It just so happened from time immemorial that in Russia the icon of St. Sergius of Radonezh enjoys special honor. What do they pray for before her and what do they hope for, offering petitions to this saint, whose name is inextricably linked with the beginning of the formation of Russian spirituality during the years of the Tatar-Mongol yoke? This article is devoted to the answers to these questions.
Testimony of St. Epiphanius
Before starting a conversation about how Sergius of Radonezh helps everyone who comes to him with prayer and hope, let us briefly dwell on the circumstances of the earthly life of this greatest saint of the Russian Orthodox Church. The main and most authoritative source of information on this issue is the life compiled shortly after the death of the monk by his closest disciple Epiphanius the Wise, who also acquired the crown of holiness after his death.
The Monk Epiphanius tells that on May 3, 1314, God gave the pious spouses Cyril and Mary a son, who in holy baptism was named Yartholomew. They lived in the village of Varnitsy near Rostov andbelonged to the noble and respected boyars. It was their child that the Lord predicted to become the "spiritual collector" of the Russian people, who embodied the ideal of Holy Russia.
Chosen of God
The life says that even before the birth of the baby, undeniable signs of his chosenness were revealed. Thus, during the Divine Liturgy, the mother distinctly heard the triple exclamation that came from her womb at the most crucial moments of the service. When he was born, he flatly refused to take his mother's breast on Wednesday and Friday, as well as on fast days if she ate meat.
A great event happened in the life of the lad Bartholomew (the future St. Sergius) when he was seven years old. Apprenticed along with his two brothers Stefan and Peter, he could not learn to read for a long time, although he made considerable efforts to do so. What was Saint Sergius of Radonezh praying for at that time? Of course, about sending him "book understanding", and the all-merciful Lord heeded his prayers.
Gift of God's messenger
Once upon a time, an angel of God appeared to the youth in the form of a monk and, having blessed, said that from now on he would be granted the grace not only of comprehension of reading and writing, but also of the interpretation of the Holy Scriptures, and with his wisdom he would gain glory through the ages. The angel predicted to Bartholomew's parents that their son was destined to become "the chosen abode of the Holy Spirit."
It is no coincidence that today, among everything else that Sergius of Radonezh is praying for, requests for the gift of success in studies occupy an important place, since he himself is in adolescenceI comprehended the letter only by God's good pleasure, asking for it for myself, kneeling before the holy images. The text of one of these prayers is given in our article and can serve as an illustration of all that has been said above. It also contains other requests addressed to St. Sergius, which will be discussed below.
Young hermits
When Bartholomew was 14 years old, their family moved to Radonezh, where the young man regularly attended church and continued to grow spiritually. A few years later, the Lord called his parents to His heavenly palaces, who before their death received tonsure in the Khotkovo Monastery. Shortly before this, the elder brother of Bartholomew, Stefan, became a monk.
By burying their parents and desiring to devote themselves entirely to the service of God, the brothers retired to desert life, building a cell in the forest not far from Radonezh. They also erected a small wooden church, which was then consecrated in honor of the Holy Trinity. However, after some time, Stefan became weary of the hermit life and, leaving his brother, settled in the Moscow Epiphany Monastery.
Bartholomew continued to bear the feat he had taken earlier and in October 1337 he took the rank of angel (as they used to say about those who took the veil as monks) taking the name of the holy martyr Sergius. Confronting the fears sent to him by demons and struggling with temptations, he "ascended from strength to strength."
Listing everything that is prayed to Sergius of Radonezh, one should certainly mention those lines from the prayer given in the article, where he is asked to look at"committed" to the earth and raise them to heavenly heights. Such a petition is included not by chance, because this is exactly what the monk accomplished in his earthly life, rejecting its vain joys from himself and raising his spirit to the mountain heights. It is customary to pray for the gift of the same powers in front of his honest image. But, continuing the story, let's return to the wilderness of the Radonezh forests.
Establishment of a monastic brotherhood
Gradually, the locals, as well as the monks of nearby monasteries, learned about the spiritual exploits of the hermit, and began to come to him for help and guidance. Some of them, also wanting to embark on the path of serving God, asked permission to stay, and soon they formed a small brotherhood, consisting of 12 monks.
At first, it was incredibly difficult for them in new and so unusual conditions for them, but the monk by his example multiplied their strength, and by preaching uplifted their spirit. “Strengthen our cowardice and confirm us in the faith,” is what they pray for today to Sergius of Radonezh and hope for the fulfillment of what they ask, seeing an example of how he helped twelve monks in this, who once joined him in the deaf Radonezh forests.
In the rank of abbot
In 1354, with the blessing of Bishop Athanasius of Volyn, Saint Sergius officially headed the monastery he had founded and was elevated to the rank of abbot. Since that time, the number of monks began to increase rapidly, as a good rumor about him spread throughout the region. As before, people came here to hear the word of God and get clarifications on all religiousquestions.
