Three days a week special services are held in one of the churches of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. The abbot of the monastery, Father Herman, begs, smears with myrrh and sprinkles holy water on raging people. Curious and mentally ill people should not look here. Spiritual illnesses are treated here.
Unexplained symptoms
Quite often, patients treated by Father Herman are people with unexplained illnesses. A person is melting before our eyes, losing strength, barely walking, but no doctor can determine the cause and make a diagnosis. Another case is constant melancholy, depression up to the desire to die against the backdrop of a completely prosperous fate. Or, conversely, unreasonable outbursts of rage and irritation, reaching a riot in a person who is usually calm and balanced. There may be seizures, seizures, symptoms of epilepsy or schizophrenia, but without any signs of organic damage to the psyche.
There is such a disease - obsession
The clue may be found in the church. A sharply negative reaction to all the attributes of a church service - incense, holy water, a cross, prayers, icons, relics - is evidence that a person is led by an alien force. Even more shockcan be experienced by someone who, having entered the temple, suddenly crows or begins to use foul language. All this happens against his will.
So a person is faced with the fact that some other force controls her soul, regardless of whether she believes in its existence or not. The report given by Father Herman shows with the utmost clarity the nature of this force. "Well, get away from me, pop!" - a thin girl can yell in a bass voice, and a kid of six years old is able to hit a priest sprinkled with holy water with such force that he is thrown three meters away. Low, evil, aggressive evil spirits - demons - are the source of mysterious diseases of the human spirit, called possession.
How they become possessed
The first reason that people find themselves in the power of demonic power is disbelief in the spiritual world: neither in God, nor in hell. Because of an atheistic upbringing, one generation of atheists was replaced by another, accumulating a baggage of sins - this is how Father Herman explains the spread of obsession among the post-Soviet population. An unbaptized person initially lives according to passions, does not recognize the commandments of God, does not receive the protection of the Holy Spirit and falls into the power of an unclean spirit.
The believer knows the commandments and follows them. But under the influence of evil spirits, even baptized people depart from God and commit sinful acts. However, they have the opportunity to repent and reconnect with Him in the sacrament of the sacrament. He who does not resist temptations sins and does notrepents, loses power over his soul, gives it to the power of demons. They move into the heart of such a person at the moment of consciously committing an unscrupulous act.
Another complex of reasons for obsession is called by Archimandrite Herman. This is coding, appeal to psychics, witchcraft practices. In fact, this is “the introduction of evil spirits with the full consent of the patient and against his receipt.”
But to drive the evil spirit out of the soul is no longer in the power of the sinner himself. Strong prayerful help from outside is needed here, and Father Herman provides it. Sergiev Posad is a place where thousands of unfortunates rush in the hope of regaining power over their souls.
Exorcism - casting out demons
The Trinity-Sergius Lavra is one of the few places in Russia where those suffering from possession and possession can get help. The exorcism of demons in church practice is called exorcism. In gospel times, this was available only to Jesus Christ. The Savior taught his disciples: “This kind is driven out only by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:21). That is, only a person of strong faith and a holy life can help in freeing his neighbor from evil spirits.
From the first centuries of Christianity, a practice has been established: to expel unclean spirits, receive a blessing from a church hierarch, whose rank is not lower than that of a bishop. In Russia, since the 14th century, a prayer for the expulsion of demons from the liturgical book of the Kyiv Metropolitan Peter Mohyla has been widespread. Exorcism in Russia was called reprimands - this is a special worship service for the exorcism of demons. Now the rite of reprimand is included in the great breviary of Orthodox clergy, it is recognized by the Orthodox Church, but not everyone is given the opportunity to do it. Far from everyone, it’s still good if one out of a thousand.
Do we need exorcists?
Opponents of the rite of exorcism in the practice of the Orthodox Church are categorical: "The reprimand of Father Herman is a service that no one can attend." Numerous arguments are given, it is argued that the Russian Church never knew this rank. And what do opponents of reprimands offer to people in trouble? Those who are already here on earth saw themselves in hell and in the power of demons. Pray, fast, go to church, repent, take communion, visit holy places - in a word, correct and hope for God's mercy.
Yes! Now he is obsessed and ready to do everything that he previously neglected, but the power that controls him will not allow him to get closer to God. Not every parish priest has the power to pray for the return of the prodigal son to the bosom of the church. We need a special service and people who are able to perform it without harm to themselves.
Where they can help
Father German Chesnokov is considered the leading exorcist in Russia, and the Trinity-Sergius Lavra is the most famous place where the spiritually ill receive help. Back in Soviet times, Abbot Adrian used to reprimand here. Thirty years ago Father Herman received a blessing for this service from the Patriarch. Lavra, however, is not the only place where spiritual healing is promoted. 100 kilometers from Moscow, in the village of Shugaevo, Fr. Panteleimon, inBashkortostan is known for Fr. Simon, carry out reprimands in the Borovsky Monastery in Kaluga and in the Gornalsky-Kursk region; in the Nizhny Novgorod region, such services are held in the Oransky monastery, and in the Penza region - in St. Rozhdestvensky, in the village of Treskino. In rural churches of the Vladimir region and Tatarstan there are priests who use the rite of reprimand to help people. In total, there are up to 25 priests in Russia who practice this service, which gathers a huge number of people. “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few” (Matthew 9:37). In the person of these priests, the Orthodox Church extends its hand to people who have fallen into enemy captivity. Why are there so few of them?
