnoticed, but humbly performed his obediences and at night carried out those prayerful feats that became known only later. This is truly the beauty and decoration of our world.
If there were no saints, there would be no life on earth. We know that a village cannot live without a righteous person, and a city cannot live without a saint. We are now talking about the disappearance of many villages from the face of our earth, and this happened during perestroika, when there was no place for righteousness in the villages. No righteousness - no village.
It should be an obvious sign for us that if there is a city, there is a village, that is, there is holiness, righteousness, thanks to which they live and exist.
— Question from a TV viewer from the Belgorod region: It is known that St. Sergius forbade the brethren to take any offerings from the laity even in years of famine. Is it possible to give similar examples in our time?
—You have incorrect information that St. Sergius forbade taking offerings from the laity. On the contrary, the Life of St. Sergius describes that when the brethren grumbled against St. Sergius in one of the hungry years, he offered to take offerings and pray. An incident is described when, after the Divine Liturgy, the brethren began to pray, and a whole convoy of food was brought to the Lavra. The brethren realized that all power lies in prayer. Those who pray strongly should not be distracted by such concerns; the Lord Himself feeds them like the birds of the air.
If we are talking about other monasteries, then they also live off offerings. We must understand the meaning of the offering itself. We should not say that there should be no offerings because that goes against the Scriptures. The Lord commands each of us to give 10% of our income to the temples of God, and this law has not been repealed.
In my priestly practice, there was a case when a woman came who had read the words in the Holy Scriptures that whoever does not tithe steals from God. She came with tears of repentance, saying that she had never tithed, which means she had been stealing from God all her life. We must have a clear understanding of this.
The second point is that if the Church does not call a person to charity, then the person will not do good deeds. As the Holy Scripture tells us, judgment without mercy will be upon that person who has not done mercy in his life. Therefore, alms should be the lot of our lives.
At one time, when I was building a temple, I asked my confessor, Archimandrite Lavrentia, the elder of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, why the construction was so difficult, I had to walk a lot there, ask, sometimes I had to ask more than once. After praying, the priest replied that if everything was fine, then I would only build and not go and call on anyone, and people would not do good deeds and would not be saved, but so many who will participate in the construction of the temple will be saved. Because our ancestors said: “There is nothing more to do than to build a temple and raise someone else’s child.” And those to whom you turn with requests will receive a reward from the Lord in the Heavenly abodes.
By accepting alms, temples and monasteries give people the opportunity to escape. If there were state subsidies for churches and monasteries, as there are in some countries, then we would pray and not encourage anyone to do good deeds, and people would forget what charity is. Charity is doing good. It was for this purpose that the Lord created man.
— Father Alexey, you said that St. Sergius was the defender of the Russian land. He was her protector not only during his earthly life, but also after it influenced her destinies.
What role did the Trinity-Sergius Monastery play in the defense of the Russian land from foreign invaders in 1612?
— Not only in 1612, but always Trinity-Sergius was a kind of outpost. Not only for its fortress, which could never be taken. We know that during the Polish-Lithuanian intervention it provided shelter and protection not only for the brethren, but also for soldiers and residents of Sergiev Posad and other nearby areas.
The Trinity-Sergius Lavra was also an outpost of spiritual life. We know that the militia in the person of Minin and Pozharsky was called up from Nizhny Novgorod thanks to a letter from the economist and treasurer of the Lavra, Archimandrite Abraham (Palitsyn).
At different times in our history, the Trinity-Sergius Lavra was of great importance, preserving the spiritual background of our Russian people, because, together with the relics and the very spirit of St. Sergius, it always set an example.
The Lavra played a great role in the education of many pastors of the Church of Christ. Since 1812, the Lavra has hosted the Moscow Theological Academy within its walls, and subsequently the Theological Seminary is located on its territory. Hundreds and thousands of pastors of the Russian Orthodox Church are educated here. In addition, students from Greece, Poland, Cyprus, and other Orthodox Local Churches study within the walls of the Lavra and then, like birds, fly around the world, consecrating it with holy Orthodoxy.
