Who is Sergius of Radonezh and why is he so loved in Russia. Life of Saints Cyril and Mary of Radonezh, parents of Saint Sergius

The biography of St. Sergius was compiled by St. Epiphanius the Wise († c. 1418-1422), his disciple and contemporary, who knew about the life of his teacher from himself and from the elder brother of the Monk, Stephen, and from St. Theodore († 1394), the nephew of St. Sergius . And he didn’t have to ask anyone about the homeland of the Reverend - he himself lived in Rostov in his youth and took monastic tonsure in the Rostov monastery of St. Gregory the Theologian.

Saint Epiphanius the Wise and the brethren at the writing of the life of Sergius of Radonezh.

For several centuries, generation after generation has been rereading the lines about the beginning of the life of a future prayer book, trying to touch the great mystery of his birth and spiritual development. In the Life of the Reverend and God-bearing Father of our Sergius, Hegumen of Radonezh and All Russia the miracle worker, for our story, the words describing the events associated with his birth, childhood and adolescence, which took place here, on the blessed Rostov land, on the place where he stands Holy Varnitsa monastery.

Epiphanius the Wise writes that the future great Abbot of the Russian Land was born from noble and faithful parents: from a father whose name was Cyril, and a mother named Mary, who were God's Pleasers, truthful before God and before people, and full of all virtues and adorned, which God loves. God did not allow such a baby, who was supposed to shine, to be born of unrighteous parents. But first God created and prepared such righteous parents for him, and then from them he produced his saint.

About the parents of St. Sergius, the Life tells that they were boyars from glorious and famous boyars, owned a large estate in the Rostov region and great wealth. At first, the boyar Kirill was in the service of the Rostov prince Vasily Konstantinovich (+ 1307) and his son Prince Konstantin Vasilyevich (+ 1364), married to the daughter of the Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan Danilovich (Kalita). The Life of St. Sergius reports that more than once the boyar Kirill accompanied the Rostov prince in Golden Horde, which indicates the proximity of the boyar Kirill to the court of the Rostov princes. Boyar Kirill, according to his position, owned a sufficient fortune. In the family, in addition to Bartholomew, the future Sergius, there were two more children - the elder Stefan and the younger Peter.

Saint Sergius of Radonezh in his life. Mid 16th century.

The icon was a temple icon in the church of St. Sergius of Radonezh in the Rostov Boriso-Gleb Monastery, founded in 1363 with the blessing of the Monk. Collection of the Rostov Museum.

Even before the birth of St. Sergius, a sign was given about his being chosen by God: during Divine Liturgy on which Mary prayed on Sunday, the child in her womb cried out loud three times in the temple, so that many were horrified by this cry - the most glorious miracle that happened to this baby.

“But it is more fitting to be surprised that- writes Epiphanius the Wise, - that the baby in the womb did not cry out outside the church, without the people, or in another place, in secret, alone, but precisely in the presence of the people, so that there would be many listeners and witnesses to this true event. And it is also amazing that he did not shout quietly, but to the whole church, so that a rumor about him would spread throughout the whole earth; surprisingly, he did not cry out when his mother was either at a feast or slept at night, but when she was in church, during prayer - let the one who was born pray fervently to God. It is surprising that he shouted not in some house or some unclean and unknown place, but, on the contrary, in a church standing on a clean, holy place, where it is fitting to celebrate the Liturgy of the Lord - this means that the child will be in fear God's perfect saint with the Lord.

From that day on, Mary carried the baby in her womb like some priceless treasure and how gem, understanding that he will be the chosen vessel of the Holy Spirit. IN strict post and with frequent heartfelt prayer the mother kept the child in her womb.

Birth of Saint Sergius.

Oh, parents, if you knew how much good or, on the contrary, how much evil you can communicate to your children even before they are born! You would be surprised at the accuracy of God’s judgment, which blesses children in parents and parents in children and transfers “the sins of the fathers to children” (Num. Every Fatherland in heaven and on earth is named after him,- St. Philaret wrote about this event.

St. Sergius was born on May 3 (May 16, New Style), 1314. May 3 is the day of memory of one of the founders of Russian monasticism, the founder Kievo-Pechersky Monastery Venerable Theodosius (+ May 3, 1074). In Russia, the “maternity” saint was especially revered, on the day of whose memory a person was born. Attention to the saint, whose memory is celebrated on a person's birthday, has reached the New Age. Recall, for example, that Tsar Peter I was born on the day of the memory of St. Isaac of Dalmatia, and this explains that the main church of the new capital of St. Petersburg was consecrated in the name of St. Isaac.

On the fortieth day, Priest Michael baptized the baby, giving him the name of the Apostle Bartholomew, whose memory was celebrated on June 11. The name Bartholomew means son of joy: Rejoice from the womb of the mother, sanctified, Rejoice in the birth of your son of joy, named(from an akathist to St. Sergius).

When Cyril and Mary told Priest Michael about what had happened in the church before his birth, he answered his embarrassed parents: Do not mourn for him, but, on the contrary, rejoice and be glad, for the child will be a vessel chosen from God, a dwelling and a servant Holy Trinity, – which came true.

Baptism of Bartholomew. Personal Life of St. Sergius of Radonezh. XVI century.

The signs of God's chosen baby continued. When his mother happened to eat meat, Then the baby did not want to breastfeed. And realizing this, his mother abstained and fasted, and since then the baby has always been fed as it should be. On Wednesday and Friday, the child refused mother's milk, while remaining cheerful and calm: Rejoice, showing us the wonderful fasting in infancy(from an akathist to St. Sergius). Not only that, baby I didn’t want to eat from someone else’s mother, but only from my parent. This, according to many, meant that from a good root, a good branch must be nourished with undefiled milk.

The child grew up in next years, Life continues, as it should be at this age, his soul, body and spirit matured, he was filled with the mind and fear of God, and God's mercy was with him.

IN Ancient Russia had their names different periods the life of a man: a boy under seven years old is a baby; lad (lad) - up to 14 years old, brainchild - up to 21 years old; young man - up to 28 years; husband - up to 35 years; medieval - from 42 to 49 years; old man - from 49 to 56 years old.

