Prosphora books Spiridon and Nicodemus: icon, prayers, life -

At all times, it has been joyful and comforting for Orthodox believers to contemplate ordinary, in some cases uneducated, people among the saints. After all, it was in them that one could see the power of the belief that was preached by the fishermen, elevating and changing both hearts and minds, which is incomparable with any human philosophy. Such people were Nicodemus and Spyridon, from whose example one can see that the Lord’s truth, miraculous and life-giving, is accessible to all Christians and can be mastered. In the article presented below, you can learn in more detail about the life of the prosphora-takers Spiridon and Nikodim, about the icon of the saints and the texts of the prayers addressed to them.

Holy prosphora bowls Nicodemus and Spyridon, life

The saints were ordinary people, and their occupation was quite simple - baking prosphora, but they performed it with all-encompassing love for the Almighty and the brethren, and the expression of this love turned an ordinary occupation into spiritual service.

Spiridon

The Monk Spyridon of the Pechersk prosphora was a monk of the monastery. His memorial day is celebrated:

October 11 (September 28th old style);
November 13 (October 31st, old style).

The saint was born into a simple peasant family and was not taught to read and write, but he possessed the language of belief, and his wealth included virtues and deeds that would please the Almighty.

With the fear of the Lord and an ardent desire to achieve perfection simmering in his heart, he entered the Lavra, where at that time the rector was Pimen Postnikov (1132-1141) and at the same time he accepted the most severe asceticism. Having reached a fairly mature age, the monk began to master books on his own and was able to study the Psalter, so that he was able to sing all the psalms by heart.

The abbot of the monastery of the contemplator, out of good nature, piety and hard work, entrusted the righteous man with a godly and most holy act - making prosphoras for the celebration of the Eucharist. While kneading the dough and chopping wood, the saint focused entirely on thoughts about the Heavenly King, which was also facilitated by the constant recitation of psalms. Thus, by baking bread for the sacred offering, the saint himself offered the Son of God a sacrifice of praise that was pleasing to Him.

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One day, when the righteous man was lighting the stove, a flame suddenly shot up and the floor was on fire. Then the monk covered the opening of the stove with his robe, then tied the sleeves of the cassock together, ran to the well and drew water with it, and then called on the brethren to help. The novices who came running to his cry discovered with amazement that the part of the robe that covered the stove mouth was not damaged in any way, and water did not pour out of the cassock, which made it possible to eliminate the fire without much difficulty. The efforts and prayers of the prosphora maker were heard by the Almighty, and he miraculously came to the aid of his faithful servant.

As a result of anthropological research, it was established that the saint passed away at the age of about 50-60 years, and his relics reside in the Near Caves;

Nicodemus

Nicodemus was also a novice of the monastery and he lived during the time of the clergyman Faster Pimen. The Day of Remembrance of the Righteous is celebrated:

October 11 (September, 28th old style);
November 13 (October 31, old style).

Prosforniks Spiridon and Nikodim did the same job together. The saint was the saint's assistant and was his adherent not only in obedience, but also in spiritual labors.

According to the surviving legend of the monastery, he worked in the church bakery for about 30 years, making prosphora throughout this period. The date of the saint’s death has not been established for certain, however, according to some scriptures, it can be stated that the righteous man reposed in old age, approximately in 1139. His sacred relics are also located in the Near Caves.

It is worth noting that in most cases, in miraculous images, the saints are depicted together, standing next to each other and holding baked prosphora in their hands or on a platter.

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Venerable Spyridon prosphora

Spyridon the prosphora maker, who came not from the city, but from one village, was completely simple in terms of book cunning and ignorant in words, but not in spiritual mind and not in deeds pleasing to God. For having the fear of God, which is the beginning of wisdom, in his heart, he came to the Pechersk Monastery and began a cruel monastic life.

Not knowing how to read and write, he began to learn to read books, although he was not young in years. And he learned the entire Psalter by heart, and worked hard for the salvation of his soul, constantly chanting the Psalter, and every day until the end.

Pimen, a fasting man who was then abbot, seeing that he was a humble and hardworking man and was constantly diligent in prayer and fasting and was blameless in everything, entrusted him with a God-pleasing obedience - baking the bread brought to the Divine Liturgy, for the Sacrament of the Bread of Christ, that is, prosphora. Blessed Spyridon, working diligently in the bakery, did not cancel his feat and spiritual work, but performed the work entrusted to him with all reverence and fear of God. The work of his hands was a pure and immaculate preparation of the sacrifice offered by the priest; and the fruit of his mouth, which he bore, was a sacrifice of constant praise to God (Heb. 13:15). When he chopped wood or kneaded dough, he had the psalms of David in his mouth, so that, according to his custom, he would finish the Psalter daily, which he did.

