Sixty kilometers from Kaluga is an ancient monastery, next to which is Optina Pustyn, whose name is known throughout Russia. The history of the desert has known periods of both rapid prosperity and complete decline. Glory to her was brought by the elders who once lived here - seers and healers. They hosted people coming from all over the country who needed spiritual guidance. After them, we were left with moral teachings, predictions, as well as one well-known prayer. It is customary to call it "Prayer for the beginning of the day of the Optina elders." What is known about this desert and about the elders who glorified it?
History of Optina Pustyn
In ancient times, in order to resist the raids of the steppe nomads, defensive structures were built in Russia - notches. In them, the inhabitants took refuge from uninvited guests. But over time, these same notches often became a refuge for robbers, who have always abounded in Russian open spaces. The legend tells that in one of these notches the leader of the gang namedWholesale.
There was a lot of blood on his hands, but suddenly there was a fracture in his soul. Either he had voices, or his conscience woke up, but he only repented of his deed, took monastic tonsure under the name of Macarius and ended his life in fasting and humility. From blood to holiness. How not to remember the words of Dmitry Karamazov: "A man is wide, too wide, I would narrow it down." However, it is not for us to judge - the will of God.
The hard way of becoming a desert
It is from this notch that Optina Pustyn originates. For the first time in historical documents, it is mentioned during the time of Boris Godunov. These were difficult years for the monastery. The city of Kozelsk, near which she was, was burned and plundered by the Lithuanians. Inherited from the enemy and defenseless wilderness. For almost two centuries it was in poverty and oblivion, and only at the very end of the 18th century did its revival begin.
The heyday of the Optina Hermitage is considered to be the 19th century, especially its second half. The elders who labored here were famous for their ability to foresee the future, heal the souls and bodies of pilgrims with prayers, and give guidance in difficult life situations. Representatives of the advanced Russian intelligentsia came to them, as to wise mentors. N. V. Gogol, M. P. Pogodin, M. A. Maksimovich, S. P. Shevyrev and many others visited here at different times.
Sharp old men
Special attention should be paid to the gift of clairvoyance, which the Optina elders were endowed with. The predictions of Russia's future troubles, recorded from their words, found their sad confirmation. Also inIn 1848, when the fire of revolution broke out in France, Elder Macarius was able to predict the future catastrophe that would befall Russia. Also, all his successors unanimously declared the danger threatening the country. They saw in it a retribution for the sins in which society was mired, more and more moving away from religion. History has confirmed everything that the Optina elders spoke about. Their predictions were exactly fulfilled in the days of the Bolshevik revolution. For their service to God and the miracles they performed, the fourteen elders of Optina Hermitage have already been canonized as saints in our day.
Prayer to start the day
Prayer for the beginning of the day of the Optina elders is a vivid example of the wisdom and spiritual insight of these people. It is not a substitute for those prayers that contain the Morning Rule prescribed by church tradition. The prayer of the Optina elders at the beginning of the day is an addition to them. It helps to direct the charge of gracious energy to the creation of good in relation to all people, but especially to those who are closest to us. The text of the prayer helps to concentrate spiritual forces in order to direct them in the right direction.
The prayer for the beginning of the day of the Optina elders has a beneficial effect on us, largely because in the early hours our consciousness is not yet burdened with worldly worries and is more receptive to understanding the meaning of the lines we read. The prayer read in the morning helps to organize our thoughts and forms a charge of vivacity. In addition, the text of the prayer is composed in such a way as to prepare a person with dignity.meet any surprises that may happen on this day.
Common Human Values in Prayer
It is important to note that the prayer at the beginning of the day of the Optina Elders was also approved by people who do not identify themselves with religion. Many psychologists note its effective psychotherapeutic effect. It is emphasized that the peculiarity of prayer is that it is equally suitable for people of various faiths. This theological text, unusual in its universality, can rightly be called an instruction for life. It succinctly and at the same time succinctly shows how to start the day.
The prayer of the Optina elders, the full version of which is given in this article, is written in a simple and understandable language. This is its indisputable merit. For her understanding and implementation of everything that is said in it, no special training is needed. Even a person who does not have sufficient strength in faith, reading it, will not remain indifferent to these simple and wise words.
The concept of eldership in the Orthodox Church
The icon of the Optina elders shows us the faces of the fourteen saints of God - the last elders of old Russia, leaving for eternity. Speaking of them, it is important to understand that this word means not just a monk who has reached old age, but a person who has received special grace from the Lord God. In it, he is given the gift of clairvoyance, that is, the ability to see the future, the gift of miracles and the gifthealing. Only true ascetics in the matter of serving God can be vouchsafed such grace. Not all elders are canonized by the church and canonized as saints, but, undoubtedly, in the highest monasteries they are rewarded for their earthly service.
The prayer for the beginning of the day of the Optina elders outlived its creators who had gone to the Lord for a long time. It is not included in any prayer rule, but is widely known, and is read at the beginning of the day by many believers. This is because her words contain the immortal power of the Holy Spirit, on the inspiration of which they were written.