Bartholomew was given seven years to learn to read and write along with his brothers! The brothers quickly mastered the doctrine with success, but Bartholomew was not given the opportunity to study, despite his great zeal. His parents, and the teacher, and the lad Bartholomew himself were very sad and sad about this. But it was destined that he was given to understand the letter not from people, but from God.

Vision to the youth Bartholomew. Artist M.V. Nesterov. 1889-1890 years.

The picture was painted in the years preceding significant date- 500th anniversary (1892) from the day of the repose of St. Sergius. During these years, artists V.M. Vasnetsov, E.D. Polenova, V.I. Surikov turned in his work to the image of the Reverend. The artist Mikhail Vasilyevich Nesterov was always convinced that this was his best work: “I will not live. "Young Bartholomew" will live. Now, if in 30, 50 years after my death he will still be alive, then I am alive too ”.

Once Bartholomew was sent by his father to look for lost horses. On the field he saw a man praying under an oak a black-bearer, a holy elder, amazing and unknown, with the rank of presbyter, handsome and like an angel ... And when the elder finished praying and looked at the lad, he saw with his spiritual gaze that the lad would be the chosen vessel of the Holy Spirit. He turned to Bartholomew, called him to him, and blessed him, and kissed him in the name of Christ, and asked him: “What are you looking for and what do you want, child?” The lad said: “My soul desires most of all to know literacy, for which I am given to study. Now my soul is grieving, because I am learning to read and write, but I cannot overcome it. But you, holy father, pray to God for me so that I can learn to read and write. After praying, the elder gave him a piece of holy prosphora: “Open your mouth, child, and open them. Take it and eat it - this is a sign of God's grace and understanding of the Holy Scriptures. Although what I give seems small, the sweetness of eating it is great. The lad begged the elder to come to their house.

The Appearance of the Divine Elder to the Young Bartholomew and Receiving the Gift of Understanding and Reading.

Stamp of the icon of St. Sergius of Radonezh in the life. Mid 16th century.

Cyril and Maria greeted with joy the unfamiliar guest, because they loved and revered the wandering pilgrims. In the house of the boyar Kirill there was a special room for prayer, where before the meal the whole family and the elder went to make a holy prayer. The elder began to read the Hours, and ordered the youth to read a psalm. The lad said: “I don’t know how, father.” The elder answered: “I told you that from this day the Lord will grant you the knowledge of letters. Speak the word of God without hesitation." And then something amazing happened: the lad, having received a blessing from the elder, began to read the psalms very well and harmoniously; and from that hour he began to know the letter well. At parting, the elder predicted to the pious couple: “The lad will be glorious before God and people because of his virtuous life.”

Epiphanius the Wise adds: This good lad was worthy of spiritual gifts, who knew God from the very diapers, and loved God, and was saved by God. He lived in obedience to his parents in everything: he tried to fulfill their commands and not disobey them in anything, just as Holy Scripture says: “Honor your father and mother, that you may live long on earth.”

During the years of adolescence, the future Saint Sergius lived in strict fasting, and on Wednesdays and Fridays he did not eat anything, at night he often stayed awake and prayed. Thus the grace of the Holy Spirit entered into him.

Blessing of the elder Bartholomew and his parents Cyril and Mary.

Stamp of the icon of St. Sergius of Radonezh in the life. Mid 16th century.

Epiphanius the Wise writes that the family of St. Sergius was pious and hospitable. Like every pious Russian family, Cyril and Maria, together with their sons, often visited the holy places of the city. And brought up special guardian and assistant of our Russian kingdom at the shrines of Rostov.

Chosen wonderworkers and divine servants of the Lord, Sergius the Great of the Church of Russia, bestowed, reverend Cyril and Mary, the monastery of Khotkovo intercessor! Bringing praiseworthy singing to you, we pray earnestly: as if you have boldness in the Lord, by your intercession free us from all troubles and make us heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven, let us call you joyfully: Rejoice, reverend Cyril and Mary, blessing us before the God of prayer. (Kontakion 1 Akathist to St. Cyril and Mary)

Three kilometers from Rostov the Great, on the left bank of the Ishni River, there is an ancient monastery in the name of St. Life-Giving Trinity- Varnitsky monastery. Our pious ancestors built it, wishing to perpetuate in the memory of future generations the place where the great ascetic of the Russian land, St. Sergius of Radonezh, was born.
At the beginning of the XIV century, there was an estate of his parents - the noble and noble boyars Cyril and Maria. Boyar Kirill was in the service of the Rostov specific princes and more than once, as a trusted and close person, accompanied them on dangerous journeys to the Horde. To the hustle and bustle of city life and the princely court, the couple preferred quiet rural solitude in their estate. Cyril owned a wealth sufficient for his position, but due to the simplicity of the then mores, living in the countryside, he did not neglect the usual peasant labors.

The Monk Epiphanius the Wise, the compiler of the first Life of St. Sergius of Radonezh, says that Cyril and Mary were noble and faithful people, "God's saints, righteous before God and people and full of all virtues and adorned." Strict guardians of all church statutes, they loved the temple of God, prayer, and were especially concerned about works of mercy: they helped the poor, received strangers, and did alms. This is what they taught their children.

Detailed information about the life of this blessed couple has not come down to us, but we can, following Metropolitan Platon (Levshin), say that “the very fruit that came from them showed, better than any eloquent praise, the kindness of the blessed tree. Happy are the parents whose names are glorified forever in their children and offspring! Happy are the children who not only did not shame, but also multiplied and exalted the honor and nobility of their parents and glorious ancestors, for true nobility consists in virtue!

The couple already had a son, Stephen, when the Lord gave them another son - Bartholomew, the future founder of the Trinity Lavra, beauty Orthodox Church and the indestructible support of the native land. Long before his birth, the wondrous providence of God gave a sign about him as a great chosen one of the Lord and a holy branch of a blessed root.