The Trinity-Sergius Lavra was a source of spiritual life, especially in Soviet times, in the post-war period, when it educated many, many holy monks, who later became abbots of many monasteries and monasteries, spreading the great spirit of St. Sergius to all corners of our Fatherland.
We know that from the walls of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra more than a dozen bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church have emerged, who also affirm the height and spirit of St. Sergius in different regions of our Fatherland and far beyond its borders.
This is the significance of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, and it was emphasized by St. Sergius himself: he thought about the future. How will this place live, will it really perish, will it not please the Lord?
We know that Lavra was going through difficult times. It experienced its first destruction in 1408, after the death of St. Sergius, when Khan Edigei captured the Trinity-Sergius Monastery and burned it to the ground. It was after this that they began to build the Trinity Cathedral at the burial site of St. Sergius, which was completed in 1423 and still stands today. The incorruptible relics of St. Sergius were found.
The Lavra underwent closure, but still exists to this day. This is connected with two visions that were in the Lavra of St. Sergius. The Life describes how one day the monk prayed that the Lord would preserve his disciples, followers who would be in the Lavra, asking about their fate after his death. During this prayer, the clearing next to the cell where he was praying was illuminated with a bright light, and he heard a Voice:
— Sergius, you pray for your students and followers. Thus knowing that I will multiply them like the birds of the air.
And the Monk Sergius saw a huge number of heavenly birds around his cell. Indeed, probably, each monastery is famous for the fact that it leaves its monks in its monastery, and they give the law of fidelity to this monastery and the abbot of the monastery. The promise given to St. Sergius apparently meant that it was the inhabitants of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra who, like birds, would fly away to different corners of this world. Just as it was impossible for St. Sergius to count the birds in the revealed vision, so now it is impossible to count how many monks there were and how many more there will be in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. In addition to the brethren, how many there have been and will be students of the academy and seminary who fly all over the world, spreading the spirit and testaments of St. Sergius of Radonezh.
The second appearance is the appearance of the Mother of God, when the Monk Sergius prayed with his disciple Nikon in his cell. The cell was also illuminated by heavenly light, and he saw the holy Apostle John the Theologian, who announced: “Behold, the Most Pure One is coming.” Indeed, the Mother of God appeared to him, the Monk Nikon even lost consciousness at that moment, and Sergius talked with Her, and She told him:
- Sergius, you pray for your Abode, so know that it will stand until the end of time.
We know that no matter how difficult times the Lavra has gone through, it has been preserved to this day. In Soviet times, the Bolsheviks destroyed many churches and monasteries, and the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, although it was closed for some time, still survived to this day in the richness of the spirit of monastic life, the height of spiritual life, and its unique service.
The Lavra preserved the relics of St. Sergius of Radonezh, this great source of divine grace, an example of spiritual life and love for one’s earthly Fatherland.
If we are talking about patriotism, then true patriotism is possible only among a believer. Only one who loves the Heavenly Father and can purely love his parents on earth and the earthly Fatherland can be a patriot. He who does not love the earthly Fatherland cannot join the Heavenly Fatherland. The behest of St. Sergius is to be a true believer, and therefore to be a patriot.
This is how St. Sergius and the Lavra of St. Sergius appear to us, which is unsurpassed in the height of its spiritual life, and even in purely external terms. There are not so many brethren in any Orthodox monastery; pilgrims from all over our Fatherland come to it to be consoled by the spirit of St. Sergius, to venerate his holy relics, to communicate with the elders of the Lavra, to be nourished by the inspired services that are performed in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.
I think that during these days of celebrating the 700th anniversary of St. Sergius there will be an unlimited number of pilgrims from all over not only our Fatherland, but from all over the world.
— Please tell us about the events that are planned in honor of the celebration of the 700th anniversary of St. Sergius.
— Grandiose events are caused by a special need. Not only for the sake of glorifying St. Sergius, but because many want to participate, breathe in this special spirit of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, and touch the relics of St. Sergius.
