FROM ST. SERGIUS' OF RADONEZH LIFE STORY

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 535.

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The name of Saint Sergius of Radonezh became a symbol for the following generations. The Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra, created by Venerable Sergius of Radonezh, was named after him. St. Sergius brought up a generation of outstanding ascetics. He gave his blessing to Prince Dmitri Ivanovich (Donskoy) for the battle with Tatar-Mongols on the Kulikovo field. In memory of St. Sergius Andrei Rublev painted his icon “The Old Testament Trinity” which became the symbol of Russian spirituality.

Sergius (Bartholomew before consecration) was born in 1314 in the village of Varnitsy near Rostov the Great to the family of the boyars Cyril and Maria. The “Lives” do not give the year of Saint Sergius birth, but from his age at his death (he died in 1392 at the age of 78), we assume that he was born in 1313-1314. The servants of God Cyril and Maria had three sons: the eldest was named Stephen, the second was Bartholomew and the third Peter.

In his childhood Bartholomew went to Rostov on pilgrimage to various monasteries in the area with his parents and helped them with domestic work.

When Bartholomew reached the age of seven his parents sent him to school to learn to read and write. Stephen and Peter learned reading and writing quickly, but when Bartholomew entered school he had problems as his studies were difficult for him. He was not as clever as his classmates and preferred solitude. His parents and teacher scolded him and he suffered a great deal and prayed.

One day Bartholomew saw an old monk praying under an oak and told him about his life and problems. The monk listened to him, prayed, and gave him a little piece of prosphora as a sign of the divine grace for reading. From that time Bartholomew began to read the Bible and liturgical books and soon he began to read the Church Fathers, whose works were in the Rostov library.

Nevertheless, throughout his life he remained a man for whom the Christian experience was more important than learning or reason. He was always serene and moderate in all things, modest and poor, and an example for all those around him.

In early 1328 Sergius' parents moved to Radonezh located in the north-eastern part of Moscow principality, on the Pazha River.

Their eldest son, Stephen was already married and had two sons. The younger brother Peter was also married, but only Bartholomew remained with his parents.

Cyril and Maria died in 1334. Before their death they entered the monastery in Khotkovo where they were buried.

After the parents' death Bartholomew and his brother Stephen, who had become a widower by that time and a monk, left the world to live in the forest surrounding Radonezh, meaning to live like hermits, as prescribed by the strict rules of ascetic life. Bartholomew wanted to live under the guidance and in obedience to his elder brother as Stephen was a monk. The brothers built a small wooden chapel and a monastic cell on Makovets hill.

About 1337 Bartholomew at the age of 23 took monastic vows, assumed the name of Sergius and in 12 kilometres from Radonezh founded a cloister, dedicating it to “The Life-Giving Trinity”. By that time Stephen had left Bartholomew as he preferred life in an urban monastery, Metropolitan Theognost ordained Stephen to the priesthood and made him the head of the monastery.

As for Sergius, at that time he held the view that salvation was possible only through constant vigil and prayer, and feats of asceticism. However, when people started coming to him, Sergius allowed them to join and live with him. Little by little a monastery was formed.

Although Venerable Sergius was an ordained monk and priest he became a prominent public figure of his time. In 1357 he was elected the monastic Father Superior. He willingly helped the Metropolitan of Moscow in the church affairs, took an active part in founding other monasteries and by word and deed, and personal blessing helped the great cause of liberating and uniting Russia. Saint Sergius was the founder of a practical school of life based on an ability to give oneself to the common cause.

St. Sergius spent almost all his life in the Trinity monastery. Here he became famous as an outstanding christian devotee. The state of spiritual concentration and fraternity in the monastery “changed the minds, transforming the soul of the Russian man of the 14th century”. It was the begining of the moral and then political revival of Russian people. No wonder that Paul Florensky, appraising the contribution of St. Sergius to the national culture, called him “a spiritual father of Moscow Rus”. St. Sergius died on the 8th of October in 1392. According to “The Life of St. Sergius”, the last words of the Trinity hegoumenos were addressed to his disciples whom he called for “mutual understanding, purity of soul and body and true love”. In 1422 Reverend Sergius was canonized. His non-decayed relics repose in the Holy Trinity Cathedral opened in 1422.

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