One Sunday, when Mary was praying in the church at the Divine Liturgy, the baby cried out loud three times in her womb. Everyone was amazed at such a miracle, and since then the holy mother has become especially attentive to her spiritual state. Often moving away from people's eyes, she fervently prayed with tears for the future fate of her child. Before his birth, Mary remained in strict fasting and heartfelt prayer, and in this way the child was, as it were, pre-cleansed and sanctified even before she was born. The righteous spouses, seeing the great mercy of God on themselves and desiring to be worthy of it, made a promise: if a boy is born, dedicate him to the service of the Lord.

On May 3, 1314, there was great joy in the house of the boyar Kirill: God gave Mary a son. On the fortieth day after birth, the parents brought the baby to church for baptism. Reverent Priest Michael gave him the name Bartholomew, which means "son of joy", in honor of the holy Apostle Bartholomew. The priest, overshadowed by the Divine Spirit, uttered significant words that the child would be "a vessel chosen by God, the abode and servant of the Holy Trinity."

Parents began to notice something unusual in the newborn: when the mother happened to be satisfied with meat food, the baby did not take her nipples. The same was repeated on Wednesdays and Fridays. At first they thought that the child was unwell, but they did not find any signs of illness in him - on the contrary, he was always cheerful and joyful. Mary soon realized that a child, taught abstinence while still in the womb, even after birth, seemed to demand fasting from her mother. Then she began to fast even more strictly and completely left meat food.

When Bartholomew was seven years old, his parents sent their son to learn to read and write. Two of his brothers also studied with him: the eldest - Stefan and the youngest - Peter. The brothers studied successfully, and Bartholomew was far behind them. The teacher punished him, his parents exhorted him, he himself prayed a lot with tears, asking the Lord for admonition, but the letter was not given to the boy. “It was,” Blessed Epiphanius remarks, “according to the providence of God, that he should learn books from God, and not from people.”

One day, the father sent Bartholomew to look for the missing foals. In a field, under the shade of a tall oak tree, he saw an angel-like elder, a black-bearer, with the rank of presbyter, and told him his heartfelt grief. The elder made a diligent prayer, and then gave the youth a part of the holy prosphora "as a sign of the grace of God and the understanding of Holy Scripture." Knowing with what joy and love the parents of wanderers receive, the boy begged the mysterious monk to visit their house.
Righteous Kirill and Maria greeted the guest with honor and offered him a hearty treat. The elder replied that one should first taste spiritual food, and ordered Bartholomew to read the psalms. He began to refuse, knowing his inability, but the monk gave him a book and ordered him to read the word of God without a doubt. And an amazing thing happened: the lad, having received a blessing, began to chant the Psalter harmoniously and distinctly! .. After that, the holy guest ate the meal offered to him, blessed the hospitable hosts and prophetically announced that their son “will be the abode of the Holy Trinity and will lead many after him to understanding Divine commandments." The pious spouses accompanied the elder to the gate, but suddenly he became invisible. Cyril and Mary, perplexed, decided that an Angel of God had visited them ... They deeply kept the words of the heavenly messenger in their reverent hearts.

And the lad meanwhile, growing in years, grew in piety. Gradually, the desire for monastic achievement grew in him. But it was not in the Rostov land that this marvelous lamp was destined to shine. By the providence of God, the boyar Kirill and his entire family moved to the Moscow principality, to the village of Radonezh, having received an estate here. But he himself, due to old age, could no longer serve, and therefore his eldest son Stefan, who was still married in Rostov, assumed this responsibility. The youngest son Peter also chose married life.
Bartholomew, with all his soul, strove for an ascetic life. Thinking about the vanity of everything earthly, he began to ask his father and mother for blessings on the monastic path. “Slow down, child,” his parents answered him, “because we are old and weak, and there is no one to take care of us. It is good that you are concerned about how to please God: this is a good intention. Just serve us a little, take us to the grave, and then your desire will be fulfilled.” And the blessed son obeyed. He made every effort to put the holy parents to rest in old age and earn their blessings and prayers.

What an instructive example of both parental prudence and filial obedience! Cyril and Mary did not try to quench his divine desire in their son, but only pointed out their needs to him, and secretly, probably, they wanted to give him time to test himself and establish himself in the holy intention. And the prudent young man, knowing the height and dignity of the monastic calling, looked with meekness at the commandment of God: “Honor your father and mother” (Matt. 15:4) and agreed to wait, humbled his heart’s desire for a time, in order to maintain obedience to his parents and inherit their blessing .

Over time, the spirit of monasticism was communicated from the son to the parents: at the end of their much-sorrowful life, Cyril and Mary wished themselves, according to the pious custom of antiquity, to take on the angelic image. Three versts from Radonezh was the Pokrovsky Khotkov Monastery, which at that time consisted of two departments - for the elders and the old women. Righteous Cyril and Mary directed their steps to this monastery in order to spend the rest of their days here in the feat of repentance and preparation for eternal life.
Almost at the same time, the wife of their eldest son Stefan, Anna, died, leaving two young sons, Clement and John, who later became Theodore, Saint of Rostov. Having buried his wife in the Intercession Monastery, Stefan did not want to return to the world. Having entrusted his children to his brother Peter, he remained in Khotkovo to become a monk and serve his infirm parents.

Being in advanced years, the schema-boyars did not work for long in their new rank: in 1337 they peacefully reposed in the Lord. Before their death, the holy parents blessed Bartholomew for the monastic deed with icons Mother of God Hodegetria and St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. The children honored them with tears of filial love and buried them under the canopy of the same Khotkovo monastery, which from that time became the burial place of the Sergius family. Here, over time, he was buried and younger son Saints Cyril and Mary - Peter, with his wife Catherine.
Paying the last debt of filial love, Bartholomew inseparably spent forty days in the Intercession Monastery, while the commemoration of the newly deceased, established by the Church, was performed. He combined his prayer with deeds of mercy: every day he fed the wanderers and distributed alms to the poor. Having transferred the inheritance left after his parents to his younger brother Peter, the reverend young man rushed to spiritual ascetics.