Events take place throughout this year. Since the beginning of the year, churches in the name of St. Sergius have been opened in some places and founded in others. Concerts and conferences were held in all dioceses and regions. In many places, monuments to St. Sergius of Radonezh are unveiled.
Probably the most important thing that was organized was a visit by all parishes to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Parishioners of our church and Sunday School children visited the Lavra, and these trips were especially inspiring. In our parish, we especially celebrated this date: we opened, but have not yet consecrated a seven-meter mosaic of St. Sergius on the northern façade of the church.
We are especially connected with St. Sergius because he was the spiritual father of the blessed Prince Demetrius of Donskoy and Euphrosyne of Moscow, in whose honor our church was built.
Grand events will take place on July 16, 17 and 18. On July 16, at 11 o'clock everyone is invited to the Khotkovsky Monastery, where the relics of the parents of St. Sergius - Schemamonk Kirill and Schemanun Maria - are located. Here at 13:00 a prayer service will begin in the Intercession Cathedral of the Khotkovo Stauropegial Convent. From here the religious procession will go to the Annunciation Field in Sergiev Posad.
On the Annunciation Field they prepared for countless pilgrims. Tents with a field kitchen will be installed, there will be an opportunity to relax, have a snack, and prepare for the service. The religious procession will be led by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill. After the religious procession arrives in Sergiev Posad, the All-Night Vigil will begin on the Annunciation Field.
On July 17, several open-air Liturgies will be celebrated on the Annunciation Field. At night at 00 o'clock on July 17, the early Liturgy will begin and the daytime Liturgy at 9-00 in the morning, which will be performed by His Holiness the Patriarch.
From 12 to 17 o'clock, continuous prayer services with an akathist to St. Sergius of Radonezh will be served on the Annunciation Field.
At 15-00 in the Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, a small Vespers with an akathist to St. Sergius will be served.
At 18-00 on July 17 there will again be an All-Night Vigil right in the open air on the Annunciation Field. About 100 thousand pilgrims are expected to gather. All measures have been taken, the organization of the celebrations is very serious. All who desire, let not your heart be troubled. There will be medical care, water, food, and a place to rest.
On July 18, on the day of memory of St. Sergius of Radonezh, there will again be a night Liturgy on the Annunciation Field. At 9 am the Divine Liturgy will be on the Cathedral Square of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, which will be celebrated by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill.
At 12 o'clock there will be a festive reception in the Refectory Chambers of the Refectory Church of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Then events will take place in the city itself, which will solemnly celebrate the memory of its founder and heavenly patron, St. Sergius of Radonezh.
It is fitting for us to glorify and worship St. Sergius for his labors, love, and eternal example. Whoever wants to be a patriot of our Fatherland, a true son of the earthly and Heavenly Fatherland, can imitate St. Sergius of Radonezh in everything and will never make a mistake, this path will be the most correct, the most faithful. The most important thing is that the monk will never leave such a person, he will always protect him with his heavenly prayer, spiritual protection and edification, preservation from every enemy invisible and unseen. This is how the Monk Sergius was during his life, this is how he appeared after his departure from earthly life, and this is how he remains to this day.
Countless people come to St. Sergius of Radonezh, because everyone who comes receives an answer to their questions, difficulties, and receives help. The absolutely worthy fame of St. Sergius spreads throughout the entire earth and will never end, because Sergius is alive and always participates in our lives.
— Question from a TV viewer from the Istrinsky district: The Lord has vouchsafed me to visit the relics of St. Sergius, my spiritual father is in the Lavra, but during these three days I am working, can I share the blessed joy of this day without being in Sergiev Posad itself?
- It all depends on the location of your heart and where your thoughts will be. If they are together with St. Sergius, then, of course, you will receive consolation and grace. The most important thing is not to get upset. You live nearby in the Istra region, and not in the Far East, you always have the opportunity to come to the monk, bow, ask for a blessing, and receive mercy from him.
—What was the will of St. Sergius?
- The meaning of this testament, in which the monk addressed the brethren, and through them, probably, to each of us, so that people would renounce that worldly care that takes over the whole person, so that they would have obedience and remember the last days of their lives.