One day this blessed one, doing his usual work, lit a fire to bake prosphora, and the roof of the cell caught fire from the escaping flame. Then the blessed one, taking his mantle, closed the mouth of the stove with it and, tying the sleeves of his hair shirt, ran with it to the well, filled it with water and, hastily returning with water, called the brethren to help him put out the fire. The brethren, having come running, saw a wondrous thing: the mantle with which the blessed one covered the mouth of the furnace did not burn, and the water that was used to extinguish the fire of the cell did not flow out of the hair shirt. And they glorified God loudly.

Blessed Spyridon had an assistant - one brother, named Nicodemus, who was of one mind and the same with him in everything, in prayer and in manual labor.

Both of them zealously and godly served in the matter of baking prosphoras for thirty years, doing their work purely and immaculately and, having reposed, in good confession they are saturated with the glory of God, which they no longer see under the guise of offered bread, but face to face. Remembrance Day is celebrated on October 13 (November 31).

Troparion to Spyridon and Nikodim, prosphora makers of Pechersk, in the Near Caves, tone 4:

Creating the offerings of bread with your hands, / singing unceasing psalmody with your lips / as a sacrifice of praise to the Lord, / with the honorable Nicodemus, blessed Spyridon, / with him we prayed to Christ God for our souls.

St. Damian the healer

St. Nikodim prosphora book

A complete list of the relics of saints in the reliquary of the Iveron Temple on Vspolye

Traditions and beliefs of the Day of Spiridon and Nicodemus, prosphora makers of Pechersk

Spiridon and Nikanor in Rus' were respected and considered guardians of homes from fire. On this day, you must light a candle for them, and the saints will protect the house. Other traditions are also associated with this folk holiday.

By Spiridonov's Day, poultry was placed in special winter buildings. The chickens that would be the first to be slaughtered were also marked. Traditional dishes of this day were prepared from chicken meat. Kurniks were very popular. This is a pie, the filling for which was made from the meat of this bird.

In some regions of Rus', this day was considered a fishermen's holiday. Men traditionally went to collect the catch, and then the housewives made a treat out of the fish. Every family member had to try it. This is a vow that everyone in the house will be healthy and prudent.

On this day, hunters went after hares, which they tracked along fresh tracks in the snow. According to popular beliefs, the meat of this animal makes a man attractive to women. Hare's feet were kept for good luck, as a talisman.

Notes

Spiridon, reverend // Encyclopedic Dictionary
- St. Petersburg: Brockhaus - Efron, 1900. - T. XXXI. — P. 223.
↑ 1 2
Spiridon (Reverend) //
Russian Biographical Dictionary
/ ed. A. A. Polovtsov - St. Petersburg: 1909. - T. 19. - P. 256.
Spiridon Pechersky // Encyclopedia Tree.
A temple servant baking prosphora.
Nikodim Pechersky // Encyclopedia “Tree”.
↑ 1 2 3 4 Shilov A. A.
Spiridon (Reverend) // Russian Biographical Dictionary: in 25 volumes. - SPb.-M., 1896-1918.
Patericon of Pechersk.
↑ 1234
Spiridon, Rev. // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg, 1890-1907.
Lives of the Saints of Rostov, 1903-1916.

Symbol of faith

One of the many miracles arising from the relics of St. Spiridon, happened in the 20th century: “When the Germans occupied Kyiv during the Patriotic War, the German commandant of the city wished to visit the world famous Caves of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. For this purpose, they found a guide - a monk, a former inhabitant of this monastery. The inspection began from the Near Caves. At that time, the relics in crayfish rested openly, not under glass. The monk guide walked ahead with a lit candle, followed by Germans with flashlights. The commandant walked with a revolver in his hand. Near the reliquary of St. Spyridon Prosphornik, who died 800 years ago, he stopped and asked what these relics were made of. The monk began to explain that these were the bodies of people who, through their holy lives, had been granted incorruption. The commandant took his pistol by the muzzle, and with the handle hit Reverend Spyridon’s hand with force. Dry skin, darkened by centuries, burst on the wrist, and blood gushed from the wound (traces of three dried streams of it are still visible on the saint’s hand). The commandant fled from the cave in horror, followed by his entire retinue. The next day, on the city radio, the German commandant’s office announced that the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra was opening, and those who wished could settle in it. Similar notices appeared all over the city on poles and fences.”