He had no intention of staying in Khotkovo - his soul longed for the silence of the desert. Together with their elder brother Stefan, they leave the hospitable Khotkovskaya monastery and ten miles from it, in a dense primeval forest, on the Makovets hill, they set up a wretched cell for themselves, and next to it a small church in the name of the Life-Giving Trinity. Here Bartholomew was tonsured a monk with the name Sergius, and on the site of a modest hermitage, it was later destined by God to flourish the great and glorious Lavra.

The Holy Trinity Lavra at all times has been a favorite place of pilgrimage for numerous pilgrims who resorted to the prayerful intercession of the great Intercessor of the Russian land - Abba Sergius. There is a legend that the Monk Sergius commanded, before going to him to the Trinity Monastery, to go to the Intercession Monastery and pray for the repose of his parents. The Trinity Sheets of the 19th century describes this touching old custom in this way: “So that the saint of God hears a prayer, so that he graciously accepts the stranger under his grace-filled cover, this stranger first goes to bow at the grave of his righteous parents in order to appear to the blessed son from the grave dear to him as if with parting words from the righteous parents themselves.

Veneration of schemamonk Cyril and schemamonun Mary.

The veneration of schemamonk Cyril and schemamonun Mary began immediately after the death of their great son. “The evidence of church tradition about their holiness is numerous, they date back to the 16th century. Already in the Personal Life of St. Sergius, his parents are depicted with halos. At their relics, invariably resting in the Pokrovsky Cathedral of the Khotkov Monastery, they constantly read the Psalter and served requiem services. The Chronicle of the Intercession Monastery cites many testimonies of healings from serious illnesses through the intercession of the parents of St. Sergius. Three times by their holy prayers, the Khotkov Monastery was delivered from pestilence and cholera during the epidemics of 1771, 1848 and 1871. In 1771, during a deadly plague, a prayer was composed to schemamonk Cyril and schemamonk Maria for reading on the "Glory" of the indestructible Psalter at their tomb; it was read for several months, and the monastery was not damaged.

In the 19th century, the veneration of the righteous Cyril and Mary spread throughout Russia. Their names were included in the lists of locally revered holy ascetics of piety in North-Eastern Russia, as indicated by the monastic words of that time. The veneration of the saints is also evidenced by the narrative from the annals of the Seraphim-Diveevo Monastery (chapter XII), which says that among the icons that Reverend Seraphim Sarovsky in different time sent as a blessing to the Diveevo monastery founded by him, there was a medium-sized image of the Radonezh wonderworker Sergius and the image of his blessed parents - St. Cyril and Mary.

For believers, the spiritual communion of St. Sergius with his holy parents, humble hermits, whom he buried in the Khotkovo monastery, has always been tangible; according to folk legend, he often walked to their resting place during his lifetime from his forest desert. Both in the Lavra and in Khotkovo, pilgrims bought small icons depicting Saint Sergius praying at the coffin of his parents with a censer in his hand. This is the memory of his filial love for his father and mother, whom he humbly and devotedly served until their blessed death.

In 1922, the Khotkov Monastery was closed, and for many years desolation reigned there. But even in the devastated monastery, the people of God came to ask for help and intercession from the saints. The veneration of the righteous Cyril and Mary, faith in the holiness and power of their prayers were deeply testified in the minds of our people. In the hearts of believers, the hope for the revival of the shrine has never faded away.

In 1981, the celebration of the Council of the Radonezh Saints was established, in whose host schemamonks Cyril and schema-nun Maria were glorified, and a prayer to them is placed in the July Menaion.
1992 was a significant year for the Pokrovsky Khotkov Monastery. On April 3, 1992, in the year of the celebration of the 600th anniversary of the repose of St. Sergius, the Church-wide glorification of St. Cyril and Mary took place. The canonization adequately crowned the six-century veneration of the parents of the great ascetic, who gave the world an example of holiness and the Christian arrangement of the family.

Canopy over the relics of St. Cyril and Mary. Pokrovsky Khotkov Monastery.

In the same year, 1992, the decision of the Holy Synod was made to restore monastic life in the Intercession Monastery. In the Cathedral of the Intercession Holy Mother of God the main shrine of the monastery rests - the relics of St. Cyril and Mary, the parents of the great Sergius.
In our time, the power of the intercession of the holy parents of St. Sergius has again become apparent in many miracles that occur through prayer to them, as well as from their relics. According to the professor of the Moscow Theological Academy, Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl),
"on the tomb of the Monks Cyril and Mary, located in the Pokrovsky Monastery, numerous healings of infants are witnessed, whose parents turned to the saints with prayer."

High is the feat of Saints Cyril and Mary. This holy couple was a pious root, which gave the Russian land and the whole world many beautiful and pleasing fruits to God, but especially marvelous - Sergius the Great, a sad man and a prayer book for our souls. Glorified by the Church for their charitable life and for the feat of a good, honest marriage, they, according to their assumption, embarked on a heavenly ministry - to be patrons family life teaching us the Christian dispensation of the life path. Many God-loving pilgrims go to the Khotkov Monastery to shrine with the miraculous relics of the laudable couple for a parental blessing, pouring out their sorrows and joys before the monks, asking for help, consolation, and healing. The restoration of a pious family, consecrated, imbued with spiritual traditions is the path to the revival of our Fatherland.
Let us honor the grateful memory of the righteous parents of the Hegumen of the Russian land, resorting to their intercession with fervent faith, hope and warm petition: “Earnly pray to the Lord to send us the spirit of love and humility of wisdom, so that in peace and unanimity we will glorify the Trinity of the same essence.”

The memory of St. Cyril and Mary is celebrated on January 18, September 28, and July 6 (as part of the Cathedral of the Radonezh Saints) according to the old style, as well as on Thursday of the publican and Pharisee week.