It is no coincidence that St. Sergius, like all the holy fathers, focuses attention on this. If a person remembers his last, then he will never sin. I have interacted with many people, and those who have experienced some kind of closeness to death as a result of participating in hostilities, these people are very close to God. A person who has seen death and understands that human life is in the hands of God, such a person is very close to God. That is why Saint Sergius bequeathed that everyone remember their last days.
— It is known that St. Sergius is revered not only in the Orthodox Church, but also in the Catholic Church in Eastern Europe, in the Anglican Church. His Lives are translated into many European and even Asian languages. What is the significance of St. Sergius of Radonezh on a global scale?
“We said that St. Sergius of Radonezh opens the heavenly world to earthly man. Therefore, to join his life means to join the great feast of the spirit of holy Orthodoxy and heavenly spiritual transformation.
It is very important that our beloved Orthodox saints are now revealing themselves not only to non-Orthodox people, but also to Orthodox Christians in other countries, who also love St. Sergius and St. Seraphim of Sarov very much. Their lives are so real, simple and purposeful - this is exactly what modern man lacks. The opportunity to communicate with Heaven opens up in their lives. This attracted man before and especially attracts the present man, who yearns for real communication with God. There is no need to hide the fact that this genuine communion with God is now preserved only in Orthodoxy. Now everything is adjusted to human sin, to a certain appearance, but it is holy Orthodoxy that truly spiritually satisfies a person.
— You are the rector of the church in honor of St. Euphrosyne of Moscow in Kotlovka, how is Euphrosyne of Moscow connected with St. Sergius?
— St. Euphrosyne of Moscow is a disciple of St. Sergius of Radonezh. We know that Dmitry Donskoy received blessings from St. Sergius more than once. But it is necessary to say about a very important historical fact: veneration of the saint came to him through Evdokia (Euphrosyne) of Moscow and Maria Ivanovna Serpukhovskaya (schema-nun Martha, founder of the Nativity Stauropegic Monastery in Moscow). It was they who learned about the monk, since the monastery was built on the lands of the Serpukhov prince, who gave permission for the construction of the monastery. Then Maria Ivanovna communicated with St. Sergius and told her niece, Evdokia of Moscow, about him. They began to venerate and then invite St. Sergius to Moscow, so he was open to Demetrius Donskoy and the Moscow nobility. After which they began to talk about St. Sergius outside of Moscow and beyond. Even during the life of the saint, the Patriarch of Constantinople knew about him and sent him his gifts.
Therefore, it is very important for us that the memory of St. Sergius is very close to the memory of St. Euphrosyne of Moscow, which is celebrated on July 20. We will celebrate the patronal holiday, the memory of her blessed death.
On the eve of July 19, we will have an All-Night Vigil, and at 16:00, according to our tradition, we will serve a prayer service for His Holiness the Patriarch, for the President of Russia. This is especially important now, in connection with the events in Ukraine. We have taken upon ourselves the obedience to especially pray in this difficult time for both His Holiness the Patriarch and the President of Russia.
On the day of the holiday, July 20, a prayer service will be served at 7:30 a.m., and at 8:30 a.m. we will meet the bishop. With the blessing of His Holiness the Patriarch, the service in our church on this day will be led by His Eminence Theophylact, Bishop of Dmitrov, manager of the southwestern recreation of Moscow.
After the service, there will be a religious procession, during which we will consecrate the external mosaic of St. Sergius of Radonezh on the northern facade of our temple.
Dear brothers and sisters, we invite you to visit our temple on this day and, according to good tradition, pray together. The Venerable Euphrosyne is greatly revered by the residents of Moscow and the Moscow region; many, many have warmed up to her, because she answers everyone with her love, and many receive help from her.
- Thank you very much, Father Alexy. Our transmission time has come to an end. Please bless our TV viewers.
- May the blessing of the Lord be with you all.
Presenter: Denis Beresnev.
Transcript: Yulia Podzolova.