(See: “Biography of St. Kuksha (Velichko) Confessor” M., 1995).

St. Spyridon the Prosphora Maker is a great saint who left a very good memory in all the hearts of believers who heard about him

. The life of this saint is unique. And this uniqueness comes not only from the fact that - how many people, how many destinies. The point here lies in the amazingness of the life feat of the Monk Spyridon, in the great Divine providence that occurred in his life.

We often complain that we do not have a spiritual education, and if we did, we would move mountains. We would then read the Gospel in Church Slavonic and the Psalter and be well versed in other prayers... But, thinking like this, we forget the most important spiritual law: Everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened (Matthew 7:8).

Indeed, if we had real faith, much could be done! After all, by faith everyone receives! The Monk Spyridon, the prosphora-maker, proved with his life that an illiterate person from a simple village can, with the grace of God, learn Divine science, comprehend God’s wisdom and understand the Holy Scriptures.

Moreover, the illiterate Spyridon loved the Holy Scriptures so much that he truly wanted not only to understand it with his heart, but to constantly have the Divine Words on his lips.

He comes to the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery to serve God with all his heart, with all his thought, with all his strength, following the words of the Gospel: Jesus said to him: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind: this is the first and greatest commandment (Matt. 22:37).

Decorating himself with many different virtues, the Monk Spyridon so loved the work of prayer, unceasing prayer, that despite his illiteracy and lack of mastery of book art, he took upon himself the feat (and for him it was a huge work) and memorized the entire Psalter. The Monk Spyridon the prosphora bearer loved the psalms so much, felt their great cover and indescribable sweetness so much that he never wanted to part with the psalms.

He tried to constantly chant psalms. And he had a rule that every day, when he baked prosphora with his friend Nicodemus, he read the entire Psalter by heart from memory, sanctifying himself through prayerful work, obedience, humility and other wonderful virtues. It must be said that there are different types of prayer work. Reading the Psalter was always held in high esteem by the ancient ascetics. Yes, Rev. Ephraim the Syrian says that psalms should be constantly on our lips. St. John Chrysostom says that it is better for the sun to darken than to abandon the reading of the Psalter. St. Anthony the Great advised memorizing psalms and reading them also on the road, and not only when there is an opportunity to be near a book. Many other examples. Great saints - great words! Why is this simplification happening now? When do they choose other prayers, but neglect the psalms? Many people say that they recite the Jesus Prayer and justify themselves by this. But the Jesus Prayer in no way contradicts the reading of the psalms, but on the contrary contributes to the acquisition of love for them! After all, the purpose of the Jesus Prayer is not just to say something with the lips or mind (sanctifying only this), but so that the prayer goes into the heart and so that our passionate heart purifies more and more. And when this happens, our soul will reach for the beautiful. If the heart is not purified to a basic extent, then there is no desire to teach particularly intensively in the words of Scripture. That is, we can conclude that a more sincere, humble and diligent prayer of Jesus will certainly contribute to increasing love for the psalms and improving the understanding of the psalms. Venerable also spoke about this. Barsanuphius of Optina:. “Fr. Macarius playing the psalter. And Father Fr. Ambrose played it. This music of the soul is acquired through the Jesus Prayer.”

You just should never neglect the psalms. All the saints had special reverence for them.

The Monk Spyridon, the prosphora maker, chose this activity - reading the Psalter, and he read it every day.

And there might not be anything particularly surprising in this if he had an education and had a good memory! But he would have been illiterate, unlearned and so successful! His life is our reproof. We don’t need justification; God himself shows through the examples of other people that with God’s help great things can be done, even if there are no great prerequisites. We must ask truly, truly, and we will be given everything we need for salvation.

The Monk Spyridon the prosphora-maker shone with his virtuous life like a bright star and was honored with the gift of miracles, of which there is evidence in his life.

Thank God that God shows what kind of protection and grace He gives to those who truly love Him! Lord, I asked a lot from you and did not receive anything that I did not ask from you, that I need at the moment. And if I haven’t received it yet, then I know that I need to work harder, I need to work more unceasingly, and I am sure, God, that You will truly fulfill my good desires! Look, brethren, who you are who are called: not many of you are wise according to the flesh, not many of you are strong, not many of you are noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the strong things (1 Cor. 1:26-27).