According to the publication: “Akathist to the Monk Cyril and Mary, Radonezh miracle workers, with life. - Pokrovsky Khotkov Monastery, 2014.- 56s. ”

Troparion, voice 3:

Bliss of Christ Party, honestly marriage and care for Chads good image, righteous of Kirill and Marie, the fruit of piety, Sergius Reverend, to us, Javitov, with him the very hard pray for the Lord of the Lord's spirit of LUVE and the Smithdy

Kontakion, voice 4

Duration, Vermina, Stupid, Praise Blessed Blessed, Blagovevnago Cyril and Maria Dangerous, Tii Bo pray with his beloved son, Reverend Sergius, to the United Holy Trinity to God, Fatherland Out in the lawwrier to approve, houses of the world of fence, Yunia from the victims and temptations deliver, strengthen old age and save our souls.

Prayer to St. Cyril and Mary, parents of St. Sergius of Radonezh.

O servant of God, reverend Cyril and Mary! And yet you ended your natural temporal life with your body, but do not depart from us in spirit, guide us to Christ God, instruct us to walk according to the commandments of the Lord and carry our cross and follow our Master. You, reverend, together with our reverend and God-bearing Father Sergius, your beloved son, have boldness towards Christ our God and towards His Holy Mother of God. Wake up prayer women and intercessors for us, the unworthy ones, who live in your holy monastery, and you are the rulers of it. Be God’s helpers and intercessors to this assembled squad, but those who live in this place and come in faith, keep your prayers, unharmed from demons and from evil people, glorifying the Holy Trinity, the Father and the Son, and the Holy Dun forever and ever. Amen.

According to ancient legend, the estate of the parents of Sergius of Radonezh, the boyars of Rostov, was located in the vicinity of Rostov the Great, on the way to Yaroslavl. Parents, "noble boyars", apparently, lived simply, they were quiet, calm people, with a strong and serious way of life.

St. Venerable Cyril and Maria. Painting of the Ascension Church on Grodka (Pavlov-Posad) Parents of Sergius of Radonezh

Although Kirill accompanied the princes of Rostov to the Horde more than once, as a trusted, close person, he himself did not live well. It is impossible to speak of any luxury, licentiousness of the later landowner. On the contrary, one might think that home life closer to the peasant: as a boy, Sergius (and then Bartholomew) was sent for horses in the field. This means that he knew how to confuse them and turn them around. And leading to some stump, grabbing the bangs, jump up, triumphantly trot home. Perhaps he chased them at night too. And, of course, he was not a barchuk.

Parents can be imagined as respectable and fair people, religious to a high degree. They helped the poor and willingly accepted strangers.

On May 3, a son was born to Mary. The priest gave him the name of Bartholomew, after the day of the celebration of this saint. The special shade that distinguishes him lies on the child from the very early childhood.

Bartholomew was given seven years to study literacy, to a church school, together with his brother Stefan. Stefan studied well. Science was not given to Bartholomew. Like Sergius later, little Bartholomew is very stubborn and tries, but there is no success. He is distressed. The teacher sometimes punishes him. Comrades laugh and parents admonish. Bartholomew cries alone, but does not move forward.

And now, a village picture, so close and so understandable six hundred years later! The foals wandered somewhere and disappeared. Father sent Bartholomew to look for them, probably the boy had wandered like this more than once, through the fields, in the forest, perhaps by the shore of Lake Rostov and called them, patted them with a whip, dragged halters. With all the love of Bartholomew for loneliness, nature, and for all his daydreaming, he, of course, conscientiously performed every task - this feature marked his whole life.

Sergius of Radonezh. Miracle

Now he - very dejected by failures - found not what he was looking for. Under an oak tree, I met “an elder of the Black Sea, with the rank of presbyter.” Obviously, the old man understood him.

What do you want, boy?

Bartholomew, through tears, spoke about his grief and asked to pray that God would help him overcome the letter.

And under the same oak stood the old man for prayer. Next to him is Bartholomew - a halter over his shoulder. Having finished, the stranger took out the ark from his bosom, took a particle of prosphora, blessed Bartholomew with it and ordered him to eat it.

This is given to you as a token of grace and for the understanding of Holy Scripture. From now on, you will master literacy better than brothers and comrades.

What they talked about next, we do not know. But Bartholomew invited the elder home. His parents received him well, as usual wanderers. The elder called the boy to the prayer room and ordered him to read the psalms. The child responded with incompetence. But the visitor himself gave the book, repeating the order.

And the guest was fed, at dinner they told about the signs over his son. The elder again confirmed that now Bartholomew would begin to understand Holy Scripture well and would overcome reading.

[After the death of his parents, Bartholomew himself went to the Khotkovo-Pokrovsky Monastery, where his widowed brother Stefan was already monastic. Striving for "the strictest monasticism", for desert living, he did not stay here for long and, having convinced Stefan, together with him founded the desert on the banks of the Konchura River, on Makovets Hill in the middle of the deaf Radonezh forest, where he built (about 1335) a small wooden church in the name of Holy Trinity, on the site of which there is now a cathedral church also in the name of the Holy Trinity.

Unable to endure too harsh and ascetic image life, Stefan soon left for the Moscow Epiphany Monastery, where he later became abbot. Bartholomew, left all alone, called on a certain hegumen Mitrofan and received tonsure from him under the name of Sergius, since on that day the memory of the martyrs Sergius and Bacchus was celebrated. He was 23 years old.]

Having performed the rite of tonsure, Mitrofan introduced Sergius of Radonezh to St. Secrets. Sergius spent seven days without going out in his “church”, praying, “tasting” nothing, except for the prosphora that Mitrofan gave. And when the time came for Mitrofan to leave, he asked his blessings for the desert life.

The abbot supported him and reassured him as much as he could. And the young monk was left alone among his gloomy forests.

Images of beasts and vile reptiles arose before him. They rushed at him with a whistle, gnashing of teeth. One night, according to the story of the monk, when in his "church" he "sang Matins", Satan himself suddenly entered through the wall, with him a whole "regiment of demons." They chased him away, threatened, attacked. He prayed. (“Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered…”) The demons disappeared.

Will he survive in a formidable forest, in a wretched cell? The autumn and winter blizzards on his Makovice must have been terrible! After all, Stefan could not stand it. But Sergius is not like that. He is stubborn, patient, and he is "loving God."