Did a good deed - get ready for temptation
One popular Orthodox book tells the story of a priest who once ventured to heal a demon-possessed girl. Could not resist the requests of unfortunate parents. After a week of intense fasting and prayer, he held a rite of reprimand on the breviary - and the unclean spirit left the child.
The feeling of joy was accompanied by an innocent thought: "And I'm not so simple, I can do something." The desire to dissipate and rest after the strain of spiritual forces is also quite understandable - and the priest, with a newspaper in his hands, delved into reading the city news. Looking up from the interesting article, he clearly saw who had come out of the girl. Bes, looking straight into his eyes, carefully studied him. Beside himself with horror, the priest rushed to the spiritual father, from whom he did not even ask for a blessing for this service. One must think that the confessor’s prayers softened the reprisal: the priest was robbed, beaten, and lost everyoneteeth.
Without Me you can't do anything
Absolute humility, which excludes any thought of one's involvement in success - this is the condition for protection from the attack of evil spirits. Humility is an experienced knowledge of one's weakness, the minister is one hundred percent sure that only Christ heals. “I don't cast out demons, I read a prayer asking God to help,” Father Herman explains. Reviews of his service may be different, but everyone recognizes that he is a strong prayer book. He develops the idea further: the service of reprimand does not have a special philosophy and does not require supernatural abilities, he does it not out of vocation and personal attraction, but out of obedience. Father Simeon from Bashkiria has the same attitude to the rank of reprimand - this is just spiritual hygiene, because we wash our hands and brush our teeth.
Another component of security, protection from the attack of demons is the maximum distance from everything worldly. In a monastery, this is easier to do. People in the world need to be careful. "Television is a source of spiritual damage," says Father Herman, and includes it among the most common causes of possession.
Obedience, humility, renunciation of the world with its passions - it would seem, nothing supernatural, but there are so few ministers who can do it!
Secular life of Alexander Chesnokov
Divine providence is in the life of every person, but not everyone can follow it. Father German saw a series of miracles in his life - his biography contains many seemingly incompatible facts.
Military service in Central Asia inspecial border region. Times were turbulent - there was a war in Afghanistan. For military operations to detain scouts, Alexander Chesnokov (the worldly name of Herman's father) was even wanted to be nominated for the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Why not start a successful military career? But the applicant was not a member of the CPSU and, apparently, was not going to join it. The next stage is studying at the Moscow Road Institute, a prestigious Soviet university. He studied at the Faculty of Economics. Cars, economics - an education that could provide an interesting job and a successful life in both Soviet and post-Soviet society. Unexpectedly for relatives and friends, it is interrupted.
My life is a series of miracles
On the advice of his spiritual father, Alexander becomes a student of the theological seminary, and then the academy. Professor of the MDA A. Osipov recalls that at his seminars Chesnokov did not stand out with special knowledge, he was a simple listener, he did not go into the subtleties of theology. And in the last year of his studies, student Alexander becomes a novice of the Lavra, trying on a monastic life.
When the question of the future life arose closely: to become a monk or a priest in the world, there was an “episode with s alt”. It shows a direct indication of the will of God. Half an hour before giving a final answer, Alexander, sitting in his cell, thought: “If you stay in the Lavra, let someone ask me for something.” Immediately there was a knock on the door, and the familiar hieromonk asked him for s alt. The issue was resolved, on the same day Alexander was tonsured. Familiar hieromonk onlyshrugged his shoulders: “I didn’t ask you for any s alt!” Currently, the failed Hero of the Soviet Union is an exorcist, Father Herman. Sergiev Posad is the place of his permanent residence and service.
Our service is both dangerous and difficult
Every week on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at noon in the Peter and Paul Church, next to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, the rite of exorcism is performed. It used to take place in the gate church of John the Baptist inside the monastery. Several hundred people are tensely waiting for the priest for 10-15 minutes. This lateness is the beginning of preparation for a difficult service.
The appearance of a priest is accompanied by noise and murmuring in the crowd, in some places they cry, somewhere they threaten, growling, meowing, crowing, barking are heard - everything reveals the presence of evil spirits. Father Herman's service begins with a long sermon. It lasts 1.5-2 hours, and some people leave already. The rest listen with bated breath, because everyone recognizes their life story in the priest's denunciations.
The reading of prayers for the expulsion of unclean spirits begins. This is the climax of the service, and the demons begin to rage: howl, growl, swear, squeal. There are assistants to the priest in the temple, who, at his sign, lead out “simulators” - people playing for the audience. According to Fr. Herman, he knows after which prayer the demons come out.
Then follows the anointing with myrrh, sprinkling with holy water - unclean spirits physically resist these actions, it takes a considerable effort for the shrine to touch the body of a raging person."Get out, get out, Satan… We cast you out in the name of God!" At the end of the prayer, Fr. Herman recalls that it is advisable to attend the reprimand three times, and then be sure to participate in the sacraments of unction, confession, and communion.
Narrow is the way that leads to eternal life
Possession and possession is a lesson given by God to a person who has gone too far along the wide path of sin. This is an opportunity already in earthly life to see whose will the sinner is fulfilling. Father Herman's reprimand is a chance to break free from demonic captivity and start living according to God. Repentance, confession, communion, prayers and following the commandments is the way of personal struggle for your salvation.