Teaching people the basics of the true faith, the illustrious abbot proved himself to be an unsurpassed teacher. That is why, listing everything that they pray to St. Sergius of Radonezh, the spiritual shepherds strongly recommend resorting to his help in studies, or, as it is said in the above prayer, asking for "the gift of understanding science." We have already mentioned this, although in connection with a different period in the life of the saint.
Foundation of a new monastery
The fame of the ascetic life and spiritual exploits of St. Sergius assumed such a wide scope that it soon reached Byzantium, and the Patriarch of Constantinople Philotheus, blessing him for new exploits, sent him monastic vestments and a pectoral cross. He accompanied his gift with a letter in which he gave some advice regarding the organization of the life of the monastery. However, the fulfillment of the patriarchal order caused dissatisfaction among the brethren, who grumbled at the exorbitant severity of the proposed charter.
In order not to force them to bear the "excessive cross", the Monk Sergius left the monastery and, settling on the banks of the Kerzhach River, founded a new monastery there, in honor of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos. However, the monastery he left began to quickly fall into decay, and Bishop Alexy of Moscow ordered him to return to his former place, which the saint did, entrusting the new monastery to his disciple, the Monk Roman.
Miracles of the monk, revealed by him during his lifetime
Continuing the conversation about what Sergius of Radonezh helps in, it is necessary to mentionmiracles revealed to him by the grace of God, which he was honored for strict observance of the commandments and pastoral labors. The life tells of numerous healings of the afflicted who turned to him for help, and even of the resurrection of a boy from the dead, whom his father mourned, considering him lost forever. That is why, in front of the icon of St. Sergius, it is customary to offer prayers for deliverance from "ailments and bitter illnesses", asking for he alth for yourself and your loved ones.
Many other miracles are also known, thanks to which the abbot of the forest monastery was revered by the people along with the saints of past centuries. However, he was weary of worldly glory and often forbade the brethren to tell strangers about many things that they witnessed. So, only after his death, the monks told the world how once at the liturgy an angel of the Lord served their igumen. On another occasion, Abba Sergius, in the presence of his disciple, the Monk Micah, was honored with a visit to the Most Holy Theotokos, accompanied by the Apostles Peter and John the Theologian. That is why among all that they pray to Sergius of Radonezh, an important place is occupied by requests for intercession before the Mother of God and Her Eternal Son.
Rejection of primacy
The humility of St. Sergius was so deep that it did not allow him to accept the offer of Metropolitan Alexy, who was completing his earthly path, and to head the Moscow Metropolis after his death. He was disgusted with such a high honor of the primate, coupled with the acceptance of numeroushonors and wearing such symbols of power as a golden cross, a precious panagia and a staff. From this follows another important element that is included in the list of what they pray to Sergius of Radonezh - this is the gift of humility, without which, as you know, it is impossible to acquire the Kingdom of God.
Master of the Great Victory
The years of the earthly life of Sergius of Radonezh coincided with the most difficult period of Russian history, known as the Tatar-Mongol yoke. This gave special meaning to his activities as the spiritual leader of the nation, and it is no coincidence that the Grand Duke of Moscow Dmitry Donskoy came to him for a blessing before the Battle of Kulikovo.
Blessing the prince and all his army, the monk sent with them to the battlefield two of his monks - schemamonks Oslyabya and Peresvet. He predicted that although the victory would come with a lot of blood, it would certainly be for the Russian squads. As we know from history, it all happened.
On a fine autumn day on September 8, 1380, the squads of Dmitry Donskoy utterly defeated and put to flight the hordes of the previously invincible Khan Mamai. From morning until sunset, the inhabitants of the monastery, together with their hegumen, spent their time on their knees before the holy images. Sergius of Radonezh prayed during the Battle of Kulikovo for the sending of victory to the Orthodox army, and was heard. Since then, his name has been inextricably linked with this heroic page in Russian history. He completed his earthly journey on September 25 (G. S.), 1392.
How to pray correctlySergius of Radonezh?
On the pages of the Holy Gospel, Jesus Christ teaches that everyone will be rewarded according to their faith, since prayer without it is dead. This is one of the truths on which all service to God and His Heavenly powers is based. The words “according to your faith it will be for you” are relevant, regardless of which of the representatives of the upper world our prayers are addressed to. Therefore, it is important to understand that in this case, the slightest doubt about the achievability of the requested can negate all the previously applied work, even in cases where we are well aware of what Sergius of Radonezh helps with.
Reviews, which are often found both in the guest books of monasteries and on the Internet, are a clear confirmation of this. Women talk about how, thanks to a deep faith in the help of the holy saint of God, through prayers to him, they got rid of serious illnesses, before which modern medicine was powerless. And there are many such revelations, since the people have strong hope in St. Sergius of Radonezh, one of the most revered saints in our country.