So he lived, all alone, for some time.

Sergius of Radonezh. hand bear

Sergius once saw a huge bear near the cells, weak from hunger. And regretted it. He brought a loaf of bread from the cell, gave it - from his childhood, after all, as his parents, he was “strangely acceptable”. The furry wanderer ate peacefully. Then I started visiting him. Sergius always served. And the bear became tame.

Youth of St. Sergius (Sergius of Radonezh). Nesterov M.V.

But no matter how lonely the monk was at that time, there were rumors about his hermitage. And now people began to appear, asking to be taken to them, to be saved together. Sergius responded. He pointed to the difficulty of life, the hardships associated with it. Stefan's example was still alive for him. Still, he gave in. And took a few...

Twelve cells were built. They surrounded it with a tyn to protect it from animals. The cells stood under huge pines and firs. The stumps of freshly felled trees stuck out. Between them, the brethren planted their modest garden. They lived quietly and harshly.

Sergius of Radonezh set an example in everything. He himself cut cells, dragged logs, carried water in two water carriers uphill, ground with hand millstones, baked bread, cooked food, cut and sewed clothes. And he must have been a good carpenter by now. In summer and winter he walked in the same clothes, neither frost took him, nor heat. Bodily, despite the meager food, he was very strong, "had strength against two people."

He was the first in the service.

Works of St. Sergius (Sergius of Radonezh). Nesterov M.V.

So the years went by. The community lived unquestionably under Sergius. The monastery grew, became more complex and had to take shape. The brethren wanted Sergius to become abbot. And he refused.

The desire to be abbess, - he said, - is the beginning and root of the love of power.

But the brethren persisted. Several times the elders “approached” him, persuaded him, persuaded him. After all, Sergius himself founded the hermitage, he himself built the church; who should be abbot, celebrate the liturgy.

The insistence turned almost into threats: the brethren declared that if there was no abbot, everyone would disperse. Then Sergius, spending his usual sense of proportion, yielded, but also relatively.

I wish, - said, - it is better to study than to teach; it is better to obey than to rule; but I fear the judgment of God; I do not know what is pleasing to God; the holy will of the Lord be done!

And he decided not to argue - to transfer the matter to the discretion of the church authorities.

Father, they brought a lot of loaves, bless them to accept. Here, according to your holy prayers, they are at the gate.

Sergius blessed, and several wagons loaded with baked bread, fish and various food entered the monastery gates. Sergius rejoiced and said:

Well, you hungry ones, feed our breadwinners, invite them to share a common meal with us.

He ordered to hit the beater, everyone to go to church, serve a thanksgiving service. And only after the prayer he blessed to sit down for a meal. The loaves turned out to be warm, soft, as if they had just come out of the oven.

Trinity-Sergius Lavra (Sergius of Radonezh). Lisner E.

The monastery did not need now, as before. And Sergius was still just as simple - poor, poor and indifferent to the benefits, as he remained until his death. Neither power nor various "differences" occupied him at all. A quiet voice, quiet movements, the face of the deceased, the holy Great Russian carpenter. In it are our rye and cornflowers, birch trees and mirrored waters, swallows and crosses and the incomparable fragrance of Russia. Everything is raised to the utmost lightness, purity.

Many came from afar just to look at the reverend. This is the time when the “old man” is heard throughout Russia, when he approaches Met. Alexy, settles disputes, performs a grandiose mission to spread monasteries.

The monk wanted a stricter order, closer to the early Christian community. All are equal and all are poor equally. Nobody has anything. The monastery lives in a community.

The activity of Sergius was expanded and complicated by innovation. It was necessary to build new buildings - a refectory, a bakery, pantries, barns, housekeeping, etc. Previously, his leadership was only spiritual - monks went to him as a confessor, for confession, for support and guidance.

All able to work had to work. Private property is strictly prohibited.

In order to manage the more complex community, Sergius chose his assistants and distributed duties among them. The first person after the abbot was considered the cellar. This position was first established in Russian monasteries by Fr. Theodosius of the Caves. Kelar was in charge of the treasury, deanery and economy - not only inside the monastery. When the estates appeared, he was also in charge of their lives. Rules and court cases.

Already under Sergius, apparently, there was their own arable farming - there are arable fields around the monastery, partly they are cultivated by monks, partly by hired peasants, partly by those who want to work for the monastery. So the cellar has a lot of worries.

One of the first cells of the Lavra was St. Nikon, later abbot.

The most experienced in spiritual life were appointed as confessors. He is the confessor of the brethren. , the founder of the monastery near Zvenigorod, was one of the first confessors. Later, Epiphanius, the biographer of Sergius, received this position.

The ecclesiarch supervised the order in the church. Lesser positions: paraecclesiarch - kept the church clean, canonarch - led the "kliros obedience" and kept the liturgical books.

So they lived and worked in the monastery of Sergius, now already glorified, with roads laid to it, where it was possible to stop and stay for a while - whether for ordinary people or for a prince.

Two metropolitans, both wonderful, fill the age: Peter and Alexy. Hegumen Ratsky Peter, a Volhynian by birth, the first Russian metropolitan, based in the north - first in Vladimir, then in Moscow. Peter the first blessed Moscow. For her, in fact, he laid down his whole life. It is he who travels to the Horde, obtains from Uzbek a protective letter for the clergy, and constantly helps the Prince.

Metropolitan Alexy - from the high-ranking, ancient boyars of the city of Chernigov. His fathers and grandfathers shared with the prince the work of managing and defending the state. On the icons they are depicted side by side: Peter, Alexy, in white hoods, faces darkened from time to time, narrow and long, gray beards ... Two tireless creators and workers, two “protectors” and “patrons” of Moscow.

Etc. Sergius under Peter was still a boy, he lived with Alexy for many years in harmony and friendship. But St. Sergius was a hermit and "prayer book", a lover of the forest, silence - his life path different. Is he, from childhood - departed from the malice of this world, to live at court, in Moscow, to rule, sometimes to intrigue, appoint, dismiss, threaten! Metropolitan Alexy often comes to his Lavra - perhaps to rest with a quiet person - from struggle, unrest and politics.

Saint Sergius came into life when the Tatars were already breaking down. The times of Batu, the ruin of Vladimir, Kyiv, the battle of the City - everything is far away. Two processes are going on, the Horde is decomposing, the young Russian state. The horde is crushed, Russia is united. The Horde has several rivals vying for power. They cut each other, postpone, leave, weakening the strength of the whole. In Russia, on the contrary, it is an ascent.

In the meantime, Mamai advanced in the Horde and became khan. He gathered the entire Volga Horde, hired the Khivans, Yases and Burtases, conspired with the Genoese, the Lithuanian prince Jagello - in the summer he laid his camp at the mouth of the Voronezh River. Jagiello was waiting.

The time is dangerous for Dimitri.

Until now, Sergius has been a quiet hermit, a carpenter, a modest abbot and educator, a saint. Now stood before hard work: blessings on the blood. Would Christ bless for a war, even a national one?

St. Sergius of Radonezh blesses D. Donskoy. Kivshenko A.D.

Russia has gathered

On August 18, Dimitri, with Prince Vladimir of Serpukhov, princes of other regions and governors, arrived at the Lavra. Probably, it was both solemn and deeply serious: Russia really gathered. Moscow, Vladimir, Suzdal, Serpukhov, Rostov, Nizhny Novgorod, Belozersk, Murom, Pskov with Andrei Olgerdovich - for the first time such forces have been moved. Moved not in vain. Everyone understood this.

The prayer began. During the service, messengers arrived - the war was going on in the Lavra - they reported on the movement of the enemy, warned to hurry. Sergius begged Demetrius to stay for the meal. Here he said to him:

The time has not yet come for you to wear the crown of victory with eternal sleep; but for many, without number, wreaths of martyrdom are woven to your employees.

After the meal, the monk blessed the prince and the whole retinue, sprinkled St. water.

Go, don't be afraid. God will help you.

And, bending down, he whispered in his ear: "You will win."

There is something majestic, with a tragic tinge, in the fact that Sergius gave two hermit monks as assistants to Prince Sergius: Peresvet and Oslyabya. They were warriors in the world and went to the Tatars without helmets, shells - in the form of a schema, with white crosses on monastic clothes. Obviously, this gave the army of Demetrius a sacred crusading appearance.

On the 20th Dimitri was already in Kolomna. On the 26-27th, the Russians crossed the Oka, Ryazan land advanced to the Don. On the 6th of September it was reached. And they hesitated. Whether to wait for the Tatars, whether to cross?

Senior, experienced governors suggested: wait here. Mamai is strong, Lithuania is with him, and Prince Oleg Ryazansky. Demetrius, contrary to the advice, crossed the Don. The way back was cut off, which means everything forward, victory or death.

Sergius these days was also in the highest rise. And in time he sent a letter after the prince: “Go, sir, go ahead, God and the Holy Trinity will help!”

According to legend, Peresvet, long ready for death, jumped out to the call of the Tatar hero, and, having grappled with Chelubey, struck him, he himself fell. A general battle began, on a gigantic front for those times, ten miles away. Sergius correctly said: "Martyr's wreaths are woven for many." A lot of them were woven.

The monk, at these hours, prayed with the brethren in his church. He talked about the course of the battle. He called the fallen and recited prayers for the dead. And in the end he said: "We won."

Rev. Sergius of Radonezh. demise

Sergius of Radonezh came to his Makovitsa as a modest and obscure youth, Bartholomew, and left as a most illustrious elder. Before the monk, there was a forest on Makovitsa, a spring nearby, and bears lived in the wilds in the neighborhood. And when he died, the place stood out sharply from the forests and from Russia. On Makovitsa stood a monastery - the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, one of the four laurels of our country. Forests cleared around, fields appeared, rye, oats, villages. Even under Sergius, a deaf hillock in the forests of Radonezh became a light-attractive for thousands. Sergius of Radonezh founded not only his own monastery and did not act from it alone. There are countless abodes that arose with his blessing, founded by his disciples - and imbued with his spirit.

So, the young man Bartholomew, having retired to the forests on “Makovitsa”, turned out to be the founder of a monastery, then monasteries, then monasticism in general in a vast country.

Leaving no scriptures behind him, Sergius allegedly does not teach anything. But he teaches precisely with his whole appearance: to one he is a consolation and refreshment, to another - a mute reproach. Sergius silently teaches the simplest: truth, straightforwardness, masculinity, work, reverence and faith.

The fact that Sergius of Radonezh would devote his life to serving God was decided even before his birth. His parents gave him the name Bartholomew. From early childhood, he showed his belonging to the Higher Forces, for example, on fasting days he refused milk. After the death of his parents, he took the monastic vows and called himself Sergius. He believed that his main mission was to help people. Prayers to the saint have been used by believers for more than a dozen years. They help people cope with various problems and gain confidence in themselves.

How does prayer help Sergei Radonezh?

A huge number of people from all over the world come to the relics of the saint to ask for help in different situations. At home, you can pray in front of the icon of Sergius of Radonezh. They read a prayer to Sergius of Radonezh for help in order to pacify their pride, since it is considered one of the most serious sins. The clergy say that Sergius can be contacted with various problems. A person receives gracious advice and instructions, and he also helps to recover from various diseases. Parents and students themselves pray to Radonezhsky for academic success.

Before reading a prayer to St. Sergius of Radonezh, it is recommended to go to and ask for a blessing from a clergyman. In the church shop, get a candle, an icon, and also take holy water and prosphora. At home, light a candle in front of the image, kneel down and read a prayer. Please note that only people who work hard and do a lot to achieve what they want can count on help. If there are impure thoughts and bad thoughts, you should not read prayers, because the desired will not come true.

Prayer to Sergius of Radonezh for help in studies

From the first grade, it is already possible to identify children for whom study is easy, as well as those for whom this is a real hard labor. In this case, parents can help their child change their attitude to learning and begin to achieve certain results. By the way, Sergius of Radonezh himself did not like to read as a child, but sincere prayer to God changed his attitude to learning. Prayer helps not only schoolchildren, but also students. Both the student and his parents can read the prayer text:

“O reverend and God-bearing Father Sergius! Look at us (names) mercifully and, to the earth of adherents, raise us to the heights of heaven. Strengthen our cowardice and confirm us in the faith, and we certainly hope to receive all that is good from the mercy of the Lord God through your prayers. By your intercession, ask for every gift to everyone and anyone who is beneficial, and all of us, with your prayers, which hastened your prayers, on the day of the Last Judgment, part of the shuiya will be delivered, the right countries of the community of being and the blessed voice of the Lord Christ to hear: come, bless my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world . Amen".

Prayer to Sergius of Radonezh for help in work

If a person wants to find a good place work that would not only make a profit, but also bring pleasure. Sincerely prayer appeal will allow you to get strength and invisible support to achieve what you want. The prayer goes like this:

“O heavenly citizen of Jerusalem, Reverend Father Sergius! Look at us mercifully and raise those who are committed to the earth to the heights of heaven. You are grief, in Heaven; we are on earth, below, removed from you, not only by a place, but by our sins and iniquities; but to you, as if we are kindred, we resort and cry out: instruct us to walk in your way, enlighten and guide. It is characteristic of you, our father, kindness and philanthropy: living on earth, not only about your own salvation, be your care, but also about all those who flow to you. Your instructions were the reed of the scribe of the scribe, who inscribes the verbs of life on the heart of everyone. You did not only heal bodily illnesses, but more than spiritual ones, an elegant doctor appeared, and all your holy life was a mirror of all virtues. If only a fraction was thou, holier than God, on earth: now thou art, in Heaven! Today you stand before the Throne of the Unapproachable Light, and in it, as in a mirror, see all our needs and petitions; you are settling together with the Angels, about the only sinner who repents rejoicing. And the philanthropy of God is inexhaustible, and your boldness towards Him is much: do not stop crying out to the Lord for us. Ask for your intercession from the All-Merciful God of our peace to His Church, under the sign of the Militant Cross, consent in faith and single wisdom, superstition and splits, extermination, affirmation in good deeds, healing to the sick, sad consolation, offended intercession, distressed help. Do not shame us, who come to you with faith. Even if you are not worthy of a great father and intercessor, but you, being an imitator of God's love for mankind, are worthy of creation through conversion from evil deeds to a good life. All God-enlightened Russia, filled with your miracles and blessed with graces, confesses you to be its patron and intercessor. Reveal your ancient mercy, and you helped their father, do not reject us, their children, marching in their feet to you. We believe that you are with us in spirit. Where the Lord exists, as His word teaches us, there His servant will also be. You are a faithful servant of the Lord, and I exist everywhere to God, you are in Him, and He is in you, moreover, be with us in body. Behold your incorruptible and life-giving relics, like a priceless treasure, give us miracles God. Coming to them, as if I live for you, we bow down and pray: accept our prayers and offer them on the altar of the goodness of God, may we receive grace and timely help in our needs. Strengthen us, the faint-hearted, and confirm us in the faith, and undoubtedly we hope to receive all that is good from the mercy of the Lord through your prayers. Do not stop your spiritual flock, gathered by you, to rule with the rod of spiritual wisdom: help those who struggle, lift the weakened, hasten to carry the yoke of Christ in complacency and patience, and rule us all in peace and repentance, end our life and settle with hope in the blessed bowels of Abraham, where you joyfully rest on labors and labors, glorifying with all the saints of God, in the Trinity of glory, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen."

Sergius of Radonezh was born on May 3, 1314 in the village of Varnitsy near Rostov. At baptism, the future saint received the name Bartholomew. At the age of seven, his parents sent him to study literacy. At first, the boy was given very bad training, but gradually he studied the Holy Scriptures and became interested in the church. From the age of twelve, Bartholomew began to fast strictly, prayed a lot.

Foundation of the monastery

Around 1328, the future hieromonk moved to Radonezh with his family. After the death of their parents, Bartholomew, along with his older brother Stephen, went to deserted places. In the forest on Makovets hill they built a small Trinity church.

In 1337, on the feast day of the martyrs Sergius and Bacchus, Bartholomew was tonsured under the name Sergius. Soon disciples began to come to him, and a monastery was formed on the site of the church. Sergius becomes the second abbot and presbyter of the monastery.

Religious activities

A few years later, a flourishing temple of Sergius of Radonezh, the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, was formed in this place. Having learned about the emergence of the monastery, the Ecumenical Patriarch Filofei sent a letter to the abbot, in which he paid tribute to his activities. Saint Sergius was a highly respected person in princely circles: he blessed the rulers before battles, tried them on among themselves.

In addition to the Trinity-Sergius, during his brief biography, Radonezh founded several more monasteries - Borisoglebsky, Blagoveshchensky, Staro-Golutvinsky, Georgievsky, Andronnikov and Simonov, Vysotsky.

Honoring the memory

Sergius of Radonezh was canonized in 1452. In the work “The Life of Sergius”, the main primary source of the biography of the hieromonk, Epiphanius the Wise wrote that during his life, Saint Radonezhsky had many miracles and healings. Once he even resurrected a man.

In front of the icon of Sergius of Radonezh, people ask for recovery. On September 25, on the day of the death of the saint, believers celebrate the day of his memory.

Other biography options

The Life of Sergius tells that Bartholomew learned to read and write thanks to the blessing of the holy elder.
Among the disciples of Sergius of Radonezh were such well-known religious figures as Abraham of Galicia, Pavel Obnorsky, Sergius of Nuromsky, St. Andronicus, Pachomius of Nerekhtsky and many others.
The life of the saint inspired many writers (N. Zernova, N. Kostomarov, L. Charskaya, G. Fedotov, K. Sluchevsky and others) to create works of art about his fate and deeds, including a number of books for children. The biography of Sergius of Radonezh is studied by schoolchildren in grades 7-8.